Question About Nursing to Sleep and Napping

Sounds like a normal healthy newborn to me! I wouldn't worry about it too much. I know it's frustrating, but he'll get used to the bottle. The sleeping situation is also just fine, don't worry!

Hi T.,
It sounds like you have a 'high needs' baby or at least he has a 'high need-to-suck' and HONESTLY, that's not only okay, it's normal!!! My best advice is to follow your instincts as his mother and keep in mind that nursing provides so much more than just the best nutrition. That's why it is so wonderful. It sounds like you need him to get more used to a bottle in order for you to be able to work. I would suggest finding/contacting your local la leche league for great suggestions!! They are wonderful and helped me through a lot (and I'm still nursing my 15 month old, yes 15 months!!!) Anyway, here's the link to find one close to you...
http://www.lalecheleague.org/WebUS.html
Good Luck,
K.

I exclusively breast feed for the first 10 weeks of my daughters life until I went back to work. Then I only went back to work for 1/2 days so she only got 2 bottles during that time. But she didn't have any problem at first. Then about 15 weeks or so we went through nipple confusion and she wouldn't nurse she only wanted bottle milk. But we got through that too. Really it's just a learning process with you and your child, start him off slowly and work your way up to bottles. I have read that starting nursing and then giving a bottle helps adjust to the bottle as well. As far as nursing to sleep my daughter is 9 months old and we still nurse in the morning and at night before bed. She sometimes falls asleep and sometimes doesn't. My pediatrician told me not to worry about nursing to sleep until around 6 months when she said I should start putting her down not quite asleep but almost so she can learn to put herself to sleep. And she has learned really well. Most everynight she goes down without any problems but there is the occassional night where she will cry when I put her to bed.

Now on to the napping. I went through the exact same thing with my daughter. My daycare provider could get her to nap in her bed but I couldn't. What I started doing was laying down with her in our bed until she fell asleep and then lodging her in with pillows and she would nap there. This went on for a couple of weeks and then we moved on to napping in the crib. And it worked just fine. Good luck and remember if it doesn't feel right to you then don't do it. Use your own judgement when it comes to your child it will typically be right.

T.,
There is not a right or wrong way of doing things, just do what works for you and your family. I nursed my now 4 year old until he was 13months he would nurse to sleep for his naps and to bed. They love the bonding time and moms cuddles. Now, my 23month old I nursed him until he was 8months old and then I had to stop. It was hard at first but, both of my boys adjusted just find. Just hang in there and don't let anyone tell you your way is incorrect just go with your gut feelings.

Yes it is a bad idea to let the baby fall asleep nursing. try starting your feeding about 15 minutes earlier and if all else fails give the baby a pacifier. I know there will be tons of moms out there that say NO Pacifie and they'll say NO bottle if your breastfeeding but I did all 3 with my 3 boys ages 18, 6 and 3 and I've had lots of success getting them to sleep without having a bottle or boob in their mouths.

As far as nap times go, I know that you're hoping to have him crib trained for dad or day care and the only way to do that, is to put him into the crib before he goes to sleep. My boys were also startled to wake up behind bars after drifting off to sleep with mom, dad or the sitters holding them. If dad is going to keep him home, then dad needs to go with the flow and let him sleep where he likes to sleep. For my younges it was the carrier and the swing. For the middle and oldest boy it was the couch or a pallet on the floor.

I also co slept with my boys though because we aren't always at a place where a pallet and crib were available or safe.

I learned another neat trick after my boys were too old to use it. If you do go with the pacifier, put the baby down with one in his mouth and one in each hand so he can plug himself. just replace the lost one in the empty hand when you check on him.

I nursed my daughter to sleep all the time. And she did fine. You might try different kinds of nipples for the bottle. Each one is different and maybe the one you're using isn't the one for him. I had the issue with my daughter a couple of times. I ended up using one instead of the other with no problems. And as far as waking up and not wanting to nap, let him cry it out. Unless he's still hungry or needs his diaper changed he'll go back to sleep on his own. It's better if he goes to sleep on his own so he can soothe himself. I know letting a babay cry is hard, but as he gets older naptime will sometimes lead to this. Sometimes I lay my daughter down and she cries and she's 20 months old. Sometimes she goes right to sleep. Hope this helps you a little and good luck! :)

H. mom of Sydney 20 months and Lauralei 1 1/2 weeks.

Congratulations on your new little one! I may be in the minority here, but I don't think nursing to sleep or letting him find comfort at your breast to sleep is a bad thing at all. I did it with my daughter. It was comforting to her and to me. I also put her in her crib to finish napping. The trick there was to wait until she was limp asleep and then she slept great until it was feeding time again.(And really, if he sleeps fine in the swing then leave him there until you are full enough energy yourself to work on the crib nap!) If you have a snuggly or whatever you call that, then try "wearing" your baby down.Sometimes just the closeness of being next to you or your husband helps. And my hubby was a big believer in the swaddling. It worked like a charm with our little girl.
Try wrapping him in one of your t-shirts that you have worn all day and that may comfort him just to smell you. That may work when your husband feeds him as well. And it you may have to try a different nipple on the bottle and it may take a lot of expermenting for you to find the right one that works.
And again I will recommend Elizabeth Pantley on line and her book "no cry sleep solution"! This really helped me and she gives you good advice to build off of for your family!
And, above all, trust your instincts.

Quit beating yourself up. First of all, you do what you are comfortable. Second of all, I can't believe how long between feedings that baby goes, but each baby is his/her own person. My babies all nursed every two hours until they were about three months old. You need to have your husband help out with the bottle situation, by giving the little guy bottles intermittently throughout the day. Keep on pumping that breast milk, it is soooo, sooo good for the baby. My cousin taught me a test to do to check to make sure the baby is asleep before you put the baby down. Lift up the babies arm, and if it falls like dead weight, baby is asleep. If baby responds to you by jerking the hand/arm away, chances are they are still not in a deep sleep yet. I've heard the argument but personally, I nursed all my babies before they laid down for naps. My 15 month old still likes to nurse here and there before her naps. As long as you provide good overall oral care, I see no reason why not. My baby "brushes" with baby toothpaste 3 to 4 times a day. Naptime, who cares where he sleeps!!! My babies all took naps in swings and other odd places. They have all recovered to sleeping like normal children. Honestly, I don't think it matters where they sleep for their nap. Sure it is fine and dandy if they go to sleep in their "own bed," but it is just a nap. Yesterday, my baby fell asleep on the couch in our living room, in the spot where her Daddy normally sits. To me, I could care less where they sleep at, as long as they get that much needed nap. Take a deep breath and give yourself a break. I can tell you are a new mother. You are doing great, don't let things like this bring you down. Give yourself a pat on the back and keep breast feeding that baby as long as you can. You are doing amazing things already!!!

I don't know how I would have gone back to work when my boys were infants because neither one of them would take a bottle. I tried everything with my first, but he just knew what he wanted. I guess I could have just left him in the care of someone else until he got hungry enough to take one, but I didn't feel right about it. Anyway, by time I had my second son I thought it could be nice for him to take a bottle so I could be away from him longer, but he didn't want it and I didn't push.

So, long story short, I just haven't gone back to work. Even though there are days that I really want to. Money is tight and we are in more debt then we should be, but here I am at home. Do you have to go back to work?

Anyway, whatever you chose to do it seems like you are a great mom. I'm sure you will do what is best and your son will adjust.

When you do go back to work you might find you like nursing him back to sleep. It might mean a little less sleep for you, but it can be a great way to reconnect with your baby. I used to always nurse my boys to sleep and my husband would walk them to sleep in his arms. (not at the same time)
Good luck.

Hi T. - Have you tried a pacifier? I gave both of my children pacifiers and at 5 months of age they went through a period where they were crawling and busy with other things and not so interested in the binkie anymore so I got rid of it then - no problems with it at all. Especially when babies are that young the have a sucking reflex and it comforting to them.
I also had kids sleeping in a swing - you are in no danger of creating a habit because he will be too big for the swing before you know it!! :) The only thing that I worried about is their legs hanging down for a long period of time. My daughters legs would get cold because of the lack of circulation so I stopped letting her nap in it.
Have you tried a bassinet or even her car seat? Sometimes a crib is too big for a small baby - I had a seat that I put my kids in kind of like a car seat - if they turned their face they could actually nestle it in the side of the seat - they slept like rocks in that - my son actually slept in that in his crib until he was about 5 months old and he is 2 now - my daughter is 4 - they both sleep through the night - 12 hours.
I used to worry all the time about doing the "right" thing - just do what works as long as your pediatrician says it's okay - Good Luck!!

Hi T.,
I always nursed my kids to sleep in our bed and it actually worked out quite well. I had no trouble getting them to sleep in their crib once they started sleeping through the night. I just put them to bed when they were tired and they'd go to sleep. Sometimes they might cry for a few minutes but never for very long. If they cried for very long, I knew something was wrong (usually a poopy diaper).

I did the same thing for naps...put them in their crib and shut the door. My younger one is almost 2 and I still get her to nap that way. It did not work to rock her to sleep then put her in her crib..she would wake up. So it was always best for me just to put them in bed when they were sleepy.

My 2nd baby never liked a swing very much but my first LOVED it. I let her nap in it all the time and it never hurt her. :) If that's how he wants to take his naps, I say go for it!

Trying to get a baby to take a bottle after exclusively breast feeding can be very hard at first but eventually he will adjust. Don't worry; it sounds like you are doing just fine. :)

I have to agree,,, the big thing about not nursing to sleep is linked to bottle feedings. Bottles drip into the mouth causing tooth decay and ear infections. I have a 5 month old who "nurses to sleep" pretty much every time she sleeps (when I'm home that is), whether its at night or just nap times. The same was done with my now 8 yr old and 17 yr old.

As for the bottle, you might try leaving your lil' one with dad periodically so that he can get used to the bottle. Give dad some sturdy ear plugs and run errands right before feeding time once a day. That way he learns that if mom's not around, its the bottle or nothing. You might also experiment with different shaped bottle nipples. And remember that the bottle nipple gives milk a lot faster and easier than the breast, which may overwhelm your lil' guy. Make sure that the nipple has the smallest opening you can find,,, "newborn" or "stage one", etc. My 5 month old did the whole terrible fit thing also when we first started doing this (and still does if I'm not around for her final night time feeding : ( ). And though she still fusses a little about the bottle, overall it's much easier for all involved, which is important if you plan on taking her to daycare!

I wouldn't worry about the swing thing either, especially at 2 months old. That's pretty much the only place my smallest naps. I just started putting her in her crib to nap a couple weeks ago, (and usually only because her swing wasn't set up and my hands were full of sleeping baby). Otherwise I still throw her in the swing : )

Good luck mama!

It has been a while since I visited the 'nursing to sleep' debate.....A lot of it comes from the 'bottle feeding' world- and the 'pooling of milk' that comes from that.

From a dental standpoint the amount of milk that will pool from nursing is minimal (compared to bottle feeding --b/c milk won't continue to go out of the breast and into his mouth if he isn't 'nursing'...a bottle in the mouth continues to drip milk)

Now, if you are concerned that he will need to nurse to sleep....that I think is more of a personal thing.....My kids all nursed to sleep...and none of them need to nurse to sleep now (they are 5, 7 and 10). They all learned to sleep w/out it...no muss no fuss...it just happened for them. (My kids were more attached to nursing first thing in the morning and this was the last feeding to go)

When he falls asleep nursing, just make sure you remove him from the breast. It sounds like he is using you as a pacifier. And on the napping issue, I suggest you lay him in his crib and let him fall asleep on his own. If you are rocking him to sleep, you are creating a bad habit. I know it is WONDERFUL to rock him and just hold him while he is sleeping, but when he gets older, you will have a lot of problems getting him to go to sleep in his own bed without you. So if you can break that habbit now, you will be thankful later.

First of all I want to commend you for putting your baby on a feeding schedule. That is wonderful that he eats every three to four hours. That is very normal. For a baby that age it is very normal to fall to sleep towards the end of feeding. That is your routine while they are this young. You change them you feed them and then they go off to sleep. It takes a lot of energy out of them at that young stage and you should only be concerned if he is snacking. This means if he is only getting an ounce or feeding partially and then he is waking up every hour to eat. This would be a bad habit that you would need to break him from. But it doesn't seem like the case with you. Now I have breast feed my children and I found it to be easier to introduce them early to the bottle so that they are used to it from the very beginning. It also helps the father bond to the baby as well by letting him have a chance to feed the baby. What I would suggest is that you just continue to give him the bottle. Make sure you do not forget to pump when you do give him the bottle to make sure that your milk supply does not deplete. He will get used to it. It is sort of like tough love. But this way he will not give the babysitters a hard time when it is time for you to go back to work. I would alternate between the bottle and your breast. This is the best way to help adjust. He just needs practice sucking from the bottle nipple. It is a little different and babies resist change. That is why it is very crucial that you keep him on a good eating schedule. That way you can schedule what you have to do around it.
That is excellent that he is sleeping in his crib at night. You are starting off very well. There are so many who let them sleep with them in the bed, and then have a hard time getting them out of their bed when time. Being a mother you have to pick and choose your battles. If he loves to sleep in his swing then let him. That is fine. It works for him and at least he is taking his naps. My second daughter was just like that. She loved the swing. It gives them a sense of security and the swing lulls them to sleep. It is doing what it was designed to do. My reccommendation would be to use it as much as possible now because pretty soon he will outgrow the swing. Then when he is bigger he will probably go to his crib and nap. You really should not have anything to worry about. This is very normal. Take care and good luck.

Hi T.,
Well I don't know what to say as for the nursing to sleep thing but I have a few tips for you on him sleeping in his swing and crib. And a few others as well.

For the swing he takes an awesome nap in it so go with it for a little while but each time you put him in it let it swing a little less each time and what I mean is let it swing for lets say 30 minutes on whatever speed you have it normally set on and then either turn the speed down or shut it off completely and let him stay there. As you keep going he will fall asleep in 10 minutes or less and you can shut it off completely.My now 5 1/2 month old loved her swing she would go right out with no problem I was even a little concerned about it but as she was getting older this is what I would do. Now she doesn't get in it at all and we are on the floor for tummy time or in the walker to build up strength in her back.

For his crib ~ there are a couple of things you can try. First get 3 receiving blankets, take 2 of them and roll them up like a log (fold it in half and do it long ways). When you lay him down wether it be on his back or tummy put 1 receiving blanket on each side of him righ under his armpit and on the sides of him. Then take the third one and cover him up with it about waist high and tuck it around him. You could also lay him on his side and do the samething, with one in the front and one in the back and then cover him up. He will feel secure like he is back in the womb. You could also try swaddling but some babies don't like it.

Also he is 8 weeks old now and if he is only "nursing" to comfort then you might try a pacifier. And if you "control"the use if the pacifier they don't become attached to it. My daughter is 5 1/2 months and she uses the pacifier but I only give it to her at bedtime and naptime or if we are in the car and "needs" it. This is what I mean by controlled, he is only offered it when he has finished nursing and he still wants to suck. Babies naturally soothe themselves by sucking. And since you will be going back to work then it might be a good time to start transitioning the bottle. One way you might do this is when you would regularly nurse him offer him the bottle but sit the same as you would if you were actually going to nurse him,also when babies are breastfed they feel your skin do the same, allow him to feel your skin on his face.

I totally believe in schedules for my kids and have started them on one since the day they were born and not "my" schedule but their internal clock schedule. What I mean by this is every baby eats at a different time frame. My 2nd didn't care when you gave him a bottle so it was me going with every 4 hours, my 3rd was 8oz's every 3 hours until we started cereal, my 4th has been 8 oz's every 4 hours and this is formula fed. For your baby it will be closer together since you are breastfedding. Look for cues on when he is "hungry" or just looking to soothe himself. Usually when they are hungry theywill "root" for the breast and chase their blankets, you can also put your finger on his cheek and if he turns real quick towards it he is hungry. If he is just wanting to sooth himself you may notice him trying to rub his eyes, being fussy, trying to suck on his hands, things like this. Hope this helps you in some way. W. mom of 4.

Hi T.! I completely understand your predicament! I have a three month old girl. I also nursed her until I went back to work at 6 weeks. I started giving her breast milk in a bottle at 4 weeks old in preparation for my going back to work. She did not like taking the bottle at first, but she has gotten the hang of it. I would give her one bottle a day for a few days, then two bottles a day for a few more days. She definitly does better when Dad gives her the bottle versus me. She knows I have the "equipment" she likes better! Can we blame them! haha Do keep working with her and give your baby at least one bottle per day, even two at the age he is. It does get better but he needs to learn how to drink from a bottle. It is different from nursing from Momma. As far as the sleeping thing... I also let me little girl nurse to sleep at night. Sometimes that is the only thing that will soothe her. I have tried everything but she will not take a pacifier and self soothing has only started to work as long as I am patting her back when she starts going to sleep. She sleeps on her back and will NOT sleep on her stomach. Has from week three. Strange I know. I started out letting her nurse and then I would burp her and she would fall asleep on my chest. I loved it because I could cuddle up with her. The drawback is that it becomes the only way they like to nap too! We don't get much done when that is what they like! So, I had to start putting her in her bed once she had almost fallen completely asleep. Just get tough and it does get better. Once they are three months old they are mature enough to handle crying it out for a little bit. You can also tell the difference in their cries. Once you hear that sleepy cry and not the "I am mad and this isn't going to work" cry you will know that you will be able to get him to self soothe with a little loving encouragement from Mom and Dad. Good luck! The three month mark is just around the corner and you will not believe how much easier they get once they get to that point! Enjoy! M.

I wouldnt let him nurse and sleep. The milk sitting in their mouth while they are sleeping can cause their teeth to rot even if they dont have teeth yet. I started that bad habit on accident and realized it was bad when my daughter was 4 months. Now she is 8 months and we are still having a problem with it (but she had breast milk through a bottle at night to sleep). Now since she cries for about half an hour before finally falling asleep, we sometimes give her water in a bottle. Now we are trying to totally eliminate the bottle in bed. It has been a struggle so I dont recommend it.
--S.

I completely understand what you are going through. My son would always nurse to sleep, until he was about 4 months old. The frustrating thing was that he wouldn't take a pacifier. (And rarely does now.) I eventually phased him out of nursing to sleep by feeding him a little bit earlier each time before his nap or bedtime, usually by about 5 minutes a week, and then adding another 5 minutes, etc. It's at the point now where he usually eats about an hour before naptime and bedtime. This may not work for all babies; my son has a very strict internal schedule, but he adapts rather quickly to subtle changes.

As far as switching him from breast to bottle, I'd try a variety of nipples, like one of the other mom's suggested. My son immediately was being supplemented by formula from day one, so he didn't have a problem with the bottles. I have noticed that he prefers the Playtex disposable bottle nipples the best now. When I had to leave him with my parents' for a week, they used a standard bottle and it took him about a day and a half to get used to the breast again, so the next time he stayed with them, they only used Playtex and he went back to the breast without a hitch. I would also try feeding him with a bottle once a day while you're holding him, then let your husband hold him and feed him while you rub your guy's arm or something, then eventually let your husband feed him while you're completely out of the room. Just use baby steps and don't be afraid to get frustrated. You just have to keep working on it.

My son also used to do the nap in the swing only. I wasn't that worried about it because he was comfortable, he was getting some good rest, and he slept in the bassinet at night. I'd just slow the swing down if your son has to have it running to stay asleep and start cutting it off earlier and earlier until he doesn't need it much at all, if ever. What I do with my son now is I lay him in the crib on his stomach, play some music, and put a toy or two in front of him. He usually plays with the toys for a few minutes, but gets so tired that he lays his head down and goes right to sleep. I lay him on his stomach because he gets tired holding his head up and when he lies down, there's usually not much to look at, so he's not distracted. Your son is probably a little too young for this, but maybe it's something you can try when he gets older. As long as he's getting rest and he's comfortable, you'll have a much calmer baby during the day, so I wouldn't worry too much about where he's napping. Hope you can use some of the ideas and congratulations on your son!

GO on Ebay and buy the book "Babywise", read it cover to cover, it's not a big book, won't take long. IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE. I buy it for all my pregnant friends, they are still thanking me for their sleeping, waking up happy babies. At 8 weeks your baby should be sleeping 6-8 hours straight and by 10-12 weeks, 10-12 hours. It should be eat time, wake time, then sleep time. Get it, read it, you'll thank me later.

Hi T..
I have a seven and a half month old little girl. You sound like you are doing fine. My daughter still nurses to go to sleep and she also went through a spell about 8 weeks where she did not want to take naps in her crib. I found that if I had something I needed to do that if I layed a blanket on the floor and nursed her side by side that she would take a decent nap laying on the floor and I could do housework or whatever without having to worry about her.

As far as taking a bottle my daughter also had a hard time taking a bottle at first. It may be the kind of nipple you are using. I tried just about all of them and found that she would take avent bottles much better than all others. Also to comfort him when you aren't there he is old enough now that you could try a pacifier. Gerber just brought out a great new pacifier that flexes and it is the only kind my daughter will take. I agree with the other person that said that don't become to attached to it with controlled usage because I only offer it when she is really fussy or away from me and she doesn't ever want the paci when she is with me but when she is with just daddy or the babysitter she takes it.

Hope this helps and good luck with your little one.

Hi, T.! Congrats on your new little baby!!! I spent some time reading the other responses and I just want to start by saying that every baby and every family is different. You do what you need to do or feel is right because only you know your child best. Nursing your child to sleep is NOT a bad thing. Breast milk WILL NOT rot his (nonexistence at this age) teeth. Please visit www.kellymom.com for all kinds of advice/facts on this subject and anything else related to nursing, including bottle feeding tips. I've heard a million and one different ways to try and get a nurser to take a bottle and my advice is to just try them all until you find which one works for your little guy. The only real cardinal rule is to have someone else introduce the bottle while you are not around (why should he take the bottle when the breast is right there??)

Letting him fall asleep in the swing is not a bad thing. At this age you do what you've gotta do to meet their needs and get some rest yourself! I'd suggest to keep trying the crib, but if you opt for the swing, no biggie. He's not going to be sleeping in it when he is three, I promise you. Really the only important thing to remember is to turn the swing off when he is good and asleep (wait about twenty minutes after he nods off). A baby in motion will find it difficult to reach the most restful, or R.E.M., sleep and that will make for one overtired little grouch monster! If you find he wakes when you turn the swing off no matter how long you wake then try manually slowing the motion very gradually over, say, 5 minutes (your arm is gonna hurt). Also some soft music to occupy his other senses might distract his sense of motion to allow this. He also needs to nap at least an hour each time to reach the restful cycle of sleep. Another good thing to know with babies his age is that they really cannot tolerate being awake for more than 1 to 1.5 hours. Watch the clock and start a soothing, going to sleep, process after about an hour of wakefulness. If you want to be a sleep expert read "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth.

Only one other comment, and I do not mean to scare you....I recently read that researchers had found a connection between length of time between feedings and SIDS. They theorize that the part of the brain that signals alertness when there is something wrong with breathing, like too much CO2 for example, may not function as well if the child is hungry. There is also the theory that a full belly, warm temperature (and calcium, thus the warm milk) help a child fall asleep. Wait, I just went back and read that he only goes longer than 3-4 hours in between feedings if he is napping - so, you guys are right on schedule!

One other tip I just though of: try swaddling. Check out www.miracleblanket.com. A crib is huge to a two month old and he might still like the tight space that reminds him of mama's womb. I hear moms say their baby didn't like swaddling because they always wriggled out of their blanket and my answer is that you didn't swaddle them tight enough! My girls wriggled out too, but once I got them in a great blanket they slept like angels! Usually five months is when a baby starts to sleep better without swaddling (this coincides with them also moving about more in their sleep - read the book!).

All advice aside, I wish you well with your new precious babe. Follow your instincts, T., only you know best! If you are returning to work just let your caregiver know what works best for your son, so you both are following the same sleeptime routine. I wish you all the best!

I personally don't think you're creating a bad habit with the nursing to sleep at all. Now, I also am a stay at home mom, so I was able to do that on a regular basis. The ONLY reason I think that would be an issue is the fact that you're going back to work, and there will be others caring for him. You may need to create another routine. i.e. keeping him awake during the feeding and training him to fall asleep with cuddling or patting on the back, so that anyone can do it. I also don't think it's a bad thing to let him sleep in the swing. My son did this for a long time. Remember, babies, as well as children and adults, go through phases. There was a time when the only way my son would go to sleep was nursing in my bed lying next to me. Then there was the swing phase. Then there was the swaddling phase, the rocking, or holding and walking phases...we just went with the flow and did what he needed for that time. And 8 weeks is REALLY young. I would not worry about "bad habits" until 4-6 months. Others will tell you differently, but babies that young still really need comforting and reassurance. So do what YOU feel he needs. The important thing is that he SLEEPS! However you can work with him to sleep well, that's what's important. I highly recommend "Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child" it's very well balanced as far as being supportive of many different methods and is very informative about how much children should be sleeping at different stages and ways to troubleshoot different problems. Good luck!

I can't comment much on the nursing, but I can advise on the swing! My baby, now 4, absolutely would not sleep unless she was wrapped up like a taco in a baby blanket or in my arms. She had what the doctors called Moro Startle Syndrome, meaning that when she was lying down without embrace, either from me or the blanket, her little arms flailed, as if startled, and prevented her from sleeping. It was SO frustrating. Receiving blankets aren't big enough to swaddle much more than a newborn, so a few months into this we were using beach towels! She didn't outgrow it until she was 5 months old, and she still wakes up periodically at four years. However, my ponit is, babies are all different, they want to sleep certain ways in certain places. She sleeps perfectly fine in her own bed now, and has since she was about a year old. I wouldn't worry about it!

I couldn't breastfeed my children so I do not have that experience, but I have watched newborns that were exclusively breastfed at home. It is horrible when you are watching someone else's baby and they won't take a bottle. I would make sure he is taking a bottle before leaving him. I never breastfed, but if you have the breast milk stored maybe you can just bottle feed during the day and just breastfeed a few times a day and at night. When you go back to work he won't be breastfed anyway, so maybe you can make that your schedule now. Breastfeed in the morning and then when you would have gotten home or something like that.

I just went through this with sister's baby. It was so hard for me to keep her baby because she didn't want a bottle. What we ended up doing is my sister would breastfeed in AM and when she got home and we just kept that schedule when she wasn't in school too. It worked out well for me, I think my sister had a hard time at first, but did understand how hard it was for me.

As far as the naps, I wouldn't worry about where he naps. The older he gets, he will change and he may end up in his crib. I would keep trying but I wouldn't stress about. His schedule and where he naps will change when you go back to work. It is GREAT that he sleeps in his crib at night. :)