advice...please!!! advice!!!!!

[mom61508]

DD is 17 months old and has never been a very good sleeper but has been sleeping thru the night since 14 months old. She is only nursing at nap time and bedtime and sometimes first thing in the AM. Suddenly the past week she will nurse and naptime/bedtime for 45 minutes and when I try to remove the boob she throws a fit and it will take forever to get her to bed. She will maybe take a 30 minute nap while nursing but that's not enough. She will then be so cranky all day. Any ideas on what I can do to get her to nap again. I need my alone time during the day too....it's driving me nuts!!!!!

[Maluhia]

Are there any big life changes going on?
Dietary changes??
Growth spurt?

Often if I could figure out the cause of increased nursing I could let myself get through it knowing it would only be a month.

That being said I'd work on a loving mantra, these worked really well with DD as she got older "Mommy is here to cuddle and love you, but the boo boos need a resting time too right now." repeat, ad nauseum and allow them to tell you if it is frustrating whilst loving them and cuddling them and giving them the reassurance they need.

And routines - DD loved to have the same stories, the same back rubs and little nose-to-nose "I love you moments" each night, I think it helped her slowly relax and be ready to fall asleep more soundly.

[mom61508]

Originally Posted by Maluhia

Are there any big life changes going on?
Dietary changes??
Growth spurt?

Often if I could figure out the cause of increased nursing I could let myself get through it knowing it would only be a month.

That being said I'd work on a loving mantra, these worked really well with DD as she got older "Mommy is here to cuddle and love you, but the boo boos need a resting time too right now." repeat, ad nauseum and allow them to tell you if it is frustrating whilst loving them and cuddling them and giving them the reassurance they need.

And routines - DD loved to have the same stories, the same back rubs and little nose-to-nose "I love you moments" each night, I think it helped her slowly relax and be ready to fall asleep more soundly.

No changes and she has been eating more foods since I've cut back on nursing her. I have been very impatient with her and not spending as much time with her because we are moving. I'm terrible with routines...terrible!! I just can't seem to be consistent with it. I think your advice is great and I need to give her more love amd be patient.