sleep association to suckling at the breast- side lying nursing-HELP

sugarangel77

My LO is still waking 2/3 times in the middle of the night (sleeps from 9pm-9am average) Most nights I end up pulling him into bed with me, nursing him and waiting for him to fall deep asleep and then placing him back in his bassinet.  I try to burp him to separate the behavior and then place him into the bassinet sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It's becoming a BAD habit! He seems to just want to suckle to fall asleep. When he wakes, he doesn't even open his eyes! He just roots and screams (a mean little scream )  

How do I break the cycle? How can I get him into his crib? 

I'm also guilty of abusing side lying nursing. We both love it. I have fallen asleep a few times with him and don't want to make this a habit! HELP

I worry that if we keep this up my LO will be sleeping in our bed more hours than he will be in his,  and I won't get much sleep.

 

EDIT: Or is this all normal? I was thinking that most EBF babies where STTN with no feedings, but now that I'm reading more it seems like most EBF babies wake 2/3 times normally.

kacelle

Have you tried using a pacifier?  Sometimes when DD "wakes" with the rooting scream, she'll fall back asleep immediately if I put her pacifier in her mouth.  

I don't see side-lying nursing as being a problem at all.  I figure most habits at this age (using a pacifier, sucking the thumb, nursing to sleep, co-sleeping, etc.) are broken relatively early on in life.  

sugarangel77

I keep trying a paci. Every different kind, and it just seems to piss him off more Most times he acts as though it gags him.

 I feel like his time in our bed keeps increasing which is what worries me most. If I start putting him in his crib (vs bassinet) I will be up most of the night going between bedrooms. Is that normal?

please note that he is now 14.5lbs and outgrowing his bassinet at an alarming rate. The PNP doesn't fit in our room so now I'm wondering how I'll ever get him into his crib if he will only fall asleep at the breast--in my bed!

Tinybride08

My LO still wakes up 2x a night to feed. She was ebf up until three weeks ago. I supplement with formula now since I've been back at work. Her nightime feedings are always bm. I've tried to just give her the paci but she wont calm down and go back to sleep until she's been fed. She was moved to her crib this past Friday. Some nights I want to bring her back to my bed and nurse side-lying but I don't because I don't want to get her in the habit of falling asllep there. I feed her in the rocking chair and then move her to the crib. I dont burp her after the night feedings.

Athena0809

I think I have the same problem. DS is EBF and he still wakes up anywhere between 1 to even 3 times. Most times he still sleepy he nurses for about 10 min, falls back asleep. So I figured he needs to nurse to fall asleep. But some other times he's just wide wake and even after nursing he stays awake for about 10 min so after burping sometimes a diaper change I place him back in the pnp and falls asleep easily, he only fusses if he needs to burp. I've tried many different brands of pacis and he gags just like you mentioned, he spits them out and gives me this "are you crazy woman?" look lol. I can see how it would be easier to transfer LO to bed but I only allow me one time which is normally the last time he wakes up (around 6ish) until we get up around 8ish. So when he wakes up at any other time, I either sit by the foot of the bed nursing him or I go to the nursery and use the glider. But as kacele mentioned, I think most of these behaviors are out-grown eventually. I think at when he would not sleep unless on my chest, people used to say "oh don't let him or he'll get used to it" he completely out-grew it on his own!

mellydawn84

My guy is EBF and he also likes to sleep side lie nursing with me in the mornings (when he wakes around 6 or 7am) because momma needs a few more hours sleep. He's also up 2-3x at night. I know it's fairly normal, as per my BFing group and the LCs there. 

I just moved him into the crib this last weekend, and the transition has been pretty good for us. I have been sleeping up there, we left the futon in the nursery when we converted it from the spare room, for this exact reason. It's just easier these first few nights when he's not quite used to it and then I don't have to wake myself up even more by going upstairs a million times a night.

I guess I don't really have any advice, just that we're in a similar boat. I agree with Kacelle that he will grow out of it, and I'm not terribly worried that he'll be in my bed with me every morning in a few months.

tokenhoser

I really think my guy still needs to eat at least twice. He wakes up more at the moment (3-5 times...), but I'm only feeding him 2-3 times now.

I've been side-lying and sleeping since he was 4 days old. I really don't have a problem with it. I have a problem with waking up to being kicked/hit while LO is still asleep. I'm trying to stay awake now and put him back in the crib at least the first time, so he's in there until 3-5 am, depending on the night. 

My mom says none of the 4 of us sttn with any consistency until we were around 1.  There's nothing wrong with a baby that wakes up, and especially at 4 months, yes, some babies are still legitimately hungry.

Temp38995750004016

My EBF sleeps 7 - 4 (eats) then sleeps until 7 or 8. 

I guess if you want to break the cycle, you just have to do it, you have to be the strong one and get up to feed him in the glider or wherever and not in your bed. Yeah, it means less sleep right now for you, but you have to choose if you'd rather have more sleep now or have him still sleeping in your bed.

sugarangel77

thank you ladies!!! I'm on it! I'm glas to hear that we are not alone. I spomehow thought everyones babies were STTN and was really concerned.