Will stopping breastfeeding help?

[bluenoseelephant]

Hi all

DD2 will only sleep at night with my boob in her mouth. She sleeps amazingly during the day in her crib, but will not do this at night.

I can't even sneak away once the boob has fallen out her mouth in deep sleep; she wakes up within 5 minutes.

If I stop breastfeeding will she sleep independently? I don't even mind cosleeping it's just the discomfort of her sucking on my nipple all night that I can't bare anymore. She's 3.5 months. She's trying to roll too, so I reckon we're on our way to the 4 month regression.

She refuses a dummy and a bottle. Even if the milk is freshly pumped (so I don't really know how I plan on feeding her if I stop breastfeeding, I'm just so desperate!)

ok, I’ve just got anecdotal evidence as opposed to metadata.

Is your partner around? Mine used to take the side-sleeper crib thing into the spare room one night a week and sleep next to DD so I had a break from her, that helped a lot.

Yessss but he currently sleeps with DD1 since DD2 is in our bed. He does sometimes take DD2 but it doesn't last longer than an hour.

It's perfectly natural for babies to feed to sleep. This is why milk contains hormones that promote sleep at night.
Self soothing is developmental, it cannot be taught, especially not in a baby so young.

And no, you don't feed in bright lights 24/7

Really really really persist with the dummy. Ds1 wouldn't take one abd was the same as your baby, it was exhausting.

Ds2 also didn't want to take either dummy or bottle but I was consistent with it, one bottle a day and regular tries with the dummy. It was a life changer. He had an extended period of strongly objecting to the bottle, but took to it in the end. With ds1 I didn't have it in me to keep at it, with ds2 I essentially had 2 babies and couldn't face going through the same thing again.

Stopping bf had no effect at all

Honestly I'm not keen on sleep training. I totally understand why people do it, but I just can't imagine leaving my baby to cry for that long even if it's 'controlled'.

Do you have any dummy recommendations?

I've tried the MAM ones, tommee tippy and the cherry shaped ones. I also tried one that the hospital gave which she didn't take.

Stopped BF at 14mths and still never slept through the night.

However I'd persist with the dummy, big cherry dummy, none of your orthodontic flat things, your nipple is not a flat orthodontic shaped dummy.

I used the Tommy tippee cheap essentials dummies. They were pink/purple and yellow/green I think. I'd pick one and keep trying. Try tapping the dummy with your fingernail when you pop it in. Also, try replacing boob with dummy once the baby nods off. It will take sone perseverance but its worth it.

Have you tried latex rather than silicone?

I used to use Tommy tippy essentials. Years ago my sister was advised by HV to get the cheep ones from the chippy 😂

I’d make an effort to give her a proper feed. A good wind, then into the cot/Moses and do shush-pat until she is in a deep sleep. Drag it close so you can lie down and do it.

@Sugarfree23 I've tried the big cherry ones! They were the first ones we attempted, quite early on too. Around 2 weeks.

I'll try latex ones @Sugarfree23 Thanks for the tip!

@Bemyclementine oooo I haven't heard of that tip before, I shall try it today with the dummies I have.

This evening instead of putting her to sleep with boob I persevered with the rocking and she's currently asleep on my chest. It's been about 10 mins. I need to attempt putting her down but I'm scared she'll wake up and demand boob!

Small steps. You've got her sleeping with out boob. Yeah!

The thing that might wake her when you lie her down is a cold bed, shes on you a warm mummy (you'd wake up if someone whipped your duvet off you). I used to warm my babies beds with a hotwater bottle, taking it out before putting baby in.

She stayed down for 5 minutes 🙂🙂🙂🙂

She's now wide awake and won't let me rock her back to sleep.

Is there an update OP, in a similar position and would love to know if things improved