All Night Snack Shack

[AtHomeMom]

Here is my situation: my 7 month old dd uses me as a pacifier during the night (family bed)...it is not that I want to night wean...but I just get stiff from laying on my side to "feed" her all night. She has never used a real pacifier (I sort of tried a couple of times)...is that the answer or is it too late? Any suggestions?

[stretchmark]

No suggestions from me, in the same boat you are!

[annettemarie]

I call myself the 24 Hour Dairy Queen, so no help here.
Hey, could that be a senior member title????
Annette

[doctorjen]

You are not a human pacifier, a pacifier is a plastic mother substitute!
That said, you might try the No Cry Sleep Solution book. It has a technique for teaching a baby to sleep without the nipple in the her mouth. I think you wouldn't necessarily have to night wean, but just use the technique to help accustom the baby to sleeping without sucking continuously.

[artgoddess]

Has she always been like this? I'm asking becaus DS started this behavior when he was about 6 month, and he started crawling. Once he was mobile, he was just too busy to nurse as long during the day, had too much to do. I try to offer him the breast all day long. Sometimes he snack evry half hour for just a couple minutes. But that did seem to help. It went through stages. It had mellowed once crawling was no big deal and then the night nursing picked up again when he started to walk.

But I can sympathize with the back pain. I would make DH switch sides of the bed with you so that you can alternate what side you sleep on.

[The Lucky One]

Yep, sign me up too! My ds2 is also 7 months and nurses ALL night long. As in like at least 10 times and it seems like every 20 minutes or so from 5am on! Whew! And yes, my hips are sore from constantly lying on my side. Wish I had some advice. I'm wishing my guy would cut back some too, he certainly isn't lacking in weight. He just really loves his mama

[townmouse]

artgoddess, that's what my 4 have all done, too! It seems more common during growth spurts, and with my boys growth spurts usually last a few weeks.

I know from LLL, that frequent, short nursing sessions help the milk supply, and my babies all seem to do this at night when they're not so busy and distracted LOL.

I tend to change sides alot, I just hold the baby on my stomach and roll over to the other side. If I want to lay on my back to nurse, I do! Having several different lying-down nursing positions, helps.

Really, it wasn't until I'd done this with a second baby, that I learned to sleep well with so many interruptions. With babies #3 and 4, it hasn't bothered me at all.

LuckyOne, my baby is nice and fat, too. :LOL Probably because he eats all day, and all night!

[karlin]

I agree with the NCSS suggestion. I have been trying it off and on with my 15 mo for months, but finally got sorta serious about it (I go with his needs...if he needs to suck, I let him). It's working....he's falling asleep w/o sucking sometimes...waking a tad less too.