Hello. I am holding my ten day old baby in my arms almost constantly and am too tired to search the forum for relevant answers. Apologies. I am pretty clueless about breastfeeding and what to do with babies - I thought it would come natural ... what a mistake. I am feeling pretty down at the moment - have been since coming home, after a difficult time in hospital. What I crave is a sort of schedule, I know it is not possible to have a tight schedule with babies so young but to be honest, in order for me to feel better I will try anything, even formula.
When we got home, I spent the first few nights with baby in the living room. This was so my partner, who is on paternity leave, would sleep well and be able to take baby off me the next day. Baby was breastfeeding constantly from evening onwards until about 2 am, when he fell asleep and I could put him in his crib. He slept a few hours (3 I think). This got me so down, thinking that this is how my nights would be, and what a life change that is etc, I couldn't sleep whilst baby was sleeping. Next day was the same, baby fed constantly in the evening, fell asleep in the early morning hours, left me knackered and unable to sleep. I have now learned that what baby is doing is probably clusterfeeding and quite normal. My question is: If clusterfeeding, is it possible to take baby to bed when I want it, or will he not sleep until he is done? And that can be until the wee morning hours?
A lady from my NCT class has a slightly older baby (7 weeks) who is breastfed. She takes him to bed at 7 pm, where he stays. How can I achieve this? Is my baby too young for this, or is it a question of how they feed?
I have kept a little diary of the last two days, and found that there was a long stretch between his afternoon sleep and the time he went to bed at night. Is it a question of him being overtired, so that I should not leave too long between sleeps, in order for him to go to bed earlier, or is there no point in that?
My baby feeds in little bits during the day, since 5 am today he has had nine feeds each lasting from 15 mins to 30 mins, with him falling asleep after feed and having a little nap. Is that normal, or excessive?
Regarding my partner taking the baby out, baby is never really off my breast so I can't have a break in the afternoon. Is that normal?
Also, I would like to go out, but if he wants feeding every half an hour, or whenever he wakes up, how can I can I go out?
When baby eventually goes to sleep, I find that changing him wakes him up and makes him alert and wanting to eat again. Is it okay to put him in his crib unchanged?
The last two nights, baby slept with us in the bedroom as a trial. He slept a few hours, woke up because he was wet, needed ten minutes breastfeeding, and then went back to sleep. I swaddled him and gave him a dummy which he took, and spat out after a while but he sucked on it for a while and it helped him to go to sleep. Woke after one hour again with a wet nappy. From then, he started his feeding / sleeping routine which he is still doing currently. My partner is going back to work again, and I feel terrible if he has interrupted sleeps - how do other dads do it? Do most fathers sleep in the same room?
Lots of questions. I hope people are able to give me some advice and kind words - I would be so grateful. Many thanks. x