It is 9:30 pm. As I write this, Baby Champuru is in her co-sleeper/playard with her bedtime toy, the Fisher Price Soothe & Glow Seahorse.  The seahorse’s little abdomen is glowing and he’s playing her soft lullabies, but instead of cuddling him, baby is alternating between wrestling with him, standing up, sitting down, and doing everything but sleeping.

We have a bedtime routine which starts around 7:15 – 7:30 pm. It includes a warm bath, a story, and a last nursing session.  It’s the nursing session that is the key to the entire routine.  Baby usually falls asleep while nursing, then I gently pick her up and put her in her co-sleeper.  Normally, she’s asleep by 8:00 or 8:30 pm.  However, sometimes there are nights (like tonight) when for reasons unknown, she refuses to settle down and nurse.

I usually nurse her lying down, as it’s the most comfortable position for the both of us.  Sometimes she simply doesn’t have the patience or interest in nursing. She’ll turn over, crawl around the bed, or climb all over me.  I keep trying to put her in nursing position and she’ll protest and crawl away.  Instead of fighting with her (tried that, it never works), I usually just let her get her restless energy out or allow her to soothe herself to sleep in the co-sleeper (doesn’t work either). Once she’s tired enough, she will usually find the patience to nurse.  Sometimes it takes hours. Like tonight.

Update: It’s 10:00 pm and Baby Champuru finally decided to nurse and fell asleep in less than 10 minutes at the boob.

I know that it’s my fault for not teaching her how to go to sleep on her own.  It’s just that since birth, she has made it a habit to fall asleep while nursing.  Now it seems that she can’t sleep without it.

Experienced moms (and dads!), any tips for me to get baby to sleep?