Do you think BFing success is had easier by cosleeping??

I didnt cosleep with Melania..i put her in the crib on the very first nite home..i also had a very rough time at nite nursing her..primarily because i think theres some kind of hormonal thing that went on with my body and every time i nursed at nite, id literally fall asleep with her on my glider, on the couch, etc..and i NEVER knew if she even nursed or not, (which im assuming she didnt get much cause she woke up so damn much lol) and i was always afraid of her falling off of me..I know for me, not nursing (i ended up formula supplementing) thru the nite made a HUGE issue for me in the supply department..basically also because i wasnt pumping either..hell if i had to get up and feed her, i certainly wasnt pumping too..KWIM?
For this Im really reconsidering, and am wondering what you all can recommend as far as cosleeping goes..do i just use a bassinet? Something that goes in the middle of dh and i in the bed? Something that fits on the side??
Whats been the most convenient for your BFing experience?
TIA

Re: Do you think BFing success is had easier by cosleeping??

I co-slept with DD and where I don't think it contributed to the "success" of BFing...I did find it easier to BF during the night.

It made things MUCH easier for me.

I used the mini co-sleeper.

Re: Do you think BFing success is had easier by cosleeping??

I slept in my living room chair for 3 months with my colic child Literally every night...her propped safely on the Boppy while on me b/c it's the ONLY way she'd sleep.

I was so exhausted b/c she never slept during the day that I would whip out the boob, latch her on it, and would pass out again while she was still eating (she always fell asleep while nursing too).

ETA: On one hand, it was super-convenient b/c that's where I also slept, so I didn't have to get up besides to change her diaper. On the other hand, it wasn't convenient only b/c I was SLEEPING in the freakin' living room chair for 3 months (but that was b/c of colic and not breastfeeding).

Message edited 11/2/2009 4:18:52 PM.

Re: Do you think BFing success is had easier by cosleeping??

I don't know if it makes BFing itself more successful, but it was def. easier on me.

DS slept in a bassinet next to my bed for the first 2 months, but I still had to get up to get him when he woke up, and then get up to put him back in the bassinet. With DS waking up every 2.5-3 hours, this was a PITA.

Once we brought him into the bed with us, I just had to roll over, feed, put him back down, and go back to sleep lol. I admit to falling asleep sometimes while he was nursing....I was beyond exhausted...but he would stop nursing when he was full, and fall asleep himself.

I had issues from Day 1 with BFing, from flat nips and a poor latch, and trouble weaning off the nipple shield..so maybe co-sleeping helped, but I'm not sure it solely contributed to my success.

Re: Do you think BFing success is had easier by cosleeping??

thanks for the replies so far!! ladies, anyone else...please share your story

Re: Do you think BFing success is had easier by cosleeping??

Nope. Not in my case. Abby nursed just fine without co-sleeping. Keep in mind she also was in the NICU for over a week and learned to latch after 5 days. It took work and persistence but it happened.

Re: Do you think BFing success is had easier by cosleeping??

I had the same level of success with both kids. My first DD slept in her own room & I nursed her every two hours at night in the glider. She slept through the night at 12 weeks. My second DD slept in her own room until about 4 months, then stopped sleeping so I brought her into bed with me. We coslept (out of necessity) from 4-6 months. Every time she woke up, I put her on the boob & went back to sleep. It was very tough getting her out of my bed. If I had a third (which I won't), I wouldn't cosleep based on my experience.

Re: Do you think BFing success is had easier by cosleeping??

Posted by nbc188

I slept in my living room chair for 3 months with my colic child Literally every night...her propped safely on the Boppy while on me b/c it's the ONLY way she'd sleep.

I was so exhausted b/c she never slept during the day that I would whip out the boob, latch her on it, and would pass out again while she was still eating (she always fell asleep while nursing too).

ETA: On one hand, it was super-convenient b/c that's where I also slept, so I didn't have to get up besides to change her diaper. On the other hand, it wasn't convenient only b/c I was SLEEPING in the freakin' living room chair for 3 months (but that was b/c of colic and not breastfeeding).

Re: Do you think BFing success is had easier by cosleeping??

We did not co-sleep and have been successful with BF. DS was in a bassinet next to our bed, next to me, for the first week. He'd wake up pretty much every hour to feed. I'd take him into the nursery, just across the hall, to BF in the rocking chair. I too would fall asleep and never knew if he was eating or not but that's what it was... I got my sleep and so did he, whether he was eating or sleeping, at least he was not awake and crying. Sometimes DH would come in to wake me!

When he was one week old, on 4th of July, I was so tired, as we had company over and were up late... I took him into the nursery to feed and thought, let me just put him in the crib for this "nap" since I'll just be back in barely an hour. I woke up, not to DS, but on my own. Leaned over DH to see the time... not an hour had gone by but like four! I gasped and ran in to see he was sound asleep in the crib! That's where he slept from then on and increased his sleep time gradually around 9 hours at 4 months.

Most of the time, I'll do his first feeding in bed at around 6:30/7am because that's when he gets his daddy cuddle time before DH goes to work. Then he'll go back into the crib for his morning nap... unless DH gets him fully awake, then we (DS and I) snuggle in bed and watch tv for a bit!

So I could not say that co-sleeping would make BF easier as we were/are pretty successful without it. I would/could however say that not c-sleeping has made sleeping through the night easier/more successful. I don't know, maybe he woke from us stirring in our sleep, or smelled me??? I know every baby and scenario is different but that's how our story goes so that's how I come to my conclusion.

Re: Do you think BFing success is had easier by cosleeping??

I think it made it easier on me. I could tend to DS as soon as he woke to eat. He took forever to nurse in the beginning, but by 2-3 months, he typically nursed for 10 minutes in the middle of the night before falling asleep. I could never quite doze off while he nursed, but I could fall back asleep quickly after he was done. I also liked that I didn't have to possibly disturb his sleep by moving him back into the crib. I wouldn't be surprised if he woke up more to eat b/c he could smell the milk, but at least I could quickly feed him before he became very alert.

Re: Do you think BFing success is had easier by cosleeping??

I successfully BF my first until 11 months, and am still Bfing my second (she'll be a year old in 2 days!). Neither baby coslept with us. I just didn't get good sleep with either of them right there. The typical newborn grunts,snorts, and sighs would keep me up. I was also terrified of them actually sleeping in the bed with us as I was afraid of us rolling.