Need encouragement to soldier on

[turtle23]

LO is 7 weeks today and is only BF. He loves it and doesn't even like a bottle of EBM but I am so weary of not getting anything done. I know it's best for him and I always said I'd do at least 4 months, but I spend my whole life BF and the house is a tip. Bully me into sticking with it?

Hi, it seems that you're in a similar situation to me. We work from home and I have had no maternity leave to speak of. worked till 2 days before birth and was back in the office 4 days after coming out of hospital. It's one of the joys of running your own/husbands business, there is no time off and no replacement.
It does get better though I promise!! I remember being almost constantly in tears at the 6/7 wk mark because DS was feeding all the time and I found it so physically draining. Now he is 18 weeks and things are so much better and have been for a while. He is always in a great mood in the mornings so I use this time to get on with the office work whilst he gurgles under his playgym.
The house is a tip i admit but I always work on the theory that I can't do everything and that children and work are so much more important than cleaning.

Really know where you're coming from but as I said it does get better xx

With second baby I gave up any pretence of trying to get other things done and was much much happier and far less stressed than with DD1. Took all the help I could get and sat on my backside whenever possible, feeding for about 6 weeks. It is hugely stressful trying to achieve anything else in the early days and your DH needs to acknowledge this, otherwise you will exhaust yourself and that is no good for anyone. It all gets hugely easier later on, really just a matter of a few weeks will make all the difference. This is such a transient stage, chill out, sit down, enjoy it. Hope you get the support you need.

You are all lovely. Thank you. I am typing this from bed, by the way, where I've been for a while.
LO is asleep following our bath together, stories(dont tell me I'm mad, I know he's just a baby, he likes it)a long massage and feed. I have been reading my book that I started at 35 weeks pregnant and although I have done the kitchen I have left the rest of it and made DH cook my dinner. Sigh. Even if it never happens again I will be happy I had this evening!!

Good for you, sounds like you're doing a fantastic job

Fab, that is more like it!

turtle - sounds like you're managing to get an amazing amount of stuff done so I'm not surprised you feel like the bf takes a lot of time - but it does, and you shouldn't feel like you should have to do other things!

I really did no housework for weeks - not even the cooking until DS's cluster feeding calmed down!

If your DH needs his paperwork doing then that should be your one job and he should be doing the housework to make up for it

(I'm in a similar position, I started a business a few years ago, DH joined me and gradually I moved over to a managerial/admin role rather than an 'operational' one - we hired someone for half a day a week to do the ongoing paperwork when I got pregnant and had her trained up by the time I stopped working. She still calls me up to confirm things but all the week to week stuff gets done, and I'm now working about 3 hours a week to do things like end of year accounts etc)

If your DH needs a kick up the backside, you can show him this thread. It deals with exclusive formula feeding, but I believe that any amount of formula increases these risks although not as much.

I think you'd really regret it if you gave up just because your husband was being a git, so good luck!

Hey, those first few weeks (7 weeks is just that) are incredibly tiring when you are just feed feed feed, I vaguely remember it, more of a blur now though, it did get so much easier and became an absolute pleasure breastfeeding both my D/S, I had no family nearby to help, but was lucky to have a supportive husband. Anyway, I breastfed my 2nd son until he was nearly 2 and was very sad to stop.
Please try and get support to help you through the tough bit, phone breasfeeding support - The National Breasfeeding Helpline, NCT, ABM, most take calls until 10pm and breastfeeding counsellors will try and help.
Good luck!

turtle -you are doing a great job. I remember those early weeks of breastfeeding constantly and worrying about the state of the flat. Now my ds is 18months i cant understand why it seemed at all important to tidy up!
Maybe you would enjoy a book called 'what mothers do' by naomi stadlen. Its a lovely supportive book, especially for the first few months.