All night feeding!

[pregatlast]

My little girl spent almost 12 hours feeding/sucking last night. I know it isn't going to always happen and she is only 3 days and needed comforted etc etc but any advice on coping with a re-run would be appreciated! She would basically suck for about 20 mins, doze off, fall off my nipple then a minute or two later start screaming and giving feeding cues until she latched back on. My boobs are agony today!

Thanks

 

[Noo]

Forget your day and night. Her day is a continuous 24 hours of food and sleep and you need to adjust yourself to this too. When she naps, you nap. Set yourself up tonight with drinks, snacks and a few DVDs.

 

[Biotechick829]

How old is she? Could be a number of things, namely growth spurts, sleep associations, or teething.

 

[RaspberryK]

We had this the two nights before my milk came in.
Just keep offering on demand and you can't go wrong.
It will get betterv and sleep when you can.
Xx

 

[rachy01]

Just roll with it. Give her booby every time she wants it because it will help your supply and just tell yourself, good times are just around the corner. My nipples looked like they had been through a shredder in the first month lol now breastfeeding causes no pain, baby sleeps well and I love breastfeeding. Keep going.

 

[shoelaces17]

The first 3 nights were like that with my son who is 3 weeks. My milk came in on day 4 and it got better but he still was wanting to just suck on my nipples for comfort our Pediatrician told us that he had only seen 1 baby in his 30 years of practice get nipple confusion from a pacifier (a bottle yes but not a pacifier) and told us to try that. I was 100% against it because everything I read said no pacifier, the LC said no pacifier, the class we took etc. all saying no pacifier but honestly my nipples were so raw I couldn't let him continue to suck on them for 14+ hours a day. He did great with a pacifier and loves to hold it to his mouth. He was born 7lbs 2 oz and is now 9 oz today he gets what he needs from breastfeeding but also gets comfort from the pacifier when it is needed.

And yes I know a lot of people won't agree with using a pacifier but it is what has worked for us and I am just offering my advice and to let you know it is ok if you want to try it.

 

[m79]

I had 3/4 nights like this I got 2.5 hours sleep in 72 hours that's just how it goes totally normal keep with it it does get better after first 6 weeks you do feel a bit more human again

 

[m79]

Forgot to say use loads of lanolin ( plaster it on , ok for baby) nipple shields helped when I was covered in scabs and cracks as held milk around nipple when feeding and soothes and promoted healing it helped but only used when really was too painful. I always fed before they dried up as more painful when dried . Sorry if tmi but I had no advice and had to find my own way . If u can get past the first 2 weeks you should be ok good luck x

 

[m79]

I personally would wait until a couple of weeks old to use a dummy just because constant feeding is needed to put on weight as stomachs are so small initially and also needed to increase and build milk supply once established a pacifier really helps to stop lo using you as a dummy! Just not in first few weeks

 

[pregatlast]

I got a breastfeeding support worker out and have made a few tweaks to positioning and the pain has gone! Now she is cluster feeding - almost constantly for anything from 6 to 10 hours before sleeping for only two hours! With a 2.5 year old too I am shattered! I don't know if there's any way to 'break' the habit or if I just need to go with it? She is only 10 days old.

 

[RaspberryK]

No there's no habit to break, you need to go with this.
Xx

 

[pregatlast]

Ok, thanks. It's frustrating that it goes on until 4am and I'm only getting 2-3 hours sleep a night!

 

[RaspberryK]

I know! It won't last long though, the more you nurse the better your supply will be xx

 

[Noo]

No, you need to let her cluster feed. This is the natural way to up your supply to meet her needs. They do this during the first few weeks when going through periods of growth and need you to produce more and more milk. It will settle and the growth spurts will space out though you can imagine they do lots of growing in the first few weeks.

Keep up the good work!