# Anyone Else with Pain from Bed-Sharing?



## not_telling (Mar 31, 2008)

Our LO has been sleeping with us every night since his birth (7 weeks ago). We have a full size bed (can't go bigger), with a mini Arm's Reach co-sleeper that we have yet to use. DS sleeps between me and DH in the crook of my arm, with his head resting on my arm (like my arm is his pillow). He is a spitter and tends to not enjoy being flat on his back...thus my propping him up. A couple weeks ago I started putting him on his side, rather than on his back, and he seems to like it. Recently, he's also started having some 3.5-5 hour stretches of sleep at night (very nice for us).

My problem is that my arm, especially my shoulder, really does NOT enjoy being in the "being-baby's-pillow-and-bodyguard" position all night long. Last night I did switch him to my other side after a feeding, which was helpful...but then the other arm hurts.

Anyone else with this kinda pain experience...and anyone with solutions?

I will say that at some point...maybe in a few weeks, I would like to find a way to transition him to the co-sleeper...once we figure out how to get the height more matched to our bed (it's actually higher than our bed).
I want to be able to have my arm around him as he's settling in, but then be able to remove it and both of us have space to move around (I guess me, in particular). Also, I spent good money getting an organic mattress and organic sheets for the co-sleeper and don't want it to go to waste. We already have the co-sleeper mattress set up on a slant to help with spitting/reflux.


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## katie&micah (May 16, 2005)

I used to wake up in the middle of the night with pain in my arm from doing the same thing. Eventually she started sleeping flat on the bed, but now my back hurts from only being able to sleep on my side. No suggestions, but you're not alone!


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## FingerLakesMom2B (May 20, 2008)

I'm in the same boat- with a 6 week old lil girl. I was having a hard time not being able to move around to get comfortable. Now I am able to shift between 3 positions-

on my back flat, with her in the crook, like you described,

on my side, spooning her with her on her side as well. I put my one arm under my own head, and other over her or between my legs,

or I lay propped up on 3 or 4 pillows, with her belly to my chest. If I sleep like this I take a stretchy, thermal receiving blanket and wrap it tightly over her and tuck the sides under me. My mom taught me this trick- it let my arms relax cause I don't feel like I'm holding her up.

Sometimes when I'm really exhausted and need to get comfortable some other way, I put her in the moses basket in the bed, or in her cradle across the room. This isn't ideal, but seems worth it between two feedings- so just for 2 or 3 hours. She doesn't mind, and I get to stretch and get a deeper rest. Then I bring her back for the rest of the night.

Good Luck! I know what you mean- after wearing her in the sling all day, hunching over to breastfeed, the last thing we need is to sleep with our shoulders and back hurting!


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## teachma (Dec 20, 2002)

Just wait until you co-sleep with a four year old! My daughter and I share her *twin* bed for the second part of each night, and I must occasionally pinch a nerve in my back/neck because I go through spurts of days in a row during which I wake up with a completely numb arm in the middle of the night!


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## not_telling (Mar 31, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *FingerLakesMom2B* 
I'm in the same boat- with a 6 week old lil girl. I was having a hard time not being able to move around to get comfortable. Now I am able to shift between 3 positions-

on my back flat, with her in the crook, like you described,

on my side, spooning her with her on her side as well. I put my one arm under my own head, and other over her or between my legs,

Yes, these are my positions, too...even the hand between my own legs. That blanket trick sounds like quite the accomplishment. Any pictures?

I'm finding that making sure I switch baby to my other side at some point during the night is starting to help. Plus, my mom gave me this bodywork thing she calls "the roller" (a huge cylinder of hard foam) that you can lay on in different ways to get tight muscles to release. It seems to relieve some of my shoulder pain.


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## bellababy (Jul 30, 2005)

I have one word for you mama... acupuncture. it worked like a dream for me!! I had the WORST shoulder pain along with excruciating carpel tunnel in both wrists. I tried my best to change my sleep position, but that never worked.

So, the acupuncture set me straight. took a few sessions, but ultimately was the only cure for me!


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## dogmom327 (Apr 19, 2007)

My lower back in particular seems to have suffered starting with pregnancy but it has been aggravated by co-sleeping with DS. I'm pretty much in love with my chiropractor.


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## roostery (Jan 23, 2004)

DD1 had me sleeping on one side only, because she would wake up if I moved. She also nursed all the time, so I would often doze off while nursing, often not in the optimum position for my already messed up neck. My chiropracter was crucial for this, as was learning to switch sides every time she nursed, even at night. I just hugged her to me and rolled over.

I also embraced my buckwheat pillow which is pretty awesome for co-sleeping. It's tiny, so it doesn't worry me that it's going to cover the baby, and it is soooo wonderful for keeping my neck at a good level.

Whatever you do, don't suck it up and keep causing damage to your body. You could end up spending a lot of time and money undoing it. Could your partner spend some time being a human pillow for your baby? I always piled up towels and receiving blankets under my DDs heads when they have colds to help them breath, how about something like that for your LO? Even easier is to build up half of a snuggle-nest (they're called something like that, anyway, you know, those little 3/4 boxes that lay on the bed with you?) Maybe check your local craigslist or freecycle to see if anyone is getting rid of one?


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## jmmom (Sep 11, 2007)

I have always found that doing some stretching or yoga before bed helps a lot. It sounds like you have it pretty rough, but this might help while you transition to a better sleeping position.

PS - Don't let the fact that you spent money on a co-sleeper be the reason why you put your little one there! ;-) Do what works for all of you, there will be tons of things you buy for your dc that you don't end up using to their full worth.


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