Jan 06 babies - no sleep til....!

[GeorginaP]

Hi there. Anyone feel up to joining me from Jan 06 ante-natal thread?

Ah, will invest in sturdy knickers then - hey, will look positively sylph-like in control pants - well, compared to pg with 8lb baby! Will get the midwife to check it out on Saturday.

Thank you, Rach - we think he's gorgeous, but it's always nice to hear - and we are a bit biased

Sorry to hear you're having bfeeding troubles - sounds like you will overcome them though, so good on you! No dummy here, but have no qualms about giving one if necessary - didn't have to with DS1 as he found his fingers relatively early on - still sucks them at 21m (mind you, I sucked mine till I was about nine ).

Going to register James on Tuesday - took us a month with DS1, but everything seems easier this time round!

hi just popping in on the thread see how you are all doing.

I wasn't going to bother with a dummy this time either DD refused one and found her thumb but it was late, she started thumb sucking at about 6 months. Am hoping this baby is like her feeding wise too she was always a speed feeder no messing straight on boob feed off again in about 10 minutes, guess I'll have a constant gannet this time.

So glad everyone is doing well and can't wait to join you moaning about sore nipples and breastfeeding marathons next week.

Morning all

I noticed the Yahoo pictures seem to have gone into a different format too - v odd - I couldn't find yours at all Rach!

Hunkermunker - James is lovely - I can see why you're thinking of No.3! I told DH at delivery that I will never have any more but am now thinking of how great it would be to have another as a playmate - don't know how I'm going convince DH though, he's talking vasectomy already!!!

There was a freebie dummy in one of the bounty/Boots bags wasn't there? I normally hate them but tried it in desparation on about night 4. It didn't work as Dominic really wanted feeding (I am secretly relieved but wasn't at the time IYKWIM) We've been really lucky for the past 2 night though, he's been feeding constantly from 8-11.30ish then has slept unitl 3 and again until 7 taking about 3/4 hr for each feed. Still every 2 hours during the day but that's copeable.

Rach - Dominic will only sleep in his cot during the day for some reason too! He sleeps on DH until the 3ish feed, so that I can get some kip, then with me until we get up. I'm going to get one of DH's T-shirts & use it as a sheet in the cot tonight to see if the smell will help.

Georgie - how's Mrs Doubtfire doing? You lucky thing! Re jelly belly - think hunker's big pants should do it!

How are everyone's dogs reacting to the new additions btw? Millie had a bit of a sniff when we came home & has been glued to my legs ever since. Not sure if it's a protection thing or an "I'm still here" thing. Can anyone shed any light?

must go - boobs about to explode over grizzly baby

morning all

the activity on this thread is a bit of a contrast to how we were on the antenatal thread! i guess we're all kind of busy now eh?

decent night last night yay! first wake up at 10 to 5, then again at 8. i paid for it during the evening tho, Alex was just stuck to my boob from about 5pm onwards, and was similar during the day. we were out and about so he didn't get chance to have a proper nap, i think he saved it all up for the night, which suits me fine!

he's awake just now, lying on his play mat batting the little animals hanging down. not sure how long he'll last, maybe if i put some music on that will help. there that's done it, let's see what he thinks of the lighthouse family. i need to do an internet supermarket shop, i wish they could deliver today, we're out of almost everything, but i'll walk into the village and get the essentials later.

i need to tidy up rather urgently as the cleaner's coming at 12. the floors are rather strewn with baby gear etc.

anyone else ravenously hungry all the time with bf? i just can't stop eating, it's a bit of a problem with taking the antibiotics, as you're meant to take them on an empty stomach or 1 hour before food 4 times a day. my stomach's barely empty once a day, never mind 4 times a day! i end up having to take them in 2's when i wake up to feed in the night. seems to have helped the mastitis tho, so that's the main thing.

little un's fed up with the play mat now, so i'll say goodbye

Has everyone seen that Sweetkitty has popped? News on the antenatal thread. Iris- Finn is finding his thumb himself to suck so I'm trying to go with that. We had our first decent night last night - stayed up to watch The Godfather until 12.30 (!) and he was zonked in his carrycot (normally I would wake him for a feed at my bedtime) so we put that on the bedside cot and he slept until 3.30 which felt great. I fed him until 4ish (both sides and a nappy change to stop me bursting) then he slept till 7am when I brought him into bed with us and he latched on and fed off and on till 9am - feel quite refreshed today after two 3hr solid sleeps! I'm trying not to get too hung up on times of sleeping/feeding and just go with it. The carrycot is much cosier than the cot of course, but a little difficult for me to bend and stretch over with my stitches. I am having to hoist the little pudding up using a sheet swaddled round him!

Lyra - I'm starving too! my iron is borderline so dp is feeding me up with steak and spinach! mm lovely spinach and ricotta canneloni - I feel like I've lost about 4 stone already which is great.

cut and pastedfrom ante-natal thread [oh the shame of it... ]

SWEETKITTY!! yay!! well done you - arent we all fantastic??? am soooo pleased you got your homebirth, trouble free and young Talia is out in the world where she belongs

lyra - how you doing with the tongue tie?? how sore are your nips? mine are about to fall off, and they hurt so much, i don think i'd mind if they did!! not that im glad you have same trouble, but am soooo glad to have someone to converse with about it, never even heard of it before. think ds1 may have had same trouble, as he was a bugger to latch on prop too. no such probs with ds2, who is gonna be a rugby player or something, so i know how it can be... anyway...

hi all feel like I can finally come in here now am shattered but very happy. My nips better harden up quick forgotten how sore BFing can be, Talia is a natural and wants to be held all the time too.

Abbie thinks she is a cute dolly I think. Am totally shattered so going to try and get some sleep tonight.

Will post pics on yahoo soon.

Just checking in, sorry don't have a chance to ready through everything. We are still bottle and breastfeeding after my non-existant milk supply, hoping that the milk enhancing drugs and lots of pumping and cranial osteopathy will help. Nipples are survivable now as I have cut down the feeding times, my midwife said no more than 20mins each breast at a time no 5hr bursts which was what he was doing she reckoned that he got too tired then to feed efficiently and so wasn't feeding properly. Still doesn't in the 20mins which is why I think Ihave so little milk well that and all the trauma crap I went through.
He slept from midnight till 8 this morning so long may that continue.
Take care everybody

Sweetkit - hoo-bloody-rah. Good on ya girl. Lovely lovely name as well. Will read all about it on ante natal thread.

Am v of you guys that have bubs that sleep for longer than 2 hours. Libby was feeding five times a night, so in desperation have started her on bottle when she wakes at 10ish and then BF thru night and then bottle for breakfast about 8ish. Am also trying to distract her during day to lengthen out feeds. I think she's a really hungry baby.

And yep, have resorted to dummy to keep her content. She usually likes sucking on it about 5pm - Mollie's tea time, so it works quite well. Molie had dummy for 11 weeks then found her thumb.... which she sucks with great relish when tired. . Think Libby might be the same. Am trying to guide it into her mouth.

Can't wait to see pics on yahoo, will pop on after this.

Whoops, was so engrossed in this that I've just let my pasta burn dry in the pan.... poo, what a whiff!

And talking on whiffs..... tried the sliced onion. Not much cop with Libby's stuffy nose, but lent an unusal aroma to the bedroom this morning

Mrs Doubtfire a total star. She came this morning armed with fennel tea and apple fritters for me and a large bar of polish choc for Mollie. Bless her.

Right, better go and clean up mess in kitchen.

G xx

Hi all

still 2 hourly here during the day Goergie - though things are looking up at night. Dominic feeds almost solidly from about 7-11.30 every night but went from 12-3.30 this morning then slept again until 8.45!!!! we sooo needed the sleep. Just hope it continues like this and that we'll all be getting a more regular sleep pattern soon!

Chuffed - I got told off by my MW for using both breasts in one feed! - 20 mins on/nappy change/another 20 mins on is the norm at the mo.(and got told off for lying him down on his side - which he prefers) I think they all have different takes on what is "right" don't they. I'm just doing what he & I are most comfortable with TBH - less stress. Hope your cranial osteopathy works. When do you go?

Rach - Dominic will only sleep in his carry cot during the day - have no idea what we're doing differently at night (maybe it's the noise - or lack of it) it's becoming a bit of a pain as I'm really missing being able to snuggle up to DH. Any tips?

Lyra - with you on the hunger I've been drinking gallons of water too - obviously need it though for the bf.

Weighed myself for the first time this morning & discovered I'm 1/2 stone lighter than I was when first pg!! Think it's the GD that did it - and the subsequent lack of vast quantities of bread & chocolate!! so I'm sure I'll put it back on (and some) in the coming months.

Sweetkitty - I am so pleased for you. I bet you feel so much more relaxed now you have your gorgeous little girl. Hope you managed to get some sleep last night. After the past few weeks I bet you really need it!

Am taking Dom to see my homeopath on mon to make sure all the antibiotics I had in labour haven't affected his intestines too much (secretly think it may be contrin=buting to the horrendous wind he keeps getting) DD has to have a load of jabs for her trip to Vietnam (including rabies )so hopefully I'll be able to get something to counter the negative effects of those too. Anyone else had experience of pre/probiotics for babies? I'm sure I've seen something on a thread somewhere so I'll do a search. MW was pretty scathing when I spoke to her about it - hey ho.

Best go off to get some food before the next feed. Have a good day all

hi all

Just checking in, good first night with Talia, fed her at 11.30pm she went through to 2am, fed her again and that was her until 6.30am. Milk not come in yet think she is a bit frustrated with just colostrum. She is fine feeding in whatever position so lots of lying down feeding for me.

Took her to the hospital to see the paed doctor for her check up and all is well. Had MW visit today as well, apparently I am a bit of a celeb up here having had a homebirth (only 10 in the county last year) and delivering a 9lbs baby on gas and air at home. Am feeling a bit bruised and battered now and totally shattered but very happy not to be pregnant, symptoms of SPD/SI pain are going as well, cold/cough still hanging on have very sexy rough voice though

hiya
alex on knee so prob short post.

iris

i'm taking probiotics to boost my immune system and i'm hoping it will filter through to alex and help his gut, esp as i had the pennicillin recently. have been 4 the past few months too. hoping it will prevent alex developing asthma and excema like me. wen i wean him i'll be adding kids probiotics to his
solids.

notacow
alex's tongue tie has improved slitely, as have my nips. his tongue is noticeably more mobile than last week and i'm hoping things will continue 2 improve. nips still v cracked and sore however but think my pain threshold may have gone up rather than nipples less damaged than before. particularly bad when he latches on, then sometimes improves through the feed. bottlefeeding seems quite an attractive option! but i really am v committed to bf so will persevere.

Morning lovely ladies

Just need to 'see' some friendly faces. Am feeling a bit low this morn. Another bad night with Libby. She's just feeding every 2 hours. And then can't settle because of her stuffy nose. Just seems as if my milk isn't filling her up. Also I think I'm just not getting a chance to 're-fill' as she's feeding so often. Had to resort to bottle at 3am as I was on empty.

Am considering mixed feeding. Don't want to give up BF, but poor little lamb just seems so hungry.

Am seeing my cousin today who's a HV and will ask her advice.

Sorry to grumble. Shouldn't be complaining as she's such a lovely baby. Just v worried that she's not getting enough to eat .

Anyway, how was everyone elses night?

Sweetkit - you must be over the moon to have Thalia with you now.

Iris - at your weight loss . You've got to be pleased about that. I too am regulalrly eating the entire contents of the fridge! And drinking loads too. I'm even having a glass of Guiness every night to help with my iron.... that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

NotACow/Lyra - can I join the sore nips brigade?! After last night I feel as if they are on fire!

Rach - you recovering OK? How are the rest of your kiddie winks with Finn? Do they shower him with kisses or ignore him?!

Am going to take Libby to cranial osteopath this week. Mums friend is one and she did Mollie. Has anyone noticed difference in their baby since taking them?

OK, better try and get Sainsbury's online shop done whilst DH has Libby. He's crashed out upstairs with her asleep on his chest. Mollie plugged into cartoons and happy as larry.

Lots of love

G xx

morning all!

• friendly faces for you Georgie!!

Have you tried expressing a bit after each feed to stimulate production a bit more if you're worried? Would have thought Libby would be feeding constantly if she's not getting enough. Maybe it's just her little tum that can't hold enough yet? Sorry - not much help am I.

I'll join you on feeling a bit low though
Have woken up with a splitting headache again for the 3rd day in a row. Drinking loads so don't think it's dehydration and hoping it's just lack of sleep however I'm a bit worried that it may be my BP. really not in the mood for tonight's head-wet.

need food - will pop in later when i've got rid of my headache - sorry for the grump all

mornin all

must b somethin in the air as i was feelin low last nite too. alex feeds CONSTANTLY every pm from 4 or 5 onwards till i go to bed, and my nips get SOOOOO sore, i had a bit of a tantrum at dh as i'd had enough and then tried the dummy, which worked as long as you keep it in with a finger. worked 4 about 10 mins max, not really a goer as yet. mite try a bottle of ebm 2nite to give my nips a break and try to satisfy him. ooo i'll just go and put on some lansinoh while i'm remembering.

i did get a rest during the nite tho, he did 2 four hour stretches (sorry georgie!), which means i feel almost human this am.

he's dropped off on my lap so i'l try 2 put him down in the pram. back in a mo.

right. let's hope that's more successful than the last 2 attempts at putting him down!

mw's due for a visit this am, her last i think. will get alex weighed and ask her advice about the bottle of ebm at night.

georgie

I would say that if mixed feeding suits you, just go for it. libby will thrive i'm sure. don't let yourself get low due to lack of sleep, you need to look after yourself to prevent any recurrance of the pnd, that's my policy anyway. i'm trying to get as much rest as poss. not always easy tho is it?

iris

at the headache situation. you better get the mw to check out your bp just in case, call her out if necessary. is paracetamol helping at all?

i'm looking forward to scrap booking all the baby cards, you get to look at them properly then. isn't it amazing what a huge range of gorgeous cards there are?

right, better go and brush my teeth whilst i've got the chance.

Gosh, great to read all about everyone's experiences of these first few weeks/days... I haven't managed to post for ages due to general baby-ness, and only just discovered ability to surf internet with one hand!

FWIW I seem to be experiencing a lot of the same issues as you all... no pattern to feeds as yet, apart from frequent and long (about half an hour a time now), and the hours between midnight and four am seem to be particularly unsettled. Just as Scarlett seemed to have got herself into a nice three-hourly pattern it all fell apart, and we had a couple of really busy nights with hardly a breather before more milk was demanded.

However, last two nights have been OK, with three hour naps, but can't put her down during the day. She's quite happy in my arms, but as soon as I take her anywhere near the carry-cot/moses basket she wakes and screams. At night we have her in bed with us throughout now, having tried to persuade her that the moses basket is really quite cosy actually (NO, it's NOT!!)... I guess at this stage you just have to do whatever you can to maintain sanity.

Calendula cream was recommended to me by the midwife after a bleeding nips episode, and that seems to be helping. Bleeding has stopped, they're still sore, but once she's latched on the pain seems to subside after a couple of minutes, so that's now bearable.

Georgie, really feel for you with the milk production... unfortunately I've no bright ideas on how you can make your milk more satisfying - sounds like you're doing all the right things, hope your cousin comes up with some good tips.

I'm interested to hear about the cranial osteopath... I've had one locally recommended to me, but for some reason I thought that they couldn't work on ickle babies, that they had to be about four weeks old before they could start manipulating - have I made that up entirely??

Oh blimey - there's a grumbling going on now... better go.
Happy sleeping thoughts to y'all!

Does anyone else have their new little one in bed with them all night? I've never done this before at such a young age. But I have this time but panic sometimes through the night that's she's still breathing etc.

hi all - right, a rare chance to catch up...

Chuffed - your feeding sounds like a real slog, poor you. hope the cranial ost etc can improve things for you soon. am dead jealous of your full nights sleep though!

Georgina - symapthies with the 2 hourly feeds, bloody exhasting isnt it? even if you didnt have Mollie to deal with too. dont feel bad if you feel you need to mix feed for a bit, but the more she sucks on you, the more you'll produce... just takes a few days to have an effect sometimes. you'll get there with perseverence, and it sounds like you really want to. things always seem worse when youre tired too. . and so what about the dummy? if it helps get you all through the day (hour, minute!) then go for it. its not like shes gonna never have it out her mouth when shes 5 yo, so i say cut yourself some slack. ive missed the mrs doubtfire thing, but assume it means youve got some help, that must be a relief, esp with the marathon feeding baby, she'll prob calm down in a few days anyhow, its proba a growth spurt or something...

iris - long live the good sleep pattern, hope it continues. and feel free to grump! thats what we're here for!!

SK - glad to hear the SPD/SI pain is on its way off, shame about the cough/cold hanging in there, but i spose it wouldnt do to have things too easy eh?

lyra - ouch! had the snip done and things have improved slightly here too. TBH, he now need 'retraining' to get a proper latch, but the blisters are improving, have even gone on one side and am trying not to favour that one too much and end up looking like a wierd lopsided freak know what you mean about the pain mostly being at the beginning, then easing off. think i can handle that...

ooh! top tip while i remember (loomer, might help you)... i have this swinging seat thingy from Fisher Price which you can pick up and move from room to room... its magic! the only way Gus will be put down between feeds, and he'll stay there for hours!! amazing, and sooo different from the last two times (never occured to me to get one b4, doh!) theyre about 50 quid, which is a bugger, but i reckon we should start pooling them and passing them on to the next set of mums who pop. my mum says it'll only work for a few weeks till he susses he's been duped, but i can honestly say its transformed the first week.

mrspitt - yes, Gus is in bed with us all night. hes not really meant to be - i even have a bedside crib to plonk him in when hes done feeding, but he just seems to prefer a cuddle, to be close to a warm bod and a heartbeat, so i figure, why not? he feeds about 4 times a night, but we do it lying down, so i can fall back to sleep once hes been latched on for a bit (and the pain subsides enough!) and he does too when hes done. TBH, i love sleeping with him there and it means we all get more sleep and stay a little saner in the day as a result. a winner all round then!

blimey! long post! better go... smiles to all

Hi All,

Glad to see everyone is doing ok

Sorry i have been so busy lately i hardly get the chance to come online, if i am not busy i am trying to catch up on my sleep!

Well Sophie is doing fine, she wakes about twice in the night at the moment, saying that though she went down at midnight & woke at 3.55am then slept through till 8.45am last night so she has not been to bad, i have also given in to giving her a bottle at about 11ish then breast feeding through the night when she wakes & giving a bottle in the morning then breastfeeding through the day, she seems to be a hungry baby & seems to be alot more settled with these 2 bottles.

My Milk is in & things seem fine so far, this is all new to me but i seem to be managing so i am really happy as its been 8 days now i only lasted 3-4 with my ds, I want to keep breastfeeding for as long as poss, bottles drive me mad it's so so much easier to breast feed!!

I will join the couple of you who said you feel a bit low as i have been feeling a bit low the last couple of days, think it's just being tired & also worrying about how i will manage when dp goes back to work, i am sure i will be fine but i am a big worrier!

Sophie also seems to have a cold so her breathing is very heavy especially at night so i do wake panicing if she is still breathing. She does not seem to be to keen on her moses basket so far, so i have had her on my chest & also lieing on a pillow next to me in bed whilst breast feeding.

Dp adores her & she adores him, i relate to what someone else said about when she is near me she just cries & whinges cause she is constantly looking for my breast, so Dp settles her down as she loves sleeping on his chest or in his arms.

I hope to be able to come on here more often soon & join in a bit more, in the mean time, take care everyone & enjoy your new little babies.

blimey - bit of a recurring theme; everyone feeling like they hardly get a chance to get on here and catch up... wonder why that is???

its just great, for me anyway, to know that this is here on the odd occasion i get time to check in...

hope you all are well and happy tonight and the ones feeling tired and low pick up a bit soon. cut yourselves some slack,ladies, we are all doing a very hard job and making it look easy, remember that!!

hi all just checking in

Talia is doing really well has dropped down to 8lbs 13ozs today but my milk is starting to come in so hopefully she will settle a bit better now. She is really sucky so far but am resisting a dummy for now I'll see how she is in a few weeks. Abbie is so funny she copies everything we do for Talia and loves kissing her and stroking her head, she also "gave" her some chocolate buttons yesterday. She doesn't like it when Talia cries having her nappy changed though.

notacow - I am ordering one of those Fisher Price swings too, figure I can carry it from room to room and also put her in it then into the travel cot to keep her out of Abbie's way (although Abbie is good with her she is only 18 mo and can be a bit rough unintentionally)

Mrspitt - we are co sleeping too am going to have a bedside cot as well but know she will end up in next to me for feeds too. I will add you to our January stats too

Georgie - sorry to hear Libby is unsettled, sounds like you are already doing everything right just keep putting her to the breast (I know not easy when they are sore) and hopefully she will up the supply herself.

It's comforting in a way to know we are all going through the same thing re: unsettled babies wanting cuddled all the time and trying to breastfeed and keep up with demand. I'm still in the hormone induced post baby high sure I'll come crashing down soon, don't know how I will ever leave the house again myself with 2 babies. We've only had 2 nights with Talia yet and TBH they have been so easy compared to late pregnancy ones, only up twice to feed which is so much better than the week before with all my ills. DP getting up and attending to Abbie so I can get more sleep too, sure it wil all change once he's back at work (trying not to think about that though).

Anyway better be off, hope we all have a relatively peaceful night.

Georgir there is a herbal remedy called blessed thistle which i was using initially to increase supply but it wasn't strong enough for me.
Feeding has improved here assuming it is a mix of his one session of cranial osteopathy and dompheridon(?sp). We have been on 1 or 2 wakes the last two nights but he has had no formula before bed which is cool.
Better grab some food and drink.
Take care all.

Think I have mastitis - am waiting for the out of hours doc to ring me back

DS2 doing amazingly though - has gained 15oz in 10 days and now weighs 9lbs! He's settled and sweet

Anyone else not bathed their baby yet? Am in no rush - it seems too cold to put a tiny one in water!

3 baths in just over a month

Morning ladies

My headache has gone!!!!
Have come to the conclusion that it was dehydration after all. I drank about 9 pints of water yesterday & Dom seemed to feed better too (maybe I wasn't producing enough?). We had our little head wet last night so I didn't feed him constantly all evening (just a double dose at midnight) & he slept until 8 this morning!! (though that could have been the effects of the 3 glasses of champagn I had )

Mrspitt - we're co-sleeping. DS won't settle in his carrycot at night but will on DH's chest. He comes to me after the early-hours feed & I have him by my side but I, like you, tend to wake a lot worrying that he's going to get squished.

Hunkermunker - ouch at your mastitis. Lyra will have some good tips I'm sure after having had it twice
Have bathed DS twice in 10 days and he hates it. I had to check the temp with 2 different thermometers as I thought it was too hot - then realised that the "elbow" temp I had bathed DD in years ago was freezing!! poor child - no wonder she hated it & I bathed her every night!

Must tell you about a gorgeous prezzie a friend gave us last night. DH took Dom out last Fri (3 days old) to show him off to good friends who live opposite and, unbeknown to me, my mate made prints of his feet onto a lid of a ceramic pot & decorated it with his name, weight etc. It is sooo gorgeous. I cried buckets when she gave it to me - his feet are just perfect!! I love feet anyway - doing what I do, but to have his little footprints from so early on. I could gush for hours.... sorry.

Goergie - hope you're feeling perkier today too hon. I suppose we're bound to be up and down for a while yet aren't we. As NotACow said - thank goodness for the support we get on here

Happy Sunday everyone (don't you just love those windy smiles too - can't wait for them to be real ones!!