Do you HAVE to rock/nurse your LO to sleep?

cwm11985 · November 2012

I do, he will not go to sleep otherwise. Of course everything I'm reading is telling me this is wrong, wrong, wrong. Ahh! What's a girl to do?!

BransonsBecca · November 2012

Yep! I do, since day 1. If she's been nursing for awhile at night and has her eyes closed, I'll carry her to the PnP and lay her down/pop her off and pat her till she gets still.

I do this in order to avoid having her cry. I don't care what the books say and that I'm creating bad habits, etc. I don't mind, she doesn't mind. It works for us!

oncoRN · November 2012

Sometimes...other times if I put him down in the crib drowsy he will fall asleep on his own. I'll walk out of the room and if he's fussing for a few minutes as soon as I pick him up he falls asleep! I think it's just a comfort thing, and they're all still really little!

KarmB · November 2012

nope! Lilah hates anything baby related. she thinks shes big. She dosent like being held like a baby, prefers sitting to eat. rocking her pisses her off.

britbratjf · November 2012

Nope. I nurse her in the rocking chair and then laid her down. She used to be close to sleep when I put her down but now she's pretty awake. She'll kick her legs around for 20 minutes and then fall asleep on her own.

Our pedi told us at her 1 month appointment to start putting her down drowsy but awake so we did. She never fought us on it so I think we just lucked out. She just knows that it's time to go to sleep so she does. Again, I think we just really lucked out with her.

maybebaby3456 · November 2012

YEP I have to rock LO to sleep and she takes naps in her swing. Shes little (13 lbs @ 4 MO) but I am not looking forward to the day she doesnt fit in her swing anymore:(

aylafsu88 · November 2012

I do but I am beginning to transition away from it. I want her to learn how to fall asleep on her own so we do not have to do anything drastic like CIO in the future. Right now I nurse her until she is really drowsy and just comfort sucking. I then pop her off gently and put her in her RnP. She will wake up but I have a paci ready and I help hold it in her mouth but I do not rock her. The first 2 nights it took 20-30 mins for her to fall asleep. The 3rd and 4th night she feel asleep in 10 mins. I am hoping that she will continue this trend and eventually not need her paci to fall asleep.

ahleesha · November 2012

Yep and my back is starting to pay the price for it since he hates to be rocked in our rocking chair. Instead he likes when I do a rock and bounce combo while sitting on the edge of the bed. Hoping it passes soon or that we can break this habit.

kelly_bean_60 · November 2012

We have to do a crazy combo dance of bouncing and rocking. Otherwise no go. Sometimes he will wake up when I put him in the crib, but he just goes back to sleep.

Vive · November 2012

At night time LO nurses to sleep nearly always. Lately he's been a little more alert as he finishes so I rock him a few times before putting him down 98percent asleep.

For naps I cuddle him against my chest and walk around his room shushing. I wait until he's about 95 percent asleep then put him down.

I know they are meant to go down awake, and I intend to gradually work towards that with naps, but I am happy nursing to sleep at night.

nicolepatricia87 · November 2012

Yep, rock/ bounce to sleep for naps, and nurse to sleep at night. Otherwise, he lays there and coos for a few minutes then starts crying.

lewispm · November 2012

Yep! And the minute I set him in his crib he gets angry and we do it all over again!

DeniseRN · November 2012

hijoi:
What's a girl to do? What's a girl to do?!? Whatever works best for you and your family, that's what! Those books and articles don't know your baby. Neither really does a pedi. You know your baby. Trust me, you won't still be rocking to sleep at 15. Do what works now. We did. We ended up having to do sleep training with Nathaniel when he was about a year old and it was rough, but I wouldn't give up those cuddle moments for anything.

This x 1000!!! Trust me. You will blink and they will be in preschool and wanting to be big. Do what works!

And I rock DS2 to sleep every night and lay him down once he's asleep, just like I did w DS1.