first baby?

Question

i´ll have my baby the next weeks and i wonder what the first year will be like. how long did you breastfeed and how long does it take untill you´ll not have to get up every three hours to feed the baby any more. please tell me your experiences!

Answer 1

I have 5 kids, and I nursed them all for at least the minimum recommended 2 years. But whoever told you that a baby only nurses once every 3 hours was sugar-coating it. For the first month or two, most babies nurse once every 2 hours, and in the early days, it can take 30-60 minutes each time. So you may be nursing for an hour, then not nursing for the next hour, then nursing again for an hour...

For many mothers, the only way to get much sleep is to take baby into your bed. In a week or so, you can learn to nurse in your sleep.

Breastfeeding is natural, but it's a learned skill, just like language. (If you never heard anyone talk, you never would have learned to speak.) Most women in western countries today never or rarely saw mothers, aunts, or big sisters nurse their babies. So you're stuck with on-the-job training instead, and it's at the worst possible time--when you're still overwhelmed from the pregnancy and birth and losing sleep while learning!

Answer 2

It will be one full of ups and downs. Your emotions will be all over the place, and you'll be surviving on very little sleep.

I breastfed my kids for a year. However, you need to do what's best for you. Some mom's only go 6 months, 3 months or alternate between the bottle and the breast. If you do want to breast feed, remember that it's not as "natural" as it may seem. It takes work and dedication. It could take up to 2 months to get on a system that works best for you and baby. So hang in there and know that you're not alone. There are great lacatation specialist that can answer all your questions. They even have breastfeeding classes in most hospitals you can attend after you deliver, and before you go home.

According to my pediatrician (and every one is different) I was told that your baby should eat every 2-3 hours at night up until 3 months of age. After that anywhere from 4-5 hours at night and after the age of 6 months should be able to sleep through the night with no feedings. But again, every doctor is different, and so is every baby. Your baby may only want to wake once or twice a night from the start. And if he/she is gaining weight and doing well, then it's OK. Again, you just need to trust your gutt and know that what you are doing, even though it may be different from everyone else, or any book you are reading - if it's working for you - GO FOR IT!

The best advice I can give is to Trust Yourself. Relax and know that even though you may not feel it right now, once that baby arrives the "Mommy" in you will shine. You'll find that you'll get alot of advice from friends and family. Take what you like and apply it to your routine, everything else ignore, and do what you think is best.

And one more thing, enjoy your little one during every stage the first year. The smiles, the laughs, crawling to walking to their first words. They grow so fast.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! And welcome to the club!!

Answer 3

Hi, good luck, and all abies are different. Some Babies sleep nearly through the night and some just won't leave you alone.
There comes a time when you ask yourself, will I ever be able to sleep a night through. YES you will, it depends if you have a nightowl. Breastfeeding is also up to the individual, some times is not very convenient, but I figure at least for 6 months, and it depends on how much milk you produce too. Try your best, its all a learning curve.

Answer 4

The first year is wonderful! When i got up in the middle of the night with the baby- I would put very low lighting on and keep everything quiet so she would know it wasn't "playtime" I'd giver her half the bottle- then change her, then the other half and put her back to bed- whole ordeal took half hour- 45 minutes tops. My kids slept through the night at 6 weeks, but they were big- 9 pounds at birth- it all depends on the baby and how much they weigh and how much they drink, and just them! You will enjoy the first year - it's all growth - then the second year the way they constantly learn new things ever day is delightful

Answer 5

Every baby is different...but, I would say the first six weeks are the toughest...being a new parent is a whirlwind - your whole life changes in a blink - and I dont think you really ever fully recover!! However, it gets easier and easier the older they get. My daughter only got up once to nurse in the middle of the night by 5 weeks old. She is still getting up once to nurse and she is 6 months old (but she sleeps 8 to 9 hours before she gets up to nurse - usually 8pm to 4am)...I am still breastfeeding her. The first few weeks are tough - especially if you have trouble with your latch, but once you get the kinks worked out, it's great. I plan to breastfeed until she self-weans, which is usually between a year and 18 months old. If you do have trouble nursing at the beginning (it shouldnt be painful) then see the lactation consultant at your hospital...it's free and it helped me A TON! Good luck! and congrats on your baby!!

Answer 6

I breastfed my son until 12 months when he decided he didn't want it anymore. But some babies would go on longer than that. But for your baby's sake, the american pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least 12 months.

My son was a big baby and nursed every 1 1/2 hr for 2-3 weeks and then we went to 2 hours. By 5 months he was nursing every 3-4 hours.

My suggestion to you is to be a responsive mother. Do not listen to people's advice of nursing every so and so hours. Your baby will tell you when he/she is hungry and will actually set his/her own schedule. For you and the good of your baby, the best thing to do is respond to your baby's need. But if you want a guideline, typically newborns will nurse from every 1 to 2 hours.

Answer 7

Breastfeeding varies with each child. My first child breastfed up to 5 months and then he was ready for baby food. My second only breastfed for only 4 months as he was just a little piggy, couldn't keep up with the milk intake. Both my babies were really quiet their first year. I had to go and check on them a lot just to make sure they were all right. Some babies get croup and cry and cry. Some babies might cry a lot when teething, some just remain quiet. It differs. My best to you and your new baby. If you have no one that can answer questions for you regarding helping you with your child, please check your local library or even the internet. You will find plenty of tips. Congratulations

Answer 8

Every baby really is different, so you and your baby will need to figure out what works best for the two of you (and your husband or partner, if you have one). Sometimes a breastfed baby will sleep through the night pretty quickly, and sometimes a bottle-fed baby won't sleep through. A good place to ask questions is when you take your baby for doctor's visits, or maybe your mom or sister. Congratulations and good luck!

Answer 9

I've just had my own first baby about six weeks ago. I am currently breastfeeding and have made a decision to continue to breastfeed until about six months. Of course, this is not a decision that is set in stone, so I may go longer, or I may not and just decide to pump my milk.
We've been given alot of "good will" playing cards so to speak and we've been blessed with a very good baby. He started sleeping from 9pm until 5am when he was about four weeks old. Prior to that, he was up every four hours to feed at night.
I think what helped us, is that when you baby awakens at night, try to keep things as quiet as possible and your lighting as low as possible as well. This way, your baby will learn over time that its time to sleep and not to play.
Every baby is so different of course. The first few weeks of your life seems up side down. With the lack of sleep, trying to recover from delivery, changing hormones, and caring for a new life, is very overwhelming, but it gets better. I found that social/emotional support from my husband and friends was extremely helpful. Good luck with your baby and enjoy each and every second of this time in your life....and Congratulations!

Answer 10

I always recommend the book " Babywise" by gary ezzo for all first time mothers. It offers wonderful suggestions on how to get your baby to sleep through the night, but not only that, in many areas it prepared you to be a "wise" mother. One example is that it says to never rock your baby to sleep. When I first read that, I was very offended, and disagreed completly. Well, everything else in their made sense, so when my first baby was born, I decided to put her in her crib awake all the time- well, it works. The baby goes to sleep happy, and wakes up happy. You can rock them awake, and it's just as precious. He also offers ways on how to raise a non-demanding child, and encourages sign lanuguage at the age of about 8 months. You will raise a content child who is not independent only on you if you follow the principles of this book. If i knew you, I'd buy it for you, but for now, You can find it on ebay I'm sure. (or the library, or your local bookstore). Babies don't come with instructions, but this is the closest thing. Oh, they also encourage breast-feeding. This book was my "bible" for a long time.......