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!

Hi All - congrats, UniPsychle, Buns, Digi, Tiredmummy and anyone I may have missed!

Just got back from my first trip outside the front door since getting home. Just down the road to the GPs to see the midwife and have my stitches out and have the baby weighed and her heel prick tests done. She's put on 3oz in her first week so that's great.

I had been taking lactulose for the constipation but the midwife said I had better stop because it can get to the baby through my milk and dehydrate her - it works by pulling more water into the gut - that it wouldn't matter in a big baby but because she's only 6lb 3 oz I need to just use prunes and leafy veg to make me go.

I've not really felt any afterpains - are they less severe with caesarians?

DS isn't paying her much attention but does want to use her moses basket as a boat.

Ah digital......no of course you were non c section.No drugs for you then....hope it is less painful today...lots of warm baths will help.
My nipples were agony for 3 days.....it helped for me to pump out some of the milk as boob was so full....and ensurecshe latched on deeply enough with a big mouth.....it really is excruciating.

Buns lucky you......you may be right...less after pain with c section. I have less this time compared to last time but when they come they hurt.
The babies we have are if course more than adequate reward for the pain but I don't think men have any idea of all the pains involved in producing human beings!!

Meant bear not buns on that last post!

Howdy ladies

I came home today, thank goodness back with dcs & DP. Also can take my own paracetamol/ibu now. They kept forgetting me in hospital then trying to make me wait for doses to fit back into their time slots. Exhausting (& painful), each midwife having a different opinion as to when I could have the nxt dose. Arghh.

So here we are sent home with no drugs (just a weeks worth of injections for me to do to thin the blood).

Little boy is quite sicky but seems to be feeding ok (mostly at night). Desperately hoping I get a bit more sleep as I've had about 8 hours over the last 4 nights. I'm a zombie & seriously weepy.

Just need to fend off the visitors for another day or so if we can.

That's crappy, Buns - you really need to keep on top of your painkillers and they really ought to have given you drugs to take home.

I've got to take my last clexane injection tonight.

What have you called your little boy?

Hope you get a bit more sleep tonight.

Oh joy, had forgotten just how entitled some family members are about visiting. I have been home since about 2pm yest. Already we are utterly selfish for having 'blocked' dp's ds from visiting. She accidentally sent DP a txt message meant for someone else being sarcastic about me being 'sore' & was 5mins too much to ask?
DP had sent her a txt saying that I was tired & sore & that we'd let her know when she could visit.

I am very sad & angry at her behaviour, she is such a selfish person & am pissed off that it taints the whole coming home/welcoming the baby to the family thing.

Is it really to much to ask to have a few hours with just my DP, ds & dd without being constantly hassled about when people can visit? Wonder at what point dsil thinks I should have allowed her to visit. As they were sewing me up, in the hours after, when I had a catheter in place, when I could just about shuffle to the loo, when we carried our new child into the house for the first time?

Sorry I know this is a very long rant & strangely enough I am feeling a tad emotional at the moment. But ffs, I am astonished at just how selfish & lacking in empathy some people are.

buns sorry to hear in-laws are playing up. My MIL was in town on Weds when we came home from the hospital but there was no way I was having her over.

Currently sat on the sofa with my left boob hanging out after DS2 managed to draw blood from it earlier (ouch!!!!!). I had a slightly easier night with him, and he's been sleeping most of the late morning (apart from bloody nipple episode). I should be sleeping too but currently googling/MN-ing advice on this nipple situation.

I had a lovely little play with him last night. He woke at 11:30 for a feed, then opened his eyes and looked around for half an hour. So so cute!!! I love the way their hands wave slowly around as though they're still in water.

Sympathies re nipple digi, I had similar with dc1. Found it hard to get her to latch on without just hanging onto the end of my nipple & it getting drawn over her gums on & off. We did get it with practise but many a tear was she'd & a great deal of Lansinoh used.

I had a better night too, waking to feed (milk has come in) every couple of hours & not to much fussing to get on. My boy has also slept much of the morning.

Yes so lovely to see them when they are awake looking about. Gradually waking up more & more over the first few weeks. they just get better.

Buns.....bad form on the sil part. We have our first invited visitor tomorrow 13 days in. All others can wait another week till my husband returns to work as this is our special time as a family. We would have two lotsvf visitors every ay if we saw all the lovely friends we know and that is not how we want to use these precious few weeks....I want my son to do something lovely every day so he connects the baby with fun....yesterday we went plane spotting at a private airfield.......he loved it. I sat in the car and bf!

Your sil is being inconsiderate......I would actually call er and be straight.....say you got the text, you are hurt that she is making snipes when you have had surgery and no sleep. Honestly people who are that self absorbed need calling on it.....shame her by telling her how she has made you feel.
I hope you get the sleep....it took me at least two nights home befre I gt a full night....even now I type at 4 am wide awake after bf.
Lack of sleep makes most of us testy demented zombies. But anger will make it worse. I cannot stand it when people act this way.....they get short shrift from me. You have visitors when you are ready, not a moment sooner.

Thanks pit for support.
The txt went to DP who txt back with an earful about her being selfish & she replied ditto! then she txt she was just excited, that she too who 3 kids (they are 22yrs, 17yrs & 15yrs!!) & a full time job being a bitch

I cannot speak to her as I will cry uncontrollably in my present state, too angry to express myself in the way I'd like. I would just swear & sob.

Sounds lovely what you are doing with your ds. Enjoy it

Yes well she might be one of those characters you are better off ignoring.....often the case with insular self absorbed people.......they do not see what parts they are being....ever!

You have every right to be crying and hormonal....you have just had a baby.......try and rest as much as you can and you will no doubt be feeling less emotional as the days pass.....it is a massive thing having a baby and you just need good kind people around you right now, looking after you and baby....not spectators making you feel bad.
I honestly think getting sleep is the most critical thing at this point and keeping an eye on your incision.....making sure you do not get an infection.....and that you do not push yourself and let your body heal. Could you have all the arsey visitors round at one time so they can just be arses with each other? Then you get the nice people round who you actually do want to spend time with.
Enjoy that gorgeous baba.

Oh what a daft cow, ignore her, buns and let her visit when it's convenient for you.

Talking of which we cancelled DH's aunt this morning, as my mum's been taken into hospital with a possible pulmonary thrombosis and I didn't feel up to visitor and also because we might have had to go and get mum at short notice. So I hear the gate go this morning while DH has taken my 2-y-o DS out and I was having nice quiet sofa time with the baby then 2 mins later his aunt rings to say she's left a present on the doorstep so of course I feel guilty and tell her to come back. She was v sweet but it was a bit strongarming her way in don't you think?

Anyone got/getting a double buggy? I thought I would go for a P+T explorer but I tried one in the shop and they are so blummin' heavy. I don't really want a side-by-side but was wondering if there was a lighter toddler/newborn option.

Bear I have a Britax Dual inline tandem number. It's really versatile but is pretty weighty. Tbh so far I've only used it once and have gone with baby in a sling and DS in his MacLaren. I'm sure I'll use the Dual more as baby gets bigger though...

I have a p&t classic, was using it with ds before ds2 arrived. Haven't tried with with both of them. It is weighty but good for dog walking. I wouldn't want to be putting in & out of a car boot though.

If I didn't have a dog to walk & out door were slightly wider (though think they are pretty narrow as dbls go) I'd gave got a baby jogger city mini. I have single & it us great.

Hi everyone and congratulations on the new arrivals! I am a long time lurker from the ante natal thread... My dd Rosie arrived 5 days late on wed night, so 4 days old now.
I was wondering if anyone could share my pain or any advice? I am really struggling with the pain of bf. don't think her latch is correct (not deep enough 3 times out of 4) and I keep giving her 2 mins to see if she's on properly, then taking her off, trying again, etc rtc all the while she gets more frustrated and I end up with nipples in agony anyway ! Any ideas to stop her latching so quickly and let me get the full amount of breast in? Anything else I can try? Any help much appreciated, I keep getting so worked up about it and am starting to dread feeding. Thanks.

Hey Leith, congratulations on your DD!

Definitely sounds like she's not latched properly. It's tough to start with as you'll want to take your time to get her on right and she'll just be starving and get annoyed if she doesn't get milk quick! So maybe try when she's not ravenous, or keep a close eye on her feeding cues and get in there quick!

Basically get her nose lined up with your nipple so she needs to tilt her head back to get her mouth in the right position. When she does this pull her close in to your breast so she gets a massive mouthful of nipple - you shouldn't see much areola left around her mouth. This is so the nipple reaches the soft palette at the back of her mouth and her sucks direct milk down her throat effectively. If she's only got a little mouthful the nip will be rubbing on the hard palette at the front of her mouth and that's what makes you sore. I wouldn't leave it 2 mins before you take her off if she's on wrong, do it straight away or she'll not understand that she's doing it wrong and you'll get sore.

From experience I'd say it takes around 10 days to 2 weeks for feeding to become comfortable, before then it's a case of your nipples needing to get used to the heavy workload, do get some Lansinoh cream and slather it on. Maybe get a breast pump and try expressing from one breast if it's too sore and feed from the other, you can freeze the milk do it won't be wasted.

Go easy on yourself, it's a skill you're both having to learn and it is hard at the start, but it does get easier and is well worth sticking at if you can!

Just add to LaTris' post It is bloody hard at first leithgirl but will get better with practise. If you have to take your baby off & redo the latch, put your little finger in the side of your baby's mouth first to break the seal.

Unfortunately the buns household has woken up to a sickness bug. DP & DD have it hoping the baby & ds escape it, also myself, not sure my cs pain is going to be helped by vomiting.

Thank you both so much. MW came in today, showed me a diff hold which seems to work well. Still painful especially at the start but it's good to get a better latch. Fingers crossed all still ok from 1 to 6am tonight!! Off to try out the breast pump now...

Hello! Just popping in to join the newborn fun . We're in hospital making the most of the rest and three meals a day!

Due home today but DD (first time I've said that!) is a bit yellow so waiting on test results and a call from her doctor with further instructions. We may be taking her home with a UV blanket but hopefully she won't need to stay here.

I'm looking forward to getting out in the Californian sunshine as it's a beautiful day.

Hi All! Congrats to e'one & hope things are going well for you all. Emily & myself got home 6hrs after delivery at our local MLU (my first waterbirth-was lovely!). Great being at home, but do have to keep reminding myself we're just day 3 today. Days are good; milk's in & latch requiring a bit of work bit nights have been pretty awful up till 04.00 or so & then calm descends for 3-4 hours. Had to get DH up last night at 4 to take baby from me-was actually falling asleep standing up & so worried I'd drop her. Lots screaming, leaving me wondering if wind or desperate hunger was the problem. She settled for hubby though & after an hour's snuggling she let him pop her in the carseat & slept till 9!! She only stay in carseat at night (!??) Both pram & Moses Basket cause major screaming though fine during the day!???? Sorry for lengthy post! Leithgirl persevere with that latch, it really takes time for some babies to get it right. Brilliant advice from LaT! Good luck.

Hi girlies just seen this tread, hope its ok to join. X x

Hi
I have cracked nipples too, still feeding but hoping they will heal soon, does anyone know or can estimate on how long they will take? I'm putting lanolin on loads. Have a breast feeding lady visiting my house today, but I think I've got the latch on now much better and doesn't hurt, although pinches slightly when she goes on x x

jelly v v similar situation here, though I am co sleeping as I have the double bed to myself (DP in spare room). Generally ds does not want to be put down day or night. Cries his eyes out, cue, poo feed, sleep on me cry, poo, feed.....

newmummy I had cracked nipples with dc1. Think they healed remarkably quickly once the latch was improved. Sorry can't remember exactly think it was a few daysish maybe a week? Keep up with the Lansinoh, it will get better.

Last night was a bit difficult with both of them awake and shouting for a few hours around 3 - 5 ish. Not sure of times because I wasn't really looking at the clock. I couldn't work out (like jellybelly) if she was STILL hungry or just windy - I did finally manage to get two massive burps out of her and she settled ok after that.

DH has just taken DS out to the supermarket so I'm enjoying a quiet cuddle and catchinh up on mumsnet.