How to stay awake during night feeds - part 5

[MrsNPattz]

Here we are

goat thanks, I could but am worried about putting the car seat in!

We are putting the Moses basket in the big cot tonight to start getting him used to it as he will be too big for the basket soon!!

Bed time not going well so far.......

Naff night after the early morning transfer fail! Nipped into work & wished I hadn't nothing has changed and I know I will not want to go back in July. I know its ages away but it will go quick :(. If money wasn't a problem i would love to do another degree, always wanted to be a midwife really but 2 kids and bills to pay might not make it an easy decision but I might look into it. X

I thought with my firstborn that there was no way I'd want to go back to work, but when the time came I was more than ready. But I only went back part time, I'm sure full time would have been more difficult.

Ladies, I have been worrying all day that I have mastitis! After my boob incident in the night I have been feeling more and more rotten all day. Achy, weak, cold but skin feeling hot and just generally unwell. The thing is it's not sore when he feeds and I don't think there are any red patches! I took paracetamol and ibuprofen not long ago and feel much better! Do you think it's maybe just a cold/flu? I should maybe see a dr tomorrow but it's going to be difficult to get out with the snow and my car is being MOT'd at the moment. Thanks in advance for any advice.

pattz what is feeding like? Any pain? Fever? It could be "just" a cold but you're probably best to get checked out.
I successfully bf'd in public for the first time with the help of a tit cape! Hurrah! Enjoyed mooching around bath too so . A good day. Now to entice DD to sleep through.....

mrsn it didn't really hurt when I fed when I had mastitis either and my boob wasn't red (olive skinned though so maybe wouldn't have shown up ), are there any hard areas on the boob? I would say as you can't get to the dr today that if your symptoms have gone tomorrow then its a cold and of they have got worse then its mastitis. Hope it's a cold mastitis is really not nice.
Been soooooooo cold here today, gorgeous and sunny but super cold. Had to treat myself to a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows it was that cold! Have been rather emotional today and cried at a tv advert (can't remember which one but crying at adverts I mean really get a grip) also cried as one of my friends has sent baby small the sweetest Christmas gift, don't know quite why I cried as its a lovely thing must be weird baby hormones!

Evening all.

Had a good night, all things considered, last night. Was up three times between 8 and 8, but the main improvement was the successful transfers and I think she's beginning to self-settle. I'm in no way smug, as its only been one night, although I think the self settling began the night before.

We're just doing bedtime feeds now. DD1 at church youth club. When everyone in and settled, DH and I are going to watch a DVD.

MrsN, there's some nasty bugs about. I hope it's just a cold and not mastitis but I hope you're not poorly with it.

Are you a nurse, Amey? I am and I really don't want to go back to the ward I was on (in March, taking into account annual leave) and am desperately looking for a new job. I didn't feel as bad going back after DD1 because I liked where I was. I mean, going back to work sucked but it was ok going back there. I haven't been in since Missmarbles was born and have serious ostrich disease about KiT days as I feel like it will hasten my return

It is Mastitis I stopped being an idiot and got off my bum cause there is a red patch so I phoned the surgery who asked me to go down. The dr has prescribed me antibiotics and I'm feeling very sorry for myself! I know someone else on here had it, was it smicha? Have you been ok since?

Thanks for your input elvis and well done on the public breast feeding - I haven't been brave enough to do that yet!

Oh small sorry it was you who had it!

I'm a radiographer marbles its a really small team where I work and there's some ahem strange dynamics bitchiness and power struggles which I struggle to deal with . Don't know about you but I think morale in the nhs is low anyway. I will be going back 2.5 days like I've done since DD was born, maybe things will of changed by then.

mrsn wishing you a super speedy recovery! Glad u went today! How long you on antibiotics for? Hope they work quick!

Sleepy dust to everyone!

Ps quote of day from DD, she told my sister in law
'I'm just really annoyed with baa baa (her sheep) auntie Sarah, he just will not sleep through!!'
Going to be careful what I say x

Oh no mrsn you poor love. It was me who had it recently although a sure others on here have had it too. It's so awful. You have to feed feed feed from the bad side but don't forget the other side as otherwise that one might go bad too! The antibiotics will work fast and the fluey feeling will be gone by tomorrow I would think but takes longer to clear the sore boob. Hot baths are nice and you're supposed to massage it but I found it too sore to do that and just fed. It's been ok since but I am paranoid about getting it so if baby small hasn't fed in a while I express anyway just in case god knows what I'll do when he starts weaning, I might be expressing for life for fear of mastitis!
Yay for self settling marbles Baby small can self settle too when he chooses too he now goes down awake at 7 and 11 but he does have to be really sleepy and a bad transfer can make him too awake to do it so I still have to be uber careful and he still won't self settle after his late feed which I find odd as he can at the other too. He also can't do it in the day at nap times, or won't do it I'm not sure which !

Two obviously not too

mrsn well done for getting it checked out....hopefully the ABs will do their thing quickly. Lots of sympathy from over here!

yay for self settling marbles!

Does anyone have a regular time of day when they express? I was doing about 9pm when babyfunch had been asleep for a few hours, but a bit before 10:30 feed so boobs could refill. however I now want to get to bed more like 7.30 to help me cope with her being up from 2am every flipping night, so need to move it, but since she is demand fed still, I never know when there will be enough time between feeds Today I expressed at 11:30 thinking she wouldn't want to feed for a bit but she did soon after and kept pulling off and crying. I think this was frustration at not getting much out. I offered both sides but got same response. Then she cried for a feed all afternoon but kept being really fussy when I fed her.

How long does it take for boobs to get a bit more full so she can have a decent feed...? Also worried my supply will suffer if I move my regular expressing time but I am soooo tired by 9pm!
sorry this is rambling...ignore if you can't make sense of it!

Thank you all for your wishes! I need to take the antibiotics four times a day for 7 days, on an empty stomach (god knows how I will manage that as my stomach is never empty haha). small thanks so much for the advice! I'm already paranoid about getting it again and this one hasn't even gone yet! All I could think was I really don't want to stop breast feeding, please don't make me I know what you mean about expressing forever, I'm not looking forward to eventually stopping breast feeding! I hope you are right and the 'flu' has gone tomorrow - although since I took the paracetamol and ibuprofen I do feel a bit better so will take some more before bed.

funch I don't have any advice I'm afraid as I'm not a keen expresser, but when I have done it I have tended to do it a while after a feed so the boob is full and then offer the other boob for the next feed (ie just express from one but this isn't helpful if you don't get enough from one sorry )

marbles clever mini marbles on the self settling! Please could she teach baby Pattz lol

Hope heff has had a better day today!

Had babybee weighed this morning & didn't think much of it as midwife was in a rush but just looked in his book and he's only gained 5oz in 3 weeks :( he's had quite a bad cold for last week but I don't feel like he's fed any less. Now I feel really upset and worried that he's not getting enough milk plus my periods returned today which makes me think he's not taking enough milk. He's really content and looks to be thriving, is 11 weeks Tomo x

oh Heff :( enjoy your wine...

MRsN hope you're feeling better, and the antibiotics kick in soon

Amey ahhh, bless your DD , and re weight as long as he's gaining and he's doing ok try not to worry, speak to HV next time he's weighed maybe? (although my HV is crap!)

Marbles Yay for self settling and successful transfers!

Hey, everyone else... hope you've all had a good day? Did anyone get snow? We did, took me completely by surprise.. was meant to go to NCT meet this morning, so was all wrapped up and ready to go
when Minipop decided to projectile vomit everywhere, so by time that was all cleared up and we were all changed it was too late - gutted, we've only just moved to a new area so have no family here and not made any friends yet, so rely on the baby groups to get out and about and meet people..
Unfortuantely, as we've had a few bouts of sickness I've not been there enough to make coffee buddies yet, so was really hoping to do that today :( bah!

What on earth will I do over Xmas hols? :-/

Anyhoo, We had an ok-ish night, went from about 11pm to around 6am, however I still wake up at 4am even when he doesn't need feeding - arrgh!

Not sure what sort of night we'll have tonight, lets see... sleepy mouse dust to you all..

mrsn sorry you've got mastitis but well done for nipping it in the bud so quickly!
my mum currently trying to settle mini elvis as my routine seems to have failed tonight dammit. She's still awake and trying to wear my nipple down. It's going to be a long night....

MrsN someone I know suggested feeding from above, sort of dangling overhead, if that is physically possible! Gravity helping the flow and everything... Hope it clears up quickly.

Funch any chance of expressing off one side while feeding off the other? It is a bit logistically challenging, but I do this at the first feed after we get up in the morning (and again throughout the day if I'm trying to build up enough for a bottle) - having the letdown stimulated by DS feeding on the other side produces a much greater yield than me pumping on my own.

Minipopsmum sorry about the megavom but pleased the sleeping is going well at the moment.

DS is having mega teething issues again. I can see the bottom ones are getting ever closer to appearing, but please can they just come through already?! Three and a half months he has been complaining for... I gave him calpol at 8pm but he's just woken up screaming again and I can't give him another dose until midnight poor baby

Oh and DH is being an arse again he moaned when I asked him to get the pizzas out of the oven when the timer went, as he bought them, when I pointed out that I sort out dinner 90% of the time (if not more) - this then lead to a discussion argument where he again asserted his view that since he works all day and I'm at home, he shouldn't have to do any housework . If there was anyway I could leave him with DS all day so he could see how much work it is... And he doesn't even appreciate that without me there would be no food in the fridge, no clean dishes and glasses, no clean clothes to wear. He is so infuriating!

Oh tea it must be something in the air as my DP is being an unbelievable arse this week and if he moans about being tired once more I think I will pinch him very hard

Sorry the teeth are playing up still. Fingers crossed they are through soon

Evening everyone

We had a fantastically uneventful day today, hurrah!! Both DDs are pretty much back to their normal selves, excepting a few snotty noses and grizzles. We had a drs appt this morning that I'd booked last week for babylump's belly button as she has umbilical granuloma (sp?!) so has needed a few zaps of silver nitrate to get it to heal up. The doctor was lovely and although we hadn't seen him yesterday he knew what had happened and asked if everything was ok now. He agreed that in some situations wine is definitely medicinal

DD1 & I made the angel for the top of the Christmas tree today which was fun, although I will be finding glitter in odd places for months I think. Then DH came home mid afternoon as work's slow at his place and he's managed to get tomorrow off so we can go to Cornwall a day early. Really excited to see the ILs, SIL and our little 5 month old nephew. His christening is on Sunday so we'll leave tonight and get there early tomorrow and have lots of time to see everyone. Only downside is knowing babylump doesn't usually let me get to bed before 1am and DH wants to leave here at 2am so I'll be a little tired I think!

amey your post didn't come across insensitive at all don't worry about that! I totally get what you mean about not wanting a healthy baby in a building full of sick people! I wonder if that's why babylump got ill as she'd had to spend the entire previous day in there with DD1 so could have caught anything!

elvis well done on feeding in public, its not half as bad as you imagine once you've done it is it. And think of all the extra coffee and cake you can have now without worrying about getting back in time for feeds!

funch how is baby funch's reflux tonight?

Oh no poor you mrsn hope the antibs kick in really quickly.

I think I've just written another mammoth post so will catch up on everything else later.

1st feed of the night which will be out second night of attempting to dream feed.

Hope you feel better soon mrsn and fun I was always advised to express in the morning but apart from that I'm not very helpful. One thing I have noticed with babyloo is that on the last feed before bed I used to break his latch when I thought he was just comfort sucking but I've noticed now that if I leave him to it then he prompts a second let down and then I get active swallowing again so I can get more milk into him.

My dp wins the biggest arse award for being unable to control his temper and banging around in the kitchen underneath babyloo's cot therefore waking him up-this was yesterday and he was in a strop because the bread was difficult to butter!!!!! actually he was really in a strop because of the car accident but took it out on a loaf of bread and the kitchen-knobhead.

We are at mum and dads tonight aka the fridge because dss has been off school today with tonsillitis and I'm so paranoid that babyloo will get it.

I've just has to turn the low output plug in radiator off because the temp was up to 19 degrees but it feels too cold in here already, we are expecting the temperature to drop to -7 tonight because we are out in the sticks.

Hope everyone asleep and warm

Missmarbles has barely slept again today and went to get at 6.40. For the first time ever there was no intruder and she's still asleep I have been up several times to check in her and the monitor us nearly on full volume I think she is just finally sorting everything out but I'm a bit and really hoping she isn't coming down with something. She has been fine today, just tired by teatime.

MrsN hope the ABs get you sorted quickly.

On phone so apologies for not proper name checking.

About day time naps - she doesn't self settle then. Rather she sings and grins (which is probably shy she's knackered now). Also who knows if its going to be a regular thing or if its just a one off.

About expressing - I am truly crap. I was so going to be organised and do it each day but she feeds loads do they're never full enough to get a worthwhile amount out. I have got a couple of ounces tonight because if her still sleeping and I will in the morning while she's feeding if I can manoeuvre it. Baby will always be able to get some out even if you can't express it, or even after you've expressed.
Boo to return of periods. Sometimes it happens though, and not necessarily a reflection of milk supply.

DH and I watched a film this evening an at home date night after both DDs were in bed. I then sort of started waiting for Missmarbles to wake up so I haven't made the most of it and been asleep yet, and she surely won't be too much longer. Must sleep now though, but I will no doubt be back again shortly

Isn't Babyloo sleeping better, Susie? They really do have a starlight bark going on between them, don't they?

Ooh x-posts Susie!

Hello, here we are at first feed after Kid has slept practically all day, just waking for feeds and the massage class. I really expected bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at this point, but no, he is off to sleep again! He has had a really rotten cold, so maybe is sleeping it off.
Sorry if I don't name check everyone, (juggling bottle, Velcro baby who Also wants to play with his feet even in the middle of feeding, and iPad) but mrsn about the mastitis! Really hope it clears up soon. Sorry too to those having dp issues - I hope you added broken nights to the mix too! I have to admit to having a wonderful DH who thinks that never mind what I do during the day, I do quite a lot of my shift at night, so evenings and weekends should be pretty even.
minipop you are in south London, right? I heard you had snow down there! Are there any other baby groups you can go to before Christmas?
We had our last massage class today. Kid really enjoyed it and had a surprising tolerance to a full body massage. We took a photo of all the babies lying as the spokes of a wheel, and it did tug on my heart strings that Kid still looks tiny and kind of transparent next to the full termers. I think of him as such a solid little lump in comparison to what he was!
Food porn moment - I made baileys and white chocolate fudge. Mmmmmm...

First feed here and I'm feeling awful, really could have done with more sleep and was up only an hour ago for the toilet so expressed a bit from poorly boob. However it's probably a good thing he's up to have a feed from that boob, although I will probably have to express from other boob as he has fallen asleep and I don't want the other one to get poorly. Sorry for rambling!

heff Yey for uneventful day! Hope you have a safe journey and a lovely time - hopefully you will find time to post but if not speak to you when you are back.

amey I think their weight gain slows down as the weeks go on, and I'm sure they would have said something had they been worried!

mini we have had awful snow - Aberdeen - so will be house bound for a few days as i have never driven in the snow (only passed my test in March and not a very confident driver) but that's probably a good thing so I can rest in laws will have to come to me instead of me making the effort all the time

I hope there are some good nights, and sorry for all if the insensitive DH's - they really are a different breed aren't they!!

We are having a very unsettled night here :( took until 1130 to settle him - latest he's gone down in ages and am up again now - first transfer fail. Just hope this isn't a sign I don't have enough milk. DH has been very supportive because I was really upset tonight when I realised how little weight he's gained!:( feel responsible as I'm the one feeding. He's offered to take a long weekend to help me get some much needed rest. X