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I'm so tired, I have a two week old baby boy, I'm breastfeeding and I have no energy. Waking up to feed in the night isn't helping but I don't even have energy to eat half the time. My DH seems to think i'm doing nothing all day and can't understand why I'm so tired. Should I go see my gp or is it normal. This is my first baby so I don't know what to expect.

You poor thing. Don't worry it's perfectly normal to be exhausted for the next three years! breastfeeding does take it out of you but you really need to eat well. Get your husband to do some cooking so you can relax and eat when the baby is sleeping. I found nibbling on things throughout the day kept my energy levels up, bananas, raisins, crackers and cheese were good. I admit chocolate and crisps went down pretty well too!

Believe me it is soooo normal to be exhausted but you have to eat. I found that snacking regularly really helped and like you I never felt like eating a big meal at the end of the day. Yoghurts are a good snack as well as cheese. I lived on cheese on toast for the first two months. Breastfeeding is tiring but it really is worth it. How is it going for you, are you finding it easy?

Thanks, it'd just nice to know it's normal, my other half doesn't understand at all, as far as he's concerned I'm sitting round the house doing nothing all day soi why should I be tired.
I had a few problems with breastfeeding initially - I couldn't get him (my baby not my husband obviously!)latched on properly and it was hurting. We both seem to have got the hang of it now. Thanks for the support

why not co-sleep? Cosleeping is great for mum and baby, helps maintain a good milk supply, and you get some sleep. nothing dangerous about it as long as you don't smoke, drink etc You can feed and sleep at the same time. It's natural. check out william sears' website or read the excellent book by Deborah Jackson - Threee in a bed. Try talking to a qualified breastfeeding counsellor, i've listed the numbers below, invaluable as GP's and HV's on the whole know very little about breastfeeding.

Good luck, breastfeeding really is worth it.

http://www.lalecheleague.org/bfinfo.html
The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers 020 7813 1481
The Breastfeeding Network 0870 900 8787
La Leche League 020 7242 1278
The National Childbirth Trust 0870 444 8708

Your story sounded soooo familiar, my son is 13 weeks old but the first 2-3 weeks were no joke. You really are over the hardest part, it gets so much easier but you do need to eat well, once you get to 4 weeks you could express and leave your other half give a bottle so you can stretch your sleep a bit longer. Keep up the breastfeeding, it really is worth it and the only thing that only you can give your baby. Chin up!

It's not just breastfeeding that makes you tired! With bottle feeding you have to get up to make the bottle and although I think you tend to feed less, you are more awake and therefore disturbed when you are feeding. But I think that you can't prescribe any right or wrong ways about breast is best or not. Sure the milk is better frfrom the breast, but my initial relationship with my daughter was severely interfered with by my failed attempts to breastfeed. After 17 awful days we gave up and are both much happier for it. I now wish I'd given up long before that. And breastfeeding counsellors are far and few between in my experience - all the ones I rang were no use at all. Sometimes breastfeeding just isn't meant to be. I believe that the tiredness is natural until the baby gets into a routine and is happy/settled whatever method of feeding you are using and I now wish that I'd heard Tracey's methods sooner so that my little one would have suffered less at my muddled attempts at feeding on demand which just ended up with her having a chaotic routine because I couldn't interpret her signals and give her what she needed - especially sleep!

Emily
Don't worry, we all felt like you. See if your health visitor can have a chat with your partner to help him understand the emotional and physical strain on you. Also, a tip for keeping your energy up. Before you go to bed, get your partner to make you a tray to have by you wherever you feed with a large drink of water or squash (I find water so boring to drink), a cereal bar (Alpen do nice ones with yoghurt) a banana and maybe even a kitkat (my breastfeeding counsellor suggested the kitkat!). This way, you can snack as you feed and it will help you get through the tough nights.

It does get better.

Good luck

My baby is six months now but the first few weeks were the hardest. He was a big baby (9lb 2oz!) and never seemed to be full on the breast. I used to sit up for four hours a night feeding constantly and was so tired. In the end we decided to try the bottle- although I had been totally against this in pregnancy and wanted to breast feed as long as poss. With the bottle I have found it so much easier! I am much calmer and happier, which makes our baby happier, and also my partner can help!I have also found it much more convenient. We can now go wherever we want whenever, without having to worry about feed times! If you dont fancy bottle milk, try expressing and then others will be able t help you while you rest.

stick with it mate.im still breast feeding my five month old son.try to sleep when baby sleeps (leave the dishes and washing up for visitors and partner} you will get through it. most importantly take the time to enjoy your baby.

I was absolutely exhausted for weeks after the birth of my son until my doctor put me on iron tablets. Almost immediately I felt 100% better. So it's probably worth telling your GP you'd like a blood test.