Lesser of two evils

My boys just refuse to nap lately! :umm: I've tried all the things that used to work - rocking, walk in the stroller, car ride, etc. I've resorted to the one tried-and-true thing -- nursing. Today I basically lay down in bed and tandem-nursed for 2 hours in the morning and three in the afternoon! We got some pretty good naps in but my nipples are very sore. I know that letting them fall asleep nursing is going to bite me in the future. But not napping at all and sleeping poorly at night was killing us all now! I don't know what else to do, other than my usual -- hope they grow out of it.

 

We nursed to naps/bed for a LOOOONG time. Eventually they wouldnt fall asleep nursing anymore! That day will come.
For now I think nursing to sleep is perfectly fine! I havent met a breatfeeding mom yet that regretted nursing their baby to sleep. its the most natural peaceful relaxing way to drift off
As for the soreness, how is their latch? Are they falling off your breast or gumming down on you? Is it possible they are having a late growth spurt??

 

I nursed my son to sleep for 9 months (the older one). Then I just started nursing slightly less and let him go to bed drowsy and he transitioned easily. Nursing for 2 hours though sounds painful, I am not sure I would be up for that.

 

I still nurse Nate to sleep at night, and sometimes for naps on weekends (when I'm home). He will mostly go down for naps without nursing now, but sometimes needs that extra "nudge".

I think they'll grow out of it eventually. But 2 hours, wow!! If you nurse singly will they fall asleep faster?

 

I did a lot of things for naps that I wouldn't have done for nights, because I knew they would eventually outgrow their naps anyway, so bad habits weren't such a big deal. So, I say, if it gets them to sleep, go for it. I remember my SIL always drove around the block several times to get my nephew to sleep for his naps, I thought she was nuts but it wasn't like he was going to be napping forever & she didn't have to do it for nights so ardon: , whatever works, right?

 

I say do whatever works! If they nap during the day, they will probably sleep better at night. We are starting to get the point where they won't nurse to sleep anymore, unless they are really tired. I guess I need to come up with a new nap time routine.

 

I nurse to sleep also. I think you have to do what works. I take them off after they fall asleep. That is the tricky tricky part about it. If it was just one it would be easy taking them off without waking them. I find doing it on the bed is best. If you can get one to fall alseep while nursing then you can put him to bed and deal with the other one. You could try putting pack and plays next to your bed so it easy to transition them off your breast. My one son will usually fall alseep nursing and I have a passifier ready to give him then gently place him on the bed. Then I put the other one who at this age (used to fall alseep on the breast)in his crib go get the other one off the bed and put him in his crib and then go back the the other one put him on his stomach (he is old enough now) and pat his back until he falls asleep. I sit on the bed with my legs hanging off and have pillows in the back of me so the nusing pillow doesn't slide off. Once my one son falls alseep I put a passsifer in thier mouths and gently move them to the side on the bed. My one son who usually falls alseep nursing will also put himself to sleep if he doesn't fall alseep nusing. I just give him a glow worm and a soothy while i go attend to my more difficult napper. with two you just have to do what works. If it got real bad in the past I would just put them both in their bouncy seats and bouncy them till they fell asleep,then move them to their cribs. I would take them off the breast once they fall asleep and give them passifiers to give your breasts a break.

 

You could also move both cribs close together and stand in the middle. Put them both on their stomachs and pat their backs until they fall alseep. then you could roll them over to their backs if you are not comfortable with them sleeping on their stomachs. Mine roll all over the crib so I am comfortable with it at this age.

 

I nursed my older DD to sleep all the time. She eventually gave it up on her own in time. I would keep doing what works for you to get a bit of a break and get them some rest.

 

My girls are 9 and a half and I still nurse them for naps, but one at a time. I never learned how to feed both at the same time. And it's the only way they'll fall asleep for naps so don't feel bad we're all doing it