Hello!

My first two children were fed expressed breast milk. My third child was successfully breastfed for the first 6months. My first two were great sleepers. Slept throughout the night from 6 weeks and could self settle. My third always seems to need me to fall asleep. She used to always fall asleep on the boob and now I feel she wants me near her or holding her to fall asleep as a result. Has anyone had a similar experience?
I let her cry herself to sleep for her day nap and she does nap after 15 minutes of so. But at night she falls asleep in my arms or next to me and if she wakes during the night she won’t stop crying unless we collect her from the cot. Then she ends up sleeping in our bed, cause we’re too tired to with it.


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  • when you fed with a bottle, you knew the baby was getting enough food – your new little one may not be getting a full feed before falling asleep on the boob


  • I’d say it’s child dependent. My baby is breastfed and an excellent sleeper (unless sick or teething).


  • My 11 month old is breastfed and doesn’t sleep through the night either. He doesn’t always fall asleep by feeding but does often particularly over night. I wonder if it does add to less sleep… But I’m happy breastfeeding for now:) although I don’t have other kids!!


  • i think it depends on the child


  • It makes no difference. Please don’t let her cry herself to sleep. Crying is her way of communicating with you. Look up Pinky McKay. Crying herself to sleep can be dangerous.


  • No it doesn’t make a difference if they are breast or bottle fed. It comes down to the bubs little personality. Both of mine were breastfed but completely different sleepers. My youngest benefited from my husband stepping in and settling him after he was fed at night. My son would fall asleep feeding but the change in person helped him learn how to self settle once in cot. It will take some time. That’s what worked for us, bed time/bath routine, feed and then hubby to put to bed.


  • I think it does, my 8 month old is feed to sleep. try the sleep sence program. put them down awake. I also have a baby shusher app. it takes time though. I did a bit of co sleeping too


  • What on earth is going to happen if the Mum get sick and her daughter cannot sleep with her. I have only ever done that with a sick baby or very sick child. While a young baby It was feed, 5 minutes quiet cuddle (no stimulation), nappy change and back to bed. I sat in a comfortable chair with the passage light on (dim light) for night feeds. Too much light about bubs thinks it is daytime. We did have a few partial nights sharing the bed at about 15 – 18 months but he was really hysterical. We think he must have had a bad dream. He also went through a stage of getting up at 11.00pm at night. You could practically sent an alarm. When it persisted we took him to the Dr. who did tests then came to the conclusion that is sleep pattern was out of sinc. and ordered medication. We weaned him off it pretty quickly (we didn’t use it for longer than necessary and weaned him off it sooner than advised). He has slept through since. At 2 1/2 y.o. he still has a short afternoon nap or he gets cranky. Sometimes he takes himself to bed for a nap so he must need it.


  • In my experience, being bottle fed or breastfed had little to no impact on sleeping patterns in my children. They are such beautiful, unique little creatures, aren’t they? Excluding things like reflux, I’ve found that being a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ sleeper is a completely individual thing. I think it’s important to know, too, that it’s a very normal thing for babies to wake frequently at night, and (thank goodness!) they do eventually sleep through! I think if you go with what works for each baby (even though, wow, the sleep deprivation is the pits!), you can’t really go wrong :)


  • ok with my first son yes this was the case needed me to fall to sleep, but he had bad reflux issues he was a premmie and always sick, my next child she had no issues what so ever and slept through from three month, my next son was able to have a feed and be settled to a certain point and woke once a night for a quick feed before been placed back to bed fully awake. I found what i ate really affected my kids and would cause gas etc. and cause sleeping issues. so while breast feeding i did had to cut out certain foods. But with each kids what upset them the most was different.


  • No idea but try google as suggested by above comment and other parenting websites.


  • I have never breast fed however my best friends does and she has the same problem, but this is her choice, she calls it attachment parenting. Basically she breast feeds her daughter in her bed and then lets her fall asleep in her bed, the baby gets used to it and demands it all the time. Only now her daughter is 8mths and she cannot let her daughter go with out her screaming! Maybe google attachment parenting and they may have tips on how to move on from this.


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