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.

Rampant bush . The most comment I had was "we're just giving you a little haircut" when they were stitching me up on the sofa. Told them I hadn't seen that area for quite a while now and they could do what they wanted within reason.

Glad the CS went well in the end Birdies.

MW signed me off officially today. No bleeding left, no pain around stitches, DS is up 40g on birthweight and the cord fell off on day 5 so nothing left for her to do. Now we wait for the mythical HV to introduce herself, but I'm not holding my breath.

Dan is not quite cluster feeding, but he is asking about once every half hour/45 mins so not too sure how bedtime for DS1 is going to go by myself yet. DH isn't home til about 8.30 and I'm rather hoping to be tucked up in bed myself with a good book by then...

Pascha my hv came out today she seemed really nice. Pissed off with mw as she was supposed to come out todsy and theres no sign of her! Annoyrd as realy wantrd ivy weighed! Will have to call tomorrow and see where they've got to. Feel like mw has just left me to it just because this is no4 but ivy has been different to all the rest (and is still yellow but hv told me it takes a bit longer to resolve in bf babies)

Birdies that was quite dramatic glad it went well in the end

Baby was weighed yesterday and we finally had a good bit of weight gain. The little monkey then proceded to be fussy about feeds for the rest of the day, and didn't even wake up for one feed so we both had five hours unbroken sleep. Mixed blessings :)

Worst night EVER i think ive got mastitis cos im feeling awful and my boob realllly hurts. dexter was waking every half hour last night i caved at 5 and introduced the dummy... I got 2 hrs sleep

Oh Lora that sounds awful bet u fed up.

I have engorged breasts I think, they sooooo painful and rock solid!

Lora poor you. Get a hot flannel on the boob and feed/express as much as possible from it. Do you feel fluey? Get some antibiotics today if you can and don't let the milk build up in the breast.

lora big hugs try and hand express if you can go right behind the boob and gently stroke forwards see if that doesn't help x

HV just been moaning about little mans weight as ever we don't mean to worry you but ! Oh n because DH smokes the baby shouldn't sleep with us well nope he doesn't we already told you that !!

Will do birth story later x

Huge hugs, lora. Agree with pascha heat on that boob and feed, feed, feed. If its mastitis you'll feel fluey and awful - I had it with DS. Trust me when I say feeding does help, but you may need antibiotics, and feeding will be the last thing you want to do. So much sympathy to you, it is horrendous.

My lady baby has put on 2 1/2 oz in 2 days! We're finally on an upswing!

Also, nothing wrong with a dummy. Some babies need to suck a lot, and mummy's need a break at some point.

Lora - also very hot shower / bath and strong massages on breast whilst in / under the water...

but do got and see GP for antibiotics asap!

So the massaging worked wonders i also found changing how i held him... To the rugby ball hold... Helped a lot. Because the nipple was sooooo sore.

Ive got a hand pump bump im lost as to how to put it together. But for now il offer him the bad boob as often as i can.

Im not feeling fluey today but yesterday i was all shivery and so cold. Im thinking it was just an engorged boob because i probably inadvertantly didnt let him finish feeding from it because it hurt like hell. New day new start! Seeing MW for the last time tomorrow so il see what more info she can help with

lora rugby ball all the way for me x glad things are improving x Breastfeeding isnt easy is it ?

I actually think breastfeeding would be more successful in this country if women were told that it's not always easy, rather than just foisted down our throats that breast is best. I know of very few women who have found it easy (out of my nct group with DS, not one of us managed to exclusively breastfeed right away - I was the only one who managed it in the end), and the only person I know who had no issues is my mum, for whom it came very naturally and easily.

Incidentally, she has just been down, and I asked her how she was shown how to feed. They literally pointed the baby at the boob and let them do what they needed. No sore nips. No search for the perfect, assymmetrical latch. I wonder if in all the search for how to make breastfeeding easier and better, we've actually over complicated what should be an easy and natural relationship.

I haven't managed to get on here since Bailey was born but I'm really glad I'm not the only one struggling with breast feeding (that sounds worse than I mean it to). I will right my birth story in a bit.

Def had an engorged boob today but expressed some with my pump and it felt so much better! The wee man just wasn't taking enough out I don't think or I didn't have him on long enough. Both my nipples are cracked and slightly bleeding though. Sometimes I get the position right for him latching on, others I don't and I'm crying with the pain and shouting all sorts of obscenities! I can do the rugby ball on the right side but struggle on the left - going to see if hubby can help me practise on that side though.

Anyone have any advice on getting them to latch on when you have a larger chest and can't really see if they are in the correct position?

I've got engorged boobs too

I've switched to formula and think Charlie is much more contented now and I've given it a good go which is more than I did with other two.

Anyone have baby blues! Keep finding the tears rolling down my face and not sure why

I agree its so difficult. I get the latch right on the left side im assuming its right because it doesnt hurt. I only feed on that boob with the typical lying across me way. The rugby one i cant do on the left for some reason but it was definatly a god send to sort out the engorgedness on the right. I expressed by hand and when i get help with this pump im hoping it will improve things imensly...including giving my boyfriend the chance to feed so i get a well earned break!!

Well done everyone for persevering. Im planning on carrying on partly because its free :-D well mainly cos its free

Breastfeeding going well here, I solved engorgement problems with a breast pump.

However my mood swings are unbelievable...Which is very disconcerting as normally I'm very even tempered and never have PMS etc.

Well done those persevering with breast feeding. It sounds so hard! I'm combined feeding, but he's having the breast milk expressed via bottle, so I'm slightly in awe of those of you who are exclusively bf'ing.

I find the night feeds so hard. It's freezing, dark, and lonely. And fighting the need to sleep is never fun. Now I can't sleep myself. Ugh. I'm obsessed with sleep x

Guess what, we are up feeding. The hv came yesterday and the good news is my greedy little munchkin has put on 7 oz

preggo I think breastfeeding releases a hormone which helps you to sleep, I don't have any trouble going to sleep after a feed. Or maybe that's just because of exhaustion

hormonal I think it is normal to be quite tearful, I am the same. Dp thinks I've gone mad. If it carries on or gets worse then speak to someone as you could be getting pnd.

Happy I also have a problem with boobs which are larger than the baby's head I try to line her up properly (nose to nipple) then push her into the boob, but I can only tell if she is latched properly by whether it feels right and she starts taking big gulps.

Hi all
Lovely to hear the updates and Birdies positive story.

Great news here y day baby is finally gaining weight. Feel like a real weight has been lifted from me as had been worrying about it the whole week since his birth. One more weigh in by midwife next week now before we are discharged.

In other news, DP managed to assemble the pram we were given and baby went on first walk to the shops. Did not freeze and seemed very happy! Mummy's stitches hurt a bit but not too bad all round!

DP deserves a medal - he has been an absolute rock from Day 1. Still doing 90% of nappy changes, all the laundry, cooking a delicious dinner every night and all the washing up. Feeling slightly emotional - LO and me are so lucky!

Agree with what everyone up thread has said about bf - wow! This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. Taking it a day at a time and trying to take mw advice re being stern and not letting him stay on if not latched properly. At first was too scared he was not getting enough so let him munch even if I knew it wasn't right and nipples being chomped to ribbons.

It seems I am the only one formula feeding, I do feel bad about it but it just seems so unnatural and painful to me. But I take my hat off to you ladies tho it really in my case is 'easier said than done'

Think I had 2 hours then 1 hour sleep last night but when I look at Charlie and know there is only me to look out for him it really doesn't bother me

Don't feel bad, hormonal. It isn't for everyone, and no one should ever make you feel badly for it.

lora I have ridiculously large boobs. I start off in a cross cradle hold, so supporting her whole body on the opposite arm to the boob ill feed with, hand splayed over her shoulder. Use the hand next to the feeding boob to support that boob and shape the nipple if required. Then I can see exactly what's happening. I switch to a normal hold when she's on.

Am also ridiculously tearful ATM.

In most excellent news, Cameron had put on 3 oz in 2 days :)

I found breastfeeding really difficult and painful with DD1 but finding it so much easier this time around. The thing that really helped me was the method in the NHS magazine they give you - you use boob to push lower lip down and then shove nipple in using your thumb. It worked instantly for me. Worth a try if you can find the pictures as not sure I've explained it well!

Mood swings very normal - combination of hormones and exhaustion! It does get better after a few weeks :)

Anyone else feeding every 1.5 hours in the night? I sometimes don't even remember feeding I'm that tired.

Hi all. Sorry to hear so many bf probs, it is hard to start with. Im on no4 and still got shredded nips! Although am perhaps more confident of solving any probs!

Can't help with big boobs even feeding am only 32c!

Strangely have not felt particularly emotional or teary. I did with all thr others but i think this time i am so relieved its over i can't b sad!

My sil had her 4th last night mil now has 19 grandchildren

Ps hormonal definitely don't feel bad - it's whats right for you and your baby. No one should ever feel bad using formula if breastfeeding isn't working