Who Breastfeeds Exclusively?

[ShadowWolf]

Just for my own personal interest really.

I've always been determined to breastfeed and Lilly has been an absolute star at it, she has no trouble latching on, she actually sucks whatever part of me she can get her mouth on until I give the right bit to her!I am finding it absolutely exausting though, she feeds ever 1 1/2- 2 hours day and night and im getting to the point where i feel tearful and stressed whenever it's 'that time'. I would just love 1 days break or even just a good 8 hours sleep without having to feed. She feeds so often that I can't even express any as if I did that I wouldn't have time to do anything.

I suppose i'm really just looking for some support and to know that others have got through it without going loopy.

xxx

 

[isobel84]

if i was you- i woul let her wait 3 hour no matter how upset she gets. then she will eat properly n be full for another 3 hours. i did this with noa every 2 hours. xx dont give up hun you are doin great xx

 

[isobel84]

its bloody hard tho especiaally night time xx

 

[Sam's Mum]

I breastfed both mine exclusively (Sam would drink from a bottle and did have a couple of bottles of expressed milk in case I ever needed to leave him with anyone but I didn't even go out for more than an hour until he was a few months old). Toby's never had a bottle, and at the start they were feeding all the time too, but it doesn't take too long before their stomachs get bigger and they start feeding more efficiently and getting more milk at each feed - my 2 did always feed every couple of hours during the day but the nights got better and it honestly makes all the difference once you're getting some sleep...hope it doesn't take too much longer for you x x x

 

[karenandbump]

Hey hon, my little boy is 7 weeks today and ur post could have been written by me. It is really hard and cos i had antibiotics a few weeks ago we now have thrush which is not fun. I didnt use any formula until 3 months with my first but think I might use formula for a late feed some nights from next week cos I am mega anaemic at the moment an could do with some sleep cos am shattered! I really don't want to use any until 3 months at which point I would introduce one formula bottle at 10:30pm but trying not to beat myself up if I use any before then. Well done on the feeding - u r doing so well for ur little one x x x

 

[ShadowWolf]

Thanks ladies, so nice to know that i'm not alone. We have tried her on a bottle of formula just to give me a break but she hates the teat, chokes on the formula and then throws it back up not long after. She just can't get used to an artificial nipple, she won't even take a dummy, (TBH I really don't want her to take one but some times when she wont stop crying I just want a bit of peace!) she just spits it back out. If she'd give me a longer break I could express some but until she starts going longer there's no chance.

I know it wont last forever but boy it seems like it now!

xxx

 

[Sam's Mum]

I know how you feel! It makes you appreciate sleep sooo much more when they do start sleeping well at night though! x

 

[Sam's Mum]

When they were really young I used to feed them just as hubby got home from work, give them to him and go to sleep for a couple of hours too - really helps just to know you're getting a bit of a rest x

 

[kellylou]

I found about 2 weeks ago all alex wanted to do was feed and my milk supply was fast running out! Despite my recent problems he has fed more in the day and has one feed at around 3 or 4 not long and baby will slow down on the feeding front x

 

[xxbeckyxx]

I do the same as Sam's Mum when my OH is at home - try and give her a nice big feed, handover to daddy and my head is straight down on that pillow!
In terms of Lilly not accepting a teat, Lizzie was the same first try - she was choking and spitting it out and threw up everything that I actually managed to get down her. I persevered and all of a sudden she understood what she had to do and she took 3 ozs beautifully! So I would say keep trying if it's something you want to be able to do x

 

[Esoames]

I was exclusively breastfeeding Isla up until yesterday when she managed to take 1oz of formula with no tears!! lol. I've been trying to get her on a bottle since she was 6 weeks old (now 12) i darent express incase she hates the bottle so have been "practicing" with formula. Put her in her chair and fed her that way, it seems she associates being in my arms as me breastfeeding her. Isla used to gag as well, as the teat is way bigger than my nipple!! shes getting used to it though. Also they do start to go longer between feed. Isla is every 3 hours and at night varies between 3-8 hours. Normally 6 is what she does

hang in there xx

 

[rbryan0205]

you can get orthordontic teats which we have got a couple from hospital but u can buy them and they seem to fit in there mouths better also if u move the teat in an anticlockwise motion when its in there mouth it stimulates the sucking (info i got from support workers when i was in hospital) hope this helps

 

[kiki]

It will get easier soon so hang in there!! My little boy has woken up only once for the lat 3 days and it has been bliss! But I remember from last time that it can soon change again so am not celebrating yet... During the day he eats all the time some days, but somedays only every 3 hours. But its worth all the effort in the end!

 

[Baby Bean]

Hang in there hun, I breastfeed ella-rose exclusively and its often every 2hrs in the day. It was like that at night too but I introduced a dummy at 6 weeks and she started sleeping through the night more and more. It will get easier xxx

 

[Rayoflight]

Blake feeds every 2-3 hours during the day and has just started going 7/8 hours at night (which is amazing!).

He was like Lily going every 1.5hrs and i was shattered. Once I started taking fenugreek and resting whenever I could it got lots easier. The house was a shit hole for a fortnight but once I got past caring it was so easy to get my head down and I got myself out the vicious circle.

Keep with it, you're doing great xxx