Falling asleep while breastfeeding

[Toastypate]

Need some help, I have a 2week old who is exclusively breastfed, I'm finding I'm falling asleep while feeding her in the early hours of the morning.

I dunno how to tackle this, what do others do to stay awake.?

This used to happen to me, where are you feeding? I used to have mine in bed with me and we would both doze off while feeding as long as you aren't drunk or on drugs you will be fine, but the same doesn't go for your partner- keep the baby on your side only as your instincts will stop you rolling in to the baby.

It's so hard when you're exhausted. You could watch tv? Or listen to an audiobook. Or go to the bathroom and have a cold face wash? If you are finding yourself falling asleep with her in the bed check out the lullaby trust advice on reducing the risks of bed sharing. This ultra tiring bit will pass 💙

Google safe co-sleeping. It’s the only thing that got me through the early days! Better that than falling asleep in an unsafe position.

I would put a pillow under my head, duvet over my waist and the rest of it behind me. I laid on my side facing dd in the typical bf position (the arm I was laying on stretched out straight above her as this prevents rolling) and this meant I could sleep whilst I fed.

Whilst she’s tiny it should just be you and her in bed, No smoking/drinking/drugs prescription or otherwise.

I couldn't bedshare this time as my older child, who has additional needs, still frequently needs me and only me in the night. So I did all of the suggestions above - screens are good for preventing sleepiness a bit. But also worked out a way of holding baby in the safest way possible so that I knew she wouldn't fall if i nodded off for a second. And ensured it would only be a second I nodded off for by sitting in a position that wasn't very comfortable for myself. It was all about mitigating risk as much as possible.

I force myself to sit up and browse Facebook or something while feeding

Cosleeping is the only way I managed this safely too (baby would only sleep on me anyway as a newborn)

The best thing for me was getting a cosleeper cot - I had Chicco Next2Me - and then feeding baby while lying in bed. That way if I fell asleep she was on a safe sleeping surface already. Wish I'd had it with my first, I'd have gotten a lot more sleep!

How did you manage to feed in the sidecar crib? I couldnt manage to contort myself. Baby still felt it was too far away from me at first but is happy in it now most nights

Do you feed in bed? I used to get up and feed on the sofa and if I felt sleepy I’d drink from a bottle of water I had on hand which helped and I’d keep the window open to make it cool so I’d be almost cold (baby would be fine in sleeping bag etc)

This is why I decided to learn how to feed lying on my side and cosleep.

I used to set an alarm on my phone for every 5 minutes. Awful, but effective. I think I must have have put headphones in or something so it didn’t disturb the baby.

I've tried the side by side lying down cosleeping a few times when baby won't let me put them down but I can't figure out how I'd feed like this.

I seem fine, then next thing I know it's 2hrs later and I'm waking up. Nad baby is still in my arms

You’ve got to figure something out that works for you then because if you’re sleeping for 2 hours with babe I’m arms you’re taking serious risks. If you can’t feed lying down then get up and out of bed, walk around and feed, go downstairs and watch tv, sit in the middle of the floor with nothing to lean against etc. I don’t want to scare you, but it’s so easy for something to happen when unitentially falling asleep holding a baby,

www.mother-2-mother.com/tut-layingdown.htm

There are also lots of videos on YouTube. Please for your baby's safety look some of these up and teach yourself. You can't continue on the way you are. It is very simple to do I promise.

I was al and getting sleepy when feeding at night, the hormones plus lack of sleep. But waking two hours later with you child in your arms is taking big risks.
I used to put the bedside lamp on, sit up and swing my legs out of bed and then feed. That way if I started to drop off my head would lol and wake me up again. Then I installed some shitty games of my phone to distract me.

Look up safe co sleeping or if you are not comfortable with that then I always look through my phone, watched videos on you tube or tv programs on Netflix.
It's really really hard but I found it got better after a few weeks. I dunno if I just got used to it but unless my ds has had a bad few nights I can stay awake for feeds now.

I have to sit up. LO is in a Moses basket so I sit with the moses basket by the side of the bed and wedge my feeding pillow between the moses basket and my knees so the baby is supported and my arms don't get achy but I can't fall asleep as I'm sitting up. Fairly comfy but no chance of falling asleep. Find something safe that works for you.

Thanks for all the advice. I feel sick and panicky every time I wake and realise baby is in my arms. I have a tracker on my phone to track the feeds which is how I know how long I been asleep for.

Think tonight I will need to watch something on my phone see if they helps.
I been putting the lamp on but still fall asleep. It's such an awful feeling. I feel so guilty. I don't even feel like I'm about to fall asleep then the next thing I'm waking up. I'm so lucky nothing has happened but I can't stomach the fact something could have.

It's not your fault so try not to feel guilty. The first few weeks are so tiring and breastfeeding releases lovely sleep inducing hormones so it's really not that surprising that you fall asleep.

I did stuff on my phone which required interaction - just watching or reading and I'd be nodding off over the baby! So games mostly, but I think I did all Christmas shopping that year in the middle of the night, got some really funky presents as I had plenty of time to browse

Christmas shopping is a good shout. I could get all babies stuff.

When does the 6plus feeds reduce down to just a couple?

I just did all night feeds lying on my side in bed with my eyes shut. That way we both maximised sleep and had lovely snuggles. If you are really struggling, actively planning for safe cosleeping is a much better way to go than accidental sitting-up sleeping.

I'll look into figuring out how to feed on my side

Can you tie a sling around her so that she can't roll off? Like, arrange her for a feed and then pop a sling around both of you. Wouldn't be safe for walking about but if your grip loosens she'll be safe. I did that with tiny DD on a long-haul flight. She ate when she felt like it, I dozed off, the sling kept her in place.

Well, I say sling. It was a two-foot-wide strip ripped off an old sheet because I was far too tired to deal with buying an actual sling.

Safe cosleeping is also a good thing.

Without wishing to be crass, @JoanFrenulum, that isn't really the key danger when you fall asleep feeding. The danger is that you accidentally suffocate your baby, and a sling would probably exacerbate it.