Is DS dropping his bedtime feed?

[Calluna]

This thread might be a little premature, but I want to get it right from the start, not have to fix something later.

I think DS might be dropping his bedtime feed. The last 2 nights he has been feeding to the point where he is almost asleep then sitting up and stuffing around for 5-10 mins, then he'll get whingy, I'll ask him if he wants a cuddle and he'll lie down and cuddle in, almost go to sleep, then ask for boobies again, feed for a few mins and go to sleep.

Does it sound like he's figuring out how to settle without it? Or is this something else - another phase?
If he is dropping his bedtime feed, what do I do to make sure it's a smooth transition?
How do I settle him so it doesn't take 2 hours to get him to sleep?

He has only ever fed to sleep, I have no idea how else to get him to sleep :/

[Calluna]

ity

[Arcadia]

He sounds like he is just winding down for the sleep. What are his naps like? Could he be transitioning to less day sleep so he falls asleep for easily at night?

My dd was always fed to sleep, awas topped the bedtime feed only when weaned at 2.5. Just follow his leads. If he doesn't want boob he'll let you know.

[sloane]

it's hard to say until he does it a few times but it does sound like he's trying to settle without it.

DS did something similar & after a week or two i stopped feeding to sleep completely (just till drowsy) at around 18 months because it was becoming so hit & miss as to whether DS would actually fall asleep. he was a little annoyed the first time but then was very happy just to lie next to me & have cuddles until he fell asleep instead. i used a version of the 'pantley pull-off' method - take him off, if he got upset, put him back on, try taking off again etc. it didn't take long before he would just get drowsy & then finish, snuggle in & be cuddled to sleep. but unless you want to stop the feeding to sleep, you could just keep going as it is

[Calluna]

Arcadia- he doesn't have day sleeps, only the odd one when he's really tired.

Sloane- I don't want him to drop the bedtime feed, but if he wants to thats ok.


So I should just do what I did the last 2 nights and cuddle him? I hope it works, boob is the only thing he'll stay still for. Lol

[Loveinamist]

My DS has nights where he boobs straight to sleep and other nights where he boobs, fusses about, boobs, fusses and then boobs to sleep. Then every now and again he'll reject boob and fuss about trying different sleep positions and then fall asleep himself (I always find it miraculous he can do it!!) I would just keep offering. He may be starting a pattern (or should that be lack of pattern!) like my DS. I figure it is a really gradual dropping of the bedtime boob but that it may take months and months before he will actually completely drop it.

[sloane]

i'd keep following his lead. if he's happy to cuddle, i'd go along with it & if he wants a feed then i wouldn't refuse. i still cuddle DS to sleep for day sleeps & we have cuddles before bedtime & then he's happy for me to leave while he's still awake - but that happened about 9 months after we started just cuddling to sleep. they work it out in their own time!

[Calluna]

We have a similar thing happening here RRR, this seems different though, iykwim? I felt him really relax and his breathing changed like it does when he's asleep, but he'd wake himself up again for 3 more seconds of boob.

[Calluna]

Thanks ladies, I kind of figured that a it felt right, but just wanted to check. Don't want to break our good bedtime habits, it took so long to get into a decent routine!