Lying-down nursing questions from a late starter!

[oolongtea]

Hi everyone~
When my LO was born, I didn't co-sleep, tho I wanted to, because I had a surprise C-section and I couldn't easily get in and out of bed with LO. Picking him up from the high platform of the crib was all I could do. Plus, I was bottle feeding expressed breastmilk for a few weeks before I could transition him onto the breast (long story). Anyhow, now he's 4 months old and I'd really like to do some co-sleeping, at least sometimes. Especially for hotel rooms, so I wouldn't have to bring a portable crib, and for naps, so I could sleep alongside him. Several mornings now when he wakes up at 5 I have brought him into bed with me to nurse and to keep him sleeping till later, but I have run into some problems that I hope some of you have answers for!

1. It seems like no matter how I position myself, his nose gets covered by part of the breast, because it's getting compressed either against the mattress or the other breast. This means I've been using my top hand to push down in front of his nose to keep it clear. Needless to say, it's impossible to sleep like this! Any position ideas to help with this problem?

2. Are there any back-laying positions? My spine seems to get totally borked by side-laying (unless maybe I'm doing it wrong), to the point where if I stay in that position for 1-2 hours, I can hardly lift the baby afterwards! Do you use pillows or anything else to help keep things aligned?

3. How do you maintain a good latch while dozing? Seems like LO slides off a bit as he snoozes and after a while he is painfully only holding on to the end of the nipple. Should I be unlatching him when he seems to be finished feeding, the way I would to lay him into his crib?

4. For co-sleeping in general, I guess I was picturing blissfully and sleepfully rolling over and nursing and staying that way all night long. This is a myth, right? It seems to take a lot of maneuvering to get LO in the right position, plus he always needs a diaper change at some point... are these things normal, or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks so much for any help!!

[Ruthla]

I could never get the hang of side-lying nursing before the baby was 3 or 4 months old and had some head control. I don't think you're a "late starter" at all!

I would always unlatch the baby when he or she finished nursing, then we'd continue to snuggle. Funny how you're not comfortable on your sides- I always sleep on my sides and can't stay comfortable on my back for too long! But I would often unlatch the baby and then roll over, leaving the baby to snuggle against my back. I always switch sides repeatedly during the night. Feel free to experiment with pillows between your knees and/or at your back to get comfy while nursing.

I usually had to do the "hand holding the boob away from the baby's nose" thing too. But I could still doze (but not sleep) in that position, and then when the baby was done nursing, we'd unlatch and get more comfortable. As the baby got older, it seemed to be less of a problem. Sometimes the baby would uses his or her hand to hold the breast out of the way, sometimes the baby would position him/herself at a slight angle to not get suffocated, or maybe it just wasn't a problem when the baby's face got bigger.

I did figure out a "back lying" nursing position- I used that when I was nursing two and each baby was on one side of me. I can picture it but I'm not sure I can describe it well. Basically, the baby would lie across me and I'd place the baby's face on my breast and her hands around it.

The "roll over, unlatch, go back to sleep" thing DOES happen, once you get the hang of things. I don't change diapers in the middle of the night unless there's poop in there. By 4mo, my babies would usually poop only once or twice a day, and generally not overnight. My kids never got diaper rash from being in a wet diaper overnight.

[lifeguard]

Get yourself comfy with pillows & whatnot & then bring baby to your breast.

When side-lying I found it helped to tip ds' head back a little to help keep his nose clear of my breast.

On my back (I did this a lot before we really mastered side-lying) I would lie on my back, get pillows propping up the arm on the side I was going to nurse on & then lay ds across my body with his head on my arm/breast & his hips across my opposite hip. Then he would latch on sort of face down but turned a little towards my opposite breast.

I really only started getting comfortable lying down to nurse around 4 months. I would try it off & on but it always seemed so difficult with my big boobs & his lack of head control. Not too late at all.

[ChristSavesAll]

In a side laying position, you need a pillow tucked behind your back for support (I lay into it) then you pull baby's bottom and legs and close into your tummy as you can this generally gets them in the best bfing position so you can avoid that holding back part of your breast (gently pulling their head back or "tilting" it can help too). On a back position you need lots of support under your cradling arm, then cradle babe and allow them to lay on their tummies and nurse, their head will roll and rest cheek to breast thats why cradling is so important. I've slept a few hours in the night like this and then rolled off to the side which used to be a great way to help get dd down for a nap as the transition from the cradling to laying them on the bed is very easy as you are just rolling over both of you together. I've found when dd was fussy she really enjoyed nursing on her tummy, so we've done that position many times. With ds I was sleeping on an air mattress the first few months and that is IMPOSSIBLE to bf on, so a more firm mattress can really help with the side nursing as well. I've never had a problem sleeping once I get the kiddo latched on and I'm well supported by pillows... when they are older though it is much easier to unlatch them and then get more comfy myself (tummy sleeper).

[GoGoGirl]

I love this website for explaining side lying nursing. The pictures really helped it all click for me.

To answer your questions:

1. Whenever it seemed like my boob was blocking my baby's nose, I would scoot up in the bed so my breast was slightly higher than her head. Then DD had to lean her head back (kind of like looking up) to latch, and it got her nose off my breast.

2. I don't know of any back lying positions, but I'm sure other mamas have figured some out! I learned that my back only aches if I'm leaning my top shoulder back away from DD to give her enough room to latch. So now I always try to scoot my whole body a little farther away so I don't have to twist my spine. I just really make it a point to keep my shoulders lined up so one is exactly above the other. If I do that, I don't need pillows for support and I don't feel achy.

3. DD doesn't seem to slide off my nipple, so I don't have a problem staying latched on while we're sleeping. I think around 4 months, DD could latch herself on as long as I was still sleeping very close to her and in the right position. So she kind of latched on and off all night, and I just slept through it all.

4. Eh, with co-sleeping, sometimes it's blissful and sometimes it's more work. Things have gotten MUCH smoother with time. When DD was tiny, I switched boobs with every night feeding. I can only nurse from the bottom boob, so it meant I had to climb over to her other side every time she woke up again to nurse. Now I just nurse from the same boob all night, so we stay in the same position. I don't change her at night anymore either, now that she doesn't poop at night. It's probably one of those things that will get much smoother as you and your baby get into your co-sleeping groove.

Yay for side lying nursing! Once you get it all worked out, I'm sure it will make your life easier.

[twinsplusone1]

we don't cosleep but I do bring ds into bed to nurse at night and we do fall asleep and whenhe was up to 6mos we slept together all afternoon it was wonderful. I don't do the side sleeping thing either its just not comfortable i lie on my back put my pottery barn throw pillows (down/feather filled so thier moldable) under each arm one under my head on top of my 2-3 pillows and put the boppy on my stomach and under my arms and hold him like that and sleep wonderfully. When ds is don't he unlatches and sleeps whenhe would wake I'd just switch him to the other side and sleep again.