Breastfeeding and infant sleep become intertwined and a focal point of many parents’ days through the first year or two (or more!) of life. There are many considerations and opinions about overnight parenting and sleep to consider. This week, New Beginnings spotlights a favorite and trusted resource: Sweet Sleep: Nighttime and Naptime Strategies for the Breastfeeding Family (2014).

Sweet Sleep is a book published by La Leche League International to help breastfeeding families navigate nighttime nursing and parenting. The book discusses a variety of topics, including “The Safe Sleep 7”, a Quick Start Guide to better sleep tonight, the importance of nurslings staying near their mother, naps and overnights, ages and stages, and much more. The table of contents allows parents to flip directly to their specific concerns and effectively use this book as a guide and resource to support breastfeeding overnight and with naps.

When making decisions about nighttime nursing, a primary concern for parents is, understandably, the safety of their precious babies! Sweet Sleep discusses various risk factors to be aware of and  guidelines to safer sleep.

“Nighttime has always had risks. A mostly unconscious baby in the care of a mostly unconscious mother? Not ideal. But it’s also not humanly possible to stay awake 24/7. So what’s a mother to do? After analyzing the research and talking with researchers, we’ve developed the Safe Sleep Seven: seven very clear criteria that address the risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS, or crib death) and suffocation. Meeting all seven means that your baby’s risk of SIDS when he’s sleeping next to you in your bed is no greater than when he’s alone in a crib. And following this book’s Safe Surface guidelines hugely reduces any breathing risks no matter where your baby sleeps. In fact, we’re recommending that all breastfeeding mothers prepare for bedsharing whether or not they ever intend to do it, since research finds that most breastfeeding mothers do sleep with their babies at some point and preparing for bedsharing is safer than accidentally falling asleep together. These ideas may not be what you’ll hear from your family, friends, or health care providers, so we’ll back them up with research every step of the way.” (Sweet Sleep, page 7)

Later chapters of the book discuss options for families who do not wish to bedshare (the practice of sleeping in the same bed with one’s child) when preparing an appropriate safe surface for the baby to sleep without dangers. The writers of Sweet Sleep have experienced many different sleep scenarios through their own personal histories with their babies; so, when writing the book, they were aware that families have different resources, support, and home setups. That is why they want to “help you explore some of the situations and ways to help both of you stay close and get some sleep. For many of these, there is little or no specific research to guide us, so we need to rely on the experiences of other mothers and their maternal common sense. (And no matter what sleeping arrangements you settle on, be sure to keep your own bed as safe as possible, just in case.)” (Sweet Sleep, page 7)

Sleep is not a “one size fits all” activity. The suggestions within the pages of Sweet Sleep can provide help and apply to every family. A few of the topics you’ll see covered are:

• The biological norm of breastfeeding and mother and baby being together
• Tips for making expressing breastmilk easier overnight
• Managing overnights with premature babies, babies who need supplements, and medically fragile babies
• What to do if your baby is disturbing your sleep with every little wiggle and grunt
• Ways to handle medications that may sedate a nursing parent
• Gentle nudging your older baby to get more sleep
• Daytime naps, babywearing, and whether to hold your baby for naps
• Swaddling, sleep gadgets, and pacifiers
• And so much more!

You can find Sweet Sleep and other books published by La Leche League International in many bookstores and online. Have you read Sweet Sleep? What is your favorite part? We’d love to hear from you! Send your stories to Kylie at [email protected]

Supporting Breastfeeding Families–Today, Tomorrow, Always

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