New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

Hey all, my name is Jess and I had my daughter Emerson Leigh via somewhat emergency c-section 3 weeks early due to developing preeclampsia. She is perfect and healthy and we are so overwhelmed with love.

So she is 6 days old, I started out breast feeding then I needed to add formula b/c she was borderline jaundice and to make a long story short I am only formula feeding now, no more breast.

During the day she is a doll, eats 2oz and then sleeps for about 3-3 1/2 hrs and wakes againg for more food and a lil interaction.

BUT at night, I feed her and within like an hr she is cranky, wont sleep, looking for more food. I try tohold out to alteast 2 hrs inbetween but it just means that she is barely sleeping at night, hence, neither am I.

Does she have her days and nights confused?

Is this normal behavior for a 1 week old?

Dr said I could increase bottles to 3oz at night and see if that hold her over longer. Does that seem like too much food? How many oz did your child get after a week old.

Sorry if this all sounds silly, just trying to get the hang of all this and try to get some sleep during the process. Don't want to starve my girl or over feed her LOL


Thanks so much and I am sure I will have a TON more questions

Heres Emerson (Emmie)

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Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

First congrats your DC is Beautiful!!

Ok you can never over feed a baby. They know when they are full they just stop.
I would put 3 oz in the bottle and see if she takes it.. if so great..if not..well...that's just her schedule at this point. I fed every hour to two hours in the begining. it gets easier I promise.

But some suggestions to get her days and nights normal:

Keep it light and noisy during the day.

When doing night feedings...do NOT play with her...just change diaper if needed, feed quietly and in the dark and back to bed.
She'll eventually get it!!

Just a tip on bottle feeding.. always make sure the bottle never gets empty.. meaning put in more than you think she'll eat to make sure she eats enough for her appetite. Yes you waste formula but it's worth it and a great tip. Eventually she will go thru a growth spurt and will need that extra oz you put in the bottle.

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

beautiful!

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

Congratulations. When I noticed that my son was starting to confuse his day and nights to, I noticed he was sleeping all day long when not feeding. We tried to keep him up 1/2 hour to an hour after each feeding. It worked. I know sometimes it felt like I was torturing him, but it was worth it in the end.

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

Posted by Linda1003

First congrats your DC is Beautiful!!

Ok you can never over feed a baby. They know when they are full they just stop.
I would put 3 oz in the bottle and see if she takes it.. if so great..if not..well...that's just her schedule at this point. I fed every hour to two hours in the begining. it gets easier I promise.

But some suggestions to get her days and nights normal:

Keep it light and noisy during the day.

When doing night feedings...do NOT play with her...just change diaper if needed, feed quietly and in the dark and back to bed.
She'll eventually get it!!

Just a tip on bottle feeding.. always make sure the bottle never gets empty.. meaning put in more than you think she'll eat to make sure she eats enough for her appetite. Yes you waste formula but it's worth it and a great tip. Eventually she will go thru a growth spurt and will need that extra oz you put in the bottle.

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

Congrats she's beautiful.

She may her days and nights confused. Even if you feed her and she's crying an hour later feed her again. If she doesn't want it she won't take it then you know she's not hungry and something else is bothering her. Is till sometimes feed her every 2 hours. Try burping her, sitting her upright, laying her on your chest.

Is she cold, too hot? how;s the temp in the house.

My dd is now 6 months but the beginning is always the hardest. Do you have a swing. This was a lifesaver for me. Even if you think it's too fast don't worry it's not. My dd was in the swing every day even that young, not for long, but long enough to calm her. It def. helped soothe her. Try a nice warm bath, if it's not too late.

It doesn't seem like now, but it gets so much better

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

Congrats on your new baby!! My DD is 4 months old now and it seems like yesterday that I brought her home from the hospital, so enjoy it and savor every moment cause it goes wayyyy too fast!!

Also, yes.. I get what your saying about the day/nigiht thing. My DD had her days and nights confused and the best thing you can do for her is keep it bright and louder during the day and as dark as possibe during night feedings, no interaction. I would say by 6 weeks my DD "got it" and was going back to sleep fairly quickly after a feeding, not staying up to "play" in the middle of the night.

Also its very normal for them to eat every 2 hours, 3oz. is also very normal!!

Goodluck with her... Love the name!

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

congrats Jess - she's gorgeous!!!!

one of the best bits of advice i was given regarding day/night confusion (nodding to Lupes) was to get the baby OUT in the sunlight for at least 10 minutes a day - as that will help set their 'internal' clock. I want to say by day 3 of doing this - Em was 100% on track!

also - do the standard...during the day - entertain her, keep it bright & sunny (even while she's napping) - keep the TV On or a radio on - so there's noise. then at night - do the opposite - darkness, quiet talking, lower the tv, etc...

she'll get there - and you'll get some sleep - i promise!

fm me if you need anything!



eta: by the time she was one week - Em was taking 4 ounces every 4 hours - like clockwork!

Message edited 12/15/2010 3:55:13 PM.

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

congrats! beautiful baby!

Message edited 12/15/2010 3:52:14 PM.

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

You've already gotten some GREAT advice from the posters above, I just wanted to add my congratulations! She is absolutely adorable and omg those tiny toes how I miss them!! Love the name you chose also! Good luck, it does get easier with time, I promise

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

congrats jess

not too much! DS was taking 3oz on the day we left the hospital

i think he was up to 4 by 2 weeks. Let her feed on demand. Try 3. If she takes all three in each bottle for 24 hours, try 3.5.

At that age, they say the number of hours they sleep between bottles is consistant with the number of ounces they take in each bottle. It was right on for us, always!!

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

congrats on your beautiful baby!! great advice from the other ladies.. those first few weeks are a complete blur - I dont remember much.

don't worry about overfeeding and keep upright and burp just in case gas is the culprit.

does she like to be swaddled? DD didn't sleep well the first few nights and I tried the swaddle. it worked miracles. she needed to be swaddled for the next 4 months, but it really helped her.

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

OH MY GOSH, ladies it might be hormones but all that great advice just literally brough tears to my eyes. To know that I can come here, ask stupid questions, and get real advice, ideas, etc is amazing to me. I am going to try all the advice I was given here. Thanks so much

Re: New mom looking for encouragement, advice, experience, etc

congrats Jess! She's gorgeous!

Hang in there, it gets easier! I agree with the other posters about the night feedings- my pediatrician calls it "business lunch" you eat and then back to bed!