I'm starting to struggle now!

[fluffandnonsense]

My lovely DD is two weeks tomorrow. Since 7am yesterday morning she has had 15 feeds and is still going strong! I've managed 1.5 hours sleep since yesterday and I'm seriously starting to flag. She is EBF except for a few bottles of expressed milk my DH has fed to her at night to allow me to get 3 hours sleep in one go. I know it won't last forever but I so don't want to reach for the formula. Please give me some hope! How long was it before your little ones started to go longer at night? Even just 2-3 hours at a time would be amazing right now.

This is a really hard time, but it does pass. With DS my husband used to pass him to me to feed in bed so I wasn't getting up and cold etc. have you considered this? Some people don't like this, but I used to consider the risks of me having so little sleep and weighed it up.

DS is now 9 I bf him for 8 months, was followed by 2 sisters who I fed for 5 months and 4 months respectively.

Poor you. I remember that well. Can you co sleep? If you google for safe co sleeping it will outline how to do it.

It does get better I promise. Can someone take baby out in the pram while you have a nap? DH used to do this and she usually slept and at least I got an hour or so.

She is going really well and so are you. It seems unending doesn't it? It's possible that she's going through a growth spurt. If you feed on demand every time then your stocks will build up in a couple of days to meet her growing needs.

The sleep thing can be a real killer. We had to double hand it where DH would take DS1 from me feeding him at about 8.30 pm and I'd go to bed. He'd hang on until around 11 and then bring him up for another feed which I would try to do lying down if a could but definitely without getting out of bed then go back to sleep. By 2pm latest (but possible and hour earlier) DH was desperate for sleep himself and I would be back on duty with at least a few hours behind me. If DH didn't have to work at the weekend we'd try to do this in the day a bit too.

It doesn't last long. I wish someone had told me. I thought it would last a year and was at the end of my tether. Probably a week or two more (get over the first major growth spurt) and then things should be better. There's another growth spurt at around six weeks but if you're aware of it and it only lasts two or three days then it's not so bad.

Make sure you're getting plenty to eat and drink. Our GP (a father of four) told DH that his job was to feed me, and mine to feed DS1. DH used to make me ham and tomato sandwiches in the middle of the night. Other than that I reckon Mr Kipling cake bars are perfect for a snack which only takes a few seconds to eat so you can go back to sleep.

You are doing so well. It's tough with the lack of sleep. My heart goes out to you. It does get better believe me.

Btw by 4 weeks my babies used to go every few hours. It slowly improves. Their stomachs are so tiny just now so little and often....eat and drink lots yourself and try and stay in bed or on the sofa. Just feed your baby. It will soon be easier.

It get's much easier! They do sleep more. This bit is the toughest in terms of night times.
Things I'd say is stop expressing for a little bit. Wait til your supply settles down then start again. It's just extra work at the moment. So you aren't getting to rest in between feeds.
Sleep during the day when then baby sleeps.

cosleep/bedshare safely. So no smoking, drinking, medication from either parent, baby on your side, no doona/duvet around baby, mum sleeps in a c shape around baby, baby's face at nipple height, no water bed.

its a really tough time, which should be accompanied by plenty of cake and soft drinks, cake for morale and drinks to keep you hydrated and help milk supply.
if dh is around then persuade him to bring you drinks etc while you Sit on sofa or in bed, don't worry about cleaning and ask him to sort out simple meals, wind number of visitors down to minimum and those who do come should ideally bring a meal for you (and if possible a spare for the freezer)
i think you are probably going through your ds wanting to increase supply so it'll take a few days to adjust, again drink plenty and rest lots, this helps!
i don't think it will be like this for the next two weeks but i do remember vividly around 4 weeks with ds feeling i had cracked the fee ding thing, think it was mostly confidence, and if you can make it another couple of weeks you'll hardly remember this mostly trough exhaustion
best of luck

Well done so far! You can do it!
It will get easier, honest!
Don't try to do anything other than feed. Reserve as much energy as you can. Co-sleeping is great, you could even just try it during the day for starters.
Congratulations! Enjoy the snuggles!

You're doing brilliantly. 15 feeds in a day is a lot. Does baby definitely want to feed every time or just to suck? It might be worth trying a dummy to see if baby just wants to suck sometimes.

It does get easier I promise. The first few weeks are so tough, but you are doing so well. Make sure you are eating and drinking loads.

There are some good ideas given ready. Can grandparents or a friend hold the baby for an hour for you to sleep?

I promise it really does get easier!

Thanks everyone! I'm spending most my time in bed! My DH is being brilliant and taking over wherever he can. I didn't pump yesterday as I thought a growth spurt was coming up so like you said didn't want to interfere too much. I'm feeding on demand and letting her do her own thing. She is my 3rd DC so you'd think I'd be used to it by now!

I breastfed my other DD until 14 months but I topped her up with formula every night from an early she as she never settled and wouldn't be put down. I really don't want to do that this time as I believe that led to her weaning early (I wanted to at least feed to age 2).

I'm trying my best to sleep during the day but with two other children aged 5 and 2.5 it's difficult! We had a traumatic birth this time that ended in an emergency c section and complications afterwards that saw me back in hospital.

She goes 3 hours during the day so I'm hoping she switches her feeds around soon.

Well it's nearly 11am and we are still going!! I've bathed her this morning in the hope it would tire her out and she would go to sleep. yawn

Ok tonight I just want to cry. I can't put her down she just wakes up. I'm so tired :(( she went down for a grand total of 1.5 hours last night.

You poor thing. Can DH take her for an hr or 2 while you get some sleep?

Have you tried co-sleeping? It was something I didn't want to do but with DC2 we ended up doing it as it was the only way to get some sleep & I was so tired I fell asleep with her on me & It frightened me. She was much more settled then.

Hope you get some rest.

In the day yes he can take her and she will settle, at night only boob will do! I'm sleeping in a king size bed and have been putting her on the other side of me on top of the duvet to sleep but she just isn't settling at the moment.

I haven't got the hang of feeding lying down and for some reason she hates being put on my chest so I'm stuck in the sitting up cradle hold position and I can't sleep like that I've tried!

She's just really squirmy at night, not falling asleep properly and taking 2-4 hours feeding on and off before she sleeps. She's a different baby in the day and will happily go 3 hours between feeds.

She's been feeding now since 11:30 and is still going. Her tummy looks so full!

It gets better I promise. Have you tried feeding lying down on your side? Put a pillow between your arm and your head, lie baby next to you, plug in, sleep. Also duvets can be dangerous in cosleeping, do you have a sleeping bag which you can use?
Has it been like this since she was born or got worse in the last few days? I think the first growth spurt happens around day 10.