Feeling a bit lost......?

hi mummies

this is my first post on the B&T forum! I dunno where the last 2 weeks have gone?!

Just wondering how all the new mummies are doing? and if anyone else was feeling as lost and confused as me?!

Euan is a pretty good lil baby, and only really cries when he wants feeding, which at times feels constant! I'm BFing which i really struggled with at first, but have settled into now, but sometimes he can be feeding for over an hour-is this normal? I'm trying to express some off everyday, and normally manage about 4-5ozs, but that only last sfor one feed. I've also been supplementing him a little bit with formula, mainly to give me a break, its not something we do every day, just every now and then during the night if i've been up for hrs so my partner can take over for a bit.

I've been trying to get into a bit of a routine, but because he's demand feeding i'm finding it quite hard, so mainly just trying to get him up around the same time each day and put him down at the same time each night. But all the info out there is sooooo contradictory, some says get into a routine asap but others say not to bother when they're so small as it makes no difference to them.

Anyways i was just wondering how everyone else was getting on??

Take care

Kate and Euan 13days x

Thanks for your replies...

hi

thanks everyone for your reassurance!! I think i'm just putting myself under pressure when i really dont need to! I've just been overwhelmed by the responsibility of it all and am so worried i'm going to mess up all the time.

I'm going to try and take a more relaxed approach from now on and just take each day as it comes and make sure i enjoy my boy rather than constantly worrying what i'm doing wrong!

thanks again

kate and Euan 2 weeks today x

Hello kate

As another mummy said in her post, you sound just like me when I had my first baby. Like you I was very confused about routines (or lack of, at this age), and Etienne would take an hour as well to feed... 8 feeds a day, that was 8 hours on my boobs... felt like a lot. We did struggle with that as well at the begining...
What I am trying to say is that all what you are feeling right now seems absolutely normal. I'd be surprised to hear any mum saying she's feeling totally in control in the first couple of months. It IS total chaos, but trust me it DOES get much better . You will notice a big change already at 6 weeks, I don't know why, but loads of mums say that and it's true. And then again at 3 monhs. It probably seems like ages away for you right now, but don't worry, you will get there, and in the meantime, you are doing wonderfully well with your little man.
I think I remember the only routine we had then was bath time, which was more for us than for Etienne really as they don't need to be bathed averyday, but in the surrounding chaos of the first few weeks, it seemed a nice planned thing everyday which helped us feeling a tad in control...
good luck hun,
Flo, Etienne 17 months and 36+5 wk pink bump

Hi hun

Firstly euan is a gorgeous name!
Secondly hunny, My wee man Riley is 14 months old... and sometimes I still hav my moments were I think "what am i doing??" haha.
I think untill Riley was about 2 months old i just kinda let him do his own thing! then he'd almost settled himself into a great little routine that suited me fine!
Dont worry too much about routine at this early stage, ur still both getting to know each other.

It all seems such a long time ago now since my baby boy was as small as euan! Enjoy it hun, as the time does fly and now Riley is walkin and startin to talk! lol.

Hugs hunny and Welcome to B&T x x
Nikki x x x x x x x x and Riley B x x x x x x x x

Routine

Hi there Kate,

Your little Euan is only 2 weeks old so you will feel lost and please do not fret about the routine, this will happen in time and you will get to work out the routine the two of you. I did not feel settled until Emily was at least 8 weeks old and I did not really enjoy motherhood until then if I am totally honest.....

I stopped bf'ing at 3 months and weaned Emily totally onto formula about 3 weeks after that.

Just go with the flow now and see what takes place - it will all fall into place and remember we are all here for advice and support.

Lots of Love
Natalie & Emily xxx (19 weeks old) x

Hi kate

Congrats on arrival of little Euan, you sound exactly like me when my Sam was that age. He's almost 5 months now and time is still flying.

I remember feeling totally lost and confused about whether to have a routine or not. In the end we kind of just went with it and let Sam guide us, which he did and we kind of fell into a loose but flexible routine. We have a little more structure now but still i like to keep fairly flexible, i think it's more chilled that way and luckily Sam is a very contented baby who slept thru (10 hours) from 6 weeks ish.

From 4 months I weaned Sam onto formula only and like you we had been supplementing with formula. For some reason I was crap at expressing so gave up with that fairly early on. I remember having Sam attached to my boob most of the day, so I just used to get comfy, made sure I had a drink and the remote control and watched TV, I think the babies just love being close to mummy and also the more they are on the boob the more milk you'll make so maybe Euan is building up supply.

I think it's totally normal to feel lost, it's flipping scary at times but also the best thing ever. I think with me, the first 6 weeks werea crazy blur and then things seem to just slip into place. If I could've done anything differently it would've been to just ignore a lot of the advice you get (whether you want it or not!), each baby is very different and what works for one doesn't work for another and you know your baby best. It may not feel like it at times bit mother's intuition is magic!

Congrats again and welcome to B&T, feel free to ask anything!

Rach x x x

Ooops just to add

that when Sam was little he seemed to manage 2 hours max of being awake and then he needed sleep so we tried to never let him stay awake longer because then we had an overtired baby and they are not much fun! No-one told me that babies don't just go to sleep when they are tired and me and OH were so confused by all the crying, we were like, he's fed, he's winded, he's clean, he's warm...what's wrong...arrrggghhhh! But it was overtiredness every time! That was prob the only routine we had really, that and a little top and tail every morning, we only bathed him about twice a week cos he hated it (much better now but still not a massive fan!) and didn't see the point of stressing him out.

Anyway i'll shut up now! bye x

Hey hun

I was going to post something a bit like this too. I know exactly how you feel, Archie is a really demanding feeder and he too can feed for ages!! And then still want more an hour later! I am in the process of changing over to formula because I cant feed him outside of the house and Im beginning to feel restricted!! But I have got him on 4oz of formula and still finding he wants more after!!
The only routine I sort of have is he goes 2 1/2-3hrs between each feed. My MW said to feed on demand but surely you cant do that with formula?!
Im also finding he sleeps until about 11pm and thats his last night feed till about 2am but surely this is too late too put him down but he wont go earlier!

IT IS SO CONFUSSING!!!

Sorry this has been of no help too you but I am just as confussed!!!

Adele+Archie