Newborn co-sleeping/nursing ?s...

[BirthFree]

typing one handed...
I've never had a baby that was willing to co-sleep... we tried each and every
time, and harder each time, to make it work, but no go. I blame reflux as to our failure mostly and w/out that I think my youngest would have... BUT I have ?s... we're trying it again...

Do your babies just lay and sleep until they are hungry (vs. crying a lot)? I
think flat bothers Jade and she likes her tummy for sleeping some (or at least that is how I've gotten her to sleep longest amt. of time (on my chest, semi-reclined, her tummy down)).

Do you wrap or swaddle them?
How often do they eat?
Do you burp them? We are having lots of spit up now that my milk is in full force (and I kind of let down SUPER fast).
Change diapers?

She sleeps for 1/2 hour in her Amby baby hammock but that's it - she cries in what seems to be pain (sigh) off and on after that at night. I'm not sure what to try at this point...

She's really gassy but that isn't normal as their intestines adjust to bmilk and pass mec, right? I'm discouraged with this... I want a baby who is not in pain and who sleeps with us.

She wants to eat every hour (snacking) b/c I think her tummy hurts and nursing soothes her (she'd very likely LOVE a pacifier)... I've resisted the snacking thing some and tried to encourage bigger meals a little longer between b/c I want her to get hindmilk too...
Sound ok??

OK, should probably go, would love thoughts... thanks so much!
~Julie

[Kylahroo]

I guess you could say co-sleeping works for us, but we haven't tried it any other way. However, our kids don't sleep through the night until age 2 usually (our 3 year old slept through the night at age 1). Our definition of sleeping through the night when they're infants is waking to nurse, but not waking to play. When they're toddlers it's sleeping solid for at least 5 hours in a row.

Anyway! Here's what we're doing with Juniper (and have done with the others).

She sleeps between dh and me. She nurses to sleep, on her side. I usually flip her to her tummy when she finally falls deeply asleep (usually around 10pm) as she'll usually sleep 2-3.5 hours if I do this. Then she'll wake to nurse - nurses for about an hour or so (I stay on my side and nurse her from just one breast or both, depending on how full they are). Usually she'll go back to sleep. Sometimes I'll have to get up and rock with her for another 30-60 minutes. Or sometimes she'll take a pacifier and go back to sleep on her own. Then she'll sleep for 1-2 hour blocks, nursing for 30-60 minutes in between, until 7:30-8 in the morning.

So, she's usually "in bed" for 10 hours, nursing 3-6 times throughout the night. Normal for our kids, although I know many parents have it much easier (and some, much worse) than we do.

Diaper changes. Get a really good system so you don't have to change baby at night unless they poop!! That's my biggest advice! If you do need to change baby, have dh do it while you're nursing with minimal lights. This way, you avoid waking baby. Or, do it yourself between breasts. Have all your supplies right by the bed. We're using fuzzi-bunz with an infant prefold. Bought a dozen bumgenius (waiting for them to come) and those will work great, too, especially with both inserts.

Swaddling - no, we don't. She is covered by the same blanket that covers me or snuggled right up against my breasts (she likes her "pillow").

Burping - thankfully, I've never really had a terribly gassy baby. Do you think there's something in your diet that's causing this? I don't have much advice here, but it sounds as if getting her upright at least once during a feeding is going to be necessary.

Btw, during the day, she only sleeps on us for extended periods. If I try to lay her down in bed, she'll only stay asleep for 30 minutes max (usually only 5-10 min). She'll nap for 3 hours if we hold/sling her! So, as dh is here, we hold/sling her. Figure we mightaswell as long as we can, especially if she's our last.

[elfinbaby]

We've never really had co-sleeping issues esp. with our last 2. They were dreamy compared to our first. Dd1 actually woke up and giggled to nurse - I am not kidding. It was ridiculously cute.

I did/do have a dd that slept/sleeps on her tummy. She ALWAYS has - might have been tummy troubles. The others did side sleeping for my comfort. I rolled up receiving blankets to position them. I always, always keep a stack or pfs nearby for leaky boobs, spitup, pee, etc. That's probably my best tip, lol.

I've never swaddled. I never burped at night b/c I'm lazy even though I did have one babe who spit up a lot. I don't think burping was his problem. I'm not sure how often they ate - it varied. The girls - a few times a night. Ds - he didn't let go of my nipple until he was 2 yrs. old. If I removed it while he slept he woke up:

If they woke up crying at night I just made sure they were warm enough, dry enough, and then nursed them. That's my procedure

I don't think it's unusual for a babe's intestines to be working it out right now. I wouldn't be too concerned.

She definitely needs the hindmilk to keep her full. If she gets green poops, then she's only getting the foremilk. But she's still passing mec. so you probably can't tell right now.

It's early yet. Don't be discouraged. You're both still sorting it out most likely

[ladyelms]

We sleep belly to belly w/ his fists all up in my boobs, lol. I think gas is normal for when your milk first comes in--they're getting used to it being there "full force". I don't diaper change unless he's wet all the way through or is poopy. And he LOVES to be swaddled, but not necessarily when he's snuggled up close to me.

HTH

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

Do your babies just lay and sleep until they are hungry (vs. crying a lot)? My second two slept until they were hungry...my first two didn't. DS2 had GERD, and DS1 was colicky but I also just misread a lot of his cues, I think.

Do you wrap or swaddle them? I do swaddle them, with a swaddling blanket, especially when I'm looking for them to have a good long sleep. So usually at night or for a nice afternoon sleep. DD and DS3 definitely sleep longer swaddled (dd would add an hour or so). I then normally lay them (once they're nursed to sleep) on their side or tummy. I have co-slept with dd and ds3 as well, at night or if I want to sleep during the day. I have a playpen beside my bed because they sometimes seem to settle better swaddled and tucked in there. I just try co-sleeping first, with babe cuddled up to me, and if that doesn't work, I'll go thru the diaper check/burp/swaddle/tuck in playpen.

How often do they eat? When they're hungry - with these last two it's usually 3-4 hours between feedings and sometimes 5 (only at night). I don't do CIO or anything, it's just what they seem to do. Sometimes it's closer together, and that's fine, and sometimes they only want one side or the other, and that's fine too, but those feedings are the exception to the rule.

Do you burp them? Not at night. uper fast let down is hard, I struggled with that with ds2. I had to block feed for a while (one side only for several hours, then the other side for several hours) to get my milk supply down a bit and calm that letdown.

Diaper changes not at night, if i can manage it - seems to wake us both up too much. I usually have to change ds by 5 am or so, though.

Here's what I have to add...the first two or three days can be a bit tricky as milk comes in. Babies are often fussier, which worries us mommies, and then they do settle down a bit. I do try to just nurse when they are hungry - making that little hungry face. If they are crying a lot in between, it tends to be something different, dirty diaper, burp, a poop that doesn't seem to want to come out, etc. I used to nurse at every cry but IME it gave me more trouble with gassiness and spitup because they'd be too full. I think they can be too full. For me, good big feedings seem to make for a happier baby who sleeps better, and that's better for all of us. Plus, like you pointed out - hindmilk. That seemed to be my problem with ds2. I was woken up and so was he every 2 hours during our 5 day hospital stay, whether he was hungry or not, because of jaundice. We got into a routine of every 2 hrs round the clock, and then due to serious fussiness got into 1.5 hrs...and you can imagine. He was miserable and so was I. All he would get was piles of foremilk, so he was always hungry, always pooped green, and was so, so gassy. And getting out of the cycle of 1.5hr feedings was very hard to do. I learned my lesson, only to get a GERD baby the next time who needed that milk all the time to settle his belly. Chiropractic finally cured him.

We are both moms with lots of little ones and so it can be tricky! One other thing that's helping me cope right now is a good baby carrier (trying out my first mei tai, as opposed a sling, because it's 75% handsfree). I feed him, change him, burp him and tuck him in there and he'll always fall asleep with a minimum of effort, happy to be close to mommy! Sometimes if he's totally out I'll take him out and lay him down. I do use a crib for daytime sleeping for safety from the other kids.

HTH.

[mamaspirit]

Do your babies just lay and sleep until they are hungry (vs. crying a lot)? She does now, but we struggled the first 2 weeks with super fussiness between feedings. I was worried we wouldn't be able to co-sleep with her either. I have super fast let down also and realized that we were having a foremilk/hindmilk inbalance issue. I've been block feeding and it has helped a lot. she now sleeps 3 -4 hours between feedings at night, wakes up to nurse, than falls right back asleep on the boob.

Do you wrap or swaddle them? I tried swaddling her because thats the only way DS#2 would stay asleep. Freya HATES to be wrapped up in anyway. She sleeps very "open", even with her hands opened and arms sprawled out. She sleeps under the covers with me usually on her side.

How often do they eat? Freya eats whenever she cues me, i.e. rooting, fussing, etc. DS#2 was on more of a scedule because he spent his first 10 days in the NICU where they got him on a schedule.

Do you burp them? If at night she is fussy or squirmy after she eats, I check to see if she needs to go potty and than I lay her tummy down over my side (so I can stay laying down), she usually birps like that if she needs to, or settles down and I can lay her back on her side.

Diaper changes I change her right before we actually go to sleep and than once early morning about 5ish when DS#2 wakes up for a bottle. Other than that no....

[LianneM]

DS cried all night for the first week, I think. It was awful. He totally had night/day mixed up and would just cry, even with one of us walking him around the room. It was just a hard time, but once we got through it things were fine. He has always coslept and that wasn't a sign of him not liking it, to us.

We didn't swaddle b/c he'd get out of it - still won't sleep with any covers.

I desperately tried a pacifier with DS and it hurt our latch and I got a cracked nipple I'd try to stay away from it if at all possible. Even offering a finger to suck on would be better I think.

If you're concerned at all about hindmilk, just nurse on the same side twice in a row. You don't have to switch sides at every feeding. With the forceful letdown, you might try letting it spray into a burpcloth if you think she's getting too much at once or too much air from gulping to keep up.

HTH a little, I'm having ctrx and having a hard time concentrating

[franjapany]

I only have two days of experience o offer so this is more me subbing than anything else...

Actually we discovered that swaddling is great for Noah, bc it seems to be the only thing that can calm him, apart from the boob the hospital staff here swaddled him and we were really amazed how he calmed down immediately - he's a very active little guy, always rowing about with his arms and kicking his feet, but the swaddle usually does the trick.

I am not sure how to manage the bfing yet, because he seems to want snacks all the time and I am getting quite exhausted... especially, bc he is biting down on my nipples with his little jaw with every sucking motion! It HURTS!
Does Anybody have an idea how to have him get rid of that bad habit? (sorry, no thread-hijack intended).

[Kylahroo]

Originally Posted by LianneM

If you're concerned at all about hindmilk, just nurse on the same side twice in a row. You don't have to switch sides at every feeding. With the forceful letdown, you might try letting it spray into a burpcloth if you think she's getting too much at once or too much air from gulping to keep up.

I had an overactive letdown with my 2nd and the only solution was nursing on one side for 3-4 hours before switching to the other side. That is, no matter how often baby wants to nurse, always nurse on one side for 3-4 hours. Then switch to the other side for 3-4 hours. This way, the first letdown is really forceful, but the ones after that are less forceful and more full of hindmilk. Because it worked so well with him, this is the way I've nursed my 3 kids since. It makes it much easier for nursing in the sling as I nurse on the left side at home and then the right side when we're out and about and slinging.

[PiesandAbrosmama]

Newborn co-sleeping/nursing ?s...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
typing one handed...
I've never had a baby that was willing to co-sleep... we tried each and every
time, and harder each time, to make it work, but no go. I blame reflux as to our failure mostly and w/out that I think my youngest would have... BUT I have ?s... we're trying it again...

Do your babies just lay and sleep until they are hungry (vs. crying a lot)? I
think flat bothers Jade and she likes her tummy for sleeping some (or at least that is how I've gotten her to sleep longest amt. of time (on my chest, semi-reclined, her tummy down)).

Do you wrap or swaddle them? I swaddle during day and a semi swaddle at night. June Bella likes her side so I prop her on her side.
How often do they eat? June is every 2-3 hours, sometimes I have to wake her because my breasts hurt!
Do you burp them? We are having lots of spit up now that my milk is in full force (and I kind of let down SUPER fast). I burp at night especially because that's when June is fussy.
Change diapers? yes right before I feed again were in cloth and she poops ALL the time

She sleeps for 1/2 hour in her Amby baby hammock but that's it - she cries in what seems to be pain (sigh) off and on after that at night. I'm not sure what to try at this point... Night fuss is usual for us at least the last 6 nights. . .I just rock and sooth and ssshhh and try to burp her. She might be getting air when she sucks if she is not latched Great or the milk comes down so fast she chokes and has to pull off. . .You will sleep again I promise but not for awhile

She's really gassy but that isn't normal as their intestines adjust to bmilk and pass mec, right? I'm discouraged with this... I want a baby who is not in pain and who sleeps with us. I think it's normalish especially at first. Soon the sucking air thing from to much milk at once or poor latch won't be an issue and my babies are usually out of this stage bu 2-3 months old

She wants to eat every hour (snacking) b/c I think her tummy hurts and nursing soothes her (she'd very likely LOVE a pacifier)... I've resisted the snacking thing some and tried to encourage bigger meals a little longer between b/c I want her to get hindmilk too...
Sound ok?? She does want to sooth the pain not eat more, if you can get her to suck something else (I know some people will disagree and say nipple confusion, my babes always sucked on my pinky finger when just needing to suck would never take a passy, June will take a passy inbetween at night when she just wants to suck).
Stay calm, be patient, it will get worked out it just takes time to make a new normal and get on track. Blessings from a mama right there with you

[Twwly]

Do your babies just lay and sleep until they are hungry (vs. crying a lot)? Kinda.... DS fussed a fair bit. And he LOVED to snack. I let him, especially when he was tiny and had SUCH a tiny tummy. I did get a fore/hindmilk imbalance which was easily corrected with block nursing. I let him dictate when and how much he wanted to eat and that made his fussyness a LOT better when he was wee.

Do you wrap or swaddle them? Didn't with DS. He hated being swaddled. Fine with me!

How often do they eat? Sometimes DS ate every 30-45 minutes. Sometimes every couple hours, but no longer than that for quite a long time. I nursed on demand.

Do you burp them? Mostly we burped DS at night or he would spit up a LOT. During the day he'd be more upright in wraps and slings so it wasn't really needed.

Diaper changes? Yes, we EC so DS was given potty-tunities (in bed) whenever I sensed he needed to go at night from about 4 weeks on.

[berkeleyp]

Do your babies just lay and sleep until they are hungry (vs. crying a lot)? I find that if I am very attentive to their first cues that I can avoid crying about 8 times in 10. At first sign of waking, I usually offer a boob and/or cuddling/cooing and then a boob if she looks like she's rooting.
Do you wrap or swaddle them? No but sleep right next to her at night and mostly hold/sling her during the day though she has taken a couple naps in cradle or swing for up to one hour.
How often do they eat? At least every two hours - often in spurts every 15-30 mins during day and only once every 2-3 hours at night but again that's on demand. I've been lucky with this one and night sleeping. I would never deny a feeding as it is the easiest way to calm baby and I believe whatever makes them happy is probably what the need.
Do you burp them? If I remember and/or baby seems gassy or is fussing but not really latching - I figure she thinks sucking will help bu it doesn't and she gets frustrated, then I usually burp her and change dipe if burping doesn't help. Worst case is she needs a walk to calm her but will usually sleep through the transition from walking to being nestled in the crook of my arm. Having the head elevated on the arm also helps with gas I think.
Change diapers? I usually need to at least once in the night if baby is fussy and nursing and burping aren't doing it.

She sleeps for 1/2 hour in her Amby baby hammock but that's it - she cries in what seems to be pain (sigh) off and on after that at night. I'm not sure what to try at this point... Where is she sleeping when she is crying out off and on? In the Amby? In your bed?

She's really gassy but that isn't normal as their intestines adjust to bmilk and pass mec, right? I would make it a point to always burp her if this is the case - even if you are both comfy laying down.

She wants to eat every hour (snacking) b/c I think her tummy hurts and nursing soothes her (she'd very likely LOVE a pacifier)... I've resisted the snacking thing some and tried to encourage bigger meals a little longer between b/c I want her to get hindmilk too...
Sound ok?? I wouldn't restrict her nursing at all unless you really need the break, in which case I would enlist a paci if she's got a good latch or a finger - yours or dh's. If you are worried about the hind milk - you should let her nurse on the same breast longer or even twice in a row. You can also express some of the foremilk to bring the hind milk out sooner. Is there a reason you are worried about this? As long as she's not losing weight, you probably don't need to help regulate this if you let her nurse on cue and switch breasts as she desires.

I am not sure how to manage the bfing yet, because he seems to want snacks all the time and I am getting quite exhausted... especially, bc he is biting down on my nipples with his little jaw with every sucking motion! It HURTS!
Does Anybody have an idea how to have him get rid of that bad habit? (sorry, no thread-hijack intended).

I was in tears from the pain of cracking nipples from a bad latch with my first. Yes you can fix the latch - I would post in the breastfeeding forum for lots of good advice. Ideally, in-person assistance from someone with experience, preferably a lactation specialist would really help but short of that, I would post here but also see if you can't find some visual aids on you tube or something. It is really frustrating to fix a babies' latch but well worth the effort. I don't think I could have continued breastfeeding, despite my commitment to it, if I hadn't gotten help from my midwife on day 4. She watched me and helped me learn different positions for several hours and then it took days of me working with baby before we got the hang of it. I could go on but you might as well start your own thread in the DDC or the breastfeeding forum. Bottom line: GET HELP ASAP!

[JustVanessa]

Do your babies just lay and sleep until they are hungry (vs. crying a lot)? Billy just sleeps, no crying really. Its just me and him in the bed and he sleeps with his head on my boob.
Do you wrap or swaddle them? I don't swaddle while he is in bed with me. He is warm enough and doesn't seem to need it. DS1 needed to be swaddled all the time until he was 6 weeks old.

How often do they eat? Right now he is nursing around 10-11pm and we sleep until 2 or 3. Then he nurses again when we get up around 6-7.
Do you burp them? No. He just passes out. We sleep on top of a towel so if he spits up its not all over the sheets.
Diaper changes I change him right before we go to bed and when he wakes up to nurse. He doesn't seem to poop at night.

[*Karen*]

DD sleeps in the side carred crib most of the night. She wakes to feed and we sit up. Once she is bigger and better able to nurse on her side we will do that. Usually for the last feeding before we get up, we do it side-laying, but I have to hold my breast for her still since she is so little.

Do your babies just lay and sleep until they are hungry (vs. crying a lot)?
Yep, she goes to sleep between 8 and 9 in the side carred crib and stays asleep until 11 or 12. Then she gets up to eat, nurses and goes right back down.

Do you wrap or swaddle them?
nope
How often do they eat?
between 2 and 4 hours
Do you burp them?
Yep, but I do so because DD would much rather go to sleep on a shoulder than nursing. With DS I didn't after the first few months.
Change diapers?
Yes. Sometimes she wakes just because she is wet. She HATES being wet. Even a drop. I didn't with DS, but he didn't mind. If she ever gets to where she doesn't mind being wet, I won't change her. I keep a stack of diapers right beside us and I don't get out of the bed.


She's really gassy but that isn't normal as their intestines adjust to bmilk and pass mec, right? I'm discouraged with this... I want a baby who is not in pain and who sleeps with us.
Gas could be a foremilk hindmilk imbalance. I would try block feeding.

She wants to eat every hour (snacking) b/c I think her tummy hurts and nursing soothes her (she'd very likely LOVE a pacifier)... I've resisted the snacking thing some and tried to encourage bigger meals a little longer between b/c I want her to get hindmilk too...
Sound ok??
I wouldn't deny her the suck, I would just block feed and do every two-three hours per breast.

HTH.