Hello everyone, I am a new mom to a beautiful baby girl and I have been practicing co-sleeping with her ever since she was born. While I love the idea of being close to my baby and having easier access to breastfeed her, I am starting to wonder if co-sleeping could be impacting our breastfeeding relationship negatively. I have noticed that my baby has started to show signs of being too reliant on my breasts for comfort and she now wakes up more often during the night to nurse, even when she is not really hungry. I want to continue co-sleeping but I am also worried about how this could affect my baby's feeding habits and how can I manage it effectively? Any tips or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hello fellow mom! I completely understand where you're coming from. I practiced co-sleeping with my baby and found that he was also very reliant on my breasts for comfort. It got to the point where he would wake up frequently just to nurse for comfort, even when he wasn't hungry.
To manage this, I tried to offer a pacifier as an alternative to nursing when he woke up at night. However, he did not take well to the pacifier and would just cry until I offered him my breast. I also tried to establish a consistent sleep routine with him, but found it difficult when we were co-sleeping as he would often fall asleep mid-nursing session.
After much experimentation, I found that my son slept better in his own crib in his own room. This allowed him to establish a natural sleep routine and he was no longer reliant on nursing to fall asleep. When he would wake up at night, he would sometimes cry for a bit, but eventually learned to self-soothe and go back to sleep on his own. This resulted in better sleep for both of us.
I still practice co-sleeping occasionally when my son is sick or just needs some extra love and attention. However, overall, I think that it's important to be aware of how co-sleeping can affect your baby's sleep habits and to adjust accordingly. Each baby is different, so finding what works best for you and your little one is key. Good luck!