nightime nursing = bad habit?

[Robinet]

Hi! I am a full time working mom who is pumping and still nursing my 18 month old child.
We co-sleep with a sidecar bed because mommy needs to get a decent amount of sleep to go to work and be semi-coherent.

My boy is starting to outgrow the sidecar bed (custom built by DH using a packNplay mattress) which has brought up some new questions and issues:

I am considering getting a toddler bed and putting it next to my bed like the sidecar was. What do you think? Eventually I would like to transition him to his own bedroom when he weans, so would this be a good step in that direction?
Should I be worried about his teeth with all this night nursing? He does sometimes get a little toddler formula when my daycare provider runs out of breast milk. (he is in the 5% for weight and only eats about a cup of food at meals)
My doctor says that I will be risking tooth decay and improper sleep habits by letting him nurse at night, but I am afraid I will lose supply without all this nursing. I take Domperidone to keep my supply up, but it is a constant struggle.
lately he has been waking from naps, wanting a bottle, and going back to sleep, am I training him to associate sleeping and eating?

I am hoping a lot of these issues will resolve the way the pacifier issue did... He just gradually stopped using it of his own accord.

Thanks in advance!
-Robin

[Jacksmommy]

Breastmilk does not in any way promote tooth decay. If you brush his teeth before bed so there's no formula or food in there and all he gets at night is water or breastmilk it won't hurt his teeth at all.

As far as how you co-sleep, I think you should do it in any way that works to let you and the baby get the most sleep. A toddler bed in your room is a good next step if it works. We bought our ds a double bed when it came time to transition him to sleeping in his own bed in his own room. I lay with him and nurse him to sleep, and he sleeps by himself for naps and at night. It was really an easy transition. He still wakes up sometimes, and I go in and nurse him back to sleep, but he's happy to stay in his bed in his room.

[Jody84]

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/older-baby/tooth-decay.html

I heard the same thing from our dentist, he even told me I "must" wean if I want to save her teeth.
But she has not had any problems with her teeth and she's almost 2 now.

As for co-sleeping, I'm in the same boat as you. DD nurses to sleep then wakes up 2-3 times. So we haven't got her a bed yet. It's not that big of a deal to me since she's at DCP all day with no BM.

To jacks mommy: when did you get jack his own bed? How did you know he was ready? Thanks :)

[Firemom]

Your plans sound good to me. If it works I'd keep it.

As a working mom I slept with both of my kids until they were 3 or 4.

[Marina]

I agree, if it works, great! I'm all for whatever gets you the most sleep.

As for teeth, my dd has nursed at night for over 3 years, and her teeth are perfect. We do brush diligently, though (we use a non-flouride, non-saccharine "baby" toothpaste).

[Jacksmommy]

"To jacks mommy: when did you get jack his own bed? How did you know he was ready? Thanks "

It was just before his second birthday. He'd been out of his crib for a year. It was in his room just taking up space. We co-slept in a double bed, and I'd been sneaking out of the bed at nap time for a few months. He still slept the same amount of time and woke up happy. The only worry I had was him falling out of the bed while sleeping. He could climb out well enough when he was awake, but he's always been a restless sleeper. I figured if we got him a bed of his own that we could just put the mattress on the floor at first - then work up to a box spring under it eventually get a frame for it. I knew he'd never go back to a crib. I knew he'd never use a toddler bed. It just seemed the logical thing to do to get him a double bed since I still lay with him and nurse him to sleep. He still just has a mattress and box spring on the floor. He's fallen out of bed at night once in the year that he's been in this bed.

[justicesmama]

I am a first time mom, my daughter is almost 9 months...we co-sleep and she goes to bed best when she nurses to sleep. her dad is wanting me to stop nursing her to sleep (he thinks is a bad habit we are forming) my question is whether it truely is a bad habit and if I should try and break it. I just went back to work about a month ago and my daughter nurses a lot more during the night, I let her and am wondering if that also is a bad habit that I am forming. Any advice? Thanks so much!

[Robinet]

I don't think it is a bad habit at 9 months. Night time nursing will help you keep your supply going. I had originally asked the question because I was feeling insecure about an 18 month old (which I no longer feel insecure about and plan to keep nursing until he stops on his own!). At 9 months you should still be nursing as much as you can! Really, when you think about it. Putting kids in their own rooms and not nursing at night is a modern thing. For hundreds of years people always had their kids sleep in the same room or bed with them and nurse whenever the baby demanded. These new conceptions only came about when Formula was introduced and people thought that science knew better than nature.

[LandinsMommy]

I asked my pediatrician about the co-sleeping and he told me do what is best for mom and baby. If you feel comfortable with the baby in bed go for it. I really enjoy being able to tend to my son's needs in the middle of the night. If he needs to nurse I am right there which allows him to fall back to sleep faster and sleep better. It works for us just fine. My son is only 4 1/2 months old so I am new to this!! My doctor also recomended putting his crib in our room or pack and play near our bed when I am ready to move him to his own bed. That way he is still close and we adjust together. I feel very uneasy leaving him in his crib all night!! So if he does sleep in his crib for a few hours and wakes up to nurse I will put him in bed with me for the rest of the night!!

[mom22]

I nurse and co-sleep. My DD is 15 months. It works for me. However, DH is not liking it because DD turns sideways at night and kicks him in the ribs. (hehehe).

As far as the transition goes, pretty much it's all trial and error. Some things will work for some kids, other's won't.

[bronco4grl]

justicemama-Sounds like babe is "reverse cycling" somewhat by nursing more at night because you're there at night and not with babe during the day.

mom22-My babe kicks DH in at night, too. Guess if momma gets the head, daddy gets the feet :)

Robinet-I have no idea if you're "developing a bad habit" because I'm in the same boat as you are. I just know that it feels like I'm doing what's best for ds so that's what I keep on doing.

[kelleywin]

Robinet....so smart! I am one of the very few in my family to nurse and co-sleep....you are SO right...it is a modern thing, I never thought of it that way!