https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 22 May 2026 00:36:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2563254 Tue, 07 Jun 2016 12:39:10 +0000 Snowybreeze 2563254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It works for us. I think it really depends on your preference. Our daughter was a terrible sleeper. We didn't have a chance against her cries, and that was with co-sleeping and nursing her to sleep and night feedings throughout (I would get 3-5 hours a night of non-straight sleep) so I can't imagine NOT doing it, I would probably become an actual zombie. Now with our son, dare I say he's a much better sleeper, but had also never took on the crib. He nurses 4-5 times throughout the night and more if he was sick or not feeling well. I'm better at it this time around, as a light sleeper it was so hard for me to be waking so many times with our daughter, but now I can actually just continue sleeping while he nurses. A win win in my book. While this is happening, our now 3.5 year old daughter is sleeping through the night (since she was 18 months) and officially out of diapers for GOOD. Frankly, as terrible as it was to nurse her 15 months through the night, it's at the back of my mind now :P Every kid is truly different! Daughter never gave me grief with her teething, but man this little guy is biting me nonstop and it hurts so much tears well up in my eyes, currently not enjoying our nursing sessions. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562648 Mon, 06 Jun 2016 13:49:04 +0000 maddyz 2562648@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We nursed to sleepy or asleep and now do a milk bottle. It's such a sweet time together and really gets him in the zone. I dont think it has anything to do with how is night sleep is or isn't going... We night weened around 10 months, but have has some night time snack attack weeks when he is growing a lot. He wakes up say "more" over and over again. But they always stop on their own. Kid likes his sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562417 Mon, 06 Jun 2016 09:31:37 +0000 JenGirl 2562417@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We nurse/bottle to sleep at 8 months. We've been through phases of sleeping through the night, but it inevitably gets broken up by illness/teething. When we are working back towards STTN, we have my husband handle MOTN wake ups, since he's more successful getting him back down without feeding. </p> <p>I've never been able to figure out the "sleepy but not asleep" thing. My son has eyes closed and all appearance of being asleep within 30 seconds of starting his bedtime feed, so it's just a matter of whenever he starts eating less enthusiastically. But I try to pull away before he's completely dead asleep. It has variable success... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562389 Mon, 06 Jun 2016 08:46:10 +0000 snowjewelz 2562389@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope. I nursed/rocked to sleep as needed till 6-7 months. She night weaned herself and started STTN 8-9 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562296 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 21:18:57 +0000 Portboston 2562296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dahlia: thanks! You too! </p> <p>@pastemoo: agreed. It calms him down and makes falling asleep much easier. As long as it doesn't screw up his night sleep I'll continue it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562289 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 20:54:46 +0000 pastemoo 2562289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Portboston: Let me just say, I did not nurse to sleep much, even early on and he was one of the sh*ttiest sleepers ever, so.... n of 1, it doesn't make a difference. If it is working for you, keep doing it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562277 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 19:57:44 +0000 FaithFertility 2562277@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Portboston: I nursed to sleep or basicly drowsy until 10-11 months!<br /> It never had an impact on her sleep she STTN before and after! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562234 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 16:46:38 +0000 Dahlia 2562234@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Portboston: I can never decide if I believe in wonder weeks or not, but that certainly sounds exactly like what we're dealing with. The part about the cry being different is spot-on. </p> <p>Good luck, I hope you have a better night tonight! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562217 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 16:00:37 +0000 Portboston 2562217@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dahlia: what was your due date? I'm guessing you're in wonder week leap 7 like us and apparently, it's a doozy. I found this blog post and it fits us to a T! <a href="http://mybabyolivejuice.com/2013/09/13/wonder-week-7/" rel="nofollow">http://mybabyolivejuice.com/2013/09/13/wonder-week-7/</a><br /> We're also dealing with major separation anxiety! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562216 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 15:53:56 +0000 Dahlia 2562216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Portboston: My 10.5 month old DD started doing this exact same thing three days ago, except she won't stop crying. The only way to calm her down and get her to sleep is nursing her totally asleep, which we haven't done in over 6 months. </p> <p>She's also gone from STTN to two wake ups, after both of which she doesn't want to go back into the crib and screams hysterically until I nurse her totally to sleep again. It sucks big time. I'm not sure the wake ups are because of nursing to sleep, though, I think in our case it's really bad separation anxiety (she and I have just spent a week together with no DH or daycare, so I think that exacerbated her already pretty bad mommy preference and separation anxiety). </p> <p>If you figure out any solutions, let me know! She had me in tears last night and then the little stinker started giggling every time I would sniffle! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562191 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 14:34:56 +0000 catomd00 2562191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never had any sleep or weaning issues from nursing my daughter to sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562172 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 13:24:40 +0000 Ms maths 2562172@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nursed to sleep until we dropped down to two feedings (at 13 or 14 months). Then I only switched because she was really anxious to nurse in the evening and so it was easier to do it before jammies rather than after. </p> <p>She would have gladly continued nursing all night long if I had let her, but when I decided I had had enough (around 1 year), she adapted to no night nursing after one hard night. And, other than waking up too early in the morning, her night sleep has been great since. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562165 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 13:11:58 +0000 MamaCate 2562165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <br /><p><i>This comment has been deleted by the original poster.</i></p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562164 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 13:07:41 +0000 MamaCate 2562164@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Portboston: I love nursing my babies to sleep! LO1 I nursed to sleep for 18 months until she stopped falling asleep nursing. She woke up once a night (average) until 13 months old. Now she is 4.</p> <p>LO2 is almost 11 months. I always nurse him to sleep. He has slept through without eating at night since he was 5 months old and learned to roll over onto his tummy. So I don't think the nursing affects his sleep--he is just a good sleeper.</p> <p>I would say do what works for you until it stops working and then figure out something else! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562121 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 09:44:10 +0000 pachamama 2562121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Portboston: ahh ok. I nurse him til he's tired but as soon as I put him in his sleepsack, he wakes right up. I put him in his portable crib and soothe him to sleep usually, and he sleeps through the night. He's almost 5 months old. Not sure if this helps but soothing him to sleep has worked out! He seems to be able to fall asleep on his own and stay asleep. We didn't see a 4 month regression. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562106 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 08:45:14 +0000 Portboston 2562106@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pachamama: I could go with either completely asleep or pretty close. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562086 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 06:53:26 +0000 pachamama 2562086@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What does nurse to sleep technically mean... Feed til they are fast asleep then you put them in their crib? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562057 Sun, 05 Jun 2016 01:38:40 +0000 Keybee 2562057@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nurse to sleep at night but not for naps. It works well for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562037 Sat, 04 Jun 2016 23:00:17 +0000 OldpuebloJenn 2562037@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Portboston: at two, she was waking 1x a night 3-4x a week. I knew she could sttn, but by 2, unless she was sick she was just waking out of habit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562007 Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:26:18 +0000 Kemma 2562007@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I currently nurse my 14 month old to sleep for naps and bedtime but he can and does put himself to sleep at preschool and at home although it's not his preferred method! I also nursed my big girl to sleep until she grew out of it at around 16-18 months and it wasn't ever a problem for her either.</p> <p>As for night waking. my guy wakes once or twice for a decent feed and then goes back in to his cot without too many issues and I'm ok with continuing night feeds (especially now I'm back at work part time). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562005 Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:21:58 +0000 Astro Bee 2562005@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We nurse to sleep many nights, and unless LO is sick, he doesn't have any middle of the night wakeups. He's 14 mos. For the last month it's usually our only feeding. But even before that, we would only nurse during the day, I'd say from 9 months on. He sleeps 12-13 hrs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562004 Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:18:58 +0000 Iced Tea 2562004@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I almost nurse my 15 month old to sleep, not completely; we follow the technique in the No Cry Sleep Solution. </p> <p>We recently night weaned, so I do not feed her when she wakes in the night (usually once). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2562003 Sat, 04 Jun 2016 21:15:41 +0000 Portboston 2562003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@OldpuebloJenn: how often was she waking before you night weaned? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2561998 Sat, 04 Jun 2016 20:59:19 +0000 OldpuebloJenn 2561998@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nursed my dd to sleep for 3 years. I night weaned her at 2years, meaning no night time feeds. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nurse-your-baby-to-sleep#post-2561996 Sat, 04 Jun 2016 20:53:55 +0000 Portboston 2561996@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used to nurse DS to sleep from about 2 mo-6mo or so. When we started sleep training, we moved the feeding from the end of our bedtime routine to the beginning in hopes of helping him sleep better at night. Recently, at 10.5 months, bedtime has become much more of a sh*t show then it used to be. DS screams while we're doing the end of his routine, when we're zipping him into his sleep sack and for about a minute after we leave his room. I hate it. He never used to do this. He would talk to himself for a bit or fuss around his crib, then lay his head down and sleep. No screaming at all. Tonight things got out of order &amp; I ended up nursing him at the end of the routine. He was not fully asleep when I put him in his crib but he also wasn't screaming. He sang to himself a little and then went right to sleep. It was so much more peaceful and to be honest, I liked nursing him in that state since he normally is a squirmy worm and does acrobatic nursing during the day!!</p> <p>So I'm considering flip flopping our routine again but I don't want that to have lasting consequences as I'm hoping to wean around a year (although I'm willing to keep the bedtime feed). He's consistently waking once during the night to nurse around 3am and Lord knows I do not want to ruin that! </p> <p>I know many bees nurse to sleep for quite a long time so if you are one of those bees, does nursing to sleep negatively affect your baby's night time sleep? </p>