Parenting Newborns & Infants (0-1) Support Group

Feeding your infant and ensuring they are getting enough nutrition is one of the most important aspects of parenting during that first year. This community is dedicated to those who are nurturing a baby, whether breastfed or formula-fed.

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Dawnee222 04/05/2011

I'm starting to get worried about when the time comes to ween. My DD is 9 months and still breastfed. I plan to nurse her until at least 12 months, maybe longer, but what happens then? We have a great bedtime routine that both her and I enjoy and that is bath, massage, jammies, storytime, prayer, nurse and sleep. I nurse her to sleep every night. I'm reading that some mothers do not do this to teach them how to self-sooth. I'd love to hear what other nursing mothers do. Will I have a problem down the road when we're not nursing anymore. Just wondering how I'm going to make that transition and if it's too late already.

The other thing I should mention is that her daddy has bottle fed her to sleep with little to no problems several times and she has had two sitters put her to bed now with the last one just this past weekend and she fell asleep great.

deleted_user 04/05/2011

This is completely your own choice I still nurse anella to sleep and she's almost 20 months old. I plan on doing the same with the new baby personally I cant think of anything more comforting than being nursed to sleep. Of course this isn't to say she can't go to sleep without nursing just like ur dd but it's both our preferred methods

deleted_user 04/05/2011

My daughter was nursed to sleep until she weaned herself at 20 months. She would also happily accept a bottle at bedtime as well. After she was weaned from BM we gave her bottles of milk for a few months, but were worried about her teeth (she brushed before the milk). So when she got the stomach flu and couldn't have milk for a few days, we took the opportunity to wean her from the bottle as well. She will be 2 on April 30th and she now has stories, brushes her teeth, gets in her jammies and has a little silly time, has a few more stories, and then drinks on a sippy of water for a few minutes. Then we either rock her to sleep or she points to her crib and puts herself to sleep. I see nothing wrong with nursing her to sleep as long as you want to nurse her. Yes, when it is time to wean you might have a bit of a struggle for a few days but it, too, shall pass.

deleted_user 04/06/2011

I nursed my son to sleep till he was 22 months old. I dont see a problem with it. After I weened him ( he would haved nursed forever!) I would just lay down with him in his twin car bed till he fell asleep, that would take about 10 min to 20 min. Then at almost 3, I was able to have his night time routine and he is able to go to bed on his own now.

deleted_user 04/06/2011

DH and I have been discussing the same thing recently. I have been nursing DS to sleep since he was 3 months old (I had an oversupply issue early on and he couldn't nurse to sleep b/c he would just get milk and then spit it all back up!). But we've been talking about trying to transition him to sleep on his own sometime between now (almost 10 months) and 12mo.

I don't see a problem with continuing to nurse to sleep as long as it works for you. And clearly you husband/sitter can put the baby to sleep without them nursing, so I don't think you will have a problem. The main reason I'm on board with DH is that he had a very difficult time sleeping at night (still does) and he is very nervous that our son will face the same issues. Otherwise, I would nurse to sleep until DS is weaned.

If you have a great bedtime routine maybe you can hand off your daughter to your husband for that final 'to sleep' part? Then you can slowly work backward so that you are nursing, handing her off, and laying her down while she is still awake, but drowsy. If she is anything like DS he wants to nurse just because it's me. He puts himself to sleep at nap time with the sitter, but insists on nursing to sleep with me, even for naps during the day.

deleted_user 04/08/2011

I agree that this is a personal choice.
I nurse my son (1 year today Yay!) to sleep. I love that time with him.
My older son was nursed to sleep until 19 months when I weaned him because I was ready to have my body back to myself. He then fell asleep by laying with his dad or being rocked to sleep.
There are people who think a baby should be laid down to fall asleep on there own, but personally I think we should enjoy them while we can. My oldest is 13 and that time flies by.
Do what is right for you and your family.

Dawnee222 04/08/2011

Thanks everyone. I've always been told to go with your instinct and my gut tells me to keep doing what I'm comfortable with. Glad to hear you all feel the same way. I really cherish the nighttime feedings with her and I'm going to keep doing it until I feel the need to stop.

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