XP: How long does this last (feeding every 1 to 2 hours)

pennynjon

I am exhausted.  Everyone told me that in the beginning it would seem like all I do is breastfeed, but I had no idea how true that was.  I am determined I will not give up, but am wondering when there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.  DS is 2 weeks old and I am feeding him every one to two hours.  During the day there are some longer stretches when he will go longer.  And he sleeps really well during the day.  We hold him most of the time.  But he will sleep in his RNP or swing.  Night time is a different story.  He will be sound asleep and the second I lay him in his cradle his eyes pop open and he starts fussing and squirming like he is hungry.  He is wanting to be fed every one to one and a half hours.  By the time I feed him, burp him and we get him back to sleep, I lay down and he is awake 30 mintutes to hour later.  DH has been helping with him because he took three weeks off, but he goes back to work Friday.  I don't know how I will get any sleep once he goes back to work.  Even now I only get two or three hours broken up in 30 minute sessions.  Is there any way to help him sleep more at night and go longer without wanting to eat?  I did feed him in the bed side lying twice, but I am so exhausted I fall asleep and I am afraid of cosleeping.  Will he eventually just start sleeping longer periods on his own? 

hopingwaiting

I think DS started sleeping one longer stretch around a month.  The daytime feeds were 2 hours apart for a long time, so I would just feed him anywhere and everywhere so that we could get out more.  When DH went back to work, he'd take LO immediately after feeds until midnight or 1am so I could get some sleep in the first part of the night, then I'd do everything in the middle of the night, then he'd take LO again after a morning feed and put him down before he left for work so that I could sleep in a little.  The beginning when they're itty bitty and growth spurting all the time can certainly be exhausting!

Amanda78

Big hugs.  Breastfeeding is so much harder than you think it will be.  He will start sleeping longer. I admit, I spent most of my maternity leave sleeping on the couch, holding DD either laying in the football position where she fell asleep eating or up on my shoulder where we both fell asleep while I was burping her.

 i promise it gets better.  Do you have friends or family who can come in and help you get a nap or two during teh week? 

MrsAtch

Honestly if we weren't cosleeping I'd be in the same boat. I'm still not sleeping much but DH has been sleeping downstairs and Quinn and I basically rotate between side-lying feeding, changing diapers, and dozing. I MUST be touching her to get her to sleep at night. She's really colicky and will scream for hours unless I am bouncing her a certain way. It's exhausting but I know it will get better eventually. Hang in there!

ColleenS629

I didn't intro over here yet but I was just checking in since my mom is here for a couple of hours. We are in the same boat. In the beginning, we had to wake them every 3 hours and only one would BF so I would BF R, pump, and bottle feed A so I was getting literally no sleep. I finally saw another LC a week ago and she got them both of the boob so that is a huge time saver but now that we don't have to wake them to eat, they are waking every 1.5- 2 hours to eat. Every once in a while they will go 2.5 hours but it's rare so pretty much every 1.5 hours we have to change diapers x 2, feed them, then get them both back down. They are both addicted to the pacis they were given in the hospital so then we have to wait for them to stop spitting them out and crying every 5 seconds and finally go to sleep before we can go back to sleep. There's no way I can do it alone so DH gets up every time but will fall back asleep in the middle of each feeding while I'm BFing. I am hoping that they will start going longer stretches soon because this lack of sleep is slowly killing us.

epona3

That age is so tough! I don't remember how long DD was getting up that often, but I know it was 4 - 6 weeks for sure.

I have a LOT of trouble if I don't get enough sleep, and it made my PPA worse if I was getting up all the time. I had DH help by doing the first feeding (usually around midnight) so I could get a 4 - 6 hour block of sleep. That made a HUGE difference in my disposition.

The first couple of nights we supplemented with formula, and then I started pumping. I would usually pump 3 - 6oz a day (just enough for the midnight feeding). We only had to use formula a couple of times, and it didn't interfere with BFing at all (I BFed until 15 mo, and that was the only time she had formula)

A couple other things to try: try keeping him awake more during the day if possible (I know this is hard!) and napping during the day (this one was almost impossible for me, though - I'm not much of a napper myself!)

By 12 weeks she was only getting up 2x/night, so I was finally getting 8 hours of sleep (with DHs help!). She didn't sleep through the night until 12 mo, though... Now she sleeps 10 - 12 hours at a time, and I don't know how I survived those tiny baby days!

Stay strong - you will survive!!!

luvmyducks

I would try to start a nighttime routine.  During the day, keep the radio going or the TV on for background noise.  Keep the blinds and lights on.  Then when you want him to start getting settled for bed for the night, turn down the lights, turn down the volume, and start your routine.  This helped Kellen learn the difference between days and nights.  We also found that not letting her sleep much more than an hour at a time during the day helped her sleep longer at night.  Not saying to keep him from sleeping--he needs to sleep, but just don't let him snooze forever.

We start bath at 9pm, lotion, jammies, swaddle, nursing with the Seahorse, and then bed in the RNP with the sound machine on.  She started sleeping for 3hr stretches a little after 2w.  Now she is up to 4-5hr stretches at night.  She still eats every 2 hrs during the day--sometimes she will go 3hrs.

I know every baby is different, but the first few weeks were the hardest for us.  Then we started getting down a routine and picking up on her cues and learning what she needed and when.  You'll get there  Until you do, keep feeding him when he wants it--it helps build your supply and he needs to eat a lot b/c his belly is so small.  I know it's hard--you are exhausted and your nipples are burning in pain.  But believe me, it gets better.  ((hugs)) 

itsmegin

DD still eats on average every hour and a half, but that's from a mix of every half hour to as long as 3 hours once in awhile. It's really really frustrating sometimes, for me it got easier when I figured out our latch issues (with a LC) and it stopped hurting. Also helps that I'm now okay nursing in public, with a cover, so I don't feel trapped at home. Hang in there!

damabo80

Around six weeks (adjusted).

Look into how to cosleep. It's the only way I got rest then and get rest now. I waved the white flag after a few nights. 

rock-elle

Omg I remember those days, literally a shower was such a blessing would there ever be time for one. It is such a time commitment BF'ing a newborn, but it is so worth it. I know the nips hurt & you prob never imagined you could ever be this tired, but hang in there, its so worth it.

grr_aargh

I'm not sure you want to know how long it lasted for us - but I will say that 1) cosleeping saved my life with all 3 of my kids and 2) you get used to it. 

 

My people are born bad sleepers and constant snackers and all of them ate every 2 hours for the first 6 months of their lives.  Honestly, they still kind of eat that way, it's just that solids are in play so feedings are spaced out.  They're just snackers.

 

I'm sorry.  These days are tough.  I promise you'll get through.