Feeding baby to sleep

ashhsa · February 2016

So I guess I'm going to be in trouble down the track- I've been feeding my 1 month old to sleep more than 50% of the time and holding her her to sleep 100% of the time.
Is this something I'm going to really regret? I've been reading books that say this is bad- but I've tried to put her to sleep when she is drowsy rather than sleeping and it doesn't work?! I'm happy for now doing it this way but scared by all this well meaning advice.

Firsttimer16 · February 2016

I've been told that you can't create bad habits in babies this Young?! They need comfort and security and to go with their needs - I stand to be corrected!!
im guilty too -she very rarely goes asleep herself!

Achae · February 2016

Meh if it works for you what is the harm? I nursed then rocked my daughter to sleep until she no longer went to sleep from rocking around 2. Now she just likes me in the room after we finished reading. Do what routine works for you and your LO. Some LO's are just naturally good sleepers and you can plop them in the crib and they settle. I'll take the snuggles though

Jessdub10 · February 2016

I did the same as @Achae with my dd who is now 3 - no regrets, and I loved the snuggles and bonding time with her. She's always been a great sleeper, so I don't think it spoiled her or ruined her sleep habits at all.
This time goes by so fast - I want all the cuddles.

babybluu · February 2016

You can't spoil a baby this young. Everything is still so new to them so they like the comfort of mama being nearby.

danasphillips · February 2016

At this age I really wouldn't worry about it. Do what works for you and don't stress.

SuperherosMom · February 2016

I did with both my boys now almost 7 and 3. No regrets. I do take 12 weeks off but work full time and lots of overtime .... its,my time with them and my thought is they are only this young once and won't want me to snuggle with them. I can sleep later

jeanbug12 · February 2016

I fed and snuggled my first 2 babies to sleep and they are excellent sleepers now at 5 and 3. They even slept in the bed with me for the first year of their life. Now they sleep in their own beds for at least 12 hours every night, we had no problems transitioning them to their own beds and they go down without a struggle. I say snuggle that baby!!

EmmyMommy123 · February 2016

I was of the "put them down drowsy" camp as a nanny, and I still think there's merit to it, but not with a newborn (or at least not my newborn). I figure we can work on that when he's older, but when most of his time is spent nursing and being held anyways, I'd be doing him a disservice to change that on him when it's time to sleep!

Mommyduclos · February 2016

Eh I looooove my baby snuggles so I do it all the time and don't regret it for a second. Eventually you'll decide you're ready and do the work to help baby sleep on her own but I don't think it is more work if you do it later than do it now. I sleep trained/ crib trained/ night weaned my first at 9 months
and it took a week, my second at 18 months and it took 3 weeks. She is much more stubborn! Lol this little man is such a great sleeper- but I'll take it day by day. At some point I'll be soooo over it and do the work or he'll just train on his own (unlikely) but no I don't think it'll be harder to do later vs now. This time is so fleeting and I enjoy every second of the baby snuggles.

GAgirlinSDakota · February 2016

I fed to sleep all of my babies. The older four, 13-1.5yrs, have always been great sleepers, and the oldest 3 even napped daily until 5yrs old. Not planning to change my ways now.

ashhsa · February 2016

Thanks ladies. It's so hard chosing which information to filter out, and which to stick too! I apreciate your responses, and I'm just going to keep going with what feels right for me and that is holding and feeding her to sleep.

EC2016 · February 2016

My SIL recommended to me around 2 to 3 months doing the putting down drowsy and soothing to sleep in the crib and eventually needing less and less soothing. I think we're ok right now with newborns comforting our babies.

saraawlbr · February 2016

My LO must be a real weirdo. She sleeps better if we put her down drowsy lol. If I cuddle her to sleep she doesn't fully settle. She only takes short naps and wakes up cranky until I rock her back to sleep. But, if I put her down when she starts getting drowsy she's out like a light for a few hours. She already doesn't need her mama at three weeks

Becky012016 · February 2016

The only thing I would worry about (and I'm talking about 2-3 years down the road) would be tooth decay from bottle rot. It's totally not worth worrying about at this stage in life but if your LO wants to use a bottle to self-soothe to sleep later in life, it might be worth looking into and making your own person choice about the subject. As for snuggles, snuggle away momma!

EvaD84 · February 2016

I have a 3wk old and usually we spend from 10pm till 2am to get her to sleep properly. In that time theres a diaper change, cuddling/carrying baby, a bottle feed and even some gripe water and also having hubby carry her as that seems to quiten her. It seems baby knows i've cuddled her all day whilst hubby is at work and she wants her daddy to carry her even when he's exhausted.. Day time i see the signs when she's startin to doze off and i can laiy her down and she will sleep like that. Sometimes in the morning she will start to cry lightly and go back to sleep but if its full on crying, for a newborn i'm not comfortable letting her self-soothe by crying herself to sleep as i can hear her losing her voice

l4rk · February 2016

I'm so grateful for this thread. The only way I've been able to get my baby to sleep is by nursing her. Nothing else I have tried works; other methods allow her to go down for 5 mins and then she wakes up as upset as ever. If I want sleep or any alone time, I have to nurse her to sleep and then move her to her bassinet.

Want a personalized experience?

Feeding baby to sleep

Re: Feeding baby to sleep

Choose Another Board

Search Boards