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rebeccaravit
05-22-2006, 07:55 AM
My 8 month old has gotten used to falling asleep at the breast for naps and night time sleep. I'd like some ideas on how to wean him from this so that he can fall asleep on his own and possibly get someone else to put him to bed. I know that I missed the window of opportunity a few months ago to train him to fall asleep on his own. I've read many books on sleep and I own up to the fact that I haven't been consistent and will just run in to comfort him when he cries with nursing. I hate the idea of CIO, we've tried it on and off, again not consistently, and it makes me so uncomfortable.

Thanks.

Mazz
05-23-2006, 09:58 AM
I read your post this morning but didn't reply. I have been thinking about this and felt I should reply. If you have read the sleep books, you already know what to do but for some reason you are not doing it.

Baby 411 Sleep chapter says your baby will outgrow falling asleep while nursing when you stop allowing it. When my DD was 7 months old and starting to fall asleep on the breast before naps, I stopped nursing her and starting putting her down for the nap instead. That is what she needed; sleep, not milk. Since she didn't have the comfort of the breast, we gave her a bunny for her nap. It worked.

If you can't let your DS CIO ask yourself why can't I listen to him cry? Is he safe? If no, make his crib safe. If he hurting? If the answer is no, then let him cry. You are not a bad mother! All babies cry.

Try to think of it this way, replace the word Parent with Teacher. You will need to teach him a lot of things in his lifetime. You are his Teacher and you need to teach him how to fall asleep on his own. Yes 8 months old is a little later that most but it is never "too late" to teach your child anything. Just stick with it.

Also, congrats on breastfeeding for 8 months. I know as a Mom who still breastfeeds that is not an easy task so I know that you have what it takes to do what you need to do for your son!

Good luck and when he is CIO repeat this mantra (it works for me) "There is nothing wrong with my child."

mama4jc
02-07-2007, 03:53 PM
If you dislike CIO, maybe you can try the Baby Whisperer method. She basically picks up the baby whenever they start to cry and then as soon as they stop crying, she puts them back down into the crib. There is not much interaction (no talking or singing) nor eye contact b/c this signals that it is time to sleep. She ended up doing this a whole lot the first time (I think like over 200 times!!) but it got better and better every night after that. However, with any method, I think consistency is key, like you had mentioned. HTH

SnuggleBuggles
02-07-2007, 05:27 PM
I know this is old. Just wanted to say that I nursed ds to sleep then one day he stopped falling asleep after being nursed. So, there was a little adjustment time as we figured out new strategies. For a few nights we would all lay down together at bedtime (he was between 9-10 months). He would still be awake (and happy) after a while so we just put him in his crib where he talked and played himself to sleep. It worked out very well w/o CIO or other work.

All the books and experts were so gloom and doom about how your baby would never learn to fall asleep on their own if you nursed them to sleep. Just wanted to share a success story. :)

My ds has always done his own thing in his own time (nursing, sleeping, weaning, potty training, writing his name...).

Beth

gina
02-08-2007, 01:07 PM
Try this website.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/2/T022900.asp

I am not a CIO fan either. Tried it once for about 2 minutes and I was done with it.

You just need to get him to associate sleep with something else (rocking, walking, etc.) even if there is a little crying involved, at least you are not leaving him to cry alone.

I still nurse my DD to sleep at almost 1 year and I am okay with it. She is very active and I have a hard time getting her to nurse any other time because she becomes too distracted. She is not going to nurse forever.

Gina E

DD 15 yr Jade
DD 11 mo Olivia