Yesterday I practically shouted from the rooftops about how my husband settled my 15-month-old back to sleep in the night. After three nurslings and seven-and-a-half years of mothering, this toddler sleep thing remains much of a mystery to me. All I know for sure is that I am not willing to let my child cry-it-out.
So what bits of sleep advice can be gleaned from my experience? I have come to these five conclusions:
1. Do what works for you. If co-sleeping and nursing your baby back to sleep help you both get a better night’s rest, then do it!
2. If something …read more

Now I have no idea whether there is such an “official” thing as a “13-month sleep regression” — a general tendency for babies to wake more frequently at night when they turn about 13 months old, but I am too tired to look into it. My toddler just turned 14 months old and the last month has been a challenge in the (lack of) sleep department. I noticed other mothers mentioning that their toddlers were night-waking more often too, and I am not surprised. There must be a few different factors playing into it.In my case I think …read more

The last several nights have been doozies thanks to a combination of teething, growth spurt, and a cold. My 9-month-old has woken multiple times in the night, and sometimes required settling twice before I have even gotten back to sleep once! So, I thought it would help me keep my sanity perspective to take a moment to celebrate one teeny tiny sleep milestone.
ou see, my firstborn did not fall asleep without nursing until she was over two years old. My second mastered that glorious skill a little sooner. My third, ever-proving that each child is different, often refused to …read more

Everyone warns new mothers about the sleep deprivation, yet it still comes as a shocker because you simply can’t fathom what it means to get up every couple of hours with a newborn night after night. Luckily, breastfeeding provides a secret weapon for sleepy mothers: the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK).
When the baby suckles, the mother releases CCK. The hormone infusion relaxes her and readies her to drift off to sleep again. If mother and baby are co-sleeping, the mother might even drift off before the baby finishes the feed! What a peaceful experience compared to getting up to prepare a bottle, …read more

In light of the recent debates over the safety of co-sleeping versus baby sleeping in a crib, and the issue of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, I thought it would be interesting to survey where our nurslings are sleeping. I limited the poll to nurslings because I think it affects several things — safety, parenting style, and just plain convenience of the sleep location! Please answer for where your baby usually (more than 50% of the night) sleeps or slept when he was under 12 months of age. Feel free to leave a comment to explain your situation. I know my …read more

When my channel editor asked everyone in the Health and Wellness channel to compile the five best posts from each blog, I had to stop and think for a while. What makes a “best” post? I don’t think it’s necessarily the most popular post or the most commented on post. I think it’s the post of which I am most proud, the post into which I put extra effort and care. So I offer for your consideration, in no particular order:
1. Everything You Wanted to Know about Breastfeeding, Sex and Breast Milk Fetishes but Were Afraid to Ask — talk …read more

When Los Angeles County officials issued a warning about co-sleeping with an infant, National Public Radio host Larry Mantle opened up the topic for a 35-minute discussion on AirTalk on KPCC 89.3 (listen here). In addition to Deanne Tilton Durfee, director of the Los Angeles County Interagency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, guests included co-sleeping advocate Dr. William Sears, co-author of The Baby Sleep Book: The Complete Guide to a Good Night’s Rest for the Whole Family, Dr. Charles Sophy, Medical Director for the L.A. County Department of Childen and Family Services, and Dr. James J. McKenna, Director of …read more

To all the sleep-deprived breastfeeding mothers out there: I can tell you from personal experience that one day, sooner than you might think, you will wake up naturally. You will try to sleep longer, but you’ll find you can’t. You’ll get up in a silent house and sneak out to the kitchen for a leisurely breakfast while you read the newspaper. Your child will finally wake up, and won’t even ask to nurse. And you might just be a little sad about that (or not!)
[Edited to add: My nursling was 2 years and 11 months old when I wrote this.]

Welcome to September’s Carnival of Breastfeeding (see this month’s entries below)! As a parent I understand how hard the parenting job is. That is why I have a general philosophy of “I’ll do what works for my family and you do what works for yours.” There are just two issues I feel very strongly about: (1) (not) spanking, and (2) whether or not to let a child “cry-it-out” (”CIO”). While there are different methods, names, and sleep trainers out there (Ferber, Ezzo, controlled crying, crying-it-out, just to name a few), CIO is the general practice of leaving a baby to …read more

The next Carnival of Breastfeeding on the topic of “Breastfeeding and Sleep” will take place on September 18, 2007. If you’re a sleep-deprived parent who cannot wait until then, check out my previous posts on the topic of sleep:
Weaning from Co-Sleeping without Crying It Out
Musical Beds in the Attachment Parenting and Breastfeeding Family
Night-Weaned
Toddler Swaddle
Dr. Phil and the Sears Pediatricians on Crying-It-Out
Getting Your Child to Sleep through the Night
SIDS, Breastfeeding and Co-Sleeping
A little sleep humor:
Answer Me This
The Perils of Night-Nursing
Fostering Independence in the Breastfed Child
Submit Your Own Story or Advice
Do you have sleep tips (other than crying-it-out) for breastfeeding mothers? A …read more