October 2012 babies - we meet them at last!

[YompingJo]

Getting thread in place in readiness!

Aaaaahhhh. Lovely saline nasal drops. DS can breathe reasonably deeply again!! Serves DH right for calling him piggy....... He thought the snuffling and grunting was cute and getting cuter!! He had him up during night while I got 20 mins kip and was nearly for phoning doctor!!!!

Thankfully not snotty yet, but not holding breath! MW says use away at drops and if obvious 'stuff' in there use the aspirator then.

Big boy obviously liking mama's dairy. 13 days and above birthweight, now 9lb6! I can feel my arm muscles getting stronger. Note to non pregnant TTC women, join a bloomin gym and strengthen your muscles, if you are anything like the weakling that I am!!!!!

Can I add mine? I gave birth to triplets on the 28th, two girls, one boy, by emegency C-section. They were 30wks, and I am currently holding DD1, with my twins begging to hold her, and unfortunately DD2 and DS3 are in SCBU, as they haven't got very developed lungs (DD1 has- very noticeably last night).

Oh my goodness slightlytipsy!!! Congratulations!! Welcome to the thread and welcome to your 3 little ones!!! That is some family you have there, you must be very proud. Wishing you all the best of health and hope the little ones grow in strength quickly. Take care of yourself and babies x

very welcome, tipsy, HUGE congrats, well done, and really hope they're out of scbu really soon! how old are your twins?

Congratulations tipsy. My DS1 was born last Thursday at 33 weeks and is currently in scbu too. Hope yours get better very quickly.

Thanks. They're four *crazypaving.

I hope your DS gets better quickly too HoneyMum21.

And thanks hufflepuffle.

smorgs yep, I'm familiar with Dark Place thinking. I have the odd morbid flash, too, of LO getting hurt in some way... Was buying chicken yesterday and the butcher was cutting meat with a table saw type thing, suddenly thought how that saw could cut my baby! Horrors! Rode it out, but it wasn't fun. Experience reminds me that the best plan with unwanted thoughts is not to try to banish them- trying to not think something is a form of attention, and anything you pay attention to gets more firmly lodged in your brain. Stupid brain.

Wcome honey and tipsy. LO started life with a week in SCBU (fullterm, but infection and a little lung tear) so you have my sympathies. hope your babies get very and fat super-fast!

plankonette and smorgs omg yes I know what you mean! It happens in the night especially- I was imagining tripping down the stairs the other night!

Is anyone on this thread combining breast and bottle that I can talk to? I've been wanting advice on this but, probably quite rightly, advice is geared towards helping women to carry on EBF.

Also- any advice on getting DD2 to sleep in Moses basket for longer at night? We've tried hot water bottle which has helped a bit, but it's during the hours 12-5am in particular that she just wants to feed so I lie her next to me and let her feed while I doze off. Now I'm worried she'll get too used to that!

Thanks ladies.

And tipsy welcome! Wow triplets! Hard work but you're really blessed!

Today has been a better day. Thanks be to Jehovah!!! GP was nice but remained on fence about reflux- was v sympathetic though as apparently one of his kids had colic and the other had reflux. Hoping it was just a one off maggot day yesterday as she was fine ON.

Ducts still blocked but not as painful and rest of boob is fine - all very confusing. And we officially registered the Bean's birth today - she is 5 weeks old today I got out of car and it felt like winter - all I could think was, "Where did autumn go?!" having hardly seen any of it!

Hello to all, will try and get catch up later, going to wake Bean up for a feed. x

Welcome and congratulations to tipsy triplets!!! Amazing!!

lizzietow I have the same Moses basket issue - my midwife suggested taking the mattress out of the basket then feeding and settling baby on the mattress in bed with you, then when baby is in its deep sleep transferring the mattress + baby over to the basket. The problem is with a change in environment, temp, smell etc and that should keep some consistency. Having said that I only tried it this afternoon and baby olives did sleep for 10 mins in the basket - it doesn't sound great but it does beat her 5 min record in the Moses basket and was enough time for me to put a wash on and make up a cup of tea!

Although the Moses basket is still an issue we have had a breakthrough with the pram. Baby olives has had 2 outings in the pram without hysterical crying. Today she was awake and just staring around and then on the way home she slept! Self soothed by the movement of the pram. Tomorrow we're going to try the car seat!

I am loving being a mum and totally in love with her but does anyone else feel a little strange? I guess it's such a life change - I've gone from being a really busy teacher with hardly any time to suddenly having this little thing to look after and care for and lots more time at home by myself. I've also really missed my DH now he's back at work.

Oh and I meant to say thanks to beeblebear and loopyla for your advice/sympathies about sleeping issues. It's reassuring to know it's not just me.
Hope everyone has a lovely evening, I'm off to try some one-handed cooking!

Thanks olivess!! That's a really good tip- might try that tonight. I know what you mean about strange- I think you feel like that for the first 6 weeks really.

angelico so sorry you're having a rough time, I think all of us have had that 'where did my old life go??' feeling at some point. (((hugs)))

lizzietow we've been bf and giving DS a bottle of formula at night from day 2 to now (day11) and seems to be no problem. Plan is to express and replace the formula but not sure when that is going to happen. I expressed for first time today and didn't manage more than 50ml, but I guess you have to start somewhere. I was worried about formula puting him off breast milk and feeding but doesn't seem to have affected anything.

tipsy welcome and congratulations on your brood, never heard of twins plus triplets before!

Thanks for sympathy lovely ladies

Okay in fairness the bean has been positively angelic today, apart from barfing on me without warning when I had just set table for dinner with a candle and everything :o Had to whisk cardigan off fairly sharpish as DH stepped through door with takeaway (in case anyone thinks I was being Stepford wife with home cooked dinner AND candle on table :o)

Anyway I am now deeply suspicious that she is going to be fiendish all night and I am quite sore this evening and not up for it. DH snoring peacefully upstairs. Bean was fed at 8, asleep since 9 and now wondering if it's even worth me going to bed as she could wake up any time now for next feed... On the other hand she could go another hour or two. It's tricky... She is fistling about a bit so will prob give it ten mins.

Night peeps, will try and do proper catch up tomorrow but hope you are all hanging in there! x

ps: my bra is officially barf-free today :o Result!

olive yep. Totally weird. Especially when you think how long the kid will be around for... I.e. forever...

Baby has started thrashing around and banging his head towards the end of feeds, almost like he's fighting the breast - worrying it like a dog with a chew toy. Anyone know what's up with that? elpis?

Glad your day was better, angelico :)

I escaped from hospital! Did four nights, which was more than I thought but still a lot less than the norm here. So nice to be home.

First night back was quite good, managed to get Baby to sleep in the cot a bit between feeds.
At the hospital, he would sleep in there perfectly during the day, but wouldn't sleep anywhere but on me at night, not even in the bed next to me.

Also, in the day he'll happily go 2 hrs between feeds but at night it's pretty much every hour. Exhausting. But last night we did have a couple of nearly 2 hr sleep stretches, so maybe things are on the up.

Thought he'd really like swaddling as he's always waving his arms about, startling, etc. but he hated it - pulls his arms out instantly whilst glaring at me and continues to whinge til I take it off. Blankets it is then!

Angelico, you wrote something about waking for feeds? Do I need to do this? I haven't read any books, just been going with the flow and feeding on demand.
And what breast feeding books do people recommend? I know it's been asked and answered before, but I didn't take note.

Going to attempt our first trip out in a bit, just up the road to the supermarket. No idea how I'll manage the pushchair and a trolley/basket, but I'm not ready to attempt the sling yet.

Sorry for all of you with bunged up beans, I remember my friend and her usually very calm, laid back baby came to visit and the baby got a cold. It was awful! She was so miserable and they can't do anything, and it's so difficult to help them. I hope all get well very soon.

Sorry this is all me me me, I think I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, first day alone with Baby and all that. Will catch up properly soon.

evening all and special wave to tipsy, my word, what a lot you must have on your plate just now. Hope you are coping OK, what a hero you are!

My little will keeps falling asleep after only 10 minutes of feeding and then there seems like no way of waking him up, apart from a nappy change but I can hardly do that every time. So each feed seems to divide into 6 goes with lots of faffing in between and no sleep for me! Any advice would be so gratefully recieved!

Thank you xxx

glad you are feeling better tonight angelico!

cherry you are doing so well! Even having the inclination to get to the shops on very little sleep etc is v. Impressive. I am in those early frequent feeds/no settling days too and it is hardcore. Are you getting some help? When do your family come out to see you? thinking of you.

Bella hav u tried cheek tickling when he falls asleep? Just a wee stroke or tickle on cheek or below chin?
Plankton we too are having some thrashing! Get it firstly about 10-15 mins, I figure when foremilk thickens to hind milk. Again about 30 mins. I figure hind milk getting thicker and harder to suck again. I also wind when he does this and is usually productive.

Ok so 13 days is not a good day to skim read Gina Fords top tips.......... It causes a melt down. Not a good evening. Never mind how tired we all were from blocked nose sleep night before. Main gripe was that baby should be set in to basket awake and settle self......... What???? So pleased to get him to sleep at breast, no way m I waking him!!!!

But can someone tell me that baby led demand feeding does get easier?? Will I ever see a daytime pattern emerge which gives me more than average 1.5 hrs with erratic sleeping?? Cos I am beginning to feel worn out and the tears are a bit too frequent. I sobbed at DH last night ' I am supposed to know what to do with him but I hav no idea how to amuse him or stop his crying other than by bloody feeding him'!!!

It does get easier peeps, doesn't it??

Xx

Bella, my bean has same issue. We often change her twice at least during a feeding session as she hates having a dirty nappy and feeding triggers a poo! And also tends to make her sleepy. So we change, feed, wind and wake up, feed, wind and wake up, feed, change, feed. It's a bit of a faff but hopefully won't go on for too much longer. Stripping a layer off helps to keep her awake and the rugby ball hold seems better for her as I suspect I am so damn hot that my body warmth against her tummy sends her off to sleep.

Huffle do remember that Gina Ford has never had a baby herself and has no formal childcare qualifications. I do have childcare qualifications and would advise that you burn the book . It really does get easier, when you look back this bit will only be 'the first few weeks', they feel like forever when you're living it though.

Sorry for my very short grumpy post yesturday morning. DS and I had words then we all went to the zoo for the day and actually had a lovely time. Didnt sleep to badly last night either. DD went for a 4 hour stretch between feeds (her longest yet). My boobs were like rocks!

Happy Halloween! [hgrin]

bella Mine only really feeds for 10m at a time, sometimes 15 and the most ever has been 20-25mins but that's really only once or twice. I haven't worried about it so far. He tends to feed every two hours or so, but if he's had a long nap then I feed for 10 mins, burp and put him back on the same breast again to see if he's still interested. Sometimes I do a nappy change if he really hasn't fed for very long and I think he needs a bit of waking up before feeding some more. I have a book I've borrowed from a friend that says the majority of their feed they take in during the first 5 mins anyway.

Also, didn't someone say a while ago that the thing about fore and hind milk is a myth?

hufflepuffle cherry and anyone else struggling, I'm thinking of you. We're all in this together (have come to hate that phrase, but it is appropriate in this context) so when you're awake and alone in the middle of the night, please know that the rest of us are too! I seem to be running on adrenalin at the moment - still have this weird knot in my stomach all the time like I'm starting a new job, which I am I suppose? But also combined with the fear of coping alone - have my mum and dad out at the moment and I feel a bit better but I know Im going to be struck by homesickness when they leave. I'm interested to hear how any of the other 'foreign' mums are coping without the family/friends support group around? As we moved here relatively recently (Feb '11) I'm still in the relatively early days with many friendships, especially the ones who are new mums or mums already.

Sorry not to name check everyone!

Oh yeah, sorry I forgot bella he often falls asleep while feeding and I stroke his cheek to wake him up or jiggle him up and down a bit or as a last resort start to pull away from him - queue raging sucking from him and howls of pain from me! Only difficult time is during the night when I tend to fall asleep during feeds too

It was me who said about the fore/hind milk thing. I was told by my BF support group lady (whatever her job title is) that it may be more watery for the first minute but on the whole its all the same stuff. It makes sense to me, as milk is continually produced there cant be a 'first' bit.