It gets better when...

[xxkimmy8xx]

Hey ladies, E.than is 1 week old today and let me tell you, this shit is hard! I'm not producing enough so I'm supplementing and my L&d nurse mil is here till Sunday driving me crazy about it. I could go on about how I feel but I won't BC I want to hear the good!!! What gets easier into month 1? And beyond? What makes you smile to get through this phase?

[jewel441]

For me by week 2 my nipples didn't hurt any more and that made things way better. Also after they regain birth weight and you don't have to wake them so often. Every 3 hours is so much easier than 2. Also anytime she grabs my finger with her little hand.

[halfahippy]

The first two weeks at why far the hardest. I think it was day 8 that DH walked in to both of us in tears because she wouldn't latch. He calmed us down and I pumped and he syringe fed her. Regaining birth weight makes things a ton easier and as their mouth gets bigger it's easier to get a good latch.
I'm so sorry things suck right now. Skin to skin always made me feel a lot calmer and better about the crap parts.

[paloslee]

Hugs! Week one is very difficult. Everyone is adjusting. Max is 5wks now and there are good and bad days. When he smiles or makes cute faces in his sleep it melts me and I forget about the bad days. It gets easier. Take care momma!

[SheilaTheTank]

Smiling, especially in their sleep.
Recognizing you when you walk into the room.
Cooing
Being able to put them down on the playmat so you can go pee,and them not getting upset.

It gets better. It really does. Hang in there!

[isolemnlyswear]

One month in now and he's starting to coo at me and it's heart melting. He has also smiled a few times awake and on purpose. My heart literally gushes.

[zombiesquad]

Six weeks in and supply has regulated making breastfeeding much easier.

I have a better idea of LO's "schedule."

I'm more comfortable getting out of the house with both kiddos.

I'm still not sure what sleep is at this point, but I know from experience that will get better as well.

[sunshineshades]

Apr 6, 2016 12:02:21 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

For me by week 2 my nipples didn't hurt any more and that made things way better. Also after they regain birth weight and you don't have to wake them so often. Every 3 hours is so much easier than 2. Also anytime she grabs my finger with her little hand.

You're still waking even though lo is back at birth weight? I've been told there's no need but a good idea to not let her go more than 4 during the day so she'll sleep at night.

[minae01]

The first few weeks are the hardest. Each week does get easier, especially as your body physically begins to heal from childbirth. For me, the big difference is when they start sleeping longer stretches at night so you're a little more rested. I got a stretch of 5 hours from DD last night (4 straight hours of sleep for me) and I feel pretty good today. I'm battling the same breastfeeding supply issues as you are. I nurse, supplement, and pump. It's very frustrating to not have an easy time with breastfeeding like some women do. I'm not going to keep it up forever, and when I do decide to quit, I'm not going to let guilt eat me up. If baby is fed, that's all that matters. Sacrificing sanity is not worth it!

It will get better gradually, as the newborn phase is such a short time in the long run. Most women do it a 2nd or even a 3rd time! It's totally worth the exhaustion, anxiety, and tears when that baby smiles at you for the first time. Hang in there!

[jewel441]

Apr 6, 2016 13:11:29 GMT -5 sunshineshades said:

Apr 6, 2016 12:02:21 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

For me by week 2 my nipples didn't hurt any more and that made things way better. Also after they regain birth weight and you don't have to wake them so often. Every 3 hours is so much easier than 2. Also anytime she grabs my finger with her little hand.

You're still waking even though lo is back at birth weight? I've been told there's no need but a good idea to not let her go more than 4 during the day so she'll sleep at night.

We were at first as per the pedi advice although we never actually had to. That was actually referring to the day not the night though. After she regained her birth weight the pedi said to still do 2 hours during the day and 4 at night at first, she was really tiny when she was born. Now that's relaxed, we do no more than 3ish during the day and whatever we she does at night. I rarely have to wake her to eat during the day now, and when I do she is usually semi awake anyways.

She usually does one 4 (this stretch seems to be getting longer and longer) hour stretch at night and and two 3s. During the day it varies and in the evening she usually does some short feeds close together before a long bedtime feed to gear up for the long stretch. I feel really lucky she is a good sleeper and except for an odd bad day here or there she is fairly predictable with her routine.

[rosetyler72]

It does get easier! The first two weeks for us were really hard. Up until about 5 days ago breastfeeding was super painful too. That has improved, C is sleeping a 3-4 hr stretch at least once a night too. I find that dressing him in my favorite outfits helps me on the hard days. A good friend told me that each phase has its good and bad parts but that it is so much better if you embrace whatever part you are in rather than wish it were over. Easier said than done but it has helped me during hard nights.