How to Get the Baby to Fall Asleep After Night Feed

In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week we've teamed up with BeauGen, a company specialized in breastfeeding products. Their team has listed up some great tips on feedings during the night, which we're so excited to share with you here.

Tips on How to Preserve Your Sleep and Your Milk Supply

Whether you nurse, bottle feed, or a combination of the two, there will be middle-of-the-night feedings. Especially early on in your baby's life, they'll wake and need to eat. While it can be tempting to have someone else help feed your baby a bottle during the night, this is when your body is actually creating the most milk. That means skipping a feeding or pump session in the middle of the night might save your sleep but can impact your supply. So what's a mom to do?

Tips on Getting Baby and Mom Back to Bed to Maximize Sleep After MOTN Feedings and Pumps:

See a Lactation Professional

At BeauGen, we believe in the power of the professional, the lactation professional that is. Even if it doesn't seem like you and your baby are having trouble with latches or feeding, a lactation professional has seen it all and can help offer tips and tricks that are tailored to your breastfeeding dyad. It never seems to fail that when a problem is going to happen, it's in the middle of the night. Having someone with whom you have a relationship that you can call the next day will help save tomorrow night's sleep.

Establish a Routine

Humans, large and small, thrive on routine. Having a solid routine can help you put your baby back to sleep faster and easier. It can also help you fall asleep faster as well. Spend some time thinking about your baby, and your own sleep habits to determine a routine after you are done feeding and/pumping.

Prepare Ahead of Time as Much as Possible

Once you figure out what your routine is, you can prepare in the evenings before bed time. If you are pumping, wash all of your pump parts so that they are dry and ready to go. You can save even more time by assembling your pump with everything from flanges to breast pump cushions so that you are ready to go.

If you are exclusively nursing, you can still prepare ahead of time. Have your comfy place, whether that's your bed or chair ready with any pillows or other support you'll need. Prepare a water bottle, too. And always have a clean burp cloth or swaddle on hand.

Time Your Diaper Changes Well

It can also help to have your diaper changing station ready to go. Lay out a diaper, have your wipes within reach, as well as whatever else you might need. Diaper changes are probably the most jarring experience in terms of sleep disruption for babies. Try changing your baby before feeding them. This will help reduce spit ups, and they'll fall asleep faster.

Invest in a Sleep Doll or Sound Machine

The sound of a mother's heartbeat and/or breathing is incredibly soothing for babies. In the womb, they heard your heart all day and night, and now you are literally their safe place. Having something that can replicate this sound while you are sleeping can help babies fall asleep better and stay asleep longer. This means that they'll wake for feedings, and not for the comfort of mom.

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Dark Rooms Are the Best:

This one goes for you and your baby. While it can be helpful to have a light to change a diaper, pump, or feed your baby, try to keep the light as dim as possible. The brighter the light, the longer it takes both of you to fall back asleep.

Plan Your Sleep Wardrobe

Every mom develops a preference for zippers or snaps when it comes to onesies and midnight diaper changes. Stock up on the ones you prefer, so that you're not fumbling and staying up longer. It's also important for you to have your own sleep clothes that are comfortable.

Robes are an often overlooked piece of clothing. Temperature changes can be jarring and wake you up, making it harder to fall asleep after you care for your little one. When you roll out of bed, try putting on a robe to stay warm and snuggly so that you can slide back under the covers ready to sleep.

Give Yourself Grace, and Find Your Rhythm

Your sleep is very important but it's also very personal. Your baby is finding their own rhythm. And you're working together to figure out what works best for both of you. The biggest piece of advice that we can give you, is to give yourself some grace. Don't compare your baby's sleep, or feeding schedule, or your supply to anyone else's. Try some of the things we've mentioned above, to see what helps you. Remember that this is a process, and the process continues to evolve throughout your child's life.

About BeauGen:

BeauGen was founded after a first-time mom realized just how much pain and discomfort was involved with the commitment to breastfeed. There were so few existing solutions in the baby industry that addressed the difficulties of pumping, despite a surprisingly high number of moms who shared stories of painful, uncomfortable breast pumping.

The amazing moms we spoke to inspired us to take matters into our own hands and design a product by moms, for moms. Our first product, the breast pump cushion, was developed to bring a new, truly comfortable breast pumping experience to moms, and it has received overwhelmingly positive responses ever since our launch in 2015.

Thank you for your blog post BeauGen!

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Source: https://lulladoll.com/a/blog/gettingbacktosleepaftermiddleofthenightfeedings

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