October 2013: The Fourth Trimester - the bit no one warns you about!

[roxvox]

Stats sheet here

New arrivals here

Key:
SC - still cooking (pre EDD)
SFW - still f*ing waiting (post EDD)
OWT - on way to theatre (CS)
IP - induction in progress
SWIL - somewhere in labour
LIT - lost in transition

For a dummy get the cherry dummies. They are round dummies the baby can hold on to, the small flat teats are to small for them to hold on to yet.

GT the main vitamin bf babies need supplementing is vitamin D. Most countries this far north recommend all bf babies get vitamin d drops from birth and experts in the UK are hoping to get the advice here changed to say the same thing. I'm planning to get Joshua some vitamin drops the next time I can get to a pharmacy.

I decided to go alarm free last night but Joshie decided not to sleep for most of the night. It's so frustrating not to know if he's hungry, uncomfortable, or just awake. When he finally did sleep he woke after about 3 hours so I think we'll keep going with demand overnight.

Congratulations Clapham!!
Notyomumma are you the last one cooking on this thread?? I'm so willing you to have our Hallowe'en baby xxx

Little T woke every 1.5hrs to feed last night, growth spurt?
Thanks for the supportive response to my rant yesterday. The positive outcome to my little meltdown is that DH has taken DS out to the zoo, leaving his drawings behind. So i have the ridiculously messy house to myself, just waiting for my final mw visit.

to all those with misbehaving older DCs. DS is alternatively incredibly thoughtful and loving to T and then behaves like a lunatic- classic attention seeking, and poor love has a sleep-deprived-short-tempered-mother who doesnt find it too amusing. We're getting there though. I agree with nat, consistency is important, but given that our DS is 6 I'm trying to reason with him too ha ha!

Happy Hallowe'en to you all! Loving the pics on FB. Thea's 'gro was too big so she'll just have to scream loads to be the hallowe'en part when we T&T tonight.

gt how do you feed lying down?

ana they tell you to buy vit d drops when leaving the hospital. I think three people reminded me and my gp.

My 3.2 yr old ds is the same with the challenging behaviour. He's also coming into bed at night but wanting to lie practically on top of me esp when I have dd in my arms....... Making getting some sleep even harder. Do reward charts for good behaviour work at this age?

Sending positive labour vibes to notyomamma and slippy and anyone else bloody SFW

Have i missed an announcement from Clapham?

MrsH- get yee to FB!! You get all the news there first

We also co - sleep..... I have with all of mine. It's the only way we get any sleep, and with dh having to get up at 4.15 am he does need some rest!

I feed lying down too Chickie just have baby lying paralell to you, they turn their head sideways and you're away

We don't have any pillows/duvet near baby though, and usually baby is only in with both of us for a little while, as I put her in the crib to sleep at first, then only stays in with us after she wakes for the first time, which is usually only a couple of hours before dh gets up.

i don't mind having not much sleep til he goes tbh as I can then get a good couple of hours when he has!

Yay! There is a reward for sleepless-feeding-frenzy-nights... Thea weighed in at 7lb10oz. That's almost 1lb gain in 9days. MW very happy to discharge us. No wonder her up-to-7lb baby-gros are looking a little strained... what a waste of money!

chickie was that in Canada or the UK? I've actually considered asking my mom to bring me vitamin d drops from Canada but at the last vitamin d lecture I went to they said the multivitamin drops in the UK are fine.

Also wanted to say I feed lying down when my perineum hurts too much to sit. I put J on his side and align him with my breast. He doesn't even need support in that position and we're at a point where he knows the routine and starts opening his mouth wide when he's put on his side.

I too am SFW. DS just about over his tummy bug finally - didn't much fancy a poorly 2-yr old & a newborn to deal with & I dont want a Halloween baby so having made me wait this long, the little monkey can stay put till tomorrow!

Congratulations new mummies & to all of you struggling with sleep deprivation, feeding & jealous siblings - I'll be joining you shortly (I hope).

Thanks re lying down feeding caz and ana

Yay for wt gain pink And agree those up to 7lb babygros and vests are a waste!!

Ana the vit d advice is here in Canada. Never got it with ds in London.
I've bought it but haven't given it yet. Better start

Sending labour vibes for tomorrow dontworry

On a feed poo nappy change cycle here. She needs to sleep and more importantly so do I :(

dontworry glad to hear your DS is better. Here's wishing you an All Saints baby xx

www.google.co.uk/search?q=breastfeeding+lying+down&client=safari&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Mm5yUoW1H-PY7AbMyYDwDw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAA&biw=320&bih=416#biv=i|22;d|lWUvszV6IMuuZM:

Chick- Google images there are load. I found it quite difficult at first. However we have both got better at it. Have to change sides every feed. But that's not to bad as I feed on one side for each feed.

chickie I googled the feed lying down position. We do it too Abd like caz Isaac gets in bed with me once dh gets up, around 6am. He's been settling from around 11pm so it's working quite well over here :-)

but Pink I did :(

I can't see an announcement from Clapham or am I going mad?

We co sleep too and did feed lying down except now I am no longer bf I have to sit up and do it properly
Look harder mrshn there is a photo too!
Waiting for family members to descend from the north and overstimulate baby B!

Could somebody add me to the fb page if I pm my details please? Feel like I'm missing out! Thanks :)

Thanks ladiesxx

Phew, found it :)

I'm really struggling today.

LO and I have spent the last 4 hours crying hysterically - he won't settle and I feel like the worst mum in the world. I'm just not sure I can do this :(

He's obviously really windy but infacol and winding aren't helping at all. He's then vomiting after every feed for some reason?!?

He's overtired but won't sleep and even when I get him off to sleep, he wakes up screaming 5 mins later.

What can I do?!?

untitled really sorry to hear your struggling. weve been having a similar problem with Isla vomiting after every feed and half way through. saw the HV today and she got us a GP appt to discuss reflux and have been prescribed infant gaviscon. she said wasnt urgent as shes gaining weight but is probably why shes crying so much when shes lay down. we also thought she was windy but infacol just made her projectile vomits even stronger. can you phone HV or midwife for advice? Sorry your having such a hard day. xx

untitled. Can you get him to sleep upright eg laying on your chest/ in a bouncy chair?

We could only feed laying on my side at first in hospital. Now I prefer sitting up but it did work well for me. I also sometimes feed from the 'top' boob when on my side by putting him on a pillow to lift him up but not at night when I worry I might fall asleep like that.

Red lips pm me your name and a description of your profile picture, or your email address if you are hard to find, and I will add you to the Facebook page.

Went to the breastfeeding drop in. We were the only ones there so had a midwife to ourselves for an hour. Unfortunately Thomas was too windy to eat and wasn't hungry. She weighed him and he has put on about 100g since HV came two days ago which is reassuring as I have pretty much abandoned the 4 hour schedule the other midwife suggested. She said it would be ok to gradually reduce bottles now as long as I keep. Going to get him weighed every week. I also learnt a new sign that the baby has wind - a slight blue 'moustache'. and that I need to pat him harder than I have been to bring up wind, so not a complete waste of time.

redlips

Pm and I'll give it ago -I've no idea want I'm doing-

I just need to have a little moan it is really trivial compared to the various feeding problems and feverish babies but need to get it off my chest. I'm finding my mil generosity overwhelming. She keeps buying things -we don't need- for N. It is lovely but it's getting to much, I feel like I can't buy anything for my own baby. We have literally bought 1 outfit so far a cute reindeer outfit for Christmas a couple of days ago and yesterday we get given a Christmas outfit from her as well, despite dh already telling her he had enough clothes. I feel bad -part of me wants to throw it away- as she is trying to be nice but I hate both waste and also want to buy cute things for my own baby.