Breastfeeding 1-2-3 » sleep

5 Tips for Breastfeeding and Nap Time (#23)

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:46:49 +0000

Today’s Mom-to-Mom question comes from Rachael who left the following comment on the post Getting Your Child to Sleep through the Night:

We too, have tried Dr. Jay Gordon’s method, but modified it exactly as you would, and had great success… until those molars started coming in! Now we are back to about two nursing sessions a night. It is a bit of a bummer, but I know the extra waking is due to the teething and will pass with time. My question, though, has to do with naps. For every nap since she was born, my 27 month old has fallen asleep nursing, she sleeps about thirty minutes, and then cries for me. I go in and nurse her back to sleep, which takes anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes. She then sleeps another half hour to forty-five minutes, cries for me, and I go in and nurse her back to sleep. It is impossible to get anything done, and I am so beside myself about her not being able to get a solid nap in, that even if I stay in bed with her I can’t fall asleep! I’ve tried the suggestions in The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers, but to no avail. Today I even tried completely separating the nursing from the nap and that totally backfired because she never took a nap! I am feeling pretty hopeless about this and any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I feel your pain Rachael! I have been there and in fact today my 16-month-old napped for 30 minutes, nursed back to sleep and slept another five minutes. It’s amazing I get any blogging done

When I had just the one nursling, I had the luxury of sitting in the rocker while my daughter napped on me for three hours. If she woke I’d nurse her back to sleep and continue reading my book or watching all the television shows I had taped. Of course, I couldn’t get anything else done that way, but at least I got a “break” of sorts. That wasn’t really an option when my second child came around, and in fact it became even more difficult to juggle nap time as I was trying to coordinate the naps of a 2.5-year-old and an infant.

I have a few thoughts for you and then I hope other moms will chime in with comments on what they do for nap time.

1. Use a sling to carry your nursling to sleep. Get the right babywearing gear and you can comfortably carry a toddler to sleep. While that might not result in longer nap times right away, it is at least a start at separating nap time from nursing. Once you’ve carried your toddler to sleep, you have two choices — very carefully lay your child down and slip yourself out of the carrier, or continue carrying your child while you get a few things done with your two free hands.

2. Go for a walk. Many, many of my children’s naps have taken place in a Baby Jogger. I felt a lot better when my child napped and I accomplished the important task of getting some exercise. In nice weather we would walk outside and both get some fresh air, and in bad weather we would walk at the indoor mall. Again, this technique has the benefit of separating sleeping from nursing. It also works well even when you have more than one child.

3. Go for a drive. Okay, so this isn’t the most environmentally-friendly method of getting your child to nap, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And hey, I have often mentally justified such activities by weighing the effects of burning gasoline against the effects of the anti-depressants I might need if my child didn’t get some sleep during the day! (You think I kid….) Seriously though, once my toddler converted from Child Who Hates Car Seat to Child Who Sleeps in Car, I would go for a drive just long enough to get my toddler to sleep, then go home and transfer her from her seat to her bed.

4. Try the No-Cry Nap Solution. You mentioned The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers. Elizabeth Pantley also has a book dedicated entirely to naps (obviously we are not the only ones to struggle with this issue!) You can read my book review of The No-Cry Nap Solution here.

5. Give it some time. As with all things, time makes it better. I do not mean to minimize the frustration of having a child who cat naps and/or needs to nurse back to sleep. What I do mean is to offer hope from the realization that one day your child will sleep well again at nap time. I found that pre-school wore my three-year-old out. Same with a day at the park or a playdate. There will be times when your child sleeps poorly, but the times your child naps well will slowly increase.

Moms, what do you do for nap time? Have you faced the same nap time dilemma and what solutions have you found? Please leave a comment!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Breastfeeding News for December 1

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:52:12 +0000

In addition to the report of yet another breastfeeding discrimination incident that I discussed here, three stories caught my eye today.

AIDS Awareness ribbons; Photo by Subhadip Mukherjee

1. Tanya at the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog presents some timely news for World AIDS Day. The World Health Organization announced big changes in the breastfeeding recommendation for HIV-positive mothers in developing countries. In general, HIV-positive mothers are advised to feed their babies breast milk substitutes only if it is “acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe.” If such feeding is not acceptable, feasible, affordable and safe, then mothers in developing countries were formerly advised to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months and discontinue breastfeeding as soon as feasible after that. In light of new research regarding antiretroviral drugs (ARVs):

WHO now recommends that breastfeeding continue until the infant is 12 months of age, provided the HIV-positive mother or baby is taking ARVs during that period. This will reduce the risk of HIV transmission and improve the infant’s chance of survival.

2. CNN reports on the on-going story of the group of women who stepped in to breastfeed an infant when his mother passed away after giving birth. It’s been 11 months that baby Moses has been nursed by over 20 women. The baby’s father, Robbie Goodrich, said, “It’s been such an incredible outpouring of community love for this child of mine.”

3. Sinead at BreastfeedingMums covers the tragic story of a mother who fell asleep sitting up while breastfeeding her baby and accidentally smothered the child. As Sinead says, it’s important to pay attention to the guidelines for safe co-sleeping.

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Five Toddler Sleep Lessons

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:02:12 +0000

Yesterday I practically shouted from the rooftops about how my husband settled my 15-month-old back to sleep in the night. After three nurslings and seven-and-a-half years of mothering, this toddler sleep thing remains much of a mystery to me. All I know for sure is that I am not willing to let my child cry-it-out.

My sleeping 15-month-old

So what bits of sleep advice can be gleaned from my experience? I have come to these five conclusions:

1. Do what works for you. If co-sleeping and nursing your baby back to sleep help you both get a better night’s rest, then do it!

2. If something stops working for you, then take the initiative and change it! Sounds a little obvious but in a sleep-deprived haze it can be all too easy to continue on with the way things are.

3. It’s okay to try new ways to settle your child to sleep. Whether it’s rocking to sleep instead of nursing, wearing your baby in a sling, or having your partner sing the baby to sleep, it’s okay to experiment. If your nursling is unhappy with that, she will make it quite clear and you can shelve the experiment for another few months and then try again. Or try a different method.

4. There will be back-sliding. You can count on teething, illness, or growth spurts to set back the process. It’s normal and inevitable and it helps simply to recognize that and to put any sleep changes on hold.

5. Eventually, your child will sleep better at night. At some point, you will find yourself waking up for no reason. Your nursling didn’t wake you, you just woke up as part of your own sleep rhythm. Soon, your nursling will sleep so well you will wonder if everything is alright!

For those of you with toddlers, what has your sleep experience been like? Have you come to any conclusions of your own?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Alert the Media!

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:51:02 +0000

Okay, fine, it’s not exactly media-worthy, but it is Big News in our house. News worthy of Capital Letters. You see, my husband has been able to settle my 15-month-old back to sleep THREE TIMES over the last several nights!

Image by Sanja Gjenero

My husband is a great father and very good with the kids, so it should not be quite so newsworthy, except my other daughters refused to be settled back to sleep by anyone other than me (and my mum-mums) until they were over two-and-a-half years old! So the fact that my husband was able to settle our third daughter at the tender age of 15 months is amazing and gratefully received. Not just once, not even twice, but THREE times, which means it is not a Fluke and might actually be Repeatable. Clearly I am giddy with the additional sleep I received.

Last night was especially wonderful. I felt pretty cruddy from the cold to which I finally succumbed after several irresistible toddler pointing games of “Baby’s (runny) nose” and “Mama’s nose.” I needed the sleep and was none too pleased when I woke to nurse the baby at 4 a.m. and she had trouble settling back to sleep for a full 45 minutes. When it was clear she didn’t need to nurse again but she couldn’t stay asleep, I finally gave in and called to my husband at 4:45, and he was able to snuggle her to sleep. For some reason she accepts sleeping on his chest, as if she knows that’s the best he has to offer and she might as well enjoy it. And enjoy it she did — we all slept until it was time to get up at 7:15! Heaven.

When my toddler woke for good that morning, I went in to find her snuggled next to her daddy AND her four-year-old sister who had wandered down the hall to find someone to snuggle her back to sleep. So cute!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Baby’s 13-Month Sleep Regression

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:09:43 +0000

Now I have no idea whether there is such an “official” thing as a “13-month sleep regression” — a general tendency for babies to wake more frequently at night when they turn about 13 months old, but I am too tired to look into it. My toddler just turned 14 months old and the last month has been a challenge in the (lack of) sleep department. I noticed other mothers mentioning that their toddlers were night-waking more often too, and I am not surprised. There must be a few different factors playing into it.

My toddler at almost 14 months

In my case I think my toddler is so excited about everything around her that she forgets to ask to nurse as much during the day and she makes up for it at night. A growth spurt and illnesses and teething likely come into play now too. In fact last night everyone in my household went to bed at 9 p.m. after a long day at the zoo/school/swim lessons, and my toddler woke up so often that I saw the clock hours hit 10 p.m., 12, 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 before my toddler got me up for the day at 6:46 a.m. When she grinned at me later that morning I saw a shiny new tooth poking up from her bottom gum and I forgave her for waking me up all night long! Actually, I’d already forgiven her. There was nothing to forgive. She’s a baby and she needs me in the night! Can you imagine how bad I would have felt if I’d let her cry and then discovered in the morning that she had been in pain from that tooth coming in? I had no idea that tooth was finally making its appearance, and I am not one to give pain medication at the drop of a hat. I am glad my baby had the pain relief and comfort from nursing.

Anyone else notice a sleep regression right around this time? How often does your baby wake at night on a “good” night and on a “bad” one?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Sometimes I Miss It

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:56:34 +0000

Today was a big day for my little 11.5-month-old nursling. She couldn’t be torn away from the excitement of the day for a silly thing like napping, so her usual three naps were reduced to two. That meant by dinner time she was nearly ready for bed. We celebrated the 4th of July holiday with a backyard barbecue of shrimp and salmon, fresh pineapple slices, and grilled vegetables. As a special treat for dessert we made an improvised strawberry smoothie from pureed and whole frozen strawberries from our u-pick adventure earlier in the year, along with more pineapple and some fresh-squeezed orange juice and lemon juice. My nursling slurped up this tangy treat from a spoon and held out her spoon for more!

By the time we headed to our balcony to watch fireworks in the distance, she was ready to give in to sleep. She rested her head on my shoulder (one of best feelings in the world) and eventually drifted off to sleep as the fireworks boomed around us. I carried her into the bedroom and set her down on the bed, and she didn’t even stir.

Baby boy sleeps on his mom's shoulder (Photo by Ewen and Donabel)

That is such a different experience from my first nursling who would not go to sleep without nursing. I can remember being very frustrated by that at times, especially when I would try to break the latch and my baby would startle awake and I would have to start the process all over again. However, I must confess that now I sometimes miss those bedtime cuddly nursing sessions when my nursling happens to fall asleep without one. While it’s great that she can drift off peacefully without nursing, I enjoy nursing her and I feel peaceful afterward (even as I’m giddily sneaking away from a sleeping baby to type on the computer!) I needn’t have worried tonight however. She has already woken twice in the hour since I put her to bed. She doesn’t like to sleep when her older sisters are still awake, and she’s not too sure about the noise of the fireworks. So, I’ve nursed her back to sleep twice, and I’m about ready for sleep myself!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Night Terrors

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 04:23:43 +0000

Your child has been sound asleep for an hour or so but suddenly starts screaming and crying. You try everything you can think of to soothe him, going down your list: needs to nurse, hot, cold, feverish, wet, in pain. Nothing you do seems to help, and what’s worse, your child does not even seem to know you are there, trying to help.

Photo by Dez Pain

That’s what happened to me last night when my 11-month-old had her first ever night terror. Night terrors are episodes of intense crying and fear in children who are sleeping and are difficult to arouse. I will leave it to the experts to explain more about night terrors:

Ask Dr. Sears: Night Terrors
WebMD: Night Terrors

Thank goodness I had heard about night terrors from friends who had experienced them with their children. Otherwise I would have taken the half an hour of inconsolable crying as a sign that I needed to take my daughter to the emergency room! Fortunately, my daughter eventually allowed me to nurse her back to sleep. She slept well after that and appeared perfectly fine in the morning. I, however, was a wreck! One of the things I love most about breastfeeding is that it “fixes” almost anything — hungry, thirsty, over-tired, cranky, lonely, ill. When my daughter was crying inconsolably and she arched her back away from me when I attempted to nurse her, I felt a helplessness I have never felt before as a parent.

Has a child of yours ever experienced night terrors? How often did they happen? Were you eventually able to prevent them? Did your child outgrow them? How did you handle them when they were occurring?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Sleep Milestone

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Fri, 15 May 2009 17:22:50 +0000

The last several nights have been doozies thanks to a combination of teething, growth spurt, and a cold. My 9-month-old has woken multiple times in the night, and sometimes required settling twice before I have even gotten back to sleep once! So, I thought it would help me keep my ~~sanity~~ perspective to take a moment to celebrate one teeny tiny sleep milestone.

Photo by Abdulaziz Almansour

You see, my firstborn did not fall asleep without nursing until she was over two years old. My second mastered that glorious skill a little sooner. My third, ever-proving that each child is different, often refused to fall asleep by nursing at all, and would instead require me to pace the floor, holding her just so, facing outward, never in. But last night, even as I knew I was facing an endless night of wakings, I celebrated one wonderful moment. My daughter nursed as usual, then popped herself off and rolled around on the bed. When it was clear she wasn’t going to settle on her own, I picked her up and gave a brief thought to pacing the floor, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Instead, I tried to get her to rest on my chest. She thrashed a little but I rubbed her back and said, “It’s okay. It’s okay.” That’s all it took. She rolled off my chest into the crook of my arm, her head resting on my shoulder, and drifted off to sleep. Thank goodness for small victories!

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

The Sleep Hormone

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:42:51 +0000

Everyone warns new mothers about the sleep deprivation, yet it still comes as a shocker because you simply can’t fathom what it means to get up every couple of hours with a newborn night after night. Luckily, breastfeeding provides a secret weapon for sleepy mothers: the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK).

Photo by Hector Landaeta

When the baby suckles, the mother releases CCK. The hormone infusion relaxes her and readies her to drift off to sleep again. If mother and baby are co-sleeping, the mother might even drift off before the baby finishes the feed! What a peaceful experience compared to getting up to prepare a bottle, sitting up to feed, placing the baby back in a crib, and finally climbing back in bed to attempt to fall back asleep after that wide-awake period, without the benefit of sleep-inducing CCK! Even better news: the baby produces CCK as well, both from suckling and from the fatty hindmilk reaching the baby’s stomach at the end of a feed. The Australian Breastfeeding Association explains:

There are actually two CCK peaks, one at the end of a feed, and the other higher peak between 30 and 60 minutes after the feed. The baby sucks, gets sleepy, dozes off for a while then wakes again for a top-up feed. That higher-fat feed causes the second peak and the baby goes into deeper sleep. Top-up feeds are also great for the mother’s milk supply.

Some parents mistakenly believe that feeding a baby formula will help the baby sleep longer at night and that will translate into more sleep for the parents. Two things parents should know: (1) the reason formula-fed babies’ tummies feel full for longer stretches is that formula is harder for babies immature systems to digest, and (2) formula-feeding results in less overall sleep for parents! A 2007 study published in the Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing concluded that parents of breastfed babies enjoy an average of 40 more minutes of sleep per night!

So, in honor of World Sleep Day today, celebrate how breastfeeding actually helps mothers and babies get more rest through the wonderful sleep hormone CCK, through the side-lying sleep position, and through co-sleeping!

It’s 9:49 p.m. here, I just nursed the baby back to sleep *yawn* and I’m off to bed….

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Back to Sleep Campaign: A Poll

Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:30:12 +0000

Breastfeeding your baby is one key way to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also called crib death or cot death. In fact, a 2008 meta-analysis of 27 studies showed that babies who were breastfed, even partially breastfed, were one-third less likely to die of SIDS than babies who were never breastfed.

Back to Sleep

Over 13 years ago the American Academy of Pediatrics issued its first policy statement on reducing the risk of SIDS and recommended that all healthy babies be placed to sleep on their backs. Soon thereafter the “Back to Sleep Campaign” began. In the time since, the SIDS rate has fallen over 50 percent.

The following poll lets you vote anonymously so we can get an idea of whether parents are following the recommendation to put their babies “back to sleep.” A few thoughts: (1) answer for your latest baby (for example, if you placed your first child on her tummy to sleep, but placed your latest newborn on his back, answer “back”); (2) answer for when your baby was a newborn (for purposes of this poll, define that as 0-6 months) and if at any time during that first six months you switched to placing on baby’s “side” or “tummy” then answer “side” or “tummy” respectively; (3) answer for how you placed your baby (so, answer “back” if you put your baby down on his back, even if he rolled onto his tummy). Feel free to leave a comment to explain your vote.

{democracy:49}

Use of a Fan

There are lots of other things that can reduce the risk of SIDS, but I want to highlight one relatively new discovery. A recent study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine showed that use of a fan to ventilate the room where baby sleeps can reduce the risk of SIDS by 72%! The risk reduction associated with fan use was greater for infants placed in the prone (face-down, tummy position) or side position versus the supine (back) position (which I take to mean, it’s still a good idea to place your baby on his back, but if you are going to place him on his side or tummy, it’s even more helpful to use a fan).

Comments

How do you place your baby to sleep? What do you do to reduce your baby’s risk of SIDS?

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