7 month old sleep trouble

[MarmotMommy]

We co-sleep and breastfeed, which has led us to the common problem of my daughter requiring nursing every time she wakes. On good nights, this is maybe 3x. On bad nights, it's every hour. Her sleep is much, MUCH better on the days she naps, but she won't nap without me lying on my side next to her, more or less nursing her The. Whole. Time. I am committed to breastfeeding, but I have grown to HATE the feeling of the non-nutritive sucking (the sucking she does when she's not eating). It makes me want to scream. It makes me want to grab my breast out of her mouth. It makes me want to wean. I don't want to feel this way. I treasure our breastfeeding relationship and would love to see it last for several more years. However, while I have the luxury of working from home many days a week, I can't always take the time to do nothing but lie on my side and nurse her for an hour and a half to two hours a day. Consequently, she gets nursed down and then I sit up to do some work...and she sleeps for 45 minutes and wakes up. Then nights are worse. She is sleeping nowhere NEAR enough. She's almost narcoleptic during the day, falling asleep at odd times in the car seat, etc, and sleeping for only 10 minutes or so. I need her to nap so she'll sleep better at night, I need her to sleep better at night so she'll nap. But I need her to nap without doing this obnoxious, fluttering sucking the whole time, because it is making me resentful (and it makes my nipples sore).

-We've tried the "No Cry Sleep Soln"; the thing where you pull the nipple out of the mouth generally doesn't work. When it does, it works for about 5 minutes, and then she's groping for the nipple again. I've been working on this for MONTHS with no success.

-I am not willing to CIO

-I've tried creating a lovey, letting her cry in arms, giving a paci (she plays with it during the day, but it makes her scream at night)

-I've tried white noise, rocking, having her sleep next to daddy (incidentally, I'm the only one available to do naps)

-I've looked at other gentle sleep books, but can't find any other than Sears or Pantley that would work for a bfing/cosleeping family. Sears doesn't address the constant, ceaseless sucking issue.

Please help. I just need my baby to take naps. I'm worried for me (I'm a zombie, I'm no fun, and I think my daytime parenting is starting to suffer), I'm worried for her (she needs sleep to develop normally!), and I'm worried for our breastfeeding relationship!

[IzzyTheTerrible]

You sound absolutely at your wits end.  Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone, even if I don't have an answer for you!

My nephew wouldn't nap or sleep through the night well until we quit co-sleeping.  When I was around he wanted to be there awake with me.  So he'd sleep with me with a bottle, and he would sleep if I slow danced with him, but otherwise he would be exhausted and still trying to stay awake.  

We moved him to the other room and low and behold, he went from waking 4-6 times a night to now sleeping 10 hours, wakes for a bottle and change, then goes right back to sleep for 2-3 hours. 

His naps went from barely sleeping 20-45 minute naps to full fledge out-like-a-light 1-2.5 hour naps.

I hope you find a solution soon, it can be very trying on your sanity!