Did bf get easier after 6 weeks

[2lilcherubs]

I'm breastfeeding my 4week old and struggling with how often baby feeds and for how long.

I only get 20-30 mins between feeds with feeds at times lasting over an hr. This is around the clock. Baby will not let me put down during the night.

I'm forever being told the first 6 weeks is the toughest so what I'm asking is does my situation seem the norm? Does it improve after 6 weeks and in what way?

My ds1 was like this, constantly feeding, and I do think for some babies it is entirely normal (ds2 and 3 were completely different). However there was a point that I realised ds1 was tired not hungry and I started encouraging him to sleep not feed. It was not til he was about 6-8 weeks because when they are tiny they do need lots of small feeds. I used the sling, car, pushchair, etc as he was a tricky baby to get to sleep. He then started having much bigger feeds with longer gaps between.

My daughter slept on my chest for 5 weeks and would cluster feed non stop. Then all of a sudden she went in her noses basket and didn't scream the House down and started to sleep 10-3 and I found getting 5 solid hours made the world of difference. She was more awake and started laughing too and after that point breast feeding felt much easier.

Good luck, it's tough, but in a few weeks you will be thankful you're not getting up in the night to make bottles.

*moses

Yes it doesn't happen overnight but around 6 weeks was when I noticed I had more time so it probably starts to get easier around now it's just so gradual you are not aware at first.

I second the pp though. They do feed (snack) when they are tired and it's hard to know in the early days. With my second I got a wrap and let him sleep in that while I littered about during the day and he slept longer earlier so it's definitely worth a try.

*pottered about

It usually does yes. Then it gets easier again week on week until around 12 weeks by which point you barely notice you are doing it.

6-8 weeks I always find are the hardest weeks with a newborn, breastfeeding or not.

Have you considered trying a dummy, it might be that's its comfort sucking rather than constant feeding and a dummy can also help with introducing a bottle at a later date. There's been shown to be a potentional SIDS benefit with a dummy as well.

I think it just gradually gets easier as the weeks go on. Three months was a big change for us as she suddenly just got really efficient and would be done feeding in 5 minutes (obviously this panicked me at first because I thought she was just refusing to take a full feed, but you know...)

Yes! Around 6 weeks it started to get easier, and very quickly after that we got into a nice routine where she would feed around 10-15mins about once every 2-3 hours. So much easier than cluster feeding! Four weeks is still early days but hang in there

Oh my god yes it gets sooooo much easier. And then when the time it takes to feed is literally just a few minutes because they get so efficient it's great. Get through the pain of the early days and reap the rewards!

Thanks everyone.
I've tried desperately with the dummy but refuses eveeytime.
Sometimes I can get baby to sleep in my arms then wide awake crying and rooting as soon as I put down in basket or crib.
I feel its getting harder with lack or sleep rather than easier. Baby just feeds constantly.

Yes it was hell until about 6 weeks then I realised one day it had got better without my even realising! If baby is feeding CONSTANTLY I'd also make very sure they don't have tongue tie - both mine did and it didn't make things any easier!

If doesn't look like there is tongue tie, baby can stick tongue out etc but because of constant feeding around the clock we're waiting on an appointment to be seen at clinic about it to be sure.
I ended up giving 2oz of formula last night followed by a breastfeed to try get sleep, baby still refused the crib but managed to put baby beside me and dose off. Although I don't like Co sleeping worried I'll squish my baby

It got easier for me. I had painful letdown (like having a TENS machine strapped to my breast); this pain went away about 6-8 weeks.

Can you distract your baby by walking around & doing stuff, hoisted on your shoulder?

DC1 over-fed & then would vomit it all up so I had to learn to distract him. DC2 was a 5 minutes max feeder & the letdown not even painful. DC3 had a latch like a steel vise. All different!

My baby was a constant feeder as well for the first 5-6 weeks. He fell asleep quickly when on my boob. So in week 6, I stopped directly breastfeeding and started pumping 8 times a day and bottle feeding with formula top ups. This did get him into feeding every 2-3 hours rather than every hour/ half hour. And I noticed that my milk supply increased steadily over the next couple of weeks. From week 10 onwards, breastfeeding was a breeze.
In short, breastfeeding becomes easy once your milk supply is established and the baby has learned to latch correctly. For me that only happened after 9 weeks. Have you considered pumping?

Yes, every one of mine got easier at around the 6 week mark.

I’d encourage you to just take things easy for the first 6 weeks. Get a sling if you haven’t got one already. Nap. Aim to shower and clean your teeth daily. I’m way down the track now (oldest is 17 and youngest is 11). Those first weeks are such a precious time, but such hard work.

Everything feels much worse because I'm so tired, I unfortunately can't nap in the day ibgor two reasons, baby won't be out down and secondly I have a toddler to look after.

I really can't wait till she has night and day the right way, sleeps longer stretches and feeding is much better. Not asking for much am I?

Yes definitely. I had one with a TT too and that improved about then too. I found a good sling invaluable with No2, moving around with her while dealing with the toddler would often send her off to sleep without feeding. Or one in the sling and take older one for a walk in the buggy and around the park.

In the meantime, lots of sofa time with them both and more than the usual amount of beebies won't do the toddler any harm just to get you through.

I'd be wary of pumping if you don't need to as it can compromise your supply (or indeed cause oversupply and blockages).

It's so hard isn't it OP, but you're doing brilliantly. Just make sure you seize any opportunity to sleep - can anyone come over for an hour or so just to hold the baby while you sleep, or can you go to bed before your OH to get a couple of hours sleep in?

Thanks all, we're having a lot of TV time just now but hopefully won't last too long and we can start getting out and about again. It's so hard if not impossible to get anywhere with this level of feeding.

Here to say the same as Spam88. See if your partner can take the baby from the time they get in for a few hours. This is what I used to do. My baby used a bottle before she was able to latch. I would express and then when my partner came home, he would take the baby and have the bottle at hand and I would go to bed for a few hours.

Still BF at 12 months but I can remember the 6 -9 weeks very clearly. I was at breaking point. I was mentally and physically exhausted. Some days I didn't have the energy to talk.

You are doing a brilliant job and you should be very proud of yourself. Unfortunately they don't tell you this side of breastfeeding, I feel if they did, the BF stats for the UK would be even lower.

I feel for you! This was me four weeks ago (also have a toddler!)

But rest assured, it does get easier and like you say, everything is so much worse when you're tired.

So you have someone who could watch kids? I went to my mums, fed baby and as soon as she dislatched, I went upstairs and put my head down for an hour and a half and that helped so much.

It does get easier, promise.

Thanks for all the replies, I really want to keep going with breastfeeding but have to admit been close to switching to formula a few times this week. It seems to get harder not easier.

I don't have much (any) support my dh either works long shifts often not home till late or is away for a few days at a time. Neither of us have family close by.