Can't feed lying down - any advice?

[rubles]

I don't seem able this time around to feed my dd2 lying down. She either snuffles around and 'worries' my nipple with her tongue, kind of almost latching but then not sucking, or she does start to suck but her nose is pressed by my boob which seems to be suffocating her and I have to use a finger to enable her to breathe.

It is quite frustrating (for us both) and I end up giving up and sitting up in the night to feed her, in order to get it over with as quickly as possible without waking us both too much.

I'd really like to just be able to pull her over and put her on without waking too much though. I have tried pulling her down lower against my body, but her head is not tilting up, I have tried pulling her back closer in against me, but these things irritate her and make her snuffle about more frantically.

Does anyone else have problems with this position? I had always been lead to believe that it was an easy position. Does anyone have any tips?

She is 5 weeks old by the way - maybe it is something that will improve when her neck gets stronger and her face bigger?..

I've never been able to manage it either. On the odd occasion I've tried, I've ended up with sore nipples.

Sorry, another 'I can't do it either'. At least I can sometimes now he's much older (15 months) but couldn't until quite recently. And even now it's not quite comfortable. If you managed it with a previous LO maybe it is something about the individual child's latch/face shape etc. Or maybe as she gets older, as you say.

Sorry, that's not very helpful. This is one of the reasons we didn't end up co-sleeping - didn't gain me any extra lying down time/sleeping while feeding to counterbalance the disturbance to me of wriggly baby.

You've probably already tried this but could you start off sitting up then sort of slide down? I had to do this with DD1 as she was always distracted from feeding by the novelty of lying on her side. She quickly associated lying down with feeding and was fine after a few goes. HTH

she may get better as she gets bigger - dd was fine for the first few weeks, then must have changed shape and was rubbish at it till about 8wks. Has got the hang of it again now though (11wks).

I have done it with both of mine, but found it much easier with the second. I imagine that it is something that she will get used to if you perservere. She is still quite little.

I bf in bed by dd lying her on her side - I lie on my left side & find it easiest to bf from the right side.

Have you tried starting with you on your back until she latches on, breast crawl style? /then just support her while you roll over onto your side. I'm sure this is how I started.

We couldn't manage to do this until dd was 6 months old. But she was slow gaining head control. I'm so glad we cracked it in the end, it's so much easier at night isn't it...

DS2 couldn't get the hang of it at all until he was about ten weeks. Now he can't stop I did read somewhere that it is harder for them to do this when newborn, although MrsB's experience contradicts that.

I'll try those tips and persevering. I should try in the day I guess too, when i am less anxious to get on with it.

chubbyscotsburd, when you say 'breast crawl style' do you mean with her feet down towards my thighs rather than across my body. I have tried sliding down from sitting position when she is across my body (it always gets a bit clumsy) but not when she is in line with my body.

ah, policywonk, looking back through the haze I realise she was swaddled for those first two weeks - when she was a little bigger and fought free of the swaddle she kept flailing and pushing herself away. Now she's got her arms under control all is well

Yes I wasn't sure if I had read that somewhere too policywonk

This thread is making me broody.

Really??!

Yes! Sorry, I know the first few weeks are hell, but they are kind of wonderful too.

You will look back on it all and laugh you know

Oh no, I know what you mean, I do appreciate the wonderfulness of it all. I just couldn't see what about this particular post made you broody. How old is your lo?

Both my lo's had their first feed lying down because of section / epidural, and then we fed lying down quite a lot for the first few days. I lay on my side and kind of cradled them in my arm with their body in line with mine. I fed from the bottom breast, but if you've got bigger boobs than me (and nearly everyone has )you can raise baby up a bit on a pillow or something to feed from the top one. Same rules apply as normal - tummy to mummy, nipple to nose and baby to breast. Make sure their positioned at the right level relatative to your nipple, wait for really wide gape (brushing their top lip with your nipple helps) then kind of scoop them in towards you so that they get a really good mouthful.
It's worth practising when you're not too tired as it can be a real life-saver at night!
Good luck.

LOL rubles. My lo is nearly three! And my slightly-less-little one is nearly five.

I just have very fond memories of getting the bfing established with both of them - in both cases it was a major bonding exercise I suppose.

Yes rules, toes pointing down to your thighs. Have a go, that's how I started.

I fed both of mine lying down most of the time, as I found it the easiest position. In the first few weeks I did find myself battling with their hands, but this was the position that kept me bfing when I had mastitis with DS1. I'm now feeding DS2, 10 weeks, and he seems to be happy with the position although he can be a bit unsettled with it (on and off and on and off and on and off...) if he's windy.