October 2012 babies part 2: winding, yawning and grizzling, and first smiles?

[YompingJo]

Part 2: in which our babies learn to sleep through the night and make us tea in the morning

Hi huffle could you offer the left side if he's still hungry after the expressed 5 oz? Sure I heard that they often take more from a bottle than they 'need' as it's v quick/easy. Are you using a v slow flow teat? Sorry prob not much help! What about posting the question on the breast / formula feeding forum, just been over there reading up (as feel v confused about lots of BF things!), some v experienced people there, inc lactation/nct BF advisors like tictok. Good luck x

huffle or check out kellymom.com - lots of good info there. Sorry I can't help either.

Thanks springer and crazy. I treat this group so like friends that I forget MN is a massive thing.......! Thank you, I will go search for said area and ask. I am using Avent newborn teat with only one hole so I assume the slowest?? I do end up offering left but wary as it is starting to get uncomfy too as he can feed every 1.5 hrs and would much rather give it a break!!!

Thanks so much, off to seek.....
X

Huffle. On phone will try.
Could you express before feeding from L?- just 2-3 oz. Boob is not like glass of milk , it would produce more. Agree with other advice on here also.
Because i was not bottle feeding, expressed would create a false demand and lead to potential engorgement. I expressed once recently but actually gave it to DS1 - tbh i think i am just too lazy. And i have an engorgement phobia. You are doing the right thing - 10 seconds of toe curling pain at the start of a feed is ok... Not for the whole thing.
It is much easier with no 2, so i am really admiring your (plural) tenacity

I used nipple healing pads that were wonderful.

Thanks Lisbeth. And I did try your advised compresses few weeks back! Thank you!! But way beyond their level of healing.......! They r lovely and cooling. Other thread started, seems I'm over feeding and creating a monster.........! With bottles that is , not breast. Need to slow him down.

Master is calling! Feeding time!!

Hi all :-)

Quick one here.

Ewan the sheep arrived yesterday. It works. Everyone should try it. Admit if he is hungry (80% of time) it won't settle him but for the other odd times it bloody worked on womb setting with light on.

25 quid on amazon

Xx

Anne I too am a Ewan the sheep Evangelist - our bean loves him :o Only the little fucker has run out of batteries tonight, damn him. (Sheep that is not bean, she's howling away happily in living room. I fear her batteries are fully charged...)

Oh and a question for 2nd time mums: bean is having her jabs tomorrow - can't believe it's that time already What should I expect afterwards - fever? Grumpiness? Have some Calpol on standby...

Oh and a question for 2nd time mums bean is having her jabs tomorrow - can't believe it's that time already What should I expect afterwards - fever? Grumpiness? Have some Calpol on standby... Repeating and hoping the bold bit works!

Humn. Though the maternity nurse had said it was ok to put babies on their side (firmly wedged in position) I have since read the SIDS website which says back is the only way to go. The problem is that DD is WAY noisier on her back than on her side and has woken me up over five times in the last three hours. This is with me wearing silicone earplugs too, btw.

So I have two options... Put her on her side, or put her in a separate room (With the baby monitor on alert me if she's in the red, i.e. cross/hungry. DF doesn't like the idea of her being in a separate room, but it's not him being woken up. Both her in a separate room and her on her side are both counter to SIDS advice.

I'm absolutely shattered.

What would you do?

oh livvy I feel for you. It is a difficult one to call. We def didn't have DS1 in our roon for 6 months because of how easily he woke me up and he got too big for the basket, but I can't remember when we did that. Sure it wouldn't be the end of the world. But likewise, our Mum's were all told to put us on our tummys and we are all here. I am no help to you, sorry. Hope you get some sleep. Xxx

angelico I don't envy you-the first jabs are rotten. Is someone going with you? It helps to have someoe a bit more detached and less hormonal to hold your hand (and to tell you that yhe baby did not in fact look at you accusingly while it was being done) my DS wasn't too poorly really, perhaps a little under the weather, but some friends had babies with fever. I think they were encouraged to give the baby some calpol to ease the pain using a syringe.

huffle you are such a hero. I admire you enormously and I can't believe you are still persevering with all the expressing etc. What a lucky boy your DS is-how much you have endured for him.

cherry I am so sorry you are not getting much sleep-you are doing so well to always stay so bright and merry. Hugs to you.

yomping you poor poor thing-how much more is going to be thrown at you? As ever you are doing brilliantly and coping incredibly well. Your situation reminds me of that quote I mentioned, when you feel absolutely at the end of your tether but then you somehow find just a bit more tether and are able to keep going! Hope you are getting lots of support. Hope you don't want to punch me for waving the 'It will get better' flag, but from what I know about you from our threads, I think you are going to LOVE being a parent to a chatty toddler so much more than a baby. My DH and I are not as adventurous as you, but we love camping and the outdoors and we have had so much fun having adventures witth DS, exploring, walking, making up stories, getting muddy and having fun. Even in my current sleep deprived state, he cracks me up with all the funny things he says and does. Being able to interact makes all the difference. Sorry if all of that seems irrelevant! I just know how bolstered I feel at Squid's reminders of how great it can be in a few weeks time when a bit more sleep and some smiles are on the cards.

Hi ladies, mid night feed here- just trying to settle her so will be up for a while!

I've got Ewan the Sheep too- it's bollocks in my house! What i've discovered aboutt my baby is if she wants to sleep, she will- no matter what. During the day, I could put a full philharmonic orchestra in the room and she wouldn't wake up. When she doesn't want to sleep, no amount of rocking or womb noises or singing will settle her. She does whatever she wants, no matter what we do, it seems.

Huffle, I would just keep expressing as much as you can (I think the way to keep your supply up is to do it as often as possible. I started off doing it every 2 hours round the clock and emptying them every time. Then stick it in the fridge and then add to it next time).
In the meantime, it's fine to use formula, and you could top up feeds that way (ie half formula, half breast)- that's what I did when in hospital with the dreaded jaundice and my milk hadn't come in yet.

Ugh, she's still just sitting here wide awake, happy as larry.

Hi Livvy, I've been sleeping DS on his side because he just won't sleep on his back. He used to but now he just seems really uncomfortable and won't stop crying or making straining noises. I was putting him on his front for a while because he slept so soundly and comfortably that way, but it's just too stressful, especially when he started turning his head - I worried he would end up face down in the mattress.
I always assumed the risk of side sleeping was that they could roll onto their front, where they could suffocate, so if they are wedged and unable to roll then the risk is removed? But I really don't know, because then if they rolled onto their front and suffocated then it wouldn't really be SIDS. It's all really confusing.
It's a very personal choice, but I'm happy with side sleeping.

Thanks for the words of encouragement Lisbeth and Bella [happy]

Not heard from Elpis for a while, hope she's ok. And Fjord, I wonder how she's getting on?

We are getting the hang of the Moby! Tried it again today, tied much higher and tighter and there were only a few protests going in, then he fell straight asleep, all the way to town and back. He didn't even wake up when I took him out and he's still sound in his cot now. So relieved, it's going to make my life so much easier. I'm already thinking about where we're going to go in it tomorrow.

We seem to be in the calm after the storm at the moment, and getting fairly regular 2 hour naps. 2 hours between feeds - previously unheard of! I wonder how long it'll last.

Oops, I hear rumblings...better dash, heaven forbid I made him wait a second!

Bella thanks for praise but I really don't think I'm doing anything that brave! Needs must and all that! And I might be changing my mind after a week or so, this is bloody time consuming!!!!

Using Avent electric pump. Can be uncomfy. Wondering if should invest in Medela? Is there really much difference? Would anyone buy one from eBay or is that silly idea??

Thanks London , I am prib expressing average every 3 hrs on same side. Wary now of too much overproduction, engorgement and mastitis!!! But you are right, need to do more I think. Cheers

See this is a feckin pain cos DS has been in basket since 11.30, still asleep and I've had to get up at 5.30 to express when I should be revelling in his ability to sleep and doing same myself!!! Ah well, he is obviously well fed if sleeping so well. Consolation indeed!!

Happy Monday all, hope we cope without DHs and DPs!!! My new task of expressing will be much trickier without helper and other person to amuse baby! Hmmm. Interesting week ahead!!

X x

Huffle would recommend you hire a Medela Symphony (hospital grade one) - the other retail ones eg Phillips or Medela Swing are not designed for regular round the clock expression. A double hospital grade pump does wonders for your sanity when you have to pump all the fecking time

Morning all. huffle well done for expressing 5 oz is excellent! Like you I had all these kinds of issues with DS1, but at 2 weeks he was refusing to feed from me ( he went in 8 hour hunger strike!). Cutting a long story short I mix fed ebm and formula because I could never keep up with his demand with ebm alone. This is likely because expressing is not as effective as feeding ie baby can get more out than a machine. Advice I was given was to express both sides every time He had a bottle - I did this for 12 weeks - he was like a different baby once he could get full up! Try not to stress - some ebm is much better than none!

angelico from memory first set of jabs were uneventful. You can give calpol 1/2 hour beforehand which can help.

Arrrgh! Sister in law still in labour... was 4-5cm at 2pm yesterday, then 8cm at 6pm... then just stalled completely... really really doesn't want another section (had a section after failure to progress last time, bad experience and long recovery) ... maybe labour was just a bit recent for me but I have been crying a lot... anyway brother texted me at 5.30 to say she is finally fully dilated so COME ON YOU CAN DO IT...

He mentioned she was having a doze so at least she MUST have an epidural in, thank god, the thought of being overnight at 8cm doesn't bear imagining (I was there 2 hours, it was another planet)

Am amazed it hasn't gone to section (frankly I kind of wish it had now) but just thinking of her so much and I'm sure it will be ok once baby is here whatever happens

This is exactly why I refused to text/inform anyone when I was in labour, could not bear the thought of people worrying about me!! My waters broke friday night so we didn't even have to tell boyfriend's work till bubs was here on sunday morning...

Ironically, Jess has slept beautifully through the night again! 10pm to 5.30pm! She is a legend! Whilst I have been pacing...

Sorry to not catch up with others, Jess is asleep again so I am going to go for a run and hope to return to good news!!!!

The bean is still asleep. Last fed 11.45pm, fell asleep at 00:30. She's heading for 7 hours, our personal best ever And best of all one boob is leaking gently but am not horribly engorged!

Thanks for jab advice Bella and TwoButtons. Will try not to wimp out and weep when giant needle appears :( I've been desperate for her to get them but now I'm worried she'll react / get ill / get cranky / never sleep for 7 hours again... LLL website recommends feeding them afterwards for comfort so will whip boob out as soon as possible!

Livvy I read somewhere about letting beans fall asleep on their sides and then rolling them onto back once asleep - maybe you could try that but seems a lot of hassle :( The SIDS advice is no doubt well-meaning but it is a bloody pain at times. Very quiet white noise seems to distract me from every grunt and murmur and help me sleep, otherwise I used to ping awake at every rustle.

Squid cheering on your SIL! :o And if she does have a CS people I know who've had two keep telling me the second one is easier. (No one can tell me why that might be, presumably you're just accustomed to the agony - or they might just be telling me that to stop me NEVER HAVING ANOTHER CHILD!!! )

She's still asleep!

Squid thinking positive vibes, poor girl, hope over soon. X

Twobuttons, thanks, good to know. Practically speaking I am wondering if I can keep it all up tho, especially as due back to work at start of Feb. might try to put that back a month, in my naïveté I did not factor in any probs with BF and assumed I'd be able to easily transition to expressing.

Zara I am going to look in to today. Overnight searches suggest £45 per month and I'm not sure I can afford!!! But hey, how much formula would I go thru in a month.

God, this is going to become v complicated. Hoping to speak to a local advisor today who will hopefully do a home visit. My head is melted and unable to revel in little dudes 6.5 hr sleep!! And here he has fed on left and is asleep again, bed beckons methinks!!

Ta peeps
X

Huffle, I second Zara's recommendation- I'm using the Symphony- hired direct from manufacturer at £45 a month. Like Zara, it has saved my sanity. It's also saved my boobs as my Avent one was making them really sore. You could even get one of these: www.amazon.co.uk/PumpEase-Classic-Collection-hands-free-Breastfeeding/dp/B0034ISZHK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1353312943&sr=8-2 Sexy...

Is anyone else still scared of having sex?? I made my hubby look at my ladybits yesterday and he said they looked different from before. I got really upset, but then he pointed out his big hard on .

But I'm definitely not ready to use them (I've only just finished bleeding anyway), but I'm quite frightened. Any tips from those of you (Squid) who are ahead on that front? I still feel a bit sore, but it's mostly that my body still feels a bit alien and odd. Maybe I need to have some solo fun first...

This is all assuming we ever have time for sex again. Frankly any free time when baby is sleeping is spent napping at the mo. Without daytime naps, I would be on 3 hours sleep a night.

Any tips from those of you who have good night sleepers now? Did that just happen naturally? Were you at the same stage as me when your little one was 3 weeks old (ie sleeps most of the day, needs feeding every 3 hours and another hour or 2 to settle at night)?

Arrrgh! Still no news, she was fully dilated at 05.20, dying here...

Had a nice run to distract myself, lovely orange skies, returned to dozy boyfrend uselessly holding jess while she screamed the house down

I'll distract myself by talking about sex my favourite topic...
londonmrs if i remember correctly you had a short 2nd stage with no tears? (the only good bit of that tough labour?)mine was similar, though had a labial "graze" (nice)
i though once the graze was better (3-ish weeks) sex would be fine but tried it then and tbh it really hurt deep inside and we stopped
had a bit of self love next couple of weeks and snogs/oral sex only
then it was ok at 6 weeks - a little bit tender and we took it gently... does seem a bit dry mind which is the breastfeeding I think

So it just takes some time, I guess - hope that helps
sorry if everyone has run away with my TMI

oh and londonmrs at 3 weeks jess woke up hourly through the night and took ages of settling - the sleep has just happened naturally didn't try and tricks just gave her love when she needed it

No news here -
went to bed late (11ish) and found it hard to sleep
Feed at 2.30 and 5.30. DS1 awake at 7. But I have to say we are fine. Baby is 8 weeks today. Feeds are short and at 5,30 I thought it was still 2.30, so I fell asleep without realising.
Londonlivvy I am thinking of you most - do what you have to do to get through each day. It will get better.

Oof. Took over an hour to settle her from 2am feed. Finally fell asleep 415ish. Could have gladly killed the cat who woke us all up at 615. Grr. Blasted animal. DD then refused a morning nap despite being utterly exhausted and is being predictably foul. Lucky me. Lord knows how I'll get her off at lunchtime, she'll be beyond tired by then.

Angelico, it is not small snuffles. It us snores louder than my dad! She sounds like she's struggling to breathe.

Huffle your resilience and persistence is incredibly impressive. As with you angelico. I would have said sod it by now. I am already cranky about the fact that it takes an hour to feed. Plus winding and settling.

Squid I hope your sister's baby is here safely. Noted re not trying sex too sion but like londonmrss, sleep is a higher priority. BTW has anyone bought a pelvic toner thingummy? I think smorgs gets one as part of the French system. I would like to be sure I'm getting back to normal...

Thanks cherry and angelico re side sleeping. Will ponder.

Only a month til the cavalry arrives (aka MIL). Hurrah for that.