Nursing Mom Trying to Get Baby in His Own Bed!

M. - having your little guy sleep in the bed with you is not the worst thing in the world. He will eventually sleep in his crib. I have a 5 month old and from birth to about 2 months he was sleeping in a co-sleeper. We were (and have been) exclusively breastfeeding so it was working well. I was still sleep deprived, but he was sleeping. Well, around the 2 month mark, I fell asleep with him in my arms after a nursing session and never slept as well as I did that night. So, for the next 2 months, he slept in bed with us. Nursing him during the night was a dream....we'd both sleep well and fall asleep together.

At around 4 months, he started moving around A LOT more and was starting to push me out of the bed - literally! So, we started him in the crib, the day of his 4 month pediatrician well visit. First night was a little tough, but I put a piece of clothing in there with him that smelled of me (and of breastmilk) and that seemed to work. After less than a week of being in the crib, he was sleeping 7+ hours straight without waking up.

Now we nurse right before bed, and then usually only once during the night, somewhere between 3 and 4am. Hopefully soon he will not need that one night feeding, but I actually don't mind it.

So, my advice to you is to do what works best for you - not what anyone tells you is right. That's the advice I took and so far, the transition has been smooth.

Best of luck with it - and, like everything with babies, this phase is only temporary! let us know how it goes!

I did the same thing with my daughter till she was 6 months(she would not sleep in bassinet). At 6 months I started nursing her in her room and putting her in the crib then I would just go in there a couple of times a night to nurse until night weaning at 11-12 months. She is an awesome sleeper now (at 2 and since 12 months) and couldn't sleep with me if she wanted (she loves her own space). So don't worry that you will have him in your bed forever and enjoy the extra rest you get from co-sleeping.
Sometimes I could get her to sleep on an extra changing table pad in our bed (so I could lay on my back).

I had the same problem with both my kids. Nursing while you sleep is a life saver. But I didn't want my kids sleeping in my bed either. So, every night I'd nurse. And once they were asleep I'd move them to the pack and play. If they woke I'd move them back to my bed. After a week or so of doing this they would stay asleep in the pack and play. Then after a few weeks of being able to sleep there I started the whole process over again, but this time it was from the pack and play to the crib. It takes consistency. You have to do it every night. Eventually he will stay asleep in his bassinet. You just have to keep trying. Believe me, both my kids did this. Neither one would sleep unless they were touching me for the first couple months. Not my idea of fun either. Now, at almost 5 yrs and 22 mos my kids won't even sleep in my bed if they have to.

I have a 9 month old daughter and we just would put her in bed after nursing. If she woke up (or didn't fall asleep in the first place), we would first try to soothe her by rubbing her belly and singing but if that didn't work, we'd pick her up and start all over again. It is really hard in the beginning, (not only waking up every few hours, but having to stay awake until the baby falls asleep) but in the long run it's worth it. Your son will just get used to it eventually. I wish I had a magic suggestion, but repetition seemed to work for me. Good luck!

I just went through something similar with my now-three-month old. Here's what worked for us:

1) We elevated the head of his crib by putting a pillow underneath it and using blankets to fill in the "gap" beneath. This created an angle similar to that of me having my son lay against me as I burp him (when I'm propped up with pillows). Instead of him waking either immediately or within a few minutes of me putting him down, he seems to stay more soundly asleep.

2) We swaddle him, arms down at each side, and using two blankets; our guy is really strong and by the middle of the night typically breaks free. I'm waiting to receive the Miracle Blanket tomorrow, which should keep him confined all night long; we'll see. Because my son breaks free around 3 AM (and then fusses) after being down since 8:15 PM, I don't mind it. I am breastfeeding him still, so it helps to give me a bit of relief.

Hope these two tricks work for you. Also, rather than having you both fall asleep in bed after the 3 AM feeding, try to burp him as he's falling asleep and put him in his own bed. He may be so groggy that he'll fall right to sleep on his own, which means you'll get more solid rest, too. Until my son was 6 weeks old, he slept on me at night; it was a HUGE relief to us both once I started putting him in his crib at night. We have both slept much better since.

Good luck!

M.,

It won't be forever. You can do several things in the mean time - I would start when you are comfortable.

Contact La Leche League if you don't have a satisfying answer soon. I know they had a book with suggestions for just this case, I just can't remember the title.

My idea: Have a mattress next to your bed and pt him in it to nap. You can surround it with pillows so he has a ramp in case he rolls. I've heard this several times, and plan on doing it soon for my boy.

Now, if I could only get him to like having covers!

Good luck,
M.