Sleeping and Breastfeeding

Hi B., I feel for you. I have an 11 wk old son that I am nursing and plan to nurse for 1 yr or more even after I go back to work on 11/7. Fortunately, he started sleeping through the night exactly two weeks ago. He sleeps for 7 hrs, nurses, then goes back to sleep for another 2-4 hours. He did this all on his own. However, when I first put him down, he is still awake and sometimes fusses. I give him his pacifier and that calms him. I sometimes hear him again and his pacifier has fallen out. I stick it back in his mouth and he normally lets the pacifier fall out and then falls asleep. When I check on him before I go to bed, I move the pacifier away from him and he's seems fine. It is normal for babies to wake up 4-5 times a night and Joshua does too. Sometimes I hear him crying and, since I won't let him cry for an extended period, I get up to check on him. Most of the time, he has already gone back to sleep. I really think a pacifier would help you and your son. I hope it does. Sounds to me like he is waking up more out of wanting comfort than out of hunger. Good luck.

Had 4 children...breast fed all of them...3rd child like your baby...for first year couldn't put him down or he'd scream...when I'd ask family or friends to watch children so I could run an errand they would get look of terror in their eyes and say "you're taking him with you right?" Not even Dad could hold him...left him and other children with good friend for 4 hours so hubby and I could see movie and dinner for anniversary..he screamed the ENTIRE time I was gone. After he turned 1 year old...bam...he was fine. Would go to other people and could leave him with family and friends and he was fine...we had the night-time issues too as he wouldn't sleep unless in my arms or nursing. I let him nurse as I couldn't handle letting him scream for 3 hours (my personal limit)and even had him in bed with hubby and me...know it's no-no now, but he is normal teenager now and I can't think of anything I could have done differently. Each child is different and unique...have to sometmes go with the flow...do what feels right with you...trust your instincts as you are the one who has to live with the results and answer for the decisions made...not the people telling you what to do..or giving you "helpful" advice.
Good luck and remember this too shall pass.
K.

I know your not supposed to.... but I put my son to bed with a bottle...I need sleep.... It just makes it easier. Does your baby use pacifiers? Its a comfort thing. Preston wantedt o be attatched to me at all times.

Check out The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Babies by Pantley from your library. It's a very fast read and addresses your problem specifically. It really helped me out!
Good Luck

I was glancing through at some of the other responses and hope I don't repeat too much of what someone else has said. I just know that with my son I nursed him till he was 8mo old and went through a divorce at that same time and I didn't get him out of my bed until last fall (little over 2 and a half years old) when I was expecting a new baby with my new husband. I knew that the new baby would be right there in the bed with us so, my son had to go. He has his moments where he still joins us in our room but he has a palate next to the bed that way he can still be there with us. I was just going to restate that it is just what works for you. There is no right or wrong. Some people think it may be rediculous if a child still sleeps with their parents when they are going to Kindergarten but that is what works for them. Does that make sense? My baby eats constantly at night right now and is driving me up the wall but I know it is just her way of growing so I get cozy and let her nurse! I guess it is what she needs or else she wouldn't be asking for it. I think the more they eat at night might make it easier during the day. She doesn't eat as often during the day but at night it is a buffet!

When my youngest was 6 wks she started sleeping through the night but a cold 2 months later left her wanting to nurse every hour. For the next several months (until she was 8 months old) we nursed every single hour at night. She wouldn't go to sleep by herself. It was horrible especially with me working at the time. Finally one weekend in my sleep deprived state I fell asleep downstairs and let her cry it out. It took maybe 15 minutes for her to cry it out maybe 2 or 3 times that night and she has slept fine since. She is almost 17 months and since I've been at home full time since she was 10 months old she is still breastfed. She won't go to sleep without nursing to sleep but I figure-when she is ready she will give that up. However, she knows when it's night night we nurse to sleep and if she wakes up in the middle of the night she needs to go back to sleep if it is dark. Remember-this too shall pass and someday we will miss those sweet moments with them because they will be all grown up (even if it is at 2am!)

Hi B.!

I have a similar problem, but my 4 month old baby is finally sleeping at least 4 hours a night. On a good night she will go to sleep after nursing, wake up 3-4 hours later and want her pacifier, she will then go back to sleep for 2-3 hours. I started having my husband go in and give it to, sometimes it works. I would suggest trying a pacifier and using Daddy. I never let her cry more than 10 minutes or so. It is easier to nurse, but man the sleep is great!! You will figure it out soon hopefully. I also saw a short snip on the no cry way to sleep, I am going to try that too! Good Luck!

B.,
I am totally understanding about the not wanting to wake everyone up and just nursing because it takes 5 minutes as apposed to the hour of crying. I did that with my 5 year old, my 4 year old and my 2 year old. And, I worried each time that they, also, would not sleep without nursing. Well, they were all weaned by 12 months except for the night time, and at 13 months I told them no more, we rocked a little, and then I held their hand for a few minutes or rubbed their backs, and they all went to sleep with no problems. They did continue to ask to nurse for a week or so, but remaining consistant, they did sleep on their own. So, my opinion is, you can let them cry it out (some people are adament this needs to happen), or you can do whatever you need to do for you to get them back to sleep. But, hopefully, when you do wean the nursing, your little boy will cooperate and not make it so tough to be a mom (as we all have those moments). Good luck, it'll happen!

i had a similiar problem with my son (he's now 3 1/2 years old) when he was about that age. It ended up falling to my husband to go in and get him back to sleep. (Usually just rubbing his back worked i think.) If my son saw me AT ALL, he wouldn't go back to sleep without nursing. I think it was more of a comfort thing really though...he just wanted to make sure that someone was still there. (I did occassionally have to do a night time feeding, but after that one time, it was his daddy that went to him.)

Hope this issue ends soon for you!