Falling asleep holding baby

[Rachie1986]

Am sitting on the floor holding 5wk old dd as i can feel myself falling asleep sitting in the chair.

What can I do?
She won't go into Moses as she has reflux right now. She has episodes so not bad all the time. Started ranitidine but only today so no affect yet.
Can't co sleep as the issue is lying flat so being in bed won't work either,
Oh can't help out he has work very early,

Just so scared of falling asleep and dropping her.

Poor you. I've been there - kneeling on my hairbrush to make sure I didn't sleep on refluxy DS! It's a really grim time, but it does get better.

For us, I ended up cosleeping as the only way to get some rest and sanity, especially because the tilted mattresses made minimal difference anyway. For the first couple of months I either had DS lying on my chest, or at my doctor's suggestion, I would put him into the ergo sling with his head clear, prop myself up in a chair and doze. Once he was a little older I had him at my side propped up on my arm/ shoulder - although there is no tilt, the side sleeping helped him. To prevent messes I got waterproof pad things fromikea to put under the sheets, and I also made sure that our bed was cosleeping safe - there are some good tips here as well as research on overall cosleeping safety and outcomes.

Or if this is not the path to you, a great box set or two and a pair of large, slightly prickly headphones for the TV may also help! Sugar may not be healthy but midnight muesli bars always gave me an extra 15 mins awake, as did drinking water straight from the fridge or with ice. Good luck either way

Can you raise one end of the Moses basket so she's not lying completely flat?

Have you got netflix and a phone/tablet? That saved me during many night feeds.

This won't help tonight, but make a plan for tomorrow so you're not so tired. DH has work?! You have a very important job keeping the baby alive. Sometimes you both have to be tired for a bit. Can he take over from when he gets in from work so you can sleep?

Been there! Spent the first few weeks (months?) sitting up with him all night in shifts. Tried an Amby hammock, which was good until he outgrew it. Otherwise co-slept with him on my pillow with me. He also was happier on his tummy. All the SIDS guidelines go out the window when you have a reflux baby. I actually don't think my DS (now 28 months and still pretty much a non-sleeper) has ever been deeply asleep enough to be a SIDS risk.
Good luck.

As an absolute last resort have you tried propping yourself up in bed with lots of pillows to a sitting position and resting the baby on your chest. Then, if you fall asleep, she will sleep safely on you? If you are ebf then i think you develop some super sixth sense and wake if if anything happens. I woke up catching the baby as they fell of the bed when dozing while feeding! Total instinct and gave me the courage to cosleep (again amazed because I curled around the baby to protect him. We're both sleep wigglers but both don't move/roll when cosleeping)

Or you can grab some fresh air in the garden?

Or as dad to take over for an hour or two?

I got a concord baby rocker - it sits up at varying degrees and my reflux baby slept in that. That was 4yrs ago, so model may have changed. Also got a wedge for the cot.

I was falling asleep with my son, and the rocker worked brilliantly. You can rock it at the side of the bed or sleep on the floor next to it. Hope you both feel better soon.

I don't think the sixth sense you develop where you wake if baby moves is something that you only have if you are EBF I had it with my dc's and I was only able to BF ds1 for a short time because he was very ill and my supply didn't come in for various reasons, an Hb of 7 probably up there. Sorry to digress from the OP's point, but I found that comment a little hurtful.

I have dozed on the sofa while feeding dd2, usually in the afternoons, and found that my iron grip on her didn't relax even if I was dozing. Of course you have to be very careful, and I put cushions around me to keep my arm in position so that she couldn't have slipped out anyway. I didn't intend to sleep - I watched tv to try to stay awake - but sometimes it feels impossible to keep your eyes open. Can you make yourself a bit of a cushion / pillow nest on the floor? That way you can hold her and be comfortable and doze if you need to, but you don't have to worry about her falling out of the bed. No real helpful suggestions to offer but plenty of sympathy - ds1 had severe reflux - it does pass, and it does get easier. I hope the ranitidine helps.

I slept with my DS on my chest in bed for a good while when he was little, me propped up on pillows, him lying on my chest. We had got rid of duvet and had a sheet and blanket and a bed guard at my side. When he was bigger he slept beside me between me and the guard. I used to wake up with an achy back sleeping with him on my chest but at least we got some sleep!

I don't know if it was safe but I sat crossed legged (like you do as a kid) with baby asleep in my lap so at least if I did doze iI wouldn't drop him.