It is normal that newborns do not have the rhythm of sleep adapted to the day and night. In fact, they feed on demand, so, especially in the first weeks and months, they do not follow our schedule and wake up several times during the night to eat.
Montse Robles, Medela’s lactation consultant and outreach officer, acknowledges that “sometimes, it is difficult for the mother not to feel frustrated and tired by getting up during the night” , but affirms that “she has to bear in mind that it is a situation special and that your breast milk is the best food you can provide your baby. “
For this reason it is important that mothers know its benefits, such as that during the night hours breast milk has a higher content of some nucleotides , DNA components, and a higher content of prolactin, tryptophan and melatonin, which act as sleep inducers. , which helps the baby develop healthy rhythms of sleep and wakefulness.
How to make it easier for your baby to rest
Night feeds are an important part of your baby’s diet and will help your breast milk supply meet your nutritional needs. In addition, several studies have shown that breast milk decreases the risk of sudden infant death by 50% .
Evolutionarily, night feedings are also a way for mothers and their babies to check that they are close and safe at night, and they are an opportunity for the baby to enjoy time alone with the mother. For these and other reasons it is beneficial to maintain breastfeeding on demand, also at night.
One of the recommendations to maintain this habit is to be practical when designing the space where the baby sleeps. Medela advises:
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Place the crib next to the parents’ bed. Having it in the same room next to the parents’ bed for the first 6 months makes night feeding easier. In addition, it allows the mother to breastfeed lying on her side on the bed without having to get up.
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Allocate an armchair or rocking chair in the room for breastfeeding. It will also be very practical for night feedings if the mother has to get up.
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Have on hand everything you need to breastfeed at night: such as a breastfeeding pillow, wipes, towels or a pump if we use it, among others.
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Avoid dependence on the breast at bedtime.
Habits that help mom rest at night
During the first months of life, it is common for the baby to fall asleep while breastfeeding, once satiated. Breast milk is not only meant to feed and nourish your baby, but also to calm your baby. However, there are some habits that can help avoid dependence on the breast at bedtime so that the mother can rest better:
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Create the habit of putting your baby to bed when he is not yet fully asleep.
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Establish a fixed routine and a bedtime.
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Relaxing your baby, giving him a bath, reading stories, or singing lullabies calms him down and can spell the end of the day. However, keeping stimulation to a minimum (talking, singing, etc.) when your baby wakes up at night will help her get back to sleep earlier.
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Keeping the room as dark as possible when the baby wakes up asking for the breast will help him fall asleep again.
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Parents can help by stimulating the baby during the day and calming him at night. They can also assist during feedings or by feeding the baby in a feed with previously expressed milk.
Via | Medela
Photos | iStock
In Babies and more | They discover a compound in breast milk capable of fighting pathogenic bacteria without destroying the beneficial ones, Breastfeeding could prevent 800 thousand infant deaths and 22 thousand deaths from breast cancer
