To ask you how you copes with the tiredness when breast feeding?

[parkersnose]

I'm a few days overdue with my second baby. With my first I was determined to breastfeed but struggled so much with being totally exhausted. It broke me and my dd was on formula from a few weeks old. I was prepared for pain etc but just not the total exhaustion I felt. I ended up with quite bad post natal depression and I am sure this all contributed to how bad I felt. Please hit me with your tips for coping with the tiredness this time around? How did you all manage?

I coslept with dd from a few days old and learnt to bf lying down. I slept while she cluster fed. Game changer! I fed her for 2.5 years and wouldn’t have gone that long if I couldn’t sleep and feed!

As much sleep as you can get during the day. How long is your partner taking off? How old is your older child?

I stopped bf with my first at 6 weeks and I’m still going at 15 weeks the second time round.

I co-slept with my newborn and would breastfeed lying down. It was the only way I could manage it

I bf lying down

How do people feed lying down?

I fed lying down at night. Rolled on my side and little DS on his side so he could latch. Still do it a year later.

I ate a lot. Loads of carbs so toast, pasta, potatoes and ate a lot of cake!

Agree, I only survived and am surviving now is co-sleeping and breast feeding laying down and also napping when the baby naps as often as possible (not so easy with the second baby but my husband takes the eldest so I can sleep or I do it while the eldest is at nursery!).

@Babybluesornormal I put baby on their side facing me and then lay on my side facing them and feed with the boob nearest the bed. As mine have got bigger, they sometimes just lay on their back and turn their head to feed.

Cake. Shit ton of cake.

Full fat milk in your tea. Proper butter on your bread.

Keep fueled basically

I am planning on not stressing if he doesn’t feed for 3 hours like I did last time, planning on not pumping round the clock like last time
Feeding lying on my side
Unless medically necessary I won’t be waken up to feed

@Babybluesornormal I laid facing dd with the arm beneath me stretched out over her head. I bf with the boob closest to the mattress. She laid on her back and turned her head towards me, or was slightly on her side. Make sure your pillow & duvet are away from baby’s face. Dd slept in a sleeping bag.

I don't know how anyone breast feeds or actually survives with any feeding method without co sleeping! I feed my baby all night long lying down while asleep. It takes a bit of practice but once mastered it's fantastic. Far easier than bottles!

Co-sleep and feed lying down. I’m small of boob so I imagine it’d be easier for boobier people but at 6 months I put baby to bed around 7 and join her a couple of hours later. I think co-sleeping intentionally is safer than accidentally falling asleep unsafely with baby.

Co sleep following safe sleeping guidelines. Feeding lying down in a c shape by night. Sleeping when baby sleeps where ever possible but I was never very good at this in the early days.

Another co sleepers

Another one co sleeping and feeding lying down . Its a bit tricky at first but it soon because a breeze. It's a game changer.

Plus as another poster said - calories! You need fuel. Plus absolutely tons of liquid. Get a bottle you can drink from lying down, I used a CamelBak.

I didn’t co sleep but did eat aaaallll the food...biscuits got me through...and making husband get up with toddler at 5

Leave it everyone else to make their own cups of tea, do the laundry, make the meals, organise the thank you cards, sort out the shopping. If you can get rid of all that crap, the baby is relatively easy, even plus toddler.

Also feeding lying down (even if you don’t co-sleep the whole time) is an absolute game changer.

Co-sleeping.

But I think I would have been way more sleep deprived if I had AF.

I have never found BF tiring, relentless yes, but it’s a good excuse to spend lots of time resting

Eat aaaaalllll of the food! I breastfed dc1 for 4 years and am currently breastfeeding my newborn. I basically live on cheese, yogurts and biscuits in between meals.

Make sure you are really hydrated as well. I drink at least a pint of water with every feed and lots in between.

Had baby in a side sleeper. Would lift him out to feed lying down. Worst case scenario he stayed as I fell asleep (In safe Co sleeping position) best case I stayed awake and lifted him back into the side sleeper. Lived off cake. Even in the middle of the night. I can't tell you how many times I woke up and he was in bed next to me.

We co slept from six months old. I was broken, exhausted and had such a bad cold I couldn't shift. It gave me such a bad shoulder though because my daughter basically fed all night. She wouldn't accept a bottle so I couldn't get a break ever. I'm still feeding her now aged 2. I absolutely loved it though, even during the hardest times. Good luck! Don't beat yourself up if it doesn't work out though. You have to look after yourself!

Next to me crib here as well. Wish I had one with my first! Not having to physically get out of bed in the middle of the night is a game changer!

Another one co sleeping and feeding lying down . Its a bit tricky at first but it soon because a breeze. It's a game changer.

Plus as another poster said - calories! You need fuel. Plus absolutely tons of liquid. Get a bottle you can drink from lying down, I used a CamelBak.

Safe co sleeping, a snack tray of goodies fuck the healthy eating! Mine was cheese late crackers and proper Biltong all the meats. Lots of fluid. Water, juice etc. I had my caffeine fix early morning. Bf with a toddler is hard work. Sleep whenever you can! Get them to take baby for a baby for a walk or just downstairs for half hour and hour. I expressed and gave baby bottle from 1month old for 1 feed a week. Then it went up to 2 bottles over weekend. When i couldn't express enough say 6months she had a pretty made hip bottle so i could have a lie in at weekends while they all went out. LotS of prep and a supportive partner is a must! Xx

I didn't co sleep with mine - not something I was comfortable doing safely when they were really wee - so I put tv/iPad on every time I fed so I could watch something and focus! Highly recommend Catastrophe if you haven't already watched it, I watched every series feeding my son!

I also ate loads, which was brilliant. I had a stash of food in my bedside table as I used to get hungry at random times of the night.

I lowered any expectations of what I would be doing in the day time (ie no pressure to clean, tidy, whatever) and I was also lucky to have a supportive DH, who seemed to realise how bloody hard it was so was always trying to ease the pressure some way.