Breastfeeding Advice help

[EN73]

I have a newborn, just 5 days old, and it feels like she's continuously on me feeding and I can't do anything. She'll feed for about 30mins then fall asleep on me, if I then move her to the crib she will cry until she's back on the boob and we repeat. I am struggling with lack of sleep and not being able to do anything especially as I'm recovering from a c section. Does anyone have any tips? Is it normal or am I doing something wrong?

Sounds normal.

I coped with this by getting a sling (NCT close caboo is an easy one to use) and learning to safely co-sleep.

I had also had an emergency section- sling was fine to use.

I also chucked DH into spare room and set up nappy changing stuff on the double bed.

Absolutely normal, she is putting her order in and letting your body know how much milk to make.
She has also just come out into the world after 9 months of being safely tucked up in your womb, so is not going to want to be anywhere but on you.

You're not doing anything wrong, it is hard at the beginning but it does get easier for most of us.

Congratulations and well done for persevering through the initial tough slog.

Well done for making it to five 5 days! 👍

Your milk should be in by now and your baby is letting your body know how much they need. Skin to skin will encourage more milk and create that bond between you. I used a sling in the day so I could get jobs done. I even used it while having skin to skin. Baby napped well and we got used to each others rhythm!

Really recommended finding your nearest breastfeeding support group. It's great for some time out of the house and a good natter!

Well done and good luck .

Keep going, you're doing so well. I found those early days so so hard. You're also dealing with crazy hormones as your milk supply gets established and lack of sleep makes everything feel impossible. Do you have someone in the house to take care of you? You don't need to be doing anything except feeding the baby at this stage, so if someone else can present you with water, food and a vaguely clean environment you can focus on feeding and healing. Well done for getting this far.

This is totally normal, hard & exhausting but normal. Are you familiar with the theory of the 4th trimester?

Hi,

This sounds normal, especially in the evenings with cluster feeding, I remember in hospital feeding her for about 5/10 mins and I asked the midwife when she will stop, and she said oh this is normal, I really had to slow everything down and take away my expectations. Living in such a fast paced world babies don't really understand. Also I had c section too, think it really helped to slow me down and listen to use both. Really annoying with visitors, I put them off for a couple of weeks. Sounds like your doing a fab job Xx

Thank you all for the support, glad to know it's normal!
Midwives didn't recommend the sling due to the weight but I think I'll try it as mines sitting here.
I am single but staying with my parents who are looking after me.

Just happy to know it's normal and will settle down. There is a support group but right now my mobility isn't up to that journey.

Thank you

Good luck, EN73!

The first few weeks are tough and it seems as though it will never end, but it does get easier, even though it doesn't seem like it. Breastfeeding becomes more regular every few hours.

It's kinda like when you first start your periods; they start at irregular times, and have inconsistent flows and can last anywhere between 2 to 8 days. But as you get older they become more regular and then almost like clockwork ("I start at 11am on Monday" etc etc). That's the best analogy I can think of at least. Keep persevering! Maybe check out any breastfeeding drop ins in your local area, or talk to a breastfeeding consultant if you find it unmanageable.

We're here if you need us to be :)

I just saw your comment about your mobility - breastfeeding consultants tend to come to your house, if that helps.

Haha @ovener!

People used to phone and ask if they could come and see the baby. My response was 'only if you bring food!'. It was cheeky but it worked!!

Might be an idea OP! One less thing to worry about!!

@BeautifulBirds sounds perfectly reasonable to me! You're giving everything you've got to a tiny creature, you need to be looked after.

Great you are with your parents for support, hopefully they are understanding and helping with feeding and looking after you, so you can crack on with little one. I know some people don't agree but I think swaddling them makes them secure when you put them down. Think you can get special grow bags for new borns. Hope you've had a better night 👍

Oh and just a thought, maybe try winding abit more, might be gas bubbles waking her up 🤷‍♀️