April 2012 newborns: the insomnia continues...

[LaTristesse]

Hello fellow April mums. Following on from our lovely ante-natal threads, here's the first of the post-natal ones. Join us as we work out how to handle nappies, feeding, colic, crying and all things newborn, or just to celebrate the joys of a new baby!

Have decided to start to introduce bottles. I'm going to express so she's still getting my milk. My question is how do I do the expressing?

Do I express from one breast and feed from the other? Will F get enough of my milk that way? Sooo bloody confusing!

Thanks for the link and advice - I've also had v fast letdown/oversupply and this afternoon only fed from 1 side and when she pulled off at the beginning I caught the spray in a glass before putting her back when it calmed down. It seems to help with her wind and discomfort already.

Wish I had a spray! Just a trickle in my case...

Holly you need to sit upright & leaning forward to pump (& sit still) as the pump may lose suction if you move suddenly (if the seal breaks). So trying to juggle a child on the other breast might be tricky.

Sorry i meant express from one boob and feed from the other alternatively, not at same time :). So she only ever feeds on left and I only express from right. Or should I swap boobs on the expressing??

bear I found that if I let DD suck for a second or two Abd then spray into muslin it made all the difference. F seems to be straining too. This is a new thing and nothing happens at the end of it, just a lot of noise that freaks us out!

Can I say that it's such a comfort having you ladies at the other end of here, I read a ton of stuff while I was pregnant but nothing prepares you for the actual having a baby!

Holly, love that comment 'nothing prepares you...' so true!

I'd swap your expressing boobs over. The baby is a much better pump than the pump itself iyswim, so using the same one every time could lead to your supply tailing off. Obv start her off on the fuller one, but try and let her have both so the other one does get some baby suction!

Nordic - hope things are progressing with the legal steps needed to take your daughter home. Any idea yet when your MIL will get her test results?
Luna I know just what you mean about bottle feeding! I had an awful time with DD1 - she lost so much weight she fell off the charts, she was crying constantly as she was always hungry and her jaundice did not clear up. We persevered too long with breast feeding because of the inordinate amount of pressure put on us to breastfeed and the resultant fear of what would happen if we didn't - I went to groups, had home breast feeding specialists tutorage, midwives, health visitors and doctors checking us out and even a hospital admission. No one found anything wrong but it just didn't work for us unfortunately some people just wouldnt accept that! The trauma of stopping and going to mixed feeding was awful. I felt I was letting DD down as we wouldn't bond, she'd be less healthy, fatter, diabetic and intellectually challenged... in actual fact when we DID mix feed (I wept on her first bottle) she was healthier, happier and we certainly bonded better! My DH is still angry about how stressful it made our first few weeks together as a family.
This time we are much happier having made the decision to mixed feed for the best for DD1 and DD2 still feel guilty though :)

Thanks laTriss. The pumping starts tmrw! Eek

Hiya just trying to keep myself awake whilst feeding at 3.30am so thought id say hi. Anyone else awake?

Xx

Hi hayley it's 7.45pm for us and E is nursing too.

Had success on the 3rd attempt to get her in the sling today. Was lovely to have my hands free for a bit as she's been super-fussy today.
Bicycling legs for the wind, nursing, holding, dancing and finally a bit of mid-afternoon co-sleeping seemed to help.

It's been a long day!

Hey vintage glad the sling worked, I really need to get one. Been using DP as spare hands but he's back to the Army Saturday evening so am going to need something. What have u got?

I'm dying tonight, DS woke at 2.45am its now 5.20am and I'm still awake he just won't settle. Tried everything humanly possible but nothings working. DP is currently dishing out the cuddles as I am at breaking point. Am so scared about doing this alone when DP goes back tomorrow have no idea how I'm going to manage

My sling is a k'tan. Think it's US only but I've seen a similar one on Mothercare site.

Have you got family close that can help when DP goes back? I'm already dreading my DH going on a 4 day work trip in June and I'll be on my own for the first time having had constant houseguests until then too.

Hayley are you bf? If so have you tried feeding lying down? I found I can snooze while baby sucks away, and being beside me seems to help calm her too if she's fussing... Might be worth a go. I think we all cope eventually because we have too, that's just what Mums do!

Jelly, to add to the feeding post now I have more time... With DD I'm now block feeding, changing boob every 6 hours actually. She's getting much more hind milk that way and is definitely more settled. Whwn I swap boob I do mid feed so she doesn't get a full load of fore milk spraying in her face! I also tried puttIng pressure with the heel of my hand against the boob when I started a feed, which I was a bit about but did seem to reduce flow. And as she's worse in the evening I have also tried feeding her whilst lying on my back, a bit awkward as she's no head control and it took a while to latch her properly but the anti gravity thing definitely helped. Good luck, and if all else fails just remember its only a phase!

Oh my, had the worst night yet. We all have a really nasty cold with loads of snot and really sore throats. She slept from 11-1 in Moses basket and I think that was all the proper sleep I got. After that loads of snuffling and feeding/puking - I think we dropped off with her on my chest but she must have fallen off because she was tucked under my arm when I woke again soon after - gave me a bit of a fright. Finally gave up on hopes of sleep about 5.30 and then DS woke up at 6 anyway.

At least my mum is coming round to take DS out this afternoon. Think I might ask her to play with him here and watch DD as well so I can go to bed for a couple of hours.

Hi latres yes am breastfeeding with the odd formula top up have tried lying down but DS doesn't latch for more than a minute or 2 at a time and to get him back on I have to sit up again. The up & down feels like an and class! Am so tired this morning. Just finished a feed and burst into tears. Have had under 2 hours sleep my whole body aches got a splitting headache and I no in a few hours iv got to say goodbye to DP!

Hayley when you try laying down to feed a couple could help your baby stay on, try putting a rolled up blanket behind them to stop them rolling away & raise them on a blanket to make sure they are the right height for your boob.

There are some good demos on you tube, keep practicing, when you get it it really helps with the sleep deprivation.

Just a quickie, nearly 4 weeks in now. I did feel a lot better, but now my body aches, hurts and feels really sensitive. I don't feel that tired really. Get quite a few hrs sleep at the moment; 3 hours at a time.

Felt good week 2 and half of week 3.
Have got my period back, so gone back onto the contraceptive injection. (I'm formula feeding). My boobs or rather the muscles around the boobs are painful as well. Milk came and went week 2.
Anyone else feel like this?.

Hiya Tinwe, thanks for sharing your experience, although I'm sorry to read about what must have been very stressful you first time around.

On the bright side, my Mum informed me that I was completely bottle-fed as a baby (I'm 29 now) as her milk didn't come in (maybe due to a traumatic birth? 21 hour labour ending in keillands forceps delivery shudders). I don't think it did me any harm: I'm a normal weight, no diabetes and successfully completed a Masters Degree. That's said, maths has never been a strong point ... Can't blame the bottle for that, though!

I often wonder if the drive to encourage mothers to exclusively breastfeed cones from the WHO, which also sets recommendations to developing countries whose hygiene standards are not at a level to maintain safe bottle-feeding.

Again, I would like to point out that I have nothing against breastfeeding, just the awful sense of guilt that (overpromotion?) engenders in mothers who choose not to/are unable to breastfeed.

Dream, sorry to hear you're not feeling well. Do you think it could be a'thing to do with the contraceptive inj (Depo Provera?). Because it's hormone based & your body's already flooded with hormones it may react slightly differently than normal. La T; wrote a big reply yesterday & lost it all! Thanks SO much for your reply & the links & you too Buns. It even helps to have a caring response I have to say! I'm now block feeding (2 hourly), & leaning back to feed. Already there's a lot less fussing & pulling off & less gurgling. Emily a bit happier, thk goodness. This morning my L side was really engorged but I didn't
express cos I do feel that'll make the problem last longer.
Bear; really feel for you. A baby with a cold is so miserable. Dd2 has an awful dose & conjunctivitis so think it's just a matter of time for Emily too. Although she gave Dd2 the sore eyes!
Hayley; you WILL cope. It may be tough initially, but you'll be ok. So sorry you feel low, though.

Hi im thinking about giving the little one a formular top up between a feeds, any idea on what one is best? Want to go for a meal and get a few hours rest for our anniversary. Not sure if I have expressed enough to last the night. Feel guilty about leaving baby but so knackered and need a little time with hubby. Mother in law has offers to do some night feed.....

Does anyone else have white nipples at the end, after espressing or breast feeding? They seem ok, somedays no pain and other days a little. Really helps missing a feed, and give the boobs a break. Little one then has loads of milk to come back to.

Lol oh gosh having some baby pics taken & Noah won't sleep and just peed all over the photographer & his own face!

Vicky the midwife told me that Aptimal is the closest formula to breast milk. It's what they used on my baby in special care and I have to do the odd top up & use that.

Hayley that's classic!

We were recommended Aptamil by the midwives on the PN ward for DD1 ad used it for te first 4 months with her. I changed brands though, as she had terrible reflux (I think this was more to do with her than the formula, tbh). Still, she took to SMA very well and that powder seemed to mix to a smoother consistency than the Aptamil, too.

Using SMA First Infant Milk in ready-to-use cartons for DD2.

Anyone else's LO make odd straining noises in their sleep?? Francesca has started this in the last few days. It doesn't wake her up and there's no change in her poo, just a very un ladylike noise and red in the face!

Hayley that's brilliant!