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!

Congratulations heffalumps

Sorry to hear that you are finding things a bit difficult wherearemyshoes . It's really hard on a relationship having a baby, especially with the added pressure - and guilt - of another child (and dogs) . I'm still waiting to have this one and my poor ds has had to bear the brunt of a very grumpy mummy lately, and the dog is getting neglected also. Hopefully once you find a bit more of a routine it will get easier.

Now ten days over and doesn't look like bubbs will be a September baby as my section is booked for tomorrow 1st October. Still not counting my chickens, or repacking my labour/hospital bags to a cs/longer stay hospital bag until tonight. There's time yet

Finding it slightly surreal to think that I'll have a dd maybe by this time tomorrow. Atm I'm on the emergency list as there are four electives booked for tomorrow, and I'm the overdue one, so should be done early enough but know that it can all change for real emergencies and I could be waiting a lot of the day. Even though I've had a cs before I'm bricking it. Can't see me getting much sleep tonight.

macaroons is it a milk blister? Check google images.

Hang in there shoes the early weeks are very very tough, I am dreading the inevitable blues myself.

Sorry to be so short, expecting friends at any second for lunch and I've got some spotting.....got jiggy with DH last night so from that I assume, maybe it's kicking things off (she pleads desperately to the universe)

Maketeanotwar - thanks the blister indeed looks like milk blister, thankfully! Was so worried just now as it happens that my mum is visiting and she currently has cold sore!! (you could tell I'm a paranoid new mum!)

Rachel - hope your fall wasn't too bad!

Heff - congrats to the new arrival!

Wherearemyshoes - it must be hard with another toddler to look after at the same time! I always thought I want two kids but after these few weeks I'm not sure I can manage with two at the same time. I'm barely finding any time to eat / go to the toilet myself!

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying motherhood, good luck to ballroom those still waiting to pop!

A website I found reassuring - www.parents.com/baby/care/newborn/12-things-no-one-ever-tells-you-about-babies/ was abit worried when DS' breathing was irregular!

Congrats heffalump! And good luck for tomorrow ballroom.
I think someone has swapped my baby with a super grumpy one today! DS is 5 weeks today and has spent all day either attached to my boob or crying- I'm not quite sure what to do with him. Is this a growth spurt or could there be something wrong with him? He's normally such a perfect baby and doesn't cry that much at all but today is something else!

Vibes please ladies vibes - had a bit of a show and feeling crampy - what will tonight bring??

Hello all

I had a little baby girl on August 31st but was due 4th of september. Birth was very straight forward, waters broke at 10pm on the thursday night and baby was here by 11 am friday morning. had all kinds of problems feeding, she wouldnt latch on so I expressed for over a week but had to top up with formula as she was very jaundiced and needed phototherapy. After 10 days I was readmitted to maternity with a fever. spent a couple of days in labour high dependancy and a few more on the ward. not sure what it was, possibly mastitis and a womb infection. After alot of antibiotics we were allowed home but couldnt get the bf going again so had to switch to formula.

baby is now 4 weeks old and seems to have had a blocked up nose for the past 2 weeks. hv is not concerned but its waking her up and us. also having trouble getting her to sleep in moses basket and not on me.

Oh Choccocake that all sounds very stressful. I'm glad you and LO are better apart from blocked nose. Have you tried a plug in? Calpol do a really good one, you plug it in the room where baby sleeps and it releases vapour that helps clear the nose. Worked really well for my dd.
Good luck to those still waiting.

Macaroons other than a sore bum and being very embarrassed I'm fine. Just couldnt believe it happened :(

Congrats Heff and Chocco Cake, hope your LO's are doing well.

MakeTea did anything further happen? Hopefully your in the middle of it all now. :)

My auntie had her baby boy very early this morning weighing in at 8lb 1oz, she was due on the 4th Oct. I'm so excited about meeting him, I'm glad my wee man will have a male cousin his age. :)

How is everyone?

Ugh. Morning didn't go we'll.......attempted to get to baby clinic for weighing but got there just as it finished- why are these things on so early on the morning I'll have to get up at 5am next week if we have any hope of making it. Pottered about the shops instead and returned home to a front door that won't open and a very hungry baby in his pram. £100 later after a locksmith has been I get in the house to find my darling dog has eaten the entire contents of the fruit bowl and I'm now waiting for him to throw it all back up! Wonder what the afternoon will bring!

Yes he's here! Baby boy Tadhg Ray born at 3.11am this morning in a birthing pool in our lounge after a lightening fast labour. 9 lbs 3, no stitches, no pain relief (though DH tried the G&A!) and DD slept through the whole thing! Mega-chuffed....and exhausted

smallgreen I hope it gets better for you. Although not sure if it could get any worse.

Congrats maketea sounds like you did brilliant, no pain relief god your a good one, I def couldn't of coped without any. I'm going to be very honest here I'm having a very hard time trying to figure out how to pronounce your sons name. I'm going to ask someone else as I'm not great with names, I tend to say them how I see them. (Which is why I call my friend a completely different name to his real one) :)

It's an Irish name and pronounced like the first part of "tiger" but without the "er" bit at the end

Congratulations Maketea!!

maketea thanks very much, I really like that name I just never knew that's how you spelt it. :) I feel like a fool for not knowing that, I'm from Northern Ireland so should of known that. Ah we'll I'm staying by my excuse. :)

maketea that was our boy name (but had a girl) I grew up in Munster x

Congrats maketeanotwar! That's an awesome labour! I wanted to try the birthing pool but couldn't this time. Sounds great though! Now rest well and enjoy you new arrival :)

Congratulations maketea that sounds like a lovely way to bring your little man into the world :)

smallgreenone what a day you've had, I hope tomorrow is kinder to you. I've wondered myself why things have to start so early when it can take you a good two hours to get out of the door. I remember very nearly missing DD1s hearing screening appointment when she was a few weeks old as she was in a cycle of pee, poo, puke that morning which ended up in me having to chuck the living room rug in the skip and get the sofa deep cleaned! I wonder now I have two will I have to double the time I allow to get out in the morning, almost makes it time to go home again!

How is everyone else and their little ones doing?

Congratulations on the new babies. Maketea I love his name. I'm the same as Rachel and would never had pronounced it right, but I am a Kentish girl so have an excuse!

So far I have managed food shopping (minus the toddler) and only just got to her hearing screening appt on time.
Then after heaving all the shopping in my bleeding returned with a vengeance.

Feeling less wobbly now, but still worrying about not splitting my time well between the kids. I managed a quick story book with DS before the baby woke, now try and get through the daily lunch antics!

Next on my agenda: contraception!

Contraception...ha ha ha, I certainly don't need any right now....not sure I'll ever feel like it again: poor dh!

On a serious note I do feel much more intact down there than after DD1s birth, I think it must be down to the water birth. I won't admit to DH yet though but the thought of sex again at some point in the future doesn't make me want to run for the hills like it did first time round. He doesn't need to know that though!

My milk came in this afternoon, I'd forgotten how uncomfortable it is to start with but I'm really pleased as baby hasn't seemed full up at all after feeds until now and she's just filled her tummy and dozed off looking all content :)

How is everyone else, what kind of sleep/lack of are people managing?

Ha ha contraception! My consultant told me to speak to the GP at the 6 week check I just looked at him as if he was bonkers. Who needs contraception a when you've just had a baby?!
Glad you're feeling better wherearemyshoes.
I'm having feeding issues. Is it normal for babies to feed all day? Last night DS fed at 11, 3 and 6.30 so that was good but then today has seemed constantly hungry and I worry that I'm not producing enough milk to fill him up for long. I can't really spend all day feeding him as we don't do anything else should I top him up with formula? Is formula feeding easier because you know how much they ate getting? He is pitting on weight fine but he just seems hungry all the time which is making me wonder if it would be better to switch.
Any thoughts appreciated.

smallgreenone keep at it, your baby is just getting your supply going and in the very early days it will take a day or two to catch up. It's totally normal to feel like you're feeding constantly but it really is worth it once feeding is fully established. If youre keen to keep bf then try to avoid topping up with formula as it could affect your supply which in turn leads to more top ups etc until you may end up giving up. It feels relentless but the rewards are so worth the initial effort. :)

Congratulations maketea

I can also officially join the postnatal group even though my little girl was born first October so not September. as predicted I started to go into labour Sunday night, the night before my planned section, so I got the vbac I was hoping for.

Eleven and a half hours and I think I got off fairly lightly for labour. Got to 6cms in four and a half hours by the time I was admitted in the hospital. Didnt feel like any point of the labour was unbearable or that I couldn't do it bar the last couple of cms, but the midwives said it's how they know women are getting to the end. No stitches either. A really positive experience for me and if I was guaranteed a labour like it again I wouldn't think twice about doing it.

She was born at 7lb 12 and we were discharged in 7 hours. Been doing nothing but snuggling ever since with her hanging off my boob as I'm hoping to breastfeed (and still slightly worrying that she isn't geeting anything despite being reassured by the midwives she doesn't really need anything)

Congratulations to all the new mommy's!

I'm not so great at the moment, I have to admit. My episiotomy wound opened when the stitches dissolved and is infected. And my nipples are horribly cracked. Everyone says DD2's latch is perfect, I wish they would find something wrong with it so that I'd have something I could fix. I had mastitis twice with DD1 and I'm worried about that happening again. I'm going to a breastfeeding support group on Friday - hoping they can help as this is a struggle with a toddler to look after as well. Any tips on healing cracked nipples? I'm plastering on lansinoh, having them open to the air foe a couple of hours in the evening when I can and trying different feeding positions. And using Multi-mam compresses when I can.

That all sounds miserable - but I'm really enjoying DD2, she's so beautiful. Just waiting for the glorious day when I'm not split at the top and the bottom!

Hi all, congratulations to all the new mums and commiserations to those not having the best time.

I'm struggling a bit today- I think the 3 day emotions have finally turned up two days late. My stitches are absolutely killing me, to the point where I can hardly sit or get up from the bed so I'm on a constant cycle of paracetamol/cocodamol and ibuprofen. DD is sleeping all the time, apart from at night, and she hasn't pooed since last night which is worrying me slightly.

She had her five day midwife check today, and she's lost 9.6% birth weight, which is now an issue due to the changed acceptable percentage rate from 10 to 8%. So now I have to try to feed her every 2/3 hours on both breasts for at least 1/2 hour as this is what the midwife says she needs. But she won't feed more than every 3/4 hours, on one breast for 10/15 minutes and I don know how to increase this. And my boobs arent getting hard between feeds so i don't know if I'm producing enough milk for her. DH is also upset because he can see me getting stressed and is also worried about our DD.

I did feel like we were doing okay and getting into a bit of a routine - she was feeding about every four hours for about 20 mins until she came off the boob herself, and now I feel like I've been doing it all wrong. I've been trying to wake her every 2/3 hours today, but sometimes she won't feed and will just go back to sleep for ages.

Please could someone just reassure me that I'm not doing too badly, and that it's just the midwife freaking me out and changing my perfectly acceptable routines for no good reason, as I'm feeling a bit fragile and unsure?