Drudgery is a good word. Its one of the reasons I never felt bad about buying cute clothes for my baby. I always thought i was such hard work that you should take little pleasures where you can.

My baby was also a slow eater at that stage. Per recs., I would nurse every 3 hours (8 x per day) but each feeding part took up to 90 minutes. She would nurse slo slowly and fall asleep on the boob. She wasnt getting much food (did weighted feeds at the lactation consultants office) and I wasnt getting much sleep.

I started working in pumps and she ate from the bottle much faster. But that turned into me exclusively pumping as she refused the boob bc the bottle was less work. In retrospect EP was WAY more work than nursing as I constantly had to be a meal ahead. I wish could go back to that 8 week slow stage make it through until she got better at nursing but the exhaustion was terrible.

DS just turned 3.

its getting better.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks everyone for responding. To those saying that breastfeeding gets easier, what exactly helped it get better? That’s been one of the hardest parts of everything so far.

I totally agree that nursing was by far the hardest part of the newborn stage. I remember on my feeding app one time tracking her being attached to me for a full 7 hours and that doesn't include all the time spent waking her up, getting her to latch, burping, etc.

It did get somewhat easier, she gradually got faster at nursing, but then I went back to work and I was pumping and that was challenging in other ways. We started supplementing with formula regularly at 6 months and that was a huge relief once she got used to it. Looking back, I wish we had done a bottle of formula a day from early on (maybe 12 weeks). The older they get, the more difficult it is to adjust to formula. Personally I think combination feeding (breast milk and formula) is awesome and doesn't get the credit it deserves - you get all the benefits of breast milk and much less stress.

It gets better around 12 weeks. Hang in there.

Lol. It gets worse around 6 weeks. That's when they sort of wake up to the world around them. It can be really hard for the next 8 months to a year.

Imagine doing all of that with a toddler or two running around, requiring your attention. That's the landscape for many of us. You just make it work. Strap that baby in a carrier and go about your day.

It starts getting better when they start smiling (anytime between 5-8 weeks) and when the crying starts improving (often starts to gradually improve around 6 weeks or so.) By 10-12 weeks things should be much much better.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks everyone for responding. To those saying that breastfeeding gets easier, what exactly helped it get better? That’s been one of the hardest parts of everything so far.

Didn’t get better for me. I tried with both my kids and saw a lactation consultant on a weekly basis. Both times they told me I wasn’t making enough milk. Apparently I am a rarity. For most people it gets better. If you are having trouble breastfeeding definitely see a lactwtion consultant.

I hate the newborn stage. The good news - you are four weeks in. Things get better at around 10 weeks then start sucking again right before 4 month mark (four month sleep regression). Once you get through that (and for some babies it’s nothing) things get better again. At around 6 months you will be in heaven.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks everyone for responding. To those saying that breastfeeding gets easier, what exactly helped it get better? That’s been one of the hardest parts of everything so far.

It was absolutely excruciating (even when she wasn't nursing thanks to vasospasm) until somewhere around 8 weeks and then it just miraculously got better. I really think that's common. The LCs will help you with your latch which is totally worthwhile but anecdotally from my friends and family, it just gets better around 8 weeks. Their mouths are bigger, or something. By 12 weeks it was painless and convenient and my boobs rarely malfunction now (earlier I had mastitis and often woke up in a puddle and/or with boulder boobs). I so hope that's coming for you, OP! Thinking good thoughts at your nipples!!

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks everyone for responding. To those saying that breastfeeding gets easier, what exactly helped it get better? That’s been one of the hardest parts of everything so far.

Getting the latch right. The baby getting big enough to eat more at once and not fall asleep while feeding. Tons and tons of nipple cream. Both of you getting the hang of things and falling into a cooperative rhythm.

What are you having trouble with? The baby falling asleep? I think that's something they just grow out of, but maybe others here have advice.

Op here. Thanks everyone for responding. To those saying that breastfeeding gets easier, what exactly helped it get better? That’s been one of the hardest parts of everything so far.

The first 8 weeks were brutal then it got better around 12 weeks

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this sounds lame, but can you get some fun books on your phone? Or play a game on your phone? I remember at one point I got really bored and started playing roller coaster tycoon on my phone. It helped for a few days.... I also got pretty interested in what was going on outside the window. There was a tree with a pretty bird that showed up a lot. I got really into that bird haha.

+1

I also listened to some audiobooks when my son was little.

I watched a lot of Game of,Thrones while nursing at that age. You'll never be able to watch so much TV again.

+1, I also got really used to reading subtitles so I could keep the sound really low.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this sounds lame, but can you get some fun books on your phone? Or play a game on your phone? I remember at one point I got really bored and started playing roller coaster tycoon on my phone. It helped for a few days.... I also got pretty interested in what was going on outside the window. There was a tree with a pretty bird that showed up a lot. I got really into that bird haha.

+1

I also listened to some audiobooks when my son was little.

I watched a lot of Game of,Thrones while nursing at that age. You'll never be able to watch so much TV again.

Anonymous wrote:I know this sounds lame, but can you get some fun books on your phone? Or play a game on your phone? I remember at one point I got really bored and started playing roller coaster tycoon on my phone. It helped for a few days.... I also got pretty interested in what was going on outside the window. There was a tree with a pretty bird that showed up a lot. I got really into that bird haha.

+1

I also listened to some audiobooks when my son was little.