How did it get better?

Rainbow17 · November 2014

Breastfeeding has been very difficult for me. When did it start to get easier for you and how has it become easier? Also, when did you start to get more sleep?

surpriseaddition · November 2014

Every baby and mom is different. I think most moms on here started to have relief around the 6 week mark for pain and overall comfort, and for me personally, my LOs always were also sleeping at least a 5 hour stretch by that point. Hang in there!

mommatotwo2 · November 2014

I second @surpriseaddition, every mom and baby is different, so it's hard to say. For me, 3-4 weeks was the hardest, there is a big growth spurt then and baby is getting a little older and more alert and we were really nursing around the clock.

Over time, baby became more efficient, nursing sessions were a little shorter and over time became less frequent. I returned to work at 12 weeks and that added a new challenge with the pumping.

Sleeping a longer stretch happened around week 5 or 6, but sometimes that stretch was from 8 pm-2 am or something like that, so I had to learn to go to bed early if I was going to benefit from the extra rest. Unfortunately lack of a sleep is baby related, not breastfeeding related. My formula fed baby didn't sleep through the night until 4 or 5 months old either.

If you can be more specific with what you're finding hard and what you're hoping to get easier, the board can probably try to help more specifically.

Hugs and hang in there!

Elaina22 · November 2014

The first 6 weeks were awful for me. We battled thrush and latch issues. Weeks 7-8 I started to notice imrpovement. By week 10 I finally and truly enjoyed breastfeeding. We are at week 14 and while the demand is still tough, especially during growth spurts, I am so glad I stuck with it!

Sleep...every baby is different. Some nights she sleeps 6 hour stretches and other nights I see every hour on the clock. Trying to remind myself this too shall pass!

blue_elle · November 2014

We got off to a bad start (latch issues, started pumping/supplementing, slippery slope sort of thing), so it was a little late for us. Maybe 10 or 12 weeks? As my supply recovered things got much easier. Another big change came when I started to see breast feeding as an easy way to comfort my baby and when I became comfortable with nursing in public.

How is it easier? Feeding is quick, maybe 5-10 min. I never have to worry about bottles, formula, etc. I can leave at the drop of a hat and I can stay out longer than planned. If he's fussy and I can't figure out why, I can always offer a boob, which is pretty much guaranteed to make him happy (<--- big bonus!)

eggmankate · November 2014

We got into our groove around 6 weeks. She started to get the latch down after 8 weeks so I was able to nurse one-handed (which meant I could be on my phone with the other hand or taking sips of water). When we started daycare at 12 weeks she nursed every 3 hours during the day which was so much easier.

Longer stretches of sleep probably started around 4 weeks. I got Mastitis and had to wake her every 4 hours to eat for awhile which was annoying. Around 12 weeks and beyond she'd sleep about 6-8 hours, nurse, and then sleep another 3-4 hours. She slept through the night 11-12 straight hours just shy of 6 months.

I hated breastfeeding and the pump and wondered why mothers always talked about how much they love it. Then DD turned 10 months and I realized we were going to make it a year and that if my supply decreased I was going to be just fine. She's about to turn 1 and I'm liking breastfeeding now that the stress about supply is gone.

jenn43 · November 2014

Things got better around three months, and easy by about 4 months. We had latch issues and used a nipple shield up until about that point. I also had some oversupply issues. Once we got past all that (and one bad episode of cracked nipples when LO's first teeth started coming in), things got much better! LO is still not a great sleeper. The past few weeks he's been up 2-3x a night to eat. But I try going to bed early when I can. On the weekends DH gets up with the baby and gives him a bottle, and I pump when I get up (I normally pump after the first morning feed, so I don't even have to do an extra pump!)

nilvero · November 2014

We had tons of latch issues and I ended up discovering that LO had a tongue and lip tie. After that was revised it has been much easier to feed and much less painful. I feel like it got manageable for us at around 7 weeks

As for sleeping, every baby is different. My LO started giving us five hour stretches at around 8 weeks and now and then will give us six. Some nights are better than other.

What exactly are you finding difficult?

seamonkey0814 · December 2014

We had trouble with BF at the beginning too. LO hated it from the minute he was born he would scream and push away from me with more strength than you would think a newborn baby could posses. At around 8 weeks there was a sudden turning point where it was like he suddenly "got it", not the skills but more the idea that this is a good thing. He is now 13 weeks and he breastfeeds perfectly. Actually, he now cries every single time I unlatch him to switch sides. It's like he's a different kid!

It will get easier and it may be gradual or it may be sudden. I can tell you though that I would not be BF today if it wasn't for my lactation consultant. If you aren't getting help, I would really recommend looking for someone because they can make the difference between having the support to push through the bad times or giving up. Good luck!

Want a personalized experience?

How did it get better?

Re: How did it get better?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards