Breastfeeding While Laying Down

Updated on July 22, 2010
B.A. asks from Arlington Heights, IL
24 answers

My almost 9-week old spends most of the night in bed with me and I breastfeed her while lying on my side ("side-lying position," I think it's called?). This is working really well for us. But I am wondering - do other moms who breast feed this way actually sit up to burp your babies after you feed them? That seems to defeat the whole purpose of feeding that way - so you can stay in an almost-asleep state. At any rate, the issue for us is that every morning around 4:30 a.m., she gets really gassy, and she usually eventually has a big bowel movement. I'm wondering if that's just her natural cycle, or if somehow feeding her in that position is causing her to have even more gas than otherwise. Any thoughts?

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J.G.

answers from Springfield on

I loved nursing lying down! I usually went right back to sleep. I'd wake up later to find my son fast asleep. I never burped my kids at night. Some kids might really need it, but yours will let you know if she does!

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B.F.

answers from Chicago on

I never burped my boys. I barely woke up when they nursed.

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D.B.

answers from Chicago on

I also cosleep and breastfeed, and I do not burp her (now 14 weeks). In the morning she usually, upon waking, lets out a lot of farts LOL. It does defeat the purpose to me to then sit up and burp... I was told by my lactation consultant to just make sure they are on their side when feeding, which is natural when sidelying.

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M.P.

answers from Chicago on

My son was really gassy so I did sit up to burp him but not everyone does. My kid needed it.

Look on the bright side, in a few months you wont have to burp the kid at all after breastfeeding because they'll be able to do it themselves! Woohoo!

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P.L.

answers from Chicago on

Good for you for bf! I LOVED lying down while nursing and I don't think I ever sat up to burp them. We all know that the name of the game is "get as much sleep as possible." I'm not an expert, but if she isn't spitting up or anything, I would keep doing what you are doing. I think it is just her natural cycle.
(Each of my kids were in bed with me, but they transitioned out when we were ready. It wasn't traumatic, so many will tell you to get the baby in her own bed, but do what is right for you. I successfully nursed this way.}

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J.M.

answers from Dallas on

I never burped my son while breastfeeding. We co-slept and I nursed while lying down all the time. When he was done - he pulled away and fell asleep.

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S.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

When I nursed my babies when laying down I never sat up to burp them. You are right that would have defeated the purpose of that feeding position and I was always dead dog tired which is why I was laying down. I never noticed any difference in gas from different nursing positions. Are you eating any spicy foods which could be causing the gassy symptoms? Their little tummies are sensitive but breastmilk does not normally cause gas problems (at least they did not in me and I nursed twins for 3 years). Could your baby be lactose intolerant? Just a thought..

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V.L.

answers from Chicago on

I do the same thing, my daughter is 11 months and I did the same thing with my son when he was little (he's now 2). I don't know what that position is called, but I didn't burp either of my kids in the middle of the night and they seemed just fine. My daughter had the same bowel movement time as your child very early in the morning, but she's since grown out of that, so I think it's just your babies natural time to go and as she gets older, I'm sure it will change. No worries.

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K.

answers from Chicago on

I nursed my girl like this and could nearly be asleep when I did it. Awesome. Never bothered with burping either -- I just laid a receiving blanket on her part of the bed in case she barfed. Babies are just gassy, and I don't think it has much to do with nursing position. A 4:30 BM is annoying, but that's just the time of day when she's doing it. I wouldn't worry about it - eventually she'll stop doing that in the middle of the night. Enjoy your baby!

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

I never burped my son.

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G.T.

answers from San Francisco on

I believe it depends on your baby. I never really burped my son (or better said, as much as I would try in all positions, he wouldn't burp). Whereas, my daughter was miserable until she could burp.
I never sit up to burp her. I laid her across my body (on the burping position recommended when you burp a baby on your laps), so we were still skin to skin and we barely had to move.

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C.N.

answers from Minneapolis on

I would stay laying down and sometimes lay the baby up over my body to burp. Eventually they grow out of it. What a bummer that her bm comes at 4:30 AM! Not sure if you can change that though!

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C.A.

answers from Chicago on

Yes I did sit up and burp her for the first 2 months. Now at 4 months I only occasionally burp her at night if I see she needs it. I simply sit her up and lean her forward while I pat her back. I don't have to get up and she falls back asleep quickly enough. I think it's best to wait until baby has full neck strength for this method though.
Babies need to be burped less as they get older. Also in generally babies tend to be less gassy at night because they suck less vigorously. At 9 weeks I think it's best to burp baby. You can simply place her on your chest and rub her back, no need to sit up.
If she were waking and spitting up it would be because of not burping. It sounds like baby is just having a healthy poop at an inconvenient time :)
C.
http://www.momsinstinct.com/

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R.M.

answers from Chicago on

I don't burp her when my 5 month old daughter breast feeds this way, usually 2 times around 4am and again at 7am. I was wondering if other moms burped their children too but you're right it does kind of defeat the purpose. I do notice that when she wakes up around 10am she does sometimes let out a big burp.

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J.W.

answers from Chicago on

I think in the early weeks I used to sit up and burp, since my little boy was a happy spitter and very gassy, but not during every feeding. He was a barracuda and was practically nursing around the clock so I would just make sure he had a good burping every 4-5 hrs or so in those dawn hours. That side-lying position is a life saver and the only way I got sleep for the first three months! Kudos to you!

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T.M.

answers from Chicago on

Have you talked with a certified lactation consultant? I work at SIlver Cross Hospital in Joliet, IL and we have 4 on our staff. You can call them at ###-###-####. I am sure they can help you.

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G.H.

answers from Chicago on

I nursed while lying down too. I would burp them by moving their top half of their bodies over my tummy & let their feet hang down. Thank goodness none of mine were spitters. I also sometimes had a boppy on the bed & would put them over that. As far as having a bowel at 4:30 she'll change that eventually.

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R.H.

answers from Springfield on

I have done the same thing with my two boys and struggled with that same question. When my oldest was little I found that I could get away with not burping him and it never mattered but my second would spit up all over us if He wasn't burped so I had to burp him and it was frustrating because it would wake him up when he was all asleep. You can sometimes prop them over your hip or leg to burp them but that still wakes them up a little. Just try to wake them as little as possible to get the needed result. And decide as you go along if it is still needed. Even if she does need to be burped now there will come a time when you no longer need to. I wouldn't worry about the bowl movement or passing gas. They do that and it will also stop as they get older.

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M.W.

answers from St. Cloud on

I skipped the burping! Breastfed babies do NOT get the amount of air that bottle fed babies do.

A.J.

answers from Dallas on

Yeah, your baby still needs to burp. You don't want to stress her little bowels. She may still end up having the gassy BM stage, that's normal for most kiddos but you don't want her developing colic or some sort of gastrointestinal issues over time.

Not sure if any pediatricians would recommend this, but I used to just move her around slightly, on her back patting her tummy, and then on her tummy patting her back and then back to her side and she's usually give a belch or two. I breastfed her on a pillow so she was the right height so when I patted her she was still on the pillow.
I got to where I could do it pretty much without waking her or me up.
Careful, do it too fast or hard when you roll her on her tummy and she could spit up all that milk your body made and be hungry in an hour. I kept an extra pillow by the bed just in case so if she did spit up all I had to do was exchange the wet pillow she was sleeping on with a dry one and I didn't have to sleep in sour breastmilk or get up to change my bedsheets!

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V.G.

answers from Portland on

How old is she?
If she's older- 8months + then I would say the burping isn't as necessary, but any younger and I would still burp her.
If you're worried about her waking up from sleep, then maybe feed her until she's full, sit up and burp her and then nurse her a tiny bit more after she makes more room.
I bf my son lying on my side also, and he would always fall asleep (memories I still hold so very dear in my heart) and burping him afterward never really bothered him.
Good luck!

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L.P.

answers from Chicago on

When we would bf during the night lying down, I never would get the baby up to burp him. He did ok on his own- wouldn't wake up crying or gassy. I also felt like in the sidelying position, it is so easy for them to fall asleep that they probably eat less too. But he did and still does poop first thing in the morning. If you are nursing a lot at night, that could just be your baby's schedule.

L.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

It's been 4 years now, but I don't remember burping him through the night, and I did just what you're doing... you could try burping her for a little while to see if it makes a difference, but unless she's really distressed, I'd leave well enough alone!

A.G.

answers from Houston on

most gas is gaused by "gas producing" bacteria in the bowels, not swallowed air, although this is slightly a factor. She really shouldnt be getting very much air, if any if she is exclusively breastfeeding. I never burped my baby past the age of 2 weeks. and i rarely did before that. But if you really are worried she is getting too much air you can rub her soft little baby tummy, or precious smooth little back in a circular motion with your middle and pointer finger. This releases gas too. Lol, sorry about the cooing

i was just remembering doing that

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