I have an 8 week old DD who is ebf. She's doing great, only feeds for ten minutes at a time but putting plenty of weight on (she's just efficient) and she's been sleeping through the night from ten till 5:30 without waking for a feed since 6 weeks. She's doing excellent, the problem is me. I'm finding it exhausting feeding her. She sometimes wants feeding three times in four hours and I have a two year old also who's running me ragged. The breastfeeding is literally draining me so I'm considering switching to formula in the day and just breastfeeding at bedtime and first thing in the morning. I can't express because she damaged my nipple's with her latch one time and if I try and express they bleed lots. The thing is I know breast milk is better but I feel like I need the respite to because better mum, but then I feel like I'm being selfish and should just manage.
Thankyou for your reply. She hates the sling unfortunately, I've tried it a few times and she just screams. I got tested for anaemia a little while back, at least I think that's what it was, they said my iron levels were fine
Glad you’re not anaemia then . If you do want to switch, I think the current advice is to drop one feed every two weeks to minimise your risk of Mastitis and to give LO a chance to adjust to the new volumes she will have to drink.
You could always talk through how you are feeling with a BFC on one of the Bfing Helplines. She should help you to come to a decision and if that is switching, a plan on how to do it
Ive managed to carry on my cracked nipple's finally healed so I've been able to express which gives me a bit of respite during the day so someone else can feed her
Is your diet good enough? Plenty of vitamins, protein, calories? Some specialist breastfeeding vitamins, full fat milk and lots of cake got me through.
I'm going through this too. Mine is 15wks and I also have a 2yr old. Mine isn't a quick feeder tho and also feeds every hour when we're at home (goes for longer when out). Same as you nighttime isn't an issue just the day. I have no idea what to do! Feel all I do is feed... and I am very overwhelmed by it as getting out is so hard as the baby cries a lot while im getting myself and ds1 ready. Tried expressing but can't face it in the day as I would have my boobs out permanently what with pumping and him feeding and at night I have a go but it's not a great time of day for it and I barely get anything. He won't even have a dummy. But like a pp said bottles are a faff in a different way so no idea what to do so pleased pumping is working for you though. I will keep trying. Sorry to hijack your post, just needed to vent
Oh no please, feel free to hijack, I don't mind. I started finding new nursery rhyme programs for the toddler and sticking them on the TV when baby wanted feeding so I didn't have to manage both of them at the same time which helped a bit
Sorry you're having a tough time. I have a 5mo & a 3yo so sympathise! If it helps, from my experience 6-8wks was the hardest patch - my baby fed every hour & a half for a while & 3yo was getting increasingly fractious & attention-seeking - but from around 12wks it just got so much easier. The early days with BF are hard, but once you get through them you then avoid all of the hard work of sterilising, making up feeds etc etc, and BF gets so much easier. Hope you feel much brighter soon
You could try extending the time between feeds in the hope that baby will feed more effectively as they'll be hungrier. DD was put on a 3 hour feeding regime by the pediatrician at 5 days and although it was hard at the time what it did do was encourage her to feed really well at each feed and she ended up very settled between feeds. Once we were out of the grips of the hospital I fed more frequently (2 hourly) in the afternoons and then she would sleep 3 hours between feeds at night.
We're still going!!!! Sorry I'm just really pleased. Although found out I'm deficient in iron and vitamin d, even though I was tested for iron deficiency not long ago (must have been wrong), so have some vitamins to take everyday which should hopefully make me feel a bit more human again
. If you do want to switch, I think the current advice is to drop one feed every two weeks to minimise your risk of Mastitis and to give LO a chance to adjust to the new volumes she will have to drink.
so pleased pumping is working for you though. I will keep trying. Sorry to hijack your post, just needed to vent 