It's April 2013, the time is now & HERE ARE OUR BABIES!

[toobreathless]

Our first post natal thread!

Cooking & Cleaning can wait till tomorrow
for children grow up we've learnt to our sorrow
So wipe away cobwebs and dust go to sleep
I'm cuddling my baby cause babies don't keep!

A thread to celebrate the highs of life with a gorgeous newborn and the lows of sleepless nights, stitches, feeding traumas & Baby blues.

[LikeCandy]

Congrats angel! Welcome to the world isobel:)

empress what fantastic news!

faith our house is cold not as warm as it could be, we're maxing out at about 18deg at the moment. we're using a 2.5tog sleeping bag for babycandy at night and during the day she's either snuggled up on one of us, or under a blanket in her crib. to be honest I hadn't considered her being too chilly as unsafe, all the SIDS info says to ensure they aren't too warm. you've certainly made me think again, glad it turned out ok for you!

[LikeCandy]

Also - babycandy is 4weeks old today!

[angeltattoo]

Have caught up now.

Mama, no doubt about it, Alex is amazing, he gets that from his mummy ;-)

Empress, so glad to see you here and hear talk of Sam coming home.

Hmmm, well I spoke too soon re: BF. after feeding every 3-4 hrs in the day, madam has now been feeding for 5.5 hrs. No idea if she is getting any milk, and she has had a dry nappy since teatime. Am I failing totally?

[EssexWelsh]

No you are not failing angel as you haven't given up!

Have you got the phone numbers for breast feeding helplines? I can dig mine out when I get up (in bed currently with LO latched on!) or just try googling them? Mine fed for 2 hours last night and only stopped when I physically took him off as he was getting almost angry at the boob as he'd emptied it I think! But I have no advice as a novice myself, sorry, so you'd best call them.

[HadALittleFaithBaby]

angel if I had a pound for every time I thought I was failing the last week I'd be rich now!

Are you waking her to feed? Sometimes Faithlet only feeds properly if I change her bum and do skin to skin first. How long does she feed for? Do you feel she's latched well?

Well after Friday's nightmare I'm pleased to say we had a steady night! Woke every couple of hours to feed except 3am when has to do the waking. That time she was on the breast for about 1h 30m and we were both shattered. Gave her 50ml top up of expressed breast milk a cup and she finally seemed full. DH then took her to the lounge to chill because she took ages to settle. We've all had a few hours here and there which is great! As of 7.22 she's officially a week old!

mama given your circumstances it's totally understandable that you'd step back at times and feel shocked at whats happened. Keep talking about it, it'll help!

[Giddypants]

Can I ask a quick question? What if any apnoea mats are you using, I have a to mere tippee one which works under the Moses basket mattress but not under the cot bed mattress which typically ds2 prefers to sleep in!

[angeltattoo]

Hi all,

Thank you! Is there anything as lonely as 4am?!

I have all the numbers, breastfeeding books and leaflets are littered everywhere! we also have clinic on Tuesday, and I'm aiming to go to a BF group or ten this week.

Faith, yesterday I was waking her 3-4 hourly for a change and feed, And she was feeding for about an hour each time, then bam! Did this at 9pm, she pretty much fed until 9am, yes that's right, nearly 12 hours!!! I got ten minutes, twenty minutes then an hours sleep. My H slept through, I handed her to him at 9am, then I woke up at 10.15, have just fed her again, and he's asleep bastard! not that he is lactating, but still

She is now asleep on me, so maybe I just have a nightowl? My nipples seem ok, no worse after one bad feed yesterday that made one of them bleed, so I assume the latch is generally ok? She seems fine, but her dirty nappies have slowed down, so i am worried she is not getting any colostrum. I was hoping my milk might have come in this morning, but nothing yet, it is day 3 here, come on milk!!!

[num3onway]

We have an angelcare movement monitor but haven't used it yet, not planning on using it til she goes in to her own room.
This breastfeeding lark sounds hard work! I take my hat off too you all!
We are on day 19, dd was last weighed on day 13 and weighed 8lb 15. So expecting she is well over 9 now. She had outgrown next first size, and is filling the up to one month stuff nicely!
I bought a grobag which came with a room thermometer which has opened my eyes to how warm I have my house! Currently lit up at 21 (warm) + 24 (hot). Gonna start gradually turning it down now as weather is improving anyway!

[HadALittleFaithBaby]

Apparently your milk production is better overnight which might explain the night feeds.

4am is lonely! Last night I got DH to do the post 4am settling which helped.

I have the angel care monitor but Faithlet has taken to sleeping in her Moses basket...

[ElliesWellies]

angeltattoo - That sounds really hard. She is your first I take it? I know everyone says sleep when baby sleeps, but really, do it. Sleep and just leave the dirty dishes for a while - you need to get some rest.

Milk usually comes around days 3-5 I think, so keep going, hard as it is!

Also - make sure you are drinking enough - a glass of water an hour.

[ElliesWellies]

Oh and also - I remember it being really hectic with DS when he was trying to get the milk in. Not abnormal to be on and off the breast for hours at a time.

[birdbrain17]

Everyone has told me it just takes time to establish breastfeeding so those of you struggling hopefully it will get better!!!baby bird is quite unpredictable with feeds, she's feeding every 3 hours but sometimes for 15mins sometimes 50 but it's day 5 today and the mw came earlier and said she's at her birth weight so guess she's getting enough...

anyone else find that their baby gets upset when being changed, she absolutely screams when I try change her and throws herself around so then I can't get her nappy on properly and it leaks...

[LikeCandy]

angel my milk came in day 6, apparently it often comes in late with c-sections. keep at it!

bird yes, babycandy HATES being changed! the easiest time is when she's 'milk drunk' but any other time she shouts all the way through.

anyone else have a pukey baby? babycandy has started being sick after most meals. sometimes just a teaspoon full, sometimes what looks like loads. any ideas what might be causing it or how I can stop it?

[num3onway]

We got passed screaming nappy changes at about 14 days so there is hope. I think they just arent used to being messed with!

[Mama1980]

Yep bird, totally with you Alex hates having his nappy change doesn't scream much but wriggles and fights like a little worm, he also pees everywhere the second you take off the nappy! I've found speed is the key.
We had a lovely day today got out in the sunshine for a bit.
Does anyone else have a baby who just doesn't want to sleep? Alex s just awake all the time I resorted to reading to him last night, and ds1 woke up so I ended up reading to them both at stupid o clock. Was a lot of fun but don't want to make a habit of it!
We have a hv check tomorrow and then hospital for me, for another check up.

[num3onway]

Dd is awake for about a four hour period every day. Sometimes at sociable hours other times not!

[toobreathless]

Hello Ladies & beautiful babies

like candy bringing up a bit (or even quite a lot!) of milk after a feed is entirely normal. As long as she is gaining weight well & not unduly distressed (which might be a sign of reflux) then just keep a muslin (or six) handy. I also put one under their head in the pram/cot so I only have to change that not start washing covers/sheets. I'm on my second very sicky baby & still put the baby on one shoulder & the muslin on the other resulting in sick all the way down my back!

angel that sounds like pretty normal behaviour for a brand new baby to me. All that sucking will also encourage your milk to come in. Make sure she is having plenty of wet and dirty nappies as sometimes if your milk comes in a bit late they can lose a bit too much weight. C lost 11% by day 3 so we were referred to Paeds and she is now totally breastfed & fine.

Tomorrow DH goes back to work leaving me with BOTH of them (DD1 23 months & DD2 2 weeks) we are off to a toddler music and dance class in the morning where I hope C will sleep so I can dance around in a sleep deprived haze to 'the wheels on the bus.' Then we are hoping to go to Sainsburys if I haven't totally lost the plot by this point, just to get a few bits (balloons, cake) for DD1s second birthday on Tuesday. If someone could shake me and tell me that its ok not to worry about making a homemade cake when you have a newborn that would be great as I'm feeling guilty!

Wishing everyone a peaceful night!

[num3onway]

My eldest is five and I've never made him or ds2 a homemade birthday cake. I don't think they would thank me if I did!

[toobreathless]

Thank you num3 that will do nicely

[ratbagcatbag]

Tonight's going to be horrendous, I'm sat here in tears already :( I can't cope with dd having reflux, she's fast asleep on me upright, I lie her down on mattress and wedge for reflux and it doesn't work, within minutes she's choking and gurgling, within 20 she's distressed and crying. I am knackered through sleep exhaustion, I've caught up today because dh sent me to bed for over four hours, but last night I fell asleep whilst holding dd up, sg somehow rolled off me and ended up fac down on pregnancy pillow and duvet, luckily I woke up, but god that could have been so much worse, I'm seriously considering trying to sleep her on her tummy. I'm running out of options and paediatric referral could take a while.

Sorry it's me me me, but I just don't know what to do any more :(

[num3onway]

Oh dear ratbag, didn't want to read n run but sadly can't offer any advice as I've been lucky not to experience a refluxy baby. I do however send hugs n sympathy, it sound really hard work. Your post made me really grateful our dd is not much trouble. Could you see someone about speeding things up?

[LikeCandy]

I'm so sorry you're having a tough time ratbag, I don't know what to suggest other than phoning your health visitor and making a big fuss about being seen sooner?

Thanks for that breathless - she doesn't seem in pain with it, at least I assume not as there's no crying when she's sick. I won't worry about it too much, and will stock up on muslins!

Is anyone co sleeping?

[Mama1980]

Likecandy- yep I am co sleeping totally, haven't even bought a cot, as last time it was a huge waste of money. How are you finding it?

Ratbag, I hope the night wasn't as awful as you thought. No advice that hasn't be offered really but am virtually hand holding -we are all here to help and support you. X

Alex has been awake most of the night, perfectly happy just awake! Now we are dressed and waiting for the health visitor for his weigh in he has gone to sleep!

[SneezySnatcher]

likecandy we have a co-sleeper cot, which I adore! I just roll Henry over, feed him and then roll him back. It's especially good as I wasn't expecting to have a section and it means I don't need to lean over and pick him up.

We didn't co sleep with dd until later (around 5 months iirc) out of desperation and we just had her in bed with us, but this feels great to me. I can still touch Henry and be close to him, but he has his own 'space'.

DH and I both feel so much more rested than at this point with DD! I can't believe I used to actually get up and feed her in a chair for every night feed!

[num3onway]

I don't think I could cosleep. I would be so scared of squashing or smothering her!
I feed her sat up in bed and have her Moses next to my bed but have heard too many horror stories to let her sleep with us