Breast feeding...1 week old nights switched with Days- PLEASE HELP

Meagan - posted on 02/06/2011

Remember there still little and dont know whats going on but in the next few weeks baby will start to regulate, what i found that REALLY helps to get days and nights on the right track is co-sleeping with baby, when he woke up in the night i would just pull him in bed and nurse him back to sleep all night and i would get a much better sleep that way i wouldnt wake up a sleeping baby then they get cranky things will get better at about 8 weeks old u just gotta sleep when baby sleeps until then, goodluck! i would really suggest co-sleeping tho works wonders on getting baby to sleep at night

Tyrae - posted on 02/01/2011

if its getting really bad you need to start sleeping when he does. my daughter was the same way and just one day at about 6 weeks old she started sleeping through the night when she had previously been awake all night. of cuourse with sleeping through the night she is now eating every hour during the day to make up for it :)

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 02/01/2011

Don't time when you nurse. Nurse baby frequently, whenever they show the early hunger cues (http://www.kellymom.com/bf/start/basics/...). It will make for a much happier baby. During the day keep everything bright and active even while baby is sleeping. Towards the evening start to dim the lights and quiet everything down. Eventually, he will get things switched around. Cluster feeding in the evening can help get a longer stretch in the night. Cluster feeding is offering the breast frequently during the typical "fussy time" in the evening, usually between 6-10p. he's still very tiny and needs frequent feeds. The first few weeks/moths are tough. As much as you can sleep when he sleeps during the day. It gets better soon! :)

Lydia - posted on 02/01/2011

day and night atmosphere is important to help the baby figure it out... at night, keep lights dimmed, speak not much and only quietly, no entertainment, just feed & change and put back to sleep or rock if sleep not possible...during the day - open curtains, lots daylight, talk a lot with the baby, sing, activity... it took only a few days to get into day-night rhythm for my daughter.

feed on demand. 2 hours during the day is fine. fact is that the prolactin (milk making hormone) level is higher during the night than during the day, so more frequent night feedings in the first few weeks is normal until supply is established (at around 4-6 weeks)l! try to rest and sleep during day when your baby is sleeping to catch up on what you don't get to sleep at night.

also if you're open to the idee of cosleeping... you could sleep next to your baby and feed laying down so you actually can sleep while he is eating.

by the way, i practically lived on the couch for the first 6 weeks because my daughter was feeding every 1-2 hours and lived on my arms... i almost didn't do any housework for this time, i watched all 8 seasons of the cosby show and surfed the net... after that it got a lot easier... she still was feeding every 2 hours during the day for a long time, but each feeding only 10 minutes and during the night she started to eat only every 4-5 hours, that meant 2 feedings during the night which was nice.

Jennifer - posted on 02/01/2011

I'm not a fan of the Mylicon type gas drops. Try looking for something like Gripe Water instead -- its all natural. As far as how often... go with your baby's cues. Try to comfort him with rocking, diaper changes, etc before you go right for the gas relief. The back of the bottle will tell you how often is safe though :)

Kem - posted on 02/01/2011

Thanks Jennifer that helps a lot. :) I appreciate the advise. I also have gas drops in case that is why he is fussy too...do you recommend using those & how often if so?

Jennifer - posted on 02/01/2011

If your LO is only a week old, I think it's asking a bit much for him to sleep 3 to 4 hours at a time at night. Many newborns will feed every 2 hours around the clock and will slowly space feedings out over time as they are ready to do so. My advice would be to quit paying attention to the clock and feed him when he's hungry, even if it's every hour. Breastfeeding works on the law of supply and demand. You make as much milk as he asks for, so if he needs it more often, give it to him to ensure plentiful supply.

The first 6 - 8 weeks are hard, because they are FULL of growth spurts. You'll sometimes feel like he's on your breast 24/7 and that's okay. Keep your water and snacks nearby and camp out with him. :) It does get better.

Check out this link: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newbor...