Very early days -feeding & sleeping tips needed

[felinebelle]

Hi - our wee one is literally a matter of days old so I lnow it's far too early to talk routines and day/night. But we've a couple of issues I was hoping for som advice on.
Firstly - she's an angel during the (our) day - sleeping well after a feed and feeding well.
But then she'll a) not sleep anywhere but on me or OH and b) suggest she's finished feding with all the right signs (coming off the breast on her own, refusing anymore from either breast), but 5-15 minutes later she'll be back for more.
I know it's partly down to the hot weather so she's extra thirsty rather than hungry - but is there anything else I can do to make sure she's completely full, and which may also help her sleep?

I also agree with PinkSchmoo that if you've really had enough, a bottle of formula really can take the pressure off. Hysterical keen breastfeeding advocates will tell you it messes up supply yadda yadda but honestly, one bottle during cluster feeding time (generally 5 - 8pm) can REALLY help. And if you keep it to a maximum of one a day it won't stuff up your supply. Formula is not poison and it is not the end of the world if you're at your wits' end.

No, formula is not poison.

But introducing a bottle of formula to a baby 4 days old as a regular thing does risk messing up supply and it's not hysterical or yadda yadda to say this. The evidence for this is crystal.

"But then she'll a) not sleep anywhere but on me or OH"... Oh this brings back so many memories! It only took us about a week to get her sleeping in her Moses basket but it was very necessary (I'd had a c-section and DH has a bad back). It was DIFFICULT for that week but so worth it! This is how we did it:

1. DH gets into bed
2. Stand cuddling LO at the foot of the Moses basket until she's practically asleep.
3. Place her VERY slowly into Moses basket.
4. If she starts to grizzle, FREEZE and gradually retreat back to step 2 if necessary.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 as many times as needed.
6. When she is in the Moses basket and asleep, spend 5-10 minutes inching your way into bed, not making a sound.
7. When you're in bed, very slowly pull the covers over and close your eyes.
8. LO starts crying immediately- repeat steps 2-7!

Like I said it was hard work and some nights I would have to do this up to 15 times before she eventually stayed asleep but it did get easier and our LO has been great at sleeping ever since (slept through from 7 weeks). Admittedly she does have a dummy now to help her drop off which I would also highly recommend!