We've tried it a few times but it has not been very comfortable. LO winds up getting smothered by my breast (he has enough head control that he unlatches and slides away) and he doesn't seem to get a good, deep latch.
How do you make side-lying work for you?
apricot / 346 posts
I always have my upper body a tiny bit more elevated than lo. I put her body really snug against mine and my arm that's under me out across my pillow or folded under my head. I make sure her head is lower down my body than my breast, if she is level with it that's when the "smothering" happens. Just have your lo's face be tilted up a little. I hope this makes sense.
pomegranate / 3577 posts
Hmmm, I look forward to some tips. Especially about the latch. I feel like every time we try this, 3 times out of 5, I suffer the consequences of painful nips for days after (i.e. dealing with painful latch in the name of "please, oh please let me be horizontal for just five dang minutes".)
pomegranate / 3577 posts
@Mommytotwois: Definitely trying this as soon as our bed gets here. Too tricky with an air mattress!
cantaloupe / 6017 posts
I have really small breasts, so it may be different, but I just have to lean back a little. I'm side lying right now...I have my head on a pillow, and she is lined up with my boob. I'm kind of corkscrewed back a little. When I'm ready to go to sleep I have to move my upper hip forward so I'm not leaning back
coconut / 8234 posts
@Mommytotwois: explained it well. This is exactly what I do. Once I figured out the trick of having LO lower than the boob with head tilted up and arm not under me I no longer had painful nips on the side.
apricot / 346 posts
OP: now I can see why the smothering would be such an issue! Thanks ladies I read it afterward and it didn't seem like it would make sense!
apricot / 346 posts
@mrsjazz -it drives me nuts when I realize LOs arm is under me!! It makes for a totally different latch. Usually one of her arms (the one facing me) is tucked between our torsos and her other is just across my chest resting.
nectarine / 2667 posts
Agreed with @Mommytotwois: , have your baby lower than your breast. It took my several months to get good at side-laying, which happened I think because my son got bigger and better at nursing. I started doing it for naps, so I could be fully awake and figure it out. Now I can shift my body so I can nurse him off both sides without flipping over.
coconut / 8234 posts
@Mommytotwois: Yeah, sometimes I have to pry her arm from under me. She usually shoves one hand in my armpit and the other she uses to give me a little shoulder massage or rub my face.
pear / 1642 posts
@Mommytotwois: explained it well! Having LO lower than the breast with her head tilted up is how we avoid the breast smothering.
@mewtill: that's impressive! What's your trick to getting both sides? Ism picturing dangling the other breast over baby...
apricot / 346 posts
Lol @mrsjazz !!!! I can totally relate. @mrsroo, I have done that and you just kinda lean over the LO a little bit..
pomelo / 5093 posts
Biggest advice is just to wait and keep trying. My daughter didn't get the hang of it until about 5 months, but now it's almost all that we do.
bananas / 9118 posts
I agree with @sarac: it took a lot of practice and didn't work well for us until at about 6 months when he had better head and neck control and was stronger.
I never looked back after that, it's worth it to just keep trying, as it's pretty much the greatest thing ever. I caught up on so much sleep that way and it's probably why I started really enjoying breastfeeding at around 6 months.
nectarine / 2667 posts
@MrsRoo: I kinda roll my body so I'm laying on the boob that's on the bed. I actually like feeding him from the "wrong" side better when we side-lie.
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