Is it wrong to continue bf on demand thru the night?!

[jellipidy]

Hi guys - been having a look through some of the other threads and has made me think - atm i co-sleep with my lo (7.5 months) and we are still bf. Some nights he will only wake a couple of times and I feed him and he goes back to sleep no problem. Other nights I find myself feeding him every hour or so. I assumed these nights were when he was having teething stuff going on. This is our routine and that's what we do and yes I am quite tired but I'm aware that after 6 months it is recommended that you try to drop a night feed. But I'm not sure which one!! Is it detrimental to my lo if we carry on like before until he kinda grows out of it or am I creating a 'rod for my own back'?!

forget about what other people think, what do you want to do?

Essentially I'm a lazy cow and the thought of trying to implement any restrictions seems like it would be a lot of stress for us both. Also dh sleeps next door and I'm under the assumption that to stop a feed he would have to step in and try to get ds back to sleep while I made myself scarce for a while - thus even less sleep! But I do worry that I'll have a 2 year old who demands bf all night before i know it!

if i were you and if you are happy with the status quo then don't worry about the future.

I think at somestage you may have to be tough as he will need to learn to get to back to sleep by himself but it does not need to be now. What you are doing at the moment is making sleep and bed a lovely place to be.

I would perhaps revisit the situation when he is on 3 good solid meals a day and seems less interested in day time feeds (say 10 months). You could then think about getting dh to rock him back to sleep when he wakes up in the night.

It's brilliant to hear that cos we're doing BLW and so I don't expect him to actually 'eat' anything properly until he's about 8 months or so - in the meantime I have been hoping that when he's properly established on solids the sleeping will sort itself out. I think I'll leave telling dp that he might have to assist just yet! Ignorance is bliss an all that!

Lots of things are wrong, skinning kittens, burberry, Jordan etc. What you are doing is far from it. In fact it is lovely. I plan to continue co-sleeping and bf at night until dd is having proper meals. If it works for you, then continue...

what is it about becoming a parent that suddenly makes you lose the ability to trust yourself! i hope it goes well for you ghostwriter - maybe we can compare notes when our lo's are fully fledged munchers!

You're on. But I must warn you that I am not organised enough to make actual notes.

I do know what you mean. Every time the hv asks where dd is sleeping I just stare at the floor, blush and mumble. I know she is happy and fine where she is and I'm happy with her there but it's definitely that nagging feeling that others instil in you, esp health care types. In the middle of the night when dd is feeding and smiling up at me, having a cuddle I can't imagine trying to forcibly change it.

lol! when have we got time to make notes!! You're absolutely right - i consider myself to be an honest person but the lies that come tumbling out when i see my hv - it's shocking really!! luckily i don't see her very often.
Even after a very wakeful night - that first smile in the morning just wipes away all the sleeplessness and is definitely worth it - here's to co-sleeping and bf'ing - gotta dash - lo is just rousing after his morning (!) nap

Hi Jellipidy, I coslept and stopped night feeding at about 8 months so if you wanted to it is possible but if you're happy with your arrangement then don't feel pressured to do anything. For me rather than refusing to feed I just wouldn't offer it immediately. Instead I would cuddle her, pat her etc. If she didn't settle (and believe me I have very low tolerance for fuss) I would have fed but amazingly she didn't. She was ill about 2 weeks after starting night weaning and I went back to it again for probably 2 weeks and then stopped again. No fuss that time either. It hasn't stopped her night wakings tho. If I try to offer her milk now she won't take it although will take water occasionally.

Given that it's so hot at the moment I'd probably just keep it up for the time being tho unless you can be bothered to get up for water.

I didn't really co-sleep although we shared a bedroom but happily fed in the night until my children were a year old.
Any younger is too soon for them to go witohut imo.

If it's not a problem for you, it's not a problem. Later, if you find it's making you too tired or interfering with your DS's sleep, you can rethink.