https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 12:49:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1097987 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 13:24:12 +0000 Silva 1097987@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runsyellowlites: I don't really follow the wonder weeks....teething is possible, although she has seemed to be teething for a while now. I see little white spots on her bottom gums, but they have been there at least a week </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1097694 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 12:31:46 +0000 runsyellowlites 1097694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Silva: We've gone through periods like that. Some were WW periods where as soon as the first grey week appeared any ounce of P's self sufficient sleeping (the little she had) flew out the window. Usually right around the time I'd start struggling with the "I'm setting herself up with bad habits" she start to level out again, or it'd at least start looking like "normalcy" (her normal) was coming back in sight on the horizon. That's what I meant by saying I just adjusted to her needs... Sometimes they were much more demanding than others &amp; I got less of the me time I needed (I still occasionally deal with being "touched out") but overall I think she has pretty good self sufficients considering she's never been made/trained to do so. </p> <p>I totally get needing that time though... I still need that time so if P is up till midnight I'm up till 1 so I can decompress... DH sleeps on the couch while be waits. Lol</p> <p>Could you possibly be dealing with a WW or teething? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1097538 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 12:04:49 +0000 Silva 1097538@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runsyellowlites: I'm happy to keep doing it if its working, but right now it isn't and its the only way she has ever gone to sleep. I think we need to help her learn other ways, you know? Plus, it's not sustainable for me to nurse her in bed for 3 1/2 hours to get her to sleep, only to have her wake up an hour later!</p> <p>I definitely believe its a valuable and important way for her to sooth, bond, etc. and will continue as long as I can. But in order for me to be an awake, patient, playful mom I need an hour by myself with my husband. So going to bed with her and spending hours nursing to get her to sleep doesnt work for us. I'm trying to balance our whole families needs, you know? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1097532 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 12:03:27 +0000 regberadaisy 1097532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@runsyellowlites: I do because I personally feel the only reason why she still does is because I've been too chicken to let it go! She's at daycare so I *know* she doesn't need it to sleep.</p> <p>So it's laziness and selfishness on my part. But then my views on dependence on binkies, thumb sucking, etc are not the norm either. So it bothers me that she depends on my boob to fall asleep when she is with me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1097489 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:56:15 +0000 sslm 1097489@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Booo. Sorry things aren't working anymore!! For us, about 2 weeks ago, she stopped really falling asleep at the boob, but thankfully she loves her thumb so I put her in her crib, she sticks her thumb in her mouth and goes to sleep. I do rock her until she's drowsy before doing that... so maybe that would help? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1097471 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:53:11 +0000 runsyellowlites 1097471@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No hanging head here.... we still nurse to sleep on most occasions, probably 50% of the time for naps &amp; 75-80% for bedtime. We've gone through stages where she prefers to be laid straight down, others where she nurses completely asleep, &amp; others where we nurse until drowsy. We still nurse back to sleep 100% of wakings. I've adjusted to change our routine to her needs at any given stage.... I'm pretty sure what I see at "working" is different than alot of moms here though since our sleep soothing/training views are different.</p> <p>The way I see it, the boob is the one thing that she can't take "with her" so at some point she'll grow to be more independent &amp; leave it behind... just not sure when she'll be ready to do that though. lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1097430 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:47:41 +0000 Silva 1097430@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: time to buy a rocking chair, I guess! Thanks!</p> <p>@mamimami: @aprk: thanks, I hadn't heard of that. I will check it out!</p> <p>@locavore_mama: @mrsjazz: @Mrs. Bee: if it was still working I would totally continue. It's the easiest way when it works! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096934 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:49:46 +0000 lemondrop 1096934@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used No Cry Sleep Solution, and were veeeery gradual. We stopped at 16 months, we had a pretty easy transition since we were gradually working on weaning too. We did bath time, brush teeth, jammies, read a book, then walk to bed. He also would play with his Scout doll in bed until he fell asleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096907 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:43:41 +0000 Lindsay05 1096907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We stopped at around 4 months when we started sleep training. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096901 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:42:48 +0000 Mrs. Bee 1096901@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>23 months and still doing it (but she usually goes in the crib awake unless I fall asleep in the glider... which i do regularly). she can nap without nursing (since we nap trained at 8 months). but bedtime i've always put her down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096897 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:40:55 +0000 regberadaisy 1096897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: haha I'm so glad I'm not the only one! *highfive*! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096569 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:35:46 +0000 dagret 1096569@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>L is 8 months and I am trying to reduce the amount of time on the boob during night feedings- I've literally started popping him off and playing keep away with my nipple. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096510 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:26:31 +0000 mrsjazz 1096510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: Hahaha! I didn't want to admit this either. LO is 17 months and we are STILL doing this. What's worse is that as soon as she's in her PJs, she reaches out to me and says, "Boobies?" over and over again until I nurse her. She goes down fine for naps with her nanny, doesn't really sleep for her dad unless it's a middle of the night waking. </p> <p>@mamimami: I'm going to try that webinar. It sounds like some of the same suggestions from the No Cry Sleep Solution. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096499 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:23:26 +0000 regberadaisy 1096499@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>*hangsheadinshame* LO is 16 months and we are still doing. I have been on DH like white on rice about this. Sigh.</p> <p>He has put her to bed a few times and obviously she naps at daycare no problems. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096494 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:22:44 +0000 bpcmarj 1096494@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We stopped at 11.5 months after MONTHS of what you are describing (hours and hours of nursing at night, constant wake ups as soon as I left her side). We crib trained at 11.5 months where we had been cobedding before. Now, at 16 months, I still nurse her before bed, but not until she is sleeping. She cries for a minute or two before she is out for the night. I can now leave right after she goes to bed and I don't have to worry about her waking up inconsolable in 20 minutes! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096491 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:22:08 +0000 aprk 1096491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You can try watching the Isis webinar on gently reducing night feedings. It might help you break the boob/sleep association. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096490 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:21:47 +0000 mamimami 1096490@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I watched a webinar about this via Isis. I haven't actually put it into practice LOL but they had a couple of different gradual methods that didn't involve CIO, like unlatching every few minutes and putting the baby back when he cries, etc. Pick up put down type stuff. The webinars are free, you should check.</p> <p><a href="http://www.isisparenting.com/page/webinarssleep" rel="nofollow">http://www.isisparenting.com/page/webinarssleep</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096475 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:19:06 +0000 hilsy85 1096475@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yuup that's about the age when it stopped working for us for naps (it continued to work for night time for a while). He would wake up as soon as I put him down. I did a gradual nap training--basically rocking him til drowsy, then putting him in the crib and sitting in the room with him. I would pick him up if he was really upset but otherwise I would just soothe him from the glider until he fell asleep. It took about 1-2 weeks, but he was then able to fall asleep on his own from being awake. </p> <p>For bedtime, he was always able to put himself to sleep at the beginning of the night, but had to nurse to sleep for nightwakings (and there were a lot). So for those we did Ferber's method at 6.5 months to get down to 1 waking, and it was much better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-when-did-you-stop-nursing-to-sleep#post-1096435 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 08:11:08 +0000 Silva 1096435@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm trying to take the "whatever works" approach to our sleep issues- we nurse to sleep, co-bed, and nurse back to sleep whenever she wakes up. For naps I nurse to sleep and try to sneak away. Bedtime I nurse to sleep and try to sneak away.</p> <p>This was working. Naps were about 45 minutes, and she would wake up a few times after I put her down the night (usually after 20 minutes, then after 10 minutes, then she would sleep for an hour).<br /> For the past two weeks it is no longer working- I can't get up and leave her or she wakes up immediately. For a couple naps I've been able to stop nursing and then lie with her for another 15 minutes, and then get up. But this doesn't work at night- she is up as soon as I leave, or not falling asleep for hours. Hours of nursing.</p> <p>She could be going through something (she is 5 months on Sunday), and I'm willing to wait it out a little longer. But I'm beginning to think that her reliance on my boob to go to sleep is a little too strong.</p> <p>How / When did you stop nursing to sleep? Is there a gradual approach I could try? </p>