# sleeping position while breastfeeding



## Skim (Jan 2, 2004)

Being relatively new to the boards, I thought I'd come out of lurk and pose a question my unsympathetic doctor didn't really care about answering.

I've been co-sleeping with and breastfeeding my 23-mo dd since her birth. Unfortunately, I've developed physical complications which prevent me from nursing/sleeping in the position I've used forever. We've found the most comfortable is for me to lay on my left side, dd attached, and then I can sort of drowse in and out of sleep as necessary. It is not possible for me to wait until she fully falls asleep and then change position - she wakes up, or I fall asleep first. When I sleep like this, though, my arm and/or hand tends to fall underneath my head, cutting off circulation to my hand. Because of months and months of this, I developed a varicose vein and then a blood clot in my thumb!

I can't continue this method of sleeping/nursing. My breasts aren't large enough to sleep on my back. I have the same problem with arm/hand placement if I sleep on my right side, too. My temporary solution has been to very consciously move my arm so it sticks far away from my body, nearly poking dp in his head, but out from under my head. This is not as comfortable, but it will do. She will eventually pull off on her own, and sometimes I wake up on my back, but not often enough.

I need some suggestions for alternate sleeping/nursing positions, mamas. Especially since we want to have another babe. Please let me know how you sleep and nurse your babes and toddlers!

Thanks, mamas.


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## MamaSoleil (Apr 24, 2002)

No advice here, I sleep the same way you mentionned...I always thought it can't be good to cut off your circulation so much!!! HOpe you find an alternate way, I'll be watching!!!









(Welcome to the boards)


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## saharasky (Dec 20, 2002)

Hmmmm...not sure I can help

I find that if I put a small pillow under my head so that the pillow holds the weight of it (takes the weight of it off my shoulder too)I can wrap my bottom/lower arm around the pillow without it having to hold up any weight. Does that make any sense?

Blessings

Jes


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## Skim (Jan 2, 2004)

I've thought about using a smaller, firmer pillow. that might help lift my head enough. Good suggestion, saharamama!

And hey, my dd is only 2 days older than your dc! Fancy that.


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## PuppyFluffer (Mar 18, 2002)

I sleep on my side, arm under pillow/under head and my shoulder gets cranked out of shape alot!

One thing I have done is to lay on my back, lay a pillow alongside me, lay dd on that. I then put my arm out and around her laying it on the mattress - just above the pillow. I'm able to curl my arm around her so it's not sticking out straight. Does that make sense? Elevating her with the pillow gets her close to my breast.

I have a partially herniated disc in my lower back and cannot sleep on my back so this doesn's especially work for me. Sometimes dd needs the feeling of me having my arm around her to help settle her down and I end up falling asleep.


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## Geofizz (Sep 25, 2003)

Yikes!

I started developing hip problems from sleeping in the same nursing position all night every night.

The only thing that worked was the "Pantley pull off" from No Cry Sleep Solution. It took about 2 months for it to kick in, but the upshot is that now DD nurses for about 5 minutes and I roll over and go back to sleep.

Good luck!


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## velcromom (Sep 23, 2003)

I love the Pantley pull-off! If it weren't for that ds would never sleep outside of my arms.

If I want to nurse lying down I rest ds's head in the crook of my arm and hold him similar to a cradle hold but with his body parallel to mine. It elevates his head enough to allow him to reach my small breasts and there is not a lot of weight on my arm. A pillow under ds might help too in this position, maybe I'll give that a try!


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## NoraB (Dec 10, 2002)

I sometimes sleep on my side while nursing DD. I've found that my arm is most comfortable if I stretch it out straight and rest my hand on a pillow (or DH).

I lay on my back too. I get DD to lay on her side w/ her head on almost on my shoulder and my arm curling around her body. I tuck a pillow under her if I need her more elevated. Sometimes I tuck a pillow behind my back to tip me to the side a little.

Good luck in finding a reasonable position. Your little one may also be old enough to talk about the situation. You might be able to get her to agree to nurse until she's drowsy, then continue to fall asleep on her own. Explain to her that mommy's arm hurts or something. Hang in there!


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## lilgreen (Dec 5, 2003)

I don't know if your little one will want to do this, but my ds' favourite sleeping/nursing position is when I lie on my back and he lies more or less horizontally across my belly on top of me. So, his knees and legs are off to one side of me but most of is body is on me with his head up near my breast so he can nurse. I find this position extremely comfortable and nothing ever falls asleep!

Best of luck!
Beth


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## Skim (Jan 2, 2004)

Good ideas. We may try putting dd on a pillow to give my arm some room around her. I found that if I use a firmer pillow (firmer than my feather pillow) I also have more room for my arm and hand. It's still tricky, for sure. With my dd so big now, I haven't found a way to put my arm around her at all as she sleeps. Really, she's almost 3 feet tall, with a really long torso. I think that is complicating things a bit for us.

Is there an online source of info about the pantley pull off method?

thanks everyone for so much good feedback!


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## Geofizz (Sep 25, 2003)

Ahhh, sorry you didn't get the reference. The "Pantley Pull-off" is the central part of Elizabeth Pantley's No Cry Sleep Solution.

Let the baby nurse for a while. Wait until the baby isn't drinking and is comfort sucking. Unlatch the baby and gently press the baby's mouth closed by pushing up on the chin.

If the baby roots or starts to cry, let him/her latch on again for a few minutes and try again. Eventually the baby will just leave it and go back to sleep.

I started this when nursing to sleep the first time each night. It took about 2 weeks for my dd (then 11 months?) to accept the pull off. After that, she would accept it in the middle of the night as well. The chin thing never worked for us, though. I just unlatch.


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