I've googled images, but I just can't seem to make it work in the middle of the night. I know I should practice during the day, but I'd love some tips. LO never seems to get cozy nursing that way. I find myself awkwardly holding her on her side, bc it doesn't seem to work for her to just turn her head. Don't laugh but I wonder if my boobs are just too small to make it work well. I usually just give up and hold her to nurse.
-
How old is she? I wasn't able to do this until my LO got a little bigger. Probably around 3-4 months?
-
I found I couldn't do it with my arm under LO, the way most tutorials instruct. I would just position him at boob level and turn toward him. He'd stay on his back, but turn his head. It took a while, but I'm glad we learned, it makes life easier!
-
I couldn't do it with my LO til she had really good head control. We started using that position regularly around 5 months.
-
Same as @MoonMoon: . Also, I have small boobs too, and found it helpful to lean back a little bit...so if I was on my left side shift my weight back just a little bit so I was leaning away from him at a very very slight angle...it brought my lower (closer to the bed) boob up a bit higher.
-
She's six months so I think it's more of a me problem! Although I do think she also wants to be held when she wakes up, so that is working against us. I will try leaning back more.
-
I have big boobs so that may help lol. DD is 4 months old and we've been nursing side lying during the night for about a month and a half successfully. I hold her on my arm, she's on her side and then I put my boob in her mouth. Once she's latched she just holds onto it herself and nurses.
-
i couldn't do it until LO was like 9 months old and she had really good head control. my boobs are pretty small too so i don't know if that has anything to do with it.
-
Honestly we couldn't make it work until fairly recently...maybe 8 or 9 months. I extend my bottom arm up straight under the pillow and either keep my other arm along my side or drape it over dd.
-
We started awkwardly sued nursing probably around 2 months. It got better and easier and now at 4.5 months, she can somehow find the nipple in her sleep (basically) and latch on. I think bigger boobs definitely help, my boob like, rests on the bed and is level with her head. Sometimes she'll roll on her side and sometimes she'll lay on her back and turn her head.
-
I think you need either bigger boobs or a bigger baby. I have ginormous boobs and I've been doing side lying nursing since...1 month maybe? I don't even need to lay on my side really, I can lay on my back and be kinda turned towards him and he turns his head towards me and latches on. In the beginning I had him on his side.
-
I have to put a pillow behind me so I can kind of lean back against them, then I bring LOs head even with my boob and she latches on. I don't hold her, but put my arm out straight or under my head.
-
I have big boobs and a big baby haha. I would lay on my side with my head propped on my arm or laying down and he would just roll into me. So sweet.
-
Have you tried putting her on a pillow? I found she was too low for me to nurse her properly when she was younger.
-
I just lay on my side and he lays on his side facing me. No arm under him. I have big boobs and a big baby too though!
-
I have smallboobs and I can make it work when all the stars align perfectly. T hey say you nipple has to be about one inch off the bed, and the lactation nurse recommended rolling up a flannel blanket into a tight tube and propping it behind the baby's back so they don't roll over. It really helps when their whole body is pressed up against you, especially their hips and legs
-
I side lie/ly? nurse 99% of the time...LO won't really do it any other way unless he is starving. I used to cosleep with him and that was the easiest thing to do when we were waking 4x's a night.
I usually turn him on his side and have his lips level with my boob [his head isn't normally facing up or down, just straight] I put his one hand under my boob. The other hand should be on top of my boob. I have a pillow under my head too.
I am laying on my side as well. One arm under the pillow or out at a 45 degree angle, and the other arm holds LO so he doesn't roll onto his back.
Hope that helps~
Now someone teach me how to nurse while sitting up!
-
@Cchoi4: I'm sure you've thought of this, but a Boppy or breastfeeding pillow maybe? If he's lying down flat on the pillow it might trick him into thinking you're side lying? I don't know.
-
Hmmm.....thanks so much for all the suggestions! I currently nurse in the MOTN on a sort of reclined cradle hold. My LO has been waking up a ton, so I thought it might be easier to do side lying. It sounds like I might need to wait till she's a little bigger if I want it to be hassle free. Or wait till I magically have bigger boobs.
-
I have small boobs and this was my favorite position - I think you should keep trying, especially in the MOTN (I know I never wanted to sit up entirely between midnight and 7 AM!)
I laid on my left side usually. When I brought my LO into bed to nurse, I'd lay him down on his right side facing me, kind of hook my left elbow above his head to support his back with my left arm, and use my right hand to bring my left nipple up to his mouth. After he latched on, I'd move my left arm either bent and tucked up under my pillow/head OR lying flat on the mattress just above his head (with my head still on the pillow)and right arm would lay lay over LO's left side and my forearm would curl behind his back to sort of hold him in place.
After the first few times trying it, we were both super relaxed and it was easy. That's the only thing I miss about nursing (well, that and the calories burned!) I hope it works for you soon!
-
@Zbug: little boobs here. I gave up on side lying and just draped LO across me belly to belly. Like horizontal cross cradle. Yeah, she was heavy but I got my sleep. I did that until 11 months.
-
I have never been able to figure out this as well so glad Im not alone
-
I lay with LO in the crook of my arm / kind of on top of my arm. I have to use my other hand to hold my boob in position for her until she is really good & latched on. When I was first doing it I would put my bottom arm under the pillow but now she moves around more so I need to hold her somehow.
I will say that it's super easy now but I had to have my doula show me. Have you tried to find a video?
-
@keepcalmcarrie: super helpful. Thank you!
@Corduroy: I think this us similar to how we end up. I start out semi reclined and just shift is around until my head is back on the pillow and she is lodged on my arms. I sometimes drift off but soon wake up and put her back down on the bed.
Ha I really just want LO to be able to latch on all night without me even waking up. A girl can dream.
-
I did it with both of my children from basically birth, I just lay on my side with my arm kinda raised above my head and the baby (still on the bed) and just kinda let it happen? Its so hard to describe lol...
-
Best thing ever, keep trying! But it took me a solid 6 months of failing at it with my first son. Having him on a pillow was super helpful to me.
It has come easier with my second son, we can get it to work occasionally at 2 weeks in, but latching in the middle of the night is still a big challenge. I keep my cell phone nearby so I can turn on it's light, find my glasses, and get him latched easier. Being able to see helps me out quite a bit!
Reply
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
25 comments