Why breastfeed your baby/ Toddler to sleep?

[bettyjones]

Just wondering?

[Buzzer Beater]

Why... not...?

It's very nice and easy. A sweet time for us. I am missing it on the nights she is too busy or fights sleeping at the breast.

[Jules09]

Because it works!

[chel]

I agree, why not. In the beginning I don't see how you can not nurse to sleep. My kids always feel asleep during the evening feed. Even as they get older, it's nice to top them off with a feed.

Eventually it will just stop working and then you can move on to something else. I find that month to month it is something different that puts them to sleep. So it's not that you can skip nursing to sleep and have an instant fix.

My dd2 stopped nursing to sleep around 6m. Since then putting her to sleep has included rocking, walking, patting, singing, cuddling and now watching dh play cards on the computer. I still nurse before bed. It's just dd doesn't fall asleep during the feed.

[katelove]

It's the most effective way of getting her to sleep.

It means she has a full tummy when she goes to sleep.

It's a lovely way to reconnect with my busy toddler after a long day.

[Marissamom]

it's easy. my toddler no longer nurses to sleep, but does nurse right before bed because it helps her unwind. with my baby it's the quickest, easiest way of getting him to fall asleep.

[Nicoleoleole]

Because they want it. :) I'm not denying my toddler to nurse to sleep if she wants it. 

[woodchick]

Because I want to sleep (or have a little time to myself!)  Nursing her down to sleep means that I don't spend two hours cajoling her to sleep.

DD1 nursed to sleep until somewhere between 2 and 3 but has fallen asleep on her own since then. DD2 still nurses to sleep, but I can see her moving away from it.

Also, I love the time with my little one :)

[bettyjones]

Thanks for all the responses.  I bf my dd to sleep until she weaned at 2 1/2 yrs.  My sister (who also bf her sons to sleep) keeps telling me never let them fall asleep on the breast.  And I do have a friend I just visited who does not bf her baby to sleep- she feeds her, rocks her, puts her in a vibrating chair or the crib and it works.  I am expecting another baby in August.  There are stuggles that accompany bfing a baby to sleep but it just is so easy in many ways. 

[lucifugous]

Also, every baby is different, and some are happy to fall asleep in a crib. But when they're not, you really can't make them or spend forever trying to trick them into sleeping there! You do what works, and what they want. Now at a later age, what they want isn't always going to work, and you have to be able to explain that and calm the kid down and ...expectations evolve.

[Nicole730]

I breastfed my first to sleep because that's how he liked to fall asleep.  I tried to breasfeed my second to sleep because that's what worked with my first.  But from the very beginning, she would unlatch and then fall asleep shortly after.  I hope my next child wants to fall asleep without nursing, because while nursing a baby to sleep is easy for babies who need it or want it, not having to nurse the baby to sleep is awesome. :)

[kitteh]

My dd likes to nurse to sleep, and I see it as a really sweet time for us. Calm, relaxed, and peaceful. But I prefer it when she pops off shortly after falling asleep. Just now she was nursing down to a nap and stayed latched on. She must have started dreaming or something because she suddenly started to CLAMP DOWN with her teeth. OUCH!

I gotta admit that it can be a pain sometimes to have to lie in bed with her while she's winding down toward sleep when I'd rather be doing something else, but that doesn't happen very often. What DOES happen more often than I'd like is when she's having difficulty settling down and likes to climb over me, switching back and forth from one breast to the other. That drives me bonkers!

[transylvania_mom]

Because she asks.

[JudiAU]

Nursing a baby to sleep is easier than the alternatives than the jiggling/bouncing/walking/rocking/crying alternatives.

[Brandybutter]

Originally Posted by bettyjones 

Thanks for all the responses.  I bf my dd to sleep until she weaned at 2 1/2 yrs.  My sister (who also bf her sons to sleep) keeps telling me never let them fall asleep on the breast.  And I do have a friend I just visited who does not bf her baby to sleep- she feeds her, rocks her, puts her in a vibrating chair or the crib and it works.  I am expecting another baby in August.  There are stuggles that accompany bfing a baby to sleep but it just is so easy in many ways. 

Yes, nursing is a major sleep association. So all the books I've read by "sleep experts" recommend that you try to get them to fall asleep without the boob. Even Elizabeth Pantley and Dr. Sears encourage parents to try multiple ways at getting babies to sleep so they can relax by other means. But yeah, as most here have mentioned, breastfeeding to sleep works! Why not take advantage of this strong sleep association if you can? It is as nature intended. I've always relied on it, but I am also my son's primary caregiver 24/7. Perhaps I would have tried something else if I needed someone else to care for him. But still, a baby might accept rocking, wearing, or another method by a different caregiver and still enjoy being nursed to sleep by mom. It is such a precious time

[kdaisy]

Wow!  Someone tell my 3 yo there are other ways to fall asleep!

[clockworkhobbsy]

If you are co-sleeping, then it definitely makes sense. My wife is a heavy sleeper, so when ds starts to wake up, I just place him on the breast! It's cute.