Rat smackers extraordinaire enjoying a festive mince pies and brooking no argument that there will be the occasional sneeze birth before the end of 2013

[SweetieTime]

Ladies I think we need a new festive thread to take us through to the end of the year. And as it will be me to sneeze next –how did it get around to my turn so quickly???-- I thought I would do the honours.

You're right there is so much to think about Maybe I was speaking to a friend of mine who expressed and introduced a bottle quite early on so that her husband could do a feed and she could get extra sleep! she is still breast feeding as well and there was no issue between latching and the bottle! I guess until we try it we won't know what works for us. But that just seemed like a really good thing she was doing...

thankfully MrS is out for the day so I can get a bit of mn time today!!

trix did that couple have their baby v early? Or are they from a different group?

maybe we are 3.5 weeks. My book says to introduce a bottle this week before its too late, so I have just expressed and mrkeep will try and give it to her tonight. As always there are different views, but my SIS left it and then couldn't give a bottle. I think she's quite established now.

solars I was v glad we had a pump and steriliser as I had to express and syringe feed because of the jaundice. Might ad well buy them now, I'd say.

I don't think you need to pump to keep up your supply. It should adjust to the baby. If you pump it would increase. If I can I intend to start donating milk in the new year, once I'm a bit more sorted

Ooh that's hopeful solars. I am a bit resentful of mrkeep's sleep already... I want him to do the midnight feed.

Thanks Keep that's really good to know! here's to more sleep tonight for you!!

Well I anticipate a battle tonight, but will let you know how we go.
Great news on the heart btw. Amazing how pregnancy impacts on literally everything.

That's really interesting Keep. Why can't all books say the same thing?! Hope you managed to get a better sleep tonight, bet MrK will love giving her a feed!!

That's good to know Solars. I've started to get worried that I'm going to get everything wrong

. I worry she's awake too long, or not enough, too many poos, or not enough.

maybe if they can't even agree on the supposedly scientific ivf stuff I'm not surprised this is different. As my mum said, she can't decide she doesn't like the boob, as that's all she'll be offered if there's an issue. Tough love on a three week old

Reading with interest all the opinions and options for feeding. Keep you might be on to something with the bottle. I remember at 7 weeks K was very very poorly and I had to bottle feed breast milk and a top up of formula, then she didn't have a bottle until a few weeks ago, it was a real struggle to get her to drink from it. The early bottles at 7 weeks didn't seem to cause any latch confusion either.

I found this article about breast feeding positions quite interesting too.

I'm not sure there is a good way to say this, but thinking you're getting everything wrong, worrying about getting it wrong and waiting for it all to go wrong is mostly what it's all about

Boo. Going to have a read if that article. I find it all so interesting.

That is a very good point Keep. Never too early for tough love

11oz in 8 days, they'd want 3-6 for bf baby now 8lb5 :)

Oh Keep! Amazing news!! Well done you two!!

Just a quick post. I've been reading through but people always seem to answer the questions the same as I would. I just wanted to say about introducing a bottle - everyone I know who waited till 6 weeks found it impossible (or nearly) to introduce a bottle then. The HV/bf advisor at our feeding group recommends giving a bottle the first few times when baby isn't very hungry, then they'll have the patience to work out how to get milk from it without getting frantic and angry. Not sure how you could do that tonight keep unless you maybe did a dream feed, or woke to feed?

a whole 2hours on breast feeding was good though.
yes keep she wasn't actually due to the first week of jan.
I will post better later.

Thanks stacks maybe we will try at 8ish tonight then.

What is a dream feed? They are asleep? How do you make them drink then...?

I never did a dream feed with T, but from what I understand they are asleep when you give it. Not really sure how to works mechanically, but I know lots of mums on our birth thread swore by them. As you could feed without having to resettle, and this get a longer stretch of sleep.

gotta get those twins moving!!!

I never gave dreamfeeds either - although come to think of it M latches on now and goes to sleep still attached when I'm trying to get her to snooze for a lie-in. Does that count? Keep, I would guess that if you brushed your nipple across sleeping baby's mouth it would automatically open and latch on. Pretty sure M would do this, anyway - it's probably part of the same instinct that makes her wake up the instant I try to make her disengage so I can roll over!

Solars, I had to express and syringe feed too because M was jaundiced and small. Dad and stepmum had said they would buy us a pump and steriliser, and actually they got us a hand-pump which was pretty crap. I am trying to remember the brand - might have been Avent. Then Biscuits sent me her electric breastpump which was miles better but I put it through the dishwasher and knackered the seal. Also DH put it away unwashed and I didn't find it for ages and it was never used again after that. So I think with hindsight it would have been better to do some research and buy my own - and buy an electric one, even though they are expensive, because they are soooo much easier to use. I didn't even express that much, but I am going to be angling for a Medela this time around.

Keep, yay for some brilliant weight-gain!

Happy birthday Sweetie!!!

I've decided to put my Christmas outfit on

Mince pie anyone?

Oh I love your name Boo!!!!

Ooh lovely festive look there Maybe