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!

Holly, love the name: haven't heard of a Francesca in years..my LO is feeding way more frequently than your LO..she's b'feeding every 2hours & last night hubby gave her a 3oz formula feed & straight after she fed 10mins from me (& having been observing/timing closely, that's draining one side & is at least half a dull breastfeed). She IS gaining weight rapidly but my husband convinced I'm not able to keep up with demand! We have given her formula a few times when she's obviously distressed at an empty boob, but that's the first for 3-4 nights. She's had the odd 1oz & that's the second time she's taken 3oz. Usually after I've fed her, so a top up really. Terrified of expressing as I've had an oversupply/forceful let down problem in the past which was v diff for me & DD1 to deal with.

riamay glad you're on the mend. As jelly said, the important thing is that you're getting better.

I'm bf ds but i can't seem to keep him full up, especially at night, so he's been have two bottles at night for the last two nights and they have been between 3-4. Oz. this is despite the fact I have loads of milk, he never empties a breast....it's exhausting ( not to mention the guilty feeling for giving him formula)

Glad you're on the mend, Riamay.

Things a little frustrating here as I have to go back to hospital. Flashing lights and high bp is no good if you've been preeclamptic apparently!

Terrified they're going to keep us in again...

spanner hope you're ok and just need some rest.

ria sorry to hear you've been poorly, glad you're on the mend though.

taten have you seen a bf counsellor? Could be that he's not latching well and therefore not able to get enough milk from you. Also could be a growth spurt?

I went to get my referral for the tt snip. LC checked him over again and said that the tt clinic may not do the snip as ds is feeding well despite my nipples coming out misshapen after a feed. I have a two week wait to see them anyway - so we'll see how we get on in the next two weeks. If he continues to pull blisters out then I'll be insisting on the snip. Apparently because ds is already feeding well and gaining plenty of weight I'm at risk of oversupply and engorgement after the snip. Can't bloody win! At least ds is ok - so that is one less thing to worry about.

Fingers crossed spanner that you don't have to stay in.

I'm starting to express some milk so that DH can feed and so that Francesca gets used to the bottle... I've read so many different bits of advice I've got myself in a tizz with can she have a bottle and breast?

I've expressed 125ml (my boobs are enormous) and want to try her on it tonight. She's only 8 days old - am I too early?

Holly wow at your 125ml! I am at the same stage (9 days old) & struggling to express 20ml! Feeding takes SO long & clearly my milk is not coming in huge quantities, but one way or another she is getting enough...

spanner take care & hope you are home soon. My BP is still a bit high but hoping it will be lower at the next MW visit tomorrow.

Thanks...it's not super super high: it's about 130/90, but I'm on labetalol so should be slightly better. It's the fact that it's in conjunction with migraine type symptoms & that I had pre-eclampsia.

I agree with the diagnosis here, though: 2 paracetamol and some rest should sort me out.

Waiting to see doctor now, but have had bloods/urine taken again - just like before Bill was born! Hoping the results will be good.

marsh my boobs are a sight to see!!

spanner good luck

Yay! Doc says it's 'just' a migraine! Given me diclofenac and sending me home ;) Getting take away curry to celebrate! Bloody starving...

What a relief spanner! Enjoy your curry!

Holly amazing amount on the expressing! I guess if you feel you're doing really well with bf and introducing a bottle won't confuse her you should be ok. I've been advised to wait a few weeks before introducing a bottle - but that's because I've had problems with ds' latch.

I'm going to have a chat with the mw on Friday :). Don't want to push my luck...

Anyone else's LO eat and sleep and that's it?! She literally wakes, I change her, feed for about 30 mins and then he's asleep! She's wide awake while she's feeding and she really goes for it once she's feeding and shes always awake between 3/4 hours. Just worried that she's asleep too much?.. Can't believe ive said that.

Ladies, just to put some info forward re bf that may be worth bearing in mind or feel free to ignore it as applicable

2hrly feeds even through the night is v v normal for a bf newborn (10/12 feeds per 24hr period or so) bloody hard work but normal.

Fussing at the breast does not show there is not enough milk, babies do this, it stimulates more milk.

Breasts are never totally empty(though they do feel it) further milk is made on demand. Further it stimulates more milk production.

Expressing milk does not give an indication of how much milk you are producing. Some people have problems expressing any milk yet successfully bf their babies.

If a baby drinks down a bottle of milk (breast milk or formula) it is not necessarily an indication that it is hungry. Bottle teats stimulate a baby to swallow, it is often a reaction to stimulation rather than desire.

Mixed feeding works for some but can lead to a lack of milk as it interrupts the supply& demand balance.

www.Kellysmom.com/ is a good source of info on bf.

Try that link again!

kellymom.com/

Buns thank you, that info is so useful. I get a lot of fussing at the breast so glad to hear it does help stimulate milk.

I've been trying to institute afternoon feed followed by nap (A nap for me too, that is) but DD won't stop feeding!

Can you feed lying down, for me it has been such a lifesaver for all 3dcs?

During the day yesterday E seemed to be constantly feeding and hardly slept. Last night though she slept loads - woke at 2am and 5.30am.
We've introduced a bottle on alternate evenings so I can have an early night.
However she's not latching very well - not opening her mouth wide enough - so will have to stop for a bit I think and try again in a week or so.
She's 3 weeks on Friday and we were advised to introduce bottle before 4 weeks as it's harder later apparently.

Tried out lying down feeding a couple of times but not quite got the hang yet. Will keep trying!

Thanks buns. Great link

Thanks vintage Francesca is only 8 days so I have a little time yet

my dd1 has been feeding pretty much hourly for the past two days -its absolutely killing me but she has noticeably put on weight and getting bigger. I'm hoping this is just a growth spurt and won't last - she's only 10 days old!

how is everyone getting their LO to sleep and where are they sleeping? we're yet to move out of the living room, and very rarely will she go in her crib for me but(fine for DP though!)i know i shouldn't but she's been sleeping on my chest for most nights... what great plans i had to instill a routine from the get go, no book said it would be this hard -how naive i was!!!!

got to say its really helping being able to hear/read all your experiences when it feels like we're the only ones awake in the wee hours of the morning !

Hi all,

Welcome, taten and karensb.

riamay how scary, you poor thing. Hope you recovery is uncomplicated.

Likewise, Spannermary - hope your bp settles down.

Sorry to hear there's been some difficulties with tongue tie etc with some of the bfing mums. I echo buns suggestion of Kellymom. I can also recomend the Analytical Armadillo. Entry specifically on tongue tie here: www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/04/tongue-tie-hidden-cause-of-feeding.html and you could also try the biological breastfeeding techniques shown here www.biologicalnurturing.com/.

DD feeds without any set pattern during the day. It's sometimes every 2 hours, sometimes longer, sometimes after only an hour. Luckily for me she seems happy to go for longer between feeds at night. I got a lovely chunk of sleep from 10 - 2am last night while she slept in the moses basket beside me. After that she came into bed with me and I was a bit more disturbed - she's got a bit of a cold and was quite snuffly and wanted to feed on and off.

DS woke at 7 and I found he'd removed his pyjama bottoms and nappy - luckily no poo!

Hi All,

Finally had time to post!! Our Son was born a few days late on the 22nd april, he was 7lbs 12oz. He doesnt have a name yet! We try a new one each day! Bad parents!!

Birth went well, although I suffered some nasty tears and ended up in surgery anyway! All is well but very sore!! Walking to the shop today was not much fun!

Baby is an angel though, very good and letting us get some sleep!

Congratulations to all who've had theirs since i last posted!

Cub

xx

P.S you REALLY cant have enough muslins can you!!

Hope you are all enjoying your beautiful new babies. Mummy and Daddy are besotted with Baby Harry.

Quick question? When did everybody come home with their beauitful baby's. Baby Harry was born at 04:26 on the 29thand we were all home by 18:30 which apparently is very quick (I asked to go home).

My thinking was I was only in labour for 7hrs 30mins and most of that was spent at home, the CMW seems a bit as to why I am home and going out an about, after a 2nd degree tear (yawn).

I can't see why that it should be an issue I feel okay and it means DP and I get to spend two weeks together with Harry rather than DP having to come to the hospital eveyday. xx

Congratulations, yummy!

In answer to your question, I spent 1 night in afterwards. I had pre-eclampsia and 2 stitches. They needed to monitor my bp: Bill was completely fine.

They would have happily kept me in a 2nd night but I really wanted to get home as I'd had no sleep on the ward, and the next day was my birthday. They let me - but not till about 5pm. I guess they err on the side of caution - but we have great mw support so I reckon if you're happy with it, there's no place like home!

Hi there, my lo is sleeping on my chest, my daughter did the same thing. With both of them when I put them in their Moses basket, dd lasted about 30mins max (ds is the same) before she made her feelings on the matter known.
In terms of leaving hospital, I had ds at 11:45pm and was home bt 5:30pm the next day, I was missing daughter terribly but on reflection I wish I'd spent another night in, just me and my son being looked after.
In terms of bf I've seen a bf councillor who said all looks ok(she tweaked our positioning a bit) but that they can just feed lots at times