2 days old.

[umbongo]

Keep feeding and changing and cuddling and try and enjoy it a bit as the early days go by so fast. It's a shock to the system having a baby and it'll take time to adjust. And don't be afraid to say no to visits or limit them as you need time with your new family.
Donating milk is lovely.
I remember being up virtually all night every night the first week or two so just go with it and believe it'll get easier. It does.
Best of luck xxxx

 

[babybee]

How are things now Laura?
I remember how tough it was in those early weeks and it does get so much easier. In the first week alone I got around 4 hours sleep in total. I was exhausted and probably could've written a post almost like yours! Being a mum is hard and nothing at all can prepare you for it. What helped me massively and to this day I swear it saved me from spiraling into a wave of depression was I gave lo to my husband and slept for 9 hours solid. She was a week old at that point and tbh I should've done it sooner. I would definitely do that if I were you. It was just that one day but it changed everything for me.

As for the problems with feeding I can totally sympathise! My lo was in NICU for the first 3 days and then lost 12% birth weight and I had to keep a track of her feeds on a spreadsheet and feed her every three hours religiously until she reached her birth weight. It was so stressful I remember writing all the mls she took in the feb mummy thread in the b&t section. I would say the biggest tip to get her to feed more is to make sure she's awake, changing her nappy before a feed normally helped. Like someone else said 30mls is a lot for a newborn but I remember my lo starting to take that at 4 days old, then at 5 days it went up to 65mls and at a week old she was having 90mls. If that's any help to you?

Definitely express a little every few hours to ease the pain.

Also limit the number of visitors. I know their intentions are well meaning but you're exhausted and you need to rest not entertain others by making them cups of coffee or tea. Let them know to leave you for the first few weeks. I did that but I wish I could've told them to leave it for the first month!

Hang in there chick because newborns eventually do settle.xxx

 

[LauraMummyToBe]

Hey BabyBee, things are still hard but I'm getting there. She's 1 week old today and seems to be sleeping more during the day and less at night. :/ any tips?
The hormones don't help either, one minute I'm fine with my OH then I am crying and shouting at him, the only time I calm down is when I get hold of Daisy.
Yeah my OH let me sleep from 8pm - 4:30am the other night but I can't do that this week cos he's on night shift.
Yeah, Daisy was a nightmare at first, she was also on a feeding chart and having to be fed religiously! It was so hard! she got weighed 2 days ago and she's lost 10% of her birth weight but I needn't worry apparently.
I spoke to the midwife 2 days ago and I asked how much she should be having she told me "at 5 days old between 60 and 90 mils. But just make a full bottle and let her take however much she wants, burp her and try again."
With regards to visitors we haven't had any at the house yet, I'm keeping it off until next weekend. She's doing better, her feeds last night weren't too bad - 1:25, 3:45, 6:45 then 7:30 to get up. I'm so tired I'm falling asleep cuddling her in bed! Xxx

 

[tweetyfoo]

Laura, just to give you reassurance, thats all perfectly normal.

Its takes babies a while to figure out the difference between night and day, it will take her a little while to adjust.

Her night time wakenings seem really good for a 1 year old, well done!

 

[loopylou83]

My LO is 3 days old! If it helps she sleeps pretty much all day except for feeds and is then awake all night and often crying quite a bit! I've been trying to get sleep when I can e.g if she sleeps for a 3 hour period during the day then I will leave her with oh and get some sleep! I'm breast feeding but ended up giving her some top ups ( recommended by mw as she was feeding for an hour, sleeping for 20 mins then wanting another hours worth- all perfectly normal but I wasn't coping well as it meant I was having no sleep whatsoever! Hope you are a bit happier now xx