lots of side-lying questions

[Ldogg]

DD is 6 weeks old, and we really just got the swing of this BF thing at 4-5 weeks, so we're both still learning what works and what doesn't. I usually nurse her propped up in the cross cradle position, and that seems to work pretty well. She sleeps in a co-sleeper attached to our bed, and at night I usually pick her up and bring her into the next room to nurse. I would really like to figure out side-lying though, if possible... it seems so much easier for the nighttime feeds! But I have a few questions:

1. I think DD suffers from some reflux (or at least general GI distress) and I've nursed her propped up a bit over the past few days, which seems to have lessened her crying after feeding. Obviously this seems harder to do side-lying... does anyone have any experience using the side-lying position with a reflux baby?

2. How do you handle all the pillows, blankets, etc?

3. Are you ever worried about smothering your baby with your boob? I have decent sized breasts, and I'm worried if I doze off she'll get a faceful and won't be able to pull back.

4. What position is the baby in? I tried it today for the first time, with her on her back and head tilted toward my breast. But I know some people do it with the baby on her side facing you... this just seems harder to me.

5. Was it tricky to get the latch right? I really have to guide my nipple into her mouth, and it would be hard to see this in our room at night.

Okay, I think that's all. For now.

[MEcatlady17]

Congrats on your baby

Side lying nursing is what is getting me through the night! I will try to answer some questions.

1. I think DD suffers from some reflux (or at least general GI distress) and I've nursed her propped up a bit over the past few days, which seems to have lessened her crying after feeding. Obviously this seems harder to do side-lying... does anyone have any experience using the side-lying position with a reflux baby?

DD doesn't have true refux, but she is a super spitter. usually a happy one and gaining well so we haven't treated it. She actually tends to spit up less at night ..maybe from less movement after eating. Do you prop her up after feeding at night? If so you could still put her down with her mattress elevated, etc.

2. How do you handle all the pillows, blankets, etc?

We share a bed and each use one small trim pillow and sleep with just a fitted sheet and light comforter on the bed. I haven't been using any special pillows to prop myself while nursing side lying, but I have read some people like a pillow behind their back or between their legs.

3. Are you ever worried about smothering your baby with your boob? I have decent sized breasts, and I'm worried if I doze off she'll get a faceful and won't be able to pull back.

I don't have huge breasts, but pretty good sized.... I don't worry about smothering her skin to skin. Babies have a smushed nose to help them breathe while nursing When she is done I move her up higher in the bed. Sometimes I fall asleep while nursing now that she is bigger but when she was a newborn I never slept heavily while nursing, just rested so it wasn't a worry for me. Also I stayed topless with a towel underneath me so there weren't clothes or blankets around us.

4. What position is the baby in? I tried it today for the first time, with her on her back and head tilted toward my breast. But I know some people do it with the baby on her side facing you... this just seems harder to me.

I get the best latch with DD on her side. I keep a rolled up receiving blanket by my pillow to tuck behind her and support her on her side. I recently got the hang of nursing from both sides without moving her to my other side (laying almost on my stomach, her facing up more when nursing on the 'top' breast). I would definitely try to keep her from having her head turned away from her body as it makes it hard to swallow. You want her shoulders and head to line up naturally.

5. Was it tricky to get the latch right? I really have to guide my nipple into her mouth, and it would be hard to see this in our room at night.

Honestly, our nighttime latches are sloppier. But it has been a small price to pay for better sleep. Some nights she gets on better, others she is shallower than she should be. She is getting better at guiding herself on as she gets older.

[ps4624]

My DD is 14 months old now, but I remember trying to figure out how to nurse her lying down. It takes a few tries in different positions, but you will find what works best for you. Here's what we do:

I lay on my side and usually DD lays on her side facing me. Her head lies on my upper bicep/shoulder to prop her up a bit.

As she's on my shoulder, I don't worry about a pillow for her, but I do try and keep her legs covered up. She promptly kicks them off.

I used to worry about smothering her, but they do have the ability to move their heads back. I used to make a "v" with my fingers (sort of like an upside down peace sign) and put it between my breast and her face, but I quickly got over worrying about it.

At first I also had to guide my nipple in, but babies learn very quickly how to latch on. She's learning and so are you, but it will only take a short amount of time before it's old hat for the both of you.

I hope this was helpful - congratulations on the birth of your new baby!

[Megan73]

It will get easier as she gets bigger and gets better head control. I found it helped to practice during the day when I could see what I was doing and it can't hurt a new mom to lie down a bit during the day.
I know it seems so complicated now but pretty soon you'll just do it without a second though. Promise!

[haydn'smommy]

1. I think DD suffers from some reflux (or at least general GI distress) and I've nursed her propped up a bit over the past few days, which seems to have lessened her crying after feeding. Obviously this seems harder to do side-lying... does anyone have any experience using the side-lying position with a reflux baby?
My youngest had mild reflux. I would nurse him side-lying with him propped on my arm to raise his head and torso up a bit. That helped some. That said, one of the reasons that we quit co-sleep and marathon nighttime nursing was because he would vomit every morning around 4 a.m. from all the nursing

2. How do you handle all the pillows, blankets, etc?
I would sleep with one smallish pillow and a down blanket that I just pulled to my waist. I didn't use extra pillow to keep me or him propped, although that would have been nice.

3. Are you ever worried about smothering your baby with your boob? I have decent sized breasts, and I'm worried if I doze off she'll get a faceful and won't be able to pull back.
Yes, I have some giant boobs and I worried. I actually got pretty good at sleeping with my hand on top of my boob, holding it away from his nose cause I was paranoid. However, I didn't really need to. He definitely pulled away if he got too much boob in his face and as we got better at it, I was able to position us both better so that he didn't get a face full.

4. What position is the baby in? I tried it today for the first time, with her on her back and head tilted toward my breast. But I know some people do it with the baby on her side facing you... this just seems harder to me.
Definitely with baby on his side. I had a LLL leader tell me to learn positioning and latching laying down by starting from an upright cradle position. Latch baby and then lean to the side and lay down, keeping baby still attached and in proper position. That really helped me see exactly what position that baby needed to be in to nurse effectively.

5. Was it tricky to get the latch right? I really have to guide my nipple into her mouth, and it would be hard to see this in our room at night.
This will get better as she gets older. I do think that keeping him propped on my arm gave us better positioning and latch. I could let him nurse and then when he fell off, I could slide my arm out from under him if I was still awake.

[akind1]

DS and I really didn't figure out side-lying nursing until around 3 months. now we do this every night, and sometimes during the day, for naps.

1) try facing eachother with baby resting in the crook of your arm, so she's elevated while nursing. if this doesn't work as a nursing position for you try resting/sleeping like this afterwards for a bit. May help the milk settle a bit better.

2)We have only a fitted sheet, my pillow and DH's pillow(s), and DH and I have separate blankets. I have found what works best is when I get DS out of the cosleeper, I put him on TOP of my blanket (sidelying a lot of milk seems to dribble or I leak before or after - whichever, I don't like DS's head lying in a puddle!) and I use the rest of the blanket to cover my legs. DH's blanket is usually behind his head as an extra pillow.

3) I have 42G's which is why sidelying in the early days was difficult, because even in broad daylight, I couldn't really see what I was doing. I dont worry about smothering, but sometimes for my own comfort, once DS is well-latched I lean back a little, so not completely on my side or back and this seems to help all the . . . smushage - for lack of a better word.

4) Usually facing me - belly to belly. but sometimes he goes on his back.

A final note, I have found sometimes what I do that seems to help with latch is I kind of hover over DS at first(on my side, but raised on an arm or elbow) so the nipple dangles into his mouth, and once he latches well, I slowly lower myself down to my side with my head on my pillow so I am comfortable. This works especially well at nap time.

HTH

[Lirazel]

I just want to share that DS and I couldn't figure out side-lying until just this last week. (4m) Now we love it! We lie on our sides facing each other and last night for the first time he went ahead and latched himself on in the middle of the night! I woke up with him eating and couldn't remember helping him!

[averlee]

Side lying was the first position I mastered, because I couldn't sit on my sutures. My newborn daughter slept snuggled at my breasts and nursed whenever she wanted without even waking me. I never did anything special with the pillows and blankets, just tucked her in right next to me, with her face at my boob level. Whether you are seated or laying down, you and baby should always be belly-to-belly when nursing, they should never have to bend, arch, or turn the head. Also, instead of trying to guide the nipple into her mouth, guide her whole head to your breast. As soon as her mouth is open, draw baby toward you in a swift motion.

[MamaPhD]

We didn't get the side lying nursing until DD was quite big, like 5-6 months old because she had spit it all up a few times when we tried it earlier. Normally she didn't have reflux/spit up, only when we did side lying! It's easiest for us if she is lying face up, and I come facing her from above (I'm on one elbow) to latch. Once she has latched, then I gently put my head on my elbow to lie down facing her, and use my top arm to turn DD to face me. Sounds complicated, but we do it all in one smooth motion.

[Ldogg]

Thanks everyone! We'll keep trying it, sounds like it's pretty normal to take a while to get it down. Phew.