Breastfeeding - Phoenix,AZ

My daughter and I usually BOTH fell asleep while breastfeeding! She got full and fell asleep. I got so relaxed, I was right there with her.

Just keep offering him the breast. He needs sleep, he needs food. Unless there is some underlying issue, he is not going to starve himself! Babies know they need to eat. If you are making yourself available to him, he will eat when he is hungry. Keep an eye on his diapers and weight, it will be pretty obvious if something is not right. As much as our pediatricians would have us believe otherwise, newborns are not that tricky or fragile...open mouth, insert boob, repeat. You are doing great, keep it up!!!

The main diagnostic "tools" are...is he sleeping comfortably between feedings or fussing and wanting to eat again within 30 minutes or so. Is he gaining weight...having a reasonable number of wet diapers....not dehydrated. If all of that is "normal"...then don't worry about it. Are you feeding on demand or trying to establish a schedule? If you on FOD then you really don't need to be concerned...he will let you know when he wants to feed again.
All of the hints that the other Mama's have given you are great for trying to keep him a little more alert during feeding time. Interact with him...talk to him...make eye contact...give him something worth staying awake for...lol.
Happy Mothers Day to you my dear

I had the same problem with my daughter! I talked to her doctor about it and she said as long as she was gaining weight, then not to worry. Next time you feed him, as yourself this question though, is he feeding just to soothe himself or is he actually eating (so is he swallowing or just rooting)? Are these long nursing sessions or really short before he falls asleep? He may just want to suckle to calm himself to sleep if they're really short. Best advice to give you on this would be to a) pump if you have that option after he falls asleep if you're not already. You don't want to reduce your milk production. and b) try to not let it become a habit. If he's looking like he's going to fall asleep, take him off the breast and put him in his crib. You don't want this to become the only way he falls asleep (I wish I had known this- my daughter was unable to fall asleep without suckling for months because she had grown used to it). Good luck!

I think it probably depends on when he falls asleep. Some babies dream feed well but others will just continue sucking once they fall asleep and not really be drinking. Is he sleeping while still in that slow suck-swallow pattern? Are you seeing an adequate number of diapers each day? That will tell you if he is getting enough.

At this point I wouldn't worry about establishing a nurse to sleep habit; in the early days you do whatever works. In addition to the tricks that the other poster listed for waking him you can also switch sides briefly when he starts to drop off (then move him back so he finishes the first side), stand him up, lay him on a firm surface, talk and make eye contact, make sure the lights aren't too bright. If he's falling asleep on the second side after a good feed on the first and if diaper counts are good, seems like you can probably go with the flow. The sleepiness should go away before long. Happy Mothers Day.

I agree with all--for now he is so little that as long as he is gaining weight well and not needing to eat very soon after because he fell asleep it is probably fine for now. In the long run--you do want to transition to a place where he doesn't need to nurse to sleep. My daughter would nap-nurse on me and then not sleep on her own--very frustrating to be on call constantly. Eventually the EASY routine from Baby Whisperer helps then disconnect feeding from sleeping. Eat, Activity, Sleep and You time:) Some moms are fine with nursing to sleep but everyone is different !

My daughter always fell asleep about 5-10 minutes into breastfeeding after one breast. The nurses at the hospital told me she should be nursing around 15-20 minutes on each breast! Naturally, we were frantic, trying to keep her awake. We went to see a lactation consultant (not with the hospital) who weighed her before and after I nursed to see how much milk was transferring. My daughter had gained a few ounces in just a short time. Turns out, she's a really efficient nurser. We went to the pediatrician and she was gaining wait (barely lost anything from the hospital) so my mind was put at ease.

If your baby is gaining weight, don't worry about it. Provided that nothing is wrong (like low blood sugar or sickness) I think a baby sleeping means s/he is full and comfortable. If he were hungry he'd be fussy and irritable. Consider yourself lucky! I have friends whose babies take about an hour to nurse!

The lactation consultant I saw was located in the Mesa Gilbert area at a store called Baby Mother and More. Her name was Mary. She's wonderful!

Good luck and Happy Mother's Day!

Well, there's no super easy way. I undressed mine to keep them on the chilly side. The only reason to do this is to work towards full feedings. A baby should be able to go 2-3 hours between feedings. If they need to eat every hour its really exhausting for mom and acctuallly makes it harder for your milk to establish if your breasts never get a break. Also, full feedings are the basis for getting a schedule going. I found full feedings were really important to try and achieve in the night time feedings so I could more sleep between feeings and wake less often in the night. Full feedings benefit everyone in the long run vs. a baby who snacks all day and all night. But there will be times you just can't win this battle, so do what you can and then go with the flow.

When my son was little I let him fall asleep while breastfeeding. It didn't bother me, however if you intend to breastfeed for an extended time I would not recommended it in the long run. It took my son a very long time to relearn how to fall asleep. He had learned that he needed me so when he woke up any time in the middle of the night he couldn't put himself back to sleep and I was the only one that could put him to bed or back to bed.
As far as keeping him awake, tickle behind his cheek, blow on the top of his head, make him a little less comfortable - take a layer of clothing off him so he's not so cozy, or just stop feeding him and make sure he wakes up a little and lay him down for a nap if he's really tired. Then he might learn to sleep on in your arms and not attached to you. I couldn't do this...I loved snuggling my little guy :)
Enjoy! Those little babies sure do grow up fast.
Happy Mother's Day!

It is OK for him to fall asleep as long as he is NURSING WELL before he passes out. If he isn't, unwrap him or unclothe him....I used to rub the top of my baby's head gently and say wake up wake up wake up until he would if he passed out too quickly into the nursing session at that age. Best wishes!

Happy Mother's Day to you! What a beautiful way to celebrate Mother's Day--with a new baby in your arms. It's very normal for a baby to fall asleep while nursing and there's really no need to wake the little guy unless you don't think he's getting enough at the breast before falling asleep in which case you can massage his feet, or take him off the breast and change the diaper or undress him before putting him back on the breast. Using a cool damp cloth to the face also wakes a sleepy baby. As long as he is gaining weight and having 5-7 wet diapers a day, no need to worry. Please don't worry about him needing the breast to fall asleep for the rest of his infant life. Until about 4-5 months of age they are physically incapable of developing such habits. Please consider reading Dr. Sear's book entitled The Baby Book or go to his website: www.askdrsears.com for a wealth of great info on parenting. Congrats on the birth of your little guy and giving him the best nutrition on earth! Midwife Mom of 3

Mine always did :) Just feed on demand. It will seem like a lot at first but baby will establish their own routine in a few weeks. Use a my brest friend or boppy pillow to support yourself when you are awake and nurse lying down when you'd like to get some sleep. Congratulations!

I was told by the nurses and lactation when my babies were born to keep them awake while they were nursing. I don't remember everything they showed me, but they seemed to make it clear that babies that young need to stay awake while eating. I know we would rub their heads, rub their backs, and eventually undress them so they weren't so warm. I think they were afraid they wouldn't get enough to eat at each feeding. Looking back, I'm also thinking that they would've had to east more often, too, which means more work for mommy.