# baby refusing to nurse while lying down



## sunwise (Sep 16, 2010)

Hi all,

I searched the forums for the answer to this question, but it seems like most people actually have the opposite problem! Just a couple of days ago, my 6-month-old DS started completely refusing to nurse while we are lying down in bed. We almost always nurse while I am lying on my left side (because a couple of months ago he started refusing to nurse if I was lying on my right side), but I am able to give him both breasts from this position. But in the middle of the night two nights ago, he suddenly started refusing both sides while we were lying down. I eventually figured out that he will nurse just fine if I sit up, get my boppy pillows, and hold him like I usually do during the day. But I really miss the lying down nursing, because then I could get rest as well! And when he finishes nursing lying down, he is much more likely to unlatch himself (if we are sitting up, he would happily stay latched for hours at night if I let him). Also, DS is difficult to transfer from one sleeping spot to another, so I have a hard time getting him off the boppy and back into bed, as opposed to when we are lying down and we can both fall asleep in place when he finishes nursing.

He isn't having any problems lying on his side (I guess that would be his right side, since he faces me while I lay on my left side). Sometimes we are able to get him to sleep with just a paci, and then he will pretty much always naturally roll onto his right side to sleep. The main big changes in his life recently have been that we started introducing solids, and he got constipated from that (but it is clearing up).

Has anyone experienced this or have any advice? I miss the restful nights I had when we could nurse lying down. Because I don't want to sit up all night long and grab the boppy for nursing, we have been cutting down on the number of night nursings in favor of using a pacifier to help him sleep. But he sleeps less soundly with the paci and has been waking crying when it falls out of his mouth. Sigh.

Thanks for any help!


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## sosurreal09 (Nov 20, 2009)

hmmm...I am wondering if he is having heart burn/reflux issues so it is uncomfortable to nurse lying down now? Or maybe your flow is stronger now and he can't keep up with it lying down?

IDK that's a tough one since he is 6 m/o..


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## Silly Willies (Dec 31, 2001)

I agree with the heartburn/reflux issues. Also have you had his hearing tested? My dd preferred to nurse on one side because of hearing loss. She wanted the better hearing ear out.


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## Greenlea (Apr 21, 2010)

What about a possible ear infection? My 4mth old went through a time where he wouldn't nuse lying down either. It was annoying as well since I had to use the Boppy and he likes to nurse until he's asleep again. There was noting wrong with him though, he eventually got over it.


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## sosurreal09 (Nov 20, 2009)

oooh yeah ear infection is a possibility too


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## sunwise (Sep 16, 2010)

Thanks for the responses! I hadn't considered reflux as a possible problem, especially since he hasn't suffered from that previously and he's already 6 months. I had thought about ear infections, but since he sleeps lying on his side when he's not nursing, I kind of discounted that possibility. Would it be possible for him to be comfortable on his side when he's not nursing but hurt to be on his side when he is nursing? I wouldn't have thought so, but I could be wrong.

Not sure about hearing issues. His hearing has seemed fine at all our well baby visits with the pediatrician, but he hasn't had a real hearing test since he was born. As for possible flow issues, the fact that he will nurse in cradle hold on the boppy makes me think he can keep up OK.

Also, when I nurse him on the boppy, he's basically in a cradle hold, so he's also lying on his side there and not complaining about the position. That's what's weird to me. It seems like he's fine lying on HIS side to nurse, but he doesn't want to do it when I am also lying on my side. He's also rejecting lying on either side to nurse, so it doesn't seem to be related to any illnesses in one particular ear.

Still, I will consider all these things. I hope that this is just a brief phase and we can resume lying-down nursing soon!


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## tapetags (Aug 10, 2012)

Can you please update on what the outcome was. My 6 month old DD just starting doing the EXACT same thing. I can't figure it out, very strange. She has never had issues with reflux. She may be teething, but otherwise I can't figure it out. Any help would be appreciated, I really miss nursing at night lying in the bed. Can I hope to look forward to it again?

Thanks!


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## sunwise (Sep 16, 2010)

Hi there! I never figured out exactly what the problem was - he never had reflux, didn't seem to have an ear infection, and didn't start teething until about two months after my original post....but all I can say is that we did eventually resume nursing while lying down. In fact, DS is turning 2 this month and we still nurse lying down. I imagine that the sleep phase (that is, refusing to nurse lying down) didn't last all that long either - probably just a few days? I think I just kept offering and eventually he went back to doing things the same as before.

Good luck with your little one!


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## dinkame (Apr 8, 2018)

tapetags said:


> Can you please update on what the outcome was. My 6 month old DD just starting doing the EXACT same thing. I can't figure it out, very strange. She has never had issues with reflux. She may be teething, but otherwise I can't figure it out. Any help would be appreciated, I really miss nursing at night lying in the bed. Can I hope to look forward to it again?
> Thanks!


I'm having the same problem, it worked for a while and then stopped when baby was about 3 months old... How do I make it ok again to nurse side lying?

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