Does BF get easier after 6 weeks?

[IWillOnlyEatBeans]

I am on Week 4 of BF DS2 and finding it a bit of a struggle - particularly the evening cluster feeds and the non-stop feeding between 12am and 5am. I would love a bit more energy during the day to do fun stuff with DS1 (a high-maintenance nearly 3-yr-old). Lots of people are advising me to keep going as 'it gets easier after 6 weeks'. So I was just wondering whether this is true? And more specifically - how does it get easier? I want to make a decision one way or the other this week while DH is still off work and here to help...thanks.

In my experience, yes it does get much easier. By 8 weeks there was no more cluster feeding in the evening and I used to feed DD at 10pm when I went to bed, she then would wake around 2am for a feed and then 6.30am as we were all getting up. Before 6 weeks you have a growth spurt which leads to epic amounts if cluster feeding, which is exhausting but after 6 weeks this passes and things become just easier probably due to the fact you finally get some rest! Good luck with it all!

It does get easier. As the baby's suck becomes stronger and more efficient they drink more in a shorter time frame so the feeds aren't so long and frequent. The first 6 weeks are all consuming when bf but it does get easier. I also have a 3 year old and my baby is now 6 months so I've come through the worst bit where I was constantly having to tell my 3 year old I couldn't do this, that and the other cos I was bf...I felt bad but glad I stuck with it as its a lot easier now with no mixing bottles etc. good luck!

Yep, definitely gets easier - the evening cluster feeding (especially alongside the growth spurts) were awful stretches & my DD stopped that around 8 wks, I nearly gave up so many times in the first 2 months but the feed and sleep cycles should get better. Also I used to put my DD in the bed for the 1am/4am feeds after 12 weeks (when I knew she could move her neck) and that helped too. If you have a reasonable health visitor, might be worth discussing options with them - some of them will just keep saying you must BF rather than being constructive though. We did some mixed feeding as well and a few people I know found that worked well for them.

Thanks everyone for the reassurance. I am determined to make it to 8 weeks and see how we go from there...

We do a bit of mix feeding - DS has one bottle per day of either BM or formula depending on whether I have had time to express. We only let him have a couple of oz of formula though, so his system can get used to it gently.

Hi, I'm thinking of giving my ds a bottle of forumla once in a while so DP can feed him and I can have a little break. He had a bottle of ebm last night and took it really well and is still latchingn well.

How many ounces for a 4 week old?

It depends how hungry he is! Maybe start with 4oz and see how you get on?