October 2012 babies - we meet them at last!

[YompingJo]

Getting thread in place in readiness!

Congrats Smorgs :o and a big hug for Smiley on general heroics in face of adversity!

Proper check in later... but just to say parents left and no blood was shed AND I got 2 nights of 6.5 hrs sleep Hopefully harmony is restored. And Squid for sure your get your folks to take bean overnight BUT make sure you feed on both sides before bed or if you're a one-side feeder like me feed on one side and express on the other around midnight - I fed bean at 11.15 last night on left, then woke at 06.40 with right boob EXPLODING because it had been ten hours since bean fed on that side. Whereas night before I fed on one side and expressed her bottle from other and boobs were grand. Would have managed a staggering 8 hours of sleep had it not been for cannon ball boob

Ok people confess... how many of you have a Halloween costume for the beans? Not that I got one or anything, oh no sirree... [hgrin]

Hi again,

Congrats Spice, don't know about milk drying up but doubt it's that fast - good luck with the pump. I know what you feel about giving formula making you feel terrible but it's far too easy to be hard on yourself in these situations, you did exactly the right thing, you can't let her go hungry or get dehydrated. Yes to the day 3 meltdown, then had teary o'clock at about 4pm every day but ok for 3 days now. My worst day was DH's first back at work, paternity leave is not long enough but he has 3 days off next week - yay!

DH bought DD a 'mummy's little pumpkin' t shirt which is very unlike him but he may just be pre-empting me dressing her up as a bat.

DD is 3 weeks today so half way to the 'magic' 6 week mark (may have built this up a bit in my head...) Just have to keep looking in the mirror and repeating "it's only a short time" mantra like to myself x

Angelico - feel your pain. My boobs look like I've had a bad boob job, they're sticking off my chest like melons. DH likes them though! I NEED MY COURIER PUMP NOW! Just been squeezing boobs into sink, nice.

As for Halloween outfits, it's got to be done hasn't it? These are October babies after all 'Woooooooooooo!' ghost noise apparently

Wooly, where is T Shirt from?

angelico- impressed with how much sleep you're getting! Wow! What steps did you take to make this happen?!
I've not expressed yet- last time it made my boobs really sore! Maybe I didn't have the right pump.

Quick one for Spice

Welcome to the thread. Can you try hand expressing just to relieve the pressure? I had to top up both my DC's. DC1 was topped up for ages because she was low birth weight and needed building up quickly and was too small to suck for long. I still managed to exclusively bf it just took a while. The most important thing is to get the milk out of you though, to help the supply and stop you feeling like pants. You are doing the right thing for your DC though so please don't beat yourself up.

Nice to have you spice hope the pump has arrived and you are more comfortable!
I have a cat outfit for both dds, they are adorable! Bought from sainsburys. Will take photos at Halloween!
angelico Yay for sleep - makes everything easier to cope with.

I've just bought a 2nd hand ergo on ebay [hblush]

DH is going to kill me

Really hope it makes things easier......

Day 6. Nipples still super Owie during latch. Nipple ends a little blistered but otherwise still soft and supple.

Dh currently in bed snuggling ds.I am pouring a bath so I can drain some of this milk into the nice warm water.

Have a skeleton costume for the little one and a pumpkin obedient. Dh also bought two "snow suits" that are a monster and a dragon that are quite big. Will be wearing them all winter.

Right bath done ttfn

Spice - t shirt was from Tesco x

I've just realised I've been wearing my shirt inside out all day. Christ. DS absolutely voracious. Hearing test stressful as he was writhing and panting so much the audiologist couldn't get a reading, so she had to stick all sorts of pads and things on him. We eventually got the all clear.

It hasn't been an enjoyable day health wise but I did walk a mile with DS in the sling in the pouring rain, so I can't be that incapacitated. Thank God DH back tomorrow (though working all day as soon as he's off plane, obvs). Am just about at limit. Sorry, girls.

big hug for elpis

Thanks crazypaving. Apologies for that extended whinge. Given the bf is going fine, DS is healthy and the nights aren't too awful, I haven't got so very much to complain about!

Hello spice, hope the pump has arrived and helped.

I spoke to the mw today and she said I could start expressing from now, 1 week in, but seems a bit soon to me? I'm wary of disrupting my supply in any way.

We have been giving DS a small amt of formula each night but might stop that now that milk seems a bit more plentiful.

Went out with DS on our own for the first time today just a walk around the village but felt like quite an achievement.

Hey everyone. It's been a while since I posted, but I'm here catching up every night during the feeds.

All is going well here, DS is now 3.5 weeks. We've had a busy few days visiting friends and family. We moved to Cornwall at 15 weeks but are back in Gloucester this week. I got all emotional driving through Cheltenham on Tuesday, thinking about how happy I was to be 'Home' and how it's just comfortable being here. It's a funny feeling these new hormones. It's not even that I miss it really. I love where we moved to and have settled right in and made friends. But there is just something lovely and familiar about being home.

Bf is going well for me. Gonna have a go at expressing over the weekend. I think DS will cope well with boob and bottle. We introduced a dummy at 10 days and that hasn't caused any problems with latching.

We are still having problems getting him to sleep for long in his crib though, we doing a few hours in there, then a few in the bed. It's getting better though. I properly swaddled him last night and earlier tonight and that seemed to work. He's currently asleep on me, but once I've finished this post I'm gonna attemp to put him down in the crib.

I bought a Mothercare own brand carrier this week although haven't had z play yet. Also got given a Babasling, but need to look online at instructions for it. Hopefully they'll allow me to get up and about at home. Monday when my DP went back to work, DS grizzled everytime I put him down, I managed to shower but then took over an hour to actually get dried and dressed as he got himself in such a state when I was in the shower, that I wanted to settle him as soon as I got out.

When we get back to Cornwall on Saturday there's a Halloween party in the village that I want to go to. Well, it would be wrong to turn up not in costume, so we've bought a black babygrow that's covered in pumpkins from Asda - it's great! Gonna put him in it on Wednesday too then go to baby group. I'm so excited! I'll post a picture next week.

Sorry for the 'all about me' post. I do find it very hard to remember and reply properly to everyone from my phone. I keep thinking I'll post properly from my laptop, but haven't managed to turn it on in over a week now.

Right, lets see if he's out enough to be moved to his crib without waking and wanting to come straight back out again.

Night all.

I have a dilema. I need to go food shopping this morning. I don't have a car and the bus route only goes half way there. I will be getting a taxi back with all the shopping so will need the car seat, however can't take travel system as can't push that and the trolley so had planned to take DD in sling and walk there. But then I won't have the car seat, unless I carry it all the way.

This seems so overwhelming on no sleep. I need a grown up to tell me how to do the very simple thing of going to Asda!

We had another go with the bottle yesturday. DD take half an oz (with DH feeding her) then got really upset. I offered her breast to calm her down and in her temper she wouldn't take that either. Do you think she was upset by the bottle or do you think something else was up and that's why she refused both? I'm panicking a bit that she wont accept it ever and I'll have to drop out of Uni and fail everything drama queen.

October If you're expressing as well as feeding (to stock up freezer) then your supply will go up. I am rocking the Jordan look again this morning. If you are replacing a feed with expressing it should stay the same, or go down a little bit (baby is more efficient than pump). I was told not to introduce bottles until 4 weeks to baby though. We have introduced them at 3.5 weeks and the little dear won't drink from it!

I will definately be dressing DD up for Halloween! Preferably something that co-ordinates with DS, and take many photos for future bribing/embarassement.

Can you take travel system and bike lock and then chain it up outside supermarket so you can push trolley? Ummmm not s great solution but not. Sure I can think of anything else!
Have you tried cup feeding her at all? I'm sure she will take it in the end!
october I was told 6 weeks for expressing to make sure bf established.... Not in a hurry to get the pump out again anyway!
Looking forward to seeing lots of cute Halloween pics next week!

mikyah that's comforting about introducing the dummy at 10 days. I was just thinking this morning how DD2 won't settle in her crib, only next to me in bed where there's a nipple in sight! I was wondering if now's the time to try one. I think it was around 2 weeks with DD1.
Wantan- get your shopping delivered! Much easier. Otherwise I used to take the pram and stuff as much as possible in the basket underneath. You can't do a big shop that way though.
As I speak, Imogen has gone to sleep on my nipple. Bet she wakes up if I put her in basket.

Foggy haze of mad sleep deprivation - had a crap couple of nights. DS2 spends most of the day screaming too....arrrgh

I must say I've not heard of the magic 6 week mark. For us with DS1 6 weeks was when the screaming and sleeping were at their worst. 8 weeks was when we saw an improvement. Maybe this time 6 will be the lucky number?

DS1 seems to be starting to accept DS2 a bit more now, and is being quite kind and trying to include him a bit. Tried to feed him a bit of a raspberry yesterday which was very sweet but also Not sure DS2 is ready to wean yet eh.

wantanorange no suggestions I'm afraid, what a pickle! I second getting shopping delivered!

DS2 will not take a dummy. Gags and spits it out with a look of absolute revulsion on his face. Sigh. Will persevere.

miky DS2 will only sleep on me in the day, and in my bed at night. tis rather wearing but DS1 was exactly the same and it doesn't last forever (just feelsl ike it does). i lived in Cheltenham many years ago - haven't been back for over a decade! It's lovely there though isn't it. Cornwall must be fab though!

Elpis hardly an extended whinge!! And after all, that's what we're here for (isn't it? It is, isn't it?!)

My tummy's rumbling. I managed to wrangle screaming DS2 yesterday whilst simultaneously stuffing a toasted pitta with avocado, chicken and mayonnaise, then stuffing it in my gob Might have slightly extended his screaming time, mind. Sometimes the call of the tummy is just too damn loud.

Wantan I don't know how much shopping you usually do but I can fit a weekly shop in my big, blue flowery granny trolley. I put DS in the sling and use the bus, and lug the shopping home in the trolley.

Or I order online

crazy that's good about your DS1. My DD1 is still very wary, but then it's only 10 days in...

I usually order online, just didn't get round to it this week before we ran out of food! I got FIL to take me, but I don't like relying on people so will have to figure out a way.

WantAnOrange As far as I know you don't need a car seat in a taxi, only in a private car. We've been operating on that basis for three and a half years, anyway! And thank God, or there are lots of places I couldn't go, as I don't drive!

Here's the law on car seats: www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/child_safety/seatbelts.html

Hello peeps! I am finally coming up for air!! Feel withdrawal symptoms to my lovely MN buddies who can surely be the best friends a girl cud hav at the mo as we all going thru the same. My days r rushing by in a haze of dirty nappies and sore nipples and I cannot believe I hav no time to read at ALL, not even skim, just nothing!!!! I hav recovered q well from birth but cannot remember if I hav told u anything thus explaining my absence?! Little time to post so I will not do birth story now!! Long story short, massive blood loss at delivery and on post delivery repair equalled need for blood transfusion and bloods still low. So energy levels rubbish, hospital for 5 days. Mega good feeding large hungry baby equals hard work but so pleased I an BF and all midwives praising ability to feed despite weakness!!!!! But feck me, the nipples are wrecked. The latch is textbook perfect apparently, he just could suck tiles off the walls!!!!

So I hope to catch u all properly sometime soon. Bubba asleep on my knee and DH just brought me lunch.

Hope u all coping and loving and balancing well between tears and smiles!! Xx

wantanorange hope the shopping trip went well, I think I would have held out for a delivery!

huffle your recovery sounds tough, glad you are home now and doing a great job bf. I know what you mean about ruined nipples, hard to believe the suction power of such a tiny mouth.

Managed to get DS to sleep in the Moses basket last night rather than in bed with us, thanks to some good advice on here. Warmed up his nest beforehand with heated pad, popped breast milk stained t shirt of mine in there and warmed up his blankets in our bed beforehand. He settled much more easily so hopefully that will continue to work.