Contents:
- Medical Video: If I'm breastfeeding, is it okay to nurse my baby in my bed?
- Why do mothers fall asleep while breastfeeding babies are prohibited?
- How do you not fall asleep when you breastfeed your baby?
- 1. Pay attention to the breastfeeding position
- 2. While watching TV
- 3. Use an alarm to set the time
- 4. Ask your husband or someone else to wake you up
Medical Video: If I'm breastfeeding, is it okay to nurse my baby in my bed?
For mother and baby, breastfeeding is an intimate moment that is comfortable and calming. But so comfortable, some mothers sometimes fall asleep while breastfeeding babies. In fact, this is very dangerous and risky if done in the middle of breastfeeding.
Searched from Kompas.com, sleeping while breastfeeding in a chair or sofa is very risky for mother and baby. When not breastfeeding, the mother should not sleep while holding the baby. This was conveyed by the Lullaby Trust, an organization from the UK engaged in the security of sleep for babies.
Why do mothers fall asleep while breastfeeding babies are prohibited?
Mothers should not fall asleep while breastfeeding because babies can experience shortness of breath. This is because the baby's body is facing the mother's body. This condition then stops breathing in infants and can even cause death.
Even the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) prohibits mothers and fathers from sleeping near babies without barriers or separators. Because the parents are worried that they will overpower the baby unconsciously, so it can make the baby short of breath. Moreover, when babies are very early, they are born with a low weight or at least under the age of 4 months.
Even though falling asleep while breastfeeding can trigger shortness of breath in babies, but actually mothers can still be able to sleep near the baby. For example, by putting the baby to sleep in a crib or a baby bed that is close to each other, or in a mattress that is bounded.
In addition to the mother, the baby is actually not allowed to sleep too while being breastfed in a lying position. When he has begun to fall asleep, move the baby immediately to his bed. Tips so that the baby is not surprised when the nipple is removed is to replace the mother's nipple with the baby's thumb, kempeng, or pacifier when removing the suction.
How do you not fall asleep when you breastfeed your baby?
When you are breastfeeding a baby, it's not just babies who feel relaxed and sleepy. You too are threatened to come relaxed and sleepy too. So, here are some tips that can prevent you from falling asleep while breastfeeding your baby.
1. Pay attention to the breastfeeding position
Before breastfeeding, it's good to pay attention and make sure your position and baby are right, so that even if you fall asleep later, your body can still be restrained and not overtake the baby. You can sit on the couch while setting a pillow near you.
So when you fall asleep, your baby is still safe. Also make sure you sit in a safe place not in a place that allows the baby to fall when you fall asleep.
2. While watching TV
Amy Wolfson, a writer "The Women’s Book of Sleep ", advise you to provide light emanating from a television or computer screen, to make yourself stay awake.
That way, try to turn on the television with a small volume, or you can watch a movie with bright light to make the eyes not sleepy.
3. Use an alarm to set the time
In addition to the two methods above, you can use an alarm or reminder of time if you fall asleep while breastfeeding. You have to be careful when using the alarm, because the sound has the potential to wake up the baby who is sleeping too.
However, you can set an alarm with a low volume or use vibrate mode. Put it down handphone or alarm in a place that is easily reached by your hand. Remember, don't place it handphone near your baby.
4. Ask your husband or someone else to wake you up
Finally, you can ask someone else, whether it's a husband or someone else at home to wake you up when you fall asleep in a position to breastfeed your baby.
If you are lacking in sleep, very sleepy, or tired, you can also pump breast milk first, then the milk that has been pumped can be used to breastfeed the baby. Ask for help from someone else or husband to breastfeed your baby, while you take a break.
