I, too, agree with Laura W. What a beautiful and well written response. Babies DO need comfort, and what better source is out there than mom? I have nursed all three of my children, and we have also co-slept. As for the claim that co-sleeping is "dangerous," most of the studies that "prove" its danger don't take into account the number of deaths from co-sleeping with drunk parents or those who are high on drugs. If you are co-sleeping properly (not drunk or high, not on a waterbed, using well fitted sheets, etc.) then your baby is extremely safe (and quite comfy) right next to you. I will admit that it took longer than I had anticipated to reclaim our bed (my oldest was five before he left our room), but it has been well worth it. My children have no doubt that they are loved and that their needs will be met promptly, even if that need is "just" comfort. I urge you to not follow the advice of "nurse only to supplement and give more solids during the day." I'm sure you know that a baby's primary source of nutrition should be from breast milk or formula for the first year of life.
As for the constant nursing, it does get to be draining at times. My firstborn woke CONSTANTLY throughout the night. Because I had an extremely low milk supply, I wanted him to get every drop he needed, so I fed whenever he wanted it, morning, noon, or night. One trick I read was to NOT look at the clock when he woke up and to try NOT to count the number of times he woke. It sounds silly to think that it could make a difference, but it honestly did. I was still tired, but I didn't find myself dwelling on the fact that he woke up at 12:30, 1:30, 3:35, 4:10, 5:45, etc. I knew he woke up, but once I stopped counting the hours and minutes, it really did help. Maybe that's something to try.
My lactation consulant told me years ago that the biggest misconception is that babies wake up frequently because they are "hungry" and that feeding them solids before bed will help them sleep longer. She said that anytime solids are fed and baby sleeps longer it's just a coincidence. Like everything else in life, babies literally have to eventually learn to sleep through the night. In the meantime, what better way to fall back to sleep than to be comforted by dear old (and tired!) mom? With that said, I will confess that by the time my third child was 18 months old, I was tired of being the night time binky. I did actually consult my pediatrician, and he said it was a "classic case of 'trained night waking.'" I thought he was nuts, and I was sure he'd advise me to let her cry it out. Honestly, he didn't. He did advise that I cut the night nursings completely but give her the comfort she needed in other ways. It was rough for the first few nights. She literally cried, "WHY??????" when I told her no, but I just held her and rocked her until she fell back to sleep. After a few days, she went from sleeping for 2 hours at a time to sleeping from 10-6. WOW--what a difference it has made!
Sorry, I'm getting long winded here, but I just want to wish you the best of luck. I pray that you will follow your heart and do what YOU find is best for you and your family.
Sincerely,
A.
P.S. The medical definition of "sleeping through the night" is sleeping for five hours or longer. Not a mother's dream definition, but maybe it's something to strive for.