How/when did you stop rocking/nursing to sleep?

KCKappa

If you rocked and/or nursed your LO to sleep, at what age did you stop and how did you make the transition to them going to sleep on their own? I've nursed and rocked DD to sleep since she was born and enjoy it, but am just wondering if at some point I'll need to do something to teach her to go to bed on her own or if LOs just figure it out themselves. I'd prefer to avoid any CIO and am in no hurry to make the switch, just curious what others' experiences have been?

anna7602

18 months. We hired a babysitter to help put DD to bed because DH always worked past her bedtime. Once the babysitter was able to break the nursing/sleep association (she just gave her water or a yogurt drink, DD didn't want a bottle by that point) and was able to do so gently (she just sat with her until she was asleep, never let her cry), then I started working on moving back the time I nursed. First I moved it to pre-bedtime stories, then pre-bath, then pre-dinner until I eventually dropped the evening nursing session altogether around 21 months or so. So, it was all very, very gradual between 18 months and 21 months.

However, when I stopped nursing her to sleep during the day, she just stopped napping entirely. This was at 23 months and she never went back to napping.

luvmybaby28

my son is almost 20 months and I still nurse to sleep for naps and bedtime.  It works well for us

Jena503

DD stopped nursing to sleep at 9mo. I still nursed her, she would just finish and still be staring at me! So I handed her off to DH and he would rock her to sleep. At some point we transitioned to just laying down next to her in bed, maybe 17mo-ish. It wasn't until she was a little over 2yo that we completed the transition to her going to sleep on her own. But when it happened, it was easy and she's been happy to go to sleep on her own ever since.

DS is 27mo and still nurses to sleep. Or at least has one of us next to him. But it doesn't take him long - 30minutes, tops, usually much less, so I don't mind.

Westing18

My son is 23 months and I still rock him before nap and bedtime.  I love having that special time with him.  Sometimes he fully falls asleep in my arms sometimes I lay him down when he is almost a sleep and sometimes I lay him down when he is fully awake.  I love being able to rock him and will continue to do it