Breaking the feed to sleep habit

Hi ladies! My LG is now 6 months old and I desperately need to break her feeding to sleep habit or at least find a way to increase her timing between feeds.

Since she was born she’s been feeding so so often, it used to be every single hour and now it’s gone up to every hour and a half during the night and sometimes she pushes it to 2 hours in the day.

I’m so exhausted and have to return back to work soon! she refuses bottles (and we tried a whole bunch) as well as dummies, when we tried formula in a bottle she refuses any more than one ounce and even that was a hassle. I haven’t had a full nights sleep in 6 months and constantly going around like a zombie. But more importantly I need to be able to leave her with my mum whilst I’m at work. She doesn’t settle with anyone as she always feeds to sleep or sometimes will sleep in a sling contact napping with me only.
She’s started solids but even that doesn’t keep her full. Because of her feeding I’ve had to Cosleep in my bed but now she’s rolling around I can’t leave her as I’m worried she will roll over the pillows surrounding her, we have a bedside cot (slightly lower than the bed) but having to pick her up to feed every hour and half then settle her back in the cot is so much more exhausting.
I need to get her to either take a bottle, or go longer between feeds. Aswell as become a deeper sleeper and sleep in her cot.
Any advice welcome I’m all out of hope 😩

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I am still trying to escape this but thought I’d say about the sleeping situation as I completely get what you mean about bed sharing for survival - I have put my mattress on the floor and continue to bed share to survive. He has fallen out of bed a few times but nothing major - I’ve put it on the floor so there’s enough space all around the edges that if he falls off he can move or get up.

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My daughters both would still feed to sleep with me but eventually will settle for someone else, they just might need pushed in pram or something to help to start with. Also neither really took to a bottle so would just feed from me before and after work and eat/drink water during the day x

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dummy? To help sleep my lg uses a dummy to soothe her to sleep then spits it out. could u try naps swaddled while ur watching on camera so she feels like she’s being cuddled? Lying her on her side and patting her bum till she’s asleep? Keep her awake so she has a full feeds rather than snacking. Tickle her feet, blow on her face, make her cold by taking clothes off. Also As soon as she’s no longer swallowing milk unlatch her and rock to sleep. Increase the healthy fats in ur diet so ur milk can become fattier ? Avocados , nuts etc. ensure she’s draining a breast and getting all the hind milk. Good luck x

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I wish I could do this but our place is so small there’s barely any room as it is for the cot and the bed. And it’s an ottoman bed so can’t remove the frame to just put the mattress on the floor. I might end up just giving in and getting the bars around the bed instead so we all sleep in a “cot” 🤣

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how did you get them to drink water? If I can get baby to drink expressed milk or even formula from a cup that would be perfect during work but she just struggles with them all

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the only time she uses a dummy is in the car annoyingly. I will try to change diet to make my milk fattier maybe that will help

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I just kept giving her it to play about with, sometimes she'll take a lot and others she's just messing about with it x

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