March 2011 - we made it!

[Muser]

The waiting is over, the babies are arriving. March 2011 mums, come on in your time is up.

catherine a 6 week old baby isn't going to develop bad habits because you cuddle her - in fact, she'll be more content and trusting of the world that there are people to keep her safe.

We use the MAM dummy, and rarely take it outside with us. Partly embarrassment I suppose on my part, as I agree with hippo, I don't like the look of it, and also to avoid over-reliance. TBH, it's only occasionally we need it anyway.

Geek hope you get that duct moving.

Happy (American and German) Mother's Day, everyone! We may as well celebrate as many times as possible within the year, right?! ;)

Unfortunately Franz was not in the celebratory mood. He stayed at his regular sched: wake up at 2am, 4am, 6am, 7am. I wonder whether the morning hours that some of you have also experienced is because of the early sunrise. Even with the shades drawn, the light somehow escapes into the room, or he knows...

Dummy: I was also horrified when my DH placed the dummy in his mouth when he wasn't asleep. Fortunately he doesn't always take it, even at bedtime, so I'm not worried. I really don't think our LO's are ready yet for routine/habits, so cuddling, dummies, etc. may be fine for the mo.

Cheese, I'm so sorry about Isobel's sleepless day and night! Hope she feels better soon, but at least she is immunised and free to travel the world! :)

Catherine what Medee said about not spoiling a 6 week old baby. Do what she needs right now, never mind your mum.

I couldn't put my little girl down for longer than 5 mins for a while or she'd cry. Now she's much happier to spend time wriggling on her own.

Anyone having sleep problems during the day I recommend a sling. Only way I can get her to have a daytime nap.

sittinghippo totally agree- I don't want to give Elijah a dummy when he's awake and want to wean him off it ASAP. Again at the risk of offending anyone I really don't like seeing toddlers running around or wide awake with a dummy in.

Geek hope you get the duct sorted. Hot showers make both my boobs gush without me touching them- could you try that?

Catherine my work are asking me to go in and visit with the baby but I'd have to travel across London too now we've moved and don't feel anywhere near ready.

PS- Lovely seeing photos of your little ones on facebook!

hippo once latched on & reclining comfortably in the saddle hold put your arm along babys back so your hand is under the bum an their head is resting in the crook of your arm. leaves one hand free for mn . don't know if that makes sense written down?

petty lol sounds like I need to be a contortionist! As for resting her head in crook of my arm, she wont be able to reach - not sure my boobs are big enough!!

I have perfected the art of cradle hold while MNing so all is not lost...

Hi all
Not posted for a while as DH disappeared off to the USA on a buzz trip so been juggling 3 boys under 4! Now annoyed as he let ds1 come and pestify when I had just got baby to sleep so no lunchtime nap!!! Moan moan!!!!! Dh also decided to take side of ds2 cot bed so now have a wailing 2 yr old who also didn't sleep but just ran round like a nutter!

Mixed- thanks for setting the fb group up- have requested to join but not sure how to identify myself!

Am also west London so defo up for meets.

Ollie now 8 weeks and 14lb 6oz.... Little chubster!!! Eating well and started going for one 6 hour stretch from 7 or 8pm and then another feed at 5ish before going back to sleep till 7.... Still in bed with me tho!!!!! Got his first jabs this week.....

Lovely to hear how well all the babies are doing!!!

Hello all.

We use a dummy. Again I try to limit it to when i know he is tired and for whatever reason wont settle any other way or to just keep him calm whilst I prepare his feed or something.

Both DSs had dummies against my better judgement and had them until almost 2 and about 18 months although they never ever ever had them just running around. I am hoping to stop E way sooner than that though. Possibly not until DS2 has started nursery in sept whn I can focus properly on him with weaning (did I just say that)! dummies possibly moving in with DS2 etc.

DH back in the good books now as he is being much nicer now and not quite so ridiculous.

Catherine - I never ever use the tube unless I know there are steps or lifts as I have a pathological fear of escaltors with the DC. I once tried to go up the wrong way whilst pregnant with both DS in tow. I plan everything by either overground or bus or have to be sure I wont have to deal with escalators. I dont mind bumping with stairs although atm I mostly do public transport with the sling.

cherub there is a post saying so who's who then from me (begins with Z) and you can post there or create an albumn to share your pics Cherub's ollie and then we will all know.

OMG! woke up this morning to find my right boob had inflated beyond all reasonable proportion!! think i'm walking lop sided now....must grow my left side/shrink the right...lovely!! any tips?!!

nello are you bf-ing? If so, maybe a big feed from the right.... or several big feeds from the right if you are really lopsided

or apparently i'm meant to feed more from the smaller side to stimulate milk production there?!! goodness knows. In the mean time my DP is very amused !!

Thanks for all the advice about blocked ducts. I had a long bath and massaged the effected area and noticed a milk blister. The blister did burst though and I kept feeding M on that side.' he was up 3 times which is a lot for him probably due to reduced capacity. By morning the affected volume was smaller -no 'rice crisps under the skin' as was the case earlier. Now it's fine and no longer sore looks like M did a good job shifting the blockage.

Hardly surprised if M is hungry since he got me in a turmeric coloured tide of doom in the morning! Their ability to create vast volume of projectile poo never ceases to amaze me.

nello
how does it feel? Does it feel normal or is it getting lumpy and painful? It could be that you skipped a feed on that boob by mistake and it's just a bit engorged. Hope you don't get blocked ducts.

actually, i think i might have fed and expressed too much on that side, it is the side where it seems to be easier to get milk, so maybe i've increased production that side by accident??

You might have overdone it, if it's still bad I'd recommend posting on the breastfeeding/bottle feeding board and asking for advice. Lots of people with knowledge there.

Hi nello kellymom have some information on being lopsided here. Aparently you have to try to encourage the smaller side to catch up whilst making sure you don't get too engorged on the bigger side.

geek Am pleased you are no longer sore, shame about the poo though. Its been a while since i've been got....

I have been shopping! Currently on order is the medela calma bottle, a babyhawk mei tai (the pretty colours seduced me), a new baby gym and a rain cover for the car seat (hopefully this will mean it will be a good summer!)

Oh and I forgot my most expensive purchase - some reusable nappies. Should have them by the end of week

We've just started on the reusables - daytime nappies only, and not ever change - just if we are staying at home. She's pretty sensitive to a wet bum, but doesn't seem noticeably worse with these.

Hiii Everyone!

I have been a big lurker on here for a long while but not had good chance to post anything. Nice to know everyones babies are doing well :)

Lucy was 6 weeks old on saturday and she was weighed on the thursday 10lb 4oz fatty!!

Shes starting to sleep better at night now and is such a good baby i feel quite lucky. she does take a dummy but only to settle her when she gets crabby and the second she falls asleep it drops out!!

As a first time mum i feel so silly for over buying i completely bought too much ! i realise that now and people have been so generous to me also buying her lots of stuff aswell. I neednt have bothered buying anything!

Id love to see all your babies but I dont have facebook, I dont like what it does to people and their lives in the 'real' world but I am tempted to sign up just so i can join the group!

hope everyone is well

Katie x

I have the dreaded mastitis :-( yesterday left boob was so painful and hard I thought it was probably a blocked duct. However during the night I developed a fever and could not get out of bed this morning I bad chills and felt like I had the flu, I couldn't even pick Ethan up, dp had to take the day off work I got an emergency Appt at Gp and she confirmed it am now on 7 day course of antibiotics. I'm pretty sure the mastitis was caused by e not wanting to feed due to the thrush and also like halflo I have overactice let down the flow is too much for E it just sprays everywhere as he pulls off and screams and continues spraying for ages e e. When breast isn't been compressed. It is very annoying and makes me feel inadequate when e crys due to it. It also means I can't feed in public as it brings lots of attention to me and
it soaks all my clothes, breastfeeding is not going well for me right now
muser I also have the medela calma but e refuses to take it, I really want dp to be able to feed him sometimes any tips on getting him to take the bottle?

me23 You poor thing. Is your DP/anyone around during the day to help you? I hope you feel better soon because mastitis sounds awful. Thrush as well - no wonder you feel bf'ing isn't going well. In case no one has said - you are doing really well. Its not your fault that your flow is too much for E & it will get better. By 12 weeks its likely your flow will have slowed and/or E will be able to handle it. There's loads of helpful info on kellymom but i've found positioning the most important and making sure i'm not too full. Also i've decided to not to let it get me down if it chokes Hannah. It isn't harming her and she comes back to the breast for more so isn't putting her off. You aren't inadquate - you are doing really well to cope given everything bf'ing is throwing at you.

With feeding in public i've fed on the side I most recently fed on - makes sure the flow isn't too fast or if I get chance have popped to the toilet to hand express a little. Not pretty but seems to help.

katie You sound like you are doing really well.

me23 sorry not got long to post properly, but sympathies and a handy hint: If baby pulls off due to fast flow/choking and spluttering, and milk is squirting everywhere, press a firm finger onto your nipple and this STOPS the flow until your baby has caught breath and ready to latch back on. Saves the soaking clothes and getting so flustered. I completely understand, many embarrassing experiences myself.

katie welcome to postnatal. I think I remember you posting a while back?? Anyway congrats on birth of Lucy, and yes join up to FB even if temporary as is lovely to see all the little ones!!

I can't find the fb group nothing came up when I searched, I'd like to join please.