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!

Been a few weeks since I've been on here. Harry is now 16 days old and doing well. Could only breast feed for 3 days, I wasn't producing enough colostrum, Harry was starving and agitated, very unhappy, so we swiched to formula - best thing I could have done. I also hated the sensation of breast feeding and hated every min of it. Harry is a much more contented and settled little one.
He wont sleep in the crib at nite, just wont settle. We co sleep which I didn't want to do. He sleeps on top of the duvet close to me-thankfully we have a big bed. Hubby is sleeping in the spare room for the moment. However, Harry prefers to sleep on me; which I didn't want to do, but if he sleeps better I do to.
Feeding twice in the night. He's put on weight.
Harry does like to be attached to me 24/7, which makes doing the housework very dificult.
My hat goes off to all of you breast feeding. Congrats to all of the new arrivals.

Hello all!! Can't believe I made it to the post natal thread:)

Diva Dove is doing so well. She's fed three times since 2amish but I do need help with the latching. I've had quite a few stitches so sore andnot as mobile as id like to be, but all SO worth it! She just sleeps and feeds and has a nosey about.

Name still to be decided, we can't make our bloody minds up between our top three!

Marianne sleeps mainly on me too - if I'm lucky she will sleep swaddled in the moses basket for a couple of hours before her first night feed.

Dreamc - have you tried using a wrap or a ring sling so he can be attached and you can get on with stuff?

I went out for the first time alone with both of them yesterday - DS in the mclaren and DD in the Ergo carrier. It was only to a friend's a few streets away but I felt a real sense of achievement (sad I know).

Breastfeeding is going fine. She's doesn't feed as often or for as long as DS did so it feels a lot easier. The only issue is soaking my tops through 2 breast pads.

Bearcrumble; yup, just waiting for it to arrive in the post, hopefully it will be my saviour!

Hi ladies! Just moved over from antenatal thread.

Been feeling low today but believe it or not you have already really cheered me up hearing your stories.

Niamh was born yesterday and was quiet all day, just spitting up mucus, sleeping and not really interested in feeding. Unfortunately I didn't sleep well in hospital and have bad afterpains so v sore and tired. Today Niamh has fed all day (apart from an hour's drive home when she slept) she has been CONSTANTLY on my boob... for about 12 hours... no exaggeration. Screaming the minute I take her off to get a drink etc. I've not had more than 5 mins off, honestly! My boobs are wrecked, my afterpains are awful (worse as I feed), I'm shattered and I've not had 5 mins with DD1, so as a result she's been crying lots too :( DH has now gone to the shop for milk.

We had problems breast feeding DD1 too which became evident after a couple of weeks but don't remember it being this relentless on day one! After persevering for 6 weeks (every professional had an opinion and no one found what was going wrong) we gave up and didn't look back so I think we're going to call it a day earlier this time. Niamh is obviously not happy breastfeeding and/or my boobs don't work!

Hi all, just moving myself over from antenatal
My little one was born April 15th @ 1.45am - 4 hour labour from first contraction, with no pain relief, 2 stitches & a graze. Good labour no complications or complaints. Officially he came at 38+1 weeks however midwives are saying that either he stopped growing at 35/36 weeks & it wasn't noticed or my dates were actually wrong and he was 4/5 weeks early. He was 5lbs 3oz & we had a 4 night stay in hospital because of his size, and dangerously low sugar levels. He was put on a drip as wasn't feeding & antibiotics & was borderline jaundice. Wasn't the best start but now he's home, & doing really well.

The only problem I'm having is he's already spoilt! He won't settle with anyone but me & will only sleep properly if I'm holding him & he's in my bed!!! He gets cold easily so thinking it must be a warmth thing, am currently waiting for a hot water bottle to heat up his Moses basket before I put him in. In hospital he had a heated mattress and slept much better. iv decided I'll let him sleep on me as officially he should still be sleeping in me, but once we hit his due date they'l be no more mrs nice mummy!
He's also really windy and suffers after meals

We still havnt named him deciding between Noah James and Joshua Noah. Joshua is my fav boys name but he doesn't look like a Joshua. He really suits Noah but DP isn't that keen on it. he's really fair (blond hair green eyes) and for some reason I see Joshua as a dark haired name.

I'm recovering well, luckily stitches are not too painful - just a little tender when wiping. Nothing major.

Well that's me for today. Going to sleep now before his 1.30/2am feed.

Hope you all have a peaceful night.

Hayley xxx

Congrats to the new babies I have missed whilst away from thread...sorry not able to name check you s.. but exciting times.

Vintage- San jose is the Bay area I think.....you may be a little cooler for which you will be grateful in august and september. Strangely it does cool down a lot at night even after a hot day- I am just mindful of not overheating baby as it can be hard to decide what they need on at night time somehow.

Right off for a nap whilst my 2 year old sleeps and my mum looks after the baby- bliss!!

Well done ladies, great to have you on the other side!

Tin what makes you think your boobs aren't working? Niamh's feeding sounds entirely normal for a newborn. The early days are really tough on your nips though, but don't throw in the towel until you're ready!

feeding endlessly - tick
Won't be put down - tick
Co sleeping to get some sleep - tick

That's what it's like at our house too. Was pretty much the same with my last two dcs, it's what most newborns do.

Things to remind yourself:

It won't last forever

Baby is building up my milk supply (nothing is wrong unless there's not enough wet/dirty nappies)

Cbeebies is your friend

You can't spoil a baby

Saying all the above, it is bloody hard, good job they get more fun

Just got back from the midwife - DD is now 7lb 3oz (was 6lb at birth three weeks ago) so very pleased with her weight gain.

They were very pushy about contraception - I was like, "well I'm not going to be having much sex for a while and I'll be exclusively breastfeeding for around 6 months and when we do feel up to it we'll use condoms" - she was all 'condoms aren't that reliable' and trying to get me to have the implant. No way.

She had a fussy couple of hours last night, around about when I was trying to watch the apprentice and kept crying, not wanting boob for more than a few seconds so when she pulled off I kept spraying all over her and acting windy although we couldn't get any burps up. In the end I handed her over to DH and went to bed and 5 minutes later he started shouting upstairs that she was hungry. I was cross and said 'bring her here then, I'll show you she's not hungry' and of course he was right which was totally embarrassing.

Hello all - just popped over from ante-natal to get this onto the threads I'm on.

No news here (40+2) today and still feeling fairly good physically and emotionally, apart from a periodic annoying twinge at the top of my left leg - think I might have slept on it funny a few nights ago or tweaked it rolling out of bed one night.

tinwe sounds like the constant feeding is getting you down but it is completely normal at the beginning - it's part of the process by which your body knows to switch on the milk production (as opposed to colostrum) and your supply/demand level is beginning to be determined.

bearcrumble sounds like DD is making great strides with her weight gain. Have you tried something like infacol for the windyness? I remember being at the MW mentioning contraception on a visit around a week after DS1 was born - I almost told her that after the first week with DS1 I was never having sex again!

Hope all the other new babies are fine!

Urgh, just wrote a long post and then phone died and lost it.

Congrats to Hayley and tinwe!

Well done bear on the weight gain. Both dh and I gave the mw a puzzled look when she mentioned 'family planning'. We used condoms last time and I think we'll be doing the same again when the time's right.

Got ds2's birth registered today. Then did my first public bf in a cafe on the way to pick up ds1 from pre-school. Feels like progress, especially after last week's struggle.

Here's an odd one... I seem to have developed eczema on my wrists! Apparently I have dry yellow patches on my scalp too. Never had it before. Anyone heard of it flaring up after a baby? Will have to ask at my next checkup.

Well done for public feeding digi. I did it today too. Think I flashed a bit but whatever!

When I was discharged the midwife cautioned us about sex as apparently you're super fertile straight after giving birth. There is no chance of sex until I know everything is healed up - MW wasn't happy with my healing at yesterday's checkup so back again on weds. My iron is still low after my bleed.

Is there some kind of drive making midwives try to get you onto contraception? My midwife congratulated me on the baby and then at the end of the appointment she pulled out the mirena coil and said 'you can have this in a couple of months time'

I was a bit stunned, not sure why. On reflection I'd never thought about contraception and I'm glad she told me more about the coil as I cannot take hormonal contraceptives, but after reading a few posts here I'm beginning to wonder if it's some kind of clamp down to stop women having 14 babies and ending up in the paper?

vintage super fertile? I thought it was the complete opposite. I was told that breastfeeding stops eggs implanting. Surely the body doesn't allow you to become pregnant when you are still recovering?

I think the hormones which are about if you breastfeed are meant to make it more difficult to conceive, but if you're not breastfeeding you are highly fertile. A friends sister conceived when her baby was 3 days old! I'm pretty certain none of us want to be here again in 9 months time!

Breastfeeding ought to stop you ovulating for a few months if you do it exclusively. It's because your estrogen levels are lower. Conceiving when baby is 3 days old?? I was only just going home from the hospital at that point and no way was I even contemplating having a shag! OUCH!

My midwife said they get a lot of women a couple of months post birth asking for the morning after pill so that might be behind them trying to get you to think about contraception before you are actually having sex again. The Mirena is a hormonal contraceptive by the way. It has the same sort of stuff in it as the progesterone only pill.

I haven't used contraception in almost two years and I am not overly pleased at having to address this issue again. I don't like any of the options. Contraception free sex was the only saving grace about ttc for ages.

I feel exactly the same katandkit - I don't want to take anything hormonal, I don't like the idea of a coil, condoms are a bit rubbish and getting one of us sterilised is so final even though I don't want any more (now have one of each, am 38, had v. high risk pregnancy with DS and developed high bp near the end with DD and had two caesarians).

I think we should be safe for 6 months at least (periods didn't return for 13 months after DS).

Haven't had to think about contraception for about 5 years - nearly 2 years of trying for DS, then IVF, then assumed I probably wouldn't get pregnant naturally but would give it a go and got pregnant the very first month we had sex (and that was only once! I remember the occasion well, my mum had taken DS out on a Saturday afternoon in June or July, very sunny and we took the opportunuty of being alone - I was a bit worried the neighbour would hear us because he was out cutting his hedge and we had the window open. The blind was down, mind - we're not exhibitionists).

So...10 days in, my tummy is shrinking, my bf skills are increasing, and I'm beginning to feel a bit more human. Until...I get bollocking bastarding piles! Ouch bloody ouch!

Hello Ladies!

Said I'd come back and fill you in on my birth story, it's a quick one!

Due date, no signs (even posted on here at 16.10 that it wouldn't be today!!)

Had Sunday lunch at my parents - remember feeling absolutely ravenous, for the first time in months.

Got home, had some contractions, attached tens machine, called my mum to collect DD, called midwife who suggested paracetamol until I had three contractions whilst on the phone - then she suggested I come in.

Waters broke (a tiny splash!), contractions ramped up, rang MW from car to tell her baby coming now

Then got stuck in the lift at the labour ward. That's the most scared I've ever been in my life - because if something went wrong nobody could get at us. We probrably werent even trapped for a minute but it felt like a lifetime.

Got out of lift, into delivery room, trousers off, a few pushes, baby born. Job done.

No tear, no stitches. Didn't cut the cord until it had stopped pulsing, then DP did it - even though he'd always said he didn't want to.

Spent 24hrs being observed as it had been too quick for my GBS AB, but apart from that, all good.

DD weighed 6lb15oz at birth, and 6lb12oz today, which I'm really happy with as she didn't keep anything down in the first 24hrs due to being mucus-y. She feeds every four hours, quite happily, and will be weighed again on Tuesday.

As for me, I'm feeling brilliant, just having a couple of paracetamol a day. Even ventured out yesterday. Only to my parents but it's out, isn't it!

Sorry to hear that some of you are feeling uncomfortable, these things do pass though, keep that on mind.

Hi all, are we all doing birth stories on here? I'm always interested to read them - thanks for sharing Jambalaya :)

Nothing amazing with mine except she arrived in 2 hrs 8 mins and on the third minute of pushing! Lovely water birth and in constrast to last time the waters only burst as she emerged. The cord was around her neck as I shot her out completely in one push, she's fine though! More problems placenta wise but not as bad as with DD.

I'm thrilled that my recovery seems better than after DD, (in the sense of recovering tummy muscles, bleeding and no stitches or graze only after pains) as I was really dreading feeling so badly about myself afterwards like last time. Milk kicked in about 60 hours after the labour and baby blues just before that so everything has been speeded up this time!

Still trying to BF Niamh but despite my milk being in she is still never satisfied from me. I feed her for a few hours then give her an ounce of formula to give me chance to do something with DD1. Will just see how it goes...

On the subject of contraception, Niamh was conceived when I was fully breastfeeding DD1 plus other precautions. I know breastfeeding somehow failed with DD1 and so our story might not be typical but please dont think it's effective as contraception! Not that we regret Niamh - she was obviously meant to be!

Re contraception, bf does offer some cover but I know lots of women who have become pregnant even when ebf. You don't know when you will first start ovulating so it's a hard one to judge.

When I baulked at the contraception conversation with mw she said you may think it's soon to mention but they quite often have women pg again at the 6 wk check with gp. Clearly they are women with easier babies & more energy than me.

I might use the mini pill this time, condoms are ok but you have to actually put it on, they offer no protection when you meant to use one

Anyone used the mini pill whilst bf?

I used Cerazette last time for about 15 months. I think it's a mini one. Didn't particularly enjoy taking it, and remembering to take it every day, but didn't fancy a coil and DH hates condoms. Not sure what we'll do this time; the same probably! Some women have reported major mood swings on Cerazette though, so I guess it's one to be careful of...

Here's the (not very) short version of my birth story.

Contractions started around midnight but didn't get my hopes up as had that happen several times. However they were still coming at 7am thurs morning and about 20 mins apart. Kept busy all morning and ignored them and by midday I needed TENS machine. At about 3.30pm we decided we needed doula so she came over. Used different positions, massage etc and then walked around the block! Contractions about 4 mins apart by then. Water broke about 5.30pm, went to hosp about 6.30. Was 5cm dilated which was a bit disappointing. Carried on labouring with doula and midwife (remote external monitor so could move around). Spent a lot of the time in the dark on the toilet with only LED candles flickering!

Moved to bath at about 10pm and spent two hours managing very intense contractions but falling asleep between them and eating ice cream! Got out at midnight, pushed for 30 mins and then she arrived. DH caught her, told me we had a girl and cut her cord when it finished pulsing. Was shocked at her size!

Then things got a bit scary as I lost 650ml of blood and Emily wasn't breathing too well. But all got sorted and we spent the next two hours snuggling and calling that UK with the news before moving to my post-partum room.

All in all an amazing experience and I can honestly say I didn't find it painful. My hypnobirthing CD and positive affirmations must've sunk in! Stitches were probably the worst bit (3rd degree tear).

spanner yes ouch and my god didnt expect it! As dd3 is two weeks old and I had been fine already, infact over did it on the curry one night and ended up with the shits!!! I feel your pain, I decided to try and drink more and have been eating lots of fruit and branflakes to help keep it soft it hasn't hurt as much since.
buns I tried the mini pill cerazette last time, the only problem was experienced some unwanted spotting which I believe is a common side effect, although was combined feeding due to scare with dd2 weight loss, however there isn't much else on offer and although I too don't really want anymore it's too final for sterilisation so I have decided to try it again this time as exclusively bf may hopefully prevent the bleeding?

Poor dd3 is currently on abx for an infected rash on her face ( I thought they were just milk spots!) but hey! Feel crap about it as she only almost 3 weeks old, just seems too soon to be needing antibiotics. Anyone elses babys ever had this problem?