Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
BF'ing ?
Help a tired mama out! 
We were told that Ella is supposed to eat every 2-3 hours during the day and go 4 hours between feedings. Unfortunately, nursing is the only thing that calms her at night. So I've been feeding her when she wakes up. We do check her diaper and swaddle, walk, rock, talk, etc first though.
She falls asleep on the boob. I wake her during the day, but at night she hasn't been waking so I figure she's done. Obviously, she doesn't get full since she wakes up so soon after, but how can I tell if I need to continue trying to wake her or if I should try to get some sleep? Below is her nighttime nursing log. (She did great during her first day home - 4 hrs, 3.5 hrs, 45 min (company in between), 3 hrs, 2.75 hrs.)
Saturday night, our first night home was a disaster (see blog). Between 3 and 7 we nursed every 30-45 minutes for small amounts of time. I have no idea of the actual times.
Last night, we nursed really well before bed (20 on left, 10 on right) at 10:15. We nursed at 1:45 again. She latched onto the right and would suck and swallow, but kept coming off and having to re-latch; she did this for 18 minutes. Nursed on the left for 6, changed her diaper then nursed another 22. She dozed a little, but at 3:15, she was wide awake again and nursed on the right for 10.
The rest of her eating was pretty good in terms of latching and swallowing. 4:15 5 on L, 12 on R. 5:45 10 on each. 6:50 11 on R, 5 on L. 7:45 12 on L, 8 on R. 8:30 5 on each. She's now sleeping a bit after doing about 3 on the L.
Re: BF'ing ?
I am not sure how much advice I can offer b/c it was the exact same way with Cole. Honestly, my biggest regret is that I followed their advice and didn't just feed "on demand". I am definitely doing that with my next child! All I can say is Cole didn't sleep through the night until about 8or 9 months so I was extremely sleep deprived. He would wake 2-3 times a night to eat. I just wish I had let him sleep initially instead of trying to wake him and force him to eat. I guess the only benefit I see to having him eat so often was I had tons of milk!
My main advice is to relax about the "schedule" it will help your mental state and your milk!
IVF w/ICSI - transferred 2; froze 3
Beta #1 150 Beta #2 320 - 7/16 124 bpm (6w5d) EDD 3/6/13
Our team green baby was a girl! Emma Lynn born 2/23/13
my read shelf:
I agree. Don't worry about the clock unless she's gone too long between feedings. The crazy thing about newborns is that for about 2 weeks or so, they are sooo sleepy when they eat that they fall asleep in the middle and then wake hungry again in a short amount of time. It's okay to feed her each time she wants it and that will stop soon. She'll start filling up before she nods off eventually. During the day, it's okay to let her sleep unless she goes past 3-4 hours without food. My kids fed every 2 hours day or night once they got past that sleepy newborn phase.
You're doing great!!
This. We feed on demand and I'm pretty sure Grier never went more than 2 hours for the first month. If she's showing signs of hunger, feed her and don't worry about a schedule.
If she's falling asleep after a few minutes, strip her down to her diaper so she wakes up. If that doesn't work, wipe her back with a wipe or damp wash cloth. Play with her hands and feet to keep her awake. If she's jaundiced at all, she will be even more sleepy, but its very important that she eats so she poops and pees to get her bili levels back down!
If you milk isn't fully in, she's going to want to nurse constantly and that's a good thing. It tells your body to make more milk.
Grier did the latch and relatch thing a lot in the beginning. All of the experienced mamas here assured me that it was completely normal. My nips were a mess from it, so make sure you are using lanolin! The best thing I ever did for mine was the medela shells. You put them on when you aren't nursing so your nipples get some air and they don't get as sore. (Ah, the things we talk about when we become moms! lol!)
You're doing a great job. Breastfeeding is so hard in the beginning!