Masters of breastfeeding lying down, come and help me please

[Sleepstarved]

DD2 is almost two weeks and is very unsettled at night so we are co-sleeping and feeding as often as she seems to need.
The problem is I am very uncomfortable feeding lying down but would like to in order to get more rest.
To get her on boob I need to lie at 45degrees and so end up twisted and achy. If I lie directly on my side my boob is too close to the mattress to get her on.
I've tried stuffing a pillow behind me but still get a sore neck and hips.
Any tips?

[noblegiraffe]

I couldn't comfortably feed lying down until my DS was a few months old and much bigger. I think it's tricky if you've got smaller boobs.

Have you tried feeding from the top boob instead of the bottom one?

[Sleepstarved]

The top boob would be too far away, she'd have to be sitting up and not sure I could hold her like that.
I fed DD1 lying down sometimes and I remember having to stuff pillows ect but she was a bigger baby right from the start, although had a terrible latch.
The aches seem worse this time.

[PirateHat]

I sometimes get a sore neck, back, arm but I think it is because I don't move about when I co-sleep. It is definitely easier to get them on when they are a bit older.

What really helped me was to pull the baby toward you by their shoulders and back (ie put your hand behind them and push them toward you) so their head drags slightly behind. So the neck and jaw opens up and their chin isn't on their chest.

Have you tried a tiny pillow for your breast? I've had very little sleep but I'm sure I've seen this recommended somewhere - a balled up pair of socks?

[mummysmellsofsick]

I think it gets easier as they get bigger. I rarely feed any other way now. Other than lots of pillows behind your back I don't think I can help I didn't end up at a 45 degree angle. Hope you crack it, lying down feeding is a lifesaver imo

[mummysmellsofsick]

...opposite hand under boob?

[BedHanger]

I find feeding from the top boob quite comfy and mine aren't too big - I sort of lie in the recovery position with the top arm bent a a 45 degree angle above DS's head.

Does that make any sense at all? We need diagrams really!

[BedHanger]

Plus when feeding from the bottom boob I always find DS needs to be lower down my body than I think to latch properly. And with his tummy/legs drawn really closely to me (he's nearly six weeks).

[Eskino]

My dd is 10 weeks and is just big enough for me to feed her lying down. I found it so hard when she was tiny, really achey. Now I hold her in the crook of my arm and she's big enough to just sort of snuffle her way on. Still a bit stiff in the morning though. In between feeds I try and stretch out to sleep on my back to compensate.

[thompson369]

I roll up a muslin square and use it to sort of prop my boob up! Sort of like the ball of socks suggestion above I guess. It is definitely a lifesaver IMO.

[Bunbaker]

"I think it's tricky if you've got smaller boobs."

I agree. I couldn't master feeding lying down because I would have had to lean over DD to feed her or prop her up on a pillow. I couldn't get anywhere near her mouth in the recovery position. Being more buxom is definitely an advantage in this case.

[SquidgersMummy]

It gets easier as baby gets bigger - hope you find a way that works but if not don't give up, just try again later on. I don't think boob size will make a difference. X

[SquidgersMummy]

Oh, teeny boobies here - we feed lying down - cant think when we started - it was her size not mine that was important x

[80QuidYoniJob]

Could you put something underneath your boob? Rolled up muslin?

[PseudoBadger]

We couldn't master it until DS had a little bit of head control and his mouth was a bit bigger. Then we fed lying down all the time!

[gaggiagirl]

I agree try to fold a muslin or a thin blanket to prop it up a bit, I fed DD lying down for weeks as she wouldnt latch on if I was sitting up.

[ShowOfHands]

Try You Tube. I thought I struggled with dd because of the size of my boobs/size of dd/head control etc. I just wasn't doing it right. There are plenty of videoes on there.

Also, the baby needs to be much further down than you'd think. Not up by your arm/boob, nestled in but further down by your stomach.

[BedHanger]

Yes, they do need to be quite a lot lower than you'd think, don't they show?

[Sleepstarved]

Thank you all. I do have her quite low, remember that from first time as it makes them lift chin to latch and that helps.
Will try propping boob tonight but its more a case of needing to lean back slightly to stop boob disappearing underneath me.
Can't figure out how I'd feed from top boob as that nip is facing ceiling when I am lying directly on my side (ponders abnormal shaped boobs).
Baby seems to hate sleeping on back too, makes her struggle and kick, so her being on her side seems to help. (Fed up already of her needing to sleep face down on my chest).
Just put her down in bed beside me to write this, was sparked out asleep, and now wriggling like mad.

Hope you all have good nights

[BedHanger]

Hope you get some sleep tonight! My DS2 is actually sleeping reasonably well for one so tiny. His big brother on the other hand...

[Fazerina]

If feeding from the top boob you'd need to lean forward more and almost lie on your stomach and push your bent top leg more forward on the bed to support you. That way the nipple will be lower.. I never quite liked that though.. For what it's worth, I'm still always aching all over in the morning after two years of co-sleeping and breastfeeding. Have you tried one of those big pregnancy pillows behind you? I sometimes use it and it does offer some support.

[Sleepstarved]

We slept in one and a half hour bursts last night. Think it is actually wind/poo pain that is making it difficult to settle.
HV saw her today, her latch is good but she is making the odd noise which might be causing wind so trying infacol tonight.
I'll have to be really careful about he latch if we feed lying down tonight.
Muslin under boob didn't really help last night, think I just have odd shaped boobs...

[thegoodthebadandtheyoni]

Took me a good while to master the lying down feeding, but in the meantime I found leaning back/slouching and DS lying up me vertically with his legs straddling one of mine and his arms kind of splayed comfy enough to sleep. Yes, def need diagrams! It's essentially the same idea as feeding lying down but you're both upright...works even better if you can raise your feet up as well. I've got pretty big boobs and so needed to put a rolled up muslin underneath to keep my boob steadier and there was some comedy head-bobbing before he mastered it, but it provided a much needed stepping stone till we got the hang of full on lying down.

[YoniOrNotYoni]

Have you asked anyone in rl to help you? The MW in hospital showed me how to feed lying down before showing me anything else and we always found it the easiest position. On the nights I was struggling though I always got DH to come and re-position DS. He could work the angles out better from an objective position!

[Victoria2002]

I have small boobs and was able to b/f lying down from day 1 so I think it can be done and my baby fed every 2 hours for 6 months so co-sleeping saved me! Can you try biological nurturing (described above where baby faces you lying up your tummy) with lots of pillows so you are kinda lounging back? I think rl help is very very useful for b/f and do try several sources. I found vital help from an nct peer supporter after going several times to the hv and to nhs breastfeeding group. Good luck it's worth marstering so keep trying.

[Sleepstarved]

Thanks everyone. Am getting more concerned that DD has reflux so may leave the feeding lying down for a bit until I can work out what is going on.
She is so uncomfortable and cannot sleep on her back. I really need to make sure the latch is good so she is not getting excess wind, so think I'll have to stick to feeding sitting up against pillows in bed and then settle DD against my chest before trying to lie her down.