Nursing to sleep a no-no...need new routine

Re: Nursing to sleep a no-no...need new routine

• mben1119 member

  April 2013

  Your pediatrican sounds like they're full of crap. Nursing a LO to sleep doesn't cause night wake ups. Being hungry usually does.

  

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• puppy_love6969 member

  April 2013

  kwill3104:

  I posted this on the breastfeeding board as well but thought I would get as much input as I could since this could apply to bottle fed babies too!  Thanks so much!

  My son is 4 months old and I have been nursing him to sleep at night since he was born.  My pediatrician recently told me that I needed to stop this because this was why he was waking up in the middle of the night .  So I guess this means I need to come up with a new bedtime routine and I was hoping for some advice from you ladies since I am kind of dreading this!  Usually I will start getting him ready for bed between 7-7:30PM.  I change him, put bedtime lotion on him, pajamas, sing our songs and then nurse him on one side, burp, swaddle, and then nurse him on the other side where he usually falls asleep after feeding for about 15 minutes or so. I don't think we are to the point of being able to just put him down in the crib when he seems sleepy and letting him settle himself down.  We just transitiioned him into the crib a few weeks ago and I haven't even been able to get him out of his swaddle yet so we are taking baby steps with this one!  Any good suggestions for a new bedtime routine? Btw I only nurse him to sleep at night.  During the day he follows the eat, play, sleep routine and never nurses to sleep.   

  Does he wake in the MOTN? If not...id keep doing it lol. But Its not that hes waking because of it, but he likely depends on that for going BACK to sleep. Id keep doing what your doing, start by weaning the swaddle, then when your ready, start putting him down awake and let him self soothe. Thats what I did. Now C goes to sleep after a few mins on her own.

   

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• irishprincess135

  April 2013

  I agree with pp. I give DD a bottle before bed every night, we do just about the same bedtime routine as you, but we start at 6:30 pm. We go up and change her diaper, put her in pjs, read a book then she comes down and spends time with daddy while I make her bottle and she eats right before bed. She is usually in bed by 7:15/7:30 most nights and she sleeps through the night. I wouldn't change your bedtime routine if it works for you. Your LO will STTN when ready!

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• ssmb_clarinet member

  April 2013

  mabenner1:

  Your pediatrican sounds like they're full of crap. Nursing a LO to sleep doesn't cause night wake ups. Being hungry usually does.

  This. If it works why mess with it. He is probably waking because he is actually hungry. He is only 4 months old so still has a small stomach. I nurse my LO to sleep every night and don't plan to stop anytime soon. She only wakes up once a night which I can handle. 
  

  

  
  

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• ForeverEverAfter member

  April 2013

  My rule of thumb is to ignore parenting advice from pediatricians. Every baby is different, so if you've got something that works for you I wouldn't mess with it. I nurse to sleep, and I just unlatch her as soon as she switches to fluttery comfort sucking and shush her. If she doesn't wake I lay her down. If she wakes she goes back on and we do it again. She is able to put herself back to sleep so I don't plan on changing this until it stops working.

  

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• *LrCg* member

  April 2013

  Sorry to say but your doctor is nuts.  I'm not trying to be disrespectful but please understand your doctor is there for guidance, not the end all answers.  At 4 months old your baby is waking up because he's hungry.  I have 3 kids and EBF and ALWAYS nursed them to sleep until they were a year old when they stopped nursing.  All were sleeping 12 hours straight by 5 months old (prior to that they'd sleep @ 8 hours straight, nurse and go back to sleep for a total of @ 12 hours).  When they weaned from breastfeeding, we just rocked them to sleep and still never woke up in the middle of the night.  My oldest is 4 and we haven't rocked him to sleep in years. 

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• minervacullen member

  April 2013

  I agree with pps. I nursed DS to sleep until he weaned, I also nurse dd to sleep, she is 4.5 months. When she wakes I feed her and she eats. Babies need a lot a feelings, they are growing Ike crazy. I never listen to bf advise from my pedi. He knows this since he's been with us since I had DS, he trusts my choices. He also sees that my children are healthy happy and thriving.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• [Deleted User] member

  April 2013

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• brachysira member

  April 2013

  I was just reading in our baby book that it's really bad to nurse to sleep when your LO gets teeth unless you can wipe off the teeth without waking up baby due to cavities.  I agree there's no reason to stop now, but if you do at least you won't have to break the habit when your LO is older.

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• kwill3104 member

  April 2013

  Thank you so much ladies!  I feel WAY better now because you are all right.  I want to nurse him to sleep so that is what I will continue doing!  I always thought it was perfectly normal for him to wake up still in the middle of the night and was used to it and don't think stopping what I am doing will help that at all.  Thanks again to all!

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• Berly2011

  April 2013

  I have read so many blogs/chats/sites on every single subject you can imagine. You will make yourself crazy. I believe it's great to hear others stories to get ideas/help but I would do with what you feel is right. What works for you and your baby. I also follow the eat, play, sleep routine with my little girl (5m) but I feed her right before bed. I feel they need that little extra before bedtime. I usually feed her with a bottle though before bed (breastmilk), instead of nursing her myself. I've just found that it calms her more when I don't have to move her from one side to the next. I also start around the same time 7-7:30 with a bath, lotion her up, read her a book and then has her bottle. She's usually asleep in my arms by 8:15. I rock her for another 15 mintues to make sure the milk is settled (and to enjoy some snuggle time). Then put her in her crib about 8:30. Out for then next 10 hours! Bottom line...do what works best for you and your family. If this routine is working and you & baby are happy with it, then that's what you do. Routines will change along the way but why mess with a good thing right now? And I don't think that your baby is waking up at night because you nursed him to bed. He's only 4 months old. It might take him some time before he sleeps through the whole night. Every baby is different so try not to compare. Enjoy!!

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• spritz member

  April 2013

  mabenner1:

  Your pediatrican sounds like they're full of crap. Nursing a LO to sleep doesn't cause night wake ups. Being hungry usually does.

  My dd did actually wake in the modtn because she wanted to nurse, not because she was actually hungry.  It took us until a year to figure it out.  She would sttn at gma's, but never at our house.  Three nights of sending dh in cured the problem with dd.  However, I think it is still completely normal for babies to still wake during the night at 4 months.  Even knowing what I know from dd, I still sometimes nurse ds to sleep.  When he's a little bigger we can deal with it if it's an issue. Do what is right for you, but don't be surprised that even if you quit nursing lo to sleep, s/he still may wake during the night.
  

  

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• NicoleWI member

  April 2013

  Another vote for nursing to sleep is fine, ESPECIALLY at this age! 

  

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• BrittanyDoesDerby member

  April 2013

  IDK about that, man. I nurse DD to sleep a lot of the time and she is STTN most nights.  All babies are different.

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• mben1119 member

  April 2013

  spritz:

  mabenner1:

  Your pediatrican sounds like they're full of crap. Nursing a LO to sleep doesn't cause night wake ups. Being hungry usually does.

  My dd did actually wake in the modtn because she wanted to nurse, not because she was actually hungry.  It took us until a year to figure it out.  She would sttn at gma's, but never at our house.  Three nights of sending dh in cured the problem with dd.  However, I think it is still completely normal for babies to still wake during the night at 4 months.  Even knowing what I know from dd, I still sometimes nurse ds to sleep.  When he's a little bigger we can deal with it if it's an issue. Do what is right for you, but don't be surprised that even if you quit nursing lo to sleep, s/he still may wake during the night.
  

  But nursing LO before sleep isn't making them wake up later. That makes no sense.

  

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• rockyrollgirl member

  April 2013

  My LO is STTN and I have always nursed her to sleep. Some nights she wakes up only once because she is hungry but goes right back to sleep. Mom, dad and baby are not sleep deprived. I still get unwanted advice but I ignore it. Its only a problem when its a problem.

  

  

  
  

  
  

  

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• SingleMom31 member

  April 2013

  FWIW, we nurse to sleep every night.  It's not long after I get home from work, and she gets a LOT of comfort out of it -- and I like it too.  I miss her all day, and it's the time that I feel the most connected.  Anyway... Our DD has slept through the night since 7 weeks even with being nursed to sleep.  If it works for you, keep on nursing.

  

   

  

  

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• wells2010 member

  April 2013

  A few weeks ago I read somewhere how it's not good to nurse or rock your baby to sleep since they will depend on this to fall asleep and that it is stressful for you and time consuming if you have to do this in the middle of the night if they wake up. 

  I'm similar to you in that I've been doing that since birth. It's worked so well for us (she has been STTN since 3 weeks when she reached her birth weight and we didn't have to wake her to eat any more.) I tried putting her down sleepy for a few nights and it just didn't work. She would wake right back up. Ugh! SO, I said screw the "experts" and do what's right for us. When things change, we find what works better and adjust. This has made for a happier baby and happier parents.
  

  

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