Reply to Split shifts with a newborn

Forum Index » General Parenting Discussion

Reply to "Split shifts with a newborn - need advice? "

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Just want to remind you that you are really in the trenches - days 3-5 were always the hardest for me! Have you talked to a lactation consultant? Generally they can do a telemedicine consult to talk through something like this - I did it with both of mine. My personal experience was that I couldn't sleep longer than 3 or maybe 3.5 hours for the first couple of weeks as baby was figuring out life on the outside and my supply was regulating, but after that, we were able to figure out a shift system that didn't affect my supply. In our case, I did still get less sleep than DH, but I could get a good 4 hour stretch for myself most nights by the time he was 4 weeks old. 
Also, just in case no one else is telling you this (because I wish someone had to me with my first) - breastfeeding is amazing, but so is formula. I've done both. You're an amazing mom either way. Taking care of yourself IS taking care of your baby, and formula can sometimes be part of that.[/quote]

I’m the OP. I’m even open to 3-3.5 hour stretches of sleep. I don’t get that with the frequent and long feedings. A feeding takes up to 1 hour each time between diaper changing, feeding, and burping. We are so thankful for the Snoo because we just put him in it and that puts him to sleep. He’s still up eating every 1.5-3 hours. [/quote]

PP. Yes, everything you described is normal for the first couple of weeks. It’s brutal but you get through it. With my first, I stuck it out because I wanted to breastfeed so badly. With my second, I switched to formula because he ate more often and by day 4 or 5 I couldn’t handle only sleeping in 2 hour stretches any longer. [/quote]

Literal exact opposite. My baby turned a corner at about 4 weeks, breastfeeding was so smooth, way way easier than bottle prep, started sleeping like a champ, and I LOVED the breastfeeding bond. Had I thrown in the towel on day…5? (which seems pretty absurd if you even have a tiny inkling of desire to bf) I would’ve missed one of my favorite parts of newborn days. [/quote]

PP. It’s pretty presumptuous of you to use the word “absurd.” I had bruising and broken skin because baby couldn’t latch properly (multiple lactation consultants couldn’t figure out the problem, and I was not a breastfeeding rookie) but was also cluster feeding every hour or so at night. I was crying at every feeding from the pain. I also had a 2 year old and was delirious from the sleep deprivation. I was so sad to switch to formula (exclusively breastfed my first for 14 months) but it was undoubtedly the right decision for me. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics