https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 08 May 2026 02:46:31 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-998070 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 00:35:13 +0000 shopaholic 998070@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've always nursed to sleep at night. I don't really understand the problem with it? I TRY to nurse her to nap, but it rarely works. </p> <p>As for the waking up on the lawn kind of analogy, I usually nurse in my bed, pick her up and walk her to her room. Usually in that time she will kind of open/flutter her eyes for a little bit and maybe they'll even be open when I put her down in her crib. I wonder what that counts as? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997986 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 22:31:54 +0000 sera_87 997986@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I still nurse to sleep but it doesnt always work like it did from birth-10 months. It's still my preferred way to get him to sleep &lt;3 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997931 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 21:46:58 +0000 bunnylove08 997931@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did. Dd sttn when she was 2 months old then she had a sleep regression and I nursed to sleep again and again whenever she woke up. She is now takes formula (supply issues) but drinks her milk and falls asleep and sttn except when teething or growth spurts </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997890 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 21:24:09 +0000 anbanan15 997890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: I haven't read the comments above, but we always nursed to sleep, nights and naps. DS also nursed throughout the night (advised not to cut any nursing a unless he cut them himself due to his limited diet..he needed to night calories too). This stopped when he self weaned at 21 months. Just didn't nurse to sleep one night and he never asked for it again. Now...he has (always had) sleep issues. At 27 mo he still doesn't sleep through the night and takes forever toget to sleep. Last night he was up screaming nearly 4 hours in the middle of the night. He has an appointment next week with a pulmonologist at our Children's Hospitals sleep center (there was a 4 month wait with a doctors referral). Not trying to scare you and I honestly don't think nursing to sleep has anything to do with his sleep issues! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997819 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 20:51:35 +0000 Penny Lane 997819@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>every child is different. any blanket statement about raising kids automatically gets ignored by me :)</p> <p>we nursed to drowsy then snuggled to sleep until we stopped nursing at 10 months, now we formula bottle (sometimes to drowsy, sometimes to sleep) then snuggle. he turns 1 in a week and has been STTN (in his own bed and own room) since 3 months (with the exception of the 8/9 month sleep regression). </p> <p>it's not like you're still going to be nursing your high school kid to sleep when they're 15! (not that there's anything wrong with that if you did ;)) just do what works and what you feel comfortable with! if it stops working, you can always find something else to try! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997773 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 20:31:25 +0000 BeachMama 997773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always nursed to sleep. There was no way "drowsy but awake" would work. We sleep trained at 5 months and I stopped nursing to sleep. And now DD is a great sleeper. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997642 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 19:35:10 +0000 Beehive 997642@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't nurse to sleep, but a couple times this week when LO hasn't taken a third nap he fell asleep while nursing, and it was sooo nice... reminded me of when he was a tiny baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997638 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 19:32:41 +0000 heartonastring 997638@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I posted about this a couple weeks ago and got a lot of reassuring responses: <a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-diddo-nurse-to-sleep" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-diddo-nurse-to-sleep</a></p> <p>Oddly, since then, DD has started doing the "drowsy but awake" thing that I previously thought was about as mythical as a unicorn. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997626 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 19:23:10 +0000 mrsjyw 997626@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: not true! A has been STTN since 12 weeks (11-12 hours) with minor hiccups at 4 months or while teething, but we always nurse before bedtime and he's a GREAT sleeper. sometimes he's awake, sometimes he's drowsy, he still sleeps! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997612 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 19:14:36 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 997612@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nurse to sleep my 15-month old for naps and MOTN wakeups. We stopped nursing to sleep at bedtime at 10 months but it didn't affect her sleep....she still has never STTN. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997588 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 18:58:02 +0000 honeybear 997588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, I nursed my now nearly 3yo to sleep until just shy of 2, when he decided he just wanted his back rubbed. He didn't STTN super early or anything, but he's a good sleeper now. I don't view nursing to sleep as a life sentence for mom. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997568 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 18:46:34 +0000 googly-eyes 997568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know if all that stuff about sleep is true. My dd was great about putting herself to sleep, without us in the room, until about 8 months. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997445 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 17:45:49 +0000 lemondrop 997445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nursed to sleep pretty much every night until around 13 months, then I gradually started dropping nap then bedtime feedings each month. </p> <p>We hit a rough sleep patches at 10 months and a brief one at 14 months. He has always slept pretty well, not necessarily through the night, it got better once I cut out the middle of the night feedings. I never bothered to sleep train, and just went with what he needed day to day. </p> <p>At 19 months he is an awesome sleeper. I can set him down in bed and he plays with his Scout doll until he falls asleep. I may sit with him for 5 minutes or so, but he's very good at falling asleep and staying asleep on his own. So it's not true for us! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997422 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 17:33:31 +0000 MrsStar 997422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nursed dd to sleep from when she was born until 8 months when she decided to stop on her own. I still do occassionally nurse to sleep right before bedtime but thats rare. Dd went through a transition of wanting to fall asleep by herself, and even though she does do random wake-ups now and again (usually due to teething) so sttn so haven't had any issues! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997181 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:58:56 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 997181@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm in the opposite boat - I wanted to nurse to sleep but DS wasn't having any of that. He would fall asleep nursing and I'd think, "yesss...!!", then the moment he was finished he'd pop off automatically and wake himself up. I'd try to get him to suckle back to sleep again, but no go.</p> <p>Do what works for you!! Every baby is different. I thought every baby would enjoy falling asleep at the boob... apparently not mine! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997179 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:58:44 +0000 Mrs. Twine 997179@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nursed to sleep until age 5 (almost). No sleep issues now. As always-- do what you like. I don't put a whole lot of stock in most blanket statements; they have yet to manufacture a blanket big enough to cover all of us! ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997170 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:53:30 +0000 Kemma 997170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsCB: I really dislike the whole "waking up on the lawn" statement!! I get the idea but my baby's beautiful cot that she has slept 80% of her sleeps in is nothing like a lawn / kitchen/ some other strange and unfamiliar place. Perhaps falling asleep in a chair and waking up in bed would be a better comparison?</p> <p>Fwiw we started nursing to sleep for all sleeps at just over six months when A got super active and putting her down drowsy began resulting in a very worked up and unhappy baby (previously we only nursed to sleep at night). Nursing to sleep has been a lifesaver in our household and I'll continue doing it until it no longer works or LO is old enough to be helped to sleep in other ways. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-997118 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:38:19 +0000 ShootingStar 997118@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: Oh that's funny! I took what she was saying as "this can happen" and a good explanation if you were already there. But all babies are different, there's no way she can make a blanket statement about all of them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996954 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:08:03 +0000 sslm 996954@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@coastmama: yeah I try to make that my attitude too!</p> <p>@Sammyfab: I think I'll do that :) why change a good thing right? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996835 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:42:56 +0000 coastmama 996835@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never nurse to sleep, yet LO still wakes up 2xs at night to nurse..... Do what works for you.... babies will do what they want. Haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996834 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:42:49 +0000 Sammyfab 996834@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I say do whatever works until it stops working! If nursing to sleep is what you want to do and it's working well, then keep doing it. You will know when/if it ever stops working.</p> <p>We did a gradual transition from nursing to sleep to putting down awake. I would nurse till completely asleep then put LO down suuuuper gently. Then I would just be less and and less gentle. Then I started passing him off to DH to put down. Within a couple of weeks he was going down completely awake. No tears required :happy: . </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996811 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:39:00 +0000 sslm 996811@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: I feel like I'm ok with that!</p> <p>@hilsy85: I like your attitude about it :)</p> <p>@MrsCB: yes, that's the same author I was reading! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996801 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:36:07 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 996801@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We got locked in to nursing to sleep until age 2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996780 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:31:06 +0000 littlebittyhouse 996780@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nurse to sleep for naps and at bedtime. LO will fall asleep with others for a nap and will go to sleep without me at night so I don't consider it a 'problem.' He is 13mo old and doesnt STTN but we have not done any sleep training so.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996767 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:26:04 +0000 mrs. wagon 996767@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We nursed or fed bottle to sleep all the time. My kids were sleepy eaters so keeping them awake through feedings was pretty much impossible. They both stopped falling asleep during feedings and after that is when they both started STTN. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996756 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:24:35 +0000 chopsuey 996756@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nursed DD to sleep all the time and she STTN early on and had long 12-13 hour stretches every night. </p> <p>I put DS down tired and he falls asleep on his own and STTN. There was no way I could nurse him to sleep with a toddler running around! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996753 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:24:06 +0000 mediagirl 996753@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nursed to sleep until about 7 months when she started fighting sleep after I nursed her to sleep. At that point, we switched it up to nursing first, then reading books, singing songs and putting in the crib. It was a transition but it worked well. Side bar: Still not STTN at 14 months but, at least sleeping better. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996752 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:23:24 +0000 ShootingStar 996752@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: I don't have personal experience yet, but I did read something really interesting recently related to this. The article said that around 6 months babies start to learn object permanence - meaning they can now remember people when they're out of sight, and remember where they were before they fell asleep.</p> <p>The writer said this has the potential to cause problems with nursing to sleep because the baby wakes up in a difference place than they fell asleep and it can be upsetting to them. On top of that they remember you being there and you're gone. She equated it to you falling asleep in bed and waking up on your front lawn. And that after a while of this, some babies start to hate going to bed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996750 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:22:54 +0000 plantains 996750@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: honestly after my experience I somewhat agree with the statement because we nursed to sleep all the time and it worked great but somewhere around 4.5 months the night wakings started and increased continually until we sleep trained.</p> <p>I chose not to train for naps and continued nursing her to sleep for those but of course somewhere around 10/11 months that stopped working and now trying to get DD to nap anywhere other than a stroller or a jumperoo is a nightmare (she is 13.5 months). If I could go back, I would have nap trained her too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-always-nurse-to-sleep#post-996746 Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:21:31 +0000 BoogieBea 996746@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nursed my younger one to sleep until she started sleeping 11-12 hours straight on her own at 9-10 months. I did nap train her though so the transition to not nursing her for bedtime was fairly easy. </p>