My one year old will only go to sleep nap and nighttime if she is being nursed. Is this wrong?

Question

My one year old will not go to bed at night or take a nap unless I am nursing her. If I lay her down in her crib, she will scream bloody murder for about an hour. The nursing her to sleep isn't a problem, it works for us, I just wish she would fall asleep on her own. Maybe she is just a sleep fighter. I plan on nursing for a bit longer. She is pretty happy if she gets to nurse. I hate to take it away from her to soon. I just hope I don't have problems with her later on when she is 2 or 3 because of this. Do you think I am spoiling her? Is it her right?

Answer 1

It is absolutely not wrong! And no you are not spoiling her, you are nurturing and loving her. In fact, the hormones released when breastfeeding are designed to make baby sleep. My baby is the same and will not go to sleep by himself, which is fine by me, I would rather cuddle up and nurse him to sleep than pace up and down rocking him. I wonder how people who bottlefeed manage?? Just yet another fantastic advantage to breastfeeding I reckon! ;)

Answer 2

No, no problem.  She's still very young.

Answer 3

it definatley is not wrong although you need to try to wing the baby.. in other word start the babys transition from the breast to the bottle.. it most likely would have been better earlier in the childs life but it is not wrong to still be breast feeding.once you make that transition once the baby get old enough to drink from a sippy cup then transition to that. the only reason the baby falls asleep breast feeding now i b/c it feels natural and comfortable since it has done it he or shes whole life. to start the transition breast feed while putting her to sleep and thn when she is 1/2 way asleep put a bottle in her mouth [it can even be filled w/ your milk] you may even have to let her fall completley asleep and let her sleep w/ it during the night. once the child get used to it start gradually giving her a bottle instead of a breast.

hope this helps.. julia

Answer 4

It may be the cuddling she is craving.  If you are wanting to change the set-up (for instance, if you want to go out some night, your babysitter can't nurse her), you could try just cuddling and rocking her when she is sleepy.  If she needs to suck, try a pacifier or bottle if you want to.  If she doesn't take to those, you could nurse her until she is almost asleep, then keep cuddling her so she gets used to falling asleep without something to suck on.  It's really not a matter of her rights--at this point it's a comfort thing.  Eventually she will need to learn to comfort herself to relax, but in the meantime you could try substituting something other than nursing to see if something else might work.  These are those gray area decisions--you have to do what seems right for each individual baby.

Answer 5

I have a 10 month old i have bottle fed since birth,he only goes to sleep if he is cuddled and fed a bottle wether it be his morning nap or to go through the night,i don`t see any problem at all as long as you and bub are happy,

Answer 6

Man im, anxious to see these answers i have the same problem!

Answer 7

I see nothing wrong with it. My son is 2.5 years old and still would nurse to sleep if I let him. I have begun the process of weaning him, so I just wait him out...last night he fell asleep after 11pm, but he only nursed for a few seconds. When I tell him he is done he willingly lets go. As long as you are happy to nurse her do it...I enjoy it, but I know he needs to wean at his age.