Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

do your DC's sleep through the night? DS is almost 10 months and he wakes to comfort nurse 2-5x a night. My older DD used to do the same thing....up until the DAY I dropped the last nursing session. All of a sudden that same night, she STTN. I hear about other kids who are breastfed who STTN.....why don't mine? Is it the cosleeping? I just don't know how to be okay with letting him cry it out in a crib that he is not used to at 10 months of age. This was my problem with DD....at the age of 3 and a half she FINALLY slept in her own bed. I swore I wouldn't make this mistake again, but here I am. HELP!

ETA- FYI... he REFUSES to take a pacifier or a bottle. We are working on a sippy cup which isn't going so great either.

Message edited 2/11/2011 3:59:03 PM.

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

Well, I can't help you with everything, but, I will tell you that Imogen is 11 months old, and she has only slept through the night maybe a dozen times...she wakes, bf's and goes back to sleep in my bed. Some nights she is up at 2, sometimes 3 or 4 and sometimes 6.30, but she always winds up in my bed.

She starts the night off in her own bed, and she always has a pacifier in her mouth, except when she has my boob in her mouth!

Message edited 2/11/2011 4:00:54 PM.

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

breastfeeding co-sleeping mom of a 15-month old that has NEVER slept through the night.

I am slowing trying to wean him from the night nursing sessions but singing to him and rubbing his back. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I cannot help you but I can commiserate.

ETA: it's the same with my son. I nurse him to sleep and put him in the crib. he sleeps there fine for about 1-3 hours and then wakes up. bring him to my bed and wakes up at least 1 or 2 more times.

he started refusing a pacifier at about 7 months and hasn't had one since. which is good on one hand, but bad on the other.

Message edited 2/11/2011 4:03:13 PM.

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

Well at least I don't feel alone.... because I was starting to think maybe it's just me!

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

Count me in. DS is just over 2 yo. and sleeps on his own at night. But everynite w/o fail, he wakes up at about midnite looking for his pacifier (my boobs)...

I think once you drop the last feeding, they will rely less on you (or more specifically your boobs) to soothe them back to sleep. I hear most kids self-wean between 2.5-3 years.

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

It's not only you! My DS is the same. Sometimes it's once a night (very rare), but most times it's 2-5 times a night. He also started refusing the pacifier at 5 months, and it all went downhill from there. From the trend I'm seeing (I could be very wrong though ), it seems that a lot of nursing moms have this problem. I guess CIO can "fix" the problem, but CIO isn't for me and my family.

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

DS went down to waking once per night to nurse at 6 months and then started STTN at 7 months. I don't really have any advice b/c he dropped the nighttime nursing sessions on his own. He'd also take a pacifier. I hope you get some uninterrupted sleep soon.

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

In my experience it is harder for Co-sleeping nursing babies to sleep through the night because they can smell the milk. The smell it and they want it.

I am a CIO mom, but if you are not comfortable with it, there are other ways to transition him to sleeping in his crib.

Good luck!

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

You are not alone, it is us too! We are going through this exactly. Haven't gotten uninteruppted sleep in years... CIO will NEVER be an option.. Our older DC was the same and now in their own bed sleeping fairly well... It WILL eventually happen for both of us in time

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

We didn't co-sleep.. but, he did have a crib next to me and was in our bed at some point every night...he didnt sttn until like 18 months when he got his own room

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

DS is 11 months old and does not STTN either. He really never has and I don't see it happening anytime soon! He is up from 1-6 times a night. I am usually so exhausted all day at work! He sleeps in his crib (in his room) and everytime he wakes up I bring him into our bed, nurse him and then put him back in his crib. It is a process. I will usually keep him in our bed if he is getting up every 20-30 minutes and I want some sleep. He never took the binky and will only take a bottle from DH and my mom and under certain circumstances and when I am nowhere to be found.

I feel your pain!

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

No advice only we are in the same boat over here.....DS is 18 months and has NEVER STTN....he falls asleep in my bed, I move him to his crib, he wakes about 3 hours later and I take him into bed with us and depending on the night and how he is feeling he can nurse from 2-6 times a night...AND he takes the paci. If I try to give him the paci instead of the boob he will throw it at me and grab for my boobs and will not take no for an answer.

I know Co Sleeping is not helping but I have not been able to transition him to the crib for the full night yet.

DD was the same and did not STTN until she was nearly 3!!!

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

My DS wakes up all the time, nurses, goes back to sleep. He does sleep with me also, so much easier. I hardly wake up at all. If I wasn't getting sleep, id be frustrated, but its so easy when bf'ing. Im now pregnant, hopefully my milk stays, if it doesn't, in the crib he goes for a rough couple if nights. I'm hoping to do it till he's ready to sttn.

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

Wow....its amazing how many of us there are! It's also amazing how we all function! LOLOL

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

I have not had a full nights uninterrupted sleep in over 5 years and I think my body has just adjusted.

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

I'm here too. DS is 14 months old. He starts off in his crib, in his own room and wakes every 2-3 hours (DH comforts him back to sleep for his first night waking around 11. But the last 2 nights DS didn't wake until 5+ hours after going to bed.. WAHOOO..). I usually bring him in with us around 3-4 am. I would miss not waking up with him if we stayed separated all night. Our mornings together are just too fun and precious. But...I am exhausted...all the time.

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

My DS is 18 months and up until recently he would sleep in his crib and wake up around 2-3:00 and come in to our bed to nurse and fall back asleep. He would then continue to nurse on and off for the rest of the night. None of us were getting a decent night's sleep, so we had to put an end to it. When he woke my husband would go in and hold him until he fell into deep sleep and then transfer him back to the crib. My Dh had to do it because if I went in he would want to nurse. He cried a lot at first and would point to the door saying mama :(. I was OK with it because my DH was with him, so it wasn't like he was left to cry alone. After a few nights, he started sleeping much better and although he still wakes a few nights a week, it is only usually once and we can get him back to sleep easily. I do bring him into bed to nurse if he wakes up after 6:00. I can usually get an extra hour of sleep this way.

Message edited 2/11/2011 10:25:29 PM.

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

I BF my DD until she was 13 months.

She never slept through the night until the week I stopped BFing!

No advice, just

Re: Breastfeeding moms that co-sleep or BTDT... HELP!

my ds is BF and has been sttn since about 10 weeks once i started swaddleing him , he sleeps in his crib 11-7 , give it a try , u never know