Falling asleep during night feeds (me!!!!)

10 replies

Jellybellyrbest · 27/04/2012 07:39

wondering if any of you have any tips for me to keep myself awake during night feeds? DD is 2/52 today & I take her into bed with me for night feeds. I end up waking an hour after this with her across the pillow on my lap (safe-I'm alone in the middle of a KS bed), but I have no idea how long she's fed, etc etc. Also, I'm sore & achey cos I'm spending the night sitting up! Can't lie feed-never could & I don't want to co-sleep. Should I be taking DD downstairs for her 3am feed.....?!

OP posts:

EauRouge · 27/04/2012 08:14

Falling asleep during nightfeeds is pretty normal, there are sleep hormones flying around all over the place- it's one of the reasons why co-sleeping BF mothers get more sleep. Do you mind me asking why you don't want to co-sleep?

I suppose you could take her downstairs if you wanted to, if you are sure that you're not going to fall asleep on the sofa with her. It's very dangerous to sleep on a sofa or armchair with a baby but a bed can be made safe quite easily.

fhdl34 · 27/04/2012 09:09

get a smart phone and MN during night feeds, it's what I used to do. I tried to co-sleep once and it really wasn't for me or my DD, i just sit up in bed to sleep and make sure I'm well propped up at the back so i don't slump forward if I do drop off.

nickelhasababy · 27/04/2012 11:22

as long as you're not on an armchair or sofa, it's okay.
As you're in bed, then it doesn't matter - because she won't be able to fall into any cracks.

I would like to know why you don't want to co-sleep too.
It's fine if you don't, it's your choice, just interested. :)

booomchikkawowow · 27/04/2012 11:25

Me and DS don't co-sleep, he's in his own room now (8mo). He goes to sleep in his own room, wakes up at 5 for a bf so i go and get him, feed him in our bed and we both fall asleep. I usualy wake an hour later and DP puts him back in his cot!

Neither of us sleep well when we co-sleep, he kicks me, I get too hot, DP nearly rolls on him etc etc. But falling asleep in the same beds okay, we just put him back when he wakes up!

Iggly · 27/04/2012 11:26

No do not take her downstairs. Falling asleep on a sofa/armchair is incredibly risky wrt SIDS.

MNing etc will make you very tired the next day.

Can I ask why you struggle to feed lying down? I had to get someone to show me as I was putting ds too high he needed to be lower down looking up at my boob. Once we got it, bingo and it's so so much easier. You can tuck the duvet away, move pillows etc so they don't harm baby.

booomchikkawowow · 27/04/2012 11:30

Just to add, I found BF lying down hard at first. It's an odd position and takes getting used to as I found it weird DS tugging on my boob. Once you get used to it, it's soo much easier! Perhaps look on youtube? Thats where I saw a video of how to do it, think it was an aptamil one

ShowOfHands · 27/04/2012 11:35

I couldn't stay awake during a nightfeed if Damian Lewis was doing a dance with scarves at the foot of the bed. And I really like scarves.

BFing at night is supposed to make you sleepy. I always took the view that it was safer to cosleep properly than nod off during Damian's shimmying.

startail · 27/04/2012 11:42

Never understood this problem. Feed baby in bed, co sleep until baby fidgets or stops you sleeping return baby to cot. (warm cot sheet so baby doesn't get too stroppy).
Determination may be needed to remove figitty baby when tiny, but older ones seem to get the idea that both parties need sleep.

ScroobiousPip · 27/04/2012 12:35

I agree with other posters - you're far safer to feed and fall asleep in bed than on an armchair or sofa. Co-sleeping doesn't have to mean sleeping together all night and, tbh, what you describe already sounds like co-sleeping of one sort.

Can you describe the difficulties you have with feeding lying down? Just wondering if someone better qualified with me might be able to give you some tips if they have a clearer picture of what the issue is.

YoullLaughAboutItOneDay · 27/04/2012 13:22

I think you have two options really:

Do something to keep you awake. MN, read a Kindle/book one of those clip on lights or whatever. The problem with this is being fully awake (as opposed to dozy) x times per night will make you feel worse and more sleep deprived the next day. But it would meet your criteria of staying awake.

Semi-co sleep. ie. learn to feed lying down and co-sleep until you next stir, then put your baby back into the cot.

Flip