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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

12 day old breastfeeding habits

8 replies

abi2790 · 14/12/2012 21:40

Hi everyone. Not sure if this is the right place to post.. This is my first post!

Basically I'm just looking for advice on how to get my 12 day old breastfed baby to sleep better at night. He currently sleeps well in the day and has regular feeds but at night he can feed for hours and is comforted by being on my breast so it's hard to get him settled in his basket. Any advice on how to get my baby into some sort of routine where I'm not up and out of bed constantly throughout the night would be greatly appreciated! At the minute he feeds for about 20-30 mins and falls asleep. When I try to put him in his basket he wakes up and wants to go back on the breast!

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feekerry · 14/12/2012 22:23

Hi. Sounds totally normal but suggest you get this moved to breast feeding section for more advice x

ThreeWheelsGood · 14/12/2012 22:25

Unfortunately it's early days and baby doesn't know night from day yet! Try and sleep when you can. There's a well-frequented breastfeeding Talk board elsewhere on Mumsnet in the "feed the world" section.

bigredbook · 14/12/2012 22:27

Hi abi,
First of all, congrats!
Second, try reposting in the breastfeeding topic, it's here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/breast_and_bottle_feeding
Lots of experienced people there who can help.
Third, it's totally normal for a baby to do this and at this early stage you are best to go with the flow and try to catch up on sleep during the day. The baby is building your milk supply by feeding in this way. Also, he is still very tiny and feels safe next to you.
Good luck.

OddFrog · 14/12/2012 22:28

Co-sleep? My new DD (8 days) doesn't like her basket at night either. I suppose it's so completely alien to them at this stage - dark, quiet, no Mum smell or constant warm body and heart noises, etc.

Maybe just go with the flow and do what he needs for a few weeks. It's far too early to try to impose routines and you won't 'spoil' him by providing the comfort he needs.

I'm mostly co-sleeping with DD either on my chest/stomach to feed (good position for fast flow!) or beside me at breast height (to feed lying down on my side), away from the pillow and duvet at my waist. She sleeps for reasonable blocks and I'm much more rested as the faff when she does feed is minimal. Sometimes I barely wake! If she falls into a deep sleep and I'm alert enough, I put her in the bassinet until the next waking, but I've found she's settled for shorter periods after I move her.

Sounds like your wee DS is on target for a growth spurt and cluster feeding a bit anyway. It'll pass in a few days and the pattern will change again! DD is my second, so I'm feeling a bit more confident this time round. Is DS your first or just different to any others? Congratulations on your new boy

Original poster

abi2790 · 14/12/2012 22:42

Thank you guys :) I will post in the breastfeeding section.

Thanks Oddfrog! He is my first baby so all very confusing! I've sort of accidentally been co-sleeping. Midwifes say its unsafe but I've also read it can be good for babies. All so confusing!

OP posts:

OddFrog · 14/12/2012 22:51

It is confusing: they don't tell you about all this stuff in the glossy magazines! Really do what feels right, don't underestimate your instincts. I found DS1's early weeks so stressful and it's only now with DD that I can see what I need to do. Give yourself a break and muddle through as best you can! Baby won't mind. If you can get a copy of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding it might answer some questions. I've only just found it and had an 'oh, right, I see!' moment.

Keep it up, I'm sure you're doing just fine .

sandberry · 14/12/2012 23:59

Really normal, the hormone prolactin is higher at night so most babies cluster feed all night to increase the milk supply, the sleep in the morning, feed all night pattern tends to get better about six weeks.

As for co-sleeping, it is not unsafe as long as you don't fall into certain risk groups. This is a good leaflet which most hospitals (who can afford it) hand out now which discusses safe sleeping Leaflet

Hope you are enjoying your baby.

Tolly81 · 15/12/2012 04:37

Also you could try swaddling - my DD didn't like being put down at first as she had a strong Moro (parachute) reflex and I don't think they like being put down in a cold cot! My breastfed DD was (and still is if I occasionally try it when she's ill) a terrible co-sleeper but try putting a pre-warmed blanket under him or keep a wheatie or hot water bottle in his Moses basket/cot while you're feeding him. Another BFing friend of mine swore by putting something that smelled of her husband in with the baby at night - apparently was meant to reduce the amount they could smell your milk at night - just some other suggestions if like me you wouldn't get a wink of sleep if you co-slept (I'm such a light sleeper and DD is a very restless sleeper) but agree with others it's not dangerous if you take certain precautions. Well done and keep at it - once you get through these difficult first few weeks you'll both reap the benefits!

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