Breastfeeding

Newborn nursing constantly at night

My LO is 5 days old and so far, she is a champion at nursing....in fact, that's all she wants to do! The LC at the hospital said she has a good latch, and my nipples are sore, but in pretty good shape. I'm so happy it's going well since I had major issues right from the beginning with BFing DS. Days are going great, but the past few evenings have been a little rough. Starting around 7pm or so, LO wants to nurse constantly, ALL.NIGHT.LONG. This usually ends around 5 or 6 am, where she will then fall asleep for a few hours. It's more than just cluster feeding, it's literally as soon as I think she's done (she unlatches and falls asleep), if I try to change her diaper or put her down in the pack and play, she immediately wakes up and is rooting, opening her mouth, and smacking her lips and cries until I nurse her again. She is very comforted by constant sucking. We wanted to hold off on introducing the pacifier until at least 2 weeks, but last night I broke down and let her try it. At first she seemed to like it, but quickly got frustrated with it because I think she realized she wasn't getting any milk. Any advice would be helpful!

Re: Newborn nursing constantly at night

  • Do you have a safe co-sleeping arrangement set up? If not, you might want to consider it... it might be the only way to get through these early days. My LO refused to stay asleep (for more than 5 minutes) anywhere other than literally on me for the first 3 weeks. This was my first child too so I was totally overwhelmed.
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  • Second the safe co-sleeping option. It makes all the difference in the world to be able to lay down nursing where you already both are than to have to get out of your bed, get her out of her crib, and sit in a chair.. over and over and over. Hang in there, it gets better!!
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  • Can you unlatch her when she's done eating, try to stick a pacifier in and have your husband/partner rock her? SOMETIMES that worked with us.  Ha. sometimes not.  I promise it gets better. 
  • Try other things to settle her down. Swing worked for us. It gets better! Hang in there!
  • This happened with me as well. My baby was at 7 days old and luckily for me she decided to have her nursathon during the day. I believe it's because of a growth spurt because now she nurses at normal intervals. Hang in there, my hardest week was week 2. Now things are going quite well.
  • Pacifier or safe co-sleeping. DS would constantly feed at night and my friend told me about laying down and feeding him and it saved my life. He would nurse and then eventually we would just fall asleep. If you're uncomfortable with her in bed with you then maybe once she is out cold you can move her. It does get better! DS is about 2 months and he sleeps 5-6 hours a night now. Good luck!
  • i used to stick a heating pad turned on low in DS's rock n play while we were in the middle of a nursing marathon.  when he stopped nursing to eat and started nursing to suck, i would whip out the heating pad, crank up a white noise maker, put him in the RnP, and rock him until he stopped fussing.  sometimes it worked, sometimes not, but when it did i would usually get at least some time to lay down and close my eyes.  check out the happiest baby on the block's 5 S's.  they might help get you a boobie break too.  and as pp's said, it feels like an eternity when you're living it, but these days will pass, and quickly!  hang in there!
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    in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus, for you
    1 thessalonians 5:18
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