6 month old - won’t sleep unless held!

[Bluebell500]

Looking For some advice, my baby is now 6 months old and will not sleep unless:

• Being pushed in the pram

I get an hour and half nap at the most

• Rocked and held by myself

The second I try to put him down (even in my bed!) he will instantly wake up crying and we have to start all over again. I then usually end up laying next to him and move on to the next point…

• Laying in bed with boob in his mouth

This is usually how I end up most nights getting him to sleep, he can sometimes have my boob in his mouth for over an hour. every time I try to unlatch he will wake up looking for it again.

Please someone help me! Have I created a clingy monster? How do I get my baby to nap at least without me? Would moving onto formula help?

Baby will not take dummy and I wouldn’t ever consider cry it out method.

Please just any suggestions would be great!

My baby recently turned one and we are finally out the other side of this. I did nothing different. It was developmental. She just learned how to come off the boob when full then roll onto her back to try to sleep. At that point she'd then be able to transfer to her cot from my bed where I feed to sleep. So my advice is keep going...most of the mums in my breastfeeding support group (150 women) went through this and it ended peaked at 6-9m. You can try things like do not let her snooze on the boob, keep her awake by stroking and talking etc until full rather than feed for five, doze for 10 and feed again. You can also tag in and out with your partner which tends to mean by the time it's you again baby is ready for final boob and sleep.

Firstly be kind one yourself. You did not create a clingy monster. Your Baby knows what he wants and what he needs. His needs are more high needs.

My DS was the same and still has his moments.

My DS is 14months old and in the oat 2 weeks he nurses to drowsy and self settles he is taking it in baby steps literally and I am happy to support him amd have patience.

Thw worst thing I ever did was ready stupid sleep blogs and "consultants" who made me believe I was the problem my baby is the problem nearly drove me to PND.

The beat supportive professionals - Dr Bill Sears, Dr McKenna and IBCLC sleep consultant Pink McKay. Who nursed all his babies to sleep and did extended nursing.

My DS was rocked to sleep for at 5 months and it did nothing but make him scream and cry. The moment I read the helpful advice from those above and started to Nurse we had no tears.
Yes it took time and I was trapped foe months BUT when he was developmentally ready 9/10 months he atartes to unlatch and allow me to put him down (asleep) wnd he would nap this way to. I tried it every now and then if it didn't work I tried.
Google drove ke insane and I regret the hours and weeks wasted looking for a "solution".
It is tough, high needs babies are.

Firstly as Dr Bills Sears says rule out any medical issues. Reflux, colic, allergies etc etc etc.

At 14months my DS ia different and I look back when he was 6 months and I stayed with him for all his naps and had to make big sacrifices with my time... But that's what mothers do.

Also my DS will not nap or GP to bed with OH. It has to be me. That's fine. I am sure as he gets older that will change. So what i do is have OH be involved with bedtime routine put until that point and so more bath time etc.

Formula is an option of you rewlly want an eject button and easy escape but you will deprive bubba of the full benefits of nursing - food, comfort, closeness.

I nurse on demand and it has stopped tantrums in seconds and if he hurts himself or is unwell he has the beat food for him. When he has been unwell I thank God he still nurses as he gets everything he needs to be healthy and recover quickly. So many benefits to extended nursing past 12 months that's formula doesn't give.

P.s all the Mums in my whatsapp group (babies born same month) who formula feed still have sleeping issues and no formula now so they are back on dummys which fall out a million times at night. So weaning doesn't = life easy. It's another set of obstacles and difficulties and "bad habits"