Emma has been doing great breast feeding, but it feels like my life is totally revolving around nursing! She eats about every two hours, but then will sleep for four hours(of course never at night time) and then eat every hour for a little while.

My boobs are killing me and leaking all the time. Within an hour or so after feeding her I will be leaking all over again.

It takes about an hour to feed her, she will eat about 10-15 min per side, but by the time I get her on and then burped in between and back on the other side it is usually and hour. so when she eats four times a night I am hardly getting any sleep.

Sebastian would not nurse, but I pumped for a while. When I was pumping I would just pump out everything every time I started feeling really full and did not have any problems. I am so tempted to pump when she does not empty me out, but I don’t want to end up making even more milk.


So, I guess the questions in all of this rambling are, will my supply start to match her needs and will she get more efficient so that the nursing session do not take as long.

I really want to be successful breast feeding, but it is taking up so much of my time and sleep, that it is hard. Sebastian is starting to get jealous and acting out when I have to spend so much time nursing.

I could use some encouragement to stick with it and some assurances that it will get easier.

Okay, here comes some encouragement and some brutal honesty. It is going to suck for awhile, but it is going to get better, I promise you. :hug:

Adam was tongue tied and I was doing "power pumping" (pumping both sides 10x per day) in order to keep my supply up. Much like you described with Sebastian, I was emptying the breasts and wasn't that uncomfortable. Once Ad started nursing again, I was engorged, SO uncomfortable and felt like I was always nursing. (He takes much longer than the pump did!)

It took me a good week or two (it's a blur now) for things to settle down in that department. Also, Adam is taking a bit less time to nurse (and he's a little older, so I can nurse him while he's in the sling--a Godsend!) so it's not quite so bad.

The first few weeks I felt so guilty--I wanted to spend time with B and felt like my life revolved around Adam. The only time I spent with B was during her feedings--not fun.

Honestly, except for the sleep issue, things are a LOT better now. It still amazes me that it's already been 6 weeks--it's flying past faster than I remember with B.

Hang in there--it is really tough at first but I promise, promise you will wake up one day very soon and things will fall into place. :hug: :hug: :hug:

Katey,
let me reassure you that it will get better. I couldn't nurse either of my first 2 kids, but I could with Naomi and I felt just like you! Just remember that it takes about 6 weeks for your milk supply to settle down and unfortunately it could be like this for that long, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and be reassured that you are giving Emma the best start in life possible by breastfeeding her. I am still feeding Naomi and love it and thank God that I could finally do it!. You are doing a great job. When you are feeding Emma I would put an activity or video on for Sebastian so that he is occupied or even read him a book (he has to hold it though lol!). Naomi fed for an hour too at that age, even during the night and yeah, it did feel like a struggle, but after a while it got less time and now she is a 2 minute snacker!!. :smt036

I know it is hard and you are tired, but I encourage you to keep going. If you are a little uncomfortable I would pump off a little bit as to prevent getting mastitis. Goodluck!~

Katey - I have no advice. My milk never came in - and after 3 weeks of pumping every 2 hours and trying to give Henry the little I had plus formula - I gavve up.

If you have the supply and are able to do it - I would try and keep it up. You are lucky to be able to do it, and, like everything - I assume it does get easier!

Hang in there :hug:

You are a trooper, Katey! :hug: :hug: :hug:


And I'm loving the new pics of the kids! :) Emma looks a lot like Sebastian, doesn't she?

Katey, I swear, it's going to get better...I wouldn't have done it for almost 20 mos if it was awful!!!

I found that it really helped to pump the rest off after Ava nursed...it eventually helped to even out my supply, actually.

Hang in there, I swear it's gonna get better!!!!:hug:

And yes, Emma DOES look like Sebastian, and they're both gorgeous! Nice work, mama!

I am nursing my third now and I nursed the other two for over 12 months. It will get better, I promise! I felt the same way with Will, my third. My first was just a challenge because she was first, the second, Charlie was a reflux baby and he comfort nursed, so engorgement was not a problem. Will, on the other hand, did not want to nurse. My milk came in full force and it was awful for about 2 months. We finally got in a routine. IT WILL GET BETTER!

I figured out pretty quickly that my older two were terrible when I would nurse. I would actually stop nursing, put the baby in a safe place and punish the other two...a pretty hefty punishment. I wanted it to leave a real impression so for future the would remember it, it did fit the crime as they would be very dangerous (ie jumping off the back of the couch, flipping the recliner over, yikes)! It worked pretty well but Will would scream until I got back to him. I only had to do it for about 3-4 days.

The other thing that helped us was getting on a very strict feeding/sleeping schedule. That was the only way to manage it and it really helped my milk supply. I know some people are really opposed to schedules and everyone has to do what it right for them, but it worked for us, all three of mine. It actually seemed to help Wills reflux too! Good luck, hang in there!
-Kim

You are a trooper, Katey! :hug: :hug: :hug:


And I'm loving the new pics of the kids! :) Emma looks a lot like Sebastian, doesn't she?

He He, I was just thinking the SAME thing. What a cutie ... both of them :-)

My breastfeeding with Aubrey didn't last long. But I'm sure your milk will regulate to Emma's schedule and in time everything will be much easier. Hang in there, you are doing a GREAT job! :hug: