Attachment Parenting
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How do I end bed-sharing?
I've been bed-sharing with my 7 month-old for the past 6 months, and I was wondering if anyone can tell me how they transitioned their baby to the crib. This kid just loves to cuddle, and I just don't blame him.
Extra challenge: Baby goes to daycare in the mornings and won't take a bottle, so he pretty much only gets a little baby food mixed with breastmilk between 5am and 1pm. It's working just fine because I night nurse whenever asked in the middle of the night (which, embarrassingly, seems to be way too often). Any suggestions on how to cut down on night nibbling?
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Re: How do I end bed-sharing?
My LO had a lot of trouble with a bottle when I was at work (was a teacher, now a SAHM), so I took one of his blankets and slept with it under my head on my pillow, and put it between us when I nursed. I had his sitter drape it over her shoulder when she offered him a bottle, and that helped him take it...smelled more like mom.
Also, have you tried several different bottles? My LO had trouble with the Avent bottles, but latched more easily onto the Tommie Tippie. Remember to use the 0+ size no matter LO's age, so that he/she will always prefer the breast.
It sounds like your LO is reverse cycling so that he/she gets all the milk needed in one day - making up for missed time when you are gone. I recommend feeding LO whenever he/she is hungry, even over night. As LO gets better with the bottle, night feedings will lessen. This part of their lives is so short. Hang in there!
Why not try to sidecar for a while with the crib to make a smooth transition? What is your reason for ending bed-sharing? That might help in determining the best method. GL!
DS was about a year when we transitioned him. We did very slow steps...we slept together on a mattress on the floor in his bedroom, then he was in the crib and I was still on the mattress, then he was in the bed and I was on the mattress part of the night. Each of these steps was a few days or weeks. Although, eventually we went back to bedsharing part of the time. Right now we bedshare one night a week.
Good luck. The slow transition worked well for us.
Im curious about this too. My son is about 11 months and I am ready to stop bed sharing (for many reasons), but I also have a million reasons why tonight is not the night to start...this is a really tough subject for me. I am so lost.