November 2012 - babies are here at last

[StuntNun]

This is the post-natal club for graduates of the November 2012 intake.

An extra hrs sleep last night and I feel so much more human. Drinking loads to try and help the milk as I always forget to have enough fluids.

Fed L the expressed milk from a syringe and he seemed happy enough with it. Lovely SIL arriving from Ireland today for a visit, can't wait.

Glad everyone seems to be feeling more positive too, this thread is such a good support and info exchange. Interested in the fenugreek chick, is that tablets, tea or something else?

Apparently you do not need to sterilise at all, but I still do, all bottles and teats, and pump daily. Apparently bm can stay in fridge for up to a week, but I freeze it if it is not going to be used in the next 48 hours. I know the kellymom website is pretty good with the latest advice. I am not an expert, so please do not just take my word for it.

I am not pumping yet as I am not well enough to. I need to put all my energy into making milk for the little prince. I am looking forward to pumping though, strangely. I used to get quite a thrill from seeing the lovely milk coming out, knowing that it meant a longer time I could be away and them still have my goodness, at work for example, not that I wanted to be away from them. I remember one day I dropped a bottle of expressed and lost about 100mls. I howled!

Weight has stayed the same. Apparently babies have a growth spurt days 8-10, and are not routinely weighed on day 10 as a gain is unlikely. To look at Kim he is fine, so we have been discharged. It was also post pee and poo, and pre-feed.

I have rested as best as I can, but DH is tired. All he wants is 10 minutes peace and a couple of hours kip. My mum had both girls for 5 hours this morning and he chose to watch the football. Grr! men!

Madame has graduated it seems!

Congratulations to Madam!

Sorry to hear you've been having some problems vq, sounds like you've been through the mill these last couple of days. Glad you're back

Can't believe how anally the midwives have been enforcing the 10% 'rule'. It seems entirely arbitrary and I'm not surprised that so many mothers on this thread have been getting stressed, which won't have helped milk supply at all. I consider myself a bf pro, but I'd have been seriously thrown if I'd have had midwives ordering me to supplement with formula, even at babies 5 & 6. You're all doing really well and it is far more important that you are all calm and happy with your babies, not what milk you are giving them.

Good news Vq. I was also told no nood to sterilise the pump, just rinse with hot water, but steralise bottles/teats. I was a bit sceptical cos when l had DS1 (8 years ago) l remember a big lecture from MW on steralising it each time. Makes it a lot more convenient tho.

Just bought some infacol today as LO seems to be suffering with wind/stomach pains at night (thankfully not full blown colic). Was also eyeing up Ewan the Sheep in Boots, but not sure whether it is worth the money...

Evening all! I've had a lovely day out in town with DH and the boys, mooching about the shops with regular tea and cake breaks in between. A now back on the sofa where I belong feeding DS2 whilst DH puts DS1 to bed.

I just checked the nhs advice re sterilising pumps and the websites say these should be sterilised. Link to the advice is here.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/expressing-storing-breast-milk.aspx

Hello, am joining the graduates! Baby Seth was born last night at quarter past 6 after long delays due to many emergencies and busy labour ward. Section went very well and I was feeling well enough to be up 12 hours later, and am now at home. Feeding also seems to be going well - it was so busy that no one really checked it but Seth seems content and have community midwife coming tomorrow to check. Am exhausted due to no sleep last night, waiting for Indian takeaway and then going to bed. DD handling the new baby very well. Will catch up on everyone else's news now but wanted to check in.

Congratulations Madam! How wonderful that you are home so soon and that bf is going well. Look forward to hearing a lot more about Seth.

Aw, congrats madam. That is impressive to be home already. Hope you enjoy your takeaway!

madam please do not overdo it. And congratulations!

And thank you for your kind words. I feel I am through the other side now, or almost anyway. Am confident in feeding again, and am enjoying my boy. Wish the girls had volume control, but it is not their fault. Headache much better for most of the day. Got bad tonight at dinner time. I went downstairs as DH was shouting at the girls so clearly stress related. DH snoring in bed next to me. Bless him. Not!

Congratulations Madam. Lucky you to get home so soon. Make sure you rest up as much as you can :)

Congratulations madame!

Congratulations madame wow it's amazing you up about and at home so soon

I'm so damn tired I want to cry!! I no were going to have another bad night I don't know what I'll do

Daisy how do u know LO has stomach pain wind? My LO has been really unsettled last two nights. Been trying to get him to sleep since 7 tonight n he has been wingey almost four hours now. I changed his pooy nappy 20 min ago. N he just done another poo. I was wondering if he has an upset stomach.

Welcome n congrats madam

DH has popped to pub with a few work friends after last night I am not happy! 100 times worse considering his mothers no going out rubbish

Hello. House is sleeping but Seth and I have been up since 11 pm. Took me half an hour to wake him to get him to feed which meant it was 4.5 hrs since start of last feed. He's making up for it now though by still going strong over an hour later. DH supposed to be helping by lifting him and by seeing to DD but have had to yell at him when she woke up to get him to actually deal with things.

Had been looking forward to my mum being on hand as she is calm and has endless patience for settling babies, but my sister decided to invite herself to stay this evening so my parents went to a hotel. DSis is a Dr so handy to have around but extra person to entertain which I could do without. Plus PIL decided to accompany us home from hospital as they were there visiting when I got discharged, and DSD is coming tomorrow, so not really got much space to chill. Know people are excited about a new baby but I am looking forward to being left alone.

Had been feeling good about being at home but combination of above and my sister's reaction to the pain relief i have been given post-op (2 doses of paracetomol and nothing brought home) are changing my mind and I am thinking that coming home so quickly was perhaps a tad over ambitious.

Madam ur pain relief does seem stingy . I had dyclofenic for my stitches!

LO has managed one 20 min sleep since 7pm. Rest of the time he has either screamed or whimpered or somewhere in between. no idea what is wrong.
Feed him. Change nappy. Try burp him. Take blanket off. Put blanket on. In carry cot. In crib. In arm in various positions on sofa on bed. TOUCH WOOD. He is asleep now n stays asleep. Poor little man must b so tiered.
This morning he was crying as well. Sat with him in carry cot , him crying for 10 mins. I didn't pick him up. Just kept patting him n talking to him. He stopped after 10 mins. But I really was getting emotional by the end of it. Really must look into this self soothing thing.

madame take paracetamol every six hours and ibuprofen every eight hours. The pain will be manageable with that but not so well controlled you will do daft things. Do shout at DH. I got fed up of waking him and his moaning when I did, and did it all myself. Day 12 now and I am still not well. Please give me as an example of what can happen if partners do not step up to the mark. A newborn is hard enough. Add in breast feeding and recovering from a major operation....

I am doing better tonight. Feeding seems fairly established now, so my main challenge has been trying to get him to sleep in his moses basket. So far he has managed 30 mins. In the day he can go 3 hours. At night with me he can go 3 hours. I do not sleep well with him in the bed.

L has been feeding for nearly 5 hrs aside from a 20 min break and 2 nappy changes. I was going to express once he stopped but I don't think my nipples can take it. He seems to be latching and drinking for the most part although I am losing the will to reposition him when he slips a bit. I am hoping this means he is going to have a growth spurt but I'm worried we're doing it wrong and he's actually not getting anything.

I would quite like to have a sleep now. Just an hour or so would do...

ps Madam if paracetamol is not enough call your doctor, mine did me a codydramol prescription over the phone. It is early to come home, there are benefits but you need to be really selfish re visitors etc and your DH needs to step up to the mark.

Blonder I seem to remember there is a growth spurt about 8 days so baby is probably getting loads of milk and will be increasing your supply.

I hope so I really hope so! I saw someone (VQ?) had mentioned that earlier.

DH and I have a 'guaranteed sleep' arrangement where he goes to bed early and I stay up later with L, then later on in the night he takes over for a couple of hrs so I get some uninterrupted sleep. Usually L is sleeping in the basket during DH's shift after I've done a good feed so he can doze and if L wakes up he can soothe him or try a change (of course if he needs a feed he can wake me, but it gives me a better chance of a solid hr or 2). It's worked quite well but tonight L still hasn't settled so DH is singing away to keep him calm, we've had Molly Malone and even Lord of the Dance - we're not religious so he must be running out of ideas. Hopefully L will doze off and I can recuperate a bit till the next feed.

Thanks, my sister has reviewed our medicine cabinet and will ensure I take what I can when I can. DH has been very contrite and dealt with DS for last couple of hours so I have had a little snooze. DS has just had a tiny feed compared to the 11pm - 2am marathon earlier but have now had 2 dirty and more wet nappies spam reassured it is all working.

DH is actually very willing but doesn't wake immediately when small people make the faintest noise, the way I do!

blonder as we have a toddler our default repotoire includes wind the bobbin up and inch wince spider!

vq I know I need to take it easy. I just find that difficult! It's so much easier to keep going during the day than at night. Anyone else find that?

It is my little girls due date today I can't believe that she's here already and 16 days old!!

About to attempt the transfer back to bed, please please please let her settle and have a good sleep

Is the fireworks driving anyone else crackers? I use to love them now I think there one of the worst things lol