Cosleeping & the art of the boob switch...enlighten me!

[pangirl]

Cosleeping, bf'ing moms...how do you switch breasts during the night? My daughter falls asleep at the breast during the night quickly, but will wake easily if I try to move her. So we share the bed and I nurse lying on my side to get the most rest possible. During the night, I have been leaving her in the center of the bed, and when I need to switch breasts, I move to the other side of the bed. So I'm flipping from one side of the bed to the other throughout the night and she's in the center.

Here's the problem: my husband has been on the couch for 3 months. I want us to all sleep comfortably together. If I had to stay on one side of the bed, and moved the baby from one side of my body to the other, there would be one side I wouldn't feel comfortable letting her stay on once asleep, because she would be near the edge of the bed instead of in the center. And I'm sure she would wake up if I tried to move her back to the center (we abandoned the arm's reach because of this waking up while transferring issue, I take naps with her during the day). I've tried feeding from the top boob while side-lying, but it's so uncomfortable.

My baby is 5 months old. Since birth, she feeds at night every 1-2 hours and sometimes more. I loathe the idea of having to sit up to nurse that many times. So many couples bedshare, and nurse... I am missing something, right?

[Bokonon]

I just offer the other breast. No flipping over necessary.

[annemoonstar]

We have our mattress on the floor and a futon mattress on the side of our bed. So, if DS fell out it wouldn't be a big deal, although he hasn't even come close to falling out yet (and he is 9.5 months and VERY mobile, even at night). So I do move him from side to side (or I move from side to side--depends on how awake he seems when we get ready to nurse again). When he is on the side of the bed near the edge I do usually keep my arm around him. But even when I try to move towards DH and let him just sleep near the edge, he always turns towards me to snuggle, so I'm really not that worried about it at this point.

[LionessMom]

before i figured out how to use the top breast i just only offered the one at night. then offered the other more during the day to even it out. i dont subscribe to the whol have to switch every time you feed thing. i offer the one that is most handy at the time. which is why my left makes more than my right ( i am right handed). i also side car my crib and lo sleeps on that side instead of between me and DH. as far as it being uncomfortable offereing the top breast, it might get easier with practice. i didnt get it until i was nursing DD2.

[Whistler]

Originally Posted by Bokonon

I just offer the other breast. No flipping over necessary.

This is what I did. I just leaned over a little farther and rolled the baby a little more onto his back and gave the top one. It wasn't hard.

[Chamomile Girl]

Originally Posted by Bokonon

I just offer the other breast. No flipping over necessary.

See, I can't do this because my breasts are too small...so we got bedrails. DH sleeps on one side and I rotate between the middle of the bed and the side. But I only flip once during the night and do block feeding in the interrum.

[SpunkyMama]

http://www.gobedbug.com/

We won one of these and love it. You could also use a rolled up blanket under the sheet. I gently slide ds to whichever side I need him on. I know a lot of moms who scoop them up and roll with them to get them to the other side.

[MsVyky]

Originally Posted by Chamomile Girl

See, I can't do this because my breasts are too small...so we got bedrails. DH sleeps on one side and I rotate between the middle of the bed and the side. But I only flip once during the night and do block feeding in the interrum.

This. Except we don't have a rail. Our bed is mighty close to the floor and DD isn't rolling yet. I put a pad down on the floor 'just in case' but for the most part she only sleeps in the crook of my arm anyway

[red and lulu]

[sdbeachy]

Until our baby was about 6 months old I would sit up and scoot him over to either nurse him on the outside or put him back when he was done. Now that he's not quite so floppy I roll with him on top of me to move him. He stirs but doesn't really wake up, as long as I let him down gently. I think a bed rail or a bed on the floor with an extra mattress might work well for you. Then you can roll/move her to the outside (she's already awake if she wants to nurse, right?), nurse her, then just leave her there til she's ready for the next nursing. And in the meantime you'll be in the middle to cuddle your husband.

[Xavismom]

I just nurse on one side until DS fusses to have his diaper changed (usually 1-2 times per night) When we get back in bed from changing, I lay on the other side and offer him that breast, and we both go back to sleep.

I NEVER thought of staying on the same side though, and just offering the top breast that way!! I am going to have to try this. Not sure how well it will work though with my breast size. Its worth a try though! Anyone have any tips or tricks for positioning?

[sunshynbaby]

I'm not talented enough to do the top breast thing, so I move the baby over and we trade places all night. I have now unused sidecar crib on one side so I don't need to worry about him falling off. I really want to get a King size mattress to put on the floor once he starts crawling. I'm paranoid he is going to crawl off the bed...

[Mrsboyko]

I didn't figure out the top boob thing till kid #2. It is so much easier! I don't have large boobs either, a full 34C when engorged and no more. I do end up basically lying on his side for the top to reach him, but he ses comfortable still.

[KermitII63]

I bought a Humanity Family Bed and it's been totally worth the expense for me. I start out either in the middle of the bed or against the HFB, and my son sleeps on a cotton changing pad. When it's time to switch, I crawl over him and slide him into the right position. Sometimes he stirs a tiny bit, but settles down right away when he realizes which side I'm on. Some nights I can get away with switching just once, depending on what the milk situation is.

[ReadingRenee]

I cannot lie on the same side all night or my hips HURT. So I have to switch sides.

How I do it is I cradle my baby in my arm on the side I am lying on and kind of scoop her onto my chest. Then I wrap my other arm around her so now both my arms are wrapped around her to keep her secure and roll to the other side, take away the other arm and she naturally falls into the position of being cradled in my other arm on the side that I switched to for nursing. Then if I don't want her head on my arm I pick up her head with my hand and lower it to the bed and kind of scoot away slightly to make the angles work.

Ive been scooping and rolling since birth but she couldn't nurse without me holding her in my arms while side lying til she was about 5 mos old.

[KarlaC]

Yeah I can't lay on one side all night either, my back/shoulder & hip just hurt too bad if I do.

I just scoop him up, lie him on my chest & roll over quickly then offer the breast asap to keep him from totally waking up. It didn't always work at first but now he sleeps through it for the most part.

[AGierald]

i used to hold him to my chest and roll on my back, putting him on the other side.. now that hes enormous, i sit up, roll him to the otherside and lay back down. i do it in my sleep now, lol

[pangirl]

thanks for the ideas, mamas. i'm gonna try the roll over with baby thing and see if that works for us.

[finnegansmom]

I always roll over with the baby on top of me, and I always sleep on my side facing my baby (who is now 17 months old). Now, if i roll over and put my back to him, he immediately wakes up and CLIMBS over me so he can be face to face... LOL.

[gbutterflykissesm]

One thing that came in very handy for me and my light sleeping DS who wakes up if I so much as breathe too loud was having him sleep on a towel. When I wanted to switch sides I would just sit up, pull on the towel, and voila! He was on my opposite side. He wouldn't even know he had moved.