Nighttime breastfeeding

[roley]

My baby is 2 days old so I'm just heading into night 3. My DD feeds well during the day then sleeps in her Sleepyhead 2 - 3 hours before the next feed. However at night she'll feed and feed until she falls asleep and comes off.. but the second I lay her down in the sleepyhead she wakes, cries and roots for breast. She's so eager to get back on and then the cycle starts again. This seems to last all night and my nipples are struggling to cope!

Is this normal.. or is there anything I could do? If I just let her sleep on me then she'll go a few hours before another feed but it's as soon as I put her down and only in the night!!

[PureColdWind]

I kept my baby in bed with me all night and fed her in my sleep. You can google how to cosleep safely. We both got a full night’s sleep every night.

[Foggymist]

Completely normal, you're all she knows, she doesn't know she's even separate from you yet. And she's establishing your milk supply, these nights are hugely important for it. Google the fourth trimester and safe cosleeping as mentioned and it'll all be easier/understandable.

[roley]

Thank you both.. good to know it's normal.. it's easy to have a cloudy head in these early days. I'll google co-sleeping.

[spugzbunny]

Completely normal. Baby doesn't understand the difference between night and day and as another poster said, they are establishing a milk supply.

I found my girl used to ease off around 5am but wouldn't let me put her down so I used to get my OH to come and take her so I could get a couple of hours sleep. It'll probably peak around day 5 and then gradually get a little better every day.

People tell you to sleep in the day when baby does but I never could! I just rested and watched tv!

I also eventually learnt to safely cosleep with baby by my side and one boob in her mouth but this is hard when they are so small!

[littlecabbage]

Yes, totally normal. I too have co-slept with all mine, and breastfed practically in my sleep (lying on my side). I could never get them to settle alone.

Applying Lansinoh to your nipples (pat them dry first) after each feed will help to reduce soreness.

[TeddyIsaHe]

It settles down soon, honest! The first few weeks are really tough, no point in hiding that fact! But it does get better v quickly.

You produce more prolactin at night which is the hormone that helps increase and establish your milk. So baby is very cleverly helping you both get set up as quickly as possible. Best thing I did was safe co-sleeping and napped whilst she fed (constantly!). By about 4 weeks she started to go longer stretches in the night so I wasn’t so zombie like.

Congratulations!

[Bethacus]

No-one warned me about the first few nights of constant feeding either and it was quite the shock, particularly as she was so sleepy and content during daylight hours!

One of the midwives introduced me to breastfeeding while lying down which has been a total game changer. It only lets me doze as my LO is a very noisy sleeper, but at least I get some sleep. Sometimes use it for daytime naps as well.

[Mississippilessly]

For all those who co-sleep, does your partner sleep elsewhere?

[roley]

Thanks for replying everyone. It's good to know your experience and that it's normal. Going to try and sleep myself a bit more today so I'm ready for tonight and ask my midwife about sleeping lying down.. literally feels impossible right now as she's so tiny. But I do think that will help

[Frlrlrubert]

You don't say where your sleepyhead is, we had ours in a snuzpod sidecar cot thing attached to my side of the bed and lower so the top edge of the sleepyhead was level with the top of the mattress.

I'd feed her lying down and then slide her over reeeaaly carefully once she dropped off. That seemed to work better than trying to lift her while asleep.

Grobags are helpful as soon as they are big enough too (I think they have to be 8lb?)

[PureColdWind]

Yes, my partner sleeps in another room as it wouldn’t be safe for the baby as he sleeps deeply. The advantage is we all get a full night’s sleep every night.

[grace7]

ds is exactly the same, so we've co-slept since about week 2. he's four months now. once he was in bed with me, he slept so much better and didn't feed as much. if cosleeping is something you'd consider; you can look online for the safe-cosleep guidelines and follow those best of luck & congratulations!

[Bethacus]

We have a Next2Me crib that DD has spent all of 20 minutes in since coming home 4 weeks ago. Even if I place her right on the edge of it and curl up as close as possible she somehow knows she’s not in the same bed as us and kicks off. We’ve joked that it’s really my DP that needs a next2me bed!

We’re in a one bedroom flat so it’s all 3 of us in a double bed but DD is on the same side of the bed as the crib so she can’t fall out, she’d just roll into the crib. That’s the theory anyway. She’s still tiny so can’t roll yet, though does somehow wriggle herself closer to me over the course of a night.

I find cosleeping a bit nerve wracking but the alternative would be zero sleep for all 3 of us and after a couple of days of that when she first arrived we were falling apart at the seams.

[LauraPalmersBodybag]

Hi op, I’d second what’s been written about your prolactin levels being higher at night, so it’s the best time for your baby to feed to establish the supply. It’s a tough one, she might settle into a longer sleep routine or might be a bit of a night owl but whatever happens, I’d look into how you can feed her and get the most sleep - be that co sleeping, a side car crib, or you could try things like a heart beat sound or white noise playing, or even your partner or someone taking her for a stretch after you’ve fed. I’d also echo the 4th trimester stuff. Do whatever works for you both and I hope you get some rest, this is a tough but can be a lovely time.

[roley]

Thanks for all your advice.. just an update.. I am truly at my wits end. Since I gave birth I've had about 5 hours sleep. My girl just will not get off the boob!! The naps she has in the day are god but i have a toddler and so cannot just sleep.. though I've had the odd hour here and there (equating to the 5).

She is just always rooting. A dummy doesn't work she rejects it, swaddling doesn't do anything. I tried co sleeping last night, didn't help in any way she just worked herself into a frenzy. She's 5 days old and guzzled 3 premade bottles of aptimil last night from about 2am to 8am (450ml in total) did not spit any back up and still wants to guzzle from my boobs. I have a plentiful supply so I know she's getting milk.

I literally do not know how to cope anymore!!!! I just want her to sleep a bit and give my boobs a break

[spugzbunny]

It is all totally normal but you need to get some sleep. Your other half needs to step up and help at this point. He needs to hold baby at night when he can so you can sleep and take baby and toddler in the day so you can nap.

I think I had this for about 2 weeks before my LO started to sleep for longer periods at night.

[Nellyelora]

Unfortunately it is normal. I only coped by breastfeeding lying down, having dd in bed with me all night and trying to go to bed early. My DP did a few nights of sitting with her in the living room, she was basically fine as long as someone was holding her but I got paranoid about him falling asleep on the sofa with her so I preferred her in bed with me as I felt it was safer. If she's napping during the day, can you get some rest then with your OH looking after your toddler?

[TeddyIsaHe]

The worst thing about sleep deprivation is all you can think about is the lack of sleep you’re getting! It’s awful I know, but you really have to just go with it when they’re tiny. She doesn’t know she’s even separate from you yet which is why she wants to be suckling all night, it’s comfort for her.

Keep trying with the dummy, I found if I tapped on it whilst in dd’s mouth she would eventually start suckling.

Also, have you tried white noise? There’s a good 10 hr one on YouTube which helped a lot! Used to put me to sleep as well. Has to be quite loud to work I found.

Honestly though, once you get through this part it’s so so easy. No bottles/sterilising/worrying about heating formula when your baby is screaming. It is hard but it’s absolutely worth it.