How long did your baby comfort feed?

Sally - posted on 08/06/2012

Industrialized western culture is very focused on getting babies to soothe themselves, but they are NOT biologically designed to do so. Until very recently, a baby who was not in constant contact with it's mom was going to die and 100 years of cultural conditioning cannot stop thousands of years of species survival traits. If you'd still like to do other things, many baby carriers will let you nurse one handed while walking around and some will let you nurse hands free. Enjoy it while it lasts. She'll be pushing you away soon enough.
Good luck

Hella - posted on 08/05/2012

Both of my son is just like your baby. It will pass. My bigger one given up on it when I went to the hospital to give birth to my little son. He was 2 and a half that time. My youngest boy is similar. I'm their pacifier, and comfort. Nothing wrong with this. It will pass, and you will be happy, that you let your children that close to you. :)) There is no food sensitivity, nothing else, just pure comfort. I tried many things , for me nothing really worked, until I had to go to the hospital, and left him home with relatives. It was not an easy transition, with a lot of drama, but now everything is normal. :)

Melissa - posted on 08/05/2012

You might consider a food sensitivity (not allergy). Babies that nurse all the time often are having discomfort and nursing makes them feel better. Check out the yahoo group called foodlab if you want to investigate further. They are extreme, but they are aces at what they do!

HTH!

User - posted on 08/03/2012

not really a schedule. its just that she nurses anywhere from 1-8 hours before bed. sometimes until 6am. during the day i feed her whenever she is hungry, but it gets tiring at night.

Celeste - posted on 08/03/2012

Are you talking about a feeding schedule? If so, I wouldn't put a breastfed baby on a feeding schedule. She's only 15 weeks, I wouldn't worry about it right now. Plus, nursing is much more than nutrition. Comfort nursing is fine and good :)

User - posted on 08/03/2012

thank you sandie and alisha for your answers :) I do love that she loves to nurse and be close to me. its just exhausting sometimes. she used to do it until 6am. Now i've gotten it moved all the way up to 1am and was trying so hard to have her associate sleep with something else, or at least move it up even more. Maybe ill spend more time working on her schedule and less time worrying about how long she nurses. thank you! :)

Sandie - posted on 08/03/2012

My son is 3 and was breastfed until he was 2yrs 3months old. He comfort fed most of the time, I didn't want to give him a dummy so it was me that was the comforter, I have an 8 weeks old girl now and she comfort feeds a lot too, it's fine by me, can be a pain at time I know, but when they've weaned you'll look back on feeds with fond memories. Some babies find their own other comfort, my daughter has started sucking her hand so if I'm busy with my son and can't comfort feed her, she ends up doing it herself anyway. :)

Alisha - posted on 08/03/2012

your baby is still so young, I wouldn't be to concerned about it. I am breastfeeding my third child currently and she will be 1 on the 13th. I really feel half of breastfeeding is comfort feeding. My daughter still nurses at night to drift off to sleep even though she doesn't technically need the calories. Your baby being at only 15 weeks could be teething too which I all of my kiddos nursed more when teething. Honestly until my kids weaned from nursing they were wanting to be nursed to go to sleep. When I weaned them that last nursing times to go were night time and nap time. I personally don't understand the whole put them down in there bed while they are awake but tired and let them put themselves to sleep thing! Especially not in the first year. Babies need to be cuddled and comforted around the clock. My son is 6 and my daughter is 4 and they both nurse until 2 years (comfort nursed too) they both go to sleep just fine on their own now and sleep very well in there own rooms and in their own beds. I guess you just need to decide is it bothering you to have to do this or do you think it is not good for your baby?

User - posted on 08/03/2012

she is 15 weeks.

Celeste - posted on 08/02/2012

How old is your baby?