So tired!!

[pinkpolkadot]

Hi all!

Just come for a little moan I wasn't really prepared for how tiring BF would be. LO feeds lots during the day, about every hour or less at times (but fortunately goes for longer at night!) She is feeding up to 18 times a day and I am knackered, I feel like I am either feeding or trying to cram things that need doing in between feeds. I am wondering if we will ever be able to do anything again that takes more than half an hour!!!

Just looking for a bit of reassurance really that it does get better

Thanks

 

[Palestrina]

It does get better, but not anytime soon I'm afraid. Sorry to be blunt but I sure wish someone told me that in the beginning. Everyone kept telling me it would get better soon but it didn't yet I expected improvement every day. So yes it will get better but you have a big growth spurt coming in the next week or so and it might get a little worse... but then it gets better!

What you can do to make things better for yourself is completely let go of the idea that you can "get things done" around the house. Right now you should not be even thinking about that. Enlist the help of your OH, mom, MIL, friends, and anyone who is willing to lend a hand. Get someone to cook for you and clean the dishes, or order out, or have people drop off casseroles you can freeze. Do not expect anything more than basic hygiene at this point. Hire a maid service if you can, otherwise get someone else to clean and do laundry. In a few weeks' time this will all be so much better, it's so unfair to expect so much of yourself right now when the only thing nature has given you the energy for is to feed your baby. Enjoy it even, it only lasts a few weeks.

 

[pinkpolkadot]

Thanks for your honesty Palestrina, I think part of the problem is that I was not prepared for it to be quite this demanding. The MWs are far too eager pointing out the pros and I don't think they want to put mums off so it has come of a bit of a shock to me (and DH)!

So I am guessing that after the impending growth spurt you saw some improvement?

 

[Palestrina]

There is improvement but LO still feeds a lot. You must realize that you are still recovering from the birth, and that your hormones are still a bit off and may be experiencing some PPD. That's all normal. Couple that with sleepless nights, the anxiety of having a newborn in the house, the demanding BF schedule and it all seems like a horrible nightmare. What does get better is that your hormones do calm down after a few weeks, and your body learns to adjust to less sleep. You begin to be more comfortable with BF and even if the schedule is demanding it doesn't feel so bad anymore.

Whatever they tell you at the hospital, don't listen. Do what's right for you. They in the medical profession told me that if I want to exclusively BF I'd have to feed him every 2-3 hours during the day. Nonsense, this baby fed nonstop for weeks. Somebody COULD have told me that but they didn't. But they should have.

So yes it's hard. But it does get better otherwise nobody would do it for up to 2yrs. And the bonding is amazing, but I only felt it after about 6wks of BF. There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I promise.

 

[Roffey82]

Congratulations on ur LO
It's definitely hard work but its so worth it. I'd say just remember your lo's stomach is really tiny and feedingakes them feel secure as baby likes to feel your warmth. I'd say make the most of it and just enjoy relaxing with Lo as time goes so quickly and it does get easier ad you both get used to BFing. If you've got someone to help go to the shops for you or make you lunch it'll make it easier as you can't miss meals.
Good luck

 

[paperz]

I feel you! My daughter is just about 20 weeks now, and she still feeds every hour, or maybe hour and a half if I am lucky. In my case she started off feeding a bit less often (but still way more than every three hours as they instructed me to do), and as she grew she wanted more and more. She is a fat little thing (90th percentile) so I don't know if that has something to do with it. She was up to sleeping 5 hours at a time at night at 14 weeks, and then - POW! - overnight she started feeding every 1-2 hours all through the night. Now, six weeks later - POW! - she is only waking once to feed in the night! So... it is hard, it takes a lot of time, and there are so many ups and downs... but in the end it does get better and it is soooo worth it I used to go crazy reading posts from people or hearing friends going 'oh, my baby is three months old and still eating 7 times a day! I'm exhausted!' SERIOUSLY. I would be in heaven if my daughter would feed only 7 times a day! Oh, and my house is a disaster too and I came home today after a walk with baby and dinner out and realised that it smells like something has died in here... he he...

 

[tardiz]

My boy still feeds Alot but I don't really mind I use his feeding to relax watch tv read lie on the bed etc. It is hard but I don't really worry about housework (still) my oh helps me at weekends/ evenings besides it wont last forever.
I like the fact that only I can feed him otherwise I think sometimes when we go to see family I'd never get to hold him.

He will go longer without a feed if he is in his buggy so I can still get out

I'd say make the most of it. They won't want your Hugs and attention forever.

Congratulations by the way xxx

 

[staceyp]

my lo is 12 weeks and feeds every 2 hours n is just into the sleep play eat routine which means i know i have a few 30 min intervals of her napping were i can get stuff done. forget bout the housework seriously... itll take a while to establish ur supply etc so just concentrate on bub... its so worth it n different for everyone for me it got easy/natural very quickly. x

 

[Bumpontherun]

It's so hard to begin with. I was sitting in our kitchen yesterday feeding sally with toys & dishes everywhere and my toddler playing with the dogs food bowl and I felt a few moments of real despair. Around 6 weeks I found things a lot easier and at 4 months you will suddenly wake up and realise the nightmare is over

 

[staceyp]

It's so hard to begin with. I was sitting in our kitchen yesterday feeding sally with toys & dishes everywhere and my toddler playing with the dogs food bowl and I felt a few moments of real despair. Around 6 weeks I found things a lot easier and at 4 months you will suddenly wake up and realise the nightmare is over

lol can relate to that here lol