baby

Heartbroken mum warns parents after she lost her baby in a breastfeeding tragedy.

Warning: This article contains information about the loss of a child, which may be distressing for some readers.

A heartbroken mum in the US has issued a warning to other parents about the dangers of breastfeeding while tired.

Writing on Facebook just a day after her son’s death, Kristin Hoffmann revealed she lost her seven-week-old baby, John Thomas Michael Abernathy, after she fell asleep during feeding time.

Kristin with her baby, John. Image via Facebook.

"It greatly pains me and shames me that this happened, but I have to ask you all to please share and spread the word," she wrote.

"No matter how tired you are as a mother, GET UP AND GO TO A CHAIR or somewhere you won't fall asleep when you feed your child at night.

"My precious son slipped off my breast and into the covers of my bed early Sunday morning and into heaven.

"The way we discovered him was a tragedy I don't want to hear [it happen to] anyone else."

Although baby John was able to be revived, he had been deprived of oxygen for too long and he passed away.

Image via Facebook.

Kristin's powerful message has already been shared over 300 times, with many reassuring the young mum her baby's death was a tragic accident.

"My heart is so heavy for you, please know that this could have happened to any one," a friend wrote.

"EVERY mother has fallen asleep...know that God needed your baby for something special."

The Australian Breastfeeding Association recommends it is not safe to share a bed with your baby if you you are "unusually tired, to the point where you would find it hard to respond to your baby".

LISTEN: What do you say to someone who's lost a baby?