When does it get better?

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

I am still in the "early" days, I think, but does breastfeeding get any easier? I am almost 3 weeks post partum and am worn out from constant feeding and no sleep! LO feeds every hour at times during the night. She also gets a bit bothered with wind, though not at every feed. I'd like to continue breastfeeding but am really beginning to wonder how on earth can I keep this up for months! Please tell me it gets easier.

[Whatsername17]

It does. As baby gets bigger it gets easier. I found week 3-4 hard. When she got to 4 weeks we used gripe water for the wind and it worked brilliantly. If you use it, I'd recommend giving it via a bottle teat as they can aspirate it if you use a syringe and that is scary.with a teat you put it in the teat and they suck down at their own pace.

[Whatsername17]

Also, you are at the height of cluster feeding. That settles. You might want to start expressing and introducing a bottle of ebm. It will get baby used to the bottle and give you a break as your dh can do a feed. We did this at 3 weeks. Id express in a morning and dh would give a feed about 11pm. On nights when she wasn't cluster feeding I could feed and then give her to dh who would sit up with her sleeping on his chest. He'd give the bottle when she woke and then sit up with her until the next feed. I got a good chunk of sleep this way.

[beanbag19]

Six weeks was the milestone for me. Many times before then I genuinely wondered if I could carry on, mainly due to a bout of mastitis and a sore on my nipple that made me cry every time he latched on that side.

But I remember suddenly realising at about six weeks that we were doing it and it had become easier and actually enjoyable. As hard as those first few weeks were, and as much as I think I would have been justified to give up (not that anyone needs to justify not bf, I mean justify it to myself), I'm glad I carried on and it was most definitely worth it.

I bf until he was two and am due no.2 in June and can't wait to do it again. Sorry for the ramble, I'm very tired! Hope it makes sense!

[Lovethebubbles]

I agree - 6-8 weeks and it seemed to all fall into place with both of mine. Trapped wind was still a problem with the first but gripe water helped and by 12 weeks everything is much easier. Stick with it if you can.

[Thegiantofillinois]

Yes. I hated the first 4 weeks. Had thrush and left nipple never recovered from initially trying to force ds on. Cluster feeding destroyed me. I spent a lot of time crying -until dh would tell me to just stop feeding and give formula. I'm stubborn, so carried on (with the help of paracetamol). When it finally comes together it's easy.

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

Thank you so much. We had a better night last night. I have some ebm in the freezer from when the midwife told me to too up her feeds (this didn't really work as she wasn't ready for top ups after the feeding from the breast, I found expressing and bfing too tiring but it did seem to boost my supply ), but it's only the odd ounce. I have no idea how much she would take in a feed!

[beanbag19]

Glad you had a better night. There will be good days/nights and bad ones but the bad ones get fewer and further in between as you go on.

[Blossom789]

6-8 weeks it gets loads better but like earlier poster said you're in growth spurt land where baby is cluster feeding and you feel you have no milk (but you do) try to feed as much as you can before the night so you can get some chunks of sleep. It's said our milk is better at night which is why baby feeds more then.

Giving expressed milk will help in the short term. It won't help your supply as babies sucking stimulates your milk to increase.

I was the same at 3 weeks kept thinking about bottle feeding as babies on bottles seemed so much more settled. It doesn't take long but it sure feels like it does.

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

Thanks, blossom. I'm not opposed to the idea of expressed milk (especially later on when it might mean I can leave the house without baby) in general. However, right now I just feel like if she is happy to feed directly from me then that's easier/better for the time being as it is less extra work for me in terms of expressing AND bfing plus sterilising pumps and bottles.

Out of interest, how do mums who give ebm manage expressing/bfing? I don't think I'd be able to express more than 1-2oz at a time which doesn't seem worth it?

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

Oops - I didn't mean to put easier/better in bold font! I just meant "easier/better" for me and my circumstances. Hope nobody takes offence!

[Blossom789]

I'm the same, it's enough to feed let alone express too!

[Member652554]

14 months on and I am still as exhausted from the night feeds.

Day feeds get much easier and actually become really enjoyable .

But every night is a battle for me . It has resulted in our relationship breaking down as I felt I was doing everything alone , all the time .

Just remember to look after yourself too.

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

Thanks for replying.

Very sorry to hear that, Member. It sounds like you're quite down; I hope you're able to talk to someone about how you're feeling?

[2tiredtothinkofausername]

6/8 weeks.

I second getting your baby used to a bottle.

for you. The first couple of weeks are rough!

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

2tired- great username!

I think I'll re visit the idea of ebm but maybe after the 6-8 week mark if I make it that far..I just can't face pumping as well as feeding right now!

Have just devoured a kit Kat chunky.

[FiftyShadesOfDuckEggBlue]

The first weeks are a nightmare but it does get so much better! No one had explained to me what cluster feeding was and I was completely unprepared. I just felt tied to the sofa forever and was so worried about my LO getting enough milk. I was also rubbish at burping her and she was always fussy as a result. Turns out it was all absolutely normal! Just keep going and things will improve as you both learn how to do it. My LO is now 6 months old and will literally grab my boob and help herself! She is much more efficient as well so she spends less time on it. Night feeds were still an issue so we gave up and are now bedsharing, which sort of helps.

Good luck! x

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

Thanks fiftyshades. Does she still be through the night?
My first child sleeps terribly. I don't think I can go through that again with this LO!

[AGapInTheMarket]

Keep going, Blah!
Later on, I established a good routine of expressing from one breast while baby fed from the other one, first thing in the morning. Then my DH could give a big bottleful at 10pm as a dream-feed before he went to bed. (I went to bed at 7pm when DD did!)
Best of luck to you, the dream-feed definitely helped with the night sleeping!

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

AGap, how'd you manage to hold a baby and a breast pump at the same time? Or was it an electric one? Also how much would you be able to express? I don't have any clue how many oz of breast milk a baby would take at a feed/at what age! Thanks.

[AGapInTheMarket]

It took some getting used to - I had a little manual pump but an electric once would have been easier. I never measured how much I got/she ate, just noticed (slightly awestruck!) as the quantity grew. I think she was about 3.5 months when I started doing the dream feed.

[FiftyShadesOfDuckEggBlue]

Blahblahblahyadayadayada She was doing ok in the beginning and then at 3.5 months went through what was probably what people call the 3-4 month sleep regression. She'd only sleep 20-30 minute stretches and cry so much when we put her in the cot. We have the Chicco Next2Me co-sleeper right by my side but she hated it. We'd wake up and find her right by the edge trying to get close to us -- the poor thing just wanted to be cuddled! That's when we gave in and started bedsharing. I got lots of useful advice from my NCT mums' group about how to do it safely. She is much happier now and sleeps much longer stretches but it's as if she needs me (i.e. the boob) in very close proximity all the time! I still get paranoid about the idea of having her in our bed but we are all getting more sleep...

[Blahblahblahyadayadayada]

They did show me how to bed share safely, though I'm not sure I'd be able to do so. Having said that, looking after babies is hard work ans is breastfeeding so you do what you have to do to get some rest! It