Baby sleeping on mama's chest « Back to Group Discussions

[odinsmama]

Okay mamas, I need to know how you all are doing this, baby isn't rolling off and you're feeling safe with it.

i did this for a long time with ds2 and felt safe, but this one is already rolling off me (I suspect the big diaper helps her do this) and I don't trust myself to wake up for sure if this happens.

she just sleeps way better in this position and I really need some better sleep.

any tricks out there for me?

[Chloe'sMama]

Well, Liam is 3 weeks old and I only sleep for short periods of time with him on my chest, but i like to prop myself up a bit with the boppy and the little arms of it under my arms/ armpits and it helps keep him in.  I actually never slept with a baby on my chest really unless they were sick.  Liam is the first.

[kellybeth]

Writing this on my phone while baby is feeding, sorry for typos.
I sleep with her straight across my chest with her head cradled in my elbow nook and that arm propped with the boppy pillow. Easy boob access and my other arm cradling her with my hand on her butt.
Sometimes we sleep with her laying vertical on my chest, too. Depends on naomi's mood.

[odinsmama]

Thanks, mamas!  Will have to try it out with some boppy support tonight.

[Jenny01]

I've realized this is the only way I can get a bit of sleep at night. She won't sleep anywhere else especially at night. Haven't had any rolling off problems yet but she's only 10 days old. I put her between my breasts and they seem to hold her in place lol

[Teles]

I wish I had better advice, but it's just kind of been happening for us without any rolling incidents so far, although I admittedly shoved her lightly the other morning as I was waking up from a dream. She started crying because I startled her and I felt terrible :(

I've also found that boobs serve as a very good place holder

I absolutely love having her sleeping on my chest because she's so close and I don't see that changing soon, but at the same time I really miss being able to move and change positions while I'm sleeping... but I know it'll make me a little sad when she can sleep without me. I guess this is what it means to have a baby: looking forward to the future while trying to cling to each moment in the present.

[sgsnyder]

Olive and I have started to branch out from just tummy-to-tummy sleeping, and it's made me a little sad, too, Teles. She actually seems to prefer sleeping at my side sometimes - like if she's gassy, as she's been for the past two nights.

It was a lot easier when she was teeny-tiny and more floppy. Now, at almost two weeks old, she'll kick her legs on my tummy if she's not ready to settle, so I'll lay her next to me or slip her into the crook of my arm. Luckily, we've mastered side-lying feeding by now (finally!) so I don't have to sit up six times a night. (Reeeally fun with all of those internal stitches. Yeow!)
Edited by sgsnyder - 3/5/13 at 10:50am

[sgsnyder]

Oh, and odinsmama, I had my LO in bubble-butt cloth diaps for a while, but they were so hard to negotiate around her cord stump that I broke down and got a pack of 'sposies for the meantime. I think it does help to stabilize her on me.

I used to sleep half-sitting-up, but I've reduced the number of pillows so that I'm practically horizontal, and she still stays on. I just keep one hand around her head or ribs, and the other over her bottom. I also pull up her legs as if she's sitting in a carrier - knees and toes pointed out - and I think that helps a lot.

[odinsmama]

Thanks, mamas.

We've had good results with a pillow under one of my arms (the side she always rolls to) and on the other side I keep my hand (balled into a fist, to give her a little speed bump) right next to her belly or hip.

And I'm remembering now that I had ds2 in disposables at this age, so that probably helped keep him more stable

[etsdtm99]

I finally have a min to respond to this - I have also been using pillows under my arm/arms.. sometimes baby sleeps across my chest too which helps..