Coping with Night Feedings, pt. 1
What’s the best way to handle your baby’s feeding frenzy during the wee hours? It’s most important that you understand that it’s normal and that “this too shall pass.” Learning about and trying laid-back or lying down breastfeeding positions may be helpful for nighttime feedings.
Hopefully, your partner or support person can give you some extra help that first night time home so you can sleep and breastfeed without worrying about waking up with sore nipples.
A good strategy is to get into bed at your usual time (or earlier, if you want), arrange yourself and your baby in bed so that it is easiest for the baby to take the breast or to pull baby onto the breast whenever needed. If you’re lying on your side, be sure you have whatever pillows you need under your head and behind your back so that you can relax all your muscles and go right back to sleep while baby breastfeeds. (But don’t put pillows around your baby as this could be dangerous.)
As your baby wakes you for feedings, help him to breast or have your partner or support person help you get your baby well latched on. If lying on your side, wedge a rolled up small towel or baby blanket behind your baby’s back (but not his head) so he has the support he needs to stay on the breast.
Be sure his head is free to angle back so that he can latch on chin first. He will come off the breast when he’s done, and you can hold him against your body and roll over to the other side when he wants the other breast.
While laid-back breastfeeding positions usually come easily to mother and baby, most mothers find that it takes some practice to get good at breastfeeding lying down, especially during the early weeks when the baby is most uncoordinated.
But it is well worth the effort to find comfortable positions in which you can get your rest, even if you need a second person’s help at first. Once you have it mastered, there is no muss, no fuss and no one has to lose much sleep.
From Breastfeeding Made Simple, Mohrbacher and Kendall-Tackett 2010.
