I guess some people might say we are lucky because Edith has always been a good sleeper at night. Most nights she will start with a 3-5 hour (sometimes but rarely a 7-7.5 hour) stretch and then is up usually twice to nurse. Now don’t get me wrong we have had a few nights of cluster feedings but for the most part things have been going really well and I account a big part of this to nursing in bed.
Maybe it is due to the adequate sleep I get most nights but I have really come to love nursing in bed by the light of our salt lamp. I clear away the pillows and blankets, pick up Edith from her bassinet (now crib- but that’s another post) and bring her to bed to nurse side lying. I hold her close and soak up the closeness of this peaceful time. Our room is nice and dark with just the glow of our salt lamp, which is really wonderful for anyone looking for the perfect light for their or their babies room. Ours has a dimmer on it so I can easily control how light or dark I want the room to be and it is dim enough not to bother Neil while he sleeps or wake Edith up too much but bright enough for me to see her.
I love to hold her close and gaze down at her while she nurses with the dim orange light on her. It is a special time and if there is one thing I have learned so far it is to soak up these moments as they pass too quickly so I am soaking it up as much as I can. As she gets older we are trying to transition her to her own crib and feeding her in her room but most nights she ends up back in bed with us for at least one feeding and I am not sure I will be giving that one up anytime soon.
Do you have a nursing ritual or favorite place/time to nurse?
My daughter gets up anytime between 5-6 to eat in the AM. Her schedule is wacky since I work evenings, but she always nurses in bed with me, then stays there and finishes sleeping since her daddy is up for work anyways. I love waking up with her smiling next to me.
I had thought about the salt lamp before our baby came, but ultimately ended up with a cute little lamp from Ikea with a dimmer on it (that dimmer was just about the best investment!). I love our morning nursing session at 7:30. It’s my last (and only chance, really) to get to spend some extra, special time with our baby before I head out to work.