Can I Continue to Breastfeed While Sleep Training?
The answer is “Yes!” Breastfeeding and sleep training are two separate entities. Also, to take it a step further, sleep training and night weaning can be done at the same time.
First, sleep training is the ability of a parent to teach their little one to fall asleep independently. Whether it is nap time or nighttime, daycare or at home, the goal of sleep training is for your little one to fall asleep independently without any negative sleep associations.
What are negative sleep associations?
These are things that your little one associates with sleep, such as a bottle or rocking or the mother’s breast. These may seem innocent, but then they become dependent on that association in order to fall asleep.
So, how do you get your breastfed baby to sleep without nursing? The key is not nursing them to sleep, even if you’re nursing as part of your nighttime routine.
For example, after breastfeeding your little one, put your child in the crib while they are drowsy but still awake. What if your baby falls asleep at the breast? No problem! Just take your baby off the breast, rub the gums with a cloth (never too early to start some dental hygiene practices), which arouses him/her a little bit, and put them in their crib. Even just taking this middle step will mean the baby will learn not to associate sleep with the mother’s breast i.e does not have to be breastfed in order to sleep.
Maintaining milk supply while sleep training
For most mothers, it is important to keep up their milk supply. Sleep training generally begins when your baby has gained enough weight and does not need to do feedings during the night for caloric intake reasons (even if they still like to!) However, even if this is the case, most breastfeeding mothers would like to keep up their supply.
If your baby is sleeping during the night, but you want to keep your supply up, you can choose to pump instead during that time and not wake your baby.
How do you sleep train an exclusively breastfed baby?
When you’re a new mom, details around breastfeeding, sleep training, and just generally having a routine with your baby can be overwhelming. Trying to figure out when to nurse in relation to bedtime can be a juggling act. Breastfeeding and sleep training can absolutely go hand in hand, you just might need some help to pull it off with a little less stress.
As a sleep training consultant, I work with you on a plan that makes sense for you and your family. We’ll talk about your baby’s specific needs and how we can build a plan that works for everyone. During the process, I’m available to you when you need me to answer questions and guide you along the way. Click here to set up an intro call with me.
