How do exclusively BFing mums do it?!

[Newmum288]

Serious question. I’m pregnant with my 2nd. I would love to EBF but pumped with my 1st, largely so that we could ‘split’ the nights and I could sleep for 4/5 hours in one go before taking back over. I want to EBF my 2nd and not pump, but is there some sort of hack to this?! I know postpartum mums are basically superwomen but seriously how do people manage if baby feeds every eg 2 hours?

Safely co-sleeping. I never pumped, for me the joy of breastfeeding was the ease and the bonding. I stopped after going back to work though.

Co sleeping on my side, baby fed on and off. My own sleep was strange - I felt rested in the morning but I never slept deeply.

Just did it, tbh. No pumping, no bottles at all. Husband worked nights. Had three other children aged 5, 7 and 9.

Co slept with baby topless so she could just latch.

I breast fed both of mine until 2+ and never owned a bottle. If you're lucky enough not to have to work, then you catch up on rest when the baby sleeps. Not possible for most mums these days.

💯 co sleeping lol.
Also, I suffered until my son was 13 months. His sleep got worse and worse until he was waking every 90 min to feed for like 5 seconds so I stopped and he had cows milk from then straight away in a cup lol.
I never pumped tho, couldn't get the hang of it.

Co sleeping for us too. Safely of course!
These guys could sleep still attached and so could I 🤣

I changed very, very few nappies.

I cooked rarely.

I had a bedside cot (one side goes down so it's open on the bed side and level with the bed) so I was able to lie down to feed and they didn't have to be picked up or moved.

Co sleeping… and a supportive partner to take the baby so I can lie in on weekends/ any opportunity. Also sometimes, I’d do a feed and go to bed an he’d hold baby so I could get extra sleep.

I just didn’t sleep more than 2 hours at a time for 18 months. But I was used to that from my first (it was a huge shock to the system the first time).

Yes co sleeping, really enjoying that 1 or 2 coffees you can have and expensive under eye cream 😂

Co-sleeping, no nappy changes unless poo, try your hardest to avoid picking baby up and just feed laying down once you feel they are safe to do so. I picked my current six month old up to feed in bed until he was about 4 1/2 months old, now he feeds on his side laying down unless he really won’t settle. 6 1/2 months in and I’ve never had to ask my husband for help during the night yet. Although I envision there will probably still be horrendous nights to come where I will need help…

Agree with this. First time round was horrendous. Second baby my system just seems used to the frequent wake ups!

Co sleeping all the way! Everyone gets the rest they need and it was so easy/natural to do!

Another cosleeper here

We co-slept and DD fed lying down, and we both went back to sleep right after. She pretty much helped herself. Is that a hack or just common sense? It’s what all EBF Mum’s did back then, at least all the ones I knew anyway.

Solo parent and bf while home and when back to work
It was a bit tiring but am sure your body produces a hormone when bf and so less tired. Then at 9 or 10 months i put him in with me
I found it far easier than all the sterilising of bottles...I never had to do that.
I never pumped really. When at child minder he had water

You do just manage somehow. It is exhausting though. My middle child was still waking twice a night at a year old. I had switched to formula by then but it was always me who fed him in the night. It was tough waking twice a night and working full time. My middle child is 21 now and he is definitely been my easiest child by far, from age 2 upwards! Feel like I got all the hard work with him done in first couple of years.

The hack is co sleeping. Got infinitely more sleep with my second who would never take a bottle. My first was ff, cot slept and shared feeds. She slept more and for longer and I was still better rested the second time around.

Good luck whatever you choose

I breastfed till she was just over 3yr old EBF too (her choice not mine she was a boobie monster 😂). My eldest is 17 and I didn't breastfeed him the child in question is now almost 5 and I went in blind I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, you literally just do it without thinking, I can't remember the tiredness at the start, and when a bit older I fed laying down so I could still rest

I co-slept with baby in a bedside crib attached to our bed. Eventually baby can latch on while you're asleep without you even waking up. Also breastfeeding hormones make you fall asleep very quickly so while it's tough for the first monthish...if it's possible to push through I think it's totally worth it in the long run. Never having to wake up in the night to make bottles or running out of milk and the cost saving! Also, I've lazy so this suited me! Breastfed each child for 2 years happily!

I always found it easier to whop my baps out, even in the middle of the night, than pump. On mat leave I could be sleep deprived
Not done it with having a second on tow

Cosleeping. Its the only way to do it. I got way more sleep this way, you only get your boob out and baby works out the rest. Most of the time we’d both go straight back to sleep within 5 mins.

pumping and bottles is a major faff and so stressful to do at night time, the thought of getting up forcing my eyes to stay open or faff making a bottle makes me want to cry. Not to mention how freeing it is to just walk out of the house with a few nappies and wipes and not worry about packing bottles bottle warmers sterilisers etc

exclusively breastfeeding is easier in so many way.

We did the opposite - DH got up with DS at 6am and kept him fed, clean and occupied until 8am, so I got 4am-9am unbroken. Honestly made it so much easier to cope with lack of sleep!

Same here