So my little love is addicted to the boob. That is the only way I can describe her love affair with nursing. Not only does she need it to eat, she now needs to nurse to fall asleep and calm herself. Believe me when I say need! When she needs to nurse and it isn't readily available or I unlatch her, she grunts, shakes and will go into full on scream mode. Now I don't usually mind but lately it's constant and I'm getting sore! I've tried shushing/swaddling/swinging, wearing her, putting her in the swing, pacifiers (the drama queen gags, I mean actually gags!) and passing her off to someone not as enticing as me! None of which work as well. Oh, occasionally I'm able to get her to sleep without her baby crack but it takes so much more work. If she is really upset and I let her nurse, it's instant calm, her eyes roll back and close and you can almost hear her "aaahhh" like after a long sip of a good drink! This week she has been sick so I've been obliging her most of the time. I'm just wondering how long I should let this obsession carry on. I'm reading the No Cry Sleep Solution and it says to take her off and put her back on if she fusses and KEEP trying. I do that, though it seems futile being that she has an uncanny ability to be completely asleep and limp but if the boob is taken away chaos ensues! If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!
Mel - I hear ya sister - I seriously do. And I am not kidding when I say (wimper, wimper) that I had an absolute, total freaking meltdown just 12 hours ago pleading with the universe to please, please, please get my child to sleep!!! I'm telling you, first of all, don't let those people with "perfect sleepers" convince you that you are doing something wrong. All kids are different and some of them are just harder to please. (We keep trying to convince ourselves that she may be a crappy sleeper but will be an awesome teenager or something like that...) Anyway, I will say that there are some things that we think may've prevented this from being a problem at 3 months, then 6 months, then 12 months... and now 20 months. She doesn't need the boob anymore (she weaned herself at 14 months) but the stars have to be perfectly aligned to get her to sleep and stay asleep. I would say keep trying with the paci - go to Target and buy 5 different kinds and try them all. And do try that No Cry Sleep Solution "Pantly Pull-Off" method because that does help. And - whenever possible - try to get someone else to be the one to get her to sleep. Remember, she doesn't have the cognitive ability to "manipulate" you yet - she needs the boob because she actually needs it. That's the only calming association she has. The trick then is to try to get her used to the idea of other associations (hence having someone else get her to sleep for awhile). And - BE CONSISTENT - this is where we "messed up". And, above all else, don't blame yourself or feel like a failure. I know it's exhausting!!! Hang in there. (And sorry for the novel, but my life seriously revolves around Josie and sleep...)
ReplyDeleteYou can do this Missy! Tell that SASSY girl to go to sleep...or you'll....you know! Our favorite thing to do!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Aunt Kelly