Happiness...is a warm breast.
***Warning*** discussion of breasts and breastfeeding below.***
I have a child with a serious boob addiction. N. is working on 11 months old now and she is seriously committed to breastfeeding, especially as it relates to sleeping. I am having major sleep issues with her, and a lot of it surrounds her need to sleep with a boob in her mouth. She still sleeps with us every night because I'm too soft to let her scream in her crib for hours until she cries herself to sleep. You would think that sleeping right with mommy would be sufficient comfort, but no, a boob in the mouth is also necessary. If she wakes up in the middle of the night and !alas! no boob in her mouth, she starts crying and thrashing around. It has been over two weeks since she had boobs throughout the night and it is still a big deal to her. Everyone has told me that it only takes them 3 nights to get over these things, and she's still complaining strongly over 2 weeks later. I'm really at my wits end. The plan was to successfully wean her over night and then make the attempt to get her to sleep in her own bed, but we've just not been able to cross this hurdle yet. And, yes, I have tried the pacifier, but given the fact that she's never used them before, introducing them now is somewhat of a joke. I stick it in her mouth and she grabs it and looks at it and then at me with this incredulous look like, "you expect me to buy that? I know where the boobs are and this ain't attached to your body." It got so bad the other night that she started trying to suck on my nose or chin.
And I expected to wean around a year old! I'm really not sure what I'm going to do about this, but we really need to find some solutions because our sleep is just getting more and more disrupted. Suggestions???
I have a child with a serious boob addiction. N. is working on 11 months old now and she is seriously committed to breastfeeding, especially as it relates to sleeping. I am having major sleep issues with her, and a lot of it surrounds her need to sleep with a boob in her mouth. She still sleeps with us every night because I'm too soft to let her scream in her crib for hours until she cries herself to sleep. You would think that sleeping right with mommy would be sufficient comfort, but no, a boob in the mouth is also necessary. If she wakes up in the middle of the night and !alas! no boob in her mouth, she starts crying and thrashing around. It has been over two weeks since she had boobs throughout the night and it is still a big deal to her. Everyone has told me that it only takes them 3 nights to get over these things, and she's still complaining strongly over 2 weeks later. I'm really at my wits end. The plan was to successfully wean her over night and then make the attempt to get her to sleep in her own bed, but we've just not been able to cross this hurdle yet. And, yes, I have tried the pacifier, but given the fact that she's never used them before, introducing them now is somewhat of a joke. I stick it in her mouth and she grabs it and looks at it and then at me with this incredulous look like, "you expect me to buy that? I know where the boobs are and this ain't attached to your body." It got so bad the other night that she started trying to suck on my nose or chin.
And I expected to wean around a year old! I'm really not sure what I'm going to do about this, but we really need to find some solutions because our sleep is just getting more and more disrupted. Suggestions???
posted by Erin at 12:12 PM
2 Comments:
I laughed out loud at Nadia so desperate that sucked on your nose and chin! Too funny - not for you of course.
Erin - I think the key is getting her out of your bed first. I think that there is a slim chance that she'll happily agree not to nurse if your boob is easily accessible. When does she go to bed and when does she first wake up for another go at it?
Does she wake up when you put her in her crib after nursing? Maybe if when she woke at night you nursed her somewhere else and then put her down afterwards. I know crying it out just sucks but you might have to do it - it gets harder as they get older - there's kind of an easier time to do it when they aren't little - but maybe around 5-6 months. Not that that helps you now! I have a friend who went through the same thing (ended up nursing until almost 2!)- I'll ask her because it was the same thing - nursing all night every few hours, in bed with them....
Good luck Erin. It is notfun to have to try to get your babies to stop nursing or to sleep throught the night or to get them to put themselves to sleep. With Derek both Tim and I sat out on the couch b=me crying and Tim holding me while Derek wailed away in the bedroom not wanting to give in and put himself to sleep. Remember ideals are not specifics. Your Nadia may need longer than three weeks but you have to keep trying. I agree with Megan maybe putting her in her own bed would cut down on the nursing part or the human pasifier part at least. Its not fun to have to be the strong one and let her cry, I hated it, but truly we were a better family for it. Derek learned to put himself to sleep and Tim and I finally got some rest at night. I admire you for sticking with it but there are times when you need your own space too. I will be praying for you!
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