Born August 2013 - the heatwave babies!

[FoofFighter]

I have had a look and cannot see another thread is the last few pages but if there is someone please tell me and will get MNHQ to delete this one!

Congrats to you all on your new arrivals. :)

Delighted to say, my son was born on Friday 30/08 at 8.33pm, 51 cm and 7.1lbs

He had a rather dramatic entrance into the world... it started as natural birth and ended up as an emergency c-section but he is happy, healthy and hungry!

I started having contractions at around 2pm on thursday, well I thought they may have just been wind, but they continued on and off throughout the night. We showed up at the hospital at 5.30pm on Friday and I was already 9cm dilated, had lost my mucous plug and my waters had broken in the car on the way there. They moved very quickly though, got me in a delivery room and hooked up on the gas and air. My cervix was being difficult and staying slighly over his head on one side, he was too high up for any instrumental intervention. The baby's heart rate dropped a bit and they had him out in a flash! They later realised he was head down but turned slighly sideways so I never would have delivered naturally anyway. Its all a bit of a blur really. I can tell you the TENS machine worked wonders for me!

We had a 5 night stay at the hospital. The care was great, the midwives amazing, doula's were brilliant and all the advice on breast feeding they offered really helped, but it was a mad house so couldn't wait to leave.

We're home now and in a bit of a worry haze, is he feeding right, how do we settle him in the crib etc. I hear it gets easier!

Aww congrats gerty & fibre :-)
Yes fibre it does get easier re settling & your current worries, but I'm afraid new worries come along in their place! Lol.
DD took to breastfeeding right from the start really well, but now at almost 3wks she has begun to get fussy & struggling to get a good latch. Very frustrating. She has had to take nystatin via a spoon due to oral thrush so I'm wondering if that has interfered with her knowing how to take the breast? Any advice?

Have you looked on kellymom? Is it possible you have a fast let down that is causing her issues? There are lots of possible causes that can start later or around 3 weeks.

I'm here finally too! Just got out of hosp tonight but John-James arrived at 16:53 on the 9/9 (my birthday!!!) he waited to 12 days over to finally arrive. He weighed 8lb 7.5 oz
Waters broke 10pm night before, really long hard labour, temp sky high,infection all hell broke loose
He arrived by forceps after several failed ventouse attempts (all while the defeating fire alarm rang) had episiotomy.
Wouldn't change it for the world very happy with delivery and staff were great there was no way I was getting him out alone!

congratulations gonnabe, I'm glad ur happy with the support you had. I love your name choice.

good (very early) morning fellow mummies. how are all the babies doing? I hope everyone is able to enjoy their newborn cuddles through the craziness of it all . I've just had a moment in feeding max and supporting his head when I realised he literally relies on me for everything. ..it was a lovely feeling.

xx

Yay gonnab!!! :-) congratulations x
shentok I love those special little moments

Welcome to the world new babies :) hope you are enjoying all the newborn snuggles mummies :)

HV due to visit today to review DD's silent reflux, really didn't want any HV involvement as have a deep mistrust of them but kind of having to for DD's sake just now. I even offered to go up to the clinic this morning but no she wanted to come out At least she might be able to get me an appt for Dd at the GP though!!

Congratulations new mummies! So pleased to hear your wonderful news.

DD three weeks and three days old. Breastfeeding still going well but in the last couple of days she has developed diarrhoea. At the moment it seems to be upsetting me more than her (and her daddy when she projectile-pooed on his leg this morning) as she is still alert, strong and healthy looking. Dr has advised keeping an eye over the weekend and taking her in on Monday if no change.

Otherwise, we are learning how to manage mild reflux, having lots of cuddles and even having a couple of little attempted smiles - gorgeous!

Congrats on all the new babies, there might be time yet for a couple of more August babies...

Foof I have found the HV indispensable for getting me DR appointments! It's normally impossible at my surgery.

My little one is just over 5 weeks and more and more alert every day, he is taking notice and cooing, pulling faces. So lovely. I keep thinking he is actually smiling and it's not just wind, can't be certain though. My favourite time is just cuddling him to me after a feed when he is all sleepy and content (as long as he has done being sick!)

Hi ladies and congrats to all the new mummies!

Been away from mn for a while as a few issues here with DS. Short version is that hospital including lactation consultant missed his tongue tie, excusing his latch problems with the emcs issues. When we went home, our shaky feeding attempts just got worse and we ended up back in hospital for weight loss. I noticed his heart shaped tongue, googled it and demanded he was re examined. It was then confirmed but we were loftily informed it was not that bad and may not actually be having any effect on feeding. We were told we could be referred but there was a min 2 week wait for an appt and there was no guarantee it would be divided anyway. Meanwhile we abandoned the bf and put him on formula whilst I expressed what I could. We found a private consultant who divided the tongue tie. Since then all but night feeds have been on the boob, a dramatic improvement within 6 hours of the procedure. My little boy has been discovering his tongue and poking it out beyond his lips, which he could not do before.

He is now feeding well at the boob thank goodness with ff top ups whilst my boobs catch up with his demands. We could have been saved a week of stress, worry, tears and a readmission to hospital if the tongue tie had been dealt with earlier.

We now have a lovely content baby who is slowly recovering his birth weight. I can't believe we nearly broke the baby in the 1st week!

Aw cake we've had TT troubles too. Unfortunately DS's is still not sorted despite already being snipped and he has to be seen for a revision next week glad you have had a good result - it's horrid isn't it?

Hi baking its been awful, as far as I'm concerned it was largely preventable so even more frustrating and inexcusable. Having to hold my son whilst it was done was awful but the results make it worth it. I really hope your DS has his resolved next week, have you had to go privately?

We have been able to be seen on the NHS as DS's TT was picked up on the postnatal ward - he couldn't latch at all until we introduced shields his TT is posterior. When they did the initial snip they cut a membranous bit nearer the front which helped a bit and he could latch for about 24 hours but then it all went downhill again. I got him checked at a breastfeeding drop in by a BF counsellor and the first thing she said was "oh he's still tongue-tied". Luckily our local hospital have been really good about seeing him again. Just a shame we have to go through it all again, though I didn't have to hold him - poor you! They took our DS to another room and then brought him back after it was done to feed. Are you still needing to top up your DS cake?

Yep, it's all as bit hit and miss at the moment but we are getting there I think. DS still holds his tongue as it was pre snip, I guess it's his default position. We are doing some exercises to get him more mobility. Main problem is that when he wakes we have seconds to shove something in his mouth before the frantic starving baby tantrum starts! There is no chance of a boob latch when he's like that. We've found that we can cool the flames by giving him about 20ml ebm in a bottle or a few minutes finger feeding with a tube to encourage his tongue forward and down. When he's calm I can try to latch him, if not achieved in a dozen or so goes you can forget it as he gets overwrought and won't even try anymore. Night feeds are bottle either ebm if any left or ff for the same reason.

Before the TT cut I was expressing about half his total daily and intake. He now feeds about every 2-3 hrs for between 20-30 mins. If I run dry and he gives cues he gets topped up with whatever is available. I don't know if I'll catch up with him but a combination of bf and ff is OK with me for now seeing as a week ago he was in hospital for severe weight loss. I'm just glad he's putting on weight & is content.

It's really upsetting when he can't latch or loses it when it looks fine, he gets so upset which upsets me. There are times when I think I'll just jack it in & go to ff but we've come so far in a few short days.

I guess we'll just persevere, I really feel your pain. Feed times have the potential to become very stressful which left me dreading them, I'll taking them one at a time and if it goes wrong he can have a bottle, it's not the end of the world and we'll start afresh next feed.

Are any of you expressing instead of breastfeeding? I've been doing it because of the usual bf nightmares and its going really well (esp the DH doing the midnight feed bit ) but wondering how long it'll last? DS is currently getting around 75% breastmilk and 25% formula at 5 weeks old but he's getting hungrier and hungrier and don't know how long i'll be able to keep it up for. I'm not able to express every 2 hours like they recommend as I'm out and about a lot and trying to find the time to do it at home with a baby is hard!

I expressed for the first time last night so can't really offer any advice, if anything I'm looking for advice lol.
DD took the bottle really well. My issue really is fitting in the expressing in between her usual 2-hourly feeds & expressing enough for her. She's only 3wks old & probably around 9lbs, so I thought 2oz may be enough for her but she took the whole 3oz I had expressed & would have taken more.
She is quite windy & sicky lately which makes her really unsettled & me tired & frustrated. It feels like a constant milk in - milk out & can't our her down for more than 5 mins :-(

Hi all.. My ds born 17th August weighing 8 pounds 4. Briar- I expressed exclusively for about a week when my nipples for so cracked and saw I couldn't feed and we had to go into the hospital as he had list too much weight. They introduced me to expressing then and my DH also went and got a nipple shield which helped me move back from expressing to breast.. After using the nipple shields for about a week I was able to reintroduce the nipple once they were healed ( although midwife said that Is quite rare but my ds seemed to be able to cope, clever boy). Have u tried a nipple shield? Like U I was worried about expressing and being able to keep it up but def would not have been able to go straight back to nipple after the cracks and bleeding so nipple Sheila were a real help to me personally.

I used nipple shields in desperation when he couldn't latch, before his tongue tie was diagnosed. The nipple shaping seemed to help, then he had to have bottle ff top ups due to weight loss. We achieved our feeding aim but just a word of caution, my DS now will not go near my bare nipple, he only recognizes a food source if it's silicone coated! No real issue for me though.

Cake and baby I suspect my son is tongue tied too, possibly posterior. Unfortunately the specialist feeding midwife for my trust hasn't even heard of posterior tongue tie which is what I think he may have, we have a referral to see a Paediatrician but I'm sure they won't have heard of it either, feels so hopeless .

I am having a nightmare of a time with feeding and am seriously thinking of switching to formula now (if he does have a tie I still want it dealt with though). I can't take much more breastfeeding, I am exhausted physically and emotionally.

I am using shields and even with skin to skin/biological nursing/shaping I can't get him to latch on without it. He just shakes his head, fights and gets frustrated. I seriously doubt he is getting enough milk to satisfy him as he only properly settles after formula top ups. I have fought to carry on but it's all getting too much now. He is so aware of what is going on around him now, I just want to be energetic enough to enjoy every minute. I don't even feel guilty when I think of it now which I did before, just need to bite the bullet.

Ijust your sons reaction sounds just like mine. It was awful, he was so frustrated and hungry there was no chance of him latching no matter how many strangers grabbed my boob and crammed him towards it. No amount of feckin skin to skin was going to resolve the fact my ds physically could not move his tongue freely enough in his mouth. The lady who did it likened it to trying to drink with your tongue lodged behind your bottom gum. Try it, it's damned near impossible. Can you find a private practitioner? I lost patience with our local trust and googled tongue tie/division in my county til I found the only person who does it here. She saw us within 48 hrs + it was done, cost £150 worth every penny.

Cake he managed to latch a couple of times, but no matter that the Midwives said it was a 'proper' latch it was toe curlingly painful every time- not just for 10 seconds but throughout the feed. An NCT breastfeeding councillor who came to my house conceded he didn't open his mouth properly, or rather he did then he would draw back and take just the nipple. Did it improve your son's feeding? I am struggling with whether to keep trying to breastfeed with formula top ups just in case he does have a tie and cutting it means I can carry on.

I am using the service on the Milk Matters site and then will see if a tongue tie is likely. We will go private if necessary but will have to travel, I just can't face it at the moment. I got some good advice on the feeding forums and apparently a Consultant at the RVI in Newcastle cuts posterior ties but likes a Lactation Consultant to say it will help feeding first. Other than that I think a dentist in Huddersfield does it.

I am so tired of fighting on with the breastfeeding though, I keep waiting for it to get easier but it hasn't happened. I know a few months down the line breastfeeding would be less hassle it's getting there though. I think I have cried all my tears over breastfeeding, fought on all I can with an endless succession of councillors and advisors, midwives and health visitors, phone lines and forums.

Ijust we managed a latch about 3 times in hospital, more luck than judgement. His inability to feed caused severe weight loss, I nearly gave up too. My boy didn't open his mouth wide enough either, it was never going to happen for us. I was eventually told he had a tongue tie but was told it may have no adverse effect on his feeding so it may not be cut. At that point we barely ever achieved a latch, he was upset, i was in tears all the time,I looked for the consultant and got it cut. 6 hrs later we achieved a first proper latch at home after some finger feeding. That was 4 days ago, since then it's been getting better by the day, with the odd time we haven't managed it as he's been in too much of a hurry.

Fast forward to today, still doing finger feeding for 2 mins at the start then he latches, might take 2 goes but we get there. Today he has been on the boob 7 times before I've run dry. The difference is incredible. The only person who has helped us is the tongue tie consultant. If your DS, like mine, cannot physically do it, all the phone lines and advisors in the world can't help.

I would do it all again as it has made a HUGE difference to my time with my beautiful little boy who I am now enjoying and getting to know instead of living practically in fear of him waking and feeding. I really feel for you

Struggling a bit today, tbh. LO keeps having vomiting incidents. She'll feed apparently normally (am breastfeeding), then seemingly go to sleep, quite calmly. Then suddenly half an hour or an hour later just bring everything up, soaking herself and whatever she happen to be lying on (usually me). It doesn't seem to distress her and she is otherwise well and definitely growing, but I'm just a bit worried about her. It's not every feed or even every day. Just happened, and last incident was Friday night. Will call clinic, but just wondered if anyone else had experienced similar?

Doesn't help that I am particularly knackered and achy today and was hoping for a nap this morning!

Could be silent reflux Louise, get the GP/HV advice.

Louise my lo can be quite sicky too, sometimes straight after a feed, sometimes half an hour / an hour later, sometimes not at all. There has only been one occasion when it seemed to distress her. When i mentioned it to bf supprt worker, she said it sounds like the sickiness is more related to trapped wind. We now use infacol & she brings Her wind up much easier which makes her less sick.
I've noticed all problems to do with feeding & wind/sick mentioned on mn seems to be net with a response of 'could be reflux' or 'could be tongue-tie'. It's scary!! Whilst I don't doubt these problems exist and are terribly worrying and distressing, surely some trapped wind, sicky babies and less than perfect latching is pretty normal??