Any tips for latching lying down? 5.5 week old keeps dropping it

[TooGenki]

Circumstances mean we have to co-sleep and for the past week or so, baby has been frequently dropping the latch (sometimes almost immediately), meaning he is gasping in lots of air and I need to keep putting my breast back at the right angle for him to try again.

Also, he feeds lying on his back with his head turned to the side, is that right?

(Any tips for the very sore/frozen muscles from having to sleep in the the same position all night, also welcome).

thank you.

Also in that position he is posseting, onto the sheet directly under his mouth, but that can’t be comfortable for him can it as the sheet gets so wet?

I did some Googling after this and realised he absolutely shouldn’t be flat on his back, but I should scoop him to be on his side - I can’t believe I’ve been getting that so wrong all this time, poor chap. I think it’s because I was thinking he has to sleep flat on his back?

Safe to say I scooped him to be ‘tummy to tummy’ for the rest of last night.

No don't have him on his back!

Try popping a pillow behind your back for support and also a small hand towel/muslin rolled under between your breast and the bed as gravity can do its thing and pull the nipple down so baby loses his latch.

Oh that is a really good idea about the muslin, I’ll do that, thank you. Yes that’s exactly the issue, my nipple ends up pointing too far down for his mouth to get under it.

Can’t believe I have been feeding him on his back for so long, I really didn’t realise, I thought that was the way to do it safely.

What I've found with my now 4month old is that it was tricky when he was tiny! As you've seen, tummy to tummy important, keep their head neck and back in a nice straight line (as in no head turning) and support behind back and shoulder blades, not head or neck, they need to be able to move head back freely to get a good latch.
I found it easier to latch sitting up/leaning back against pillows and then shimmy down onto my side while holding baby. I also quite like lying on my back and popping baby on top, so we are in laid back nursing position (Google will show you what this looks like!). I try and turn over each time I wake up so move baby from one side to the other which stops the sore muscles from sticking in one position! But I am alone in the bed, dh in spare room, which makes it easier. Also found that a small pillow between my knees is making it all much comfier.

When my daughter was small I had to start sat up then wriggle down towards a lying position and then turn to my side. We started cosleeping at 3 weeks and at that age she had held in the right position with my arm to stay latched.

@Superscientist did you ever nod off with her in the crook of your arm? That would be so comfortable for me but I was worried it’s not safe?

Yep! Probably not at 3 weeks but definitely by 3 months I was. I probably half slept at 3 weeks. I think I half slept and then moved her once she had done. I wouldn't move an inch would wake up with a dead ear!

I had all the questions you have!
What worked for us:

• feed tummy to tummy then when baby's asleep, slowly turn onto their back. Extremely hard as you risk waking them and I definitely went to sleep several times before baby, but safer sleep is on the back. Gets much easier once baby is big enough to roll themselves and now my 8mo throws herself onto her opposite side after feeding, to sleep.
• my clenched fist of my upper arm beneath my breast helped get it into the best position for baby's mouth. Ie feeding on left breast, use right hand. I found this easier than a rolled muslin as that always seemed to move and I was afraid it might block baby's breathing.
• long pregnancy pillow behind my back helps support me on my side so my body isn't doing all the work keeping me up
• wet bedsheet- I use a Little Green Sheep mattress protector crib or bassinet size under baby's head and my torso, hang to dry daily and wash every few days. It's like a flat thick waterproof sheet. I tried a towel first but realised it was quite scratchy on baby's head.