Once we become mothers, we know that it's going be a 24/7 job. We've all heard stories and warnings about the many hours of sleep that we'll be missing during the first year. It's not easy, especially when we have to breastfeed at 2AM when we barely had any sleep, that's why we're listing down things that you can do to prepare yourself and somehow (hopefully) make it a bit easier for you.
Night Breastfeeding: Tips to Help You Get Through the Night
1. Co-sleep
For moms who breastfeed throughout the night and are comfortable to sleep with their baby beside them, there are safe co-sleeping guidelines that you can check out and follow just to make sure that you have a safe sleeping space. For moms who are not comfortable with this, there are miniature cribs or side sleepers that you can use so your baby is in the same room and it's easier to and faster to be with them when you have to breastfeed.
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2. Organize the essentials, make sure they are easy to reach.
The last thing that you'd want at two in the morning is cramming and trying to figure out where you put the diapers, your glass of water, or the burp cloth. Make it a habit to organize and fix the essentials before you go to bed. Create a nightly checklist, if you have to, and place it on top of a table that's easy to reach.
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3. Easy-access clothing
Wear comfortable sleeping clothes and make sure that it's easy to unclasp your nursing bra so you don't have to go through the painstaking task of removing the clips one by one while your baby is crying.
4. Figure out what's a comfortable position for you.
If you can, learn how to breastfeed lying down. This is so you can still get some rest in a horizontal position, maybe while resting your side on a pillow that can provide support. If you're not comfortable to lie down, you can sit down and use a good, sturdy nursing pillow for support. The Pregnancy and Breastfeeding pillow has been well-recommended by a lot of moms. Shop it here.
5. Hide the clock.
Sometimes, checking the time and realizing that you barely had two hours of sleep can wear you down mentally. In this case, ignorance can be bliss.😜
6. Dim the lights or get a red night light.
This is to encourage you and your baby to go back to sleep. It's hard to go back to sleep when it's too bright. While dimming the lights are good enough to make sure you can still see where and how to move around the room when you have to, getting a red night light can help your baby go back to sleep faster.
7. Rest when you can.
At the end of the day, it's really hard to do anything when your body reaches the peak of exhaustion. When you can, try to rest as much as possible. Sometimes, putting down your phone and choosing to nap and resisting the urge to check Instagram can do you wonders.
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8. Practice easy clean-up.
When you're about to breastfeed, don't wait for your baby to finish or to go to sleep. Just grab that towel and place it underneath you and your baby. When you're so sleepy at two in the morning, believe me, it's hard to find the energy to get up and do a quick clean up when your baby falls asleep😅