Trying not to doze off during feedings

khauke · April 2011

I love watching my little one and stroking his head and talking to him while he nurses, but there are some nights where I am just so tired. He is 6 weeks and would still rather sleep during the morning then at night. He would stay latched all night if I let him.

I have tried watching TV and listening to music when I just get so tired, but I am sorry to admit, I have dozed off a few times while feeding him. So far that has resulted in nothing more than him sleeping on the boppy pillow and me drooling on myself but I know it is not safe to fall asleep like that. . . any ideas?

ncbelle · April 2011

Create a safe bedsharing space and learn to nurse side lying - then it's ok to drift off to sleep ;-)

rosiemomma · April 2011

yes side-lying is great you can doze and baby can nurse as long as he likes. A few tips on safe bed-sharing here from dr sears,

"

Take precautions to prevent baby from rolling out of bed, even though it is unlikely when baby is sleeping next to mother. Like heat-seeking missiles, babies automatically gravitate toward a warm body. Yet, to be safe, place baby between mother and a guardrail or push the mattress flush against the wall and position baby between mother and the wall. Guardrails enclosed with plastic mesh are safer than those with slats, which can entrap baby's limbs or head. Be sure the guardrail is flush against the mattress so there is no crevice that baby could sink into.Place baby adjacent to mother, rather than between mother and father. Mothers we have interviewed on the subject of sharing sleep feel they are so physically and mentally aware of their baby's presence even while sleeping, that it's extremely unlikely they would roll over onto their baby. Some fathers, on the other hand, may not enjoy the same sensitivity of baby's presence while asleep; so it is possible they might roll over on or throw out an arm onto baby. After a few months of sleep-sharing, most dads seem to develop a keen awareness of their baby's presence.Place baby to sleep on his back.Some parents and babies sleep better if baby is still in touching and hearing distance, but not in the same bed. For them, a bedside co-sleeper is a safe option."

I found my daughter slept so much better once I started side nursing and partially bed sharing it lead me to completely love co-sleeping, maybe I just feel more rested but it definitely helps.

side nursing info:

https://www.mother-2-mother.com/tut-layingdown.htm

some other links:

https://www.drmomma.org/2009/10/breastfeeding-bedsharing-still-useful.html

https://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/t070600.asp

https://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/turn-your-crib-into-cosleeper.html

https://www.drmomma.org/2009/10/bed-of-roses-overcoming-9-obstacles-to.html

Jessa1982 · April 2011

I have the same problem! I have started to set the alarm on my cell phone right when i get up to feed her. I set it for 5 minutes for when I start feeding, then just keep hitting snooze. My snooze on my cell phone goes off every 5 minutes so if I fall asleep, it's only for a minute. After a few nights of this, I find myself waiting for the alarm to go off and not sleeping. It's kinda annoying for it to keep going off, but it seems to be working for me.

khauke · April 2011

Thank you for the suggestion and information on bedsharing. I will have to read into that more and see if I can set it up.

The cell phone alarm is also a clever idea.

Thanks!

humynone · April 2011

I find that I doze off more when I'm not getting enough sleep at night. See if going to bed earlier or taking a nap during the day helps you stay a little more aware at night. I know everyone is different though...my DH could sleep through anything regardless of how much or how little he gets.

AutumnBride929 · April 2011

I fall asleep while BF all the time. Side lying on our bed. It's the best thing ever.

ailidespain · May 2011

AutumnBride929:
I fall asleep while BF all the time. Side lying on our bed. It's the best thing ever.

Agreed!

Trying not to doze off during feedings

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