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Ages & Stages

Sleep Deprivation and Breastfeeding

My baby is four weeks old, and already I feel like I’m suffering from extreme sleep deprivation. How can I breastfeed on demand and still get enough sleep?

Keep your baby close by the bed in her own bassinet. With your baby beside you, you need only roll over, pick her up, and place her next to you to breastfeed. If your husband is willing to change the baby’s diaper when necessary, you can fall back asleep once a nursing session is over.

Also, try to develop the habit of sleeping during the day when the baby sleeps. Some sleep deprivation is always part of the process of early parenting, but breastfeeding certainly disrupts sleep less than getting up and preparing a bottle of formula. And soon your baby will sleep for longer intervals.

See A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep.

Last Updated
11/2/2009
Source
New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding, 2nd Edition (Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
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