Methods to stop feeding to sleep? 4mo

[skellig1]

Hi, 4mo DS is starting to have sleep regressions and is in the habit of multiple wakeups and needing to be fed to sleep, which is a struggle.

If we try to settle calmly - by picking him up holding him and gentle rocking without feeding, he screams and screams, and often still doesn't settle.

Are there any other method(s) or techniques can we try to help soothe him without feeding him to sleep?

Thanks!

I’m in the exact same boat. No tips just solidarity, it’s tough. I don’t feed to sleep for naps; but rock him and am going to try to introduce a comforter as a sleep association and slowly get him into cot naps (if it will work)!

My advice would be to not change something that’s working. Mine fed to sleep for naps and bedtime until around 13 months, then decided it wasn’t sending him to sleep anymore so I stopped then.

At 4mo it’s completely normal for babies to need feeds at night. In fact it’s normal for the whole first year, and it’s not recommended to night wean before 1yo. If baby drops feeds themself that’s fine, but parent-led weaning isn’t recommended this early.

We did cosleep until 9 months and then transferred him to a floor bed, so that made it all a lot easier because getting out of bed for every wake up was becoming dangerous. He’s now 20 months and we still lie with him in his bed until he falls asleep, and it has become one of my favourite moments of the day, it’s adorable how he babbles random nonsense as he’s settling down. But there were many many nights along the way that I wished he was less needy, but it all paid off in the end!

i don’t have any tips but just want to say it’s totally normal for babies of this ages to be fed to sleep, it’ll be giving them lots of comfort and love. It’s tough but normal and it won’t last forever. One day they’ll be sleeping for half the day and you’ll be wishing they got up and ready before midday 😂

i promise it gets easier. You are meeting your child’s needs which is great! Hang on in there.

I don't think feeding back to sleep at that age is unusual. I just did what was quickest (feeding!) and they learnt to self settle without when they were a bit bigger. Both breastfed (not sure if that's relevant!?).

First we went to rocking and then gradually would lie down sooner. Again he led the way mostly, he would just not go to sleep rocking anymore and will even say “lie down” or “bed” if he doesn’t want to be held. Sometimes I still have to start him off by rocking but most of the time he just goes on his bed and waits for me to lie down with him. And also sometimes if he can’t quite get to sleep when we’ve been snuggling for a while he’ll ask me to get up and Rick him for a bit.