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Infant feeding

Breastfeeding safely lying down. (Stupid question alert)

4 replies

Mrsyorkie · 14/11/2017 05:53

Hi,

My DS is 4 months old and since around 8 weeks ago i have been giving him a bottle of formula at the 3am feed (he's bf other than this- DH gives a bottle of formula at 10.30), settling him down and then expressing. This takes about an hour and the reason I do it is because if i bf at this time, it takes close to an hour to settle him down and then he'd be up 30mins later wanting another feed. This would go on until we get up at around 7ish so from 3am I would not sleep at all. With the formula I would maybe sleep until 5.30am/6 30am; depending on how generous he's feeling.
I'm keen to get back to bf through the night and have tried the last couple of nights by feeding in bed. However, I need a bit of advice how to do this safely! I feel that when I a) have my arm under his neck and him snuggled into me on his side, his neck gets too sweaty and I think his neck must ache after a while! B) if I remove my arm and he feeds and unlatches, he ends up with his face almost pressed into the mattress. C) I lay him in his back, It's really uncomfortable for me to contort myself into a position where he can feed!
What do you do?
Also, are there any babies that don't treat this like an all day buffet and stop feeding at some point? I don't seem to be sleeping much with either option. I'm just so so tired, I was close to tears an hour ago. Any advice would be appreciated!

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AlbusPercival · 14/11/2017 06:00

Bless you.

Firstly this passes. Mine is just turned one and trying to get him to unlatch is my issue now :)

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AlbusPercival · 14/11/2017 06:01

Pressed send too soon.

Can you try laying on your side with him below your arm, not on it. You can use other hand to shape breast if you still need to.

Maybe practice for a day time feed rather than trying to figure it out at 3am?

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SweepTheHalls · 14/11/2017 06:04

For me, you on your side, baby on his side tummy to tummy, duvet tucked around him to keep him in place. Latch on. We had a bedside crib so I did the boob in the middle of the bed first, then the outside edge one so I could slide back into the crib! In a sleeping bag for him so no changes in temperature.

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Mrsyorkie · 14/11/2017 15:38

Thanks guys. When i put my arm above he tends to lean further into me and eventually almost ends up face down when he unlatches.
I would have loved a next to me crib but our bed is higher than standard and higher than the next to me goes Sad i spent a lot of my pregnancy trying to find an alternative!

We've had a pretty lazy day and done a lot of skin to skin. I've been practising but my baby seems to find it hilarious and has spent most of the day giggling! Not sure if this is because we're botb naked! Grin

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