Does it get easier

[Doodlebug88]

Hi,
My lo is 5 days old and I have been exclusively bf him since birth but struggling with feeding him every 1- 1.5 hours day and night. He also sometimes just wants to suckle to settle himself to sleep and I'm exhausted. I know it's early days but any advice on when he will settle into a routine more. I am now considering expressing or formula so I can rest

Thanks in advance

 

[annio84]

I found in the early days that we would have a couple of days of near constant feeding followed by a couple of days of more spaced out feeding. The first little while they have a lot of growth spurts but it does settle down. I think about 8 weeks was the point when I noticed things were better.

Something to bear in mind that someone told me in the early days, if you think he's just comfort sucking try giving him to daddy. If he's really hungry he'll let you know. If it's comfort sucking then daddy might be able to settle him better because he doesn't smell of milk.

 

[J22]

That's good advise from annio84.

All I'll say is it DOES get better! It's really tough at the beginning, I know. I had very painful latch problems for 6 weeks and would cry at times when my dd needed to feed and I'd had an episiotomy and couldn't sit properly. I was so fed-up and tired and couldn´t see any light at the end of the tunnel, even when people told me it does get easier. I'm now almost 10 months into bf'ing and so glad I managed to stick at it. Try to relax as much as you can (I know it's hard!), let your OH take over for awhile and let him get used to settling your baby too. Try to take some time out, even if it´s just 15 mins for a soak in the bath or a breath of fresh air outside for half an hour on your own. I also rememeber that I was more in a routine around the 8 week mark. There will be growth spurts too that last for 2 or 3 days so check out when they´ll be coming up (more or less) as it feels like non-stop feeding, but it passes quickly. I look back and wish I would have managed to relax about it all more at the beginning, knowing there is light at the end of that initial bf'ing period.
Hugs xxx

 

[Mapleroo]

I totally feel for you!! We are 5 weeks in and it does get better! Things started to turn a corner at around the two week mark and I would say now we have settled into a pretty good routine. I did give him a dummy pretty early on because my nipples were so sore and he just wanted to comfort suck. Now he sleeps for a long stretch at night and is getting better at naps during the day. I know it's hard, but it doesn't last forever. Good luck

 

[cait]

I agree with the advice to hand LO over to someone else - my son gets to the point each evening where all he wants from me is milk/comfort sucking, but he will take cuddles and distraction from daddy or granny which gives my boobs a break.
It does get easier, you are still in the really early days. As baby grows his tummy will expand and he will take more milk at each feed so they will gradually become more spaced out. But there will still be grow spurts along the way of course.
Baby will also start having more wide awake time soon and you should encourage that in the day time, try and stimulate him between feeds in the day time and then keep your room dark and stimulate him as little as possible at night so he learns the difference and might sleep more.

Plus you get to a point where you get more used to the lack of sleep in a way - you're not long after giving birth so your body is still tired from that too!
Take as many naps as you can - even if it means OH taking LO out in the pram or car for an hour. Spend these first few weeks just eating sleeping and feeding and things will slowly start to settle into a routine.

 

[Doodlebug88]

Thank you so much ladies for all the advice. Oh is great and does comfort him for as long as he can which means I can sometimes get a couple if hours sleep. We were having huge trouble getting him settled into his Moses basket so would end up just holding him all the time which is exhausting at night. Our midwife suggested swaddling him which helped and we have today managed to get him to take a dummy after many attempts. Optimistic for the night ahead and hoping we can get some sleep without holding him.

 

[Lizzybee]

I found handing over helped but also being out of the house helps too! Try a short walk or short visit to the shops or a friends house. It makes you feel good too.

 

[meli1981]

Unfortunately its normal for them to feed often night and day in the early day...bm is easily digestable and their tummies are so small! If she just wants to suckle id offer a pacifier...might help abit
Trust me...the length between feeds will get longer

 

[sheldonsmommy]

Good advice from above posters.

It does get easier. All this suckling is helping build the foundation for a great milk supply, as tiring as it is. I gave my lo a paci pretty early and it didn't affect my supply, maybe consider it if you haven't already

 

[meli1981]

I agree on the supply thing! Forgot to mention that! Baby is feeding so much to build milk supply to their demand

 

[kksy9b]

We went through two incredibly long cluster feeds (and numerous short ones). The first was 36 hours at 5 days old and the next was 39 hours just over two weeks old. He ate for 15-60 minutes at a time with a max of an hour in between feedings. A bad latch in the first big cluster caused a cracked nipple that took 4 weeks to heal! Those two feeds were by far the worst and other than the pain until the crack healed, since that two week mark it has become easier and easier! At 8 weeks he goes 2-3 hours between feeds and has a 4-5 hour stretch at night. If you need to pump certainly do, but hang in there! another week or so and you should see it get much better!! You can do it!!

edit: i should mention that my LO refuses a paci 80% of the time- to the point where he will gag on it...but if yours takes one, that could really help give you a break!

 

[Mrs HM]

It does and will get much easier. It's so hard at the start which is why at lot of mummies give up at this stage but if you can battle on through you won't regret it, I promise. BF is so much easier than FF once you get over the worst few weeks at the start. My DD is also feeding, then comfort sucking, then falling asleep only if held, but I know that this will pass as she gets to know the world and us a bit more.

Good advice from the other ladies about passing your LO to your OH and using a dummy to get a break. Remember as well, if your baby is fed, dry and winded there is no harm in letting them fuss for a little while somewhere safe, either in the moses basket or playmat. Or you could try a baby wrap to have them close to you while keeping your hands free.

 

[luna_19]

It will get better. My hubby and I took shifts holding him to sleep when he was a newborn because he would not sleep on his own for the first few weeks. If you can figure out feeding laying down that is amazing and you can get some rest while baby feeds