January 2013 - New year arrivals welcomed into the world.

[PricklyPickleInAPearTree]

As a few of us have popped early I thought I'd start us a post-natal thread.

Hello everyone , sorry to hear lots of ladies worn out and finding breastfeeding tricky. It is a myth that bf is easy. This is my third ebf baby and every time the first few weeks have been tough. It does get better though and discomfort does stop. I only have soreness when latching now, during the feeds it's ok.

My babies have never much liked being put down so I tend not to try. DS spends lots of time in the sling, our arms and sleeps in our bed. As a result he rarely grumbles. It can be a but tiring but I much prefer it to crying. He seems really contented and we are all getting some sleep. He will also sleep in the car seat / carrycot if we are out and about. I think I've been really lucky. Dd1 had colic and that was fierce. Hours and hours of crying every day .

Has anyone read the Wonder Weeks book? It's very useful...and goes some way to explaining baby's fussiness.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/9079208043

Congrats pixel!

I'm quite worried today as baby breathes really fast. Went to the doctors and nothing found but have to keep an eye on it. Does anyone else's baby breathe very fast? It's noticeably faster than when my DD1 was a baby and often well over 60 breathes a minute :( She's a noisy breather too. But otherwise is gaining loads of weight and seems really well

Charlie sometimes breathes strangely but only fast when he's dreaming but my other two were same so I guess it's not worried me too much.

I worry about everything and it's hard cos I've no DP to ask his opinion

She's sleeping in her bed, at last!
DH is now back at work, and after my Ps and PIL's visits over the last couple of WE (all live abroad), I was looking forward to some rest (ah ah!)
DH had to go to England for a work trip yesterday at dawn, so I had to get both DDs up, get them ready and take DD1 to nursery. It was the first time and it's hard going, especially on 3h sleep!

I think we've gone through one of the growth spurts - DD2 is 4 weeks already, and last week resorted to feed every hour for over 3 days. As a result, my bleeding resumed (loads of bright red blood - spooky, although the midwife did not seem too concerned.)

Our builders are also in, and should be finishing tomorrow, which will be good, since I fancy sleeping in the morning, and BFing without inadvertently flashing a bunch of builders... To add to the comedy act, boobs are now firing milk in every direction at the mere hint of DD crying or fussing - it does not make for discrete BFing in public place (I nearly caught my [male] friend in the eye yesterday!)...

Crikey....

This is tough. I forgot all about the difficult few weeks. Dd is still like velcro, ive spent the last few nights with her in bed with me on a pillow patting her back to sleep every so often she is wanting feeding every 2 hours and doing a 4oz feed each time is this normal????? Shes also having awful trouble with her bowels, she eventually poo's but getting there seems to be excruciating pain it also smells foul!

I am exhausted, doesnt help were not really eating properly ive been catching sleep when dh gets home and have to say im feeling very resentful he is getting the fun daddy time with the 2 dd's and im only seeing lonely nights.

Dd is a fast breather as well going to mention to the health visitor tomorrow.

This is my first day and night with ds as dp has gone back to his home. We're doing good.currently snuggled up on the sofa crying my eyes out watching obem. It never attested me when I was pregnant.... Hope everyone is getting sleep

*affected

Sorry not been around - having fairly big issues with Cameron's poo - what a topic! She's gained weight again - up to 7lb11 today which is great, but still has these green mucus poos. Just now I've changed her, and the mucus has what I think is blood in it - it's browny.

I'm so bloody worried. No one can tell me what's causing this. She's not in pain, she's now gaining, she's happy and alert ... But something is causing this and causing her little gut to be upset. I hope to god I don't need to stop feeding her. We were doing so well. :(really don't think DS over su

*its oversupply as its mucusy, not frothy.

:( :( :( dr for us tomorrow.

Hope dr sheds some light on this for you bunty

Hi all

Still sleep deprived here, having terrible night tonight up and down like a yo yo. Just dealt with screaming fit and currently led with little madam on my chest.

Bunty, my dd1 had horrible issues with my oversupply and poo was same as you described. I didn't stop feeding but in the morn i used to express off a few oz and then feed to ensure hindmilk was reached, also fed just one breast and back to same breast on next feed and then swapped. Wish bubs well x

Bunty ask gp about allergies as well I had DD1 tested but luckily she was clear

I had to resort to a bottle for the first time in 3 weeks. I was just feeding him and i got the most shocking pain go through my boob its still hurting now even if my dressing gown just brushes it. God knows whats up with me this time but the pain proved too much on a plus note he did guzzle the bottle easily and quickly no complaints. This may be the way forward which is a shame cos hes only three weeks but ive certainly given it a good go.

No idea on the poo front for you though sometimes his is still the greeny colour rather than yellow

Lora you e done amazingly well with the amount of pain you've been in, you really have x

I'm struggling with breast feeding too. It hurts so much, but it will get better wont it? I really don't think people at ante natal classes should say how easy it is, I feel a failure because I'm finding it so hard.

Does my baby sleep to much? She slept from 11:30 last night until 6 this morning! She's had a half hour feed now this morning and she's asleep again. We're getting plenty of wet nappies and she seems in good health. Midwife has said we just have a chilled out baby but I can't help worrying!

Lora - you might have thrush. One of the classic signs is very sore nipples and shooting pains into the breast. You have done brilliantly feeding through so much discomfort and you shouldn't worry if you end up bottle feeding. Three weeks will give your baby a good start. You could use nipple shields to get your nipples a chance to recover. I had to do that on day four as I was desperate.

Info on thrush:
www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/pdfs/dibm/FAQs_Thrush__and_Breastfeeding_Jan-2012.pdf

Awww Bunty hope everything goes well at docs, it's such a worrying time. Charlie doesn't go every day and that worries me so bet u beside yourself at mo. let us know how Cameron is

Lora you have done sooo well with bf and I so wish i'd had the stamina to do it for as long as you have. I only managed three days and then switched to formula, just wasn't working for me or Charlie but I'm glad I managed three days which was better than none at all.

I too noticed the fast breathing last night but it's not constant so not sure what to make of it.

Wow Tinkle thought Charlie was doing well taking 3oz every time, have moved him to 4oz now but he not completed one without puking yet

Lois does the fast breathing thing as well, it seems to be just before she falls into deep sleep. She also sounds really congested but no sign of illness.

Liam arrived 17/01/13 weighing 3.6kg (7lbs 9ozs). Labour and birth very traumatic, hence why it's taken so long to post. It was a painful induced labour as my waters had been br

Hi ladies,thanks for ur kind words. The tears have gone now so feeling much better.
Huge pat on bk to all of u bf-ing, i managed a couple of feeds in hospital but thats it,Eleni is on formula but I also express so she gets at least 4 or 5 oz a day of boob juice,better than nothing?? Struggle to get anything out of my left boob though n supply is def going dwn,hoping to keep it up for nxt couple of wks at least though.
Had a bit of a wobble yesterday,DH wnt to wrk n Eleni just grizzled all morn,shdm wouldnt settle for anything,she doesnt norm cry so found it hard! A walk in the park in her buggy soon got her to sleep though! In the house i did put her in her basket n leave t room for 10/15mins to get sum head space,is this ok do u think?
Love her to pieces but feel such a bad mum when shes crying in middle of nite,im nakered n cnt help having resentful thoughts,these are rare n fleeting,please tell me Im not alone in thinking this!!!
X x x

allchik the book the hospital have me called 'Birth to 5' says to do exactly what you did if you're finding the crying a bit overwhelming.

I felt similar last night. DH went out for a couple of hours, I was feeding Nancy fine then she was sick. I changed her etc and we snuggled but she just wouldn't settle. She wanted feeding again, so fed her for about 45 minutes. She still wouldn't settle after that and just cried and cried. Like Eleni, Nancy hardly ever cries so its really heartbreaking when she does cry.

Probably explains why she slept so well last night!

I also feel like a terrible mum when I can't get her to stop crying. Motherhood is not easy! Xxx

Congrats Mulan! hope you are recovering and that Liam is doing well!

no poo here for 3 days :(
DD seems really in pain, poor baby :(

I think I have given dd a cold, I am feeling snuffly and now she sounds bunged up too. also she cried for ages this morning and nothing would console her, not even my boob. normally she is such a chilled baby so it's not like her. the HV was due to visit today and was going to ask her, but now she has cancelled.

huge sympathy to everyone with crying or bf problems.

allchik don't worry about leaving the baby for a few minutes if it gets too much, it is definitely better for you to have some time out and come back to her when you have calmed down. I don't think you can calm a baby unless you are calm yourself. plus a couple of times I have given up trying to stop dd crying and left the room for a couple of minutes, and when I get back she has stopped by herself.

allchik I think any breastmilk is better than none as you will pass on your immunities/antibodies