My baby sleeps while breastfeeding ..?

Question

she is latching great but takes couple of sucklings and then dozes off...when i put her on bed, she cries but likes to sleep while latched on..is it normal ?

Answer 1

Yes this is normal. My baby did this for the first 5 months. She would fall asleep and as soon as I pulled my nipple out, she would startle and root around for it with her eyes closed.

Have you tried nursing lying down? This can be very helpful in the first 10-12 weeks because it allows you and baby to take a nap. If you're tired enough you may be able to fall asleep while she is latched on.. but if you are large chest be careful not to suffocate her and prop pillows around you so you don't roll on top of her.

Undress her and get skin to skin contact. Rub her feet and hands and shoulders to try and keep her awake (my husband was always better at that than I was). I've heard that having an epidural can make baby very sleepy the first couple of weeks.

Are you trying to put her in a crib or bassinet? Try taking a heating pad and leaving it on the mattress, then when she is asleep, take the pad away and lay her on the warm (may want to check it first) spot. We had to pad our bassinet by wrapping blankets around the mattress and tucking them in really well because the mattress it came with was like a rock and she couldn't sleep on it.

Answer 2

How old is your baby?  Mine did the same thing for the first two months.  I was worried that my baby was overeating because she wanted to be latched on all the time and there was nothing else I could do to destract her.  It's just  a phase.  Be patient.  

Answer 3

Babies find suckling to be very comforting and will naturally fall asleep when nursing.

You don't say how old your baby is and whether she will always fall asleep while nursing. For the first 6 weeks of his life, my son was only happy when latched on and would fall asleep pretty much every time (he also wasn't gaining weight). We found out he was tongue tied and he was only getting a little milk at a time, which was why he wanted to always be latched on, even in his sleep. We had to get his tongue clipped, and things got better - I would suggest talking to a lactation consultant if you are not sure whether your baby is nursing effectively.

Answer 4

Make sure she's not too comfortable.  Unwrap her from blankets and take off any extra layers of clothing.  Tickle her feet and her cheek to keep her more alert.