[The Lucky One]

Ok, here's why I ask.

I have a very voracious eater in my 3 week old. He does and has always eaten every hour with rare exception, even at night. My 2 year old doesn't nap and so I've been feeling rather sleep deprived.

What I had been doing at night when he needed to nurse was to prop up three pillows behind my back in bed, sit up and nurse him until he fell back asleep. I stayed awake, for the most part (dozing here and there). We had tried the side-lying position, but he seemed to small to do it, either that, or I wasn't getting us positioned right.

Well, last night, the side-lying thing worked. I layed there, latched him on and basically drifted in and out of sleep while he ate. Eventually, I guess, he drifted off too and we would sleep. Then when I would feel him stirring, I'd flip us both over and we'd do the same thing on the other side. We did this all night and I actually feel rested today for the first time since he was born.

Is this OK to do with such a young baby? I hadn't been burping him anyway, so that aspect isn't changed. I guess I just worry because I'm not fully awake or something. Honestly, I really don't remember much of last night at all. Obviously, I took care of his eating needs, because he didn't so much as whimper all night, but I just don't remember doing it and that kind of freaks me out.

So, what do you do at night? And do you think what I'm doing is OK and safe?

tia,
lisa

 

[BAU3]

Thats how I've fed all three of mine!

my 6 mo still sleeps most of the night in my arm..

However, you are the best judge of whats right...you know how deeply or lightly you sleep...Are you comfortable with it?

 

[jaime302]

YES

I did this with my eldest from the day she was born until she was a round 6-7 months old and started squirming too much for anyone to be comfortable in bed, and have been doing this with my 5 1/2 month old from day one

Sleep is so much better, and you tend to be hypersensitive when it comes to waking if the baby is moving. As long as you are following safe co-sleeping practices, no heavy blankets, no big pillows, firm mattress, don't co-sleep if you have had a lot to drink or have any drugs in your system, then there is no harm.

We have never had any complaints about the amount of sleep using this method (other than general no sleep because of an ear infection or teething) I never remember lots of details other than feeding and dozing because doing this way,in general, you don't fully wake up and neither does the baby

BUT you also don't go into a deep sleep and the neither does the baby, which reduces the risk of SIDS

What you are doing is great, and so much easier than getting out of bed to a fussy baby every 1-2 hours

 

[kaismom]

nak
I too had trouble sidelying w/ positioning with ds when he was very young -- my breast seemed so huge next to his tiny little face i coulnt figure how he could breathe, I feared falling asleep in case my hand would slip off and the fullnes of my breast would cover his little nose. but like you sleep was very infrequent so necessity overruled. my mom a LLL leader from the 70s stepped in and got him positioned right now it is my favorite way to nurse --dd did it just hours after birth and has always slept very close it feels safe for me. I second BAU3 though you will know what feels right so follow your instincts.

 

[dnr3301]

With dd I would do the wakingup and sitting up and nursing thing, then FINALLY learned to nurse laying down and now I recommend it to all new moms (when I find out people are pregnant, I always say, learn how to nurse laying down as quickly as possible, it's a life saver). With ds (now three months old), I did it immediately and now it is my first choice for nursing, if we are having any problems getting going, I lay down and he gets right on. Good for you for finding something that works for you.

 

[Delight]

We've nursed laying down from day 1...I just thought that was how everyone did it at night! I am very rested and feel totally comfortable nursing "in my sleep". I figure...if I'm not gonna go to a crib, pick her up and nurse her...then I'm not gonna sit up in bed either! It's so much easier. Now if I could just convince my mama friends of this obvious fact...

 

[Phoebe]

I myself have the pillows in place at the head of the bed and I sit up to nurse ds. He sleeps in an arm's reach cosleeper so I have to scoop him out any how. We sometimes end up feeding this way in the late morning (if you call 5-6 am late!) and it works fine. We just don't really have what I feel is a safe bed for ds to spend all night there. Lots of down this and that. The sitting up actually works for me. I feel rested to the point that I don't get it when people pitty me for all my nightwakings. No big deal. I'm sure that as he gets bigger I will do more lying down and nursing. I do like to do that on the futon when he naps.

I say find what works and stick with it!

 

[3 Little Monkeys]

with dd1, I had a waterbed - not exactly prime baby bed IYKWIM - so I invested in tons of pillows so during the night I could prop the heck out of myself and still sleep. I had some under my arms to hold them up while I held dd in the cradle hold, pillows behind me to sit me up, a pillow on my lap to lift dd up a bit - it worked great because she could eat, I could sleep (I sort of dozed in and out like you described) and I finally felt like I was getting some rest. Once we got rid of the waterbed I was able to nurse laying down, but I did the pillow thing for a long time.

 

[sbmama]

My ds, now almost 5 months, was a big eater as well. Learning how to nurse laying down was the key to any assemblance of sleep at night. Keep at it -- once the babe gets the hang of it, you can really drift in and out. And it is very cute as they get older and can roll into you, arms outstretched, or even push themselves up on their arms to get at the goods, lol.
Good luck!

 

[ejsmommy]

I nursed dd in the side laying position in bed since the day she was born. It was a little challenging and sometimes I thought I 'should' be sitting up etc. but then I never got any sleep. Once I told myself it was o.k. we've never looked back. I used to leave the closet light on so I could see to positon her at latch on untill she was old enough to do so herself. We still nurse a couple of times a night but we both sleep well every night!! So I highly recommend you keep trying it, if you are comfortable with it, it will only keep getting easier. Good luck and congratulations!

 

[Ex Libris]

I've BF my little one lying down since the beginning. Probably helped that I didn't know there was anything wrong with it! DS was only 5.5 lbs when we brought him home, so he was pretty small, too. But I learned to BF while lying down b/c I was too exhausted to get up. Plus, I even learned how to use both breasts w/o moving him. I just positioned myself a little differently to get each one in his mouth. I'm not even sure anymore how often he wakes at night to eat b/c I'm half asleep the whole time myself. And he can drift back off to sleep while sucking. Works great. that's his favorite way to nurse now, though it sometimes works against me when we're out in public

I'll bet that with a little practice you'll get used to doing it and feel more secure about it.

 

[jacksmama]

In the very beginning I wasn't able to bf ds lying down. We just couldn't get it together. So I would sit up in bed and bf. After about (can't remember..so this is a guess!

: ) maybe 5 or 6 weeks we started getting the hang of it.

When we need to switch sides I sit up just a bit and slide ds across the bed. Then I jump to the other side. I know a lot of moms pick baby up and roll over with them, but that didn't work for us. My dh woke up the other night and saw me scooting ds across the bed and said something to me the next morning about how I just grab him and seem to toss him across the bed.

I don't really, it's just that we have this so down pat I guess it does look a little cave-woman like. Ds never even wakes up anymore and I hardly do either!

Trust in yourself and your baby. You'll be pros in no time! And remember when it comes to bf'ing technique...it doesn't have to be pretty...it only has to work for both of you! Just ask any mom of a bf'ing toddler!

 

[JohnnysGirl]

I have BF'd the bug laying down in bed from the beginning, and it segeways into us taking a nap together, or sleeping all night, depending on when it occurs. We love it, and it's going on 9 months now, so why question what works? The best of luck to you!

 

[tammylc]

We're still working on this laying down thing. DS has trouble getting latched on and I always have to help, but that's getting better. I tried doing it more of the time last night, but it seems like he doesn't get a full meal that way - I don't know if I move away from him when I drift off, or if he's just so comfy he falls right back to sleep, but my boobs spent most of the night half full and were uncomfortable. And Liam was rolling around in his sleep a lot. He's a pretty gassy little guy, so I think that not being burped after nursing makes it hard for him to sleep. So I ended up sitting up with him a couple of times to make sure he got a good nursing in, and I could burp him.

 

[~Megan~]

I think its great. That's how we learned to sleep too.
When she was really little I'd just support her head with my arm (I have large breasts and so they would stretch up there to reach her).

 

[loving-my-babies]

I've nursed laying down at night since my baby was born (literally, since day 1) and he has slept by my side, in my bed, since day 1 too.

I don't think he's too young. Go for it!

 

[sagira]

loving-my-babies wrote:

Quote:

I've nursed laying down at night since my baby was born (literally, since day 1) and he has slept by my side, in my bed, since day 1 too.

Yup! That's what I have done too, exactly. I still do (ds is 9 months old), but no pillows. I find it more comfortable lying down with him on just the mattress.

I feel the same way: like I'm sleeping all night (I hardly remember anything) but yet I know I'm aware of him because one night he woke up and sat up. My eyes flew open and saw him watching me (he was smiling). It was the weirdest (and cutest) thing. Mother's instincts.

I wouldn't worry about it unless you drink alcohol, smoke or use drugs or take antidepressants.

Cheers,