May 2013 thread our new and not so new arrivals

[BeauticianNotMagician]

Hi ladies

Just thought we could all really do with this. Rather selfish a its mostly for the thousand odd questions I have and things I'd like to share/ vent that no one else would understand.

We've all been together so long I even talk about you all to DP

Still no weight gain so we are on to serious formula top ups. Very disappointed :-(

Been there Roast, I know how it feels but once they start putting on weight you will be pleased you had the option.

roast please don't beat yourself up >

Ok, so, how do we get them to sleep??

Hello! Found you!!!

I've found you! So glad you're here to 10. It makes more sense (although at but weird) for us to be here. We know you ladies so well now and hopefully our preemies will be meeting their milestones alon with the May clan.

Who was it that was struggling to get their newborn to latch since birth? With my last DD we had the same issue. A different midwife came round one of the later visits and suggested using a nipple shield. She said to try it for the first part of the feed and then take it off for last 5 mins and keep increasing the time without it. It worked straightaway and te following day we stopped using it.

Alice is another slow gainer (41 w and 11 weeks old). Last weigh in (last Tuesday) was 4lbs 5oz. And that was only a 2oz gain (60g) in a week. She's following a line way below the 0.4th percentile. She looks massive to me as she's doubled her birth weight!
We are doing expressing and an oz of formula every feed. Usually about 2oz (sometimes a bit more). She will latch on to the boob and normally spends an hour on it in the evening straight after a feed! But I'm not sure she's getting much as she wants a bottle straight after. I'm guessing she's so small still that her latch is a bit shallow.

I really feel for some of you and the sleeping. I have no word of advice (both DDs have been pretty good) but that it is a phase (usually!). Don't forget to ask friends and family to cook a meal to bring over and if your DH is around in the evening (mine isn't) then leave the baby with him and go to bed for a bit.

Alice is another one who is constipated. It's been 7 days since she last went. The nurses only seem concerned if her tummy is hard-it never is. Past couple of days I can tell she's uncomfortable. I've tried the cotton bud up the bottom, the stomach massage and leg thing, but none work. I even tried stopping the formula for a bit (she was going every feed in hospital and only started formula on discharge) but it hasn't worked. I'll let you know if I find something that does!

Well we're just for home from a trip to a&e on the advice of the midwife as James has been poo free for 4 days now. Thankfully they can't find anything wrong and don't seem too concerned so we're back home and waiting - I'm sure when it does come it will be truly explosive!
A&e wasn't quite what we had in mind for our first outing so I think we'll count tomorrow's trip to mil's house as the first! I have to say it was nice to have a bit of fresh air after a week indoors but it took forever to get out the door with packing bags for both of us in case we had to stay in!

nofork it was us having latching problems since birth but we now know its due to tongue tie. Hopefully when that is fixed we can get things going... The bf advisor didn't think nipple shields would help us in this case but good to know they can sort the problem out if we still struggle later

10 Its amazing what a nearly full nights sleep can do. Think the sleep thing will just sort itself in time. Our house is very noisy in the daytime with our 2 year old.

Vaseline rubbed on bottom is good for constipation.

Hope everyone has had a good bank holiday. We went to a biggest BBQ yesterday and both our daughters where so well behaved.. They are making up for it today tho, little monkeys overtired in our house today.

Have just typed a massive post and then lost it!

Hope you are all doing ok, will read back and get up to date shortly.

Wriggler dd pooed every 10 days, apparently it's normal, absolute poonami when it does come! Always when you're out! But best to get it checked out.

We were in GP ooh, then A+E last night DS's cord stump was v stinky and bleeding. They think it's all fine, but it wasn't much fun, thinking of all those horrible germs in there.....yuk

Anyone else finding that they have become their baby's bed? DD has not taken to her moses basket or carrycot. She was happy enough in the hospital crib and seems OK in the vibrating rocker. She keeps falling asleep mid feed and waking two minutes after she's put down.

DS is very keen on his little sister and wants to hold 'it' all the time. He keeps calling her by the name of a friend's baby though and we have to keep correcting him!

Alice had a very shallow latch and was content with a few mouthfuls and would just chew on the edge of my nipples for ages no matter how many times I adjusted her. I fed two children beautifully so it's a shock & I am feeling very guilty having switched to formula but having used the nipple shields & expressing my supply dried up completely. Nipple shields were also quite a faff as she would let the milk collect in the shield & then knock the collected milk over her face.

Re anal massage for constipation - this following a lot of cool boiled water worked a dream.

mama that stage has almost passed for us and someone's suggestion of putting one of my tops in there really helped.

Mamma yes that's us to a tee, DD was never fobbed off with anything but hopefully DS will be more easy going! Will try rubbing his blanket on me but not hopeful,.

Hi all

Sorry to those of you struggling with breast feeding. Have you tried any of the support line numbers. I was given a list after birth and my friend who breast feeds found them great as age was having to top up a lot with bottles.

Finally feeling a little better here. I'm knackered as even though Teddy slept every 3 hours last night just waking for feeds I still can't sleep. Infection is improving but I'm really worried my back is now going to cause lots of problems.

Hi everyone! DS is 11 days old today and, fingers crossed as hard as I can, the worst of this one's BF problems are over... (really REALLY hope I don't regret typing that).

(Had an absolute nightmare getting started with DS1- mastitis at one week old, took 3 rounds of AB to clear, in serious pain for weeks...)

I had a few bad days last week, with blocked ducts and fever, and was seriously peeved to discover that the great consultant I saw last time is leaving her clinic, as they've closed the BF centre and are focusing on plain pediatrics, and she can't take any new clients. ARGHHH!. But I've been to another clinic and think I've got the blocks to shift, so hopefully, hopefully, we will be running smooth very soon. I'm using nipple shields every feed at the moment, which I'd really like to stop as it's giving DS some serious bad habits - but it's just too painful without at the moment.

As with DS1 - the problems are all mine. The baby's gaining weight like mad, was 400gms over birth weight when we weighed him on day 8. Which is so very reassuring - would much rather the issues were mine than worry about him.

So sorry to hear about your infection Beaut - really hope it clears up soon. It is soooo hard to deal with newborn parent exhaustion when you add serious pain to the mix! Was very happy that the BF consultant I saw this morning (contrary to the doctor I saw in A&E yesterday) recommended that I keep taking my painkillers for a couple more days, to really let my body settle and deal with things, without having to deal with pain as well.

DS1 is very unsettled at the moment, cries at things he would have just shaken off before. And bedtime is a nightmare. Have no idea how I will cope the first time I have to deal with evening feeds and getting him into bed and to sleep. I think I'll just ban DH from leaving the house between 18:30 and 22:00 for the foreseeable future.

Is anyone else miserable? Can't stop crying today (and being shouty and horrible, poor DS ). No idea if its hormones or my situation but just feeling like I am in all the wrong places with my life and no idea how to get out. Obviously I'm not hoping you are all feeling terrible but just clutching at straws thinking it might be hormones...

Well Zorra, add up how much sleep you've had in the last week - and cut yourself some slack! I admire anyone who can take care of a newborn and another child, in awe am I! I have no idea how I'd cope without my DH. You are brilliant and I'm sure that you can give DS some cuddles tomorrow. We are all exhausted and deaing with hormone changes - it's not just you! I get really weepy at times - and I can't find anything to pin it on - just everything, from exhaustion to pain to hormones to fear to the feeling I'm missing out on precious experiences by being so tired and weepy.

Zorra, I'm very weepy you're not alone. I went to DD's ballet show on sat and as the lights came up I burst into tears before they really even started dancing- the mere sight of 3 yr olds in tap shoes had me blubbing! Today I screamed at DH because of some bed sheets I've declined lovely invites to BBQ and paddling pool parties as I'm just not really up to socialising. Normally I'd be there like a shot. And you've a lot more on your plate. Any news on your DH?

I am crying constantly. So is DH. We are having unbelievable problems with family at the moment. Can't believe how selfish some people are. I'm so glad I have support from my wonderful husband and my family if not im sure I where I would be x

Zorra I was really tearful on Saturday, it was definitely my hormones and tiredness. You're not in all the wrong places in your life, you have an amazing job that really makes a difference to people's lives, you have two fantastic children and a family that support you and love you. How can that be the wrong place? ((((hugs))))

Beaut hope you get rid if the infection v soon and anyone else, sorry have lost track

I keep dreaming about having lots of new born babies, I think I might be thinking of all the babies from this thread!! This am I woke up, with DS on my chest - and started screaming where's the other one?!?!?!? I was throwing pillows and duvet around, DH was really freaked out, saying Zac is here, I kept shouting where's the other one?!?!? I was convinced there was another baby in the bed lord knows one is hard work , I don't need another one!!!