[Cartesia]

My 4.5 month LO has been waking/nursing a ton for the past month and I have a feeling it is just going to continue for awhile....So I would really like to find a way that I can sleep through his nursing.

We have co-slept since birth but for the past 2 months I have noticed that he seems to sleeps better not touching me. After he nurses he rolls his head to the opposite side and wants to be on his belly (I let him). So he sprawls out on his tum and I roll away or I scooch him into the sidecar crib and sleep right next to it.

The problem with this is that he needs my help after he nurses to roll over, so even if I drift off I have to wake up to help him roll and it interrupts the potential peaceful sleep.

Any suggestions of how I could help him relearn to sleep on his side facing me? Or what other positions do you use for co-sleeping, esp. for nursing in your sleep?

 

[Loralz]

I have no idea if I just have an odd baby or what, but what worked for us at that age (And LO is 7 months now) is putting her on my chest on her tummy. If she stayed asleep, I'd pick her up under her arms and fly her over to the co-sleeper. She'd snuggle right in and drift off to happy-happy sleep land. Of course, that didn't work when the tooth fairy decided to visit...but now that the tooth fairy has left after her first visit, LO is back to letting me do that again.

HTH!

 

[Cartesia]

Do you mean she nursed like that??

 

[MLA]

I'd just wait until he can roll over on his own rather than trying to screw with your routine. In a few weeks he should be able to roll over to his tummy without your help so you'll be able to stay asleep.

 

[Loralz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cartesia Do you mean she nursed like that??

Sometimes she does, but usually I wait until she pulls off and then do the chest test.

Sorry; I didn't make that clearer in my first post. If she stays asleep on my chest, then I put her on her tummy in her co-sleeper.

I too can't sleep through nursing, so having her attached all night just isn't an option. For us, the chest test works b/c then she can be on her tummy to sleep and life is happy. Well, until her little tummy cries out for more food that is!

I hope that all made sense.

 

[Devaskyla]

I never learned how to manage that either. If I'm extremely sleep deprived, I'll sometimes drift off, but most of the time the best I can manage is a light doze. I've always been really envious of women who can consistently sleep while nursing

 

[Astrogirl]

I always called what i did "sleeping through nursing" but in actuality, I would semi-wake to latch and then fall back asleep right away - it eventually got so I didn't remember waking up to latch them, so I must have been latching them in my sleep. But i know i did, because my kids were never able to latch on their own.

 

[missjessicajames]

In a very groggy state I will help my LO latch and then fall back asleep, on very rare occasions if we're snuggled in the right position she will latch herself on. But I can only go back to sleep if we're nursing on the right side. My left breast is larger than my right and if i don't hold if for her so can't stay latched on, and I am not talented enough to hold my breast and sleep at the same time

 

[Twwly]

Both my kids were side sleepers, so I hardly notice them nursing, and don't have to move. I don't think I have ever ACTUALLY slept through a nursing session, but it's pretty close. I do count it as sleep, but I'm not in REM or anything.

I know it doesn't help you right now, but soon your LO will be able to roll over and you will hardly notice.

 

[Nicole730]

I wasn't able to sleep through nursing until DS was about 7 months old and that's because his night time nursing sessions got a lot shorter. I still usually wake up when he does, but once he latches on I'm instantly asleep. I feel as though DS is only nursing for less than a minute, but maybe I am wrong. I agree with PP, that once he is able to roll over on his own, it will be easier for you to drift back to sleep and stay sleeping. If you don't turn him over, does he start to cry? If not, you could just see if he eventually goes to sleep.

 

[GAjenn]

I have a pillow with arms (bought at Target) and I lay/sit in a reclined position. I then prop her on a pillow kind of cradled/kind of on her side. She starts nursing, I dose off. Not a deep sleep, but better than nothing. I usually wake up and lay her down next to me after a while.

 

[Cartesia]

Ha ha there is a new development -

now that he can push up high on his arms I wake to find him scooting himself perpendicular to me, pushed up high, head tilted towards my breast and mouth open - no crying, just a very determined physical effort to get there by himself! It is hilarious and darling.

So, that makes sense what folks said about waiting a bit. Since he is already becoming an active participant in GETTING there, I'm sure he will figure out rolling away soon enough!

Thanks all.

 

[Mrsboyko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cartesia Do you mean she nursed like that??

Both of my kids have. I have an oversupply and tend to choke them if I feed them laying down so being on top of me helps. Eventually DS unlatches and falls asleep on my chest. Sometimes I move him back to the bed, sometimes not.

 

[metafisica]

I guess I'm one of those ppl. who can do it

Since the beginning I would put my son on his side, put a pillow behind him so that he doesnt fall back, latch him, and then drift to sleep....he would nurse and doze off as well

Now, at almost 7 months he also pulls his head away from me when hes done nursing, but only to continue sleeping peacefully on his own; I have noticed, however, that he does need my touch in a sense that his foot is always touching my thigh, and sometimes he wakes up and pulls (rather violently) my nightgown towards himself when he wants to nurse...

BTW, in India, all the mothers I know nurse this way...in fact, women here have shown me how to do it after they have been shocked when they saw I was actually sitting in bed and holding DS to nurse...here virtually everybody coo sleeps and nurses while sleeping...

 

[claddaghmom]

nak

you just change your definition of sleep

only half j/k

mw: hows she sleeping (1wk old)
me; she sttn
mw; really?
me; yeah she falls asleep round midnight, wakes up around 4/5 then sleeps till 9
mw; ah!

lol

 

[claddaghmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by metafisica I guess I'm one of those ppl. who can do it Since the beginning I would put my son on his side, put a pillow behind him so that he doesnt fall back, latch him, and then drift to sleep....he would nurse and doze off as well Now, at almost 7 months he also pulls his head away from me when hes done nursing, but only to continue sleeping peacefully on his own; I have noticed, however, that he does need my touch in a sense that his foot is always touching my thigh, and sometimes he wakes up and pulls (rather violently) my nightgown towards himself when he wants to nurse... BTW, in India, all the mothers I know nurse this way...in fact, women here have shown me how to do it after they have been shocked when they saw I was actually sitting in bed and holding DS to nurse...here virtually everybody coo sleeps and nurses while sleeping...

we do the same! i use a blanket behind her tho. she has started latching on way more during the night.

 

[huminbird]

I have such itsy bitsy titties that side nursing didn't work and he hated to lay on my chest and nurse until he was about 6 months old. For the first 6 months or so I actually sat half way up to nurse him every time. It sucked and I did learn to sorta sleep like that.

Now, at 11+ months I lay mostly on my back, a little tilted towards the baby and he lays with his head on my arm and nurses until he is done and then he pulls away. I usually half sleep like that for a while and then if/when I wake up enough, I put him in his little side sleeper bed. He usually scoots until he is touching me with a hand or foot.

Everything has changed since he had an injury but that's another story. Now he has to sleep on me no matter how uncomfortable it is for either of us.

 

[muppet729]

I actually have slept though nursing - so much so that I have dreams where I'm all of a sudden aware of an uncomfortable feeling in my breast and I wake up to find that one of the girls has latched on poorly and I was actually feeling it in my dream... yes, I'm a little strange I think

I don't know what I would suggest if he doesn't want to be touching you though... just thought I"d share my anecdote.

 

[Teenytoona]

DD is 14 mo. I still cannot sleep through night nursing.

 

[hrsmom]

I have woken up nursing once, that was awesome! I wish that happened more! And I have fallen asleep nursing a handful of times, but even though SHE doesn't wake up fully most of the time, I do. At least she doesn't, so many nights I am able to fall right back asleep. When she was younger she kicked and pulled and rubbed her eyes (scraping her fingers across my breast) all while nursing, not something a person could sleep through. Now it's better, but when she wakes up hourly, it is really hard for me to get back to sleep after about the 5th wake up. It just is. OK, I'm grumpy today, sorry! I've been side-nursing her since about two months of age, but even with tons of pillows, it's never really comfortable for me. I don't know. Hopefully you'll soon be sleeping and nursing!