# Help, I dropped the Baby!!!



## catnip (Mar 25, 2002)

The other night, I fell asleep while sitting up in bed nursing my 3 1/2 week old daugher. She tumbled the 12 inches or so off of my lap and the supporting pillows on to the mattress and woke up crying. Nursing while lying down is not working for us at this time, she has problems staying latched on and I have some colorful bruises from her attempts to find my nipple on her own after I have unintentionally fallen back asleep. I have been unsuccessful trying to nap when she does during the day, though I do try and rest quietly when she is sleeping. I'm functioning ok in the daytime but these night feedings are not going well. I've also upended my water glass over both of us twice now. What a rude awakening that was!

I'm trying to decide if getting up and nursing her in a chair might help me stay awake, or if doing that might cause her to be at risk for an injury falling out of a chair if I fall asleep. Has anyone else had this problem? What did you do?


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## Ms. Frizzle (Jan 9, 2004)

I think you should stay in the bed and do it.
I had trouble nursing laying down with my first baby, so DH would stay up and keep him supported while I slept sitting up.


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## stafl (Jul 1, 2002)

I couldn't nurse my oldest DD laying down until she got big and strong enough to have good control of her head and neck muscles. I want to think that was around three or four months, but honestly I can't remember. It was right before she started sitting up unassisted, like she went from having a floppy head to sitting up on her own in a matter of weeks, but really I can't remember and I'm too lazy to find her baby book and look it up right now.

my second DD was born with amazing neck strength and could nurse side-lying as soon as she was born. But part of that might just be that I was much more experienced at breastfeeding after nursing her sister almost three years (at that point).

I would suggest nursing in bed, lying down, but I know it's not really possible if baby doesn't have that head control down yet. I have often nursed either of my girls in my recliner, with the boppy pillow, and fallen asleep that way. But, both of them at one point or another took a head dive towards the floor when I had fallen asleep nursing them in the recliner. Funny thing is that both times (once per kid, well maybe twice with older DD) I have managed to catch them before they hit the floor.

I wouldn't worry so much about baby falling off your lap and hitting the mattress. It won't hurt her, but it might scare her really good. I have pillows on the floor beside the bed, so that when my kids fall off (and it is inevitable) they don't hit the hard floor.








((((hugs)))) those first few months are really hard, but it won't be that long before you have it all figured out! Hang in there, it really does get easier like everyone has told you it will.


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## Kitten (Jan 10, 2005)

I have a 2-piece foam wedge thing I got from a friend. She got it from baby depot. It's actually meant to keep a pregnant woman on her side. One piece I put under ds's head to elevate it and bring it to the level of my topmost breast. The other piece I stuff behind his back to keep him lying on his side. I can easily nurse while sleeping this way. PM me if you'd like a picture of my setup.


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## eminer (Jan 21, 2003)

Stacy's comments made me think: When I read about lying-down nursing, it seems like it is usually suggested that you use your arm to support baby's neck. The way I first learned -- and the only way that worked for me when dd was tiny -- was to have the baby lying on his/her side directly on the mattress. Then lie right on *your* side so that the bottom nipple goes straight into your baby's mouth, and spread your arm out above baby's head (i.e. out of the way) to help you get comfortable. I found this worked best with a nice thick pillow under my head.

Maybe that still won't work for you, but I thought I'd mention it.


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## stafl (Jul 1, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eminer*
The way I first learned -- and the only way that worked for me when dd was tiny -- was to have the baby lying on his/her side directly on the mattress. Then lie right on *your* side so that the bottom nipple goes straight into your baby's mouth, and spread your arm out above baby's head (i.e. out of the way) to help you get comfortable. I found this worked best with a nice thick pillow under my head.

That's how I always do it, too. Couldn't ever get it to work with pillows supporting baby, or with my arm supporting her head.


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## polka123 (Nov 27, 2003)

HEAD-N-BACK SLEEP POSITIONER

I used 1 of these for lying-down nursing when DS was small.

It helped alot for us.


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## catnip (Mar 25, 2002)

Thank you so much for the advice. I'll keep trying the lying down nursing. I just feel like a bad mom every time I fall asleep like that. DH keeps telling me I'm not a bad mom, just a tired one!


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## Hoopin' Mama (Sep 9, 2004)

I was unable to nurse laying down until ds was about 3 months. He wouldn't stay latched on and I had such major let down that we ended up in a pool of milk. So I put the glider next to the bed and just got up for each nursing. This felt better on my back than being propped up in bed with pillows. Nodded off a little but never enough to lose my hold on the babe. I didn't try any of the sleep positioners, they sound like a good idea.
I hope there is sleep in your future!


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## tribalmax (Oct 10, 2004)

When Cora was newborn, I found that the only way I could comfortable nurse her lying down was with LOTS of pillows. I had a pillow for my head, one behind my back (to help me lie comfortably on my side) and one between my knees.

Rolling over took LOTS of rearranging. lol But it worked.

I hope you find a solution. Nursing in bed is really a nice option when you are tired.

Good luck!


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## catnip (Mar 25, 2002)

We're doing better at the lying down thing now. I tried placing a folded cloth diaper under my breast and she is now able to stay latched on longer.


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## KateMary (Jun 14, 2004)

Glad you are getting the hang of lying down nursing, we couldn't do it till neck control was better at about 3 months. I also have to hold my breast up and make a nipple sandwich for dd's mouth so that gravity doesn't make it slip out of her mouth. I think I'll try the diaper under the breast too-good idea.

If you do ever nurse in the recliner, I would suggest getting a My Brest Friend nursing pillow instead of the boppy. Baby rolls off Boppy really easy but the My Brest Friend is completely flat foam and has a larger surface for baby. I never had any problem with baby rolling off while I nursed in the recliner and I would often doze off.


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## Alkenny (May 4, 2004)

I just wanted to add in here a BTDT...the first night home from the hospital I fell asleep SITTING IN A CHAIR and dropped the baby. Thankfully, he didn't fall straight to the floor, he actually slid down the blanket I had on my lap (but inevitably ended up ON the floor).


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## mittendrin (Nov 5, 2003)

don't feel bad. i've come close to dropping both my babies. nursing is just so relaxing...








keep nursing in bed though, sitting in a chair won't keep you from falling asleep, i speak from experience.
one thing i'd recomend is the "big v" nursing pillow. it's huge and there's no chance your baby will roll off that one

https://www.inventiveparent.com/bigv...singpillow.htm


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## BunniMummi (Jan 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eminer*
The way I first learned -- and the only way that worked for me when dd was tiny -- was to have the baby lying on his/her side directly on the mattress. Then lie right on *your* side so that the bottom nipple goes straight into your baby's mouth, and spread your arm out above baby's head (i.e. out of the way) to help you get comfortable. I found this worked best with a nice thick pillow under my head.

This is what we have always done. I had a lot of trouble sitting up long enough to nurse the first few weeks so we got hooked on nursing lying down.







: We can nurse sitting up but most of the time at home I just nurse him on the bed. I've wondered sometimes if breast size/shape has anything to do with how easy or difficult it is to nurse lying down.


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## orangefoot (Oct 8, 2004)

You do get a fright when you wake up and wonder where the baby's gone!

I had trouble feeding lying down in the beginning and one of the (excellent)health visitors I know recommends new mums to perfect their upright latch in the first few months before lying down. That was certainly the case with me; once we could feed any which way sitting up, lying down got easier.
This is a good link for positioning

feeding lying down


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## nannymom (Jan 23, 2004)

We nurse lying down in the side position, but when DD had thrush she stopped doing it and we had to sit up and I discovered that if I put her in the cradel hold and got her started I could lie down and she would just lay over me stomach to stomach. It's a little hard on the nippkes but it works.


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## jane-t-mommy (Mar 24, 2004)

I use water bottles in bed at night--No problems with soaking the bed and I can drink while ds nurses, when the thirst really hits me. Good luck.


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## eminer (Jan 21, 2003)

Great link, orangefoot!

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BunniMummi*
I've wondered sometimes if breast size/shape has anything to do with how easy or difficult it is to nurse lying down.

Based solely upon nursing-lying-down discussions in online lists, I think it does.  Apparently if your breasts are very small it can be hard to get a small baby to the right place, and if they are very large, you might have to hold on (to your breast) to keep a small baby latched on right. Like I've said so many times in the past, I want those breasts like I saw in an old fanciful Pygmi sketch where a woman has tossed her long thin pendulous breast over her shoulder to nurse a baby slung to her back. They would also be useful for easier latching in bed. If your baby woke up while you were cuddling with dp, you could just throw one of your breasts back there and nip the problem in the bud. Why didn't the Omniscient Creator think of this?


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## catnip (Mar 25, 2002)

I think my problem was being caused by my breasts being fairly large and very soft due to massive weight loss (hit 100 lbs total the week I found out I was pregnant) so my lower nipple was flush with the bed. The diaper raises it to the level of her mouth and it works out.


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## eminer (Jan 21, 2003)

Somehow I managed to miss your previous update when coming back to the thread. Yay!!! I'm so glad you worked it out.


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## rileysmommy (Dec 11, 2004)

i have a hard time nuring while laying down with a real small baby, it isn't usually until about 3 months that i can get the hang of it, i too fall asleep so i think thats why i probably wait till a litttle later.
i still nurse in bed though, i just sit up propped on all thos pillows i was highly attached to during pregnancy. dh says i have him pillowed out of the bed... at last count, i think there are 7 pillows(eeekkkkk!)


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## Alvenchrst (Feb 3, 2003)

I never got the hang of nursing in bed either, I always got into the rocker to nurse. Inever did learn how to nurse well in bed, maybe that's why we only made it 4 months with nursing. So try to learn if you can! I'm sure it would make life much easier.

I looked at that big V nursing pillow and it has been recalled by the federal government becuase it can cause suffication if the baby is left unattended

Heres an article: http://babyparenting.about.com/b/a/117556.htm

Aparently it is took squishy and lose. Not that I would leave my baby un attended in it, but I supose if you used it while laying down and yu both feel asleep together, that would be considered unattended. Mittendrin how where your experinces with this pillow in that respect?


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