August 2012 - sunny (ha!) summer babies

[ImissMiniPop]

they're starting to arrive, so here's our 'Due in August' post natal thread. To talk poo, pee, burping and everything else, too...

Here's link to antd-natal thread for those we'll be waiting for www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1511603-Due-in-August-Thread-Part-6

Have borrowed Needles list, which I'll start here, please feel free to add your details to it. I'm rubbish at list keeping, and hopefully Needles will be along to keep it updated :o

BIRTHS
tigger8 (?) DC? due 27/7/12, GIRL born 11/7/12
missjemima (?) DC2 BOY due 3/8/12, born 10/7/12
PoppySeed34 (34) DC1 BOY due 4/8/12, born 28/5/12

Welsh I have Molly on the list, don't you worry :)

I'm still sat here like a fat whale waiting for DC2, so I have lots of time to update the list.

Even DS is starting to get impatient waiting for his brother or sister, and he's only 2.5 years old.

sob

Really awful day here. Sandy has colic all of a sudden and has changed from a chilled out angel to a baby who if he isn't feeding is just screaming. He will only sleep attached to me and even then grunts and groans all the time. He was up in the night for hours with it, coped ok, got up and was feeding him all morning. dH went out for a bit and the whole time he wouldn't settle just fed and cried and I suddenly lost the plot thinking, if DH is out for a few hours how will I cope alone all day? Health visitor came, he has infacol now so maybe that will help but both DH and I are a bit traumatised that he is going to cry again. The way he cries panics me so much it's heart breaking to hold him and know he isn't comforted by your attempts any more :(

Sent Dh off for an hour alone in bedroom to sleep as he is frazzled but we are both just getting upset in turn and consoling each other and sandy at the same time. He is sleeping right now so hoping maybe the worst is over for today but just so panicked he will start all over when he wakes. Ugh I know it won't last forever it's just all a bit much right now.

Welsh I have been threatened with a return to hospital as MiniGere lost over ten per cent of his body weight between birth and today (day 3). My milk came in last night and as I have large boobs that have now engorged he can't get latched well, and screams and screams and screams. Been out today to get an electric breast pump so that he can get top ups and also so I can get some more comfort (maybe reduce my one woman wet T-shirt competition look)! My days are going to be feed feed feed feed... it is a very disheartening and at 4am this morning we nearly did tag team crying but then he never stopped to properly give me my turn

Does anyone have any advice...?

Reassurances that this does get easier...?

Oh no, poor Sandy!
Hello all. Rowan is one week old today and keeping us entertained. DH has just popped to pick my mum up from the train station. She is going to look after us so we can relax and enjoy being a family! Any nursing bra recommendations? I bought one before he arrived but it is to small now! Should I go to mothercare to be measured? I'm at least a 34G, possibly bigger now milk is going for it! Also, does anyone else's baby really fight against you when trying to get latched on? He is fine on left but something not right on the right side. Once on he's great but he kicks and hits out (involuntary I know) and arches his back away from me making it a real battle!
Big squeezes to all of the LOs and their fantastic mums x

White that sounds like the reaction I am getting on both sides. I keep on trying every different position again and again. Poor little boy is very frustrated.

Poor sandy ham :( , is he any better today?

I can't help much on the bf front as I really haven't been very successful, but I have noticed that William latches onto my left breast so much better than my right when I do bf. I've also noticed (from expressing) that I have a lot less milk in my right breast.

Enjoy having your mum up stay white :).

There's not too much to report here. William seems to have got himself into a nice routine at night and has just about put back on the 10ozs of weight he lost :). I still feel absolutely gutted about not being able to breast feed him more but he seems to be thriving now and that's the main thing.

Hope everyone has a nice day!

Hope you and Sandy feel abit better today ham

Hi welsh Congratulations :)

mrgeres It does get better honestly, since my milk came in Noah has been much more content he's a week old today and im finding it all much easier but I agree with the latching on comment my midwife said to hand express some before and it will be easier for him, easier said than done though at 4am.

Poor Noah also has a slight tounge tie so it's supposed to be harder for him to latch on but he's been doing amazing so far and we're waiting for a referal to get it snipped which I am dreading :( I've been crying my eyes out over it (stupid hormones)

vino Thats great that William is into a nice routine already :)

Hope everyone has a nice day

Wow, Welsh i was proud of myself for pushing out a 9lb-er... impressive! Congratulations!

Mrgeres Between 7 and 14 days I spend most evenings cluster feeding. It was horrible at the time, but it does pass, and my DS put on 8 ounces in a week. Once he gets latched on, he'll be absolutely fine - perhaps you could see a BF supporter (through NCT or LLL?) to help you get him latched on?

Whiteangel Congratulations! Ben fights against me too. Once thing the BF counsellor I went to see suggested was stripping him down to his nappy, folding a muslin in half (into a triangle), laying him across the long edge (in the middle) and then using the points of the triangle to capture his arms and tuck the points of the muslin behind his body. Then feed him with him lying on a cushion. I find Ben fights less when he's closer up against me.

3Bears I'd definitely get his tongue tie snipped. I know some people don't think this should be corrected, but his speech will be affected by it later on. A friend of mine has had to have his corrected as an adult, and he can't believe the difference it has made to his speech and his confidence. Little Noah won't remember it at all.

Ham Thanks for the sling advice. I'm thinking of borrowing a Mei Tai from the sling library. Which hold do you use with the Moby? I've tried the newborn hold but Ben might prefer the kangaroo hold. How's the colic today?

We're plodding along, have some good days and some bad days. Ben wouldn't sleep at all during the day yesterday, so I resorted to walking him in the buggy. He did go to sleep at 9pm last night, slept until 1.30am, and then from 3.30am-7.30am. DH has an interview today so he slept on the blow-up bed downstairs. Ben's now gone back to sleep, and we're supposed to be going out in a bit!

As far as a routine goes, we're going with the flow. His feed times and sleep times are unpredictable, but he does seem to be being sick after most feeds. I'm trying to burp him well, and keep him sitting up, but this just keeps him awake when he wants to sleep. Any ideas?

Really sorry for the mega-post!

Hey all

Had a decent night and sandy seems more himself today. He is still all uncomfy but not screaming so yay. Managed to actually get a shower today so that's positive! Still worried he will be worse later though. Has been feeding all morning so maybe will get a sleep soon.

Don't know that I have much useful advice for feeding as sandy seems good at it but was told to try and bring baby to the breast not breast to baby as then it will be unaligned when you let go of breast. Also sit baby with your nipple at his nose so he knows it's there then when he opens his mouth bring him up over the nipple and on quickly. Also express a little on the end and put it in his mouth so he tastes milk and then will try to latch on. Keep going everyone it's worth it once they get good at it... Sandy is now 8lbs 5.5oz which is a gain of over a pound in 9 days!

Gnomi sandy goes in the frog type one in most ie his chest to my chest legs round me, I've not tried the cradle hold yet, he seems to like froggy and apparently it's best posture for them. Also with you on the annoying pattern of him sleeping after a feed then putting him down only to wake up with wind or to wind and have him no longer sleepy. Only way to avoid I've found is to wind between feeding on each breast but even then there is still the chance of wind argh!

Ham That is brilliant that sandy is improving. ...and a great weight. What a relief!

Well we did some expressing (got an electronic pump) and fed MiniGere through a syringe last night, through the night he fed once from breast. This morning though he would not take breast at all but after a syringe feed is sleeping on the breast at least it's useful for something it's so hard as he is so much happier being syringe fed. We all had a good nights sleep so there may be more patience all round.

Thank you for suggestions I will try the restraining thing, it really does seem to be his arms that get flailed around and upsets everything.

On the plus side we've had two poo's this morning

hi all, still waiting to join u here, was having a nose to see how u are all getting on and thought i'd help with the bf. ham I also have mahusive boobs and when Ds was little I found it much easier to feed him in the rugby hold lol, basically body under my arm on a pillow and head in my hand?? saved suffocating the poor mite, u have probably found this position but thought i'd share. Also the colicky babies? and ones that are not taking to it, It does get easier I promise you, if any of these babies are 3 or 6 weeks old I found they have a growth spurt and cry all day while u sit there and think oh my god what have I done? it does pass and by 7 weeks they will settle down. Please persevere ladies it's about to get so easy for you!! I bottle fed my first and bf my second and believe me once they get used to it its soooo much easier than sterilising and boiling kettles making feeds etc.

Also try not to worry about routine feed, feed and feed and to the lady who had more milk from one side than the other keep feeding off the empty side even if they aren't getting anything effectively let the baby use it as a dummy as in a few days your body will catch up so hopefully u will have a good supply on both sides.

Hope to be joining you all soon!!! good luck and enjoy thise beautiful babies!! xxx

Oh and the fighting against latching on thing I used to swadlle ds and be really firm with him, I had an old fashioned midwife who said dont be afraid that u will hurt him, babies are robust and they arent called 'Bouncing babies' for nothing. So try be firm with them and eventually they settle down after a couple of mins of feeding, I sound so cruel but it works honest!! xx

mrgeres I panicked and gave her formula last night which she wolfed down then today a breast feeding lady came out to help, i had the pump set up wrong, and wasn't massaging the boobs before either expressing or feeding molly, she taught me how in a cycle of an hour i should:

1.massage left breast then feed molly in a nappy only, tickling her back if she gets snoozy - left boob for 20 mins
2.change nappy to stimulate molly (because at this point she's a bit sleepy)

1. feed molly from other breast which has been massaged.
2. Molly sleeps for two hours (we'll see but it's been quiet here for an hour)
3. if i want to express do four lots of five mins on each boob.

(secretly though i wouldn't have minded a spell back in hosp i think they let me out too soon - section on friday afternoon, home sunday morning)

we have the weigh in tomorrow so we'll see what they think, she's still at 10lbs so hardly wasting away!

xxx

Hey everyone day 3 for me and milk has come in which is good cos jacob seemed to be feeding every 5 mins and now he is sleeping much longer and seems more satisfied. He even settled in his moses basket a couple of times last night which saved me from having to sleep with him on me so I could get some proper sleep. Would take it in turns with dh like last time but someone needs to get up for ds1 so I let him sleep. Anyway boobs not too sore from milk coming in like last time but he is very greedy. His poo is already very yellow and he had a poo explosion earlier! Hope everyone is getting on as well as we seem to be. Almost seems pointless dh has got 3 weeks off.

Hello hello, can I play in your club too now?! Will post more later but exciting and new times ahead xx

Hi mrsmiggins you're IN!!

BIRTHS!!!!
PoppySeed34 (34) DC1 BOY due 4/8/12, born 28/5/12

ByeBabyBatshit (35) DC1 due 11/8/12 TWIN BOYS, born 21/6/12

tigger8 (?) DC? due 27/7/12, GIRL born 11/7/12
missjemima (?) DC2 BOY due 3/8/12, born 10/7/12
Loupee (26) DC1 BOY due 28/7/12, born 24/7/12
ontheedgeofwhatever (?) DC2 BOY due 25/7/12, born 25/7/12
ishopthereforeiam (32) DC2 BOY due 27/7/12, born 27/7/12
warzonemummy (?) DC1 GIRL due 4/8/12, born 29/7/12
ontheedgeofwhatever (?) DC2 BOY due ?/8/12, born 25/7/12

hamncheese (24) DC1 BOY due 11/8/12, born 2/8/12
ChicBabyP (?) DC1 GIRL due 5/8/12 born 6/8/12
Gnomi (29) DC1 BOY due 7/8/12, born 4/8/12
vinolover (29) DC3 BOY due 11/8/12, born 11/8/12
McBaby (31) DC1 due 7/8/12, born 13/8/12
PictureThis (38) DC2 BOY due 27/8/12, born 14/8/12
Littlelamb1980 (31) DC1 BOY due 6/8/12, born 7/8/12
eightieshopaholic (32) DC1 BOY due 12/8/12, born 15/8/12
capecath (29) DC2 BOY due 15/8/12, born 14/8/12
Stinyminkymoo (35) DC1 GIRL due 11/8/12, born 15/8/12
lynniegooner (43) DC2 GIRL due 5/8/12, born 14/8/12
Whiteangel (?) DC1 BOY due 2/8/12, born 15/8/12

The3Bears (24) DC2 BOY due 11/8/12, born 16/8/12
forgetfulmrs (?) DC2 GIRL due 6/8/12, born 16/8/12
Nel1975 (?) DC1 GIRL due 6/8/12, born 16/8/12
Loislane78 (34) DC1 GIRL due 24/8/12, born 16/8/12
missingpate (31) DC1 BOY due 31/8/12, born 16/8/12
Weekipper (32) DC1 GIRL due 9/8/12, born 17/8/12
WelshLadyCDF (40) DC1 GIRL due 8/8/12, born 17/8/12
MrGeresHamster (33) DC1 BOY due 7/8/12, born 19/8/12
therumoursaretrue (22) DC1 BOY due 26/8/12, born 19/8/12
Gingerelle (30) DC1 GIRL due 17/8/12, born 19/8/12
Glimpers (33) DC2 GIRL due 19/8/12, born 20/8/12
TheRealMrsSmith (32) DC4 GIRL due 23/8/12, born 20/8/12
susiegrapevine (29) DC2 BOY due 21/8/12, born 21/8/12
tashaw28 (36) DC3 GIRL due 19/8/12, born 22/8/12
tumblebug (34) DC2 GIRL due 20/8/12, born 23/8/12
MrsMigginslovespies (35) DC1 BOY due 15/8/12, born 23/8/12

Congrats to all the new arrivals! :)

Week 1+1 here and LO has started cluster feeding in the night. Sleeping OK in the day, between 2-4 hrs so if i could force myself to nap it wouldn't be so bad.

Have read conflicting advice about fore milk and hind milk - fore milk quenches thirst but its the hind milk that has the fat and satisfies them. Baby seems to feed quite quickly so trying to keep her on longer. Heard too much fore milk gives explosive poos and tummy aches too.

I'm tempted to express a bit off first so she gets the good stuff but don't want Dolly Parton engorged boobs! Anyone doing this?

Lois I am expressing and topping him up with extra hind milk so that he puts on weight (using the other milk for when we can't fight him and he has to eat).

I can really see why people give up. This is really hard.. will continue to preserve though. He put on 150g in the last two days .

preserve persevere..

Lois if they don't feed for long next time lo is hungry put them back on the same side. That way they will get the fattier milk. Then at the end offer the other side in case they are thirsty if that makes sense. If they are getting too much fore milk you will know as the poo will go green. Hope this helps.

Thanks for tips ladies, will give that a try and monitor the poo colour - ahhhh the glamour :)

Hiya! New to the thread! Had my DD on 17.8.12 and wondered if anyone had any advice to try ad encourage her to feed a little longer, she feeds little and often but so I'm told the first few mins of a feed is for thirst not food? .. Congrats to all the new mummys ! Xx

Claire1209 have you seen a breast feeding support person, mine was ace and she's now feeding up to 20mins each side, you have to massage boobs first then put baby in just a nappy so you can tickle their back to keep them awake if needed. Then when they're sleepy change them to waken them up before trying the other boob. It worked for me and thankfully meant she's put back on the weight that she lost.
End of my first week of being a mum, it's amazing but is anyone else totally terrified too?