October 2012 babies - we meet them at last!

[YompingJo]

Getting thread in place in readiness!

[hufflepuffle]

Hey peeps. Sorry to be out of contact for couple stressful days. Not reading, just selfishly posting a question! Went to out of hours GP on Sat, rash breaking out on areola. Hav bloody thrush on breasts now too. Fluconazole tabs for 2 weeks and daktarin gel for little mans mouth. Still feeding. Has anyone any comment on how long before boobs likely to feel better?? Red and sore and post feed is worse. Doesn't help that he must be on a growth spurt and feeding all bloody time!!!

Hugs to all, hope u coping
Xx

[YompingJo]

LondonMrsS you made me laugh out loud at phD thesis. Thank you, I needed that today! Re the boob thing I have been told so many different things it's mind boggling but what works for me currently (bean 3 weeks old) is give one boob (obviously!) first. Then break for nappy change, winding etc. Offer same boob again for second sitting. If she comes off and still wants more, switch to other side until she is full. Then next feed, start on boob that was drunk from last, so it gets drained properly (think the draining past is bollocks tbh as they don't run out of milk but it still seems to work for me).

Glad it's not just me with difficult MIL!

So, today can FUCK OFF. Here's why:

6:00 am: feed, nappy, feed, wind, feed.
6:30 am: sleep
7:00 am: scream, feed, nappy, feed, wind, lie on playmat, scream, feed, lay down, scream, feed, scream, scream, ask for feed, scream, scream, scream, lay down, scream, scream.
10:30am: sleep
1:00 pm: wake, feed, scream, feed, nappy, feed, wind, feed, lay down, scream, feed, scream, scream, ask for feed, scream at breast, scream, scream, scream, ask for feed, scream at breast, scream, scream, scream, ask for feed, scream at breast, scream, scream, scream, ask for feed, scream at breast, scream, scream, scream, scream, scream, scream, scream, scream, scream, scream. Feed (finally - thank fuck), nappy, feed, wind, feed.
5:30pm: Pass out (her, but me too, nearly...)

Between 1:45 and 2:30 I gave up trying to console her and just cried with her. She actually stopped for a bit to look at me and sort of bat me with her hand, then she joined in again. Thank god I had a friend coming round at 2:30 otherwise I think I would just have cried until DH got home from work.

I. Need. Wine.

[Woolybob]

huffle I felt much more comfortable after 48 hours and pretty much back to normal at a week. Only had the gel though so you make get better quicker with tablets, hope so

[crazypaving]

yomping your little angel sounds a lot like my DS1. sorry you've had such a shite day

londonmrs you are amazing! and hilarious I feed 1 boob per feed but meh, I'm clueless

[londonlivvy]

Loved your Gina ford activities londonmrss

Ouch huffle re thrush. Hope it heals quick.

loopy we have found the dummy soothes if she thinks she is hungry but can't be ( ie fed for 45 mins just 15 mins earlier). All babies are different though... Maybe a different brand of dummy would be more popular?

yomping that sounds horrid indeed. Sympathy. Ugh.

We had a terrible night but today our NCT course leader came round and I feel a lot better. She knows of a maternity nurse who is based in our village who may be able to help us out. She also gave us some sensible advice and just felt like a reassuring presence. She suggested specifically that a bottle of formula might be a good idea in the middle of the night just for a couple of weeks to help with sleep. DD would feed more quickly and probably sleep for longer as a result of abundant formula. If I've then had more sleep I will produce bumper milk in the morning and I might feel less miserable / hysterical. She was concerned that I might have a touch of PND given the endless tears and disinterest in baby etc.

So on the subject of bottles and teats, what are your recommendations please ladies? We have an avent newborn bottle and teat but she necks all the milk in record time and then spits up some (a lot) of it so am wondering whether a harder work teat might be a good idea. Also dont want to end up with her prefering the bottle. I've heard of variflow. Opinions? Again, feels like a failure re formula but if it helps us get through the next month without me going to the looney bin.

[hufflepuffle]

Wooly , thanks. Can I ask did U hav horrid redness or was it picked up at pain stage? I was blaming pain on cracks.

Livvy, that all sounds like a good plan, hope u get somewhere soon x

[Woolybob]

Hey huffle yes did have some redness but only slightly, mainly the pain, esp after feeding.

livvy glad to see you have a plan. We give DD some expressed milk every 3 days with avent bottle and teat and has made no difference to breastfeeding. Lots of people have praised the calma teat. The kellymom site which is brilliant btw has this article on how to bottle feed a bf infant kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/feeding-tools/bottle-feeding/

[Elpis]

Expressed some milk yesterday and gave it to DS this morning with the Medela Calma teat. He got the hang of it within a couple of minutes! So pleased as DD wouldn't take a bottle until she was 5.5 months and I was going back to work two days later. So can recommend it, londonlivvy.

I was planning to leave him with DH so I could take his sister swimming, but she has a cold and candles hanging out of her nostrils, so reluctantly abandoned that plan. Why must they have colds all the bloody time from late October through March?

DH now depressed about primary schools as there's a shortage of places in London and if DD is sent miles away we'll have to move or somehow find a way to go private, because I don't drive and his hours make pickups impossible. I thought I'd escaped the general obsessing over school places - we're not religious and can't fake it, which simplifies things a bit - but baby boom does complicate things... Suppose am just as much to blame for it!

squidkid You can always use the Tommee Tippee bottles for storage ... Would caution against their electric pump, though - unless it's been relaunched since 2009. Nightmare to assemble and sucked milk into the piping. I'm a Medela loyalist but there are cheaper pumps out there I haven't tried and many recommend. Have a look at Mumsnet review section?

I love my MIL, though she can't change nappies - fair enough, she's 80. Gives me fantastic reflexology on my feet when I visit her.

[Elpis]

PS 'Activities' = sticking him on his playmat saying 'Go on, show Tony the Tiger and the bee who's boss'. Put on radio/iPod for aural stimulation. Wait for his sister to loom over him. 'You're my lovely little brother! I'm going to give you a big kiss! Look, Mummy, I'm shaking his hand! He likes it!' etc.

[Londonmrss]

If anyone is planning to express regularly, I say bollocks to nearly all breast pumps. The Phillips one I had did what I needed, but it made me very sore. And I know it sounds silly, but I couldn't hear the telly because it was so noisy (when you pump every 2-3 hours night and day,, that becomes an issue). I've hired a Medela Symphony- the one they give you in hospital. It's actually changed my life and made this whole bf busiess a bit more bearable for me. It's £45 per month and worth every penny for a regular user.
There are some really cool pump accessories like bras you can attach them to so it is hands free, or a rucksack and car adaptor. Mostly they're available in the US though.
When I bottle feed, I use the Avent Natural teats as they are supposed to be a bit more challenging and similar to suckling an actual nipple.

[LoopyLa]

LondonMrss I've got a Medela mini electric but have just invested in the Spectra Dual pump as I'm expressing.

For hands free pumping (single or dual), I've found this really handy tip from the KellyMom website I've not tried it myself yet but looks pretty nifty!

[lisbethsopposite]

I've read all!!! Actually feel like a stalker/eavesdropper, but so many of these posts are from the heart, I wanted to read them all.
On BF - I think there is no rule you have to offer second side. Remember it is possible to bf twins (one boob each) or toBF post mastectomy... Also as to how long. Can you hear baby swallow? My DS is what is called an efficient feeder. He slugs it down like he has just ran a race. Done in less than 10 mins. He is quite happy now though to just suckle there. Sucking sounds but no swallowing- I have him sussed. Luckily boob is tougher as he is ds2. Sometimes i leave him there for a quiet life. I did the soother 1 day and it was great but he wont take it since. Makes desperate gagging noises when i put it in his mouth.
Zara if baby sleeps for hours after bath do you sleep this time too? Would you consider 2 baths a day- you could have the cleanest baby on here

[lisbethsopposite]

Posted there as am on phone and afraid I would lose it.
Also intetested in diet tips. Isnt someone doing weight watchers? I put ON weight BF first time and with constipation my weight can vary by 5-7 lbs over a few days. Also I cant swim, have no interest in gym and it is often raining so i cant walk.
We have not tried a bottle yet -150ml in fridge from 2 pump sessions... Not sure when to use.
Zara OctOct Kyria- sending you a virtual hug. I thought of driving to dublin i felt your distress. Guilt is part of being a parent. REMEMBER your best is good enough

[bella2012]

everything is a phase

everything is a phase

everything is a phase.

Why did the worst ever day have to be the last day before dh goes back to work? Still, at least it wasn't tomorrow. Tomorrow HAS to be better. And my Mum is coming down so I am not on my own thank God.

Thank you so so much for sympathy livvy londonmrs and others and for brill advice as always midget. Helps so much.

Everything is a phase

and repeat...

[SquashedPea]

Hi all, Have been a bit of a lurker on this thread for a couple of weeks. Am I too late to join?! Had DS2 on 15th October.
londonmrss I ebf DS1 using nipple shields for months and thought I would always have to use them. Managed to wean him off them by using them at the start of a feed then de-latching him when nipple was a bit more sticky out after a few minutes of feeding and he was then able to 'find' it and latch on without it. Gradually got to stage where he could latch on without shield use.
As for one or two boobs per feed, I always offer the second one but he's quite often conked out by then only to wake up 20 mins later demanding more milk

[Cherrychopsticks]

Yesterday, I thought tomorrow would be better. It's not looking that way so far.
His longest sleep in the past 36 hours has been 1 hour 40 mins, but most less than 1 hour. The average time between feeds is about an hour.
I need sleep! I can't do this again today. I don't know what changed suddenly.

[Londonmrss]

Here we go again. Can't wake her up for love nor money during the day. We've just finished a feed (an hour, on and off) and she's now gazing calmly at me with big beautiful eyes, a million miles away from sleep. But if I try and put her down to sleep, she won't stay calm like this.
Why can't she be like this during the day???

[YompingJo]

Continued:

6:00 pm: Wake up. Repeat previous awake session.

Aaaarrrggghhh! .

She finally slept at 10:30 and managed 3.5 hrs, after being given infacol ( which she was outraged at!). Could the end be in sight?

LondonMrss, meant to say big congrats

huffle, ouch, sounds rotten you poor thing. Hope drugs kick in real soon.

[Woolybob]

Bah. Have been almost constantly bf since 4am yesterday. Since 10pm have been on feed for 10 mins, nod off on boob, be put down, immediately wake up cycle. Nothing helping. Want to poke DH with something sharp as he is asleep but know that's not fair, just feel helpless and crap that can't settle her.

Really hope this is an early 6 week growth spurt (we are 5 weeks and 3 days) as can't face the thought of doing this again in a few days.

[Smorgs]

Jeez I'm in the middle of a three day screamathon only broken by gigantic afternoon naps (5 hrs yesterday). He didn't sleep till 4.45am the last two nights and then wants to feed every hour or more. He's like a baby shark at the boob though wrestling my nipple and getting into a real state. Last night he properly vomited up an entire feed too. Luckily friends came to visit yesterday and brought gin - by far the most thoughtful post natal gift so far.

Will do proper catch up when things have calmed down a bit as on phone now. Hang in there ladies x

[Cherrychopsticks]

Wow, sounds like there's something in the water!
I've really been thinking there's something wrong with him as it seems like he doesn't like being on his back, he's wriggling and straining a lot and almost choking/spluttering.
So I've put him to sleep on his front. It seems to be working, 1hour40mins and counting! But, I don't think I can handle the stress of it everyday - I keep checking to see if he's still breathing and imagining all the things that could go wrong in vivid detail.

Sorry you're having a crappy time too Yomping. I feel like the meanest mother in the world all the time, and also had a good cry with DS this morning - begging him to tell me what's wrong
@ your MIL's advice though!

Congrats on the breast feeding LondonMrs! You're a trooper! I hope it just gets better from here.
Your activities rant made me giggle, I thought the exact same thing when I read it in the Baby Whisperer. I count "activity" as anything where his eyes are open - be that lying under the baby gym, having a hug with daddy, bath time etc. very few activities involve me, as I'm just a giant boob and good only for one thing, which sends him straight to sleep.

Midge I think you should guide Master Midge towards some healthier activities. How about a spot of clay pigeon shooting?

Glad your getting some useful, positive advice Livvy, sounds like steps in the right direction. Sorry, nothing useful to add about bottles and teats really. I think I have a couple of Tommy Tippee closer to nature, but not used them so can't recommend.

Better get myself sorted so am ready to go out straight after his Majesty's next feed, after he wakes up.
2 hours 15 mins and counting! (yes, that's how long it's taken me to write this post. I did have lunch at the same time though. )

[Beeblebear]

Hello everyone I have been reading every day but it takes all evening to catch up and by that time I am usually too Tired to post ori have my hands full and World like you all to Know how much Iappreciate your words of Kridness and support. Even if not directed Cr me they have helped us all,

Iwill give you sy update and hope that reading it will hip Someone .

we are now at 3 week, plus2days.
we are having a break.outof baby acne now it is popping up anywhere Ds gets hot. or cheeks and around the collar. we had a shirt free day today to give it a bit of a rest
Ds is still taking a lngtime to settle in the evening from about19pm. to lam1AM, The only wayhe will sleep is in his swing which is where he is now. DH has been sleeping in the other room during the week and I had him stag with me one right this weekend and he napped 3 times the next day and complained about having a headache. Gurrrrr then he slept on the couch the next night. Double Gurrrrr.

DHandi still have not had a day alone at home with the baby. have had company or have gone visiting. it is tiring. we were supposed to todaybut my parents invited themselves out. on well.

Still EBF but stocking up on free formula Samples for in awhile so that DH will be able to feed sometimes. really going to fry to make it to 3months before introducing a bottle.

started using a soothes last week.Avent brand ,also the one that has the cover and the straight nipple. BS will really . On'. take it if he has just feel and just needs something to suck on. othe time is if we are in the car and the combination of sucking and motion will put him to sleep.

still have not tried and our slingsor carrier

He is sleeping More in L'shis bassinet but still end up falling asleep in bed during night feeds. the other night I flopped my arm right on top of him and I woke up to him making snuffling noises trying to breathe. (failed Mommy emoticon) Now I am paranoid!

well cant remember anything else Imcant to post that had been discussed so I guess it is time to sign off.

Happy long 2to3 hour sleeps to you all.

[YompingJo]

Beeble, nice to hear from you! Sounds like lots of our beans are in the same "place" at the moment with growth spurts and digestive woes. Do you think they have synchronized because we are all on here, like women in tribal communities whose menstrual cycles synchronize? That's my theory anyway!

We had a 3hr sleep overnight then 1.5hrs then 1hr, same as last night. Uh oh, does this mean I will again be crying on mini yomping by 2pm? [coonfused] DH is home for the next 4 days which makes me feel lots better. Thank goodness for shift work! And we are registering mini yomping today so she'll be a real, proper person!

Welcome [SquashedPea] and hi [Lisbeth], well done on mammoth catch-up readathon!

[Planktonette] and [Fjord], are you out there? Hope you're OK.

[YompingJo]

Drat, got my brackets and stars confused. Nobber!

[hufflepuffle]

Just a quickie bit if info. Our boy most Definately windy. Not sure if evening woes were due to colic or plain trapped wind. Winding usually unsuccessful. GP gave us Infant Gaviscon to use after feeds. Hav used last 3 nights after main feed. Brilliant. Def not as windy, not hearing nearly as much gurgling in tummy and oddly dirty nappies less frequent but thicker - tho this may be just a coincidence and timing

So, I know we thought Gaviscon days over but if u hav distressed windy baby is worth a try!

Hugs to all
Xx