Jan 2012 - Higgs Boson Gang pt1

[Oeisha]

Link to antenatal thread for convenience

Not a very good title, but it will suffice 'til we fill this one in record time!

Congratulations to all that have popped so far!

Hi ladies.
Congrats moobee, hope your both well x

About an hour after I posted last night and a few times since, he has pooped. Yet to pee in his happy, he prefers to wait until his naopt us off for that one, much to his big sisters amusement.

We spent most if this afternoon back at the hospital with him. The mw wasn't happy that he wasn't feeding from either the breast or the bottle. That and she was concerned about slight jaundice and he has came out in a rash all over his body. Apparently the rash is common in new borns but iv never heard out of before. It's supposed to be painless but it looks nasty.
Anyway as he has only lost 4% of birth weight and his colouring was only slight so they aren't to worried. And iv been told to Express in order to get him to feed. While waiting on my milk coming through iv only to give him formula if he has went more than 6hours without latching.
Fx it all goes smoothly from here.

Hope everyone is well x

Xpost fish. It's better to have some on hand just incase x

Glad the mw has seen him shonno-it's such a worry. If it's any comfort to you DD lost 11% of her body weight while still in hospital before we got old sleepy head to feed properly. Shes a very healthy robust little girl now and I bf'd for 11 months. I hope it gets resolved soon for you xxx

have posted on the FB page too, just back online at home for the first time since birth, checking MN.

We have smae issues with BF - will go for hours, its exhausting, literally. Plus with the pain from c-section, it just got too much for me last night and I bottle fed. Felt AWFUl. still do.

tried expressing today, didn't work. one side did, the other nothing but blood which ruined what I had got from the other side. then I couldn't get anything more out. even though they are both HUGE and so full.

everyone on the FB group made me feel better. Got to look after myself and do whats right for me, us. will top up if I feel I need to. but keep trying with the expressing tomorrow again.

being weighed for 1st time tomorrow so will see how much he's lost, hope not too much.

he's also a cuddler, which is lovely, except for night times where he won't settle in his crib. I don't want to leave him, so am constantly picking him up to settle him, then putting him back down again, up and down like a yo-yo - doesn't do much for my wound and soreness...

he's so squishy though, who can resist!

Don't feel bad mia you will get there, your hormones won't be helping and what with getting no rest in hospital it all adds up to the way you are feeling.

My elcs wound has become infected. I am now on my second lot of anti biotics. It is sore and pongy. I agonised over whether to take them but relented in the end.

We seem to be coming out the other side of our breastfeeding woes. (famous last words) I left one just for expressing that was cracked and sore . I had to dump it but it has helped the soreness. Are you guys using lanisoh? It's magic stuff. Cheapest on amazon.

Welcome to our new babies x

mia & worm make sure you are really really hydrated and well fed. It makes so much difference. Get calories down you-chocolate chocolate chocolate. I feel for you girls I really do, I have very clear memories of the post c section feeding trials. It's not easy. I am here to chat if you need to (at least until tomorrow night anyway) and then i'll be joining you and saying "god i had forgotten how hard it is"......sending much love xxx

worm bathe in sea salt at least once a day-a good strong 2 handfuls in each bath-it's 2nd to none to aid healing. Get dh to go to a good chemist Tidmans is about £2.50 for a box and do not skimp on it. You will be amazed at how quickly it will help. You can also put tea tree oil in your bath.

Lanisoh is amazing!!
Ds has been feeding better today which is good. But wont stay on the breast for any longer than 10mins and when on the bottle he has take 20mls at the most. But he is taken it and has started looking for it. So we are happy.

Downside. Postnatal Heartburn has kicked in. Im really hoping its temporary due to stress of labour/birth, ds's feeding worries and Dd's massive moodswings. FX. Never had heartburn much during the pregnancy. But with dd I did and it took 3 years to control and I was only 'cured' by this pregnancy. Hopefully gaviscon will be enough and I dont need to see the doctor. FX

Hope everyone and the babies are well. And fish good luck when your time comes x

Have any of you lovely ladies braved looking at your bits with a mirror yet? I seem to be obsessing over it but too scared to look... the fact that it's constantly aching and stinging down there doesn't help!

It's times like this I wish I had a bath as well as a shower

Oh I braved it last time round missr but I doubt im brave enough this time. I can remember it and just presume its about the same. No need to re check. [stepping away from the mirror]

Ha missree when I said to the midwife about my stitches stinging and she asked if I'd had a look ermmmm....... No you're alright thanks

Some things I just don't want to know!

I did actually Missree and couldn't tell any difference. I did get stitches and couldn't see them. So gave up quickly.

I'm getting pain if I pee with a full bladder. It's fine if I remember to go more frequently. I'm hoping it is not an UTI as I really don't want to go on antibiotics. Could it be that my body needs to get used to such large amounts again?

Lasinoh is my saviour. Even though my boobs only had 5 months off since they last nursed, this baby has an iron grip. They are much better this week.

Missree, have you tried an ice pack for down there? You can use a sanitary towel as a pack, just pour some water on a fresh one and pop it in the freezer. I think the old thick pads it works best with. After the initial shock, the numbing is lovely.

We are expressing now! So much better!

William still takes the breast during his middle of night/early morning feed and his 'mid-morning' feed (as well as other feeds when at home) but when we are out and about and when DH home, he takes breast milk from a bottle. At least I am monitoring his feeds.

Last night he took 5oz from the bottle and slept from 7:20pm until 3:30am when I put him on the breast for half an hour. He woke at 7:30am for another feed. He was grazing again and kept falling asleep/waking up so i gave him the bottle and he took 3oz and is now sleeping. I am convinced that he is having to work too hard on the breast and is getting exhausted but being hungry at the same time. Now I can express I can see exactly how much he needs.

Yesterday during mid afternoon (before my breast pump arrived) we were sent to the GP by a daft midwife who was 'concerned' that he was jaundiced. She didn't listen when we said that he has already had photo therapy, his levels already coming down and last week's midwife could clearly see as we did that it was much better. Even the GP was not convinced but sent us packing to York hospital for tests. William was then screaming to be fed. I am not comfortable in public and literally cannot feed him without my army of pillows so we gave him an emergency supply of aptimil which did the trick. (I also got a month's supply of dicolfenac!). When we arrived at the hospital the registrar said there was only two of them on and they had poorly children who needed urgent attention and that it could be a while. She said we were expected earlier. DH hit the roof and explained why we couldn't be there earlier and that GP was told this. We explained why we thought we didn't need to be here so she looked at William, frowned and questioned who had sent us and then said he WASN'T JAUNDICED! We said WE KNOW! She did a quick SBR check and guess what???? It showed there wasn't a problem! So we were finally home at 9pm last night - I hadn't ate in 9 hours, William was poked and proded. DH wants to make a complaint.

Definitely make a complaint m2b what a pointless waste of everyone's time. And what unnecessary stress to cause to a family trying to settle in to life together.
Great news on the expressing!

Yay just had first health visitor visit and ds is back to his birth weight at exactly 2 weeks old and sitting just above the 50th centile

Well done baby giraffe

Well done to those who have joined us on the postnatal thread.

I was beginning to wonder if I would have time to ever read/post messages and I'm afraid it is flying visits at the moment.

Expressing is going well. Although we have discovered that William likes a snack mid-afternoon and mid-evening so I'm having to work hard at the expressing. Some times are better than others and if I feel like my supply is dwindling, I am supplementing with Aptamil Comfort (for colic and constipation). it says 'for medical purposes' but you can buy it readily over the counter?!? It doesn't have the casein protein - only whey which is easier to digest and has less lactose in it which many babies are believed to be temporarily intolerant to. So far, William seems fine on it although he has only had 2 bottles of it (late evening and very early morning feeds).

I have a feeling that I will be unable to keep up the BF via bottle as he is feeding a lot. I can't imagine my life if he was attached to the breast. Last Sunday was the height of depression for me. I was on the verge of cracking up. I couldn't quite imagine my life for 6 months constantly feeding my little boy who seems to be very hungry. The milk I express (5oz+) keeps him satisfied for up to 4 hours at a time (except mid-afternoon and mid-evening in which he wants another 2-3oz two hours after his 'big' feed) whereas on the breast he was feeding every 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours which would suggest that he was working very hard, tiring very easily and not getting enough.

So much for 'breast feeding support' - felt like 'breast feeding lectures!' I was sick of being told it was normal and that 'it's best for baby'. I kept thinking that it is the MILK that I produce that is important and whether he gets it straight from the breast or from the bottle shouldn't matter. I found myself feeling very guilty for thinking about switching to formula because of what and HOW midwives and health officials were saying but if I'm cracking up, crying all the time because I can't even get up to have a shower, go to the local shop or for a walk, how would THAT be good for William? A mother who was running down the path towards PND???

I was phoned by a breast feeding support worker today. I sort of lied and said I was still BF - in a way it isn't a lie because I am feeding him breast milk for 6 out of 7 feeds (some days for all of them!). One midwife said it was too early to express - why I wonder? William is a very happy, content little boy who is putting on weight, growing well and switches between bottle and breast easily AND hospitals actually ENCOURAGE expressing for some mothers (they certainly did for me AND they allowed me to keep a breast pump in my room during my 6 day stay in hospital).

William is 3 weeks old tomorrow and in that time I've learnt a lot - listen to advice but what works for some, does not work for others.

Thank you m2b for you post. You couldn't have wrote it at a more relative time.
I'm having a hard time just now with feeding Charlie. I'm expressing but cant keep up with the demand. He's not very interested in the breast, I also don't see why it matters how the Lo gets the breast milk. In order to make sure he doesn't starve he's been having formula as well. It's probably about half breast half formula if I'm honest.

I had pnd last time and I'm really concerned that I'm slipping that way again. It doesn't help just now that my gran went into hospital yesterday for a colonoscopy and was admitted. So my mum has went to Manchester to be with her and doesn't need me blubbering down the phone to her. Can't really go to my sister as she's struggling with newborn twins right now.

Hi ladies, just a quick post to join the thread. I've read some of your updates and it sounds like you're all doing so well! Will look forward to the benefit of your collective wisdom .

Baby Juliet was born at 00.50 on weds 18th after a fast labour - when I got to the MW unit at 9.30pm, I was 8.5cm dilated! I was a bit peeved because they didn't quite believe I was having 2-3 min gaps when I called, and when I got there I'd missed out on the pool by 20 mins. As it turns out, this was fortunate, because I was at 10cm by about 11pm and my BP went through the roof, and I was whisked off to the hospital.

They gave me some BP meds, strapped on a monitor, and asked me not to push for an hour. Fat chance! I tried to control the pushing so the pushing phase was a little slower, but I just tore a little right at the end, as the baby's hand was up by her face (she does that all the time now!)

We're still in hospital due to my BP, which is variable and high but no longer critical. Juliet can be discharged so it's just up to me to recover now! I can't wait to go home and am convinced my BP would drop if I could go home where it's not so hot and I could sleep more!

I haven't opened my bowels either yet, eek! It's been about 55 hours since she was born - still ok then I assume? Hospital food is not helping...

Great that you're doing so well with the expressing. I hated expressing myself so am in awe of how many feeds you're doing by bottle.

I think it's very unfair of people lecturing about any aspect of parenting. Every family is different and what works for one, may not for the next. On DD1, I tried opening up to a few relatives and they had my head wrecked with all kinds of "do's and don'ts". I started lying then too and said I was doing grand to get them off my case. It helped as then I just trusted my instincts privately which worked better for DD1.

DD2 is getting on great. I love the breastfing and am happy to feed every 2 hours or more often. I don't time anything and that suits me well. My family would be horrified too that I'm cosleeping again.

Oh didn't see your post Ghost Congrats to you and baby Juliet. Gorgeous name :-)

Hope you are recovering well.

It took me a while too for the first bowel movt. Eekk is right!

Congratulations Ghoston then birth of baby Juliet.

Hang in there shonnomanom. Do what you think is best for Charlie and yourself. Remember that an unhappy mum tends to lead to an unhappy baby.

Millions of babies are formula fed and do not turn out to be asthmatic, poorly children with diabetes and obese - (which is what they suggest will happen if you don't BF!)

Before William, i was pro-BF. Now when reality set in, I realised that I had to find what worked for my family.

I too am now increasing the formulas. I am expressing milk to be given during the night and early morning feeds - which is about 3 or 4 - and formula during the day. I find it rather contradictory that you can store breast milk for 5 days in the fridge but your can't do the same with formula after it's been made with 'bacteria killing boiling water' - not even for 24 hours (unlike ready to drink cartons!?!) Also I bought a Tommee Tippee bottle warmer from Argos today and it gives instructions about warming a bottle from room temperature yet according to instructions on formulas, you shouldn't batch make (only fresh in which case why reheat from room temp) or leave a bottle form more than 2 hours in which case a bottle warmer would be redundant!?!

Are 'health professionals' seriously making life hard for parents in order to justify their jobs???? That's what it seems to me!!

Fed up with contradictory statements from everyone!

I wonder whether they make it more complicated to try and convince more Mums to breast feed? How can something be ok for years, only for them to decide that actually their advice was totally wrong and you can't do it that way any more?!?! Hmmm...

The contradictions are rediculous aren't they. We had a mw in the other day who said that she fed her daughter from both breast and bottle then told me not to do it as confusion is not good for the baby!

Our current plan of feeding is:

• breast first, which he refuses unless its during the night
• then expressed milk, but I can only manage about 50mls from expressing from both for an hour
• topped up by formula

It's a faff and time consuming but it works for him. He has regained nearly all of the 4% he lost.
I do need to have a long hard think about it though as this feeding plan is not practical when I go back to work in April.

Congratulations ghost

hi ladies, i haven't had my baby yet but i wanted to pop in and offer my feeding support and tell you my experience of feeding my DS.

As it happens i had a small 6lb 2oz baby boy who was born during a heatwave and was slightly jauniced. as a result he was quite weak and although showed all the right signs he never managed to latch. this was not helped by the fact i have humongous boobs and flat nipples.

to begin with i expressed and cup fed colostrum just to get the milk into him, and then once my milk came in properly i used nipple shields. this was enough to get baby to take direct from the breast but you do need to express afterwards to empty the breast properly to keep up supply and avoid mastitus and top up feed. i remember how tiring all of this was because essentially you are breast feeding, then expressing, then feeding again then having to sterilise etc......once we got into the swing of things it would take an hour per feed.

all going well until i got mastitus. please ladies if you have a hot lumpy breast and feel slightly fluey with a temperature in the evening go IMMEDIATELY to out of hours and insist on antibiotics. Do not delay!! One lot of flucloxicillin antibiotics and it all cleared up.
about 5 weeks in i got mastitus again but went to a wedding so didn't have time for the docs. big mistake! ended up at a&E that night due to very high temp. they gave me amoxicillin. it didn't work after 7 days so went to my gp who gave me more amoxicillin. that didn't work either and i ended up back at A&E in a really bad way painwise and emotionally. i was very sick. the next day i was sent for a scan and i had an abcess the bastards had given me the wrong antibiotics YOU NEED FLUCLOXICILLIN and a lot of medics dont bloody know this!!!!!! cue 5 months of aspiration/burst abcess etc i won't go into it but it was awful. I stopped feeding from the breast after 13 weeks and am still not over it emotionally.

So what am i trying to say? not sure really...... i think the experts dont like expressing and shields due to nipple confusion and mastitus risk, which tbh i would agree with, but i will be doing it again as it is the only way to get my breast milk into my kids having bloody flat nipples. but if you are doing this, please be educated about mastitus and get the correct treatment without delay.

oh, and DS thrived on his formula after that 13 weeks and he has grown into a very healthy toddler who is rarely ill. it's not the end of the world even though it still feels like it to me deep down. and it was a hell of a lot easier to formula feed.

however you manage it ladies, do what combination is best for you. good luck!

Thanks Supa - all information is good information but I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. Hope you have an easier time this time around.

I think I may be about to get seen by the doctor, hopefully! It's taken all day to get seen so I really really hope they will discharge me today! I don't think I can take another day on the ward - as lovely as the staff are, it's so hot and noisy and exhausting!