June 2008: new year, new diets, new resolutions, but when push comes to shove creme eggs are still the solution!

[KnittingRocks]

Sorry, couldn't cope with Christmas anymore!

I'd ask the same question on breast and bottle feeding and see what someone like tiktok advises. In my not v well informed opinion I'm surprised that they aren't getting you to express and give them that via a syringe. The twins opposite me when I had had William were exactly the same and that is what the MWs were helping Mum with. If it's important to you then I'd be a bit diva-ish about it and say that it's really important to you that they get your colostrum and see what they say.

Good luck, don't stress about it, and enjoy your little girls.

Amber ds1 had formula at birth and still breastfed exclusively once we were home. If possible see if they can use a syringe to give it to the girls instead of a bottle as it's supposed to help them keep breastfeeding. I'm sure that they probably don't need it but it's hard to know etc so the syringe could be a great compromise.

Lots of love!

X posted - the midwives did give my colostrum with a syringe too for both boys.

Marking spot and seeing if any update in Amber or penguin- happy new year ad hi all

I expressed and gave S bm via syringe (and then a cup) too Amber.

Happy New Year H&S!

Am a bit because the snow might mean that we have to cancel our one and only 'festive' child free night out together. DH and I supposed to be going to a friends party tonight (it's a regular annual thing, so always a bit of an 'event' in the Christmas/New Year diary) but we're supposed to take S to my parents (just outside Glasgow) to stay overnight but more snow is forecast tonight.

KeepCalm how many parties have you missed out on because of the snow this year? It's really unlucky. Hope you manage to sort something out.

Amber in answer to your original question about how long you leave them between feeds (I have now had coffee and am waking up and reread your post)), and whether to leave them till they ask for it. They need to be fed every 2-3 hours waking them for a feed, not letting them sleep. However on the first night with W he slept for about 6 hours and I was worried. I tried to wake him and feed but got no response. MW said it's normal for them to be v sleepy on the first night but then they wake up, so the 6 hour sleep was not a disaster but shouldn't be repeated.

H&S are you back in the UK yet?

You're right, Spider - quite a few. However, we've just checked out the weather reports/traffic websites etc and DH thinks it will be absolutely fine. The only problem really is that my parents are babysitting and they're a good hours drive away in usual conditions. So fingers crossed we still go!

Having a very lazy morning here - we were planning on taking S to the promenade by the beach on his scooter (as we had to cancel last weekend) but the snow and scooting aren't so compatible. S is watching Octonauts while playing with his train set and DH and I are both surfing while drinking tea. And we're all in our pj's .

Missed out on the birthday chat before. I'm a January bday too (but have another two years before the big bday). DH is turning 40 this year though, so in the process of planning some celebrations for that. 'Tis the new 30. Except, as someone else said, I didn't do turning 30 well either!

Hooray Amber . I love their names, and what brilliant weights for twins .

Re the bfeeding. DD1 was in SCBU and they would bring her to me on the post natal ward so I could feed her (I couldn't leave as I'd had a PPH). When they got busy they phoned the ward to ask if it was ok to give her formula. I said that I'd prefer her to have breastmilk. She was discharged from SCBU there and then and brought back to me. So I agree with Spider that just telling them that you'd prefer your girls have breast milk will hopefully get them to be a bit more pro-bfeeding.

Can't wait to see pictures of them.

Must have missed the post on news but gorgeous names. Hope feeding going better - it's nice they are concerned re girls but would agree with others that formula a last resort. How long are you in for amber and how Is Luke?

Spider waves back - am in airport lounge home tomorrow. Keepcalm - hope you get your night out. Knitting just think of it as exercise in self development for boys if they fight.

Ignorance here- is Maya penguin as was??

With the breastfeeding I would also push for them to help you express and syringe feed. It's what you want and so you should stick to your guns.

No snow here but torrential rain yesterday. it was so dark I didn't bother opening the curtains.

So thanks all for advice. Today has been better with a mw to myself to help me. We are doing as much sucking as they can followed by a syringe of 10ml formula which seems to be keeping things going as they were having too much formula before do they were to dleepy to be arsed to bf. The lact cons said that the sucking reflex does not fully develop until 39 weeks anyway but once my milk comes in she sea no problems. What a faff - no wonder so many women go to formula so quickly. I am meant to be checking out on
Monday but might stay an extra day as I'm still in so much pain I'm on morphine.

Amber that all sounds good re bfing but sorry to hear you're still in lots of pain. Sending love and hugs. Hope the girls and you have a good night!

The snow up here is about 7 cm - we were heading down to Dundee today to meet up with friends and wewent anyways. We've just had too much snow to cancel things and dh is offshore so thus was meant to be a big treat for the boys. In the end though it was easy - I drove to the train station and we took the train down. Poor Fraser was so tired on the way back from keeping up with ds1 bit it was a lovely day.

Amber glad This MW better- in travel haze forgot a friend who hD twins At 33 weeks and similar issue with having to
Top up and she managed to go onto bf successfully (I
She was dead nifty with a hold to feed both of
Them).

Home now which is really nice despite fact only one person doesn't have Much jet lag- may be following knitting parenting
Role today (dh has disappeared upstairs....)

Yep, Penguin here. I can?t think of a good name and I may be ?outted? using Penguin or mentioning NZ. Any suggestions welcome.

Amber ? Congrats and well done on the BF-ing. R had formula from birth until 5 days later with miniscule amounts of expressed colostrum, we only really established BF once we left hosp.
Has Luke met his little sisters yet? How did it go?

Pain wise, is it your uterus contracting? I?ve been warned it is really bad for 2nd births (but not for 1st) and even though I?ll have a morphine drip the best thing for it is good old paracetemol which you can take with the morphine. Could be worth a try?

Rolf ? How?s the snow? How annoying about the nursery.

Knitting ? How are you feeling today?

Dewin - Sorry work is causing so much worry, again.

Spider ? GREAT news about W?s hearing.

KeepCalm ? Maybe you have a rat ghost?

Abdn ? Sounds like you are so over the snow! Glad you had a good day.

Welcome home H&S.

I?m obviously overplanning, but at what age did those that use them introduce dummies? I can?t remember anything?

DH and I have had a hilarious eve, I needed to be clean shaven IYKWIM and he helped as I couldn't see/reach. I can?t believe people do that as foreplay, we couldn?t stop giggling! However I?m getting a bit scared and nervous now, mainly of trying to sleep tonight without gaviscon! (Nil by mouth from midnight).

If all goes to plan I will be cuddling my new little boy by the time you all go to sleep tonight.

Thank you all for the good luck messages.

Good luck Maya - how exciting!!! Look forward to hearing your news.

Amber DS had some formula when he was in scbu as his glucose was low. DH gave them permission to do it as I had just left for lunch. I kicked up a really bug fuss when I returned and after two hours they remeasuered his glucose and left me care for him on the ward myself and only take him back for meds. The one bottle didn't interfer with bf.

I thought your girls names looked familiar, one of DH's friends had a baby girl a few weeks ago called M I(without the a on the end)!

Thinking of you Maya

Good luck Maya! My boobs are so sore today. Had the horrid mw again last night but an trying to get a different one tonight. Had a good cry today over it all. Babies are gorgeous but weeny. Trying to get extra days on the insurance so I get more support with the bf once milk cones in. I have no feeding bras!

marking my spot, and back to bed x

Morning all - having a lovely, lazy (if slightly hungover) child free morning here. About to go and get in the shower and get dressed so we can pick up S.

Sorry you're still laid up with the flu Knitting. Having had flu twice I have every sympathy (and share everyone's frustration at those who claim to have flu). We often get absence certificates in work for one day 'flu' and bad cold/flu...

Maya - I hope all goes well with you tomorrow/tonight! at rat ghost!

Abdn - glad your trip to Dundee didn't get cancelled because of the snow. Completely agree that with all the snow there's been that you just have to get on with things. We were a bit unlucky in the run up to Christmas as every time we had nice plans that involved a reasonable car journey there was heavy snow. We always err heavily on the side of caution with regards to driving in snow after we had the accident when S was a baby. The snow in the central belt hasn't come to much this weekend though, so DH was quite happy to drive him over to Glasgow yesterday so we could still go out last night.

Amber - sorry you're still in so much pain. What does Luke think of his sisters? Have you got contact details for local bf support in your area for when you get discharged?

Right, really must go and get dressed and retrieve my son!

Oh, just realised my 'morning all' is a bit late - how did it get to after 1pm?!?!?!?

keepcalm glad you made it out last night :) About flu - it actually means something different in Canada - any tummy bug etc is called the flu as well, although the flu shot is known to only prevent a serious flu...

hugs and prayers for maya tomorrow!

spider yeah re W's hearing!!!!!

H&S welcome back :)

just deleted my post by mistake.

amber well done for persisting with the bf in the face of an unhelpful MW! sorry you're still so sore, doesn't help with looking after 2 babies, I imagine. I am sure Neenz will be along soon with some quality bf twins advice!

spider great news about W's hearing, what a relief that must be.

maya good luck with the NZ childbirth experience. fingers crossed for you.

H&S glad you are home safely, hope it was a wonderful trip!

Am excited about the pay it forward thing on FB, have started my first thing already, still have a space left though if anyone wants to grab it!

Good luck Maya. So exciting having all these new babies

Amber sorry you're in so much pain, and well done on the bfeeding.

The snow is gone . It only stuck for a few hours. Even the children were unenthusiastic about it.

DS1 is doing a school project, It's supposed to be about music, and he's meant to write about various composers and include information about their home countries. Anyway, DS1 LIVES for his stomach. Whenever he talks about last year's school trip, all he talks about is the food (even the options he didn't have). So in his project he's saying that, contrary to popular belief, croissants come from Austria and Mozart probably loved them. He's included loads of pictures of croissants and a recipe .

DD1 has been seeing various friends recently - mainly friends from church who don't know her at school - but they know about the problems DD1 has at school (and sometimes at home). One friend phoned up yesterday to say how good she had been at a party, and how she'd been really articulate and friendly, and a good sport when she was "out" in musical chairs. It was so lovely to hear, especially when all we really get from school is either reports of awful behaviour or "DD1 did well in her intervention class" type of stuff.
Sorry, I know I'm chunnering on, but I know I go on when she's being difficult so I thought I should be even-handed about it .

Lol at your ds Rolf, can you not persuade him to change it to strudel or schnitzel?Tell him that they now sell Mozart chocolates, that might appeal to him. Also lovely news about your dd 1

Amber, congratulations on your daughters Hope that you're not as sore soon, well done for persevering with the bf, come on Neenz, where are you when Amber needs you?

Spider, good news about W

H and S - welcome back, how was the holiday?

Maya, good luck

Knitting, hope you feel better soon and would love to see you on your trip up to Scotland, when is it?

hello everyone else, got to go and persuade ethan that tiding up is a really fun thing to do that makes Mummy really happy, wish me luck.

Hey Amber, well done BFing! Love the names too. It is very normal to have some issues BFing when the babies are a bit early and you've had a section but definitely possible! Just keep getting them to suck as much as poss, like Spider says every 2-3hrs, even if it is just a few mins. If they don't want to bf then try skin to skin contact, no pressure to BF just have them near your nipples and see if they get the urge. Ring the La Leche League on 0845 120 2918, there will be some BFing counsellors in your area, one may even be able to come to the hospital. It's a shame they gave formula, there should be no need so soon after the birth but not the end of the world. Just tell them only give formula by syringe, no bottles cos it is too easy to get milk out of bottles, not the same sucking action as at the breast. If your milk has not come in yet syringe off colostrum and give it to them, and just keep putting them to the breast! There is a great book about BFing twins called Mothering Multiples by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada. Good luck and well done, you are doing brilliantly!

Dewin, Rolf - yes to a meet-up! lmao at Fear! I think Esther can say Theo with a 'th'. I am not very good at remmebering but I will keep am ear out.