Talk to me about co sleeping and bf

[RainbowSlide]

Ive seen mums post on here about having bub sleeping next to them, feeding when they like. How does that work? Are you only feeding from one side? What about the leaking from the other side?
And how to ensure they don't roll out of bed? Dc is 4mo and only rolling front to back but he's pretty wriggly.

He currently sleeps in a cot in our room but the 4 month sleep regression is hitting us hard so wanted to see if co sleeping might work. Any tips to stay safe welcome please

We started co-sleeping at 4 months - the regression is a killer! For safety, Google 'safe sleep 7'. Also, the Facebook group 'The Beyond Sleep Training Project' is full of co-sleeping breastfeeding mums and they also have a range of resources on various topics, including how to 'side car' your cot, which could be an option for you.

Re: side lying to feed - I've done it in desperate times although in general I prefer to sit in a chair even though that means getting up. DD doesn't always have a great latch if we're lying down so tends to feed less efficiently. Some people just feed from one side but I'd end up with mastitis if I did that. I used to just get out of bed when DD finished feeding and get in the other side ready for the next time. It is possible to feed from the top boob if you stay on one side but I think it's quite awkward!

Good luck

I breastfed quite happily from both bottom and top boob while lying down, and even got some precious sleep while doing it. I think the top boob involved lying with my head on my bottom arm, rolled over towards the baby a bit. Have you laid down and experimented to see if you can work it out?

You need either a cot attached to the side of your bed (pull baby onto your bed for feeds) or your bed against a wall so baby can't fall out. Stuff towels or something between mattress and wall so there's no gap to get stuck in.

NCT have some good resources for this if you need them.

At 6 months DS joined us in the bed and breastfed, I used to move him from one side to the other for feeds and put pillows behind him so he didn't fall on the floor. He's 4 now and still ends up in our bed a lot of the time but we don't mind.

I use no pillows, a warm top so the covers aren't needed high up and a foam wedge on the edge of the bed under the sheet so baby doesn't roll off. I wear breast pads in a comfy soft nursing bra so no leaking and I move baby over and lie on my other side if I want to feed from the other side. You sleep kind of curled around them and don't really move as you're aware of them next to you even in your sleep. It's worked for me to get lots of sleep while breastfeeding my two dc.

So we coslept last night following all of your excellent advice. He was easier to settle and liked having me close, kept shifting towards me which was cute. BUT so much wriggling! Culminated in a 3am poo which is pretty unusual. He's back in his cot tonight and we'll see how we go 😂

My sleep suffered when I co slept as I was already sleep deprived and anxious I would roll over on to him. Also he wanted the boob to settle whenever he was in our bed after that and that is also exhausting! When he (no over a year) co sleeps with his dad he sleeps much more easily and doesn’t fuss because there isn’t the temptation of the boob around.

But if you want to feed from both boobs on one side, lie them flat for bed side boob, then prop them up on your arm from top boob.

These days when we cosleep (teething or illness and it’s 5am and he won’t settle) he ends up sleeping with his head next to my head and his feet in his dads face 😂

littlejalapeno they can smell the milk can't they! My 4yo dd sleeps that way on the very seldom occasion that she's slept with us (mainly illness), not as a baby. I call it the H Formation - dh and i on both sides and she's the middle bar.. kicking dh obvs..