November 2010: Welcome to life on the other side

[bunnygirl80]

Pull up a chair and help yourself to a LARGE glass of wine

Welcome to the dark side the wonderful world of motherhood

bunny Ive rarely got her to feed both sides, usually she'll empty one side and I either leave the other side for the next feed or express it for later/ DH/ visitors to feed.

If she does try the second boob she doesn't suck for more than about 4-5 min, certainly not enough to empty it

Bunny with my DS1 I was told to offer both sides at each feed, and I did, and he ate and ate and ate and ate! He threw most of it back up quite happily, I had ridiculous amounts of milk, and he put on a pound a week for awhile. After awhile I figured out that he didn't need both sides, so he'd completely drain one side per feed within a couple minutes (while the other was pouring with milk!). I always knew which side was due for the next feed because it was nearly twice the size of the other! :)

bunny same here- James generally only has 1 boob per feed, although then wants to feed from the other boob an hour or two later!

hmmsleep- I had proper bleeding for about 3 weeks then another week of mucky-looking discharge (sorry if TMI!), so definitely worth getting it checked out- did you have any break in the bleeding so it could be a period?!
Things here are starting to get a bit better now James is 5 weeks old- the past couple of days he's slept for 3-4 hours at a stretch at night which feels miraculous to me after weeks of waking every hour or two for a feed!
Also lainey- I have so much sympathy for you and your nipples!! Mine got into a real mess with DD, cracked, bleeding, etc, so I know how hard feeding can be when you're in a state... good luck for the next few days and hope you can get the help you need.

Hi bunny thanks for sharing your experience. Sounds like we had exactly the same Monday :( I'm really not sure if it was a sore tummy or not, but he seemed to want to feed just as much on Tuesday but as I was braced for it and therefore a lot calmer we spent a much better day.

I try to offer both boobs on the recommendation of my MW, mainly due to the fact Norry has been so slow in gaining weigh. He doesn't always want it though and I always try to make sure he emptied the first boob before offering the second one.

We did a baby massage class yesterday. It was great, it was just us and my two friends who gave birth a few weeks before me. We had lunch together and had our own breasfeeding cafe! Our wandering around town did make me realise how crap this city is for access. We spent most of the time walking down the roads as the pavements are so narrow, and where they would be wide enough we still couldn't use them as the council has installed bollards and other street furniture to stop illegal parking. Being in a wheelchair must be even more of a nightmare. I'd already noticed the lack of lowered curbs which just adds to the fun, especially with a 3-wheeler like we've got

Oh lainey, I forgot to say that I've got my fingers crossed for your doctors appointment for the tt. Hope you get that sorted quickly so you can get to painfree bf.

I suppose I need to look on the bright side re. town access - there being no lowered curbs don't matter as the pavements are unusable anyway Sorry about the earlier rant, my sense of humour was still asleep :)

Thanks for everyone's reassurance about feeding - I feel much happier about him only taking one side now.

I'm pretty sure he's getting plenty of food anyway as he's put on 400g in the last week I thought my arms were starting to get more tired holding him and now I know why

thanks for the sympathy , the combination feeding is working for us as means I can BF all day without too much unbearable pain,
went to breastfeeding cafe today for 2nd assessment for finn's tongue tie, which has been confirmed so urgent referral has been made now. Was lovely to meet other mums and there were a couple of babies around 2-4 weeks and it was reassuring to see other mum's going through the same struggles as me and to meet those who had been BFing for months who were happy to share tips etc
also meant I did my first 'public' breast feed - though don't suppose a library counts really? which was a great confidence boost as had 2 people check my latch and positioning. Think I will go back again as was lovely relaxed atmosphere.
Midwife came this PM and Finn is back to his exact birthweight so has gained 230g in 5 days - very pleased.
he still looks absolutely destroyed in the skin department - flaking everywhere, I and my sofa are always covered! Think will get the olive oil out later as baby oil doesn't seem to be cutting it.

feel VERY bruised last couple of days and really hurts if try to stand for too long - apparently that is thanks to the lovely forceps but should get better soon. I feel in more pain now than after the birth. Ho hum.

How is everyone else doing today? x

Back from 6 week check (actually 7 weeks). Apparently it's not normal to still be bleeding fresh blood at 7 weeks, although they don't investigate too much until 8 weeks. The GP took a swab to send off to make sure I don't have an infection and if I'm still bleeding in a weeks time I have to go back. Everything else was fine but have just made appointment for Lottie's 8 wk jabs , not looking forward to that!

lainey, I found Aveeno worked really really on my ds's dry skin, might be worth a try.

Oh dear hmm hope they get to the bottom of it soon.

lainey cold cream was recommended to us for the flakey skin.

Hope the bleeding gets sorted for you soon hmm

Just wanted to share a photo of Isaac smiling, the little horror would stop everytime I tried to take a photo on my phone
www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=7336530&l=0c75123f3b&id=556452455

Hello everyone! [waves vaguely from her cloud of oxytocin and sleep deprivation] Haven't managed to post lately but reading your updates.

OMG lainey what a time you've had with that birth and with the tongue tie! Full of admiration for your persistence.

Bassface hope you're carrying on feeling better.

Fine here, tho I'm tired and inclined to get stressed and grizzly in the evenings. Rocky feeds a lot, as you'd expect from such a big boy. But he also naps, which DS1 didn't really do ("wakeful baby"), and he doesn't scream when you change him, so I get to enjoy putting all the different outfits on him!

In the evening he cluster feeds which usually ends with us giving him a formula top up at 11pm to finally tip him over into sleep. Had hoped not to have to do this for a few weeks, but a couple of 7 hour feeding sessions weakened my resolve.

speaking of which, here he goes again...

Rinny Issac is such a cutie! :)

Its official.....i am indeed a mummy!! My heart has been melting hearing Evie laugh and coo at her toys even at 2.20am!! So hard to not speak to her as it's just super cute! She gets so excited looking at toys and trying to reach out and touch them....I'm so proud already lol she really is a dream and couldnt have wished for a better baby!

Anyway.....remembers its not just me completely smitten by our new bundles of joy.........

Hope they get to the bottom of the bleeding hmm and you don't feel too bad.

Have found the same fen when out and about. Tried to find the lift in a multi story car park yesterday! No sign posts showing where it was, so proceded to go through the worlds smallest and heaviest door/passageway alone with a pram so almost impossible to hold open alone,only to find the lift was the compete opposite end! No idea how a double buggy or person in a wheelchair would be able to manoeuvre their way through that! Annoying really in this day and age!!

TMI alert......Have my 6 week app next week, and going to investigate the smell of my urine!! Anyone elses smell a bit like wet hamster bedding??? (obviously only relevant to those who have had hamsters I guess!! :) is all a bit odd and am slightly concerned!!

Hope everyone is enjoying their babies as much as me

babybeab never had a hamster so cant be sure but I have an odd smell too, vaguely like pet rat bedding so guess its similar. Lentioned it to the midwife and she just said 'hormones' so let me know if you get a better answer :)

Hello everyone! Can't believe Abbie is already 6wks today and getting so big already. She feeds well, struggles to wind and sleeps ok so can't complain. Am not happy though that AF arrived yesterday. I would have liked a few more weeks period free. It happened with DS too so I shouldn't have been so surprised. They came back regularly too. I guess because I've just gone back on the pill. Anyone else or am I just unlucky?

lainey I was told that baby oil is ironically the worst possible stuff to use on babies. apparently it's full of crap and actually very drying to the skin. meaning you have to keep using it I guess!
Olive oil was suggested to me, although I'm not actually using anything just yet, I think it's pretty normal for them to shed the top layer of skin after birth, so I think i'll give it a week or so and see how she's doing as she does not seem sore or at all irritated by her scaly tummy.

I am on day 11 now, but DD hasn't been discharged by midwives yet as she actually lost a bit more weight between the Day 5 and Day 10 check, still within the 10% limits, but they want to see her gaining before discharging her. Anyone else had this?
The midwife spent a lot of time watching her feed yesterday and showed me how to really make sure she empties the breast and then get her on the other side (I was trying both boobs before, but not really pushing it when she wasn't interested) so fingers crossed she's gained something before being re-weighed tomorrow.

privetdancer, baby oil is bad? oh no, i've been using johnson's baby oil on her the whole time!

like book, mibby, hmmm, i've never gotten K to feed from both boobs. she'll invariably go to sleep after emptying one and won't want to feed some more. she might wake and demand more 1h or so later.

still not having much luck on the EBM feeds. she'll still take only 1.5-2oz at most and then start pushing the teat out and squawking away. i'll still have to top her up on the boob. DH has tried every thing possible suggested to get her to drink more from the bottle but no luck.

Well it's not the best, apparently, and actually dries the skin out. It has perfumes and stuff in, best to keep it simple is what I was told when I was using it on DD1. But it won't actually be bad for them I'm sure! It is in the bounty pack after all, so I expect most people use it.

privetdancer, yup that's exactly where i got the oil from. haven't bought ANY baby toiletries other than diaper cream so relying on all the freebies i've received.

in other news, have found the cause of the pain in my wrist - mommy thumb!

finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111524/the-baby-may-be-giving-you-mommy-thumb

doc diagnosed inflamed tendon of the thumb. :(

Ouch, that sounds like my left thumb, better keep an eye on it.

Hurumph, just as I thought I was starting to do ok, the paediatrician suggested that Aino isn't putting weight on quickly enough. His proposed solution is that I relax more so I can produce more milk, fair enough, but how am I supposed to relax when he's getting me worried that I'm not feeding my baby enough and asking me to weigh her before an after every feed . In addition the scales he lent us are rubbish, there is no way we can get any accurate weight from them.

Regarding oil, we were told to use almond oil, or olive oil, but be prepared for your baby to smell like a salad!

Well I had DD weighed again today but she had only gained 60g (and considering she hadnt even pooed since being weighed last time, that is really nothing!). so they still won't discharge her from midwife care and will weigh again on Monday. Told myself I wouldn't get stressed about it but clearly I am.

Cardi that sounds like absolutely rubbish advice from the paed! How is that supposed to help you and since when did relaxing increase your milk supply?! Next time I expect he'll advise formula top ups

hi all, just a quick message, we went into town today and were lucky enough to wander into John Lewis who have a parent room. Really good, multiple clean changing mats, loos, chairs and little rooms to feed in and all nice and clean, plenty of buggy manouvering space too. much better than the usual rubbish facilities

corgi that sounds like a silly amount of weighing and pretty much guaranteed to not be relaxing!!

Hello all, finally awake enough to post - Anya's one week old tomorrow.

Sorry to hear about the weight-gain issues for your LOs Cardi and Privet.

Thankfully Anya seems to be okay in that department. Had a horrible first night at home as my milk hadn't yet come in and the colostrum was just not enough for her so crying baby, crying mum and worried dad. We topped up with FF and about 4am DH just told me to sleep while he stayed up with her as she was not settling at all unless one of us was holding her, and even then for no longer than about 45mins. Repeated the following night and then, thankfully my milk came through and things have improved.

Does anyone else's DC just not like being in a moses basket? I don't know whether it's because DD is just too heavy for it! (11 lbs +) But she hasn't slept in it at all but seems to like the pram, so tonight we're planning on taking the pram upstairs (not yet been outside with it) to see if that works. Here's hoping.

Hope everyone else is managing to get enough sleep and rest?

vix I was told to use olive oil-does make the baby smell like something you should be eating though

privet and cardi hope you get your weight gain issues sorted soon

comtessa congrats on your DD - I saw on the other thread that she was well over 11lb William wasn't a fan of his moses basket until I elevated the head end - now he sleeps in there no problems.

I actually had a lie in this morning and feel like a new woman Made DH get up and do the 7am feed with a bottle of EBM while I stayed in bed. Thankfully Will sucks anything that goes in his mouth so no problems getting him to take the bottle. DH needed a lie down afterwards though as it tired him out so much Have suggested he should try feeding 8 times a day rather than just once before he complains any more!!

i was told by the HV to use grapeseed oil, apparently it's better than olive oil? Not tried it yet, but DP bought some from the Co-Op today so will use some when DS wakes up as he has a patch of v dry skin on his face which is v sore and red now :(

Re moses baskets, DS doesn't like his much either, he was 5 weeks old on Friday and till now we've had to resort to using a hot water bottle in there to help him settle. He sleeps better in it at night than day though, and we are getting around 9-11 hours a night, broken into 3 sessions, between roughly 9pm and 10am. Our biggest problem is he has been having v bad wind, and so the pain of farting has been waking him up from every sleep, so he never wakes up happy and calm, he always wakes up screaming. Really not sure, but HV said that he shouldn't have green poo in his nappies and it's a sign of an upset tummy, but i was on iron tablets due to a massive blood loss during the CS, and i wondered if his poo was because of the iron tablets?

I came off the tablets a few days ago, and this morning we had our first nappy that wasn't green for weeks. Hoping the two are connected - anyone else been on iron that could confirm this?

bunny arf at your DH

We were recommended apricot kernel oil... love that every midwife has her own favourite :)

Privet & cardi sorry to hear about your weight gain issues. I'm expecting to be told off by the doctor at the next visit as we're gaining weight slowly as well. My midwife of all people told me to weigh Einar before and after each feed but I decided that that was the way that madness lay so haven't been doing it - naughty mummy We are doing ebm top ups after morning and evening feeds but I also keep telling myself that for there to be a 50th percentile there need to be lighter as well as heavier babies - and let's be honest, comtessa and Anya have definitely balanced out our lightweights :) As long as Einar is bright and active all day I'm trying not to overly worry.