Not coping

[Rebeccaelizabethxo]

DD is now 18 days old and I'm barely sleeping more than 3 hours a day and I just don't feel like I can do it anymore. She is BF and it just feels constant. She is grizzly and fidgety when put in her bed and seemingly won't settle unless on dp or me.

I know it will get better in time, but right now I am utterly miserable and exhausted

DP goes back to work on Monday and I don't think I'm going to be able to do this on my own.

Someone please tell me it gets easier :(

I've got a mam anti colic bottle and a tommee tippee closer to nature one, not sure what to try first. I express well, I had to do it every three hours when we were in nicu.

I think she may have a reflux problem and that's why she can't sleep? Every time she lies flat within a couple of minutes she is gasping and swallowing and sometimes bringing up milk? Going to call the hv tomorrow.

Hopefully you'll feel a bit better once you've had some sleep tomorrow.

Is there any way you can prop her Moses basket up at all to help if it is reflux?

OP i hope you feel better soon. It is bloody hard going the feeding. My DH had NO IDEA and actually said 'You need to be more organised' and 'I don't know what you do all day' at about 3 weeks post c section.

Now that some random at work has told him.that its 'amazing and impressive' that i am still ebf. And that she is in awe of me (her words) he gets it a bit more.

It will get better and soon. Hope you get some sleep today and she takes a bottle from your mum.

You could also consider your OH giving a formula bottle - this has worked for some people i know.

I started a thread on here when my baby was a couple of weeks old as I was exhausted and baby was constantly feeding and I wanted to give a dummy and considered giving up breastfeeding. The support I got was great and helped me realise that what I was experiencing was quite normal.
My baby is now 7 weeks old abs things are getting better but I am still exhausted in the evenings and my baby cluster feeds in the evenings which is hard work but because he cluster feeds he now has a 4 hour sleep, usually from around 11pm until 3am.
I sometimes express milk so DH can do the last feed but my baby will still want the breast after the bottle as he enjoys the comfort and sucking on me helps him to drift off (eventually).
The things that have helped have been Infacol and just knowing that many others are going through the same and it isn't my lack of ability causing it. I also take comfort in knowing that my baby wants me and enjoys nuzzling up to me, even if these early months are tiring and often monotonous.

Hi my little dd is 22do and I went through exactly the same stress, tears and exasperation that you seem to be having too. I ended up combining breastfeeding, expressing and formula and personally for us it seems to be working. We have a very hungry baby who was needing 4ozs every 2 hours from the get-go and is now at 5ozs every 2 hours. My body couldn't keep up so I had to find a solution that suited the baby and me. She put on 7ozs in 5 days in the second week so we must be doing something right between us! Please stay positive, you are doing a grand job, it does get easier like everyone says. My ds was formula fed only and I hated myself for not being able to master being able to ebf. Whenever I start to have a wobble I think of how healthy and strong my 6yo boy is and know that whatever we do, we do for the best for our babies.
Sorry for the long reply, think this felt a bit too cathartic whilst typing away!!

So I tried propping her basket up, still no luck ! Going to see the hv tomorrow to see what they say.

I expressed a bottle for her today and left her with my mum for a few hours so I could sleep- didn't sleep a wink as I felt so guilty for giving her a bottle instead of the breast and everytime I heard her cry my heart sank and I felt so bad. Can't win can you haha.

I've resigned myself to the fact tonight will also be another sleepless night so I feel more prepared, now going to bed until next feed and then it'll be time to get up for good! Wish me luck

Just thought, we bought one of the Babymoov things which she seems to like, sorry can't remember the exact name at the mo but here's the link
www.amazon.co.uk/BABYMOOV-A050405-Babymoov-Cosydream/dp/B00GDEQOU2

Thank you blue that seems very reasonably priced, worth a try !!