Sleeping with newborn baby while breastfeeding

[milkmummy1]

Sorry if this has been done before, just wanting to get advice from other mums in same situation about this.

DD is only a week old today and the only way i can manage to get some sleep at night is to have her in bed with me. I have tried a bit with putting her back in her cot in between feeds but she just cries and to be hoenst i havent perserved much yet as im so tired.

I also have a son and am well aware of the potential dangers associated with bed sharing etc and need to be careful.

Obviously by having DD in bed with me means she is happy and not crying!
Does anyone have any advice on the following:

• By having her in my bed she is sleeping more and feeding less (as she is more content)therefore am I likely to jeporadise my milk supply and therefore potentially her weight gain?
  
• some think (esp the older generation) that you shouldnt spoil a baby like this as she is less likely to take to her cot / get into a routine when I need her to?
  
  Any thoughts much appreciated
  thank you

[Bramshott]

I co-slept with DD2 much more than with DD1, just to get through!

To answer your points:

1. I would have thought that by having her near you, you will be doing the optimum thing for your milk supply. Sleep is also important for growth, and the fact that she is nearby and able to feed when she wants, should be what's needed

1. I certainly didn't have any problems getting DD2 into a cot at about 5 months after co-sleeping.

[Bramshott]

Congratulations on your DD by the way!

[SCARYspicemonster]

Some advice on how to co-sleep safely babyparenting.about.com/od/sleeping/a/cosleep_2.htm

You could also buy 3 in a bed by Deborah Jackson which is very good.

You won't jeopardise your milk supply and I also had no problem getting my DS to sleep in a bed on his own later (although we are co-sleeping again now he is 2!)

Congrats on your baby

[cathylb]

I did this with ds1 and ds2, but really only for the first few weeks when everything is completely mad and you're exhausted. I was in the spare room so could push the bed up against the wall and still have baby a couple of feet away from me. He was in grobag and I just had a single duvet so no worries about him overheating etc. and you sleep so lightly anyway I would wake if he did. I think for the first 6/8 weeks it's fine but after that when things start to settle you could maybe start trying to settle her in her own cot. But with an older one too you do whatever you can to grab the sleep..!

[preggersplayspop]

I co-slept with DS (not intending to, but just sort of drifted into it over time). We started off with him in a moses basket next to the bed when he was tiny so I could feed in bed, then pop him in the basket so he was nearby, but not in bed with me and DH. Could you do similar rather than trying to get him into a cot?

I was a bit paranoid about co-sleeping when he was so little at the start but got more confident as he got bigger.

You can gradually get baby into a cot later. I would think its more important to concentrate on getting your sleep than struggling with getting up and down with an unsettled baby who prefers to be close to you (about to find out anyway, with DS2 due in a few weeks...)

[ejbab]

I did this with DD2 until a month or so ago and I have to say it was bliss. It meant I got much more sleep and she got to feed whenever she wanted. It certainly helped build up my milk supply too - a little too much if anything!
DD2 is now 5 1/2 months old and in her own cot - had no problem getting her used to it as she was already familiar with it from daytime naps. I however had a harder time letting her go! For the first few weeks I was very happy to keep her in the bed with me when she woke up for a feed - it is the nicest, snuggliest feeling having your LO so close. Feel a bit sad that I never did it with DD1.
However, on the down side, I do think co-sleeping babes feed more frequently and we got into a real eating every 2 hour cycle which I feel may not have happened had she been a bit further away from me in terms of proximity to my boobs! But, sorry, I digress - I know you weren't asking about that.
In terms of practicality I also recommend using a grobag - I felt it meant she was less likely to wriggle under my blanket as it kept her in place on top of it IYKWIM.

[BertieBotts]

1. I think they feed in their sleep so you both win! In fact you will notice them making little sucking motions with their mouth when they are asleep - if they sleep with you they will do this on the breast which is fantastic for your supply and her weight gain.
   
   
2. I wouldn't worry about "needing" to get her into a cot/routine - don't worry about what everyone else thinks, if you are happy with the situation, don't change it. (And don't tell anyone who is likely to disapprove!) If you do want to get her into a cot and/or a routine at some point I would tackle it then, don't worry about it now. It may not even be a problem.
   
   I definitely second the recommendation of Three In A Bed by Deborah Jackson, it's a fantastic book (and has a very interesting chapter on breastfeeding)
   
   We use a bedside cot which I think is the best arrangement all ways - you can snuggle her in close if you want but if you are feeling like you want more space/you have had a drink/she is being wriggly/you want to start moving her out of your bed you can put her in the cot part, scoot her over for a feed and scoot back again. Weaning off bedsharing is also simpler as you can do it in stages. Put the 4th side back on the cot but have it next to bed, then move away from bed, then move into separate room.
   
   I preferred not to use a grobag as I liked having separate blankets and felt I could adjust DS' temperature more easily this way as the temperature of the house changed overnight (heating on in evenings and mornings only) - it's really up to you. But I also preferred to have him on the sheet rather than on the duvet because of suffocation and possible overheating risks.