AUGUST 2010 - welcome to post-natal :o)

[CherryPie3]

I know I'm not around a great deal lately but we don't yet have a PN thread - so here we are.

Love to all xxx

:)

Hi everyone.. Sorry i not posted for a bit Jorgia been screaming constantly untill 2 days ago but i just wanted to let you all know that Mummys Intuitions is best
I have been debating with MV etc and they all kept trying to keep my Jorgia on Nutriprem dispite her bowel problems n crying..
I put her on cow and gate for hungrier babies and its worked.. She is so so so much happier/smiley and even tried to giggke and we definately havent had the bouts of screaming like she has been.. i then proceeded to tell HV this and she contacted pediatricions (sp?) and they all said Jorgia obviously found it hard to digest it! So they have reccomended i stick with cowngate2... if id listened to them she'd still b crying
And to top it off she slept 1am-7 yest and 1-30 till 7.45 today
so 3mths in and i finally had some sleep (even tho dont feel like it haha)
anyway glad ur all doing great

Hi all, can't believe it has taken me more than a week to write another post-birth post! Lots of love and support for everyone with breastfeeding issues. Eli and I have been having a terrible time - MWs saying the latch was fine, but my nipples bleeding and sore and Eli stressed and seemingly never satisfied. Out of desperation, we called a lactation consultant who came and watched a whole feed. Best money we've ever spent! She spotted that Eli has a posterier Tongue tie, which is much less obvious than an anterior (front) one. We're booked in to get it fixed on Tues and I cannot bloomin wait. He's just so fussy and gassy when he feeds, and the whole process goes on for HOURS.

In fact, LCR Eli fusses and twists and pulls on my nipples out of frustration a lot when he's feeding. Any chance you could get your LO checked out for tongue tie? Just a thought.

OK, better try and wind this baby and finish up this neverending feed.

Hi chulita...that's you shaming me out of lurking & back into being a one armed iPhone bandit (Apple should definitely use new mums as testers).

Things going pretty well here. Antibiotics have kicked in, lansinoh working wonders for my nipples, ibuprofen managing the bf pain & confidence growing as a result, A gaining enough weight & I'm even getting enough sleep!

As DH is working, I've come home to the family home for the weekend - 2hr drive, A slept the whole way - and we're getting a bit spoiled. My brothers are home too & although they are still freaked out by me having my boobs out constantly, they're taking A for walks & fixing snacks for me. So finally, 26 days into motherhood, it feels like we might finally live through 'the breastfeeding months'. The very fact that I'm saying 'months' is a turning point too as just a week ago it was day by day. This week will be about getting out the house more at home, a bit more routine & showing face at the bf counselling session in a sad bid to find some RL mummy friends in the area.

So hurrah - I may well live again! Hugs for those at the sitting on the bed crying/what have I done to my life/breastfeeding = hell stage. I didn't believe the wise women on here either but out of desperation I kept the faith & life does get better!

weehector yay for being spoilt :)I'm so glad things are picking up for you, you sound so much happier! My parents and youngest brother were here for a couple of days last week and it was fab. Mum is so good with either S or DD and she washes up all the time I love it when they visit! They were supposed to babysit while DH took me out for a birthday meal but S wouldn't settle so we didn't do anything in the end.

After S being so rubbish during the night, I gave up last night and had him in bed with me all night. He slept really well and DH finally had a decent night's sleep. I don't want to co-sleep but S just won't be put down at the moment.

alice - i love my nursing chair! got me through last few weeks of pregnancy, several hours of excruciating labour and now i can pop up to nursery and use it for feeds if my father in law or husband's mates or anyone has called in for a visit and i don't fancy flashing my boobs at them!! keep the side pockets well stocked with chocolate bars to nibble on and trashy celeb magazines!!

i've been on amoxicillin (sp?) since Dara was born and i think i might have gotten thrush . Breastfeeding was going pretty well for the last 5 or 6 days but since yesterday I'm finding it really painful. I'm fairly sure he's latching on fine, he's feeding pretty often so I don't think it's engorgement and there's no signs of mastitis. Lansinoh is helping a bit but every feed for last 12 hours or so has been oooouuuccchhh!! MW coming today in a couple of hours so I'm going to see if she will check but between the stitches and the sore feeds I could be feeling a bit perkier!!

Picked up this toy yesterday for Dara and he's loving it so far! Anyone else been using this??

hi ladies!

just checking into the post natal thread. I ve been reading a lot but haven't posted........... practicing one handed typing :)
My ds is 8 days old today and I m still amazed he s actually here :) what being 13 days late and dragged into the world by emcs after v slowly progressing induction with meconium and an abnormal CTG :(
Is it normal for him to feed or seem to want to feed all the time? The last 2 days he doesn t even go for a nap in the morning and then i wonder is he overtired? He sometimes grunts when he s feeding and seems to have wind afterwards but when i try to burp him he just wants to go back to the breast again. was getting worried but at the same time he is pooing and peeing so thats good isnt it?
sorry, first time mum, feel a bit isolated at the mo, sleep deprivation not helping.
otherwhise my ds is a great baby, only cries when he wants to be fed or needs changing. should i be trying to get him into a routine?????

Morning

Chulita not me with the football

LittleMiss i think i will have the chair downstairs due to there being more room and having to keep an eye on DD, but would love a 'nursery' where i cold go just to feed in a quiet calm place.

Chick sounds perfectly normal. If you think he is healthy and he has lots of wet and dirty nappies then chances are everything is working as it should. F grunts in his sleep and has terrible wind too, this week it has really started to affect him and he has been colicky because of it. Infacol really seems to be helping him bring up the wind though and despite a rough evening the night was much better. Wold really recomend it. I really wouldn't worry about a routine tbh, if you can sleep when he does, feed him on demand and manage to leave the house everyday (even for a walk round the garden) you are doing brilliantly

Sounds normal chickie - they have to feed a lot at first to build up your milk supply. My ds often gets fussy and grunty at the breast too and needs to sit up and burp before continuing.

After feeling quite smug about how good ds is at night I think I got my comeuppance last night! Normally he feeds around 8pm, goes down at 9ish and wakes twice in the night (1am/4am) to feed and is up at 7am, and the last few days the night feeds have been really quick 10-15 minute jobs and we're both back to sleep. Last night in my wisdom I decided to wake him up at 11pm to feed in the hope that he'd only wake once in the night - instead he fed for an hour at 11pm, then woke up at 2.30am and fed constantly til 4.30am, then was up for the day at 6.30am. Me and DP are both feeling distinctly zombie like today.

Hello! Can I join? I've been lurking over in antenatal for some time. My daughter, Elodie Caitlin was born by c-section on August 21 after midwives spotted she was breech. I've been avidly reading all the excellent advice and am feeling very proud today because we breastfed in public for the first time.

Hello - having a tough night. J completely over tired and will not go to sleep. He has just been screaming and it is exhausting and just breaks my heart. So - just popping on quicly to say welcome to the other side Chickie and welcome to Bellygazing on de-lurking - gorgeous names for your DD and well done on the public bf - it really does get easier and easier after the first time.

aussie we've started co-sleeping the whole night cos S just doesn't settle and is awake every 2 hours. The overtired crying is very familiar. When he's on me he doesn't cry so much but it's not something I ever wanted to do.

bellygazing I love the name Elodie - it is so elegant!

Poppy has her 1st cold :(... her nose is all runny, it sounds like she can'tbreath too well and she keeps bringing up milk. Poor thing. She is still trying to be her good natured smiley self...I wish I could be ill for her

cazzy good excuse to break out the Karvol :) I love that smell! Poor Poppy though, hope she shifts it quick!

hi bellygazing, lovely name and welcome! great job breastfeeding in public :) i'm nervous about doing it but i have an unbelievable milk supply lol so i started expressing yesterday on mw's advice to avoid mastitis and hopefully i'll be able to feed DS an expressed bottle if we're out and about. no probs doing it at friends/familys houses tho and im sure i wont mind mum and baby groups but a cafe or somewhere would freak me out!! so, again, well done you :)

chickie - the first couple of weeks newborns can cluster feed for hours and they have growth spurt/developmental days when its particularly bad. hope you've got plenty of lansinoh cream and trashy magazines to get you through it!

cazzy - Dara's being sneezing since he was a day old but so far it hasn't developed into a cold...touch wood! it's all this changeable weather, warm and dry one day, damp and wet the next. bah. hope Poppy feels better

chulita - i've lifted Dara into bed with us a couple of times too - i tried fooling him by replacing the sheet in his basket with one of our pillow cases and sleeping with my hand in the basket with him but he always knows the difference lol

had our first health visitor check up today - he's up to 9lb 6oz and he's only 14 days old!!

[props one eyelid up for long enough to post] Ugh, am so tired. Pretty much over the mastitis but now think i have thrush down below and this morning i'm all snotty and sneezy (so sympathies to Poppy). Just feels like one thing after another. J has been feeding with very few and short breaks all weekend and I'm getting fed up. Really hope it's just a growth spurt/building up supply thing which will settle down now. DH going back to work tomorrow and if things continue as they are i don't know when i'll eat or shower.
Sorry about the moany post, I'll probably cheer up later.
Love to all and welcome bellygazing

hi all, finding time to come on a and post is something else isnt it!

Because i haven't been here for an age, i kinda feel a bit left behind in all the discussions and chats. I do get to have a flick through the posts every so often, and its 'nice' to read we are all in the same , sleep deprived boat!

Things here are much the same as others. Marianne is 18 days now, and i think having a growth spurt... she was sleeping 3-4 hrs, then having a feed and going off almost straight away... the past two days, its been sleep for 40- 90mins and then fussing about and feeding on and off for up to an hour or so.... very exhausting.

Had the MW here today and have now been discharged ( after three home visits) scar from section is all ok , well visually anyway, i am still trying to come to terms with the fact i missed out on labour... have had a quite a few down times becasue of it, still :(
Anyway, Marianne is now, 11lbs 2 ozs, so at lease my BF is going well!

Does anyone else get the real tingly feeling in their boobs when its time for feeding, or even when you are talking about your LO's? isnt it strange!

yup, i guess the tingly feeling is the let down reflex which i know can be painful for some people, though not for me. i get it once he's been sucking for 10 seconds or so and then you can hear the sound change as he starts to get milk and swallow it!

Actually we're having a bit of a breakthrough with the painful BFing - i'm working at spacing feeds a bit so that he's not snacking all day, which means he gets more at each feed and is more settled, and my nipples get a chance to recover and heal. fingers crossed there's light at the end of the tunnel! plus he's now very smiley which does help make it all worthwhile.

Yes, I think that's the let down reflex! I get it when I think about feeding too, and and also quite strongly in the other breast when I'm feeding. Always have to check to see if I've leaked when it happens.

I also found the damp patch on my shirt a bit of a givr away too :) ... I squirted the cat today - he he.

Poppy seems a bit better..nose not running.She has hernia though where her belly button is... it is bit revolting - poor girl.

14 day old growth spurt has def arrived - DS was pretty fussy last night from about 7 on and he fed so much he threw it all back up :-/

alas, he's started early this evening, about 5ish, not wanting to be put down, whimpering, wailing, really desperate to be fed but then he just pooed it all out everywhere!! and he still seems to want more!!

my milk supply is really good so i know he's getting plenty at each feed but he's literally feeding himself sick. im going to have to cut him off for an hour or two and let his tummy settle and give my nipples a break but he's not going to like it!!! ahhh my nerves...and my eardrums

LittleMiss if they gulp in air when feeding then that will make them puke too, try winding him partway through the feeds, it may help that is what we found with F.

Yes to pins and needles in my boobs when F starts to stir wanting a feed

I spent lots of time at the beginning boasting about how I was getting more sleep now than in the last few weeks of pregnancy and how good Elodie was at night with three to four hours between feeds - then for three nights in a row she fed pretty much non-stop between about 10pm and 3am

But then she reverted to her former well-behaved ways so I think it was a cluster-feeding growth spurt type thing.

LittleMiss I haven't started expressing yet as have, touch wood, been doing quite well with the whole breastfeeding lark and was advised to give it a month so I don't confuse DD with the nipple/teat issue. My public bfing was in a pub garden and I didn't feel as self-conscious as I thought I might - by the time I had left hospital my breasts had been manhandled by so many different people they didn't really feel like mine any more! It was actually much more of a big deal bfing in front of my rather uptight MIL who has views about these things and thinks mothers should not whip their boobs out in public.

Hi everyone! Can i join in with this thread? I had my third little girl on the 19th of august and hav been following this thread but not actually getting around to posting anything. She is absolutely adorable and i am trying to savour every moment (they grow way too fast!!) with her as 3 kiddies is plenty and my DH has already made an appointment with the doctors to arrange a vesectomy.

Well done to everyone who has managed BF. I was unsure with regards to BF throughout my entire pregnancy - i didnt BF my first two girls but was definately qurious about it this time around. I didnt speak to anyone about it (silly i know but i am a very shy person and no one in my family has BF before) and everyone just assumed i would bottle feed as before. When i was in hospital i breast fed soon after she was born and then nothing for about a day or so. Then i tried again and she seemed to latch on ok, so i thought ok maybe i can do this. Then my milk came in and she was unable to latch on (i have inverted nipples and full boobs seemed to make it worse). The mw suggested a nipple shield which i tried but that didnt work either. I was then advised to try expressing. Since then i have been expressing regularly but am only producing enough milk for 2 5oz bottles a day, which i guess is better than nothing. I know that formula feeding will damage the amount of milk i produce but i seem to have fallen into a catch 22 situation. There is no way i can produce enough milk to satisfy her appetite so need to suppliment with FF but FF will limit supply.
I really am doing this all wrong! I've never been overly concerned about FF my LOs before but for some reason i would feel realy sad if i couldnt continue providing some breast milk this time.

Oh the joys of motherhood!

Just opened a terrys orange chocolate if anyone would like some...

hi tah2 welcome :)
i am sure if your expressing and continue to do it everyday it shouldnt limit your supply.. Just try get more out each time you express if you can..

its only if your established BF then suppliment with FF that will lower your milk supply. If you can only get 2 5oz bottles a day atm then each day try express a lil more even if only 1/2 02..
The ladies on here are more clued up about BF so might be able to give you better advice :)
I had colustrum but my milk failed to come through so i havent managed to BF any of my 3 angels more than a few wks. i always wanted to BF but my body let me down :( Thia time by day 4 the Hospital told me to FF Jorgia.
Congratulations on the birth of your angel xx
I would love to share your terrys choc
I'll share my malibu if you would like a wee glass hehehe

tah, you really need to see a BF counsellor to give you some advice and help to get back to breastfeeding. I have found midwives generally aren't that knowledgable. Well done for expressing up til now though, and congratulations on your little girl :)