'December 2011' - 3 left! <dejected pompommery>

[LittleMissFlustered]

Apart from trips to MW, local shops and a couple of walks I haven't taken Danny anywhere yet am a bit scared to. We have a sure start centre 5 minute walk from house which has baby and breastfeeding groups which I want to go to i also joined the nct and they run local things but as he's still establishing the BF (hopefully) have been quite happy staying in and have people come to me. I hate being the new person at things, Going to get brave next week and do something.....anything. He's going to work on 18th to meet the girls there it's just a shame that everyone I know with LOs is now back at work FT as they all 2yr+. I dont feel the need really to get out and make baby buddies but then would like him to be well socialised so feel I should.

figgy I meant to ask, what does your skunk think of the new arrival?

I am up, i have expressed 25ml of milk, I am showered, I am dressed and I have had a

Why can't I be this organised on school mornings? >_<

Don't answer that. Handover in scbu so killing time. Off to seeing there's toast.

Hope the day goes well for all :)

Also for MissRee just in case:)

Quick question for all the bf experts. We're attempting to go from ng feeds to full bf today but i'm worried about my supply. Before being admited f was feeding for 20 to 40 mins from one boob at each feed and then getting the other 3 hours later. I've been expressing in here, mainly both boobs every 3 hours but now i'm confused about when I should switch back to just offering one boob and ditching the expressing. Worried that supply will go tits up or that boobs won't refill enough to provide enough for f at each feed. It's doing ny head in - help!

And supplementary question, if my supply has dropped a bit, if I exclusively breastfeed will f just demand more and more so that after (an exhausting) couple of days my supply will inverse to match his demand?

Have lots of history with trying to successfully exclusively bf ds1 and I'd just really like the chance to have a good go with ds2.

Still very much here

Looks like induction on Wednesday is the way forward have been losing plug since yesterday tho so not entirely given up hope!

for missree hope the plug loss means you will labour soon.

aethel good idea with moving to postnatal, I'm with you on here being the main place I 'see' people with newborns!

hawthers sounds like MiniH is doing well...I would play it by ear with returning to bfing, see how he acts after bfing, keep a close eye on nappies, however if you do feel that supply has dropped it wouldn't hurt to express after bfing, or perhaps express from the side you didn't bf on that time so you have some more milk available if he does need top ups for a few days.

Boobs don't need to refill between feeds, the faster milk is removed the faster they make milk. Albeit, the flow will be slower which is why babies can get cross about it! You could try changing his nappy between boobs to see if you can get him to drink more but I wouldn't worry if he only ever does one side, some babies are happiest that way!

We're taking Miri to Chapel for the first time this morning (we're Unitarian) then home for roast dinner...yum!

Honey, very sorry to hear of your loss. xx

MissRee, fingers are crossed for you.

Figgy, same as you, too scared to take LO out alone atm, promised Dh I will start taking him out when we're in more of a schedule/routine (no point going to baby massage if he's due a feed & poo and will scream for the entire time).
aethel, I have no baby owning friends, so feel like I really need to make an effort to meet local mums (in a month or so). Good idea about moving to post natal.

I'm feeling much more positive about FF, was up with him all night (let Dh sleep) and it's so easy having everything premade in the fridge & not having to wory about expressing! Luckily DS is happy to take milk cold.
Plus one of my boobs is back to normal size (the other is still massive & rock hard but feeling much better).

MissRee I'm waving my pompoms for you. Hoping the plug is significant and that everything gets going naturally for you:)

Waving at everyone else. Am in the limbo between expressing sessions, lunch and the stretch of time where I could feasibly get a nap in >_< I think I may go for a walk to the cafe downstairs to find a yoghurt:) That may sound odd, but the ones on the ward at lunchtime tend to be apricot or toffee ones

AWCHand figgy, I too need to start taking her out more on my own. Went for lunch w her yesterday butcwith my husband, mum and mother-in-law. So far alone have only gone for a short walk around park or down to the shops. Arranged to meet a friend on thurs afternoon for coffee though & am planning to arrange to meet another friend on Friday. Going to wait to join some groups until she is a bit older and maybe in more of a routine or at least I'll be more used to everything.

Also, formula at night is so much easier, I'm glad I calmed down about bf guilt & decided to go with mixed feeding for now. Last night made up 3 bottles of formula and 3 of ebm and stuck em in fridge, luckily like yours AWCH, she'll take it cold, so she got ebm and formula at each feed but it was WAY less hassle. Have decided to ignore new rules. Ifcam really careful all is clean and sterilised, my hands are clean, and my kitchen and fridge clean, I don't see how storing in fridge for a few hours will be a prob.

Right, only got 4 hrs sleep last night so off for a nap while husband feeds her (ebm only, I managed to get 110ml when I expressed this morning-clearly chilling out about it all has been beneficial because I have been able to express a lot more since I relaxed and gave her formula at night, so, paradoxically, the more formula I give her, the more I can express and then the less formula I have to give her, if that makes sense!).another advantage now I have chilled out and managed to see it is that husband can feed her while I nap!

Plug is a significant amount now and this morning had fresh blood streaked in it too so am feeling a bit more positive amazing the things we get excited over when desperate nearing the end

misree, you're doing fine, my mucus stuff went a few days before and my labour started, but then it went from 0-60 pretty fast! And as you say you've got the backup of a booking if things don't start off. I went for a walk in the woods the day before and it was nice to do something different: maybe a
good Sunday pub lunch would be a good thing?

thinking of you today honey

and in other news DS slept from 3am-6am straight so I'm marginally more human, MIL is visiting today and bringing a lasagne. Yum. Oh and now my milk's in I look like Dolly Parton. Yee-har.

I'm planning on getting out and about today but have terrible pelvic/nerve pain so am very very limited in what I can do. Could barely walk yesterday so spent the day sat on the sofa... not the way to go into labour, I know!!!

The pompoms are very much appreciated though everyone... I'm desperate to not have to be induced!!

for MissRee

mopsy when I switched DD onto formula I used to fill a flask with boiling water and then leave the lid off the flask for half an hour. Then go to bed armed with the flask, some sterilised bottles and some measured out formula in a pot (tesco do good ones for 3 portions), and the water is at about the right temperature when you need it.

I'm being discharged at the monent:o

Octopus boy is in until at least Tuesday, probably later in the week though:( they're waiting on blood cultures now just to check everything is clear. He has just had a swift proper latched feed from me though, so am happy that he's still functioning despite tubes and such.

Right. Off to pack everything up and chase paperwork. Need to buy a cold water steriliser and preemie nappies on the way home:)

The d word has been spoken about over here too! As early as tomorrow provided d'a sats continue to be ok and he bfs well.

Am massively panicing about my supply. F seems to latch on for 7 mins and then get tired and then wants to go again within the hour but still only manages 7 mins. i've expressed after but i'm not managing to get much out of the boob he has fed from so hopefully that means he has taken a good amount on board.

Am feeling very sorry for myself as we'd been doing so well with bf ing up until f became ill.

Hope your LOs are well enough to come home with you soon hawthers and LMF

hawthers feeding for a short time very frequently can be a normal pattern for some newborns. As long as it is accompanied by plenty of wet and pooey nappies, he is alert when awake and (when weighed obv!) is gaining, it could just be that he is needing to nurse more frequently at the moment. Nursing frequently could be a good thing atm, as the more practice he gets the faster he will be back to being good at it again! Equally, it could just be that he is asking very often because he needs the extra comfort with being poorly, nursing is proven to proved pain relief.

DP gave Sky some formula earlier, as I nipped to Tescos & didn't express any milk! She polished 2.5oz off quite happily.

Hoping all of you are home from hospital soon.

Thank you all for your support & thanks to msb & aethel for the green poo advice! Think I was beating myself up a bit due to guilt over unresolved issues with MIL; as if resolving Rocoo's BFing issues would help me feel better somehow He's had no green poo since & Burt's Bees nappy cream is helping the rash I think...still very upset that my PFB has nappy rash though as I had thought I could avoid it completely

I am pooing myself at the thought of having Rocco out all day on Friday for the funeral; he's nursing so frequently right now I don't know how we'll make it through the service & I've not really got to grips with discreet BFing so I'm sure to give someone an eyeful at the wake! I think I'll have to spend the week practising nursing him in the sling...any advice on which is easier to nurse in; ring sling or stretchy wrap? He thrashes about quite a lot when nursing (fighting my let down) so I don't think he'll be too happy with either :( I am so impressed with those of you who are out & about with their LOs & completely in awe of those of you with more than 1 DC; I'm lucky if I manage to get out of my pjs by teatime!

Most people seem to find a ring sling easier to nurse in, if you don't get the hang of discreet bfing before then you could always wear a scarf to cover up? Whatever you feel. Ost comfortable with really!

Confession...I haven't made it out with all three DDs without DP yet. I have tried...erm, every day since he went back to work. It hasn't worked yet!

honey, I've not really got on with ring slings muself but my cousin fed in hers a lot: I'd suggest taking a shawl or muslin with you on the day so you can latch on and drape it over. I know it feels weird going out to start with but you may well find people will just be happy to see you with baby, it's something about having a new little life present at a funeral that reminds people there is a sort of optimism when the next generation comes along even as people are sad for the passing of an older one. (((hug)))

I've only really been out to walk the children to school, been pootling around the house since feeding and resting while I get the chance.
But I am now about to drive the car (locally) to get the Dds back from their Sunday School new year party : they go to a local drama group pantomime (Aladdin!) then have a party in the church hall. dH is with the girls but will be walking bacl from town as we can't fit all 5 of us in the car still!!! just tanking up DS full
Of milk, and then off we go. Wish me luck...

My LO smiles as well, just little ones at first, and he also chuckles in his sleep, so we're choosing to believe that it's all real too! I'm looking forward to the first 'proper' smile though, when he actually looks at me and smiles, or in reaction to something.

Like you aethel and msb, for a variety of reasons I don't have any family, and only two friends within a hundred miles, so MN has been a lifesaver for me from the beginning. Looking forward to moving to the post natal and continuing the nattering- and it may remind me that I'm actually a mum now...

I've not gone out on my own with the boy yet, but as I've had a section then I'm leaving it for the full six weeks; I'm fine now but don't want to risk anything, and as we only have a pram and steps up to the door I don't want to push it. Will venture out with the sling, and then in two weeks will start going a bit further with the wheels.

Happy to do hundreds of miles with OH, but feel really rather nervous about doing it on my own, but we'll all overcome it or become sofa hermits.

I will start going to my local bf 'class' though, as I went pre-natally; however, it's 10am on a Monday morning- WHY?!

So glad that everyone's LOs are on the mend too- don't forget to look after yourselves ladies, the trauma of seeing loved ones seriously ill can be underestimated.

On bf, that would explain why our sprog was feeding so much yesterday msb- I sort of guessed that it was a form of comfort sucking.

And, in terms of supply, I took your advice from a while ago and took some motilium for the past couple of days... now it could be simple correlation as opposed to causation, but I do appear to have had 'more' milk since I've taken it, so others may want to try it, and thanks for the tip!

I am dreading tomorrow though- will miss my OH horribly, doubt I'll manage to shower given LO's allergy to the moses, and know my OH will be miserable at leaving us . AND (was it you who had this Oi) I'm having to pack away some of the clothes already, so sort of grieving the fact that the 'newborn' stage has gone already [trembly bottom lip emoticon].
But that's what MN is for!

Octopus boy is in nicu. They want to put a line in and possibly replace some of his blood with fluids to thin it down.

Cracking up.

He's not sick sick, but I'm mostly alone and faking being fine is taking its toll.

Sorry. Needed to tell someone. You guys copped for it:(

Off back up to see how he is.