Co-sleeping with DS3 - love it - BUT..........how do you lie so you don't end up stiff???

[fannyannie]

I've already gone and buggered my neck/shoulder on the side he feeds on for longest (left) don't know whether I've pulled a muscle, strained it or what but I can't currently tip my head backwards to finish a drink off as it's agony.

Is there a 'magic' way to lie in bed so that you don't end up in the same position all night, thus ending up with a very stiff (and painful) neck/shoulder???

I tend to lie on my right side curled around ds in a "C" shape but sometimes roll on to my back. Never have my back to him. Often have quite a stiff back in the morning.

I wouldn't mind so much if it was just stiff but it's actually very painful and I'm drinking most of my drinks with a straw as I can't tip my head back at all

anyone else???

last bump......

Erm think lots of pillows to support you. Particularly under you arms.and behind you head. Depends a bit upon age of baby though, some people don't like to sleep will bedding if they have really tiny baby.

your arms and neck even, r's seem to stuck in the ether.

I used pillows to get me into a comfortable position where she could still feed. Still got stiff some nights, but just decided it was better than the faff of getting up

that's interesting - last night I took one of my (3 ) pillows out so my head was "closer" to the bed......perhaps I'll try sticking it back in - DS3 is still tiny - but I can't sleep at all without any pillows so I'm just keeping him well away from them.

I also found one of those ergonomic neck pillows helped me in the short term to sort out neck ache.

I like pile of pillows behind. One big pillow under each arm taking the weight then baby sleeps in crook of arm or down me that was fine till she got too heavy.

I'm particularly keen to 'get it right' as DH should (hopefully) be joining DS3 and I in the bed for the first time since he was born (13 days ago) tonight as I told him yesterday that we'd 'sorted' the co-sleeping........!

i find that if my pillow is under my shoulder its much more uncomfortable, it has to be only under my head. then put arm straight out along bottom of pillow, this helps keep it away from baby. a bigger bed would help too....

I the arm that is 'under' me is the problem I've not been quite sure where to put it, round him, straight out above him, under my head (on top or below the pillows) etc etc..

Bigger bed would be nice - but a little extravagent seen as though we rather like our bed and co-sleeping is only going to be for as long as it takes to get him to sleep in his cot/until he's old enough for some form of sleeping 'training' (ie 6 months LOL).

arm straight out above him or round your head, mine ends up numb if its round my head tho
[suddenly realises that DD2 hasnt slept in our bed for a couple of weeks and feels mixture of sadness and relief]

I sleep facing ds2 (11 wks) with him lower than me (head at breast height), one flattish squashy pillow under my head, and the underneath arm tucked in a v shape, hand under the pillow, so my elbow points beside or under his head. Top arm rests on my hip or tucks between my knees. Half way through night I sometimes lift him over to swap sides, having trained dh not to pull covers too high. Hope that makes sense! I was very stiff til I changed from two firm pillows to one sqaushy old one.