June 2013 Bebes (1)

[Olimoss]

Including our friends from late May & early July!

Thought time for a postnatal thread.

So. I'm craving a nightly glass of wine already, week
5 of motherhood. Anyone else?!

hawk, he sounds very well trained, my oh can make food under strict instructions, granted he can work the washing machine better than me but after a day full of feeding with Ethan yesterday he got home and went to tge toilet for fourty five minutes!

Congratulations AmI I know a lovely Elodie .

another week of failing to go to the breastfeeding group, Oscar has been awake since 9 and fed pretty much constantly. just put him in his pran and he has fallen asleep. has anyone got any tips for encouraging them back to sleep after a night feed ? the last few nights he doesn't seem to settle after a feed. hv suggested a top I had been wearing in the crib so it smells of me, tried it last night and it worked when I first put him down but not after.

Caveat: this is NOT a judgement on formula feeding or topups, but I did a lot of reading about breastfeeding and wanted to share some stuff that might not be common knowledge. So when it comes to breastfeeding/formula-feeding you can make informed decisions that suit your personal circumstances and baby. I also recommend the Breast/Bottlefeeding forum on here, there are some people on there who know lots about this stuff.

You don't actually ever run out of milk. Before a feed, your boobs will feel full and heavy, because milk accumulates during the time you're not feeding. Then when the baby drinks they're 'emptying' your boob, usually drinking with quite big gulps as they drink the foremilk. As your baby feeds your body actually continues to produce milk. After a while the milk slows down to more of a trickle, but this is the good milk. It's the 'hindmilk' that is more fatty and will fill the baby up more than the watery 'foremilk'.

As long as the baby is suckling, your boobs are stimulated to make more milk. It also tells your body about your baby's needs. So if after a feed your baby seems hungry, it doesn't mean you don't have enough milk, have 'run out' or your milk is not filling them up, it just means you should put them back to the breast so they can have more and stimulate your body into making more (as it also has a knock-on effect to the next day). If at the end of a feed you give formula, you're basically taking away the stimulus that tells your body how much milk it needs to make for your baby, which results in lower supply (and can give the impression that your baby needs formula).

I just downloaded an app called iBaby Feed Timer. It's quite helpful to gather some data about your baby's feeding habits (whether they be breastfeeding, expressed milk, formula or mixed feeding) and helps you remember which breast to offer! It also helps you keep track of how long your baby has been on one breast and you can set a minimum time for it before it tells you to switch, which is helpful to make sure your baby is getting to the richer hindmilk. It's definitely showing me some stuff about Z's feeding that I didn't realise. It also has pretty graphs and statistics

Ooh rrreow that app sounds good, better than pen and paper anyway!

I was going to post something along the same lines (and we are mix feeding fwiw). BM works on a demand and supply basis rather than supply and demand - ie you won't just produce milk for no reason, there has to be a demand for it before your body knows it's needed. And if there's a demand, then your body will keep supplying it (although not always fast enough to suit baby, which is where the frustration, beating with fists etc comes in!).

It's also why growth spurts work/happen, or so I was told - baby is bigger or making a developmental leap and needs more milk to fuel it but your body is used to producing just the right amount for the old them. Cue a day or two (or week or two for the 16 week growth spurt!) of fairly relentless demands for feeding, which triggers your body to produce more/more quickly, which then satisfies baby so they stop demanding so often.

Wow that app is impressive. It has a function where it can tell you when the next feed is 'due' (I demand feed but still, it's helpful to know at least an indicator) based on your baby's average feeding habits. Z is sleeping and my boobs just got a spontaneous letdown, so I thought I'd check the app to see when it thought the next feed should be, and it's in 2 minutes time! So my boobs and the app are perfectly in sync

That's quite interesting. I'll look at that app as we're recording on scraps of paper at the moment!

We've only ever used top up when I'm at my wits' end if she's not latching and is fractious and hungry as breast feeding isn't meant to break either of us mentally! And I only ever use a small amount to give me a short break before trying again.

Thankfully she's latching better now so it isn't needed too much.

I watch the speed of the gulp for knowing which milk is being drunk as slower gulping is the hind milk. For us that's also very bloody loud too! :-)

But I think that people need to do what works for them as it really isn't the easiest thing to do / get used to.

Good info on combifeeding (I'm doing this too). There are many reasons why mums end up doing this but it's good to debunk some of the myths!

Huge congrats AmI! Beautiful name, glad she is here at last!

Thanks for the app tip rreow

Congrats AmI! Lovely name.

Also combi feeding here, but not doing top ups, more doing 3 bottles full, and then bfing the rest of the time. I think I'll give up bfing soon, not sure I'll get past 6 weeks, I'm finding it hard going and not actually liking it this time round.

Goodness, Amy won't stop eating tonight. My poor nipples can't take it!

I'm not sure how long I'll breast feed for. I'll see how it goes. My intention was to last 6 months, but we shall see.

It's so hard isn't it. Polly has fed almost non stop all day. I put this down to the heat. We need to drink more and so of course so does she. It's going to hit thirty degrees next week. I cannot imagine quite how much of a battering we will all be taking then!

I went to a baby group today. Lots of people were saying how much they were enjoying it and how fulfilled and blessed they felt. I bravely said that actually, whilst the Small Girl is lovely and I wouldn't be without her, maternity leave is pretty boring, exhausting and repetitive and breast feeding is a hassle and I hated being chained to the sofa constantly feeding her. I immediately regretted being honest but then others started saying 'actually I feel like that too but it's just not the done thing to admit it'. I was so relieved. I thought it was only me that felt this way at times.

Thanks for the tip rrreow, will look for that app now. Am totally demand feeding but would be nice to see her patterns!

sarah I feel the same, I have fed nearly all day and if not feeding he is niggling. it is hard and boring a lot of the time and then it gets to oh getting home and you realise you have done nothing all day, thankfully he realised I am not just being lazy after 5 minutes of a moany baby ! I am dreading it getting hotter.

I know what you mean about the constaint feeding and the sore nips - i've given DD a bottle at 7 and she's now fast asleep, but she'd been pretty much constaintly feeding from 2- 6. Can I just say, I feel I'm properly a mum of 2 now- today, while DD was doing her mamouth afternoon feed, I built a brio train track with 4 interconnecting loops that covered our dining room floor, including a raised track section, and then recreated "Blue Mountain Mystery" (Thomas the Tank Engine film for those who don't have a toddler - I was "devious desiel") - all whilst DD was latched on. Yep, I've got this motherhood thing nailed just no one look at the state of my kitchen or the overflowing laundry basket

I think that when the weather is hot, we'll just have to keep feeding and feeding - while I don't think I'm going to last long bfing - I think while it's hot it's easier to be able to just feed and feed and keep them hydrated.

I hear you ladies on the constantly feeding thing. Baby was sooo well behaved during the day i thought i had the wrong baby. Fast forward to this evening though and shes been on since 7.30. Right nip is v sore cos she keeps trying to head bang when still attached. Ouchy! Tried a bottle of boob milk but she was having none of it.

Got a coffee morning with my neighbours tomorrow. Quite excited to have been invited - i wasnt invited before when i.wasnt.a.mummy. Now i'm one of the chosen ones!

Baby has only lost a tiny amount of weight but MW suggested top ups. Thinks my chest infection and illness has delayed my milk coming in. Think she might be right as last night was the first time I leaked from the non-feeding boob.

Anyway, baby will only take an ounce of formula after feeds so far, and that's not bloody easy. Just need her to turn her weight round, which I'm sure she will as I recover.

Oh god, Sunny, Amy keeps pulling her head up and to one side while she still has my nipple in her mouth! Arrgghh!

I just let Amy sleep so her feed was 4 hours after the last one so I could get a nap. Decided she wasn't going up go hungry!

I've just sent DH to bed while I feed on the nursing chair downstairs. Thank god we have another coming for the bedroom tomorrow as feeding in bed is very uncomfortable.

Dontmind, that's awesome how much you've done while baby is attached. :-)

Marking my place/catching up.

Rreow thanks for the app tip, might have a look into that...though bfing is really different this time around, I could've used something like that last time with DD1 (she was ebf til 20 mo, but it was touch and go at the beginning. Slow to put on weight, not settling between feeds, sore nipples and an episode of thrush). I'm glad we persevered but it was really only at 4 mo that I felt things were finally settling down.

This time Millie is a really "strong feeder" as DH says, she just gets on with it, takes very little time in comparison, hardly sicks up afterwards, no sore nipples, no counting down the clock like last time, I even seem to have skipped the engorged bit at the end of the first week. And the 2 times she's been weighed she's bang on where she should be - the whole thing is so much more relaxed, I feel very lucky.

She has a mild case of jaundice (which I'm hoping the sun next week will sort out), otherwise nothing to report, quite dull really as everything is going super Even DD1's terrible 2s seems to have mellowed, she's loving having a little sister (at least for now). Enjoying the sport on TV atm (especially while bfing, good excuse to stay put), really well-timed as far as mat/pat leave goes!

I think I might try and sell dp and dsd's - thank goodNess work/school is happening today. And don't even get me started on the ew!

Had about 2 hours sleep and it wasn't due to the 4 wk old in the house.

Today is going to be a loooong day - considering hiding at my parents house until the dsd's have gone Home tonight.

Oh no that sounds awful pinkbear defo hide if you can I find that helps hehe

Hubby is off today so he's got up changed Theiah's nappy and taken her out in the sling to walk the dogs so that I can get dressed in peace

Theiah's having a day with her daddy today so I'm off to have my nails done feels weird without baby

Sounds fab pink enjoy!!

Violet has been quite cryey the last few days. A real screamy cry, I've been using infacol, she's feeding we'll and nappies etc are fine - she won't settle for ages and its heartbreaking when she goes for it.

Hope everyone's enjoying the sun!

Hello all! I've caught up on bits and pieces but taking a while so bear with me!
Here's my birth update:

Well we went in ready for section. All nervous but geared up for it and at that point I knew it was the right thing for us after the awful first labour and birth. They then took me over to labour ward, and decided to scan me just before going over to theatre. And she'd turned back from breech so consultant decided that the c section could not take place and I'd be sent home to see what happened ! I had a meltdown and explained in no uncertain terms ( whilst in tears and hyperventilating ) that I would be going nowhere until the section was done. I know its major surgery and like to think that I'm educated enough to make an informed decision. To have everything change at the last minute was too much- especially as they'd decided not to scan to check when is asked them the week before! The consultant agreed in the end and off we went to theatre. Elodie was born and I was told that it was very likely that I'd have ended up there for emcs given her size and my previous birth. The whole section was a very positive and calm experience ( apart from the arguments beforehand) and I'm so glad that I stuck to my guns ( not something I'm usually very good at). Elodie is fantastic and our first night in hospital was lovely! Apart from the poor sleep obviously. But I felt so much more human compared to DSs birth. Breastfeeding was the only downside to be honest. I felt so good in every other way but was feeling rubbish about bring so bad at it again. I know I could have worked on it and I have massive respect for you all for doing that but I decided not to torture myself and Elodie as I had last time. Switched to formula yesterday and know its the right decision for me and our family. We were then discharged yesterday and got home in the evening although no dr came to check on me. Just had mw care and mw discharge! Pares checked Elodie tho. She is doing great! Our DS is coping well ( so far). I feel a little like I've been in a car crash in between painkillers but still remarkably better than I felt after 'natural' birth last time!

Sorry for such a long update post- I think it's been therapy for me!

AmI - it sounds like you have been the very best kind of tiger mum! You fought and made decisions about birth and feeding that will only be to Elodie's benefit. Huge respect, delighted you are doing better this time! My 'natural' (ha, ha) birth involve induction, then epidural and forceps, with my body going into trauma mode after. And my feeding was still is a mess. Don't let anyone tell you you didn't do the right thing!

I need that app, I'm currently using scraps of paper too.

Sarah, I agree re the breastfeeding. It's usually not too bad during the day, but in the late afternoon, evening and night feeding can be almost constant. I hate being chained to the sofa or bed in a particular position. My husband gives baby one bottle during the night to give me a break.

MrsBri, which nursing chairs have you bought? I think I need one.

My nipples haven't been sore while breastfeeding (I've been told they shouldn't be if the latch is right, as your nipple should be at the back of their mouth, near the soft part) but when baby has finished feeding she very occasionally pulls back a bit so she's just on the nipple and starts (what feels like) chewing - if that's what it's called with gums rather than teeth! For comfort I assume. It's really hard getting her off too, she has a really tight grip - ouch!

Oh gosh, AmI, it must have been so stressful finding out she'd turned (very unusual and therefore unexpected at such a late stage!). Good on you for sticking to your guns; I bet you were so relieved when they agreed to go ahead with it. I'm glad you had a good experience and that you're both doing well :) . I don't blame you for not torturing yourself with the feeding; you've got to do what's best for you.