[glad2bhome]

My friend (different one from last time) needs help with her 5 month-old. She used to fall asleep without needing to be nursed to sleep. She now screams to be nursed to sleep but then spits up what she just nursed! My friend would like to be able to transition her dd back to falling asleep without being nursed to sleep but is at a loss as to how to do this. Of course, she doesn't want to CIO. She has tried a NUK pacifier (at my and other moms' recommendation) and her dd just keeps spitting it out and screaming. What is she to do??!!! Any advice is very welcome!

~Melissa

 

[Ravin]

Maybe try holding her close in a nursing position with skin-to-sking contact and then using either the pacifier or a finger in her mouth so she can suck? Basically everything the same except a dummy in place of mama's nipple.

 

[DaryLLL]

Babies do change their habits, including sleep habits, all the time. At 5 mos, good chances are she is teething and nursing for comfort. Perhaps your friend has a strong letdown? Ask her. If she does, she can try only nursing baby on one breast, the emptier one, for a period, say 3 hours, no matter how often she nurses in 3 hours.

If baby is content and spits up a little, well, spit-up is no biggie.

 

[3girls1boy]

I know this is not an answer to your question, but I can't think of a more peaceful way to put a child to sleep. When I see my tired child begin to nurse and at first he's wiggling around, not able to relax, and then to see and feel him let go and slide into that perfectly peaceful state--it's just so lovely and to know that I did that for him.

My son (from about 3 mos. to 10 mos.) was happy to lay down with dad every night and go to sleep while I read to his older sisters. Then he would only have me (unless I am gone--then he goes to sleep with dad or his big sister). Now he is two and a half and still nurses at bedtime, but after a while I tell him that nursing time is over and now it is sleeping time, and he snuggles down with me and goes to sleep.

Incidently, they do eventually find a way to go to sleep on their own and sleep all night, no matter what you do when they are babies.

Sweet dreams!