https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:01:27 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2149093 Sun, 19 Apr 2015 14:49:30 +0000 Ocean girl 2149093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For us, it came at 14 months with full weaning... Which is also when we finally did sleep training. DD started sleeping through the night the night we started and hasn't looked back since. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2149078 Sun, 19 Apr 2015 14:18:49 +0000 daniellemybelle 2149078@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@twodoghouse: Same here! We supplemented from the beginning and are going strong nursing at 18 months! :shocked: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147913 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 14:50:49 +0000 Somebunny 2147913@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nursed DD to sleep until she was 21 months when I weaned her. I had DH sit with her at night until she fell asleep for about a week. There was some crying for the first couple days, then she got used to the new routine. It broke my heart listening to her and I cried too the first night. But she was definitely old enough to understand what we were saying to her and it helped that DH was there with her. She has been sleeping so much better since we weaned. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147870 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 14:23:33 +0000 Woolly Mammoth 2147870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 19 month old nurses to sleep every nap and bedtime, and I have no idea how to stop. I think it will have to involve someone else putting him to bed, but he's going through such a clingy phase right now I'm not sure I can deal with the hysterics that will probably cause. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147864 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 14:20:54 +0000 Alivoo01 2147864@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I weaned DS when he was about 1. I just went cold turkey and didn't allow him to nurse during MOTN. It was pure hell for about a week or two, but once he got it, he slept better. Until he was teething or got sick, but otherwise, what a diff! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147843 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 14:07:40 +0000 twodoghouse 2147843@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Thanks :happy: I do occasionally have half a beer after they go to bed and if one wakes early I will nurse them. It might just be paranoia/my imagination but I think they sleep worse if I nurse after I've had anything to drink. </p> <p>@daniellemybelle: That's awesome. So many of these stories give me hope that eventually my LOs will just outgrow it and we'll adjust then. When I first started supplementing on day 4 I never thought we'd still be nursing at 11 months! Now I can't imagine quitting nursing, but I'm afraid they'll NEVER want to quit. :shocked: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147831 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 13:56:45 +0000 daniellemybelle 2147831@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One night LO just leaned toward her crib when we walked by it before sitting down to nurse so I put her in it, totally thinking she'd whine and reach for me, and she just curled up and went to sleep. I was astonished, and sad. She was about 15 months I think. It's bad I can't remember - it hasn't been very long! She still wants to nurse for naps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147711 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:55:44 +0000 Foodnerd81 2147711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@twodoghouse: we mostly stopped nursing to sleep a lot earlier- 4 months, except for special occasions like if she was sick or something. I had to stop nursing in her room and do it in the living with lights on and people talking- but that was before she got so distracted. </p> <p>But I'm just going to say- I think it's ok to have one beer before nursing. I'm not a doctor but even the LC in the hospital said one drink is fine. So I stuck with that theory :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147710 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:54:58 +0000 Tidybee 2147710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nursed DD to sleep until about 13 months. She wasn't able to fall asleep without it which got us into a pretty rough situation. In the first stage of weaning her, I'd pop her off the second she started getting drowsy/falling asleep and hold her til she fell asleep or pass her off to DH to walk her to sleep. Second stage was DH giving a sippy cup of milk which she took only an oz or two at most, so we knew she wasn't hungry at night, just nursing for comfort. He'd then walk/rock her to sleep and then transfer her to the crib. Once she started realizing what was happening, she was waking constantly or the instant she was put into the crib, so we had to do CIO so that she could learn to put herself to sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147699 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:49:30 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 2147699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At three I told my daughter that she drank all the milk and there wasn't any more. She accepted the explanation, but asked a few times if I could check and make sure if it was really gone. I think she'd happily be nursing today at age 5 if I hadn't cut her off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147685 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:31:32 +0000 avivoca 2147685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@twodoghouse: If I could tell that she was just comfort sucking, I would remove my nipple. Sometimes she bit me on accident doing that and it hurt. But usually she stops when she is done and has since about 12 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147659 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:13:06 +0000 MamaCate 2147659@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@twodoghouse: we nursed to bed for over a year and we stopped when LO stopped falling asleep! It was around a year old. I continued to nurse her until about 18 months, but she would nurse and then I would rock and sing until she fell asleep. Sleeping has never been her strong suit! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147656 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:11:17 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2147656@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@twodoghouse: he fell asleep at first, but as he got older, just got drowsy and now he goes to bed fully awake. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147639 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 11:58:27 +0000 LulaBee 2147639@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Stopped nursing to sleep around 21 months, we finally just had to let DD cry it out as I was so tired from all her night wakings. She started STTN at the same time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147576 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 11:15:20 +0000 mrskc 2147576@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nursed DS to sleep until he was about 16-17 months when I weaned him from breastfeeding. Only reason I weaned tho was because I was pregnant with DD and nursing became painful and i dried up! I started giving him bottles of warmed up milk instead of nursing and he seemed satisfied with that then we moved to sippy cups of milk. Then we moved the milk to earlier in bedtime routine and DH started putting him to bed and sitting in his room with him until he fell asleep and slowly started leaving him in his room to fall asleep on his own. Eventually around 2, we were able to just leave him in his room to fall asleep on his own for naps and bedtime. </p> <p>if nursing to sleep is working for you, then I would keep doing it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147575 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 11:13:57 +0000 HabesBabe 2147575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I nursed to sleep for naptime and bedtime for Char until she weaned-- around 15 months. I'm still nursing Harrison to sleep and he's 11 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147568 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 11:09:23 +0000 twodoghouse 2147568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Rockies11: since there are two of them, I usually at least have to help with bedtime. DH can't do it all by himself at this point. And if I'm in the room the baby with DH usually cries and reaches for me while I nurse the other baby to sleep. Maybe I could keep one baby downstairs while DH does one baby's bath and bedtime, then he could come down and get baby #2. That might work! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147565 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 11:07:11 +0000 twodoghouse 2147565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mama Bird: I hope at some point they will just decide they're done with it and we can find something new. I'm afraid making a dramatic change to the bedtime routine will make their sleep even worse than it is. </p> <p>@avivoca: This sounds silly, I know, but did you just cut her off nursing at some point when she started to get drowsy? Then do the songs and story? If I let them nurse as long as they want, they will fall asleep. Sometimes they fall asleep really quickly too (after 5 minutes). I want to make sure they eat enough before bed, but not sure how to do that without them falling asleep at the boob. Also, if it's nearing bedtime and I'm not nursing them (like when I'm drying them off from their bath) they will claw at my shirt! </p> <p>@Mrs Green Grass: Did he fall asleep cuddling or just get drowsy? How did you decide when he was sleepy enough to go down without being totally asleep? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147548 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:50:34 +0000 Mama Bird 2147548@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It stopped working around 12 months, but DS nursed anyway in the evenings out of habit till maybe 15 months, and took a bottle for a couple more. Plus he nursed to sleep every night at 2 am from 12 to 15 months because he had molars coming through. Then he decided he's a big boy and doesn't need all that :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147520 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:19:32 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2147520@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My story is only with bottles, but I did bottles to sleep for a long time. As my lo got older, he would just be more awake, would never quite fall asleep. So he'd take the bottle, then roll over and cuddle on my chest. So basically, there slowly became more time between finishing eating and being transferred to the crib. If I were you, I'd probably nurse, then stop and cuddle, then transfer...or they might even be fine to do the same thing with you with a bottle. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147517 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:17:31 +0000 avivoca 2147517@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I moved nursing to the beginning of her routine, so after pjs, we would nurse and then I'd do the story and song. She dropped her bedtime session around 14 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147514 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:15:39 +0000 Rockies11 2147514@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just have someone else put her to bed when I don't want to nurse. She doesn't miss it if I am not there to nurse her, but she wants to nurse when I am there. She is 22 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-nursed-to-sleep-for-a-long-time-whenhow-did-you-stop#post-2147507 Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:10:02 +0000 twodoghouse 2147507@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At 11 months my twins have taken up a renewed interest in tandem nursing, and suddenly I'm back to nursing them to sleep for every nap and bedtime. For a while one would nurse to sleep at bedtime while the other would take a bottle from DH and rock to sleep with him. Now they're not having that at all and will only nurse to sleep. I'm actually ok with this because they are so darn snuggly and precious. </p> <p>However, I have no idea how they will ever stop. My supply isn't great anyway (never has been) and they take formula throughout the day, so the nursing is mostly for comfort. I don't have any inclination to wean imminently, but I'd love it if we could get to the point where they can go down for naps and bedtime easily for DH or a (hypothetical) babysitter. I'd also just like to have a beer with dinner, which I can't do currently because they always nurse before bed! </p> <p>Anyway, if you were still nursing to bed at 11 months (or beyond) when did you stop? Was it with weaning, or did you find another way to kick the habit? I'd love some advice or commiseration! </p>