November 2012 - babies are here at last

[StuntNun]

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

dh maybe try changing her nappy to wake her to feed? I too am getting shooting pains/tingling but am hoping it's just my boobs getting used to milk again. also i'm starting again on the same boob if he only took a little bit at the last feed and it was less than 2 hours ago to try and drain each a bit more. That way i'm hoping he's taking a bit more of the fattier milk each time. I am trying to stuff him with as much in the day but he still likes to use me as a dummy to go to sleep so we're unplanned co-sleeping too. But then i can't blame him, i've hardly put him down since he was born as i like newborn cuddles!

She's been asleep since 2, I'm in agony. Shall I wake her up to feed her?

Hmm, I wouldn't DH. Could you pop your boob into a deep bowl of warm water? That would release some milk and ease the pressure a bit. Works better in a bath, but the principle's the same.

I think 4 hrs is the longest I've left L but if he doesn't want to wake up then he just won't! A change might work though.

Useful info about the expressing thanks VQ. DH is v keen to participate but understands he has to wait until the breast is totally established. I had started doing a few mls just to increase my supply when I was having the weight gain issue and as emergency top-up if needed but only ever fed a tiny amount from a syringe once.

My let down feels like a tingling sensation, like very faint pins and needles. I also get a small wave of nausea which apparently is not uncommon in the first few weeks but passes.

I am feeding Jacob on the sofa. Next to me is DD1 with her top up feeding her doll. Next to her is DD2 doing the same. My own BF group.

That is ridiculously cute. Are you able to take a photo?!

I woke her she needed a nappy change anyway, I was starting to panic that I was giving myself an infection by not feeding.
Also she's been v sleepy/ not feeding much and looked a bit jaundiced so want to feed her regularly.

I'm having the exact same issues today. She's hardly fed all day and is so sleepy . In a way it's lovely as I have got loads done today, but also worrying why she is sleeping so much. Currently got her on me, am blowing on her, tickling her feet but to no avail. I get a bit in her and then she just takes herself off the breast and goes back to sleep. I have a feeling she will be feeding all night. And DH has to go to work tomorrow so I won't get a lie in. Ah well.

Glad to hear the milk for you ladies is well on the way.

What a horrible day :(, baby evil would not settle all morning, had loads last night about 8oz each feed, sometimes 10oz :(. This morning 5 and half oz. I've felt so inadicate all day, he would not stop crying.:( infact I almost burst into tears when my mum fed him and he was fine.
I would have taken him in the car to sleep but its still not fixed, DP is phoning the insurance company, as we don't really have the funds to fix it.
She took us out to tesco as I was out of infacol. He even manged to cry in tesco, everyone looked it was awful everyone staring at me. :( went over to my mums and she told things will get better, and I'm a good mum.
But why don't I feel like it? I just feel like I'm missing something, clean, warm, fed, burped, comfort, and not over stimulated. My mum said babies sometimes just cry.

Pizza tonight for tea, my mum said to try the hungry baby milk as it worked for both my sister and I. I'm still not sure, but if there is a repeat of last night, I'll try anything!

a sad Evil

Evil - sometime babies do just cry. Doesn't help you - can you get out just for an hour or half an hour? Might just give you some space.

Last day with dh today, we went to chatsworth farm shop this morning and didn't need to take out a new mortgage lol!! Dh loves things like this me too!! Could have bought loads of tasty things!!

Then the health visitor came who was lovely. Really useful about the colic and establishing sleep routines. She was also lovely about the birth and said that it is incredibly painful to labour that way. Stunt thanks for the post. I will chat to someone about that, my recovery and breast feeding. All when I'm ready and able to without sobbing. I think it's all ok really. People go through far worse!! And we both survived. I think I just need to understand why this has affected me more than anything before!!

Tomorrow were flying solo. Omg!!!! Well be fine. Hopefully!!

Very similar situation here although she cannot latch on the left side. I try and she gets stressed. Ive given up and latched her on the right instead.

I never had any trouble with ds :(

I think DS has a cold. Gunky nose, sneezing, snuffly breathing. He doesn't seem too bothered by it though.

Feeding gone ok today, we seem to be in a vague 3 hourly pattern during the day, and cluster feeding at night. DH is keen to give DS a bottle. I did/do intend to mix feed but breastfeeding is going so much better than it did with DD so don't think I am ready to mix feed just yet. Although may rethink this if sleep remains limited and once DH back to work and I have to deal with a bright eyed toddler at 7am.

Eliza, what does she wear to feed? My mw suggested taking off a layer to feed DS as the warmth of your body can make the baby sleepy. Since then I've just fed L in a vest (him not me) and he is getting on well.

DH I have asked to join the FB page (my initials are C C) and wondered, if you're based in Kent, whether you would want to join the Kent Boobies breastfeeding support group. If you do, I can message you about who to contact etc as I've found it really useful to get 'expert' opinion from other bf mums and peer supporters.

I've just given her formula... I'd been trying to bf her from half 5 and she just couldn't latch. She was starving I heard the milk fill her empty tummy :(

I can't stop crying I feel so guilty. I found bf so easy with ds and now we're having all these problems.
Got the midwife coming tomo so will speak to her then, I'm going to express my milk and see if that helps her latch.

chunky have accepted you and yes am in Kent ill join bf support think I need it atm!

We managed to attend a support group today. Only small problem is James falls asleep in car so was out for the count! He did eventually wake up and they gave me some tips which I will try.

He's just had a feed and is snuggling in DHs arms :-)

GT I think your issue could be because you're only expressing once a day? Logically it feels that the longer you leave it the more milk you'll have but I think the opposite is true. It's only by stimulation that you'll get any milk. The turn from yellow to white sounds like you've gone from producing colostrum to milk so you're on the right track. When J was born even though he was too wee to feed the MWs had him on my breast for virtually all day! One of my MWs was really inspiring as her firstborn had strep so was in the SCBU for 20 days and she wasn't able to start BFing until day 21 but managed to keep up her supply by expressing. She was the one that got me to preservere.

Even if baby won't feed on you it might be worth offering him the breast or just lying him on your chest for skin to skin? - it's only by stimulating the breast that you'll get milk. The only day I've had problems with my supply (and it was terrifying - you have my total sympathy) was when we tried to do too much (register him, visit both of our offices and show him off, and go shopping) and I left it 5 hours between BF or expressing and without the stimulation my milk supply had really started to disappear - I normally get 100-150ml per express and struggled to get 20ml - and this was just from one day's cock up. MW told me the best way to fix it was to express or have J on the boob every two hours for half a day - and et voila it was back.

You're doing amazingly, your milk is there. But it might be worth upping the frequency? I find mid morning is when I get the most out by expressing.

As for us we went to the docs - the green poos seem to be indicating that his bowel is still immature and is struggling to digest the lactose in my milk. Will have to keep an eye out for lactose issues. But the boy seems happy as a sand boy other than having scary looking poos so am trying not to worry. And am NOT going to be asking Dr Google anything until we get the stool sample results back as I don't need to stress myself out.

Walking back from the bus stop from the docs was like wading through an ice storm / gale - god am looking forward to moving south!!!! The forecast looks shite for the foreseeable - still - we have a full fridge, tinternet, good books and Greys Anatomy on the TV so I have no intention of leaving the house for the rest of the week.

Dh big hugs. I felt the same when ds was fed. Anyway, don't feel guilty, you'll get bf established I'm sure of it!! Just get as much support as you can. And if you don't we can cry together!! Everyone has been very supportive towards me. But she has breast fed!! It's more than et ever did!!

It's just one feed, as stunt, vq and lots of other lovely ladies said take one feed at a time. Happy mummy = happy baby.

Hope the drs waaas okk yw. Sounds a tough day evil. Sometimes whatever you do your baby just has a crying day. It can especially happen aroundd the tiime they are taking a developmental step forward, eg starting to smile. DH you are doing a fab job. Some babies just take longer to sort themselves out.
horsey we like the odd trip to Chatsworth. Have you been to Calver craft centre and cafe ~ lovely cakes

Thanks horsey I've expressed both sides so they're not bursting anymore. Hopefully she'll feed a bit better now they're not huge.

Cross post with yw ~ glad it seems ok.

DH Jonas was syringe fed on cow and gate for the first 48 hours before my milk came in and he was too wee to suckle. Don't worry about it. Just be thankful to have the option. She'll crack it don't you worry she's just doing it in her own sweet time. I now struggle to get Jonas off my boobs typical bloke when for the first day or two he just turned his nose up. It can turn around very quickly xxxx

Thanks blonder she was in babygro and vest but my house is very warm. We are now both stripped to vests and shes feeding much better.

dh21 i remember feeling exactly as you did when I first gave DD1 formula. I couldn't do it and had to get DH to do it. Do not feel guilty at all, you are doing what is best for your DD. So many mums don't breastfeed at all and formula is perfectly fine. As yw its great to have the option.

That YW. I hadn't expressed for so long because I wasn't really getting any suction in pump due to needing to change membrane. DH bought new over at 1 n I have expressed 4 times since 1. Producing almost 3oz combining all the milk not great.
I'm going to express once more tonight. Then have my pump set up besides my bed to use first thing when I wake up. Or in night if I wake, prob is when I try pump in middle of night I just can't stay awake past feeding LO.

LO is no screaming n so red faced. Breaks my heart seems like he is in so much pain.