Nursing Mom Seeks Advice About 9Mo. Old Son

this sounds like teething and is completely normal, it will pass. It is also completely normal for breastfeeding babies to nurse during the night! especially during growth spurts and teething, I know it can be frustrating but it will pass. Us moms who breastfeed and share sleep with our babies are a lot more sensitive (and effected) by the nighttime problems with our babies, it takes a lot of patience and tenderness on our parts. If you don't already have it, get the Baby Book by Dr. Sears, he has a great section on nighttime parenting. Him and his wife (and now their sons) are highly respected and accomplished physicians who have 8 children of their own, they base their knowledge on experience and common sense. Tylenol does help, as well as homeopathic teething tablets. good luck!

9 months he is probably teething. I would try giving him tylenol or motrin before he goes to bed. When he wakes up in the middle of the night you can try just rocking him back to sleep. He is using you as a pacifier. I stopped feeding my son in the middle of the night at 7 months. he slept in our bed until 10 months and I stopped nursing at 10 and half months. the middle of the night feeding/pacifying is a habit that may take a couple of nights to break, but you can do it. I told myself that I would not feed my son before 3 the first night. Then 4, then 5 and eventually 6:00 he would wake up feed then go back to sleep. At one year he was sleeping from 9pm to 9am. But for the first 10 months I didn't sleep well at all. only until I put him in his own crib did both of us sleep through the night. If you have any questions about specifics please let me know.

How long has this been going on he could be getting ready for a growth spurt. My oldest is 7 and I always know when he is going to grow because he will it me out of house and home. He could also be getting some teeth in and finds nursing very comforting. Give it some time it will pass.

i agree, he is probably teething my 9 month old was sleeping through the night and now is waking more due to teething. i figured it out when a week later she had a tooth pop up. when i give her motrin she sleeps much better.

Try the book The No Cry Sleep Solution. She has some great advice on how to stop nursing all night long. She would do things like pretend to be asleep, dislodge her nipple from her LO's mouth without waking them, etc.
Good luck!

I third the teething. Tylenol really does seem to help before bed. Maybe Oragel? My son hated it, but it's worth a shot. I know there is an Apple flavor that is supposed to taste much better. I also used frozen Eggo's for my son to gnaw on before bed. Just make sure your little one doesn't get any big chunks off. :-)

Try to increase the number or length of the day time feeds. He could be waking due
to teething or growth spurts. All my kids went through this. I just couldn't
let them cry it out so I feed them. My breastfeeding was the ''on demand'' style
as opposed to more structured feeding times. Some times they do suck for comfort.
It is not always easy. Hang in there, this too shall pass! good luck!