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August 2026 Babies 🇬🇧

Sleepless night

Hi everyone, I really need some advice and support because I honestly don't know what to do anymore. ❤️

I had a C-section, and my little one is now 8 weeks old. He doesn't latch, so I bottle-feed him and pump breast milk for him. I pump 8 times a day for 30 minutes each time to maintain my milk supply.

At night, my baby wakes up every 2 hours. Each time, I have to change his nappy, warm his bottle, feed him, settle him back to sleep, and then pump for the next feeding session. By the time I finish pumping, storing the milk, cleaning everything, and getting back into bed, it's almost time for him to wake up again. I'm barely getting any sleep, and it's really affecting me mentally and physically.

I was struggling so much that I asked my husband to take care of the baby between 6 am and 11 am so I could get some uninterrupted sleep. He works from home, so he looks after the baby in the mornings, and if he has meetings, my mother-in-law helps. I usually wake up around 11 or 11:30 am, pump, and start my day.

My mother-in-law has been staying with us and helping with cooking and other things for the past two months, and I genuinely appreciate everything she has done for us. She will be going back to her home next month.

However, she keeps questioning why I sleep in the mornings and says I should try to manage the baby while also getting some sleep. The reality is that I simply cannot do both when I'm this exhausted. Because of this, she has now stopped talking to me, and the situation is making me feel even worse.

My husband also tells me to try to manage with the baby, but I honestly don't know how I'm supposed to do that when I'm already struggling to cope with the lack of sleep.

I skip breakfast most days, eat lunch, and spend the rest of the day looking after my baby until 6 am the next morning. I barely get a break, except when I need to use the toilet. On top of everything, I'm trying so hard to maintain my breast milk supply because I really want to give my baby breast milk.

I understand that looking after a newborn is difficult for everyone, and I'm grateful for the help I receive. But I'm also recovering from a C-section, and I feel like people are forgetting that I need rest, too. I feel guilty for sleeping in the mornings, even though I'm only doing it because I'm completely exhausted.

Am I wrong for asking my husband to take care of the baby for those five hours so I can get some uninterrupted sleep? Is it unreasonable to need at least 4–5 hours of proper sleep when I'm pumping 8 times a day and looking after my baby?

I love my baby more than anything, and I'm trying my best to do everything I can for him. But I'm struggling, and I need some support rather than feeling guilty for needing sleep.

Has anyone else been through something similar? How did you manage pumping, night feeds, and sleep? I would really appreciate some advice because I honestly feel overwhelmed. ❤️