Calling all Christmas Babies

[Artyparty]

Hello- anyone else had a baby this Christmas?
How are you getting on??
I had a little girl on Christmas Eve ... Dc2, I also have a 3yo dd.
Feeling a bit sad now the decorations are coming down after focusing on Christmas for so long.
Anyone else got the post baby/ Christmas anticlimax? At least we can have

Hello and congratulations! I was due 23rd December but had DS1 4 weeks early - so late November. For the first time ever I was pleased to get the decs down, hoping to get the house back in order, but its still a tip!

How are you getting on with feeding, sleeping etc?

Hi arty!

Thanks for the link here!
Was due 23rd dec but my little boy didn't arrive until the 3rd jan, he's my first.

Still trying to get the knack of this breast feeding, are either of you two doing it? I'm finding it quite painful so hopefully have somebody coming from support this week to help.

X

Hello! My dd was due 10 jan but arrived at 38 weeks on 28th dec.
We're getting on well now back home, we were hospitalised for jaundice and in for 5 days so that was rubbish.
Feeding's going well here my dd gets bad gas though,think my milk comes out quite forcefully!
Have your dps gone back to work yet? I'm starting to worry about how I'll cope alone as he's been fab

Hi sadpander & quackojuliet
Good to see you again mollys
We are getting on ok. My expectations for sleep & anything outside the baby bubble are quite low as Mary is my 2nd!! My eldest is taking it well I think, although DH still off work so lavishing attention on her.
I'm a bit worried about how I'll manage when he goes back too quacko
I am BF too mollys. She seems to have got the hang of it. I got a lot of support with DD#1 from La Leche League (which you can google for your nearest group) & the local childrens centre BF 'cafe'. It is tender at first but you get used to it after a few days; if it's unbearable it means the latch isn't quite right. Best advice I got was to strip off both you & baby (apart from nappy!!) & your baby will 'root' for the nipple- I found this really helped find the best position.. Sounds a bit hippy trippy I know, but did work
Anyone else have stiches ? mine are sore

Yeah me too quacko, my DP isn't going back until the 20th but has been amazing looking after the two of us that I'm dreading it! He's an amazing man (u can tell I'm all emotional today...)

Arty- thanks for the tips. The support worker came today and when she was here I felt very positive. But had a couple of uncomfortable feeds tonight again. It's so tough!

Yeah I also had stitches, mine have been really sore, it's really horrible isn't it? X

How have the past couple of days been ladies?
I have been snowed under with visits - hoping for a quieter day tomorrow...
That's was bad luck about the jaundice quacko . Must have been rotten stuck in hospital for that long... How is little one now?
X

Anyone got tips for coping with a newborn & 3y/o.

Any good books you would recommend?
Dd#1 seems fine with the baby but hates me

Hello!

I had DD on 17th December, I also have DS who is 3.5. No advice on dealing with both - I'm finding it tricky at the mo, DD won't be put down and doesn't sleep during the day, so I feel bad for DS who is a bit put out by the whole thing.

Otherwise we're mudding along!

Hi elsiewoo
Muddling along sounds achievable!!
My main problem is the eldest doesn't want to do anything with me... She only wants DH now the baby is here.
We had a wonderful relationship before Dd#2 arrived- it's early days I know but I find it hurtful in my post natal state .... I'm taking to the !!!!!

I've had a difficult few days, was really struggling with my breastfeeding, had midwife out everyday but it wasn't getting any better. So today a breast feeding support worker came out and turns out he has a suspected tongue tie that's quite far back Which is why it wasn't picked up on.

So I've been using nipple shields and they weren't helping so now they've loaned me a pump. It's like night and day finally feel like I've turned a corner.

Think u ladies are very brave having more than 1, I've been an emotional wreck this past couple days. All these visitors are quite full on too. Hope ur all well. X

Oh mollys that sounds distressing....
I was an emotional wreck for ages with my first & vowed to never do it again !!! Amazing how you adapt & learn. That said am dreading Monday when DH back at work.

Glad the pump is helping & well done on persevering when many would have given up.
What are they going to do about the tongue tie?

One thing I've done better this time is deal with visitors. I've given people a time slot and just take to my bed if they outstay their welcome... ! It works! Also direct people to do their own refreshments & wash up!! Try it mollys!!! X

Me! I had my dd on 27th (due date!). First child and a shock to the system!!

We have struggled with feeding too.. She gets it fine but it hurts me which indicates the latch is bad but can't sort it.. Had numerous people out and just can't get it right. Currently mixing bf and expressing for bottles, luckily she has no issues switching between the 2.

Husband returns to work end of this week and I'm scared!! He works 12hr shifts so on work days won't be around much at all (few hrs evening before he has to sleep for the next early start) so worried how il cope..

How's everyone else doing??

Main problem for me is sleep - DD doesn't sleep in the day at all currently so it's really tough entertaining my 3yo. I'm hoping it's a temporary thing as she was taking a couple if decent naps a week or so ago. Nights are also pretty poor, think I'm scraping by on 2-3 hours at the mo....

I'm just trying to remember that DS was an appalling sleeper as a baby, but now he actually asks to go to bed at night - so there's always hope!

That sounds tough Elsie. We've been really lucky as he's been not to bad in the sleeping department, seems to be between 8-12 in the evenings is his kicking off time!

Arty, I've been taking ur advice, got visitors today and they have all been given a time slot! Ha ha! They'll just snip it she said, but nervous but she says the baby will barely react and it'll heal almost straight away.

Rachie, have they definitely ruled out tongue tie? Just because the hospital didn't spot his or the midwife. It was the support worker, and she said it was quite hard to spot, it was only through both of her daughters having it that she recognized it.

Hi Rachie... Hope you are ok today. I think all the breastfeeding support can add to the anxiety... Lots of different people fiddling with your boobs!!!! . Try the skin on skin tip (above) - it worked for me... Also as mollys said check the tongue.
It's all about the sleep isn't it elsie? God it nearly killed me with DD #1. It's the same pattern this time but I've made life as easy as I can....Got a 3 sided cot by the bed so I can just feed her & pop her back in without getting up- occasionally sabotaged by a dirty nappy but bearable so far. Also- difficult to do but going to bed REALLY early helps...
Does your baby cry in the evenings mollys ? That can be tiring...
Glad you have got your visitors under control. My new plan is to ask for various shopping to be brought when people invite themselves.....!!!

I think she was checked for tongue tie but might ask again, as nothing else is working! Currently just coping with the pain best I can and expressing some for a break!

Sleeping also an issue for us, she hates settling most nights. Doesn't seem to mind sleeping in Moses basket during the day but struggles to settle most nights. Weird!

Hope everyone's lo's have a settled night! Xxx

I had my DD on Christmas Day. First child, lots of stitches following episiotomy, very sore!
Bf is hard, I feed her 20 mins on both boobs and she is still hungry! The last few days I have resorted to giving a bottle of formula as well in the evening as she is screaming with hunger. Hoping this gets easier. She feeds very often is that normal? I.e. Three times a night?
Desperate for more sleep!!!!

Hi mummy
It is normal- breast fed babies can feed every couple of hours :((( because breast milk is so light & doesn't fill their tummy as much as formula (which has carbs in it).
If you get a 4 hour stretch you're doing well. Go easy on yourself & nap in the day when your LO sleeps.
Hope the stiches are healing...MW said blast them with very hot water every day if you can. Mine seem much better after doing this.
Survived first day without DH yesterday- was a complete comedy of errors but ok. . Anyone else on their own now?

Yep, 3 times a night is pretty much the norm at this stage unfortunately.

I'm on my own from Thursday - eek! Baby I can cope with, it's the 3 year old that worries me!

I'm on my eon from Friday eeeeekk! Glad you got on ok Arty.

My episiotomy stitches took a while to feel better, I was 27th but don't think it was a big episiotomy if that makes sense.. Feeling a bit more normal now though not quite there.

Had DD tongue tie checked again, definitely ok so just me and my failure to get her latching comfortably then! Still persevering as long as I can manage, last night she fed nearly non stop from 6-10.30pm so that was sore! I'd prefer cluster feeding then and a more settled night than the opposite though!

Hope everyone is getting on well today xx

Welcome mummy! Feeling ur pain with the stitches, it's only just stopped being a trauma to go for me! Although after my pph they put me on iron tablets and lets just say (tmi) it's the other kind of toilet that's become a trauma, could be doing with some of that gas and air again! Ha ha!

Things are going better this end actually. I feel like I'm now rid of the 'baby blues'. I'm so glad, was starting to think I was going mad between that, the feeding issues and lack of sleep.

Hope ur all well and managing to get a bit more sleep! X

Hi all, I had my DD (ooh first time I've written that!) on dec 17th, she's my first. I am loving being a mum. We seem to being going well breastfeeding, and coping with lack of sleep. DH went back to work on the 9th, so we are getting into out own little routine now, getting out and about to baby groups and seeing friends/family- I seem to be really busy!!! Does anyone else feel like there's not enough hours in the day?!

Me!!!!! I had my dd2 on 18th December (her due date) and have an 18 month old dd1. It's dh first week back at work this week and doing better than I thought I would actually - the worrying prior was worse!! Making sure we have an activity planned for every morning and then after lunch, nap etc the afternoons are much easier and the dh is home!! Taking it day by day though as if I think slightly longer term then it becomes a bit overwhelming!

Heya, can I join in? Had DS on the 27th. We are also having BF issues, he was jaundiced at first and had low gucose levels because I had gestational diabetes. We were in for 2 days getting his levels sorted and that and the jaundice have gone now. He was having expressed bottles overnight but we are now down to just one or two over night. His latch is still a bit rubbish but I think we are getting there. Still can't decide if he is getting enough and am paranoid about it due to his sugar levels at the beginning. He also seems to be working on Australian time, sleeps well all afternoon/early evening and then keeps us awake all night :( DH is being amazing and we are taking it in shifts but am not looking forward to him going back to work at the end of the month :/ is good to find other people at the same point as us!

Congrats on you new arrivals nanny debz & porkpie!!
So true to take one day at a time or else feel overwhelmed ...
Also sadly true about the loo trauma mollys.... Feels like giving birth again :(((( ooooooof!
My little one is a lot more alert now... Has come as a shock as she has mostly slept these past 3 weeks!! A bit more crying too but nowhere near dd#1 who had colic .... if we get to a month without colic I reckon we're in the clear
Hope everyone else is having a good week x