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.

Well I've completely done my back in. Having major muscle spasms that are excruciating and radiate around my rib cage making me just about debilitated and feeling sick - I think I dealt with labour pains better.... Can't lift Bailey as that sets it all off and found it difficult feeding him but that was when a spasm was starting. Hubby is going to have his work cut out with nappy changes and bottle feeding expressed milk.

He's gone to get some sleep just now whilst Bailey is sleeping and I'm expressing what I couldn't feed him earlier.

It's a total pain in the arse!

Congrats woody! Batten down the hatches for a good few days ;)

Woody DD is also 3 (and a bit) weeks and is having a growth spurt, feeding every 1.5-2 hrs. It's knackering! I'm told it will last a few days but who knows.

How long do all your dc take to feed? Mine tends to take about 30-40 mins per feed. Is this normal?! I've read about babies taking 5-10 mins. Wonder if she's being efficient?

She's still refusing to sleep anywhere but on me or DP, including in the daytime now. We've tried swaddling, waiting til she's sound asleep, bath and massage, hot water bottle in the crib to warm it up. She sees through all of our tricks!

tugs 5-10 min feeds come with practice - def not the norm for most babies this young. Dd take usually about 20 - 30 mins depending on the time of day and how hungry she is.

X takes about 5 mins, sometimes even less, but I worry that's not enough as I thought long feeds were the norm! I guess as long as they're putting on weight then the time doesn't matter?

happy hope you're not feeling too bad.

pascha were you home early and did the glasses stay stuck together?!

Ps is anyone else's baby a noisy feeder? I'm worried about feeding in public as everyone will hear the guzzling?!

DD takes 15 min, past which I cannot keep her awake, sleeps ten min then feeds another 10 min, what's that about? They seem to be getting more frequent as well and she spits up a lot. She's 2w+1 (how do you write ages do we bother with days?)

Ivy takes 5 - 10 mins max and seems to br gaining about a lb a week so obviously just a quick eater (fairly sure her brothers and sister were exactly the same). Think all babies and mums are different and as long as they are healthy and gaining weiht theres no worries :)

Speaking of worries i have a pea size lump in my breast. Doesn't hurt but no amount of feeding seems to change it. Hoping is blocked duct but surely that woukd hurt? Worried :( Have 6 (well 8) week check on friday so will ask dr but has anyone else had this?

Tugs and woody - my LO is also three and a bit weeks and been 'cluster feeding' every 1 and half hours in the daytime for 4 days now. Even breastfed for up to an hour at a time, only to have him shouting 10mins later and then having 4oz of formula. Thank goodness i'm supplementing with formula, cant keep up! Also, in my Gina Ford book it says theres a growth spurt in the 3rd week, felt relieved when I read that.

BTW was given a booklet of daily excercises to do from the hospital. Simply not finding the time :-/ is everyone else doing these?

Hello! Yes, Birdies the glasses stayed stuck together. The evening was good. DH couldn't give his winners speech cos his voice was gone, even lubrication of a couple of pints of Guinness couldn't make it work. My boobs were bursting out of my dress by 10pm which was uncomfortable but I hand expressed a small amount from each side into the loo to ease it a bit. The wife of DH's team boss was very drunk before dinner started and she had a go at lots of people which was funny as she was spouting complete bollocks. The disco started off with Lady in Red and went downhill from there so we left about 11.20pm, got on the wrong side of the A21 and didn't realise we were going the wrong way for about 10 miles so we were about half an hour later home than we wanted, roads were very slippery and snowy so no rushing.

Spent yesterday recovering, didn't get dressed til 2pm

Newsflash I am right now the proud owner of two sleeping children. Yes. You did read that right. Both of my boys are fast asleep and I have free hands to type here and eat lunch at the same time! I might go to the loo by myself for the novelty factor!

DS1 used to be the king of the speed-feed at 4 minutes. Dan is a little slower, takes an average of about 10 minutes, then wants a gap of about 10-20 mins and has the other side for another 5 minutes. He usually asks about every 90mins-2.5 hrs depending on time of day.

Apple it might just be calcified milk but if there's no pain its not blocking anything. You could try some massage/combing and heat to see if it makes any difference.

at 5 minute feeds! DS got down to about 10 minutes total on both boobs, but that was near the end of our nursing, and he was on solids, at about 11 months. :(

pascha I also have 2 sleeping children! Not quite sure what to do with myself ... I have scooted a load of washing up to the tumble drier, and I'm now sat with a dairy free brownie (dd is dairy intolerant :( ) and juice watching call the midwife.

I have a list of crap I need to do this week a mile long and cba with any of it.

I'm eating chocolate biscuits. I considered making a sandwich but the biscuits were closer. I watched CTM last night in the dark on my phone with Daniel on my chest

Ah good pascha, it was a good sign when you thought it would be shit as could only be better than expected.

X has just had her jabs. Poor little thing hasn't cried like that before. Hoping she doesn't have any side effects.

I have 2 wide awake DD's

At the 6 week check, what did your doctor actually check? I thought they did that horrid hip check test but didn't with X.

birdies they did a cursory look over at DS 6 week check and asked if I was ok

Still not had our one this time. Our 6 week check is rolled in with the jabs, and she'll be 9 1/2 weeks. Not impressed tbh.

Ps my two just up :)

Really wish DD would do 5-10 min feeds but good to know it comes with practice and it might be a possibility one day!

Bunny I keep forgetting to do exercises as well. I sometimes remember the pelvic floor ones when I'm feeding DD but that's about it.

of your sleeping children! Wish mine would go to sleep. Just put her in the crib with the mobile lullaby thingy on and hoping she'll go off but can hear her hiccuping away so doubt it. Have however finally ordered a Ewan from amazon

Thanks pascha will have a go. I have been trying to massage when feeding but no diff. Hard not to worry its something sinister :( Am a bit at nights out!

Thankfully dcs back at scool today such a relief to have survived half term! Just Ivy is quite easy! Although dd1 refusrd to gi this am and had to.br peelee off me! (excudr errors ivy trying ti hekp

apple I had that with DD1. It disappeared after a while and I did massage it whilst feeding as well

I don't remember it hurting either

Woody just feed on demand at this age. They are so little and need to gain weight. We've had growth spurts here when I've just had to feed LO constantly for up to ten hours - first boob, second boob, doze for ten mins, nappy change then start again. It's hardcore but only lasts a few days. Seriously, if crying in hunger feed right away. Babies have not read the books, all babies are different - think how weird it would be if you were only ever hungry at routine times written in a book and weren't allowed to eat outside of that.

Cameron slept 11.30 - 6.30 last night. I can't remember the last 7 hour stretch I had.

She had a moan at 2:45 as usual, woke up to go and get her but it never came to anything so I went back to sleep.

We had a good night here, fed at 10:30 and then we put him straight down and he had a little chat with himself for 20 mins and then slept until 6.45 when we actually woke the little mite! Bliss!!!

Sadly we are going backwards! Ivy up every2 hours till 3 wheb she was sort of sleeping but also stretching loudly, grunting and crying. Woukd only settle on me so i couldn't sleep. Didn't help that dd1 appeared at 2 having wet the bed, too tired to deal so just let her get in with me. Am bloody nackered today! Really hope it was just a blip..

We've gone back to every 2 or 3 hours too! But is my fault as I didn't follow our new routine and let her sleep most of the day (she had had her jabs though so I'd have felt mean trying to wake her).

So I'm a zombie today too. Not even dressed yet! Might stay in jim jams all day looking like a slob :)