Our Baby Boy arrived on April 16th and a whole new cycle of nursing began in my life. I nursed Miss Moo with great difficulty and Miss Roo with much more support and ease. This time at bat, I entered this game with an arsenal of knowledge, coming at it out of a home birth rather than a hospital birth, and freshly encapsulated placenta pills in my system less than 12 hours after birth. It took a few weeks to establish a nursing routine on his lead, but we finally have it under control and our own rhythm. So, here’s a little glance at what a day looks like for us right around the 6 week mark.
A Look at Our Day
7 – 8 am: Baby Boy starts to stir from sleeping next to me (we end up co-sleeping) and we get up to change his diaper and start the day.
8:30 am: First awake nursing session of the day. We nurse on each side for about 20 minutes. I try to drink coconut water and eat something after this session so time doesn’t slip up on me and it’s the afternoon before I eat. Remember to eat and hydrate. It’s CRITICAL.
9 – 11 am: Baby Boy is awake and alert. He watches fans and lights, coos and talks, smiles at me and his sisters, spends some time in the swing, “plays” with his sisters as they hold up toys for him, and enjoys looking around at everyone.
11:30 am: Baby Boy gets hungry and will nurse again- either 30 minutes on one side or 20 minutes on each. He takes the lead here and we follow a baby led philosophy in our home. Sometimes he will fall asleep nursing and others he’ll doze and wake up for one more session. I grab a bite to eat with the girls after this session and before nap.
12:45 – 1 pm: Nap time for the house. Baby Boy and I lay down and nurse on each side. He falls asleep somewhere after the 1:45 mark and will sleep for a 2-3 hours block. SLEEP WHEN THE BABY SLEEPS. I am terrible at this still but much better than in the past. A rested Mama means an easier nursing relationship.
4 pm: Everyone is up from naps and the cluster feeding begins. It scared me with Moo. It appeared again with Roo. Baby Boy also inherited this feeding pattern. From about 4pm until 7- 7:30 pm he nurses for 15-20 minutes every 20-30 minutes. This feeding pattern is completely normal and will slow down as he ages. We use a Moby so that I can attempt to cook dinner, keep a bouncy by the dining room table, and do a lot of meals that involve steamed vegetables, crock pots, and baking to complete the meal.
7:30-8 pm: Baby Boy takes another “nap”. This nap lasts anywhere from 1-3 hours. I usually grab a snack, shower, etc. during this nap because I know once he’s up we’ll nurse until bedtime.
10:30-11 pm: Baby Boy wakes, nurses each side, talks and coos for about and hour, and then nurses to sleep.
12-1 am: We move him to the bassinet by our bed. He then sleeps for 3 – 4 hours.
4-5 am: Baby Boy wakes, gets a diaper, and moves to our bed to nurse. He wakes every 45 minutes to an hour to eat and we rotate sides until he wakes up for the day between 7 and 8 am.
This schedule certainly isn’t set in stone and can vary by an hour or two, but we are falling into a familiar pattern. It might happen for you before or after the 6 week mark, each baby and nursing experience is different. But do realize that babies eat more as they get bigger and your supply will change to accomodate that increase in need. Cluster feeding is normal. Getting frustrated and overwhelmed is normal.
Try to remember to eat, hydrate, and sleep when you can. You’ll only be nursing your baby for a short while. You’ll want to enjoy it.
What do your days with a nursing newborn look like?
Like what you've read? Subscribe so you never miss a post! You can also follow us on Facebook or Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
The post Our Day at a Glace: 24 Hours in the Life of a Nursing Newborn appeared first on Modern Alternative Pregnancy.