Princessmel has some newborn related questions.....help please!??

[princessmel]

Ok I know these are pretty obvious to some but I need reminding on a few things

1. You know the little red marks inside the nappy when they've done a wee..thats just something to do with the chemicals and wee reacting isn't it? I'm sure this happened with dd and ds.
   
   
2. Rock hard boobs- please tell me this only lasts a few days?? They are SOOO hard and quite painful. I am trying to feed as much as possible but ds2 is so sleepy and going for hours between feeds. (4+ hours)My milk came in last night and today. Ds2 was restless last night as if he was adjusting to the new milk.
   
   
3. Poo. Please remind me. Colour goes from black and tar like to green with yellow seed like bits in to yellow chicken korma??? We are on the green with bits in stage at the moment. That's ok isn't it??
   
   
4. sleepyness. ds2 is very sleepy, as dd was. (ds was a very awake newborn)I am letting him sleep but after a good few hours trying to wake him and offer a feed but until he wakes himself this is not possible. Could he be jaundiced? He has a very good colour iykwim. I remove his socks and bottom half and change nappy to try and wake him a bit more but not having much luck. I know I'm lucky he;s sleeping but I need to ease some of the milk. I don't want to express.
   
   Thanks for any suggestions/help

[CantThinkofFunnyName]

Hi PrincessMel.

1. Can't recall this at all (i'm a bit out of practice, sorry)
   
   
2. Yes, the rock hard boobs - I DO remember those. Only for the first couple of days once milk comes in but then every time baby needs a feed. Only way out is to keep feeding (or expressing) and hot flannels etc to get a little out.
   
   
3. Poo is fine!
   
   
4. I think you shouldn't worry about the sleepiness - they do say newborns sleep loads after birth to get over it.
   
   Really - I'd express just a little to get everything working and not ceasing up IYKWIM!

[fruitspooksbatsintheeaves]

1. cant remember, sorry
   
2. rock hard boobs last for as long as exclusively breast fed, if a feed is due or overdue IIRC
   
3. green poo is ok short term but should be more yellow. Green means upset tummy I think
   
4. dd was very sleepy for several days after birth, she was also slightly jaundiced, we were told to put her crib/ pram in sunlight while she slept.
   
   HTH

[HeadFairy]

1. I do remember the red bits in ds's nappies, I was all panicky thinking he had a bladder problem. The wet nappy had a slight pinky tinge. Is that the same thing? My hv assured me it was normal and ds has never had any problems with bladder or kidneys.
   
   
2. I never had rock hard boobs because I think I had the opposite problem, but do you have a pump so you can express a bit off to relieve the pressure? Why don't you want to express?
   
   
3. Ds's nappies varied all the time, sometimes they were more green, but certainly for the first couple of weeks they had a definite green tinge. I think it's the last of the meconium working it's way out of their systems.
   
   
4. I don't know of any magic sleepyness cures, ds was very sleepy, feeds took an absolute age because he used to doze off all the time. I used to tickle his feet, gently pinch his ear lobes, talk to him all the time, open a window, anything and everything to get him feeding and not sleeping. My thinking was that if he had a good feed he'd do a longer sleep, so I actually started expressing at 4 weeks and giving ds a top up bottle of ebm as his evening feeds would last forever.

[IdrisTheDragon]

Congratulations

1. Yes it's totally normal. Something like urates I think. It happened with DS and I freaked out a bit
   
   
2. Breasts like melons for me from about day 3 until day 5. Then never so bad again.
   
   
3. Green poo sounds fine - how old is DS2? Would expect yellow by maybe a week or two (memory has gone on the poo front)
   
   
4. I wouldn't worry too much but would keep trying to make sure he gets as much exposure to milk during the day as possible.

[Twit]

1] yes, it is caused by little chrystals in the urethra [I thinkm that's right] it's normal.

2] yes normal, try hot and cold towells if they get really uncomfortable. Express a little just before a feed to soften a bit, but not too much as you will keep producing more.

3] yes

4] He should be ok with what you're doing, cholostrum is higher in calories than milk, so in theory he needs less. If his nappies are wet and he is pooing then he should be ok, just keep trying to feed him.
Of course if you are worried phone your midwife - I did when I thought ds3's belly button smelled 'off' and she came really quickly before laughing and telling me it was normal.

good luck

[princessmel]

Thanks all of you.

Ok, MW is coming tomorrow so I'll mention all of this to her. But I thought you guys were very knowing in all these things!!

I am not keen on expressing atall. With ds I had so much milk and had a serious leaking problem (could fill a mug with extra milk coming out of the breast I was NOT feeding from). So when dd was born I didn't want to make my boobs make any extra milk, only what she needed. So I didn't express ever. I will try hot and cold flannels and cabbage leaves (remembered this just now). dh going to the shops now.

The feeds are hours apart sometimes. Fed this morning at 8ish, then I fed at 11am and then not till 4pm ish. Last night I fed lots between 10 and 2am.(typical when I was shattered)

[southeastastra]

congratulations princessmel! didn't know you were expecting

[FlappyTheBat]

congratulations

1. urates - very common and normal for 1st few days after birth, just body adjusting to life outside womb.
   
   
2. I remember the rock hard boobs well, seemed much worse the 2nd time round and milk came in soo quickly even after el cs.
   
   I would definitely try and encourage ds to wake up a bit more and feed more often than every 4 hours. Sounds like you are doing everything right to try and wake him up.
   
   
3. once babies have passed meconium and the stools begin to change, they do appear green > green/orange > yellow. Once they have gone through this, if you seen green in them, could be a sign that a baby isn't getting enough hind milk. Stools begin to change normally from about day 2/3 and can take a few days to change completely.
   
   
4. midwife will be able to assess level of jaundice easily for you, I wouldn't worry too much about slight jaundice as all babies will have a degree of jaundice after birth, you just can't tell all the time!

[Twit]

ah then he is feeding ok really, just not when you'd prefer it. You could try [just for shiggles] to keep a note of when and for how long he feeds for a day or two, just to reassure yourself.
Sometimes we need to be reminded of things that once we just 'knew', it was the same for me when I had dd, what age gap is there? I had 4 1/2 years and had trouble with tiny nappies and clothes at first.

[princessmel]

SEA
Had ds2 on saturday morning

I remember the rock boobs from before and even after feeding was established mine used to harden if feeds became a bit more spaced apart than normal. Right now they are stretched to the limit. The left one is dripping a bit as I type, ds2 is on my lap and totally zonked. Not atall interested.

My other dcs are ds1 6yrs (Jan birthday) and dd 4yrs (Aug birthday).

Phew about the red bits on nappy, thought it was something like that!!

Yes poo is on the change at the mo. Not black and tarlike anymore but not yet yellow.

[princessmel]

Had a bath and some leaked out in there. I have cabbage leaves in at the moment and it is feeling slightly better. But still rock like!!

I fed at 8pm ish and ds2 seemed slightly shocked at all the milk! Made me cry The side I fed from is a bit less lumpy and tight, roll on next feed time for the other side now!!

He is so small, by boobs are bigger than his head.

[Niknak21]

Hope boobs feeling better, mine were rocks for weeks with DS1, but got lots of info with DS2 and feeding loads better. I would aim for every 3 hrs, but you're probably sorted now.

[princessmel]

They are slightly less rocklike already. The side that has just been fed from is soft in parts now. But overall still uncomfy!

Mw came yesterday and she said that he is ever so slightly jaundiced but nothing to worry about. As his legs and body are a 'normal' colour. The rest of his check went fine and she kept commenting on how lovely he is!!

I forgot to mention about the red bits in the nappy, and his slightly weepy left eye.

She said the poo colour was spot on. Dijon mustard!!

As for the sleepyness it wasn't so much of an issue as yesterday he fed a lot more during the day.

[Northumberlandlass]

Hey, Princessmel have just read your thread in childbirth (had been lurking) - Congrats. Freddie looks beautiful. I love the name too.....I was going to post about savoy cabbages - but I see you are already doing that ! I could of fed at least another two children with the amount of milk I produced.

Savoy cabbages worked wonders for me ! Although I had make sure I didn't have bits of cabbage sticking out the top of my shirts !

x

[princessmel]

Hey Northumberlandlass

Thanks, I think he's gorgeous too, can't stop looking at him and kissing him!

[ILoveGregoryHouse]

Aw, how lovely for you princessmel. Looked at the pics, Freddie is gorgeous.

The pink is normal, as you now know. Just wanted to let you know that my DS3 didn't look jaundiced at first (he was born on a saturday monring too), but got a bit yellower after a couple of days, subsiding after a week. He was very sleepy too and "missed" feeds. It corrected after a few days though.

Enjoy this time, it's so lovely and dreamy (apart from the afterpains of course, are you finding them bad after this baby?)

[princessmel]

IloveGregory yes they are more painful this time. My tummy seems to be generally(sp) a bit achey too. MW said it's everything knitting back together.
She felt my stomach and said that my uterus is very low, almost back in the correct place, which is why things will be hurting.

Mw also said that Freedie is slightly jaundiced so maybe that's causing the sleepyness. He has had awake times the last few days though. He is so relaxed and chilled out. He actually fell asleep during his heel prick test.