BF and sleeping problems

waow, very interesting technique... looking forward to try it!!! did u try it urself? I wonder if it will really work, will read more about it... thanks a lot for sharing :D That's what I always did - although I didn't know it was a "technique" or had a name - basically, pop bubs off when they've finished feeding, so sleepy, but not asleep.

Well basically (as you already know) the problem is he doesn't know how to sleep without a boob in his mouth. When he wakes between sleep cycles he notices it is missing and does the logical thing, calling for you to replace it. You might want to read about the "Pantly Pull-off" [url=http://www.pregnancy.org/article/when-your-baby-wakes-frequently-feed-pantley-pull?page=1'>here[/url'> it will take sometime, its not an overnight solution by any means. [i'>When your baby wakes, go ahead and nurse him. But, instead of leaving him there and going back to bed, or letting him fall asleep at the breast, let him suck for a few minutes until his sucking slows and he is relaxed and sleepy. Then break the seal with your finger and gently remove the pacifier or nipple. Often, especially at first, your baby then will startle and root for the nipple. Try to very gently hold his mouth closed with your finger under his chin, or apply pressure to his chin, just under his lip, at the same time rocking or swaying with him. If he struggles against this and fusses or roots for you or his bottle or pacifier, go ahead and replace the nipple, but repeat the removal process as often as necessary until he falls asleep. How long between removals? Every baby is different, but about ten to sixty seconds between removals usually works. You also should watch your baby's sucking action. If a baby is sucking strongly or swallowing regularly when feeding, wait a few minutes until he slows his pace. Usually, after the initial burst of activity, your baby will slow to a more relaxed, fluttery pace; this is a good time to begin your removal attempts. It may take two to five (or even more) attempts, but eventually your baby will fall asleep without the pacifier or nipple in her mouth. When she has done this a number of times over a period of days, you will notice the removals are much easier, and her awakenings are less frequent. "We got to calling this the Big PPO (Pantley-Pull-Off). At first Joshua would see it coming and grab my nipple tighter in anticipation. Ouch! But you said to stick with it, and I did. Now he anticipates the PPO and actually lets go and turns and rolls over on his side to go to sleep! I am truly amazed." —Shannon, mother of 16-month-old Joshua If your baby doesn't nap well, don't trouble yourself with trying to use the removal technique during the day for naps. Remember that good naps mean better nighttime sleep and better nighttime sleep means better naps. Once you get your baby sleeping better at night, you can then work on the naptime sleep. The most important time to use Pantley's gentle removal plan is the first falling asleep of the night. Often the way your baby falls asleep will affect the rest of his awakenings for the night. I suspect that this because of the sleep-association affect that I explained earlier. It seems that the way in which your baby falls asleep for the night is how he expects to remain all night long.[/i'>

Bless you! I'll echo Green-ish... the breastfeeding isn't really the issue (my son still fed 2-3 times a night at 11 months), but the sleep and everything that surrounds it is. You need to try to step back and look at your whole day. - Is he napping sufficiently during the day? - Is he eating solid food in regular, balanced and health meals? - What is your bedtime routine? The bedtime routine is really, really important... they need sufficient time after dinner to allow them to digest and relax, as well as unwinding and having a certain number of constant "sleep cues", like bath, book, breast, bed. You may have to make some compromises in order to achieve this - for example, DH just had to accept that if he came home late, then he couldn't just start playing rough and tumble with the kids and I couldn't keep them up just so that he got to see them. It may well be that your timings are slightly off too. I used to feed my daughter at 18h for a 19h30 bedtime, but found that from about 16h30 she became as grumpy as anything and it would just get worse as the evening went on. I couldn't understand why, but one day we were at the in-laws and they eat at 17h, so we ate with them... lo and behold, DD was really content afterwards and happy to play until about 18h30, when she showed signs of being tired, so I put her to bed at 19h and she went down without a fuss. It was pretty obvious that on my previous schedule, she was hungry way before dinner time, and then by the time food was on the table, she was getting tired, but would keep awake to eat and then feel too tired and too full to go to sleep (late).... small adjustments! Only falling asleep on the breast, however, is also an issue you need to address. There are lots of methods to help babies learn how to self-soothe and you don't [i'>need[/i'> to go all hard-core and use the CIO method if you're not comfortable with it. He's currently soothing himself by getting comfort from being close to you, so maybe a first step is to close up shop when he's done feeding and just have a close cuddle. You can then transfer him into his cot still awake (very important) and then cuddle him in his cot. Even now, if my youngest (2yrs) is fretful - he usually doesn't have any problem self-soothing - then I lay him down and almost lie on top of him (sounds weird, but imagine being in an upright cuddle position and then just lying down) and breathe at sleep speed, which makes his breathing slow down too. My DD did like us to be present as she fell asleep, so we'd often just put a hand on her tummy or arm until she was nearly, but not quite asleep.

Oh ziiiii...you sound exhausted. :( It sounds too me like he's gotten himself terribly overtired. Most little ones who are overtired will struggle to stay asleep after each 45 minute sleep cycle. They come through that natural sleep cycle but jerk themselves awake because they are overtired, therefore not truly relaxed. It's worth keeping in mind that it's normal for babies his age to still want a night-time feed. Exhausting, but normal, and it WILL stop. ;) Do you have an evening soothe-to-sleep routine? What time are you getting him to bed for the night? At that age, all of mine were starting to wind down by 5pm. Soon after 5pm they would have dinner, then a quiet, soothing bath, then stories & quiet time with dimmed lights, in bed BEFORE they are overtired...usually by 6.30-7pm at the very latest. By doing the same thing every single day, they start to associate the routine with feeling sleepy and going to bed. Is there someone else at home who can come and help you soothe him to sleep? Maybe be getting someone else to help you put him to bed, he'll stop that association with breastfeeding to sleep...which by the way is not such a bad thing! :) I'm only suggesting this until you are both getting more rest. Another thing that helped with my little ones was to make their evening meal the smallest of the day...usual breastfeeds, but less solids at night. Have you considered co-sleeping? If he sleeps with you, even just until you are feeling more rested, he can feed while you sleep...no crying, no getting up in the night. I have co-slept with all of mine at some point, and never had any trouble getting them back into their own beds when the time came. Finally...eat well! Your nutrition is paramount to coping with the exhaustion. Eat good foods and rest every chance you get. I hope you're both getting more sleep very soon. <em>edited by Green-ish on 06/12/2011</em>