BF and bedsharing

yankeebear

I'm new to cosleeping and I have really enjoyed reading the posts on this board!

So DD is 2 months old and during the day (or at night) when I nurse her sitting up she usually nurses for anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes each side and almost always falls asleep.  When she wakes up in the early morning for a feeding I have been putting her in the bed with me so I can continue to rest and this was working our very well.  (She sleeps in the cosleeper beside me at the beginning of the night.)

Lately though we both fall in and out of sleep and when I wake up she has been nursing for up to an hour or more on one side but when I stop her she still acts hungry.  First of all, I really don't want her using me as a pacifier.  But most importantly, I really have no idea how much she has actually eaten or how long she has slept.  So I don't know when her next feeding should be or when she should be sleeping.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Please note that DD will NOT take a pacifier and she puts her hands in her mouth all the time so I have a hard time reading her hunger cues.  

Thanks for reading.

lovekissedmama

You might do well to begin feeding and sleeping on demand rather than watching the clock. That erases much frustration and stress. Also, why do you not want to be a source of comfort to your LO? Babies soothe by sucking. Pacifiers or soothers were created to stand-in for mama's nipples. Meaning, comfort nursing is what babies are biologically wired to expect and a pacifier is merely second best. You have a hard road ahead if your LO won't take a pacifier and you don't want to nurse for comfort.

yankeebear

Thanks!  I should mention that I just went back to work.  I don't mind if DD nurses for comfort, but in the mornings I'm trying to make sure she has had enough to eat and enough sleep before I have to leave her.  I wish I could be with her all day and feed on demand, but that isn't possible.

rachelle2824

I feel the same way with my little girl. I find that she is hungry again about an hour after we get up. If I have somewhere to be (work etc) I just get up, get ready and then nurse her right before I leave. By this time she is usually hungry enough to get a full feeding before I leave. You caregiver (for when you are at work) should understand that your LO may need a bottle in the morning shortly after you leave (even if she just nursed) if she is sleeping long stretches at night.

KCKappa

yankeebear:

I'm new to cosleeping and I have really enjoyed reading the posts on this board!

So DD is 2 months old and during the day (or at night) when I nurse her sitting up she usually nurses for anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes each side and almost always falls asleep.  When she wakes up in the early morning for a feeding I have been putting her in the bed with me so I can continue to rest and this was working our very well.  (She sleeps in the cosleeper beside me at the beginning of the night.)

Lately though we both fall in and out of sleep and when I wake up she has been nursing for up to an hour or more on one side but when I stop her she still acts hungry.  First of all, I really don't want her using me as a pacifier.  But most importantly, I really have no idea how much she has actually eaten or how long she has slept.  So I don't know when her next feeding should be or when she should be sleeping.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Please note that DD will NOT take a pacifier and she puts her hands in her mouth all the time so I have a hard time reading her hunger cues.  

Thanks for reading.

If she's still hungry when you wake up, go ahead and nurse her. Especially if you'll be leaving for the day soon, it makes sense to let her fill her belly if she wants to. At such a young age, I'd nurse when you wake up, then again before you actually leave. That way you know you're leaving her with a full tummy and lots of momma cuddles, and you know what time her last meal was to tell her DCP, nanny, sitter, etc. Sometimes it's hard to tell if they're hungry when they're so little, but I always err on the side of more nursing is better than less nursing. f she's not hungry, she'll refuse and that's that. As she gets older and you get to know her better, you'll be able to better interpret when/whether she's actually hungry - but a little nursing for comfort and snuggles even when she's not hungry is never a bad thing and will help your milk supply too!

sarahandeddiejune212008

I wouldn't stress about the comfort nursing.  It is great for your supply!  I let DD nurse on demand throughout the night.  I would then get up and get ready for work and nurse her just before I left.  I tried to give myself at least 45 extra minutes to get her up, change her diaper, and nurse her.  I found that changing her diaper woke her up enough to get a pretty good feeding in.  Good luck!