Q about nursing to sleep

Re: Q about nursing to sleep

• erinkate23

  February 2011

  At 5 months, it could be anything - that's prime "4 month wakeful" world.

  But, eventually, yes, the suck-to-sleep association can make night wakings more frequent.  If you'd like to start easing off it, the Pantley Pull Off is a good place to start (google it).

  Nursing to sleep is totally natural, beautiful and awesome.  You need to weigh the value of that over the value of less wakings (sometimes, it's no guarantee of STTN!).  
  

  
  

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• kegallagh member

  February 2011

  erinkate23:

  Nursing to sleep is totally natural, beautiful and awesome.   
  

  This is really sweet, and so true. Sometimes I wish Jude would want to nurse to sleep, but he often just wants a quick cuddle. 
  

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• Lurker216

  February 2011

  I still nurse DS to sleep.  From 4.5-6 months he would wake up 1-3 times a night and have to nurse to go back to sleep.  Now he'll sleep through most nights and can self soothe in the middle of the night for the most part.  Sometimes he does still need help esp. if he has gas pain.  We didn't do anything to help him learn to self soothe.  He figured it out on his own.  We do let him fuss for a minute if he wakes up but if it continues or progresses to full crying we go get him.  You're in a rough sleep time.  It will get better. 

   

  DS also got 2 teeth right around 6 months and after they broke through he started sleeping better again- something to consider if your LO is teething.

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• anna7602 member

  February 2011

  I nursed DD to sleep until she was 18 months old and she was STTN pretty consistently from 5 months or so on (except for illness, teething, disruptions due to moving, vacation, etc.). So, I would say she was able to self-soothe through the night, but many people I know IRL accused me of not "teaching" DD to self-soothe by continuing to nurse her to sleep.

  

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• Harper'smom

  February 2011

  I just nursed my 2 year old to sleep. Some may find this to be ridiculous but it has never had ill effects on her sleeping habits, night wakings, etc. She can go down for naps and bed without nursing if I am not here. We will wean sometime this year,probably within 6 mos, so it isn't worth stopping before then. I would be singing a different tune if we had dealt with self soothing issues.

  

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• 3003girl member

  February 2011

  I bedshare and nurse to sleep.

  She nurses for a LONG time to get really sleepy, then 50% of the time pulls off and turns over to sleep. 

  when she wakes up in the middle of the night, I used to automatically offer the boob. But i've learned that half the time she doesn't want it, she's just rolling over, tossing & turning, or wants her diaper changed. So I stopped offering it to her unless she gropes me. and she is down to nursing 2,3 maybe 4 times a night unless something else is going on. (teething, milestones, clingy times)

  I feel like not offering it to her unless she groped me helped her stay asleep longer, and helped her soothe herself sometimes. So, like I said, now it's about 50/50 nursing/self soothing. 

  Hope this helps!
  

  

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• Ananke member

  February 2011

  Thanks ladies!  I brought him to bed with me still last night, but slept with my back to him.  I don't think he nursed at all in the 4 hours he was in bed with me, unless I just don't remember.  I was pretty engorged though, so I'm guessing he didn't.  I'll stop jumping to the boob right away, but still enjoy nursing to sleep when he wants without feeling guilty.
  

  

  

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