March 2011 - we made it!

[Muser]

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

Quick update from me - only got home from hospital this evening. ELCS went ahead as planned on Wednesday 23rd and our beautiful daughter Imogen Cecilia was born at 11.12 a.m. weighing in at 7lb 3.5 oz . Will join you for more chats and catch up when I get myself sorted! Love to all xxx

congratulations to all the newbies

glad to hear we're all suffering from sleep deprivation though!! It is sooo much harder for me this time round, i almost dread hearing her crying as it means i've got to get up!! Once i'm up though its all systems go, and to be fair to her its only once during the night really. She feeds about 11pm then 3am then 7am so i know i can't complain!! Does anyone elses LO start to fuss at about 5am but not necassarily for a feed?? Cassie..withiout fail wakes at 5am and doesn't settle until she's laid on me then sleeps til 7am...mmmm think that may be a little habit forming there me thinks!!!!!
My super boob juice is as my friend told me gold top!!! Cassie has put on 14oz in 10 days and is 8lb i was gobsmacked!! I thought if she's 7lbs 8oz i would be happy as she was so dinky, she's a bloater now then!!!!!
It makes all the lack of sleep worthwhile!! I am so pleased with myself (have to blow own trumpet no-one else in my house to do it!!) that i have continued to breast feed her, i thought it would be really hard work and painful, but i have to say to all of you who are struggling it really does get easier and less painful, Cassie is only 4 weeks and it only makes my toes curl as she first latches on then nothing.
also i recommend lasinoh after every feed, of course the downside is that my nipples have been desensitised (sp) and will probably never feel pleasure again
well, must go , am off to get food parcel sent out to DH!!
lots of love xx

sam lol dont worry, they wont be desensitized forever!!!

Congratulations chickie lovely name choice. Take it easy for a couple of weeks, and take all offers of help. xx

I just want to second sam and say also that it does get easier to breastfeed, we are almost two weeks in and already my boobs arent as engorged and because of that the latch is easier, therefore means little or no pain at each feed. YY Lanisoh is a definite must for the first couple of weeks.

Sam my LO also feeds like a maniac between 6pm-10pm probably 5 or 6 times- cluster feeding, but then will sleep til 2am and then awake again at 6am so it doesnt feel like I'm up all through the night. I think its amazing that they know how to 'tank up' for the night so soon.

Really loving this newborn stage, these first two weeks have gone by in a blur but I'm desperately trying to savour every minute of it, its over so quickly.

Hi all,

haven't posted for a while, things have been manic! Congrats to all Thebes arrivals. Isobel is doing really well; jaundice has cleared and steadily gaining weight. I've also stuck with breast feeding, it definately does get easier! She's still unsettled at night but will now go down in her carrycot most of the time! She's a sucker for a cuddle and loves being in bed with us though. I introduced an evening bottle of formula ad she was feeding every 90min overnight. That seems to have calmed it down to 3hrly so feel a bit like I'm getting some rest!
Lovely tohear of all the new arrivals. Xx

Hi folks,

Anybody else feel that there is so much they have forgotten from the first time round like how tiring BF is! Particuarly if your little monkey would spend 4 hr on the boob in the evening.
Still got the energy slump but is still only been a week.'at least I don't feel too bad about spending lots of time in bed. I am looking forward with some trepidation about managing both DCs together.

Pleased to hear that all the other new arrivals are doing well. However I hope that tooimmature and her DH are doing OK. I hope she can feel that she is welcome to post here whenever she wants.

Hi all. Well it has been a stressful few days here. Thursday at 4.30am I was crying uncomtrollably as my nipples were bleeding (our latch had been very good and was so happy with everything and wasnt really in pain), now in huge agony and Emir just wanted to keep feeding. I was sitting there trying to figure out where the nearest 24 hour shop was and putting him in the pushchiar and getting some formula.

Anyway Friday morning DH got me a breast pump so have been expressing and using formula. I am dispointed that I have given up so quickly as I really enjoyed the closeness and strangely the fact that this was the one thing that only I could do and no one else. But as a result we are both much calmer and relaxed and he is still getting some breast milk. I did have a massive cry about it but have decided to move on and just accept it.

I also feel a bit sad about not having anymore children even though that is what both DH and I want. 3 is quite enough for us, but I do also feel a little like I need to sort of come to terms with the fact that I will never have a daughter. Feel a bit superficial thinking in that way actually.

We had visitors yesterday who turned up with food and DHs family are coming today and DH is cooking masses of food - who comes to see a new baby and expects a full on meal???? I am quite irrationally annoyed. Irrational as he is the one cooking and hasnt asked me to do anything so I shouldnt be bothered but I am am!! Putting it down to crazy hormones.

Love to you all.

Ouch to bleeding nipples mixedmama, that sounds awful. Are you definitely switching to formula/expressing then? I had completely wrecked nipples but once I got my latch fixed I was able to feed again and with a bit of care and attention they had healed within a week, even though I was still feeding constantly. Haven't looked back since. Of course if you want to switch it's absolutely fine, but if you don't you could still try and fix things. Checking for tongue tie would be my first though if the latch looked fine.

Things are going well here, can't believe she's six weeks on Tuesday! She is currently strapped into a sling as it's the only way to stop her grizzling. I think she's become so much more aware but isn't quite sure what to do with the world, so wants to be held. Hoping it'll pass soon, apparently week 5 is a 'wonder week' where they can be in a really bad mood but it's because they're about to make a big developmental leap.

mixed you r not alone! i am still down one boob -waiting to heal and supplementing w formula and we have just about found our stride. happened v early on and like u i thought it felt fine and was doing the right thing, etc. also have had massive sobs about it all, but it just comes down to whats best for u both anf LO's are getting enough and gaining weight! good for u for moving on-thats all we can do. i'm hoping in a weeks time we will know if my bad one will be up and running or not as i just want yo move forward as well. take care all!

mixedmama I've had the bleeding nipples too but providing you air them they heal remarkably quickly. Can't believe it was 5 days ago when I took the skin of my right nipple - now its healed with no scabs.
What does help is dabbing breast milk on the sore places and allow to dry. I am also finding applying Lanisloh atfter a feed also helps.
Just take it one day at a time. Now I will go back to feeling overwhelmed by having a toddler and a newborn.

Hello everyone, I'm finally joining ye here in post-Natel! I'm looking forward to catching up on all the posts and I hope ye are all doing well.

My beautiful DD3 Mya is doing brilliant and is a dream at the moment, my biggest problem is (ahem) wee leakage which is not helped by a slight cough, anyone else having a similar problem???

Hi all

Briefly updated the antenatal thread a week or so ago (where does the time go?!?), I had a little girl, Esme, weighing 8lb 1oz by C Section on 11.03.11.

For anyone interested in the details... I had hoped for a VBAC but I saw the consultant on the Monday before my due date who ruled this out (baby was an unstable lie, they didn't want me to go past my due date due to previous history etc). They examined me in the hope they could induce me but I was 'unfavourable' and the baby didn't tolerate being manouvered into position, so I was booked in for a semi planned section.

Well, that was the plan!... I ended up going into labour on my due date (10.03.11), and going into hospital at 3am on the morning my C section was due to take place! The doctor examined me and decided that the baby would wait until morning... They then bumped me up to first on the list. Had a short wait until they took me to theatre at about 9.30am. After 3 attempts at siting the spinal (trainee anaesthetist!) they called DH back in and got underway. They started the operation at about 10.15 and at 10.28 my little girl was born!

I had a bit of a reaction to the spinal and so DH held her for the first 45 mins but I managed to cuddle her in recovery. She's lovely!

We've had a few dramas since, she has tongue tie which has affected breastfeeding (but that is a whole other story!) and I picked up two infections in my wound from hospital so have been on a cocktail of antibiotics and painkillers but apart from that everything is great!

I should have more time now to keep up to date with the thread, it's lovely to hear how everyone else is getting on. The babies all have beautiful names and it's great to 'meet' on this side! We've come so far since last June!

Wishing everyone a good night with sleepy babies! Night all! x

Thank you for all the kind words everyone. I am persevering with expressing in order to keep giving him the milk. I have created a fear of putting him back to the breast I think.

Anyway, congrats on new arrivals.

Everything else swimming along here. We are going to register him today which is very exciting. Then onto passports as we are off to Turkey in the summer - bizarre that he will be just 10 ish days old in his passport pic and has to use it until he is 5.

MW and HV coming tomorrow and BCG booked for next Friday. It is all rolling along.

Lol Niamh I (sadly!) know exactly what you mean about leakage. Am (almost) dreading not needing maternity pads. Get terribly hayfever and sneezing is not good right now (although getting better as I'm becoming a pelvic floor exercise fanatic... I refuse to become a Tena Lady at 30(ish!).

Congrats new mummies! Hope everyone is doing well. I hit a complete wall this weekend but feeling much better and on top of things today - even tackled the huge pile of ironing!
Take care and hope everyone gets some sleep.

Evian- baby coral has tongue tie too, we had it snipped at the end of week one and we're both re-learning how to feed! Maybe worth looking into?

Hello - the relief of arriving at the other side!!!!

Baby Emilia arrived 22.03.11 at 7.59pm weighing 9lb 4oz. Quite quick, but stitches (2nd degree) so fair amount of pain even now. She is gorgeous though and sleeps reasonably well.

mixed don't feel guilty and do what works best for you. I felt terrible guilt when I didn't feed DS myself, but we almost ended up in real trouble as he dropped from 7lb3 to 5lb10 and had 4 days in NICU. I expressed about half his feeds for 6 weeks. Emilia is much hungrier, but had formula while I was being stitched in theatre and so discovered it was more filling. So we are mixed feeding about half and half again and tbh i feel happier knowing what she is having as DS' experience was quite a trauma.

Must go one very unsettled baby this morning.

Hi all, my DS was born on 23 March, he's a week old today . 3 hour fast and furious labour including a 30 min drive to the hospital at 2am with me on my hands and knees on the back seat!! Had gas and air and pethedine, obv no time for epidural! Ended up with some stitches and came home and tried to do too much hence bedbound over the weekend, I have a small infection in the wound but don't need ABs. Diagnosed DS with oral thrush yesterday, probably because I had strep b ABs during labour, so he and I are on medication for that.

He is an amazingly good sleeper!! I'm not used to it after my DD. I'm looking out for signs of reflux as DD had that but he's nowhere near as cranky altho he is bringing up some milk after each feed so time will tell. BF going well after I had BF counsellor round the other day to help my positioning, I fed DD for 18 months so you'd think I'd know!! Feeding an 18 month old is not the same as a newborn tho as they don't know what to do.

He has been cluster feeding all day today, I'm wondering if it's an early growth spurt because he was a week late? Either that or maybe feeding more cos he feels crap with the oral thrush? I dunno but I'm gonna wake up with HUGE boobs in the morning!!'

I hope you are all ok, I see some of you are struggling with BF, just get all the help on offer to you, eg BF counsellor attached to your midwives.

I'll try to get on here more often now! Apologies for mammoth self-centred post!!

Wow, that was mammoth and all on my phone too!

oh my gosh it is so comforting to read I am not the only one struggling with breastfeeding. I had plans to exclusively breastfeed but I'm afraid I am having to admit that I can't cope with the sore nipples and/or constant expressing, so we are reluctantly reverting to formula. I can't help feeling terribly guilty and emotional about it, but I know it will all be ok, and he seems quite happy.

Hi all, lovely to see so many people arriving here.

I think we have hit the 6 week growth spurt here. I hope so as it'sa better reason for the manic feeding than anything else. Lots and lots of cluster feeding, thankfully our latch must be fine as my nipples are unscathed, despite a 7pm-1am cluster feeding last night and pretty constant feeding all today. I'm hoping it passes by tomorrow!

Anyone who is struggling with feeding I do recommend getting help, it made such a difference to me. And don't feel bad about how you choose to feed your baby. Formula is not the root of all evil.

superpenguin - we are exclusively formula now. I had a meltdown on the phone to my mum yesterday when she asked how BF was going. It just seems that at this stage the first question anyone asks you when they meet you is whether you are BF and I know I will find it hard to keep it together. Yesterday Emir bought up a few of his feeds almost completely and I had another cry because he didnt do this when I was BF yadda yadda.

But you know there is a great thread running at the moment about the most difficult stages of parenting and someone with teenagers was expalinging her current issues and she said to think that worrying about BF and formula seemed like such a big deal. You would think I would know better really - nobody ever asks me if my 5 year old was BF so I dont know why I stress so much.

DH is back to work on Sunday - eek. Means I will HAVE to do the school run with all 3 DC. I have done it once or twice this week to get into the swing of things.

I feel ready to tackle life now, so spent yesterday on the Good Housekeeping threads and Fly Lady trying to figure out how to keep my house on track, I want to start abit of exercise now too. I have an exercise bike which I reckon is low impact and prob not a problem before my six week check.

Wishing you all a great day.

Hugs to those of you really struggling with BF. I totally second what Muser and Mixedmama say, BF is not the be all and end all. Having said that, I had a lot of pain first time round and the midwife said to me just hang in there, if you can get past the first 4 weeks then it gets much easier - I found this to be true and was so glad I stuck it out. I'm not saying this in any way to make anyone who has switched to formula feel bad but just wanted to say if you want to stick to BF it does get better. The NCT also may have a local BF counsellor who could come out and see you instead of or as well as the MW, I don't think you have to be a member. I dont know much about la leche league but I know they have a phone helpline. The BF counsellor the other day showed me the rugby ball position again which she said she found is much easier to position baby than the standard hold.

Finally, if any of you are struggling with BF because of stitches and sitting up, I recommend side feeding, ie

Sorry, interrupted by toddler! Lie on your side in bed with baby facing you on his/ her side. It's a great excuse to spend a lot of time lying down

Also, while I think on, I use a large lunchbox without the
lid for all my bits while BF, phone, pen and paper, Telly remote, bottle water and snacks which I can move around with baby as needed.

Hi all, quick birth story for anyone wishing to know the details! Planned c-section on Weds 23rd - all very relaxed and calm, walked down to theatre at 10.45 a.m. with DH in his scrubs, met all the team who had gathered together (8 of them!), radio on (lasting memory of Adele singing when baby born), had spinal. At 11.12 a.m. Imogen Cecilia born weighing 7lb 3.5 oz, crying as soon as she arrived, I was stitched back up and moved to recovery - total time in theatre a whole 25 mins! First breastfeed at 12.00 and back on ward shortly after. 48 hours in hospital - bf went really well, Imogen such a good latcher and no probs.

On Monday I was a little poorly and developed an infection and mastitis (nipples still not healed - ouch!), so Imogen is now on formula and feeding 4oz every 4 hours and sleeping well in between. I wasn't planning on bf'ing for that long anyway, but am really pleased with my efforts that I was able to bf for the 4 or 5 days that I managed it (wasn't that successful with DS as he was early and tiny).

Today, I'm feeling pretty good (have make up on and have stripped the beds!) - the antibiotics are in my system, my scar is healing and the boobs are feeling less tender. Am totally overwhelmed with love for my little princess - such a shock to have a girl as I was convinced it was another boy, who was going to be Henry.

Love to all, congratulations to all the new arrivals, hang on in there for all those still waiting xxxx

Congrats Chickie, we have the same birth date!

I'm pretty sure DS has reflux, he's been bit sick after every feed since milk came in, more than just posset I think (is that just spit?) and has just brought up some 'milk curd' sick about an hour after feeding. He's in absolutely no discomfort tho which is v different from my DD who was in constant discomfort with reflux. He isn't vomiting anything like whole feeds. Why do I want to say 'yet' after those 2 sentences??

Should I get him on infant gaviscon or just leave it be? I don't know what to do with a non-drastic case!