August 2021 Babies - Final evictions and the fourth trimester

[BertieBotts]

Time for a new thread! :)

29 gorgeous new babies have joined us already, welcome to the world 💖💙🥳

@Smurf123 - Welcome to the world, baby Sophia 💖
@wimbler - Welcome to the world, baby boy 💙
@Jessicapebbles - Welcome to the world, baby Ebony💖
@Inmypjsagain - Welcome to the world, baby boy💙
@PurplePansy05 - Welcome to the world, baby Leo Alexander 💙
@WinterBabyof89 - Welcome to the world, baby Rosie 💖
@Winecoffeeteamum - Welcome to the world, baby Emily 💖
@Ready2020 - Welcome to the world, baby Rowan 💖
@Magik01 - Welcome to the world, baby Isaac 💙
@Hoares3 - Welcome to the world, baby Ellis 💙
@Daffodil21 - Welcome to the world, baby Elliot James 💙
@sarah13xx - Welcome to the world, baby Freddie 💙
@MrsB2019x - Welcome to the world, baby Ella💖
@Biscuitcat - Welcome to the world, baby Rowan 💙
@Whatshouldbemyusername - Welcome to the world, baby Arya-Nyah 💖
@notinthestarsigns - Welcome to the world, baby Erin 💖
@Aaaaa1519 - Welcome to the world, baby Anum 💖
@Angelesque - Welcome to the world, baby Isaac 💙
@Millymay13 - Welcome to the world, baby Ethan Benjamin 💙
@WolfMother326 - Welcome to the world, baby Alasdair William 💙
@BertieBotts - Welcome to the world, baby Alexander 💙
@RandomCatGenerator - Welcome to the world, baby Solomon 💙
@lucyrp - Welcome to the world, baby Evelyn Rose 💖
@HopefulB - Welcome to the world, baby Chloé 💖
@Mmr224 - Welcome to the world, baby Alasdair 💙
@Smallbean27 - Welcome to the world, baby boy 💙
@Fran919 - Welcome to the world, baby girl 💖
@Caz1226 - Welcome to the world, baby Dougie 💙
@Ava50x - Welcome to the world, baby boy 💙
@dirtyfries - Welcome to the world, baby Frankie! 💖

Counting down until till they welcome their munchkins:

@Dia12 - EDD 8 August, Girl 💖
@livingwithbees - EDD 16 August, surprise 💛
@Sheisfee - EDD 19 August, Girl 💖
@Alittlexmasmagic - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛
@LottSE20 - EDD 22 August, surprise 💛
@ame88 - EDD 28 August, Girl 💖

@BertieBotts thanks for the new thread just marking my place 🙂

Well ladies I’ve had a night of it. Me and DH decided to try shifts, he do 7-1 and me 1 until the morning due to DS not coping well lying down with his mucus and cold at the minute. I woke up at 9 and threw my guts up after not feeling well all day 😭😭 I have a phobia of being sick as well which is why I held it down all day but couldn’t any longer.

Hope everyone’s night is going okay.

@BertieBotts thank you for the new thread. Hope we're all doing well. Just marking my place too x

Oh no @Magik01, is this the dreaded norovirus? I hope not. How are you now?

So our diary shows DS feeds 14 times a day and bf takes up more of my time than a full-time job. Even though I knew feeding was relentless, I didn't quite realise just how intense things were. It's quite an eye opener and made me feel a bit better about myself in a sense that it's understandable to be exhausted and question if this is still the way to go at times. Does anyone have any advice on how to reduce the number of feeds? Is this even possible & a good idea? You'll probably tell me he'll just feed for longer at a time...? But even if so, I think that would make things a bit easier xx

@PurplePansy05 I saw my sister last weekend and she ended up with Norovirus the night after, but that was literally a week ago so surely not? I’ve also not left the house all week to catch it from anywhere. I did have Norovirus when DS1 was about 18 months (caught it off him) and I’ve never felt so ill in my life, throwing up for hours etc. I haven’t been sick since 9 last night and feel fine now though so it makes me think it was possibly something I ate? I blame DH cooking entirely 😂

On the feeding note Isaac is also feeding 13-15 times a day 😵 and my app says it’s averaging at every 1 and a half hours so it’s pretty relentless. Unfortunatly I don’t think there’s anything that can be done, we just have to go with the flow. I feel like he’s a snacker not a big meal kind of baby lol.

It will calm down by itself when he gets a bit bigger. The first 6 (ish) weeks of BF is a bit like "boot camp". My NCT teacher the first time around said if you could choose BF/FF in the first 6 weeks, FF would be easier but if you can get through this tough initial bit, for the whole rest of the time they have milk, BF is easier due to no sterilising, no prep, always ready to go at the right temperature etc.

It's 6 "ish" weeks because the exact date of the shift where it gets easier isn't that clear cut and might vary but if you can keep that in mind as a milestone it can help. There is often a growth spurt around 6 weeks as well so there is one last little hump before things start to get easier.

I haven't counted/tracked feeds but I only tend to get about 30-60 minute breaks when he's not feeding. The rest of the time he is or he's crying for it. Occasionally he'll do a longer sleep of a couple of hours but that's rare. The only time I'm not sure about is overnight. I think he does some longer sleep stretches then.

I see the light then lol, he'll be 5 weeks on Tues...you both have it spot on, he's turned into a snacker and this means between feeding, prepping to feed, changing him, dressing him, soothing him, and settling to sleep there's hardly any time. Oh, and washing. I am no longer that person doing 2-3 loads a week, it's now 2-3 per day 🤣🤣🤣. I have new found appreciation that I somehow manage to dress myself and look well enough to leave the house and that we're out every day. 🙌

@Magik01 I hope it was a one off for you then! Norovirus can be so nasty, it's something I'd not cope with whilst bf! xx

Yes, DS does exactly that now Bertie, he feeds a lot more during the day and then longer stretches of sleep at night. It used to be he was great in thr morning and I could get stuff done but he's changed xx

Oh I'm jealous of your night sleeping babies. My DD just doesn't sleep between 1am and 9am. She dozes a bit.

OH did night shift last night and my boobs are a bit full this morning as he let me go past the 6 hours. So I'm feeding Rowan as much I can then I'll pump if she settles to sleep. OH is away to sleep and says he doesn't want to come to the market like we had planned! I'll maybe ask my mum to come.

@Ready2020 don’t worry Isaac only goes 2 hours max (usually an hour and a half) sleeps at night so I feel you. But once he’s awake he’s awake for sometimes 2/3 hours at a time. Looking forward to when he can go 4 hours 😅

@RandomCatGenerator he was born on 9th so 4 weeks tomorrow, but he's always been like this (I do realise his lucky we are!). He is mostly formula fed though, which I definitely think helps. He does have a couple of expressed breast milk feeds per day but we never give it to him at night because he just isn't satisfied from it.

I just had the most glorious nights sleep! I got up once for the loo and that was it. I started off in our room but DH had the tv on and DS was making noises so I went upstairs in the attic spare room 😂 only just getting up now so I wonder what a night they had. I did find myself feeling guilty then I remembered that DH has had so many full nights sleep that I got over it pretty quickly!!

I mean he might be feeding all night but I'm asleep so I don't know :o

Yep not doing much other than feeding here. Hanging up a load of 100 tiny baby clothes also takes so much longer than maybe 20-30 big adult/teen/toddler sized thing too... I knew we should have got a tumble drier!

I am glad I stocked up on one handed toddler activities I can do while feeding though.

@BertieBotts get yourself a drier if you have the space!! I can't imagine having to hang up all the extra washing (how did someone so tiny create so much washing?!)

@PurplePansy05 I try to leave the washing until we have hardly any outfits left otherwise I end up washing and using the favourites and not using the ones that are under everything else in the drawers 😂 I've also forgotten how to dress myself and have been living in black maternity leggings and black nursing tops 🥴x

@BertieBotts I definitely need an extra clothes airer now for sure although it's handy that we can fit 2 or 3 vests on one pole !

Suffering from the worst toothache the last 3 days and been trying not to take pain killers but I've basically lived on paracetamol. I'm sure its my wisdom teeth and that they may be infected as my ear is hurting too this morning 😭

@lucyrp my wisdom tooth gets infected lots. The only thing that helps is one of those interspace tooth brushes (like this 2 x Slim Interspace Toothbrush ~ Blue Brushes for Orthodontic Braces & Bridges https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LQUOWEW/ref=cmswwrcppapiglttfabcJ9BGJX7ECH2KCNT72J58??encoding=UTF8&psc=1 ).
The antibiotics they prescribe for it at the dentist are also safe to take in pregnancy, so I imagine they are for BF? Tooth pain is the worst!

I'm also living in black maternity leggings as nothing else fits yet

@Daffodil21 it's been relentless this time as my face has flared up red patches ☹️ I have the dentist this Friday for that filling I was supposed to have at 38 weeks so I'm going to ring tomorrow and hope they can fit me in and prescribe me something either before or at the same time 😭

Living in leggings here too. Have had to source jeans that are like leggings with no seam where my c-section incision is. The thought of even putting my maternity jeans back on gives me shivers, just hate anything touching it 🤦🏼‍♀️ Leggings with loose tshirt dresses over them is all I’ve been wearing for weeks

I've bought a few dresses from Frugi and a few Bshirts to wear with a pair of 3/4 length combats that I found in my drawer. My jeans from before don't fit over my belly yet! Might be too much cake but might be my belly isn't quite down yet. I'm hoping for the latter 😅

What a difference even 4 solid hours sleep give. Despite having 7 hours to sleep I only slept 4 hours then woke up. I can't seem to sleep for more than that these days. If I had that every night I think I could deal with a full day with baby quite well.

@Ready2020 Get yourself to the market with your mum, would be a shame to miss out!

I am mostly in dresses and shirts or nursing tops with (stretchy) jeans now. My Dorothy Perkins pre-pregnancy jeans fit and don't bother my scar - I suspect because of my overhang which covers it 😳 So glamorous. I actually found I really like nursing clothes I bought during the pregnancy too, I'd rather wear them than normal tops. Just bought more of those with long sleeves for the autumn/winter as I'd feel cold otherwise.

Also - no hot flushes anymore! I even feel cold sometimes! I used to be cold most of the time pre-pregnancy. Forgot what this feels like! xx

@PurplePansy05 oh I'm going. I do find it amusing that OH does one night shift and announces he's far too tired to do anything at all yet he makes plans for the days I do all the night times.

@PurplePansy05 I'm in my pre-pregnancy jeans too and I think you're right about the overhang making them more comfy 😂 though to be fair still wearing leggings most days, jeans are occasion wear!

I realised I actually have no idea how often Rowan feeds so I'm tracking it today - currently on feed 5 which is fairly manageable I think?

@biscuitcat I've done 2 feeds with both breasts today and then 3 feeds with one breast totally about 140 minutes so yeah I'd say that's normal ?

So the MW has been today. We've got a loss again. I'm at a loss at what to do now 😓 nearly 1 whole pound down since birth weight with an 11.4% loss 😪

I’m reassured that others are also on 10-15 feeds a day. Any tips for getting him to realise it’s night time would be GREAT although as he’s only 3 weeks I imagine we’re miles off that still 😩