Awake with newborn, anyone else? :)

[Jellybean2017]

My little boy is nine days old. He sleeps pretty well during the day but at night just wants to be held and breastfed. He doesn't settle in his moses basket at night (but he will quite often do so during the day)

Anyone else up doing the same?! I'm not keen on the idea of co-sleeping but would be grateful for any advice. Baby sleeps in a gro-snug and we have a dream sheep but I'm guessing this frequent feeding and love of cuddles in the night is probably just par for the course at this early stage? 😊 I am napping during the day so I'm probably averaging about 6 hrs sleep in a 24 hr period.

Ookmybanana id get a thermometer personally as I'd stress otherwise!

Lily that's awesome! X

AMagdalena you were right!!! She did have an issue with latch - it was sometimes too shallow (sucky cheeks) hence hour long feeds. I do also have v forceful letdown - it’s like she’s being waterboarded! Since Tuesday we’ve had better latch and and a bit of hand expressing before feed and she is sleeping so much better! Last night she fed at 10.30, 12,30 and then 5 (she’s had a big one now and just gone down again) - she’s 4 weeks today so I have all my fingers crossed that she just did the growth spurt early!! She also took a bottle the night before last (I expressed at same time so as not to mess up supply) and husband really enjoyed giving that to her. I feel like I’ve come out of a dark tunnel and starting to really enjoy her! I really feel for those of you struggling and tonight is good but tomorrow may be rubbish! Has anyone got the new mum’s diary. I got this off amazon and have found its really helped me be reflective and not dwell on the difficult days.

Ook I'd get one for peace of mind, and calpol/ibrufen. When DS had his jabs neonatal gave him calpol as a preventative measure (no idea if that's standard medical advice though) and touch wood he was fine.

DS has an extra jab next week called the RSV it means if he gets bronchitis he won't get the symptoms as bad hopefully. Poor bairn is used to needles he doesn't even murmur but then screams blue murder having his nappy or clothes changed

Well he slept 12-5.30am but it was DH's turn. Bet tonight he's up every hour and a half again.

The sod.

SK1 pleased you've had a better night

Calpol is recommended with one of the jabs (Meningitis B) because there’s a risk of fever. So have some ready to give out within an hour of the vaccinations, then two more doses, one 4-6 hours afterwards then when 4-6 hours after that.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/meningitis-B-vaccine.aspx

We’re in a leap, so yesterday my baby was a bit cranky. Lots of short feeds, then falling asleep during a feed but waking up soon after. I don’t think he had enough milk yesterday so he had a green poo and woke up for an extra feed in the night. The night with a six hour sleep feels like a distant memory!

DS went back to his usual sleeping pattern last night, thank god!
He normally does 10.30-ish to 6.30-ish with a couple of night feeds in between. We slept til 7.30 this morning

He is a really noisy eater, he snuffles, snorts and makes little mewing noises when having his night feeds, it wakes DH up!! Then I was woken by the dawn chorus of farts so he might be taking in a bit too much air...

Ibuprofen isn’t suitable until 6m but definitely get paracetamol, Ook.. We gave a dose right before the jabs but with hindsight it might have been better 30-60 minutes before so that it was working at the time.

A thermometer is also good in case there is a fever, or for reassuring you that there’s not! If the temp does come back above 37.5 you can take a layer off baby, open a window etc.

We had an ok night but we’re up very 3.5 hours on the dot. Can’t remember the last time we had longer in the middle of the night. On the plus side he was asleep in his basket at 8pm (feed started around 6.30) and that was him until 12.30. If only we could shift that one long sleep until more like 10-4 or something that would be bliss.

DD is so grumpy this morning I hope she sleeps better tonight.

Thanks for the advice. We seem to have survived the jabs. He's a bit grumpy but that could just be a normal level of grumpy! Calpol was a bit of a disaster as it just came back out again. Dreadful mothering skills! Lots of feeding and lots of cuddles today.

Ook I wouldn't worry DS is on some ABIDEK vitamin stuff with coming early, I've tried syringing it pretty much everyday for 13 weeks with no luck

Show time tomorrow 🙈 Leaving DD with DH to get my hair done. I will only be gone for 2-2.5hrs, but I can't help, but worry!
I am not sure how much milk to express (have already got 160ml). I am a mess! 😣
And I am worried she will cry herself to sleep because she will only fall asleep on the breast, my boobaholic.

That was a bit OT.

I can't seem to express barely anything. Using a medela manual maybe I need electric? Dd also hates the bottle and prefers breast but I could do with more than 1.5 hours sleep in a row

AMag hope you have a fab time. Is she your first? Not trying to sound like a patronising arse but it does get easier. DS is DH's first child and he was iffy about leaving him the other day. I practically ran out the door.

Gin in some areas HV's can loan electric ones out.

Gin, I have a manual Avent one which is fab and an electric medela swing which is great, too. I needed to get an electric due to early feeding problems and having to express after every feed.

UnbornMortificado Yes, she is my first, hence the probably excessive worry! I need to get out for my own sanity, though and my hair is a mess!

AM - I went by the calculation that babies take 25oz on average in a day then divided that by the number of feeds he usually has. So 25 divided by 6 = 4.16. I put 4.25 to 4.5 in a bottle just depending on how much I get and he never takes the last bit.

I have an electric Philips avent, and I usually get between 1 and 1.5oz per breast so it takes me two goes per bottle. It’s annoying as it means I really only get about two bottles filled in a week but that’s better than nothing!

My LO normally boobs to sleep at night but when my OH gives him a bottle he still manages to settle and sleep.

Thanks all for the recommendations. I will try again.

Don't judge me here but I think I am also being a bit precious about feeding her. I feel like my partner using a bottle will threaten our bond. I know that's stupid and I could really use a break...

Nina, thanks for the suggestion. I ended up expressing 220ml with baby taking 90ml 😂

Well, todday marks yet another victory. DD was absolutely fine without me fo 2 hrs. DH took her for a walk, fed her and played with her- no trouble! She wasn't overly impressed by the bottle, but took it anyway.
Last night was less successful 😑 DD was a total boobaholic.

It felt so good to get my hair tamed, though!

Slightly frustrated that my baby managed 5.5 hours until first wake up last night, but only 3.5 today. Anticipating an extra feed to get us to a reasonable wake up time. Theres really no consistent pattern for him at this age, though I think the Wonder Weeks Leap he’s going through isn’t helping. He’s much crankier than usual.

2,5 hours here! Bring on that 3 hour break

4hrs here She was absolutely shattered, though...

And we’re up again. Not good.

Up again! Zzzz

Despite him having a horrible cold and having mostly cried and slept all day we managed from 12-4.45 in his basket which is better than in several days.

If anyone has a snuffly baby I well recommend the snuffle babe oil as it can be used below 3 months and is really good! It’s clearing my stuffy nose as well.

Not a bad night. 4,5hrs followed by 3hr and another 2hrs, but I did get two poopy presents

Less nappies but she was up 4am-8am feeding