| Author | |
Becky J
Forum Rookie
Joined: Nov 06 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 61
|
| Posted: Sept 14 2009 at 3:09pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I just had my 3rd child. She is 5 days old and everything is going well except for the nighttime feedings. With my older 2 children, I ended up handling them via cosleeping, and I have been trying that with Baby #3. However, I think this is making me more tired rather than less. I don't think the baby is latching on well this way, and I think that when I do get her started, I end up falling back asleep and she ends up dropping off the breast. So, less than an hour later, she is fussing again. Essentially, she and I are waking up every hour at night. If I could force myself to sit up with her and make sure she had a good feeding, I suspect the two of us might sleep for longer stretches afterwards.
However, I can't figure out how to get myself to stay alert sitting up in a chair in the middle of the night long enough to feed my baby. I tried this the first night at home and was already drifting to sleep in the chair at the relatively early hour of 11pm. I can't take the advice of adjusting wholesale to a nocturnal schedule because of having older children I have to tend to during the day. (Fortunately, I think I will be able to squeeze in 1 nap a day while my husband comes home for a lunch break.)
Does anyone have advice from their own experience about handling these nighttime feedings with a newborn?
Thanks much!
Becky J
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Sept 14 2009 at 3:59pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Sleep in the recliner.. I'm propped up and baby can stay latched on better.. PLUS I have found that it's not so much not staying latched on long enough but rather.. mine will wake up when they lose the latch because they're not "close enough" even if they're right next to. Sleeping on top of me in the recliner they feel my breathing and hear my heartbeat much better than just being next to me.. and we both sleep much much better.. and it's usually only for that first week or so.. then we can transition to the bed.
Congratulations and good luck 
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Maryan
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 02 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3145
|
| Posted: Sept 14 2009 at 6:15pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Excuse my total lack of vocab -- I can't remember the name, but I have one of those pillows that college students use in bed to sit up and do homework? At least it always used to be advertised with the college stuff!  My dh got it for me with my first child. It's helped me for those times where have to sit up and nurse... but I'm still in bed. It's helped me. Congratulations!
__________________
Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
wifemommy
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 10 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 732
|
| Posted: Sept 14 2009 at 8:06pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
The pillow is called a "husband"  seriously that is what they call it. A newborn baby and sleeping in a recliner is not the best because it is a little too easy to have them slide down the sides..not a good outcome. I would try for as late a last feed as possible and go right to bed with the baby maybe you can get some sleep then. Good Luck Annie
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Sept 14 2009 at 8:29pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Quote:
| a little too easy to have them slide down the sides |
|
|
No clue what you mean, when I do this baby is quite safe.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
happymama
Forum Pro
Joined: Feb 05 2007
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 410
|
| Posted: Sept 14 2009 at 8:49pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Just a reminder that if you only gave birth 5 days ago, your body might just still be exhausted from healing and the hormonal transitions going on... thinking optimistically, maybe you will start getting back some of your strength and mental alertness (even at night) in just a matter of a few days... my point being that if you just keep working with whatever seems to make baby happiest, then pretty soon she should settle down into some more sustainable patterns.
I know you've got the older 2 kiddos to take care of also, but they will survive a low-key environment for a couple more days or weeks. Baby's needs trump all right now, I'm afraid.
As far as practical suggestions, I know that when my last baby was born I was way to exhausted to feel that I could SAFELY co-sleep, so I forced myself to carry baby from our room into another room, turn on a night-light, change her diaper (to get her more awake) and then nurse her. (then change the diaper again, right?!)
prayers for you, I know this is such a busy time for you. Hang in there!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
wifemommy
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 10 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 732
|
| Posted: Sept 15 2009 at 2:51pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Jodie Nothing personal I used to do it too but one of the last dead babies I had in the ER slipped out of sleeping mom's arms and ended up down the side of the chair and suffocated. It's just one of those horrible memories and there but by the grace of God go I moments  Annie
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
JodieLyn
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 06 2006
Location: Oregon
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 12234
|
| Posted: Sept 15 2009 at 3:24pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
ah.. I use pillows in with me.. there is no crack baby can slip into - same precautions you would use in the bed in making sure there's no spaces like that.. I just wasn't sure quite what you meant.
__________________
Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Barbara C.
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 11 2007
Location: Illinois
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 882
|
| Posted: Sept 15 2009 at 7:00pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
For the first few weeks, I always do better with sitting up for night-time feedings. I sleep with two pillows anyway, but I always keep a third pillow and a Boppy nearby on the bed. Third pillow to prop up head/body, Boppy under the arms. Even if I doze off, baby is fairly well supported.
__________________
Barbara
Mom to "spirited" dd(9), "spunky" dd (6), "sincere" dd (3), "sweet" dd (2), and baby girl #5 born 8/1/12!!
Box of Chocolates
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Surviving nighttime feedings
