Does bf really get easier at 6 weeks?

[beckyyl]

Title says it all really - 3 weeks in and I'm struggling, I feel like I feed constantly, get no rest and I have no idea how I'm going to do this when my husband goes back to work next week.

I keep hearing get to 6 weeks and it will get so much easier - is this really true!??

It’s not like a switch flips bang on 6 weeks, more that every day will get easier and hopefully by 6 weeks it will feel manageable. Also your milk supply usually regulates around then so if you’ve had oversupply/leaking that adjusts to what baby actually needs. You’re right in the thick of it now - things will definitely improve little by little.

Bless you, you'll have a moment in a few weeks time where you realise it's got easier. Honestly, 3 weeks in was the absolute worst time for me. I hated it. So glad I stuck with it now. I promise you it does get better!

Yes,most likely it is a case but each case is different.
The first few weeks look exactly as you described it feels like constant feeding but it's a positive sign.It's a bit like a learning period for both of you to establish the feedings and supply properly.Also,remember the newborn's stomach is tiny so he/she can't fit loads plus breast milk is easily digested hence frequent feedings(Yes,sometimes they are hungry again after 30 minutes,sometimes they do not feed in 3-4 hours)
As their stomachs grows and milk matures they will be fuller for longer.
I highly recommend the Kelly Mom website,her advice is absolutely priceless.

Yes it definitely does. Suddenly it doesn't hurt anymore at all and you can easily feed in all sorts of positions and it takes less long as well. At the three week mark I would have never believed this either but it honestly changes so much. xx

*where you realise bf has become easier - bad grammar sorry!

Things will improve. I found it pretty confusing that you must feed baby when baby cries, looks at you, sticks out tongue, eats fingers, whatever else, (basically ALL the time!) I found it easier to be in a loose routine, baby would then have a big feed and be content between feeds, there were times of cluster feeding but I could handle them as they weren't all the time. SO 4/5 feeds a day at that age...nighttime was whenever they woke up! But probably by then only once during night. If you are determined to feed for comfort then baby will probably be happy latched on all day and night but it's not much of a life?!

Once milk regulates you'll find it easier too and if suffering painful nipples, keep putting on lanolin all the time!

Baby should be sleeping a lot during day, take a chance to rest then!

Yes it does get easier with time. I found breast feeding my first hard and he fed frequently throughout. It did get easier over time though.

Has baby been double checked for tongue tie?

I ended up doing a nipple flick type latch and found that a better latch than doing the usual technique.

It will let up somewhere between 6-12 weeks I'd say. I got so tired of the clusters every evening from about 2 weeks in with DS, but in the end it was really a very short period in which the clustering was that intense. Just felt like forever at the time!

As Nameregretter said, it's not an instantaneous improvement at 6 weeks, but everything settles down and levels out around then.

If you are still finding it challenging by then, perhaps it would be a good idea to book a one to one consultation with a lactation consultant?

I found what helped a lot was safe co-sleeping, and I know it's such a cliche but try to forget about all the things you feel you are obliged to do around the house and sleep when the baby is napping - if you really can't sleep during the day, just lie down and close your eyes and try to relax.

When I was feeding my first baby in the first month I couldn't believe how sleep deprived I was. But it does get better. x

You are doing well.. it can be exhausting at first! My first took 3 weeks even to get the hang of it.
Defo ask local health visitor / midwife for help as a different position etc might help.
Sack off chores. Don't get stressed about mess. Watch rubbish on TV whilst feeding etc.
The more relaxed you are, the easier it is generally

Thank you everyone. It's just been such a hard 3 weeks, emergency c section which is now infected, jaundice baby and spent a week in hospital with photo therapy and I also have a toddler at home so come Monday when I do this alone I'm kind of dreading it. But thank you I am determined to try push through it it's just hard to see when this will become easy like everyone says x

Hopefully you'll have healed more in a few weeks, and the baby will be bigger, bigger tummy, more head control, more experience latching. All
Those things help. Is your dh working from home?

My baby is 8 weeks old and I remember a few weeks in feeling like he was feeding constantly and I barely had a minute to think never mind do anything else but looking back now it must have been a relatively short period because it hasn’t been as frantic for a while now (lack of sleep and Covid related monotony makes it difficult for me to put actual lengths of time on any one phase!). Things have definitely settled down now and I’m much better at knowing when he’ll be hungry so I can plan things a little more plus he can go a bit longer between feeds now as well as the fact he is much more efficient at feeding so we’re not sitting there for 45 minutes each fed. BF is difficult, and I found it reasonably straightforward (had my moments admittedly) having done it before but things definitely do get easier as time goes on!

Yes it does!!! My second had silent reflux (and at the age of 8 is still a fussy eater). The first few weeks of bfing were horrendous. I distinctly remember sitting on the floor in my bed room on my 32nd birthday when he was 3 weeks, I cried and cried. He would feed, be sick, feed, cry, feed, be sick etc. Awful.

It gets so much better!

Yes it gets much easier, not suddenly but I did suddenly think this is now easy. I found it was when the baby grew a bit and they just got more efficient, although my second missed the memo about stopping the cluster feeding, she’s still doing at 8 months!
Can you make up a lucky dip bag for the toddler with little wrapped up presents in so when you need a bit of peace they can have a lucky dip?

How lucky your baby is to have you for a mum. You are doing SO WELL.

In the beginning I found breastfeeding awful. Latch was terrible, nipples were knackered, baby was miserable and I was miserable. But as all these others have said, it does get easier. It's a new skill that you are learning together, it takes time to perfect it but each feed will feel more comfortable.

Confidence in it will come, but take it from this stranger on the internet - you are doing amazing. Keep reaching out to find others who have been through this, you are not alone

Stick with it, you're doing great. It really does get easier. I remember not enjoying it around 3 weeks, but def way better by 6, and continues to get easier

Blimey OP. No wonder you are exhausted. With my DC2 he was a fantastic feeder but I was still sleep deprived.. with none of the extra stuff you have to deal with!!

OP if your DC1 watches screens and TV for the next 3/4 weeks so be it. Mine had peppa pig on repeat.

Thank you for your kind words everyone. From family I just keep being told give him formula I don't know why you're putting yourself through it (not against formula at all it's just not how I want to feed this time) so thanks for understanding and lovely words of support x

Yes, soooo much easier. Ds is 4mo now and only feeds for 5 mins at a time and goes from 7pm til 4/5am without a feed.

For me it certainly was very different at six weeks. But I had weeks before that of phoning mw for help feeding, and luckily I had three different breastfeeding support worker friends on the end of the phone.

I was determined to get to 9 weeks as that was what one of my friends managed and that really motivated me .

Keep going, op. It pays off massively when you can leave the house with nothing but a spare nappy, or not get out of bed for night feeds, and it is obviously a lot cheaper.

OP, get ready for next week with the toddler. Have a box of toys, books, films! ready for the toddler for when you're feeding the baby. The gruffalo is a great length for this.