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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Practicalities of juggling family life and breastfeeding

3 replies

Summertime10 · 27/09/2017 10:33

Hi everyone, looking for a bit of advice about breastfeeding when you have a family and other children. DC3 is ebf and 18 days old. We've had a bit of a rocky start with scanned nipples, some slow weight gain due to a posterior tongue tie (snipped at 10 days old) and with him being born weighing 6lb 11oz on the 3rd centile hcp are taking notice and monitoring us.
He has two 60ml ebm paced fed bottles a day to try and boost his weight gain (mws insistent of this after the slow weight gain) this approach will be reevaluated once he's weighed this week.
Anyway, dc1 was bf for 5days and dc2 was ebf for 3weeks then mix fed until 3 months. This time round whilst I'm enjoying the breastfeeding I am finding it incredibly demanding with the cluster feeding and mystery of not knowing when he's going to be satisfied after a feed and when he'll scream blue murder wherever we are. He also freaks out at night when put down, so we're currently co sleeping- something that terrifies me as he's so small!

The mornings with school runs are quite demanding and whilst my children are trying to be helpful (they're 10 & 8) we do still have bickers between themselves and general child related arguments, something I struggle with as I'm trying to fill the baby up before we jump in the car.
Will things get easier soon? Every day I fantasise about going over to mix feeding like I did with DC2 but the guilt cripples me and I know I need to really establish my milk supply before making such a big decision.
Hand holds most appreciated!

OP posts:
dippypanda · 27/09/2017 11:05

Hi @Summertime10, congratulations on your baby. Sorry I'm not able to help much but I'm in a very similar position so here for handhold/support Flowers and also to see what advice others may have.

My Dc2 is only 5 days old and I didn't think I'd be able to breastfeed as I struggled so much with my Dc1 as we had a few problems. This time it's going well and I hope to continue but like you worrying how to fit it in to our normal life as it's a bit more unpredictable. My Dc1 is 7 so understands more than a much younger child though she needs her routine but I'm worried that tiredness and things being hectic will mean more arguing etc. Just taking it each day as it comes at the moment!

fizzicles · 27/09/2017 11:20

Can you try feeding him in a sling? I found this really helpful with DC3 - meant I could feed him on the way to nursery (although won't help if you have to drive to school).

It will get easier, but you also don't have to feel guilty for making whatever choices you end up making. Newborns are so hard, especially having to fit into a school run schedule. Can you chill out with baby on the sofa while older DC are at school? I know there are probably a million jobs that need doing, but a bit of Netflix makes cluster feeding go by much better!

You got this OP!

ElizabethShaw · 27/09/2017 11:27

I have a 2 week old dc3. I think the first key is to offer feeds when it is convenient and not wait for them to ask, so if you know you are going to be out 8.30-9.30 with the school run you make sure you feed at 7.30. You can also feed a sleeping baby ime. Also I found a stretchy sling and a dummy will tide a baby over until its practical to feed them.

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