Weaning from nursing to sleep

Soxgirl07

My LO is still very young (not quite 4 weeks!) but I'm thinking ahead to when I have to go back to work in about 4 weeks. Currently, I nurse him to sleep, always at bedtime and when he wakes in the middle of the night, and most naps. I don't want him going to daycare not being able to sleep without nursing first.

I'm thinking that in the next couple weeks, I need to wean him from being nursed to sleep. I'm thinking of just doing that for naps and leaving our night routines alone. I'm concerned about  missing hunger cues and forcing a hungry baby to sleep instead. I don't want to do this too early, but like I said, I don't want him to go to daycare and have no chance at getting the boob and then not being able to nap.

What did you do to solve a similar issue? What WOULD you do? TIA!

liongish119

He will be having bottles at daycare I'm assuming?  If so, I would get him used to a bottle just before nap in the next couple of weeks.  If he won't accept a bottle from you because boobs are right there, see if someone else can do it for you. 

I would leave the nighttime nursing routine alone though because it will be wonderful for LO and you to share that time together, especially once you go back to work.

meltoine

Try feeding him when he first wakes up. When he starts to show signs of being tired, give a paci and try to put him down. I may take some time, but my LO eventually got it. It took maybe a week or so. At first, I would give him the paci and snuggle him in to my chest just as if I were nursing him, and rock him. We he got the hang of that I started just giving the paci and putting him down and he eventually got it. 

EllaSmella

meltoine:

Try feeding him when he first wakes up. When he starts to show signs of being tired, give a paci and try to put him down.

This. You can follow the EASY (eat, activity, sleep, you time) routine to help him break the nurse to sleep association. Luckily, your LO is very young and it shouldn't be too hard at this point. 

Don't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't happen right away, and cut yourself and your LO some slack as you return to work - there will be enough change for you both then that if he doesn't have it down by then you can wait until you've both settled into a routine.

wannja01

We usually nurse to sleep and naps.  LO is in DC three days a week.  Plus, he is with dad one day a week while I work.  They all manage to get him to nap.  If you want to change techniques that is fine but not necessary for the reason you listed.  Baby will adapt when you are not there to nurse him down to sleep.

kathleen02

I thought I read somewhere that nursing upon waking was a good thing so that's what we did from the beginning or at least when he was a month old or so, and still do to this day. However at night I nurse him to sleep, or close to sleep. He still wakes once or twice a night and I will nurse him back to sleep. He doesn't require it for naps though. Somehow he figured it out and has been okay with it.