Is it wrong to nurse babies to sleep? Will they be forever ruined (dependent on b*****s to be able to sleep)?

Question

... until they're 17 or older)?

No, seriously, are you going to do psychological damage by nursing a baby to sleep? Because everyone bashes me for doing exactly that.

Answer 1

Not at all! Both my brother and I were breastfed until we fell asleep and neither of us became dependent on it. My mother also let us nurse whenever we needed to...she didn't try to keep us on a strict schedule or anything. Just do what you feel is right for you and your child.

Answer 2

It is not wrong at all!  Don't listen to people who tell you it is.  

I am still nursing my 12.5 month old daughter and she nurses herself to sleep every night.  There have been a few instances when I was not home to put her to bed (once for a wedding, and once when I was in the hospital) she did just find with a pacifier and someone holding her or rocking her to sleep.  Babies need to be cuddled and held and nursed, especially when they are sleepy, it's totally natural and when she is ready she will stop nursing on her own.  There will be no pyschological damange!!

Check this out:

http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/...

"Am I creating a bad habit by allowing baby to nurse to sleep?"

"Your baby's desire to nurse to sleep is very normal and not a bad habit you've fostered. Don't be afraid to nurse your baby to sleep or fear that you are perpetuating a bad habit. Baby often will seek the breast when sleepy or over-stimulated because it's a comforting and familiar place to him. To associate the breast with wanting to relax enough to go to sleep makes perfect sense. As adults, we also do things to relax ourselves so we can go to sleep: we read, watch TV, get something warm to drink or a snack, deep breathe, get all snug under the covers, etc. Nursing does the same thing for your baby.

"For many babies at the height of exploration or distractibility, nighttime or naptime can often be the ONLY time the baby will nurse well. Allowing him to nurse at these times when he is more focused on nursing and less intent on other things helps ensures that he gets enough milk, that your supply is maintained, and that the nursing relationship goes on. Don't be afraid to nurse at these times or fear that you are perpetuating a bad habit. Instead, take advantage of these times for better nursing."

Answer 3

No, I do not think they will be ruined!

Do what works for you...

You may cause a habit to form, where baby won't go to sleep on their own without nursing... When that becomes a problem for you in the future, you'll have to work at breaking the habit....

Answer 4

Allcn E (above me) :

"they start to use you as a substitue for a dummy..."

that's funny.

I always thought that a dummy is a substitute for Mum...

(I thought mothers were here first, before dummies were created)

apparently I've been wrong all my life.

Answer 5

Oh cuddle the little  beauty .   No you won't do any harm at all.  The baby feels safe in your arms,   Its what mums do and are for, You should both get pleasure from it    

Answer 6

No way! That is how women have done it since time began, dont let anyone tell you your baby will be 'spoiled' its utter gibberish.

I still nurse my 14 month old to sleep and wouldnt have it any other way. She is happier for it, and so am I.

Answer 7

I would be willing to bet that anyone telling you that you are going to damage your baby is either a man, childless or never breastfed.

You are in no way going to end up with a baby who is dependent on BFing to fall asleep. That is just foolish of them to tell you that. If you teach baby now that sleep is a pleasant state to be in (by nursing, cuddling etc) then baby will grow to a be a child who falls asleep easily.  

Answer 8

My friend who has 5 kids, nursed all of them to sleep and guess what! None of them are dependent on it or ruined from it.  

Answer 9

no, there is nothing wrong with nursing your baby to sleep. tell 'everyone' to go fly a kite

Answer 10

my friend who has son who is 3 yrs old and he still wants to suck mommy's nipples cuz it makes him sleep in 5 mins! so she still does that and let him..sometimes she wish she didnt do that...but its too late...shouldve stopped earlier and let child learn sleep on its own.

Answer 11

i doubt it. i nursed my son to sleep until he was about 9 months. i stopped because if he woke during the night he wanted to be nursed to sleep so i was up several times a night. if i have another baby then i wont be doing this just to save myself the sleepless nights. but it is nice and very convenient to just let them fall asleep like that.

Answer 12

Don't let anyone make you feel that this is wrong.....you will NEVER get this time back again with your baby and these are the most precious/peaceful moments I will remember with my son!!!  He is 10 months now, I rocked/nursed him to sleep every night until he was about 8 months.  At around that time, I decided it was time for him to start to sleep on his own and began nursing/rocking him until he was ALMOST asleep, then put him in his crib with his blanket and stuffed animal.  He fussed the first few times, then fell asleep wonderfully every time after that.  

I'm SO glad I didn't listen to all of the people that said this would be SO detrimental to his sleep..... :)

Answer 13

i dont think its wrong i still do it sometimes. they do get very dependant on it though. i am still breast feeding my son now an he is 11 months hopefully for not to much longer they get very attatched. when he got around 6month i started to try put him to bed awake to try teach him to go to sleep by him self because he everytime he woke up he wanted the breast an they start to use you as a substitue for a dummy if they get use to sucking to go to sleep. i dont think thiers a right or wrong to it. depends were your at aswell like if your so tied yourself then just do whats easier for you, be prepaired though. goodluck

Answer 14

I think it spoils them and you get no time to yourself - I done it with my daughter and she did with her first child but with her second baby she fed and put in the cot and she went to sleep, sometimes she cried for 5 minutes but settled herself.

Answer 15

LOL no I breastfed both my babies to sleep and now they sleep really well. I think it helps with their security and well being. They know that there mummy is there with them and they are safe. When they wake, they cry, but they cry anyway. If you get into a routine of feeding them to sleep and always coming to them in the night when they wake they are fine. Both my kids go to bed, have 20 mins reading, quiet play whatever and then go to sleep. Thats independantly, without me there!

Dont worry I am sure you are doing a fantastic job. Remember when yo have a baby everyone thinks they know best, when in reality its you! Your instincts for your child mean that you are the best person to choose how to raise them.  

Answer 16

Most the time when you nurse a newborn they fall asleep, and at night when they nurse, they just fall asleep. I nursed my son up to 1 year. The only mistake I made was letting him sleep in our bed. It took a long time to break.  

Answer 17

I am nursing my 4th baby. They have all nursed themselves to sleep.

They outgrow it... Ignore the other people.

I have never bottle fed my kids as young infants. But I bet many mothers who do give a bottle do it just before nap or even during nap time. I see no difference.

Edit: You should also take note. There are hormones in breastmilk  that make your baby sleepy as a newborn. Its common to make the mommy sleepy too.

Answer 18

well not forever but they will get into the habit of it and it's much easier to not have that habit to break at all. no psychological damage though people are so weird these days..

Answer 19

Anything which means you get some sleep is good.  If nursing till they sleep enables you to get some rest - go for it.  I did it with both of mine.  With my eldest I had to go through 5 days of torture with one of those sleep routine things at about 15 months.  She was fine after that.  With my second - she just swopped the bottle for a dummy when she was about 5 months.  She was also fine.  I'd def go the dummy route if I had to do it again.

Answer 20

The earlier you can get your kids to sleep by themselves the better because it can be hard for them to make that transition if it is part of their routine to be nursed by you. In the long run it won't do them any harm but as a mother of 3 I can tell you for your own sanity make the break so that you can get a bit of time for yourself in the evenings. You're gonna need it.