Breast feeding almost 2 week old- taking ages and am loosing enthusiasm

[whatty]

My DD is almost 2 weeks old (this coming Monday) and I have been breast feeding what feels like continuously for the last 2 weeks. My husband has been doing an occasional bottle so I can have a few hours of sleep. After DD has a bottle of formula, she is content and sleepy- and she takes about 15 mins to drink the bottle. Conversely, she breast feeds on and off for about 1.5hours and is grouchy/ rooting all the time when she comes off the breast after she has fallen asleep. She then sleeps for a shorter period of time than when she has had a bottle. I feel like I feed constantly- and that no visitors can hold her as she needs to be fed so much. She weighed 6lbs 12 and is almost back at her birth weight. Am trying to express when my husband gives the bottle, so think my supply is ok. Am not sure I can carry on when the pros of bottle feeding seem to be so obvious. Any wise words appreciated.

Sorry op but I think that there is just a certain amount of "going with it" involved in bf, especially in the early days. Have you had latch, Tongue tie etc checked? It does generally get quicker, feeds shorter and gaps in between longer but TBH bf does take time and sofa sitting, especially with growth spurts and cluster feeding. Hence ds was mix fed . I've heard from friends who ebf say how much easier it gets after a few months and in the end i did love bf ds. What feels like a bit of a slog now feels more like a break to sit and watch tv in a couple of months! You sound like you're doing really well- far better than I was at the 2 week mark!!

Thanks Nicky- your words are wise! We mix fed DS1, so wanted to "try harder" to make it work this time. But I can't do anything with DS1 (2.5), and worry that when DH is back at work- the sofa sitting just isn't realistic without DS1 being in front of the tv for ages. The midwife did say she has a slight tongue tie- but it's nothing to worry about. Maybe I should get it checked by someone else tho. Thanks again.

BF is very time-intensive in the early days - the rewards come later, really.

I found my second child fed much quicker than my first (who was only 2yrs old when she arrived) so that was massively lucky really. Nonetheless I couldn't have done it without loads of support from my boyfriend and mum and lots of great mates coming round all hours to entertain the toddler!

I never did any bottle feeding so I don't have it to compare - I am sure it is much easier in the early days and pretending otherwise is pointless. I guess you just have to make your peace with that and decide for your family what works.

5 months down the line and BF is really showing its benefits - I can get out the house with two with just a small bag, feed on the go with a free hand for DD1, etc etc. It's fulfilling to me to look at DD2 filling out her babygros and think of giving her all that milk, and the feeding is comfortable and easy now. These days DD2 feeds in 5 minutes flat every 3-4 hours so it's zero hassle. She was always a quick feeder, though. DD1 would spend hours on the boob and I'm not sure how I would have managed if I had had another child, or perhaps she would have been fine and I never really tried to put her down much cause I was lazily reading books and watching films! Hard to know what's chicken and egg in that situation ...

I still find meeting friends massively helpful for managing two children. Even if they have kids themselves, the effect is just diluted. I had a lot of guilt about DD1 in the early days but she was well looked after by a range of people really.

Congratulations by the way and well done - this is a very hard time however you are feeding!

Congratulations! I think it's worth bearing in mind that in those first 6 weeks DD is feeding as possible in order to build up your supply, and she will get much more efficient at it! That said, I'd get someone else to have a look if the mw mentioned tongue tie, I've heard that it's common to have lip tie as well if there is tongue tie but i'm no expert, is there a breastfeeding support group near you where you could see a supporter? I have to agree that breastfeeding further down the line definitely feels like the easier option to ff, so much less faff! But you have to do what's right for your family.

It might be worth getting the Tongue tie looked at again. DS had one that was 75% tied but very thin. I was told that the extent/severity doesn't necessarily predict how much it can effect bf.
I'm pregnant again now and already stressing about bf. Although I liked it eventually bf was really hard and I just can't imagine doing it all and take care of ds. He'll only be 19 months when the baby's born and he really isn't the type to sit quietly so I'm guessing it will involve a lot of C beebies. For me personally ebf past a couple of months just isn't going to happen I don't think so I'm hoping to mix feed again. I watched House in it's entirity whilst bf ds. And Orange is the new Black. I can't even have a wee without rushing now!!

Your DD's behaviour sounds entirely normal for a breastfed newborn; indeed, it sounds like you're both doing really well.

For the first 6 weeks (give or take) you are building your supply so there IS a lot of work to do right now, and it is exhausting. I well remember DH taking DD for a nap and having just closed my eyes when she was up and rooting again.

BUT the payoff is huge! As weebairn says, give it a few months and you will be relishing the ease, lack of sterilising, portability...never mind all the other benefits to both you and your daughter. And those months fly by when you look back at them!

I'm not a fan of this blog in general, but this post is really useful and may be helpful for you:

www.thealphaparent.com/2011/12/timeline-of-breastfed-baby.html

the midwife did say she has a slight tongue tie- but it's nothing to worry about.

Argh, I wish people wouldn't give advice like this. Nobody can tell whether a tongue tie is "slight" or "nothing to worry about" until they know what effect it has on feeding (which depends not just on the tie but your baby's mouth shape, your nipple shape etc). In your case it sounds like it is causing a problem since your DD doesn't seem to be able to get satisfied by a breastfeed. I would get it cut without hesitation.

Well done! First two weeks almost always a nightmare. Get the tongue tie cut now, there is no down side to this. You need to be insistent at the doc's for a referral.

The rest, I would just say accept that your toddler is gonna watch six weeks of cbeebies and that it won't kill him. Have you got a sling in which baby can feed? This is something I would invest in now if you need to move around a lot with DS so you can multitask. I would give yourself a target, say 10 weeks, and see how you feel then. I am putting money on the fact it will have settled into a bit more routine and you are getting yourself together. It's hard to see light at the end of the tunnel right now though, I remember well! Congrats on doing it this far ebm. Not easy with a toddler! Hope you are being looked after when possible.