top off before bed/nap feeding?

Question

hi mamas!
i have VERY conflicting thoughts about topping off and feeding my son before he goes to sleep/takes a nap. i feel like it's the only way he will ever sleep or take a nap.
my MIL says i shouldn't start that habit but ive had other people say it's not a bad thing, it helps them sleep and sleep longer.
can i have some other opinions or thoughts? i just don't want to feel guilty if i keep doing it

Answer

Are you feeding to sleep?  As in, is baby asleep at the end of the feeding and you put directly in the crib already asleep?  If so, just know it's a sleep crutch and baby will depend on that to fall asleep.  The only reason to not do it is so they don't NEED it.  I fed to sleep with my first, it's just a tough habit to break down the line.  With this baby I make sure I put him in awake, solely because I don't want to deal with breaking the habit later.  No need to feel guilty if you choose to though!

Answer

I have done both. 9 times out of 10 my daughter is fed to sleep and usually sleeps great, but she does have some skills of putting herself to sleep. The few times that she put herself to sleep at bed, shes usually up earlier than if I feed her, but not always. Her naps are becoming shorter but I dont think its all about getting fed or not. We did this with our oldest as well, until she was about a year old and it was taking longer to put her to bed and she would still wake up at night and then we sleep trained her. Right now I am taking all the cuddles and sleep feedings because one day she wont want it and when it becomes an issue I will sleep train. Its honestly up to you. Feeding to sleep is a hard association to break but its also comforting and they may need the extra food. We are sitting at the very small end of the percentiles so any extra milk is helpful.

Answer

I feed my baby before bedtime every time. Once he wakes up from a nap he gets a bottle, and solids an hour and a half or so afterwards. He usually falls asleep for naps after eating his solid meal. I feel like I am feeding my baby WAY TOO MUCH but he seems fine. IDK I am not a pediatrician...lol 😁

Answer

If it works for you then keep doing it!

Answer

I have always topped them off or gave my kids a bottle when they lady down for a nap/sleep it does help them sleep longer and honestly for me hasn’t been a hard habit to break. I cut my kids off the bottle by 1 years old but one of my daughter she was about 10 months and sould only drink milk ago fall asleep and was basically just wasting the bottle so I stopped giving it to her at night and from there it was history my other daughter has been a little harder with sleeping she’s 13 months a barely started sleeping threw the night I have given her a sippy cup to drink milk out of and she’s been good with that and soon I will be ready to phase the cup out completely. There is always regression so at times my 2 year old will want her water cup in bed and I will give in but right now I am trying to teach boundaries so it’s a hard no with a tantrum but nothing we can deal with

Answer

We sort of do/don’t. I feed about ten minutes when she wakes up for the day she’s up for about an hour and a half to two hours. Then before nap I feed her again, change her diaper, sleep sack, book then down in crib with sound machine on. I just don’t feed to sleep

top off before bed/nap feeding?

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