Have you ever lied through your teeth at a well-child checkup?
I have.
I took Baby A in today for her 4-month checkup this morning, prepared for the usual barrage of questions about eating, sleeping, excreting and development. When the nurse practitioner asked about her sleeping habits, I mentioned she is sleeping through the night awesomely again. For a couple of weeks, though, she would wake up every few hours to eat — which wasn’t a huge deal. (Whatever, this is my third rodeo after all.) I chalked it up to a growth spurt or mastering her rolling-over skills.
The healthcare provider proceeded to advise me NOT to feed her if she wakes up at night because it’s probably just separation anxiety. Cue the record scratch. What?
I nodded my head and mumbled, “Oh, OK … Good to know.” The exam and vaccinations continued without issue. (You know, except for the whole WHAT-DID-YOU-LET-THESE-PEOPLE-DO-TO-ME reaction my baby had after her three needle pokes.) But here’s the deal: I have zero plans for refusing the breast to my daughter at night.
Even if she is only waking because of separation anxiety, so what? Why wouldn’t I go in and comfort her the best way I know how? I should let her scream for milk instead, so that we’re both awake for hours and miserable? Yeah, no. I will continue to change her diaper, offer the breast and have us both back to sleep in 10 minutes.
Comfort nursing works for us. I’m happy to help my daughter if she needs extra help falling back to sleep, or if she just wants physical reassurance from mama. I’ve done the same for my older two children. In fact, I had a similar reaction from a different provider at a well-child visit about nursing my son at night. He’s a fantastic sleeper now at age 5, by the way. And although we did have a rough first year, he has consistently slept through the night since a little after his first birthday.
To be clear, I trust pediatricians and almost always take their recommendations to heart. Things like vaccinations are absolutely necessary, and I’m not doing anything to put my kids in danger. But comfort nursing? This is one parenting decision I won’t waver on.
Do you nurse your baby to sleep if she wakes up at night? How do you and your baby get enough sleep?
Share your thoughts!Click through the slideshow, below, for more breastfeeding posts from me!
What the first 2 weeks of breastfeeding are really like
7 reasons why this is my all-time favorite breastfeeding position
5 tips to make breastfeeding suck less
The 5 weirdest places I’ve breastfed in public
Could this gadget solve moms’ #1 breastfeeding challenge?
Mom opens first breastfeeding cafe — and gets death threats?
Does everybody really need to calm down about breastfeeding?
Milk sharing: What it looks like to breastfeed a baby that isn’t yours
Must-see photo captures true-life warrior, breastfeeding
Week 26: I’m not looking forward to breastfeeding
Farewell, dear breast pump: A eulogy
(Photo via Thinkstock)
