September 2014 - Babies are starting to make an appearance!

[lilone1234]

A few babies have already arrived, with more due to make their entrance soon, and it's not even September yet!

Congrats cbmb!

This is all getting a bit alarmingly close to home now...

Sorry to hear that lil monster is having a rough time. I hope he feels better soon.

Well his weight loss is 10% but what the mw is concerned about is hes not waking for feeds. His bilirubin levels have been high but not high enough for treatment. As hes 2weeks on Tuesday and still yellow has anyone's lo had the prolonged jaundice test from 2weeks, ta

Thank u x

Ilove, I had a similar issue.

DS had jaundice which wasn't shifting due to weight loss. After bloody ages, we got a paed referral, the weight loss was due to an under active thyroid. Meds fixed that which fixed the weight loss which fixed the jaundice.

Once that was all corrected, he didn't need meds any more and was fine.

and the HV trying to force formula on us from day 7 was totally wrong

I used to have to wake DS every two hours for feeding. The jaundice kept him knackered. He ate well but his body just wasn't doing what it needed to.

It was a very minor problem that was corrected simply once found. Was a horrific few months though.

Congrats cbmb!
Well trying to get pain relief round here is like pulling teeth, I am in agony!! They are so, so understaffed, had to ask three times in the night for something.
Feeding is abysmal too :( I knew it would be, I just don't have decent equipment, my nipples are so flat, she can't get a latch & gets so angry & frustrated, only wants to sleep on me & not feed, the MW's have all had a go & been very rough, forcing my nipple down her throat (is that how it's normally done) it just makes her so angry, & barely anything comes out if you try to hand express, very embarrassingly at one point a MW was hand expressing me & DH held Evie & drip fed her colostrum from his finger. In the end I just burst into tears when she was fighting so bad I asked for a bottle, she had 30ml & slept for 4 hours, then another 15ml & slept another 4 hours, only just stirring now. I think I'm just going to give in. WWYD? They're talking about trying to express today, but I honestly think I have nothing there.

DearDinah I have no experience as I am waiting for my first but I just wanted to post my support for you. Ive been up for 2 hours now and at this time in the morning everything feels much worse. Hooefully people will be along soon with constructive advice for you but hang in there x

oh dinah. can ur dp come in and make a fuss on ur behalf? u need decent pain relief and to see b/f specialist. b/f specialist should be able to tell if it's a latch or supply problem. I had awful trouble until my milk came in. we tried hand expressing, but got virtually nothing, and dd1 was hungry and miserable, so we gave lots of formula. I would keep trying, lots of skin to skin, but keep giving formula if u need to so baby is not upset and hungry. Hopefully u can gradually cut down on the formula in a couple of days when ur milk comes in. Please try and get seen by b/f specialist, I dont think the midwives have the time or expertise to help u. hang in there, remember u have lots of time to build ur supply and establish b/f. milk will be in soon x

Oh dinah you sound so stressed & sad, the midwives shouldn't be manhandling you though, that's going to make you and baby unhappy. I second Beccus, you need decent pain relief and some specialist BF support. Baby's tummy is the size of a marble and just drops of milk is usual until your milk comes in at day 3-5 (colostrum is very concentrated, just a couple of ml per feed is normal), there are also latching techniques (and a device you can get) that you can use to help to draw out flat nipples so baby can latch properly. Hope you can get some good support today with your feeding options x

dinah so sorry to hear you're having trouble. I had similar issues with dd (my first) everytime she tried to feed would either not latch on or just fall asleep on me. They got me to hand express colostrum with a syringe, but it took forever and I hardly got anything out at all so she was still hungry. Every midwife I saw said something different and I felt manhandled and not listened to at all. They gave dd some formula in a cup one night as she wouldn't stop screaming, but then wouldn't give her anymore.

However, after a few days of this and lots of skin to skin my milk actually came through and she started latching on (although was painful as I didn't know to reposition her if she latched on wrong and it hurt - I know how important that is now!). Once your milk comes in it should be a lot different so persevere with the skin to skin and practise the latch as much as possible to help your milk come in. But don't be afraid to give some formula if you need to - you need your rest too I wasn't assertive at all first time and if I had been I think it would have been a very different experience in hospital for me.

With regards to expressing when full milk comes in I have always had lots of milk for baby, but have never been able to express much at all, so don't necessarily take that as a sign that you haven't got enough milk.

Congrats to cb, Laura, Dinah and Seven on your new little arrivals! (I hope I haven't missed anyone out!) Getting busy now!

Sorry to hear you're not getting the care you need Dinah Don't give up yet and do keep asking for help. When my mum helps me latch on with Jessica she proper shoves her face into my boob which I also thought was a bit rough but it seems the way to do it to make sure plenty of boob rather than nipple gets into their mouth. Really hope you get to see a bf specialist soon xx

Good luck for tomorrow iate and red

Dam it just wrote a really long post and lost it changing pump sides grrr!

ella hope you little man has an easier time making friends this year. :)

seven cbmb dinah Laura yay for new babies congratulations!

This thread is making lots of cute babies!

dinah I completely emphasise with your frustration, I too have been there, am there! Day 17 and Eli is still refusing the breast most of the time. I am pumping to keep up supply but he really just wants bottles. Please speak to the lactation specialists and get some advice before you leave hospital. One thing that was recommended to me to help with latch is nipple shields. The hospital won't recommend them though. I unfortunately have to small nipples to use them although he does latch onto them well.

I am holding out hope that when he gets older he will be awake more and more willing to take from me instead of the blooming bottle

ilove Eli is still jaundice he left the nicu with his levels borderline, he was given two treatments when in hospital and we were told that after day 10 they no longer offer treatment. And when he was 6 weeks old they would check his levels again. We have been flushing it through his system with milk, and going for walks as well as putting him next to a window. His eyes have lost the yellow so we are sure it is working. And he has more of a tan than actually yellow now.

For the test they did a heel prick then filled a teeny tiny tube with his blood. Eli was not a fan. They were able to test it straight away. Not sure if they will do that for you!

Hope everyone is well :)

Congratulations on all the new babies.

Dinah, hope you get a bf nurse to see you today.

Ella, fingers crossed for your boy having a cracking school year this year.

I have woken up the past two nights with agonising pain in foot, been to minor injuries and it's some inflammation thing; ice every hour and elevation and that's it. I was up at 2, 5, 7 with it last night and am absolutely shattered now. Suddenly Friday and start of mat leave seems a long long way away.

Dinah exactly what everyone else has said.
They only need tiny amounts of colostrum atm.

Slithy thanks for sharing. Ive tried waking him every 2hours but he just won't take anything. He will sleep through nappy changes too. Mw was also concerned about reflux due to family history. Ds1 is tube fed because of reflux, failure to thrive and food aversion plus query crohns disease. Hes also autistic and adhd. All started with reflux from day0.

Didnt refresh before posting.
He was going to be treated on day5 but they decided not to but as levels are still high just to keep eye on it. Poor weight gain after weight loss, not waking for feeds supposed to be symptom of jaundice which is why they want to do the test on day 14.

Tomorrow is a big day for Iate and Red, how are you two feeling?

Quiet panic I think is the best description.

Calmer so far than I thought I would be, but I had a major wobble a week or so ago and had a meltdown at 3am on Tuesday.

Today I am trying to sort out the last few things I need to do and am taking it very easy in the process. Plus yesterday evening, my feet decided to balloon up again, so I need to keep them up, rather than run around like a loon. Baby is definitely planning escape as the last couple of days I've been getting a lot of pains and cramps - so I'm trying to do the reverse of things to bring on labour! I had a pretty rough night last night not being able to sleep (was up and down 4 or 5 time plus I got up for an hour at 5am) but did at least manage some rest and to sleep in. I'm expecting tonight to probably be worse. Baby just has to behave a little longer!!!

I think both me and DH might get a little emotional this evening and I wouldn't be surprised if I have a panic attack later. But at the moment I'm doing ok. I'm first on the list tomorrow unless there is a delay or problem which is helping me keep going today.

I'm basically counting down the hours...

Thanks, I'm also anxious! I keep wondering if various pains and cramps are a sign of things starting. The number of times I've thought -is this it?!! - over the past few days is ridiculous. It's so hard to get to sleep, which is a shame as at least it makes the time pass quickly!

To be honest, I don't know how to feel. One minute I want our boy out of there and in my arms. Then I realize 'Oh God, he can't come out yet, it's still so much to do'.

Definitely agree this is the worst part of pregnancy. 36+1 today. Counting last couple of weeks, hope to be early and scared to be early. Feel ready and then messed up. Aaaaaaa!!

Having period pains for last week on and off, some sharp pains in the groin (is it from baby engaging into pelvis??), sometimes following by BH.
Someone from here reminded me the possibility of having waters broken in the bed. I should probably buy waterproof sheet quickly!

Iate and Red, good luck tomorrow, will be thinking of you and looking forward to your pictures of babies!!!

Very quick one. Baby boy born yesterday at 10 am on my bday. Devastating start huge blood loss and huge clot had us and hospital ready to do ecs. Very upsetting. Baby ok closely monitored labour with view to ecs if needed. 3 hour labour induced due to risk. Got to 7 cm justbbreathing then g&a. Had probs with blood loss throughout, fx sorted now, ive filled with fluid, legs/hands but no stretch marks :-D and belly gone right down.

Baby was 8lb.5 came out with hand by his face still in the sac. 2nd degree tear :'( but is a very good baby. He barely cries and has thesoftest skin ever!

Congratulations to those that have given birth. Will catch up when Ican. Good luck to those about to xx

Congratulations whiteblossom and to the other ladies - I tried to post your congratulations last night but it wouldnt post for some reason.

Good luck for tomorrow too!

Im not ready for the responsibility of him being here but I cant wait for this to be over!

Congratulations white! You got so far with no pain relief, well done you! Sorry to hear about the blood loss but sounds like you are both doing well now!

Congrats, white! It sounds like things got scary, so I'm glad to hear that everything is ok.