May 2015 Moms

Discouraged about bf

My lo is two weeks old today, so far his sleeping schedule has been nothing but challenging. He wakes up every 2h during day to feed, and wakes up for a stretch of 4-5h during night where he continuously feeds or he would be extremely fussy, and even when he doses off I have to keep him with me or he wakes up. I'm exhausted, my nipples are sore and I would do anything for a good night sleep! People have been telling me that I should supplement with formula at night to help him sleep fir a longer stretch of time, and I am concerned that if this continues I will end up caving in to formula. I don't know if this will ever get easier! Any advice from other moms trying to EBF?

Re: Discouraged about bf

  • I have a similar situation. At 5 weeks, my daughter started doing an almost four hour feed in the late evening. It was really hard, because after awile it really didn't seem like there was any milk left and I did give her a bottle a few nights. Your body supposedly responds after about three days though and starts producing more. This seems to be true for me at least because that feeding has been cut way back now I think because she's getting all the milk she needs more quickly (or maybe it was a growth spurt) and I haven't had to supplement in a few nights. Good luck!
  • Breastfeeding is usually a struggle at first. Stick it out, it does get MUCH better and easier. Supplementing with formula is not guaranteed to help with sleep.
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  • That sounds exactly like a newborn. My second did happen to sleep 5-6 hours a few times at the beginning then was up every 3 hours until she was a year old. And my first slept on my chest for months and then co slept until 8 months.

    There also is probably a touch of night and day mix up which is super common. I barely feel my baby all day long and at night she won't stop moving. I told DH I'm in for some long nights!

    You just need to take it a day at a time and repeat "this too shall pass". It has nothing to do with formula/breast and everything to do with a newborn needing to eat and needing to work out days and nights, they aren't automatically on a adult schedule and won't be for months.

    It's hard but people all over the world do it every day and then choose to do it again! :) Soon things will be a little better!
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  • With my first I had to supplement with formula because of supply issues, it didn't help with sleep at all. Eating foods rich in good fats like avocado and nuts may help fatten your milk more and give you some more space between feedings. It's pretty normal for a BF baby to want to eat every 2 hours since BM is metabolized at a slightly faster rate. Also keep in mind their stomachs are still so tiny right now that they don't stay full very long.
    This too shall pass, as they get older they'll sleep longer. But do what you need to, happy and healthy mom is the best way to have a happy and healthy baby.
  • ldmwldmw member
    Do whatever you need to do. I wanted to EBF, but have been supplementing with formula since day 3 due to supply issues.
  • I'm in the exact same spot. I've tried to get him to stay awake longer during the day. It's either getting better, or I'm getting used to it. I don't feel as drained as I used to. My LO is 2w 3d. Good luck, it is challenging!
  • TheEATheEA member
    Sounds like your baby is about to go through a growth spurt . They usually do at 2 or 3 weeks old. Then again about a month later. And again and again. They want to eat ALL OF THE TIME right before a growth spurt. Then they sleep a ton the next day or so which is nice because you need to rest after the constant feeding!! Hang in there, do what you feel is best and talk to your pediatrician. Newborns are very time consuming! It will get easier in about a month or so.
  • TheEATheEA member
    I wanted to add that you could check out Babywise. It's not for everyone and some people find it controversial. However, I did it with my DS and he was sleeping through the night at about 3 months. Our little family was much happier once everyone was getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep!! I plan to use it again with baby girl.
  • Jenny33Jenny33 member
    You made it two weeks! That's the hardest part.congrats! If you made it this far you can do anything!
  • I know you must be exhausted with caring for a newborn, however that is pretty normal routine for a young infant. If you can nap with baby, do so! Don't worry about the state of the house, or see if you can some family members to help out with chores.

    Formula is not going to make your baby sleep better or longer, it can also negatively affect your milk supply by giving it. I highly suggest going to a local La Leche League meeting when you are up to it, you'll be able to talk to other moms from the area and the leaders can help with any issues that arise.

    Hang in there mama! You are doing great, breastfeeding is a learned behavior and in a couple more weeks the two of you will nurse like you have done it for years.
  • You can do it!! Your doing great!! Definitely find a near by la leche league my closest one has a facebook page and the women there are so supportive. You can do this! It's tough but it beats having to fix and warm bottles all hours of the night. My little one is 3 weeks old Thursday and she is nursing longer and more frequently now that she is growing and more alert. But like everyone else is saying they are growing so fast they need to eat a lot!! Make sure your letting them nurse for at least 10-15 minutes on one side so your LO is getting the good fatty hind milk that keeps them full! My little one nurses for up to 30 minutes just on one side and then will be hungry and hour later sometimes then sometimes she waits 3 hours. It just depends on how long she fed before and how long she stayed up between feedings. Don't give up you can do this!! A support group is a must thank goodness I have two great close friends to lean on and a la leche league.
  • Thank you very much lady, this is the encouragement I needed. I'm still sticking to EBF, I figured if I can do this I should do it to make sure my baby gets nothing but the best for as long as I can. I will try to find a support group nearby, I am sure it will be beneficial.
  • Also don't forget to utilize the lactation consultant at your local hospital if she doesn't have time to help she can point you in the right direction of a support group. They don't mind. You can look up on the national licensed bf counselor site to see licensed professionals in your county too and they have their numbers posted too. Just fyi!
  • I remember wanting to give up every day for the first few months, and I was so so glad I didn't because one day it just became easy. I had someone supporting and encouraging and pushing me to stick it out and it was the best thing. I think when it comes to breastfeeding we all feel like we have no idea what we're doing.. Lol
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