Breastfeeding to sleep

[Rainbowbrite]

This is going to be a strange question but can you train a baby to bf to sleep?

The reason I ask is that MJ fighs sleep something chronic & its getting worse. SHe can be soo tired, rubbing her eyes, yawning etc but absolutely refuses to go to sleep. Nothing helps, rocking, me laying with her etc. Its not that shes not tired because if i let her play more she ends up overtired & screaming :eek:

Not so bad if we're out, the sling works like a charm but at home it doesn't :confused:

Help please
RB

[Crazy Monkey]

Not sure about training them to breastfeed to sleep but I always offer DS a breastfeed before his naps, even if it is just an hour after his feed... If he fusses for too long at the boob, I generally give up and put him to sleep.. I then usually have to help him off to sleep by wrapping and bouncing on the fitball...

Another thing I do when trying to get him to sleep, if everything else has failed is wrap him tightly, give him his dummy and put music on, semi loud, and walk out... If he starts moving straight away, I put it up a little bit... This works 9 times out of 10...

All the best, hope something helps...

[Rainbowbrite]

Wrappings not an option anymore unfortunately, havent done it for about 2months. Though it might help her stay in one spot :p

RB

[JanetF]

Their habits change so constantly. Conor doesn't feed to sleep now but has for most of his life except when he was around the age MJ is ;) Trust me, you'll just have a handle on what she needs now and then she'll change it. Always offer the breast for comfort though so she associates it with comfort and you might just help yourself with the sleep thing too. When they suck they not only consume the hormones designed to make them sleepy but they set off an enzyme in their own gut that also contributes to the sleepiness. My son went through a year of being comforted by the breast and now asks for cuddles first unless it's a big upset or hurt. I'm sorry that I didn't realise until he was older how much bf is about so much more than food but we then went through a stage of lots of feeding and comfort sucking and made for it, I think :)

[Crazy Monkey]

Thankfully I can still wrap DS when need be...thought it doesn't always stop him moving...