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12-24-2012 at 7:30 PM
kjsmith9
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When did BFing get easier for you?

I think LO is at the end of her 3 week growth spurt, which I'm super thankful for.  During my pregnancy I lurked on this board a lot and also read most of "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding," so I knew I was in for exhaustion, difficulty, etc. before she was born.  

I keep telling myself to just get through today and not worry about the next few weeks, and DH is super supportive.  Also, I'm way too stubborn to let BFing get the best of me - regardless of how tired I am.

I'm wondering when BFing got easier for all of you who have LO's past the newborn stage.  I slept for a total of 3.5 to 4 hours last night (all in increments of < 1.5 hours), partially because LO wants to eat, but also because she doesn't seem to fall asleep after nursing like she does during the day.  

When it gets "easier," do they tend to work their way out of the days/nights confusion?  We're doing our best to wake her to feed every 1.5 to 2 hours during the day (hoping to keep her longer "naps" for night time), keeping it noisy, bright, etc... and then keeping it quiet, dark, etc at night -- but she doesn't seem to care.  We've also been incorporating a short bedtime routine, but I know that may take awhile before she starts to respond to it.

I do understand that she's only 3 weeks old, I'm just hoping there's a light at the end of this newborn tunnel!  Thanks ladies :) 


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12-24-2012 at 8:37 PM
TJ1979
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Things didn't get better for us until after 6 weeks. But I had significant supply issues on top of her shallow latch and very severe nipple trauma. The good news is it gets really better really quickly once you work out your issues and get past that 3 week growth spurt. Just hang in there. Your persistence is your best attribute right now and it will get better soon.

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12-24-2012 at 8:42 PM
BeachMama7...
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definitely gets better after 6/7 weeks, but you are really over the hump at 3 months, and it becomes a breeze. i remember telling myself everyday that it was the LAST day i would do it, i was so tired, irritated, cranky! etc. but i am SO extremely glad that i stuck it out. at 3 months, i absolutely loved breastfeeding. around that time they can sort of get a "schedule" and *hopefully* start sleeping much better. every baby is different, just remember you are giving your lo the most wonderful gift by breastfeeding and you are doing a great job! at 15 months i wont lie im STILL exhausted most the time but hey thats kids! its definitely worth it all. 

 

establish a good bedtime routine now and do it every single night. it will help in the future. also, you may think about side lying nursing it helped SO much when i figured it out, and i could rest while she nursed. i was really against bedsharing, but i did it for the first few months and got so much more rest!

good luck mama!  


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12-24-2012 at 8:48 PM
CLLDLL
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The worst of the nipple soreness got better around 3.5 weeks.  By 7 weeks we had a routine down and things got quite a bit better.  2 months is when I started to feel like I actually had a chance of making it to my goal of 6 months.  Now at almost 3 months it's starting to be enjoyable.  I look forward to getting off work every day and spending some quality time cuddling and nursing.

Stick with it mama.  It's so worth it.  You've made it through the toughest time and have done a GREAT job.  Keep it up a little longer.  It will all pay off.


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12-24-2012 at 10:34 PM
I am Marla...
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It was about 11 weeks before I got REALLY comfortable and had no pain. I have inverted nipples, so it was more painful due to the adhesions though. Plus- she was chomping down and causing blanching of my nipples too- which is super painful, and I had a large hole in my nipple that refused to heal. She really started sleeping well at night around 8 weeks.

I think you are doing exactly right in your routines- feeding often during the day, and dark and quiet at night. It'll get easier quickly and you won't remember these hard parts so much. Hang in there.

I was also too stubborn to quit- and I'm rapidly closing in on 9 months EBF, and plan on making it well past a year. You can do it- it's just a matter of powering through the crappy parts. 


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12-24-2012 at 11:25 PM
jeffsteph1...
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It got a lot better for me at 4 weeks. Nipple soreness went away and m son and I got into a good routine. We started a bedtime routine around then too. Bath, book, boob and then bed. Some say that's too early, but its worked for us. I spent the first month of his life sleeping on our couch (hubs went back to work right away). I finally got tired of that and started the bedtime routine, I pumped like a crazy person and built up a stash so hubs could feed him. I'm also not against supplementing with formula if I need extra rest... Happy mom equals happy baby. I'm going back to work after the holidays, so my wonderful plan could be turned upside down, lol!

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12-25-2012 at 8:44 AM
pepomntpat
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It got easier around 6-8 weeks. Feedings and naps became more predictable then. I started to actually enjoy it and look forward to feedings as a nice bonding time and break once I got rid of the mastitis and thrush around 6 months.

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12-25-2012 at 9:06 AM
metucker
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You can do it! It was terrible for me until 8 weeks. Hang in there!

 
12-25-2012 at 9:41 AM
theresat85...
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For us things got easier around 4w with BFing, and then harder from 6-8w with fussiness, but better after that (at least until 4m wakeful). 


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12-25-2012 at 10:20 AM
dizzykates
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It got much better around 6 weeks when we fell into a sort of routine.  She just needs to nurse every two to three hours (still would if I let her...) and when I figured that out we were good to go.  It was also about that time that she started sleeping longer stretches at night which helps a lot.  Find a comfy chair to nurse in at night and just relax. I was never one to be able to sleep during the day so it was important that I get that rest at night.  Good luck, hang in there, it's totally worth it!

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12-25-2012 at 10:42 AM
CabbageCab...
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After that growth spurt, things got better bit by bit consistently. She became stronger and could adjust her position a bit, control the nipple better and became more efficient. Feeding took less time and less work from me. By 6 weeks, we had fallen into much smoother patterns. At 12 weeks, I felt on autopilot. All I had to do was open up my shirt and make sure I had a glass of water nearby. My letdowns synched up to her hunger perfectly and it was smooth and easy.

 

If you've made it past 3 weeks, you're doing great and it will be better and better!


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12-25-2012 at 11:54 AM
hilsy85
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I can finally say at 8.5/9 weeks, breastfeeding has finally gotten easier. We made it through a tongue tie, mastitis, cracked/bleeding nipples, and pain to the point where I would cry as he nursed. But FINALLY it doesn't really hurt anymore and he is very efficient--usually only nurses 8-10 minutes per side. He is also a great sleeper now--goes 7-8 hours at night, followed by a 3-4 hour stretch. And TBH, sleep with babies is tough regardless of whether they're FF or EBF. Hang in there, things really will get better (people told me that and I didn't believe them, but it really is true!). 
12-25-2012 at 12:42 PM
Bookelly
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We had a hellish six week growth spurt that lasted from the end of week five through the beginning of week seven. I almost quit BFing. But once we made it past that, it got better. LO didn't start sleeping longer stretches till 10 weeks, but when she did, that also made a big difference.

Now, at 3 months, I actually quite enjoy BFing (even the middle of the night feeds).

So, yes, it does get much easier and much better! 


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12-25-2012 at 4:49 PM
lynde129
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i would say around 2 months~ 8 weeks it became simple and second nature.  DS i think went through his 4 month wakeful early around 3 months for two weeks and it was a little stressful then (i felt sucked dry and a lil sore).  but now at almost 5 months i think i may continue past 1 yr as long as DS does not wean.
12-25-2012 at 7:36 PM
n8swife
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I wrote this same post 9 months ago. It gets better. It got better for us around 78 weeks. DS is now 10 months and it's so easy and enjoyable. Hang in there. It will get better and you will be so happy that you stuck with it. You're doing a great job!!

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12-25-2012 at 9:54 PM
atdavis87
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The pain got better at about 6 weeks. I wouldn't say it became "easy" until about 3 months. Now we're just cruising along at 7 months!

It becomes SO much better when the pain goes away and they gain some head control.
 
12-25-2012 at 11:10 PM
damabo80
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Each week gets a little bit better.
And it's babydependent. DD needed a boob in her mouth every two hours for months on end. I was a human pacifier. And when I say months on end, we're talking like 8 to 10 months.

DS, on the other hand started STTN around 2.5 months and he uses me as a paci sometimes, but only for a few minutes. During the day he eats every 3 to 4 hours. And the kid is a chunky tank.

Even though DD nursed all the time, she's a tiny little thing.

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12-25-2012 at 11:12 PM
damabo80
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And the whole day night thing is based on cut radian rhythms. This comes naturally, and is not dependent on routines etc at this age. Circadian rhythem s start around 8ish weeks.

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12-26-2012 at 7:17 AM
michelle14...
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Honestly, things didn't get easier for us until DS was almost 7 months old. He was the slowest nurser on the planet until then. I'm glad I stuck with it though.

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12-26-2012 at 11:19 AM
katiewhomp...
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It got better around 6 weeks and I began to enjoy it around 8 weeks. Lo had a horrible latch and one of my nipples just never took well to feeding. Once I gave up on it (ep'd that side) it went better.
12-26-2012 at 1:41 PM
mlynne37wi...
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BFing got easier for me after 8 weeks. Now it's just second nature. I don't know why it got easier, but it's just like a switch flipped and it was easy. Hang in there. Growth spurts are no fun, but they don't last forever.

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12-26-2012 at 5:19 PM
shmeell25
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I'd say between 6-8 weeks, things got significantly easier for us. I think people underestimate just how difficult the beginning can be. But I can attest to the fact that it's so worth it! Hang in there, you are doing a great job! Yes

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