Breastsleeping

As a new mom, the first few weeks of parenting can be both exciting and exhausting. One important part of this journey is understanding your baby’s innate biological needs, especially regarding breastfeeding and nighttime parenting. This guide, based on recommendations by the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) and research from the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, offers valuable insights into your baby’s nighttime needs.1,2,3,4 Our goal is to help you create a nurturing, safe, and responsive sleep environment for both you and your little one.

What is Breastsleeping?1,2,3,4

Breastsleeping refers to the practice of co-sleeping, bedsharing, or sleeping close to your baby to make nighttime breastfeeding easier. This arrangement supports your baby’s natural feeding patterns and helps establish a strong breastfeeding relationship. Cultures around the world have embraced this practice for generations, recognizing the benefits of staying close to your baby day and night. By allowing easy access for nighttime feedings, breastsleeping can help you respond to your baby’s needs and create a sense of security for them, leading to a more restful night for both of you.

Why Breastsleeping?

While traditional safe sleep guidelines advise against bedsharing, research shows that many new parents report accidentally falling asleep with their babies. Due to concerns about bedsharing, you might find yourself dozing off in much less safe places, like recliners or sofas. To address these risks, the ABM emphasizes the importance of creating a safe sleep environment that respects both your and your baby’s biological needs.1,2 This approach encourages you to practice breastsleeping in a way that nurtures your baby’s natural feeding rhythms and attachment needs while prioritizing their safety. By doing so, you can enjoy the benefits of closeness and responsiveness without compromising your infant’s well-being.

Benefits of Breastsleeping1,2,3,4

  • Facilitates Nighttime Feedings:
    • Being close to your baby makes it easier to respond quickly to their hunger cues so neither mom nor baby needs to completely awaken for feeds.
  • Supports Infant Sleep Patterns:
    • Infants tend to sleep better when they feel close to their mother.
  • Enhances Bonding:
    • Close contact fosters emotional bonding and can help regulate your baby’s heart rate and body temperature.
  • Encourages Milk Production:
    • Frequent breastfeeding, day and night, stimulates milk production, which is crucial in the early weeks.
  • Provides More Sleep:
    • Research shows that bedsharing, breastfeeding mothers get the most sleep of all new mothers. Mothers who sleep apart from their babies may wake less frequently but often experience more complete awakenings, resulting in less overall sleep.

How to Create a Safe Breastsleeping Environment

  • How to Make your Bed Safe:1,2
    • Always place your baby on their back to sleep.
    • Use a firm mattress and avoid soft bedding, pillows, or toys in the sleep area.
    • Make sure there are no small spaces around the edge of your bed where the baby could become trapped.
    • Remove heavy blankets and extra pillows.
    • Do not allow sheets or blankets to cover your baby’s face or head.
    • Consider placing your mattress on the floor. 
    • Never fall asleep with your baby on a sofa, recliner, or chair. 
  • Safe Sleep 7 Guidelines:5
    • Baby is healthy and full-term.
    • Baby is breastfeeding day and night. 
    • No one is smoking in the home or outside.
    • No one has consumed alcohol or medication that can make them sleepy (such as allergy medicines, sleep aids, pain killers, etc.).
    • Baby should not be overdressed or swaddled.
    • Baby should never be left alone on an adult bed.6 
    • Infants born prematurely or with low birth weight should not co-sleep. 
  • When You Can’t Breastsleep
    • Place your baby on their back to sleep.
    • Keep your baby in your room near your bed. 
    • Consider using a bedside bassinet or co-sleeper.
    • Use a firm mattress and a fitted sheet.
    • Keep loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, bumpers and other soft items out of the sleep space. 
    • Stop swaddling once your baby is making attempts to rollover.

What If I Have Questions?

If you are interested in learning more, these Aeroflow classes expand on some of the topics discussed above:

  • Sleep for the Breastfed Baby
  • Ultimate Breastfeeding Prep
  • Moms Circle

To register for these classes, log into your portal or click here.

Want More Info?

For a directory of Aeroflow’s other Care Guides offering information on pregnancy, baby care, and more, browse our comprehensive list of titles:

https://www.hersourcehealth.com/aeroflow-care-guides/ ‎

References

  1. https://www.bfmed.org/assets/PatientHandouts/ABM_Bedsharing_Handout_Unprotected%20English.png 
  2. https://abm.memberclicks.net/assets/PatientHandouts/English_ABM_Physiologic%20Infant%20Care%20Handout_Protected.pdf 
  3. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/apa.13161
  4. https://cosleeping.nd.edu/ 
  5.  https://llli.org/news/the-safe-sleep-seven/ 
  6. https://cosleeping.nd.edu/assets/31970/mckenna_why_babies_should_n.pdf