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3rd Trimester
So, I'm Getting a Little Freaked Out About Breastfeeding...
I'm still going to try and I'm trying to get myself "excited" for it but I'm sort of dreading it.
I have spent the whole pregnancy extremely gung-ho about breast-feeding or pumping so that my child get the wonderful nutrients, immunities, bonding, etc, etc.
But I didn't realize that, at least for the first month, AT LEAST, I will have to be pumping or feeding every 1 1/2 hours.
Seriously? That means that after 30 minutes for a feeding, then drying off, then putting on cream, then getting into bed... I get, what, 45 minutes of sleep at a time?
I'm wondering how people do this and still remain competent parents?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: So, I'm Getting a Little Freaked Out About Breastfeeding...
while it is time consuming, I honestly dont think I was BFing every 1.5 hrs. A lot hinges on your supply, the baby's latch etc. Just go into it saying you'll try but if you cant do it at least you did your best. I had supply issues and DD had latch issues so I was pumping a lot but it didnt interfere w/my taking care of DD or taking care of myself. I never felt like a slave to it or the pump LOL. I loved the experience even tho we ended up having to supplement cuz of my supply issues. I'll be BFing DS too
edit: yes, I was tired but I was far from being a zombie.
I'll tell you what one of my friends told me.
It's completely natural to be nervous. Breastfeeding is most likely the least unnatural-natural thing that you've ever done. Does that make any sense?
You do what is right for you.
I'm going to give it a whirl and try to keep an optimistic, "can-do" attitude.
But I'm not ruling out formula if it just doesn't work for me.
I did feel like I was nursing often in the beginning, but mostly during the day. At night DD would go a little longer w/o eating, and I didn't mind it so much when she woke up anyway. During those night feedings, she would sleepily nurse and I would read a book. It was pretty restful, considering.
You might find you enjoy it more than you think, because once you get the hang of things it is a nice quiet break from everything else. Best of luck!
Every 1.5 hours for a month?
Everything I've read and have been told is more like every 2-3 hours for the first few weeks. But that's the same whether you're breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
They go longer with formula because it's harder to digest. I'm not saying formula is the way to go but they do go longer with it.
this is also one of my fears...
still I'll try my best to do it.. even if I need DH to keep me awake during that period of time.. LOL
I'm thinking that sometime I'll need a little bit more of sleep, so DH can gave LO "pumped" milk meanwhile I rest..
Right.
But they.go.longer.
Proud Mama to Mickey (12.03.09) and Nemo (06.06.13)
Not all the time. DS loves his formula.
Proud Mama to Mickey (12.03.09) and Nemo (06.06.13)
For us, the every-two-hours really only lasted until DD regained and surpassed her birth weight -- which, since she was a good eater, only took about a week. Then our pedi gave the go-ahead to just feed on demand, as long as it was at least every 3-4 hours.
The real PITA for me in those first couple of weeks was that my milk came in slowly, so to get my supply up, my pedi recommended pumping after every nursing session. That totally, totally sucked to get done nursing a baby on sore nips and then pump, especially in the middle of the night -- but it worked, I never had a skimpy supply afterwards, and I will do it again until my supply is well-established.
But yeah, the first few weeks really suck as far as sleep goes. I think that's why so many people say "Sleep now, while you can" -- but it's not like you can store up sleep to live off later. :P
DD1, 1/5/2008 ~~~ DD2, 3/17/2010
The first month is overwhelming no matter what. That being said, I agree with the other posters that say it wasn't every 1 1/2 hours. It was about every 2-3 for me.
It's hard not to worry about and wonder about everything. BFing was a great choice for me but if it's not for you and you want to walk away from it because it's not working out you should do it and not feel bad for making that decision!
Who told you every 1.5 hours? That's totally incorrect. I know every baby is different, but even my preemie who needs to eat and gain weight eats every 3-4 hours. Even nurses will tell you that anything under 2.5 hours for a newborn is just snacking and not what LO needs.
I pump and feed. It takes about an hour altogether. This equals 2-3 hours of downtime between feedings. It's a lot of work, but you would still have the same schedule for the first few weeks if you were FF or even just supplementing with formula.
Don't stress. You'll figure it out.
::I need to listen to my own advice on this
::
From what I've read/heard/learned, it's only the first few days that babies will need to eat every 2 hours, and that's really to get your milk coming in. Then it'll be every 2-4 hours as needed, but even FF babies eat more often sometimes. It's just the nature of the baby and growth spurts, etc.
FF babies can go longer stretches earlier than BF babies because you can increase their ounce intake.
I plan on BF. To not feel so nervous, I've read books, taken a BFing class, and know another LC I plan on seeing once I deliver. I also know of a place I can go for help, where I can meet with other Bfing moms at a meeting, and see a LC again if necessary. Try not to think about dreading it. The pros far outweigh the cons.A couple of thoughts from someone in the thick of the first few weeks of BFing:
1. It's possible your LO will need to eat every 1.5 hours, but that's not the norm. DD eats about 8 times in 24 hours, so averages about every three hours. Yes, you will experience some degree of sleep deprivation. That's life with a newborn and it won't last forever. And napping during the day helps!
2. If you do indeed end up with a baby who needs to BF so often, that same baby is not going to be able to go 3-4 hours between formula feedings. We supplemented with formula for a few days due to jaundice and I did not notice any difference in how long DD went between eating.
3. BFing is hard and emotional, especially in those first few days. I firmly believe that if you want to do it, you really need to commit to it 100%. If you go into it saying, "Oh well, if it's hard, I'll switch to formula" I can virtually guarantee you that you won't be BFing long. Why not make a commitment to do it for the first 4-6 weeks? Chances are by then you'll be comfortable with your routine and will want to continue and, if not, at least LO benefits from your milk during those crucial first weeks.
Best of luck! Nursing has been a wonderful bonding experience for us so far and has definitely been worth the extra effort.
I agree with this completely. If you go in thinking "oh, no big deal if we do formula", you won't stick with BFing. It's hard, especially in the beginning. I really wanted to do it, so we didn't keep any formula in the house and I set goals...first 6 weeks, then 3 months, 6 months. At 10.5 months, I'm still nursing and I love that time with DD!