re ; newborn - 2 weeks old - advice on breastfeeding

[Piper0804]

hi - i have a 2 wk old baby daughter - our first - and she is gorgeous. but.... i am breastfeeding and struggling with the sleepless nights. both me and hubby would like for me to try expressing breastmilk so that he can help out with feeds and give me a bit of a break. my midwife said dont express / bottle feed until 4 week + because baby will get confused. but i am keen to start sooner than that - what are peoples thoughts?

and does anyone have any advice on expressing?

i am getting some sleep but i would love just to get more than 3 hours sleep in one go.

Some people manage it successfully but I agree with your midwife. It's such a short period in your life (I know it doesn't feel like it at the time and I know you're still healing from the birth) but I think overall it's best to push through it. Get your DH to bring her to you and get a v pillow to support you and you can feed and doze in bed. Then he can put her down afterwards. Try to nap in the daytime and don't worry about housework or cooking too much at the moment. make sure he does some of the night time nappy changes.

I coslept, supported by the v pillow with dd on her front on my chest sometimes. I linked my hands under her bum and had the duvet at my waist but not everyone is comfortable doing that.

in the early days your milk supply works on a supply and demand system.
if you miss a feed your body will think it doesn't need to make as much milk. you don't really want that, and if you're going to miss a feed you would want to express to keep your supply up and also because you're going to be a bit uncomfortable if you don't!

and if oyu have to get up to express you may as well feed.

i agree with happycamel that it's best to just push on with it and get through it as best you can. it really is such a short time that they need feeding so frequently, and while I appreciate that your husband wants to help out and let you get some more sleep I think there are maybe other wahys he could do this without jeopardising your breastfeeding relationship

for example, can he get up with baby in the morning and let you have a lie-in? can you doze on the sofa/in bed in the evening and he just brings baby to you for feeds?
can he take over the housework and cooking the meals, so that you can just rest and be with baby and feed her?

some people DO mixed feed or express and bottle feed occasionally and are lucky enough that it works well for them, but there are plenty of others for whom it just doesn't work out, and personally I wouldn't want to take that risk so early on

I know it's prob not what you want to hear but I'm afraid I agree with the other posters and your MW. My dd is now 13 weeks and I went through exactly what you are - I was used to mega sleeps before having her, at least 8 hours every night, so it has been a shock to the system to say the least. However, it is only a few weeks of your life and as the others have said, your body produces milk on a supply and demand system so expressing now would disrupt it significantly.
I've honestly every sympathy but do hang in there. It's amazing how soon you'll adapt to this weird and wonderful thing they call parenthood!