The babies are here! September 2020

[LatteLover12]

Hi all 👋🏻

Here's a new thread so we can keep chatting through the sleepless nights and the many outfits they've already grown out of... 😄

@Lilice she won't settle in the swing, I think she's just too small for it. She's prob now just about 8lbs and still in newborn clothes.
She will settle in her Moses basket type thing for 20 mins max! I brought down the snuz pod to living room today and she does seem to prefer it better, I have it in the l shape sofa so she can see out and then can zip it up if I need to leave her. She's on me at the minute lol! Maybe just gotta face facts that's things like washing / cooking have to wait haha !!! Xx

Thanks @ChipsAreLife I really appreciate your message. I love her to pieces, I'm sure it's just hormones and temporary. My friends are not keen on coming to close incase they were to have Covid. Everyone is afraid as she's so little.
I'm lucky my partner is home all day. We are going to ask his parents to come to us couple times during the week, I.can then get stuff then. Must look at that bra!! Thanks xx

@ChipsAreLife what size did you get in the bra? I'd be a 36 DD.

Hi ladies, hope everyone is doing well and powering through the exhaustion! Georgie is such a content baby compared to my first but my god the breastfeeding is relentless I don't know if he's going to be on my boob for 10 mins or 2 hours

I wanted some advice from those of you that have had C-sections. I had my sutures out yesterday and the PICO dressing removed. The midwife told me some weeping of fluid was normal but when I woke up this morning there was a dinner plate size patch on the bed where it had errors, and it was actually dripping when I got up :( I've got a nappy pressed over it at the moment to catch the leaks. I'm not in pain, the fluid is clear and doesn't smell I'm just taken aback by the volume of it - did anyone else have this?

I did call the midwife, she told me to ring maternity triage at the hospital who just don't answer the phone and I know if I go there in person it's over a 4 hour wait to be seen. I don't want to be apart from baby for that long and I don't wanna take him in the hospital with me either (they've had a covid breakout)

I've tried my doctor's who said they are only dealing with emergencies this afternoon and gave me out of hours number. Called them and they said nobody can see me in person just telephone consultation with a doctor this evening. I took that as the best I could get in the hope a doctor will just know if it's normal or not without seeing it.

*where it had leaked not errors

@flameprincess I had a section almost 4 weeks ago but this time had dissolvable stitches. I removed my dressing at 5 days but I haven't had any weeping at all, maybe a tiny bit that went a bit crusty but literally tiny.

When I had a section 11yrs ago I had stitches that were taken out at 5 days and they were a bit tough to get out because the skin had already healed a bit, but even then nothing weeped from the wound.

What does the wound look like? Is it red, angry, smelly, hot, swollen etc? The main things you would look for when there's infection?

I think I would try and get seen because I hate all things like that but this could be normal, I've just not experienced it. Could you phone 111? xxx

@flameprincess I had the dissolving stitches but I had some clear weeping (not as much as you’re describing though) when they took the dressing off. I was still in hospital at the time so I asked a midwife to look and everything was fine. She also said clear weeping is fine so no immediate panic but if you can get someone to look for your own sanity then try to do so. My scar is all healed now absolutely no problem and all the midwives and doctors who looked always commented how well it was healing even when I was getting the weeping.

Hey @flameprincess how are you now?

My wound is weeping too. Not as much as yours but enough to soak through my knickers and my trousers.

I know I've banged on about my awful staples but when I had them in the midwife observed the weeping and said 'better out than in' 🤮

They're out now but I'm still seeing discharge where my knickers sit on the scar.

Baby is 2 weeks old today.

I'd say as long as you're not unwell and the wound isn't hot/red/smelly then you should be fine. Definitely keep chasing the midwife to come and check on you though.

@HugeAgeGap the wound itself looks pretty good (I had my DP look at it) apparently there is a tiny sliver/pinhole opening where the liquid is coming from if pressed. I've cleaned it and put a fresh nappy across (lol) which is still catching fluid but not the volume that was coming out this morning.

@LatteLover12 that's reassuring that you've had weeping too. I don't feel unwell and the wound itself doesn't hurt. I was supposed to get a call from the GP this evening but haven't had one yet but I'm a bit more chill about it. I think I'll see if it's calmed down by morning and if not keep hassling the midwives.

@flameprincess I would say it's probably ok but possibly call the GP tomorrow and ask them. I was told if the puss is green, or smells or you feel unwell (temperature, achy etc) then get checked out.

@ShiningStarz I got medium. I'd say I'm probably a 32/34E and wish I'd gone large as when my boobs are full it's tight!!!!

Ladies who have had babies before - where do you put them for day naps when they’ve outgrown the Moses basket but are still too little for naps in their own room unsupervised? W is still asleep a lot of the time but growing so fast now that I can’t imagine the Moses basket fitting very long!

@Sara7455 i would put mine in their cot when they outgrew the moses basket, with a baby monitor to keep an eye on them.

@Sara7455 my little one sleeps in the bassinet from his pram

Thanks @ChipsAreLife I'm on meds that I think are impacting breast milk supply. I pumped this morn first thing (10min per breast) and only got 50ml in total. She's taking 130ml now per feed 😢

Congratulations on all the lovely new babies, mamas! We’re very blessed 🥰

@ShiningStarz, I’ve had so much anxiety regarding my milk supply but I’ve managed to reconcile the necessary formula use; I - stupidly - read articles about babies being malnourished on breastmilk alone due to mum’s low supply 🙄🙈

I think when things aren’t straightforward, in my case, a primary and secondary PPH and antibiotics use etc., that’s when you can understandably run into trouble - it’s kind of luck of the draw. First time around with DD1 everything came so easy, including the milk!

My LO seems to love her grub, be it in bottle or boob form 💕

She lost 10% of her bodyweight in the 3 days from when she was born to us being discharged. Within the normal range but enough to cause concern (for me, the midwives naturally pushed BF) when I felt she was still hungry at home I started to supplement a bit and now it’s maybe 60/40 to BF but she regained her birthweight and some by 2 weeks and gained 13 ounces between 2 weeks and 3, bringing her to 9lbs. So although not ideal, she’s thriving, and it has alleviated so much worry for me.

When I express via the double Medela electric pump the maximum I’ve gotten is 80mls. I only do it once a day at home as it’s quite disheartening but many say it’s not a reflection of what the baby gets. Mind you, you can’t help but worry.

Where I am in Ireland I reckon the uptake on breastfeeding to formula must be 30/70 - there’s still a legacy, as it was in my mother’s time, to formula feed...and all are perfectly healthy and well.

Will persevere with breastfeeding and hopefully the supply will increase with time but if not, so be it x

@glasha87 don't feel disheartened - my supply is fine I even squirt baby accidentally in the face sometimes haha but I can only manage 70mls via my handpump and it takes AGES to get that. I just think my boobs can't be tricked!

Does anyone here have the PIAEK double pump? I was hoping an electric one would make my life easier but I can't seem to get it to work? The suction is definitely working and parts together as diaphragm is moving but can't feel anything on my actual nipple and no milk is being drawn. Gutted as this is so much cheaper than the other pumps but I'm probably going to have to return it

@glasha87 I felt so guilty to begin with but Iv seen how much my DP loves feeding our daughter and he takes her between 9pm-1am and then brings her up to bed to me. I was hoping to express enough for the other feeds in the day (x6) but it's just not happening. She'll maybe get 2 BF a day and the rest is aptamil formula. I'm on thyroxine meds and I kept forgetting to take it after she was born, just in the last week Iv noticed poor BM supply around same time I remembered to take my thyroid tabs again. Must call the GP on Monday and ask.
Both my DP and I were brought up on formula and think we turned out ok 😂 I'd love to carry on though at least 2 expressed feeds daily and then mixed in with her mash / baby rice when she starts weaning. I Figure some is better than none!! Hope your getting on well x

@flameprincess I have that pump and have had no problems at all. Mine is on a programme so the first two minutes it does a gentle suction and then after that's it's harder. You can much about with settings a bit but generally within 5
Mins milk is coming out both sides x

Although sometimes it can take a little longer but then it comes out plenty!

Thank you for the encouragement @flameprincess - my supply is undoubtedly a bit all over the place though 🙈 I don’t have that pump. I remember hand expressing with DD1 and it took an age - so I’ve rented the hospital grade Medela (that I’m not using 😅)

@ShiningStarz, yours sounds like such a great partnership - it’s lovely to see. DP is the same, cherishes feeding her and being able to help when he can - a real positive to take ❤️

Breastfeeding has been going pretty well for us so far but I did crack a bit last night. Past couple of nights baby has been wanting to just be on my boob for hours. Feeds great in the day is done in half hour generally but on the night he can be feeding for ages. Last night he woke at 1:30am and was just feeding constantly until I cracked at 5:30am and gave him one of the emergency ready made formula bottles. I had expressed milk in the fridge but I was so tired I hadn't put the bottle together properly and poured it straight in and onto the floor.... Once he had the formula he only drank about 20ml of it and passed out to go to sleep so I have no idea what that was all about? I've read online that if they are having a growth spurt then it's the night time that they generally cluster feed but omg 4 hours how am I meant to function?
Going to see how tonight goes but really don't want to supplement again as may mess with my supply. I just felt so useless last night like he wasn't getting enough of what he needed but then he barely wanted the formula anyway.

Babies go to the boob for more than food. My boy has been cluster feeding but apparently he is going through a leap this week. I'm sure some of it is for comfort, no way he can need to eat for 2 hours. And I night He seems to sleep better on me than in his cot so not sure if he's doing it for warmth or comfort

@flameprincess I read that in breastfeeding book that they latch on for comfort, so likely your little one was using the boob as a dodo!!

@Roxy8203 do you sleep when your little man sleeps on you at night? Our little girl is definitely much better on us than in cot!!

@ShiningStarz no I'm not brave enough even tho he literal doesn't move so there's no chance of him rolling off plus I sit in a rocking chair so the arms support my hold on him, I just can't. When he cluster feeds it's mostly in the evening, at night he has a nappy then feeds for 20-30 mins until he's asleep. He's taken to grunting at night now tho so that wakes me up even tho he's fine. I think if he was struggling and I had to sit up with him all night I'd put him in a wrap just incase I fell asleep he'd be secure

@Roxy8203 my boy is going through a leap this week too. Exhausted! He’s sleeping ok-ish in his snuzpod at night but not napping or being put down for a second in the day! Can’t wait for us to be through it so I can have my happy boy back!