September 2012 babies - warmest welcome!

[Macaroons]

Here's the new thread for September babies fresh from the oven!

I'm a first time mum and I'm struggling with breast feeding at the moment, my 6-day old DS always seems to be hungry (a feed every 2-3 hours, each lasting roughly an hour), and when he's hungry he's very aggressive towards my nipple it really hurts! Any tips out there? And how often do you feed your baby and for how long? how do you teach your baby to be gentle on the nipples?

Good luck to those still waiting for their babies to come out! Will be watching out for more baby news!

Dd was the same with the constant feeding days 2-3 funchum . I think it's to get your milk supply up as by the next day my milk had definately come in and she was sleeping 4-5 hours at a time. To the point I had to wake her up once or twice as I was so uncomfortable.

I have to say I'm feeling rather spoilt by her waking up every 3-4 hours at night the last two nights and near enough going straight down again. Such a difference from her big brother but well aware it could all change. Been a bit more grizzly today by wanting to feed on and off for hours this evening and not liking being put down.

I hate them having reflux myself Heffalumps . I'm always a bit worried about them inhaling it, especially if they do it when they're lying down. I managed to get peed on once and puked on twice yesterday.

Tomorrow morning is the real test. I have to get a reluctant, not a morning person ds up for school along with dd by myself. Should be fun. Hard to believe this time last week I was in labour and now she's lying here.

Best of luck for the morning's logistics ballroom. Hats off to you and moomin and everyone else with more than one DC! I am in awe of how people manage with a newborn AND other children. I hope to find out one day though!
Moomin I hope DH takes on board what he needs to do!
I will try the towel trick and see if milk coming in means she will sleep better tonight - she has slept 5-9 and 10-now so much more than before. I feel daft for settlling down in the living room for an all-nighter now as she is sparko and would probably have been fine in the basket since she is now full of real milk!

Mine is definitely sleeping for longer since my milk came in. Just woke from a lovely 2 hour sleep. But he still won't go in his crib. I haven't attempted to put him in there tonight though, just let him sleep with me. I will try over the next few days to put him in there more in the daytime, try and get him used to it more, then go for the nights again.

Hope ur having a better night funchum and maybe getting some sleep.
What is everyone else doing about feeding - do you go to the living room, or stay in bed? I feel a bit bad/sad as I've decamped to the spare room - DH and I have only slept in same room for about 3 nights since the birth! At first we were feeding all night, then I found I needed so many cushions/pillows to get comfortable that There wasn't room for anyone else. Sometimes I've had to have LO in with me to feed lying down when theyre v long night feeds. Also he copes very badly with sleep deprivation so I decided he is far more use to me if he is well rested, and he has been really great during the day / in evenings after work. Sometimes he gets in with us in the early mornings fir a cuddle. But I'm a bit sad to be in separate rooms and wonder how long it will be for! Can't be that great for the relationship, but then nor would a grumpy DH!!

I stay in bed to feed. Luckily my DP sleeps really well (although he still keeps telling me he's tired? But he looks quite happily asleep to me?). I think for us, whilst he's off work I'm staying in bed. The nights are getting better for me sleep wise too (think this is because my milk is in. Not sure it will last though and still not managing to put DS in his crib. Gonna try putting him in there more in the day and see if that helps)
I miss DP at nights though, well I miss lying comfortably and cuddling up, we're normally such cuddly sleepers and I'm really missing that.

My DH has decamped to the spare room thali he doesn't every night, just when he needs an uninterrupted night. It's hard when he has to go off to work all day and you're right a grumpy tired DH is no help!
We had a lovely day in the sunshine today. Went to meet SIL and her two girls in the park and then pottered home with an ice cream in hand and then my father popped in tonight with a delicious homemade curry he got from one of his colleagues- yum yum! We are quite out in the sticks and I grew up in the big city so I miss my global food as its just not the same out here so a curry was most welcome. Wonder what DS will think when it gets into the milk supply!

Hi girls, glad I'm not the only one up!

Thali my Dh is the same - not good when sleep deprived. We found that out the hard way with DD1, but this time he's taken up residence in the spare room and he's so much better for it! My DD2 has been impossible to settle at night (she's fine in the day) but tonight for some random reason she actually slept from midnight til just before 2am. I've just finished feeding and burping her ans I think she's settled again. I can't believe it. Last night she didn't settle at all - she fed from 9pm til 7am. That was a long night!

We've decided to switch to formula once the mastitis has cleared up unless something miraculous occurs to heal up my cracked nipples int eh next week or so - something else we learned with DD1 is that if I have cracks the mastitis wil keep coming back. Mine is the infectious kind, and the flu symptoms that come with it are horrendous -I had to ship DD1 off to my parents as I could hardly get out of bed let alone look after her. And we can't go on like this. I'm upset about it. but I know it will be for the best for everyone. I can't cling on to my ideal of breastfeeding if it means putting everyone through repeated misery. Sorry to moan, I don't expect this post will have cheered anyone up!

thali Apart from the first few nights spent downstairs in the living room we've managed to stay in bed for feeds, just getting up to change the poo explosions in the bathroom whenever they occur. I'm feeling hugely lucky about it too as the first 6 weeks of DD1s life I slept on a mattress in the living room with her as she was such a noisy baby. As long as she's quiet we'll stay here but if she starts getting noisy we'll go downstairs as DH & DD1 would both get woken & a grumpy DH and tired toddler are not things I want to desk with in the morning!

madmonkeys I hope you're feeling better soon, well done for getting this far :)

mikyarose and others not able to put LO down, I had the same for the first week or more, and I was desperate to put her down and sleep so we had some frustrating nights. she always won tho! However it's improved a lot and she will go down now. Sometimes she grumbles and whines for a few mins but as long as its not all out crying, I leave her and she falls asleep. I've been given a few tips tho: don't try if there is any chance she is hungry or if she is crying (obviously). (The first few nights she wanted to feed all the time tho.) Hold her upright, firmly, head against chest and patcher bottom gently, like yr heartbeat. (not middle of back where her kidneys are). This seems to soothe her. White noise: you can get an App or a toy. I use sound of waves, it actually seems to help. Perhaps as they adjust to life outside the womb they adjust more? Also it was suggested to me that as she was a ventouse delivery, she may have a headache (POOR little thing!!!!) and sucking would help!! But could also be to do with milk coming in! Anyway it has gradually improved - shes 3 weeks old. I now get a couple of hours a couple of times a night. Learning how to feed lying down also helped me for a few nights when she wouldn't go down in cot. And yes, practising it during day seems to help too!
madmonkeys I also had a night where she fed from 9.30pm - 5.15am!!!! It was awful but now has settled down to approx 2am and 5 am.

Ps. I'm glad we're not the only ones sleeping apart. I miss it too, I hadn't imagined this happening, but seems only practical solution. It's nappy changing that is probably more disruptive than feeding!! Those of you with DP that sleeps deeply, you're very lucky!!! I found first few nights so lonely and long, tho he'd sometimes come thru and see us if he woke up during night. I was ridiculously happy to see a friendly face! Now he's back at work tho, it's only fair he gets good rest. no point both of us being exhausted. He's been a great support rest if time!
Those if you with toddlers, I can't imagine how you cope!! Must be so much harder, and exhausting, tho at least you are familiar with how to feed, change, bath etc.

Ps. I forgot to mention swaddling! That was a big factor, I think in helShe seemed to respond to being wrapped up secure and snug!

Ps. I forgot to mention swaddling! That was a big factor, I think in helping her to settle in basket. She seemed to respond to being wrapped up secure and snug! Do it as she's getting sleepy, before final suckle of the feed. Or just towards end of feed.

Sorry lots of typos! Phone corrects but not always in the right way!

Someone has replaced my chilled out baby with a fractious, eggy Bernard.
Last night she just moaned and moaned, fed and moaned, refused to sleep and moaned.
She seems to be getting over tired, which I think is the most ridiculous thing in the world!

Madmonkeys I hope you're feeling better soon, my nipples are cracked and am worried I'm going to be susceptible to infection. But I noticed this morning they're looking a bit better so hopefully her latch has improved and is allowing them to heal up. I reckon it's where her mouth is small and my boobs are big. Not a good mix!

DS is up having a nap, although he's not asleep yet, baby is sleeping for now so going to try and enjoy a sofa nap. Night.

Oh and she HATES being swaddled, which almost made me cry as it was a lifesaver with DS. How the hell am I supposed to calm her when she's stressy?!
She does like looking at the light of the tv do I took my laptop upstairs and turned it on so she could see the screen. It spent most of the night installing updates!

madmonkeys, hope you feel better soon. The fluey feeling that goes with mastitis is just horrible, especially when looking after a tiny baby!

Have just had hv come and do baby check. Lola has gained 1lb in a week! My boobs never feel empty after feeds, and I had worried she wasn't getting enough hind milk, but she's obviously getting enough. She's between 91st-98th centiles for height/weight/ head circumference, so is a big girl.

Re sleeping- we're in our bedroom still. DH could sleep through an earthquake, so he's not been losing any sleep. Lola doesn't cry much anyway, the little sheep/goat-like noises wake me up before she gets to that stage!

MadMonkeys I hope your starting to feel better. I've had the cold past few days and I'm finding it unbearable (having a pity party here) :( now I shall get over it and move on.

Re: sleeping, I have stayed in my bed every night, and so has my Oh. Herbie isn't too bad at night, usually only gets up once anywhere between 3 and 6. Depending on when I've let him sleep. Then can get up from half 7 onwards depending on his midnight feed. He usually makes noises when he starting to wake up so I get everything ready then.

Okay so this may be way TMI I've tried googling but can't find an answer. Okay so my wee man was 3 weeks last Friday, my bleeding had basically stopped, had a little amount everyday but that was it. I know it can come and go but last night it seemed like I was passing a few clots not big, probably the size of a 5p and one no bigger than a 20p. Also the bleeding seems quite stringy (best way I can describe) is this normal?

Best way I can get Herbie to sleep is so stand up with him on my chest and rock him up and down. Kinda kills at 3 in the morning but it works :)

I think clots are fairly normal I had some too at about 2 weeks, reckon the rule of thumb is worry if they are bigger than a 50p, but if you're worried a phone call won't hurt.

We all sleep in the same room, we haven't any more bedrooms or spare bedrooms or a nursery! Just one big bed. And a chair and a wardrobe! And other DC to wake up as well, dang tiny house.

DD cries a lot after feeding with reflux and feeds hourly most nights but I'm happy enough with how its going. I can't nap in the day tho with is a pita. She's okay with being swaddled sometimes but it's not ideal for how we sleep. She's already self settling though when she's not in pain which is amazing!

I think I'm losing the plot- the midwife just came to do the discharge visit, and I cried after she left! I think I feel a bit sad knowing that I'll never experience pregnancy and birth again, I've certainly had my fair share of it now!

Aw moomin you are not losing it; having babies is a huge part of life and I guess the last contact with a MW seems like you are moving on. And you are, but to a lovely next stage where your DC move on to new developments which will be amazing too.

Babyfunch has got her first snotty nose so feeding sleepily now but will she stay asleep for long, I wonder?

DH and I are sleeping in our own bed still and I feed in bed (dh is a heavy sleeper from about 8pm to 4am, then he takes over nappy duty though I still have to do feeds). Babyfunch sleeps in a Moses basket in our room (well, as of last night; before that she slept on one of us and we didn't sleep but she is only 5 days old). Nowyilk is in she sleeps a lot more both day ans night but it's very early days.

Nowyilk - now my milk

moomin I've been feeling similar today, we had always wanted 3 but are now thinking maybe we will stop at 2 after all and although a bit of me is relieved at not having to put myself through it all again a huge part of me feels really sad that I may not experience carrying and giving birth to a child again. But like funchum said its just moving on to the next stages and there's still so many wonderful things to come. :)

Hi all hope everyone's had a good day. Just wondering if my little man is ok as he has only poo'd once today! He is breast fed and normally does a few a day. He's 6 weeks now so is this his tummy getting more mature or should I take him to the GP? He has done plenty of wet nappies for me.

smallgreen I'm very sure that he's fine - if you check on google etc you'll see that it's normal for breastfed babies not to poo every day - both of mine sometimes went several days and then oh my word, pints and pints of the stuff oozing everywhere......

Hello there - I wonder if I could join you all? My first baby was born two weeks ago today - 25th September.

I'm on my own so looking for some new mum chums!