I created a dependency I’m not fond of…what do I do?

Y

yoshinat0r

New member
My baby (5mo) got his first cold. And then I got sick immediately after. Prior to this he was a good sleeper. I could lay him down for naps after walking and humming him to sleep and walk away. Sometimes I’d have to nurse him to sleep, he’d detach and then I’d lay him down, he’d resettle and then nap just fine. I dwindled down my contact naps from almost constant from 0-3 months to about two a day 4-5 months. Right before the holidays he was doing every nap by himself because I had so much to get done. But once he got sick I laid down with him every time because he napped every hour and it seemed like he could use the extra support. And then I got sick and I needed the rest so I again was down with him every nap. So this is a span of 1-2 weeks. Now that I have the energy to get up and do stuff I would like to get some stuff done around the house while he naps but I can’t seem to break the nursing cycle. He constantly needs me now it seems. It’s much harder to roll away and then I end up being stuck here for the whole nap time, every single nap. What do I do?? I want him to be slightly more independent than this… did I just create a tiny dependent boobie monster? My nipple now has a blister from overnight suckling. I’m not use to this and don’t know how to backtrack from it.
 
@yoshinat0r I may not be helpful here but to create independence within a child they need to feel securely dependent on you bc they’ll feel safe that you’re always there for them and they’ll start to feel more comfortable being independent. Ik it’s hard and it’s so rough but, my 5 month old often nip nap traps me and I just give into it and soak up the cuddles. There will always be another time to do the laundry or wash the dishes, but my baby will never be this little again. I’m soaking up all the sleepy cuddles for as long as I can.
 
@davidsteele nip nap trap 💀 it's a great term. but yes, soak up all the cuddles bc it's over before you know it! there will always be more laundry, and dishes in the sink. baby will never be this little again.
 
@annae yeah my MIL used to say it to me a lot, but she usually says a lot of over romanticized colloquialisms. I'm not an overly sentimental person, (or at least I really wasn't about babies before I had my baby) so I kind of "uh huh"ed her and kept it rolling...and now I'd do anything to go back to having my potato baby cuddles.
 
@yoshinat0r Definitely try out baby wearing naps, they are a life saver. I like to walk the dog during naps, or do a few things around the house and then sit down in the rocking chair with a book or a video game for some down time.

Any chance baby is teething? Nursing with a bad latch (causing the blister) and needing to stay latched can be signs. Personally, my baby always had a few weeks of needing extra cuddles after being sick and when teething, but we always get back to normal after a while. This doesn't sound like something you've done or created, it's just normal baby-ness to need extra comforts at certain times and for that to come and go!
 
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