How to stay awake during night feeds part 3 - wishing for sleepy dust

[TeaandHobnobs]

Welcome all to a shiny new thread for moral support during night feeds, general food envy and chit chat

oh susie I think I get it now - you ordered them and are picking up the parcel?? It's too early lol

He he mrsn ordered them from amazon and for some reason they are too big to go through the letter box, how big can they be? I know I have a lot of milk but I don't need industrial size bags!!!

Managed to read your posts during feeds but not awake enough to type too! Thanks for the late night/early morning entertainment.
Might manage to join in tonight as will undoubtedly be more of the same. Oh goody

I mean [hgrin]

Well I crept out and he stayed quiet til 6 then I made DH get up

Susieloo I thought I'd be checking on him every 2 mins but I've been that tired that I've been ok. I check he is ok just before I go to bed then that's it til he wakes.
His sleep hasn't really improved yet but think its down to other things not the bed change.

Right gonna get up now and go see to the little terror. See u all tonight x

Morning all! Wow what a busy night, brightened up my breakfast no end [hgrin]

We got 4 hours 2 til 6, then although baby lump went back to sleep DD1 woke up and started loudly demanding carrots for breakfast...strange child! I feel really wiped out this morning, I think it all catches up with you even if you get a few good nights its still not ever a full nights sleep. Hopefully will get a nap in today, meeting friends for lunch and copious amounts of caffeine later at local soft play so that'll wake me up!

Welcome to all new posters, sorry not to name check I'm still a bit blurry eyed! Congratulations on all the lovely new babies :)

susieloo we've moved minipop (as most of you know) & he sleeps so much better for it. I do get up sometimes to check on him, but only once or twice.

small check which part of Thailand you're going too, I am sure if you are careful about water & keep baby coveted from mozzies you'll be fine, maybe check with hv nearer time. Have you been before? Thailand is one of my favourite countries & they love babies out there.

smicha very [henvy] of your dsis's holiday.

Think I might have to go to the post office today, too. Rock n Roll [hgrin]

Sorry goat I shouldn't have used mini, LO isn't a prem baby. He came 10 days early and has been growing at a ridiculous rate, he's now 11lb at 4 weeks!!

Total respect to all the mummies of preemies, I have a friend with one and know how tough it is!

Just been to a new baby group and had an amazing poonami!!! Thank god id remembered a change of clothes! I think that may be why he didnt sleep we'll last night.
Yes minipops have been to Thailand before and love it out there but never done it with a baby and so am a bit apprehensive. Will definitely check with the hv.
Baby small had better hurry up with this feed or we are going to be very late for our lunch date. Why is it so hard to be on time when you have a baby I'm sure he decides to be hungry at the most unfortunate moments!

small I find that too! If I have plans he will never eat when I need him to, even if on other days he is starving at that time!

My trip to the post office was exciting as we decided on the spur of the moment to go to Costa too! Woo! [hsmile]

Thank you mummy and mini[hsmile]

tall babyloo was about 12lb at four weeks and carried on putting on a pound and 3oz a week up until the last four weeks where he's slowed down and put on just under two in four weeks. He's 15 weeks and 19lb 6oz[hgrin]

I arranged to have my parcel re delivered next week so we are having a lazy day so still in pjs watching Harry potter deathly hallows part one. Babyloo just going to have a nap so I'm going to rest my eyes on the sofa, agree with you heff no amount of sleep in the day can make up for the constant broken sleep at night, some days it does just get the better of you.

Haha susie I felt awfully silly once it clicked what you meant!! [hgrin], and lol at industrial size bags. I have a few questions re expressing, have you been doing it for long?

That's us back home after meeting and I'm glad as its got very miserable out there - rainy and windy! Hoping to curl up on the sofa and have a sleep this afternoon, probably with little fella! As he doesn't seem to sleep in his Moses basket in the day.

Susieloo we are also having a lazy day I am still in my PJs too. May try to get dressed later so DS and I can have a wander round the park for some fresh air. Payday isn't til next Wednesday and I have no money, so I'm trying to avoid going out to places! I have at least achieved some very overdue tasks this morning, like cancelling my gym membership and reducing my mortgage payment.

Thanks for the vote of confidence goat I think I am going to wait until next weekend so I can get this wisdom tooth operation out the way first.

You all had a busy night on here! We were up a few times (at least once I got him to settle with some teething gel and his dummy, so he wasn't hungry) but DH was in with us, so I didn't want to disturb him with the light from the iPad. Oh, and administering calpol in the dark is a challenge!

Mummyvicky that's excellent about the four hours! And another decent stretch from minipop too!

No no, giraffe using mini is fine, it was just something you said earlier that made me wonder. [hsmile] 11 lbs is great, what was he at birth?

Small isn't the poonami timing typical! And Thailand, how exciting!

[hgrin] to all the exciting trips out today. I am hoping to persuade DH (using a day of paternity leave) to go out for lunch. Although susie and mrsn your sofa day sounds tempting!

My Ewan is definitely diurnal. Any tips on getting him to agree to a nocturnal shift?

tea I don't get paid til Wednesday either - it's rubbish, I'm desperate to do some online retail therapy [hgrin]

mrsn I've been expressing on and off since he was born on a when I need to basis although I stopped when he was having a growth spurt and cluster feeding like mad because my milk supply was all over the place. Yesterday I expressed about 5 fl oz in one go for bottle practice but not so lucky today so he might have to have a practice with some formula. I normally have a couple of bags in the freezer for when I leave him for a couple of hours. Ask away if there is anything else I can tell you would be more than happy too.

Attempting a nap on the sofa, anyone else find between now and about five a real low point re tiredness?

Just got woken up by the postie - it was our thank you cards, so probably another job that will be left for ages. Hoping after this feed he will fall asleep again so I can too [hgrin]

susie thanks, little fella is 6 weeks on Sunday and I am hoping to express so hubby can do one feed a day. Just wondered when it is best to do it - after a feed? And obviously on the other side? If I did this in the morning and then kept it in the fridge that would be ok? Sorry, kind of speaking to myself but just checking I have the right idea. Can I store it in the fridge in a bottle? Thanks [hsmile]

Sorry, jumping in here but MrsN morning is a great time to express, probably after DS' first feed. Don't be disheartened if you can't get a lot, some people just don't seem to be able to express much, but it's no indicator of supply. Try and be relaxed and think of feeding your baby/look at him while you express - this should help your letdown reflex.

Milk in the fridge is good for up to 48 hours (some would say up to 5 days but I like to err on the side of caution!). Put it at the back not in the door. It will separate in the fridge, so swirl it gently to re-mix it - don't shake it as this affects the proteins in the milk.

No problem storing it in a bottle, but you might not get a full feed in one pumping session - its fine to add to it later, but you should use it based on the first pumping session (i.e. use within 48 hrs of expressing the first amount in the bottle). I use the Tommee Tippee storage pots as they take 60ml amounts and stack nicely in the freezer. Others use the bags but people have told me they sometimes leak.

Check out this information on kellymom too.

Ooh I have loads of expressing questions too! How much should I give ds in one feed? So far I've managed to express about 50ml a day after the morning feed and I too have stored this in the freezer in tommee tippee pots but we haven't tried ds on a bottle yet. We plan to do so this weekend but I've no idea how much to give!

Should have clicked the link before asking my Qs! Thanks tea! See you all tonight.

tea thank you so much that is really helpful! I will look at the link now.

Little fella has gone back to sleep but for some reason I can't sleep now

We slept for well over an hour

Another couple of things re expressing that I have found useful is that babyloo took his first bottle from mil in his chair rather than in the bf position (hv advised this also having them sat on dh's lap facing away from dh, a position that doesn't replicate bf basically) once you have got your lo to take one I would try to keep it up everyday which is what I should have done, babyloo took his first bottle and a couple after that and then we didn't need to give him one and were a bit shocked when we tried again and he flatly refused to take it! Re volumes for the first couple of times I wouldn't worry too much about amount I would just use enough to get them used to the feel of the bottle and the different sucking action. Also once you have warmed up breast milk it can't go back in the fridge (think that's right tea?) so start of with small amounts don't do what I did and get a good volume in the fridge and use it all in one go only for most of it to go to waste!! Think it was someone on here who recommended freezing milk in a sterilised ice cube tray, oh and maybe use a bib, babyloo merrily took some of his first bottles without actually swallowing any, much more fun to let it all spill out the sides!!!!!

You are so right, susieloo - I got slack with giving DS a bottle and now he is being a right monkey about it! I have a week to get him taking them again.

And yes, if breastmilk has been warmed up, don't return it to the fridge - but I think it is ok at room temp for a while if the bottle isn't finished in one go, check what the kellymom guidelines say.

Right, the sun has come out, and DS has been uncharacteristically good at napping today, so I think we will seize this opportunity to pop out for some fresh air and try to resist spending money

Wow susieloo did you say 15 weeks & 19lb?

Baby J is quite small then I think he's 18 weeks & 14.5lb