PARENTS
Letting Your Baby Nurse All Night: Is It Okay?
It's a wonderful feeling when your baby falls asleep at your breast. But it's very risky when moms doze off, too.
Skriven av
Dr. Harvey Karp
DELA DENNA ARTIKEL
FÖRÄLDRARS VAL
Bästsäljare
PARENTS
Skriven av
Dr. Harvey Karp
DELA DENNA ARTIKEL
Bästsäljare
Parents have slept with their babies since the beginning of time. In fact, one of the most delicious feelings a woman can experience is having her sweet baby sleep at her breast. In fact, it is so comforting that tired mums often find themselves falling asleep while nursing, too! And, unfortunately, that’s where it becomes risky.
A study of more than 2,000 breastfeeding mums revealed that 72% of those who nursed in bed fell sound asleep with their babies. And 44% fell asleep while nursing on a sofa or recliner. That is very worrisome because increasing numbers of babies suffocate when sleeping in their parents’ bed . . . and there is even a greater risk when sleeping on a sofa or chair!
If you insist on bed sharing there are ways to reduce your baby’s risk. But I would still caution you not to bed share for the first 9 to 12 months. Research shows that most new parents are sleep deprived, and when we are exhausted we have the same poor judgment and inattention as someone who’s drunk!
Video studies show that bed-sharing babies spend two-thirds of the night in the riskier side position and have their mouths covered with a sheet or blanket for more than an hour each night. When you are bone weary, you might not realise you are accidentally obstructing your baby’s face with a blanket or your arm.
Along with the comforting feeling of nursing your baby, breastfeeding also releases Oxytocin in your brain. The release of oxytocin can cause a relaxed and sleepy feeling.
You are probably exhausted from all the demands of early motherhood, and on top of that, your baby may be nursing at odd hours of the night. When you feel too drowsy to keep your eyes open while breastfeeding, there are a few tricks you can use to stay awake. Here are a few that we recommend:
Make sure to keep your baby in a separate sleeping space from your own. Keep your baby right next to your bed—in a co-sleeper, smart sleeper (like SNOO), or cot— but do not sleep together on a sofa or bring her into your bed.
Ansvarsfriskrivning: Informationen på vår webbplats är INTE medicinsk rådgivning för någon specifik person eller tillstånd. Den är endast avsedd som allmän information. Om du har några medicinska frågor och funderingar om ditt barn eller dig själv, vänligen kontakta din vårdgivare. Bröstmjölk är den bästa källan till näring för spädbarn. Det är viktigt att mödrar äter en hälsosam, balanserad kost i förberedelse för och under amning. Kombinerad amning och flaskmatning under de första veckorna i livet kan minska tillgången på en mammas bröstmjölk och det kan vara svårt att ångra beslutet att inte amma. Om du bestämmer dig för att använda modersmjölksersättning bör du noggrant följa instruktionerna.
