It is important to remember that breastfeeding is designed to help your baby to sleep.
Breastmilk contains sleep-inducing hormones and for really young babies, it can actually help to establish their own circadian rhythms.
“…the oxytocin we release when she starts to nurse is ‘the triggering hormone for maternal behaviour’. So your baby’s nursing behaviour helps you fall in love with her. Because you come hardwired to respond to her, the sound of her crying cuts to your core. When you respond by nursing, the hormones in your milk help her digest her food… and they make her sleepy. The hormones you release when nurse help you relax… and they make you sleepy. It’s another hormonal synchrony between the two of you that encourages rest and relaxation. Those who advise ‘Don’t let the baby fall asleep at your breast’ are fighting nature on both ends – your baby’s and yours – with no research at all to support them.” Sweet Sleep
Pay attention to mummy groups – you will often hear, “I did drowsy but awake or my baby falls asleep on their own but they are still waking every two hours all night long.” I will work with the middle of the night wakes and getting the longer stretches in the beginning of the night and leave nursing before sleep if mum is loving it (or needing it).
I would love it if some of the families that I have worked with (who are still nursing to sleep) could comment below and help to get rid of this myth. I would also love for those of you whose baby falls asleep independently but is still waking at night to comment.
Keep the pieces of your nighttime parenting that you love️ and change the pieces that you don’t!
Originally published here.
Lauren Heffernan, founder of Isla-Grace, is a certified sleep and well-being specialist and certified sleep educator. After giving birth to her first daughter, Grace, Lauren learned the many challenges of navigating motherhood. These included the multitude of books, information, and people with strong opinions on the right way to be a mother. She quickly learned that the best parent to her child was herself and that in trusting her instincts, she would never go wrong. With this belief, and after certification with the International Maternity and Parenting Institute’s Maternity and Child Sleep Consulting Program, Bebo Mia’s Infant Sleep Educator Program and Mohawk College’s Breastfeeding Program, Lauren launched Isla-Grace and co-created the Baby-Led Sleep Approach. She provides information and support to women at different stages of motherhood and walks each one through the personal journey to become a more confident mother.
We nurse to sleep (also naps) and she is almost 8 months. She is up 1-3 times a night usually but we are exclusively bed sharing now that she’s teething (she doesn’t want me to put her down). We planned to get a nanny before she was born so I am lucky to be able to have her close even when I’m working.
She does put herself back to sleep (I’ve seen her do it in the monitor). Since she’s EBF her nap meals are her biggest meals. It ends up just working out.
I nurse to sleep for every nap and bedtime. Naps range from 45 minutes to 2 hours and she sleeps through the night for close to 11 hours.
We put down drowsy for all naps and bedtime, but through the night nurse to sleep when baby wakes.
My baby can settle himself and resettle if he is still tired and not hungry.
He’s 4 months old. I don’t expect him to sleep through the night ( I’ve never understood how anyone could expect that of a baby). On a good night he only wakes 2 times.
Sleep training with the drowsy to sleep method worked well for our baby. But, I haven’t strictly followed because I want to enjoy cuddles and flexibility with schedules.