Sleeping and Latching...anyone else?
mamacat123
member
Hi all! Love the baby, she is so sweet--however, she does NOT like to be put down! Like...ever. So there's been lots of baby holding and baby-wearing in the sling the past few days, which is fine. Sleep is an issue though--I've been putting her in the co-sleeper and she fusses and cries, so I wind up pulling her into bed with me and sleeping with her on my chest. Is this horrible? I've gotten conflicting advice from "you'll smother her/SIDS/etc." to "do whatever it takes to get her to sleep."
Also, I'm a FTM and not sure how breastfeeding "should go". Two questions-should it hurt for a little bit at the beginning when she latches on? And how long do you let your babies nurse on each breast/total? My daughter is 4 days old, if that helps.
I would love any and all advice!
Re: Sleeping and Latching...anyone else?
Although you'd want to eventually get her to be able to sleep by herself, the general word is that you can't give a baby that young too much attention. It helps establish a sense of trust that you're there to meet her needs. Everyone is going to have a different opinion about cosleeping. My LO isn't here yet, but my opinion is that sleeping in an adult bed shouldn't be made a habit for safety reasons. However, some people do it safely by taking pillows and blankets off the bed. If you don't want her sleeping with you, try putting her in the co-sleeper and rubbing her back/tummy until she goes to sleep, that way she has the comfort of your touch while still sleeping in her own bed.
Best of luck to you.
I forget what it is like to sleep in my own bed. As I type, Liam is asleep on my chest on the glider after a bfing session. I know he will start crying as soon as I put him down so I will nap here in a bit. We have found he likes the PnP but can only fall asleep with the vibrating mode (which turns off in 15 mins). He also doesn't like to be out down and I haven't been brave enough to use the wrap yet. I guess I am in the do what you can to survive camp, however I would love for him to just sleep in his crib and wake me for feedings!
As far as bfing is concerned, my boobs do hurt at first when he latches on. If it doesn't go away within the first couple of sucks I know it is a bad latch, take him off, and readjust. I start with the breast he ended on and usually try for 20 mins on that breast. I burp him and move to the other breast which lasts about 15 mins.
Liam is 6 days old.
My dd is 8 days old and same as pp. Hurts the first few sucks then after that it goes away and I can tell shes feeding. She sleeps on my chest alot and DH seems to be the only one to be able to get her to sleep in her bassinet. What kind of "wrap" are you referencing? I tried a sling given to me but I worry its crunching her and she doesn't look very comfortable.
We're pretty lucky to have a good sleeper (she sleeps in the PnP downstairs or her crib upstairs), so I am no real help there. I would suggest one thing though: once you try putting her down, try keeping your hands on her belly with a little bit of pressure for a couple minutes. That way if she wakes up a little, she still "feels you" there and will go back to sleep. This helped the first few days we came home... FWIW, I do still let her sleep on my chest some mornings after her early feed. It's nice to get that time in and I know she won't always like it.
As for feeding, when she latches on, the first 5-10 seconds hurt, but then no pain or discomfort. Like a PP said, if it continues to hurt, remove the latch and try again. DD nurses for about 25-30 minutes on one side and that has seemed to be enough for her as she generally passes out immediately after finishing. I have only offered the other breast to her once and she wasn't interested. I'd say I have a pretty good supply though.
Everyone has an opinion about what you "should" and "shouldn't" do. I think you need to do what works at this early age. My little boy often sleeps on my chest. He will be 5 weeks old on Tuesday and it has only been in the last couple of days that we have gotten him to sleep in his crib for any length of time. Sometimes he sleeps in his car seat or swing, too. Since she is only 4 days old, I say do what will work best for you and her. Sometimes having Matthew on my chest is the only way either one of us will sleep.
As for the BFing, I've noticed that my right breast always hurts initially when he nurses on that side. The left is better for some reason. Of course, when he has those moments when it seems he wants to eat all the time (especially at night), both breasts do get a little sore. I agree with others though that if it continues to hurt after the first initial sucks, pull LO off and try to get her to re-latch.
Good luck - she sure is cute!