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

Fingers crossed Dolly

Question for the wise ladies on the bus. JellyBaby is formula fed and up until yesterday was taking 4oz every 3 hours. Yesterday he had a fussy day taking 2oz here and there and when he did take 4oz, happened twice, he projectile sicked everywhere. Never slept much either yesterday.

So today he had 4oz at 6.30am and then 3.5oz at 9.30am. I was thinking he would wake for feed at 12.30 but he's still sound and not even stirring, should I wake him?

Thank you orange

Jelly personally I would leave him to sleep. For maybe no longer then 5hours. I would then offer 4oz. Make sure u burp whenever he comes off the bottle. Babies are aloud to have off days. Growth spurts usually the cause.

Sry I'm reading backwards and as commenting as I go as I often get interrupted before posting.

Shire. Not being able to pump loads for some ppl is normal. But it doesn't mean you don't have the milk for direct bf feeding. I don't squirt milk. I hardly leak. N some times I can't pump a oz, but then if I feed Lo straight after he seems to get enough milk.
What I've found helped me with pumping was pumping at the same time everyday. I have pumped for 5days after mid morning feed and have managed to build up to 3oz.

I havnt read back far enough to know what you've tried. N baby brain means I don't remember individuals circumstances. I find the following things help.
Massage before and during pumping. Circular motions, compression, running the flat side of your hand from outside of boob towards the nipple.
Warm compress/shower/ hot water bottle before pumping.
I find being distracted helps (reading MN ) however having lo with me doesn't. But everyone's different.
If you can manage it pump as u feed. I still haven't been able to try this.

Thanks pinkush. But I'm 5weeks now and feels worse. Not as bad as during pregnancy but not getting better

GT I had horrid SPD with DC2 and pain took ages to settle down, eventually when he was 18 months old I went to a Physio who brutally re-aligned me and pain was gone in an instant. Not what you want to hear but until all relaxin is out your system your still going to be a little sore

Hi ladies! I'm back and finally have my little boy here!! I'm over the moon and on a massive high right now! don'tworry remember I was exactly like you only 3 days ago. I was losing my mind and making everyone around me miserable. I didn't sleep and was worried sick about another drip induction, exactly like you. I promise you it will all be forgotten once your baby is here but I couldn't understand you more. No slap and just a massive hug for you xx

So... our little Conrad Alexander finally decided to join us on Wednesday, 30th October at 8.35pm. He waited until 41+1 weeks. My contractions started at 2am and were regular (every 4 and a half minute) and strong by 6am so we went to the hospital. Unfortunately, once in the car, they went to being only 8-10min apart and I was only 1cm dialated when examined. So they sent me for a walk and told me to come back 4 hours later. I didn't want to go home so we went for breakfast and walk on the south bank (think I might have shocked some poor tourists on a few occasions...) and I continued in the hospital's cafe and our car. I was in agony but only 3cm at 1pm and they sent me off again... the midwife examining told me that, unfortunately, giving birth after a 5 years gap is very much like giving birth for the first time as your body had too much time to go back to normal. So I was dialating as slowly as with DS1. Finally admitted at 3.30pm and I got an amazing midwife. I laboured in a bath for about 3 hours, then kneeling by the bed, and moved to the birthing pool and started on gas and air for the last 2 hours or so. I found that water helped massively... whether in the bath or birthing pool. Unfortunately, because of my big anterior placenta, everyone failed to diagnose that the baby was back to back which explains why my labour was so painful. He was also in some very awkward position as he really bruised my lower spine and some nerves down there so I can now hardly walk and need DP to help me bend or turn from side to side. It's supposed to disappear within the next few days they say... it also explains my awful loin pain in the week leading to the labour! I told the midwife about my horrible second degrees tears with DS1 and she helped me deliver Conrad nicely and slowly so I had only one small tear this time and didn't even need stitching. So a longer and more painful experience than I expected for the second birth but, at the end of the day, I got the birth I wanted and I count it as a very good experience overall. DP was absolutely amazing and helped me so much through everything.

This one was a lot bigger than DS1 at 3.620kg (7lb 15oz I believe) and 54cm long. We are obviously totally in love and not at all objective starry eyed parents [ The little one is a great feeder and spent the first two hours after birth on my boobs. Fingers crossed it continues - he is so much easier feeding wise than DS1 was! The first night was tough as he had a lot of mucus he kept throwing up so no sleep for me with 6 mucus vomits and 4 meconium poos. Last night was tough to start with as he cried constantly from 10pm to 2am and we finally ended up putting him in our bed, effectively sleeping with no pillows and no duvet to make it safe. Hope it's a one off!

Thanks for all your support in my overdue days when I was going mad and felt so depressed. You helped me so much xx

And congrats to smitten and sparkeleigh! smitten so we ended up having our boys on the same day after all

has anyone heard from slippysnow? She was also booked at St Thomas's but I was worried they would lock me up and take my baby away if I start going around asking all women whether they were "slippysnow"...

flyer hope you are OK...?

MoN what a scary story about your friend and her boy and what a reminder for all of us to appreciate what we have... glad Eliana is doing so well!

sorry for this mammoth post and if I'm forgetting someone... haven't caught up properly yet. Hugs for everyone and hope you and your babies are doing well. xx

Nice to hear from you Clapham. Glad it all went well on the end. This Conrad would wave but he's fast asleep on my chest :)

Congratulations Clapham. It's good to hear from you and I'm glad baby Conrad arrived safely. Congratulations to Smitten and Sparkleleigh too.

MoN I'm so sorry to hear about your friends baby. I hope Eliana is going from strength to strength.

Dolly I hope this is it starting for you. No great advice from me really, but some ladies on the thread seemed to find it helpful to bounce on a ball to try to kick off their contractions - might be worth a try?

Congratulations Clapham so glad to hear that little C is finally here, though sorry you've not been left in the best state

GT my pelvic/butt pain has taken around 10days to clear, and I still feel nervous putting my full weight on my hip. The hormones are still reeling around our systems so it may take a while to completely clear for you- things should definitely be back to normal by the 6 week check up, but hopefully you'll be better way before then as your body heals.

I've just checked my phone to find a sweet message from an 'Islington breastfeeding peer supporter' asking if I need any help with bf. I didn't know they existed! I wish I could send her help to those of you here in need of some help.

Thank you so much ladies for your kind words & reassurance after my meltdown this morning. Sorry today has been a bit hectic & haven't managed to catch up prproperly or post. Things seem better in the light of day & have been too busy to spend much time worrying about stuff so feeling much better now. It's so good to know these kind of wobbles are normal. Off to catch up on today's posts!

Back from the Dr's - they've prescribed infant Gaviscon so hopefully this will help.

Had to laugh though as they did not know what to do with a breastfeeding mama! Had to ask 2 other Dr's and the pharmacist how this can be given when not being added to a bottle!

Hi all. Congratulations Clapham. So glad Conrad decided to join you on the outside and well done on getting through a tricky labour.
Another is-this-normal qs from me: one of my nipples starts off vv sore when Cyrus feeds and stay sore albeit less sore through the whole feed. Latch is good and he's getting loads. The other one is fine. The breast itself is fine, no blotches, pain etc. is this just something that I push through and hope it toughens up? I can do it its just v unpleasant.
Can I also say I love my baby so much it makes me want to cry. He's perfect and lovely and I never knew i could feel like this. Right, just needed to say that to others who'll understand and not think I'm on the edge. I'm not at all just occasionally completely overwhelmed by my feelings. Nothing else in my usually very busy life matters right now!
In other news he had a 4 day weigh in and he's maintained his birth weight! V happy that his enthusiastic uncomfy feeding has so far paid off.
MON it sounds like Eliana is doing amazing and I'm sure that's exactly what she will continue to do.
Flyer I hope you and Alexandra are doing ok today. Love to you. Xx
To the few SFW. COME ON BABIES! Big hugs. And hugs to all of course. This is a mental time.xxx

Ready I had exactly the same as that with one sore nipple that was pretty excruciating at first latch and then was painful throughout the feed, but from about 5 days ago (bubba is 3 weeks now) it has become totally pain-free to join the other one! So I would say as long as the latch etc are fine then push on through and hopefully it will be painless soon too xx

sorry so many babies are suffering with reflux, really hope that Thomas escapes it here, and i know colic kicks in at 3-4 weeks if its going to so waiting to see if we get through unscathed!

Just to add to the rants about DPs/DHs, mine every morning wakes up and says 'god i'm knackered, what a terrible nights sleep' despite sleeping through every feed i do at night. seriously, is he looking for sympathy? It doesn't go down well lets just say

Happy Friday everyone

clapham - congrats!

ready - what app said. This happened to me. Basically it's either because the latch is bad (in which case you have to correct the latch or it goes from bad to worse) OR because the latch is fine now but the nipple may have residual damage from a previous bad latch (and it might have just happened once or twice) in which case you can power through and it should improve. I was assured it was the latter when it was actually the former. Is it possible to get an expert (not just any midwife) to actually watch baby latch on?

I've been stuck in 2 hospitals all day as Baby Smitten is on the borderline for jaundice treatment. Got sent by the midwife visitor at 11 and still waiting for results.

I've had about 5 hours sleep since Tuesday. I do to know what to do with myself. I'm so upset as I'm having to get to know my baby in a bloody triage room.

Sniffle.

Congrats Clapham, so glad baby Conrad finally decided to make an appearance.

Pink for boys. Trouble is lo is already 5weeks old. So taking along time to sort itself out

Smitten big hugs. So sorry you're having a rubbish time. Big love to baby and hope you get sorted out vv soon.x
Thanks for the advice . Latch checked by various people so hope it's a matter of powering through. Will keep a close eye.x

Cluster feeding marathon here this evening - an hour and a half from four thirty and then TWO HOURS FORTY MINUTES until just now. DH "stuck at work" so I'm only just eating. Seriously fed up, not to mention starving and very sore in the nipple department :(

Majorly pissed off that DH has decided to stay to set something out, from what he says, not because he had to but because it will make his life easier next week . A much for the little chat we were going to have about support etc

Oh Jesus, now C is stirring for a feed again...

Will is asleep with DH she has been quite sleepy today but feeding a lot too got her weighed and she is 10lb 12.5oz now so growing well enough she has white lumps on her gums though they llok a bit like blisters but solid and its only in one spot?? anyone have any ideas its not bothering her from what i can tell but worries me.

On another note I can't believe she is 6 weeks today time flies when your an exhausted zombie, away to have a bath while i have the chance!

or to all those with feeding/health/sleep/SFW

All this talk of cluster feeding is scaring me. Does it happen to all babies and what does it mean......they keep on feeding for ages at a time? Not keen on the sound of this mrshn. Poor you. X

ready I had this for the first 10 days or so. Mw said its normal, your nipples should toughen up soon! Lo also had suckling blister on his top lip too but that cleared up around same time my nipples got better.
DH currently out in car with lo to settle him; for past 3 nights he has been really fussy and inconsolable from around 8pm until around midnight. Hoping it's not the start of colic.
Hugs to all sleep deprived mummy's and those SFW.

MrsO I think start on the infacol now rather then later if this is day three of being unsettled. Check for colic signs, as infacol can take a few days to make a diff.

Ready cluster feeding for me is when lo has a good long feed, where usually he would go 2hours till nxt feed but instead half hour/45 he wants more. I have had this from 6-11pm feeds. But as with everything else, everyone is a lil difference.
I can't remember if this is your first, but if it is just prep before hand, have everything within reach, drink, snacks etc. n have something lined up on tv that will distract you.
Usually happens at growth spurt times, 6weeks is a major one but i forget the others.
You may also find baby is more sleepy at growth spurt times.
Nothing to be scared of...

He's basically been going non stop since 7pm. I got about 10 minutes to bolt some dinner down.

DH has only just got home and has taken him but I can't say that I think it will do anything other than delay the inevitable. Sitting here sobbing - not sure I've actually got anything left for him to eat and it really hurts. Plus I'm so tired I just want to sleep.