I direct latched my daughter as well exclusively since she was born and she doesn't need to be cradled to sleep all the time. Once I feed her, I would burp, change her and then put her down to sleep. She would be put to the cot awake and then she may fuss a little before she sleeps. You need to give her a chance to learn to self soothe for some of the naps and bedtime otherwise she would always think that she needs to be cuddled to sleep. Unfortunately that's how the not so positive sleep association happens. We unknowingly encourage our babies to sleep with sleep props. Healthy sleep habits is really important to get your baby to sleep well.
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