This is more me looking for advice on how to cope than anything else! Baby is 3 weeks old, taking a million years to feed at night. We exclusively pump and feed in a bottle. Sometimes night feeds take so long that she literally comes round to being hungry again during one feed. I write this at 5am, having been up for the night feed since 3am.
It goes a bit like this -
Wake up, feed a few oz. Spend 15 mins burping because she’s a nightmare to burp but won’t finish bottle without burping.
Oh, she’s done a poo. Change nappy whilst she screams because she hates having nappy changed.
Finally, a burp. Feed a couple more oz. Burp again. 20 mins later still no burp. Oh, another poo, lovely. Change nappy again (cue the screaming) immediately because her bum is already so sore from all the poos she does. I swear it’s 12+ a day. Finally another burp. Bottle is finished at this point.
Rock rock rock rock to sleep. Think she’s asleep, lay her down in her basket... NOPE, It’s a LIE. She is wide awake again and crying.
Rock rock rock for what feels like an eternity. Is that another poo?! Change nappy AGAIN wondering how a baby can be so full of s**t, literally. Screams again. Wide awake again.
By this point it’s been at least a few hours and she is hungry again. Feed another few oz, burp again. Eventually she is so exhausted she falls asleep. The whole thing takes about 2.5-3 hours.
DOES IT EVER GET EASIER?! My first baby was so easy at night, quick feed and nappy change and back off to sleep. This is like torture. I’m running on 2-3 hours sleep a night, trying to take care of a 19 month old and just keep everyone alive. How do you cope with it? It feels impossible. Other half works shifts so very often isn’t here to help with night feeds, or I need him to sleep as much as possible at night so that I can get a nap in the day. Babies! Who would have them?!