I Had No Idea How Caring For A Newborn Would Be

[Anonymous]

Try the Bella B Nurture nipple butter. It worked the best for me.

I hated the newborn period, particularly the first couple months, but it got better for me.

[Anonymous]

Just remember you have options. If breastfeeding is painful, supplement with formula or just go all formula. Steel yourself for this to be really hard up until about week eight. I found six weeks is the worst because it's height of colic, and the newness has worn off. But somewhere in their third month you and the baby find your rhythm. Or you have to go back to work and hand them off to the nanny for several hours a day and you get grownup time not being the caregiver It was awesome.

[Anonymous]

I had my first at 25 and my second at 30 and loved the newborn and baby stage, even though one of my kids was premature and had special needs and the other refused to sleep more than 2 hours at a stretch for 2 years.

I think it's because that was my entire focus. I just abandoned all other pursuits. I was just happy to be a mother to a newborn.

[Anonymous]

I also loved the newborn stage. I formula fed my babies and both slept 6+ hours at night at 3 weeks of age.

[Anonymous]

I expected how boring it could be and how difficult it could be to get a kid to sleep from my times with nieces and nephews, but also that it was easier to let my niece cry it out to prove to her parents she could fall asleep with a bottle than to let my own cry it out (no, no bottles involved). Either the lack of sleep wasn't a big deal or I have repressed it--but I did have several major illnesses the first couple of years while baby sailed through without getting sick once, and I'm sure that was because of immune system depletion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you waking him up to eat? Unless weight is an issue, that is one stupid thing to do.

OP here. The pediatrician advised us to wake him if he goes more than 3 hours between feedings during the day. He often wakes up on his own crying and mad because he’s hungry. I don’t wake him at night.

breastfeeding newborns need to be fed every 3 hours. it is what it is. mom also needs to nurse, to keep her milk coming in.

hang in there! just like everyone says, it will get better.

i had a really rough time of the newborn phase. we had to triple feed, baby was a preemie. ugh. it was so demoralizing and i was SO tired.

but, four years on, i kinda wish i would have been just a teeny more present. a teeny more patient. DS is four now and wont sit still for anything! i kinda almost miss when it was just us and snuggles all the time.

you are doing a great job, mama!

Formula fed babies too. Newborns eat frequently at this age - every 2-3 hours - whether breast or bottle. They eat so little at a time that they need to eat often. I found it helped my baby eat their calories during the day and sleep longer at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a script for APNO or go to Target and make your own APNO- do it now!!! Breastfeeding should never be painful or make cracks. Sure it might be a little sore at first, but as long as the cracks and bleeding don't form it won't be painful.

Be gentle to yourself OP. Not everyone likes every stage. Some of us rock the newborn stage and others of us excel at Toddlers or Teens.

OP here. I heard it’s totally normal to have pain for the first 2-4 weeks.

What kind of pain? APNO even helps with rubbing pain or swollen nips. No, it only hurt with my 1st and 2nd babies. Zero pain with my 3rd. I supplemented a tiny bit in the beginning so she wasn't just shredding my nipples (my milk comes in around day 5 which is late) and then after everything was copacetic.

This is you. People have different experiences. My LC told me it was common for it be sore, painful, and chapped. This happened with both of my babies and took about 4 weeks with each baby until my nipples toughened up. Everyone’s experience is different.

PP here. Sorry I wasn't being clear. Yes it's common to have sore and chapped nipples. But if you use APNO, it mostly will disappear and not happen. I used APNO nonstop with my 3rd from birth and never got ANY cracks or chapping. I only used it around week 3 with my second when I was already bleeding and it got rid of it almost instantly. It's like a magic serum. I just want to sing APNO's praises from the rooftops!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also loved the newborn stage. I formula fed my babies and both slept 6+ hours at night at 3 weeks of age.

Ehh it wasn't because your baby was formula fed. True story, but my 2nd baby (a big fat boy) sttn from birth onwards. And I do mean 8+ hours (12 hours by 12 weeks). I got yelled at by the nurses, but the kid just didn't need to eat at night. Totally breastfed.

[Anonymous]

No one tells you all of this when you are pregnant. You anticipate that it will like be getting a low maintenance puppy with cute clothes, but your baby is like a cranky, poopy, little old person, who doesn't even smile at you and they wake you up every two hours to suck on your boobs until they are raw.

[Anonymous]

This was exactly my experience too, OP. I was a nanny and also spent lots of time with my family members’ kids so I thought I was really well prepared for parenting. Breastfeeding my first plus the sleep deprivation nearly broke me. It is SO much harder than I ever thought it would be.

[Anonymous]

Anyone who hasn’t had a baby literally doesn’t know what tired means

[Anonymous]

I loved the newborn stage. It’s sad I was too tired to completely enjoy it. Hope you get some rest soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a script for APNO or go to Target and make your own APNO- do it now!!! Breastfeeding should never be painful or make cracks. Sure it might be a little sore at first, but as long as the cracks and bleeding don't form it won't be painful.

Be gentle to yourself OP. Not everyone likes every stage. Some of us rock the newborn stage and others of us excel at Toddlers or Teens.

OP here. I heard it’s totally normal to have pain for the first 2-4 weeks.

It is totally normal to have pain the first month or so breastfeeding. Actually with my guest I had pain breastfeeding the first 3 months but in that case it was a bad latch that then caused mastitis. After I cleared the infection and we figured out the latch, it was smooth sailing and I went on to nurse for 18 months.

Very minimal pain breastfeeding w my 2nd baby.

Agree w recommendation of APNO and definitely make sure you’ve got the latch right. Always get seen right away if you develop mastitis or thrush (you’ll know if you have those as they’re incredibly painful like worst pain ever so it’ll stand out from just typical sore nipple pain) but if you’re sure the latch is good and you’re healthy and it’s still painful, just wait it out. It’ll get better w time.

[Anonymous]

I wasn’t a nanny I just had my second and let me tell you…it only gets harder and nothing can still prepare you. Im eating my humble pie every day and motherhood is kicking my as*.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a script for APNO or go to Target and make your own APNO- do it now!!! Breastfeeding should never be painful or make cracks. Sure it might be a little sore at first, but as long as the cracks and bleeding don't form it won't be painful.

Be gentle to yourself OP. Not everyone likes every stage. Some of us rock the newborn stage and others of us excel at Toddlers or Teens.

OP here. I heard it’s totally normal to have pain for the first 2-4 weeks.

What kind of pain? APNO even helps with rubbing pain or swollen nips. No, it only hurt with my 1st and 2nd babies. Zero pain with my 3rd. I supplemented a tiny bit in the beginning so she wasn't just shredding my nipples (my milk comes in around day 5 which is late) and then after everything was copacetic.

This is you. People have different experiences. My LC told me it was common for it be sore, painful, and chapped. This happened with both of my babies and took about 4 weeks with each baby until my nipples toughened up. Everyone’s experience is different.

PP here. Sorry I wasn't being clear. Yes it's common to have sore and chapped nipples. But if you use APNO, it mostly will disappear and not happen. I used APNO nonstop with my 3rd from birth and never got ANY cracks or chapping. I only used it around week 3 with my second when I was already bleeding and it got rid of it almost instantly. It's like a magic serum. I just want to sing APNO's praises from the rooftops!!!

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Another mom of two here. I agree APNO should be given to all new moms. It helps prevent thrush with 2nd baby. Also calmoseptine for preventing severe diaper rash. Can get that on Amazon. Stumbled on both with baby 2. Also if you’re nursing consider lecithin which prevent clogged ducts. Can get at cvs. Good luck. It goes by faster than you think, esp with last baby.