March 2013- here we go....

[Oodsigma]

Welcome old & new to the other side!

I'll start with a stats list!

Ood -ds 7/3/13, dc4! Elcs

If anyone wants to add any more details feel free!

Oh dear, I've forgotten how to write...

just to prove that we're never happy... after several awful nights I fed minipud at 9, did top up at 10 and changed him. tried to cuddle til settled (he's started his screamy fits about this time for last few days) and gave another boob feed at 22.30 for just over half an hour. then had to change again and put him in his Moses basket. took me nearly an hour of gentle headstroking, finger sucking and shhhing to keep the intermittent grumbles at bay - I wanted to try and avoid him getting to meltdown. finally worked, but by this time I was obv knackered and slept thru my phone alarm at 2.30 and didn't wake up til he stirred at nearly 5! was lovely to have better sleep but feel awful he went so long... did have a big feed with formula and boob, and woke again 8.15 and has been plugged in since quick nappy change. I feel better for a better night and I guess he will benefit from that. (leaked everywhere though )

Pudcat, that wont do anyone any harm! The leaking is a nightmare though! I sleep on a towel, how lovely.

The night here went ok. Hard to sette at 7 ( ie didn't really settle), bottle feed of expressed milk at 9.30' only took 3 ounces, slept in Moses basket til 2 am. 2am feed, down at 2.30 fast asleep in cot! Up at 5.30 am fed til 6.10. Slept til 7.30 feed til 8.30. Currently sleep in cot. Hoping to feed again at 10.30 ish ....... So getting a bit more rhythm!

Wing? You awake yet or did I miss you post?

ood are you healed and doing ok?

My scar is pretty much healed. The haematoma is still sore but only to touch and occasions where I'm assuming its dispersing a bit price overdone it. Am v sore today from overdoing it on Tuesday and not resting yesterday. Back on one crutch in the house and 2 for going out today. Have dentist with all 4 later. Good job it's in our street!

I am awake but currently bfing DD in Sainsburys cafe so will update later. It was a good night though - phew!

Pudtat I was told that after 2 weeks you don't have to wake them at night to feed but I don't know how accurate that is

Health visitor just came and DS sucked ON MY ACTUAL NIPPLE!!! With no shield! Not for long, but it's a start. No bottles yet today either, which meant I fed so long earlier that a I got a huge blood blister on my nipple. Ewww. So down to solo boob now...

Wing do you have any tips on breast feeding in public? I tried the other day and it was not a great experience as DD sometimes doesn't appreciate my plentiful milk supply so was very loud and it stressed me out a bit so haven't been brave enough to try agin since.

Leni massive sympathy on the nipple issues. When DD was around 10 days old I was feeding her in the night and suddenly realised that her mouth was covered in blood - scared me silly till I realised it was coming from my nipple. Weirdly made me even more determined to carry on breastfeeding and it all healed up in a couple of days. My midives advocated the wet healing method with lots of lanolin cream but actually i found that keeping it dry (lots of walking around half naked much to DH's amusement!) was the key to healing much faster so started using the lanolin cream very sparingly and never put on breast pads or bra until the area was dry. Hope it resolves for you soon.

What rainbow said in terms of healing!

It's no sorer than the unbloody one weirdly! HV advised I shouldn't feed longer then 30 mins because he's not really feeding after that long but just comfort sucking... Opinions ladies?

Respect to those BFing in public, I currently can't imagine even trying. Do you have nursing tops etc?

Someone's swapped my baby with a super grumpy windy one, who's finally gone to sleep when I've just warmed a bottle for him. He's sleeping perfectly at night for OH's shift and then turning into Damien from The Omen as soon at my shift starts at 7am... I just had to give him to OH and have a nap, I was in such a deep sleep my phone didn't wake me right next to my head it must be the feeding and not eating much. Great for the weight loss but I feel like I've been hit by a bus!

What's the consensus on dummies preventing SIDS?

Feeding in public- stretchy vest top under, loose fitting top. Pull up top .& down vest, keeps belly & back warm & covered. Use muslin to tuck under babies chin to catch overflowing milk. Muslin also acts as emergency cover up if baby pulls off and if top is loose enough it falls back down to cover anyway,
Practice in front of a mirror & you'll realise how little you can see. If you are worried about people challenging you read the 'equality act 2010' which includes being allowed to feed in public.

Oh & I've now fed for 41 months all together and noone has ever challenged me. Not had many dirty looks either. Occasional person who won't look at me in case they see something but that's their problem!

Leni DD is a very sucky baby and loves to comfort suck - in fact when I am breast feeding there comes a point when she has eaten enough and just want to comfort suck and she gets really angry at the milk coming out. We had decided at the beginning that we were not going to give her a dummy but it became very clear that she just needs to suck something for comfort at certain times. We were giving her our little finger to suck for a few seconds to start with but she started wanting it for longer period of time and frankly it became silly to sit there with a finger in her mouth so we decided that we would allow sparing use of the dummy just to fulfill that sucking need of hers. Now we give it to her only after a feed when she is in her cot and always take it out once she is asleep - although we totally realise that we may need to be flexible about it going forwards depending on her needs. I think it is inevitable that she will find her thumb at some point and then it becomes a question of which is better in the long run! No idea on dummies reducing SIDS risk although I have seen it mentioned in my reading about dummy use.

Hello ladies, I'm a little late, but can I join you? Isobel Poppy, edd 26.3, dob 9.4, weighed 8 lbs 3.5 oz, induction/forceps.

We're just home this evening, so going to feed her (somehow - having to express about half her feeds ATM but getting better) and get to bed, but will catch up/shamelessly exploit your collective experience and wisdom soon.

Welcome Tea glad you're home!

I have dummy confusion... I've been told that if you use one it has to be every sleep or the risk of SIDs increases?! But as long as they have the dummy for every nap or night time it does reduce the risk until 6 months. LO seems to have forgotten where his thumb is which is a shame!

Today's the first day I've felt like crying - the crying/wind situation mainly has made me feel like the worst mother, OH has no trouble settling him and I just can't. Feeding him direct from the boob gives him green poo and then he cries for hours with pain and only OH can calm him, no idea why as it was the opposite before. Maybe he smells boobs on me?

Urgh, I'm exhausted! And I bought Boots own nappies - big mistake... Leakage resulting in using up every single right sized babygro in the house!

We've been fine with Boots. So far had leaks with Huggies and pampers. I've only had leaks with the dds with nappies on for long periods or poonamis. Ds has had loads of leaks quickly, don't know if that's a boy thing or nappy standards have dropped.

Welcome Tea! Ooh I could do with a right now...

Well sorry I didn't get round to updating about last night. Basically after I posted I changed and them swaddled DD (I looked up how to do it after I wrote my post), fed her again and then attempted to put her back in the Moses basket... with success! She slept from just part 2 till 4:50 and then again from 5:40 till 7:15 before waking for the day.

Tonight's been even better. It didn't start off well - DD cluster fed on me continuously for over two hours last night which was damn painful. My poor bruised nipples. I had to get DH to take her for 20 mins just to give them a break and I thought my boobs needed time to replenish as I really can't believe she was getting much out of them.

But then she finished at 9:15, I had changed and then swaddled her for the last feed, I put her down in the basket at 9:30, brought her upstairs and got to bed myself... And I only got her out to feed at 2:50! I really hope it's the swaddling effect and not just a lucky break two nights in a row...

Right, I need to swap sides so I'll sign off now. Re:bfing in public, I never thought I could but as long as I'm not overlooked while I'm getting her started its fine. I use a thin silk pashmina (was a leaving present from a job a couple of years ago!) to shield her but then only really lightly cover up her mouth and my breast once she's got going.

I forgot to add that I swaddle her in a cot sheet, then in the basket I tuck her in with a cellular blanket (folded I'm half but it hasn't seemed too warm) and then two blankets rolled up and put down each side (sort of shoulder level to foot). It's like she's in a little trap but has worked fairly well so far...

Hope you all have a lovely day.

leni haven't heard about dummies reducing the SIDS risk. If true, my guess it's because every time they start to drift off they drop the dummy and wake up. Which is, as you can imagine, beyond frustrating.

Pampers here, and no leaks except when I forget to check the ruffly bits aren't caught under the elastic. Then it gets messy.

Not a bad night last night - I went to bed at 8.30 and baby stayed downstairs with the man until 1.30, and when he brought her up there was barely a squeak so I went right back to sleep. Fed at 4 (a measly ounce and a half) and both of us back to sleep again. She finally surfaced at 7. Still worried about her appetite though - it's a rare day she even manages 20 ounces, at 5 weeks.

I woke up at 6am, went for a pee, and weighed myself. Decided to have a sneaky cigarette before going back to bed as all was quiet (can't really do that once she's awake), then went for a poo, then weighed again. Had gained 2.6lbs. How?! Either my scales are weird or I'm pooing antimatter.

Welcome, Tea! How are you getting on so far? Has the hormonal snot-faced weeping started yet?

Goddamn those calorific cigs, I'd been considering taking up smoking again to shift the baby weight but if each one adds a couple of ounces... Don't own scales, I guess I've probably got around a stone to go. Those skinny jeans are taunting me from the back of the wardrobe. I treated myself to a couple of new tops this week as I'm so sick of wearing the same things day in day out.

We're using pampers in the change bag, morrisons own at night and cloth nappies in the day/at home. When he's bigger and sleeping through I intend to use cloth at night too. I'm sick of filling the bin with shitty nappies and the cat has a bit of a thing for bin-licking. Better add worming tablets to the weekly shop, come to think of it...

I know it sounds awful as I don't wish bad things on you all but it makes me feel so much better to know other people are not having perfect babies. Had a terrible night last night and the day isn't getting any better. Made the mistake of giving him infant gaviscon for his reflux and now he's really constipated and uncomfortable. Even when I get him to sleep he's waking up crying with his farts. Oh the joy. I'm hoping it'll ease soon as I'm hoping it will work it's way out of his system.

Tried to start a routine to save my sanity yesterday and it went fine till I woke him at 2am for a feed after which he spent the next 2 hours grumbling or crying. Am shattered today but he still won't sleep well. Probably overtired. Will just have to manage as best I can thank god for the weekend when I get an extra pair of hands during the day. I have utter respect for single mums. I would have had a breakdown by now without OH.

Haven't managed to swaddle since we left the hospital. He just doesn't like it and likes to fling arms and legs about. I often find he's kicked the blankets off and is flaked out like a starfish. Think I might look into getting a sleeping bag for his size now if they're good. The only one we have is for when he's older so haven't used it yet.

We've also caved and got a dummy after saying we wouldn't. Sometimes it's the only thing to comfort him although I intend to get rid as soon as is feasible as it makes me feel guilty giving it him.

Our house is a pigsty. I'm not the tidiest at the best of times but even I hate sitting in it at the minute. It's just so far down the list of things to do though I never get to it. There's baby stuff everywhere, a pile of cds from when I got interrupted by baby as I was moving furniture and I'm lucky if I get dressed before 2, nevermind get a shower that day... on the plus side I've started getting proper smiles, not just practice ones which is lovely.

I'd heard about dummies helping with SIDS but can't remember why. They do say if you are bfing then don't introduce one for the first month as the sucking action is completely different to feeding but of you're already using bottles that may not be a problem?

We're using pampers although we've had a couple of leaks (which I don't remember happening with DS). That could be because I was using size 2 instead of 1 by mistake.

I'm currently sitting outside the community hospital as I've got an ante natal class 'reunion' in a few mins but DD is sleeping. I wasn't the last to be due though and my EDD was a week ago so I can't imagine everyone has popped... I'll see in a few mins I guess!

Is it a no no to leave a fresh prepared bottle in the bottle warmer for a bit? I have to make the bottle up 30 min before the feed to add colief, in which time he has typically fallen asleep and I'm reluctant to wake him after such a bad morning. I don't know if it's safe to leave it in there a bit longer or just bin it and make another later?

zigwig in that situation, I'd try a sleepy feed. Stroke his cheek and try to persuade him to open his mouth, then stick the bottle in and hope for the best. With a bit of luck he'll eat and keep on sleeping. Same with the 2am feed. Glad to hear mine isn't the only baby who wakes herself up with massive farts!

zigwig you have nothing to feel bad about. Whatever you choose to do is going to be right for you and your DS. Yes definitely try sleeping bags. I find TK Maxx have grobags cheaper but I found Sainsburys Tu ones were really good for my DS and we'll reuse them for DD.

And she doesn't yet wake up with farts but does make the most random elephant trumpeting noises in her sleep!

Ikea sleeping bags are good too.