Is there a September 2013 group yet?

[Gingerandlemon]

Just that really! I gave birth two weeks ago on 1st September and am so ready to start asking everyone if they're going through the same stuff as me!!

[jennimoo]

NOT tracking it all

[MrsMangoBiscuit]

Well that was a fun night. SS1 woke me up twice, DD2 three times (twice for feeds), and annoyingly DH woke me up twice. Once by snoring so loudly, and once by grabbing my shoulder and sleep talking jibberish at me.

As for tv shows, I've watched 2 and a half seasons of the new Hawaii Five-O! I wouldn't necessarily say it's good, but it's kinda funny and very easy to watch.

[JethroTull]

Mooster try Orange is the New Black on Netflix. And depending on your sense of humour Breaking Bad.

[badguider]

I have an app I tried for a couple of days but stopped as there was no discernible pattern :) I will try it again if it seems a pattern is developing. Also the week by week baby book indicates that in a few weeks time we'll have to work harder to ensure they get enough naps in the day so it will be useful then.

In the meantime I just set a simple timer after each feed so that if I can't tell if he's rooting or not I can always see how long its been since his last feed. This is also useful for deciding when to leave the house or whether to try for a shower or nap.

[Rollermum]

I have been writing feeds in a notebook, and was wondering about an app. I read somewhere it can be encouraging to see progress over time - not sure what that looks like - longer gaps for sleep maybe?

I have been driving myself mad by watching any old TV when breastfeeding. I think I need to be more targeted with things I like. I have Lovefilm - any recommendations of good series? I have seen all of Nurse Jackie, which was great.

[fl0b0t]

rollermum (love your name, are you a rollerskater?!)- You can download Feed Baby for free (I wanted some extra features so I actually bought the pro version!) and I found it quite useful. I was using a notebook to start with but I kept losing pens and trying to write in the dark etc- whereas I'd have my phone on me anyway :-) I am seeing a bit of progress and could see the 3 week growth spurt really clearly in his feeding patterns! :)

mango- my husband also wakes up suddenly to talk crap! I get DH to do night nappy changes- esp if it's been a hard night of lots of feeding. baby grizzling doesn't really wake him up, so I don't feel bad about asking him to do nighttime nappies. Robin has been refusing to fall asleep anywhere expect on my chest or next to me in bed after feeding. I tend to leave him with me for 30-45 mins after the feed and then can put him in moses basked. husband has a habit of waking up, panicking about where the baby is and feeling him to make sure he is breathing. then husband properly wakes up and apologises a few times for appearing like he doesn't trust me. Kind of comical if one weren't so tired! :)

[Rollermum]

Hey Fl0b0t, thanks! Yes, I play roller derby - a contact sport on quad skates. Or, I did - cant wait to get back to it! Thanks for the app info - I'll give it a go.

[fl0b0t]

Ah ha! Nice one! I used to do artistic roller skating (also quads) :-) but enjoy a decent street skate too!

[MrsMangoBiscuit]

I hadn't heard of roller derby until last night when it was on an episode of Hawaii five O, which I publically admitted to watching for the first time earlier today, on this thread!

It seemed pretty brutal on the TV Rollermum, is it bad in RL?

[Rollermum]

You're braver than me Fl0b0t - I find skating outside terrifying! I had to bail on a London street skate onto a roundabout once Wasthr name of the app definitely Feed Baby? I couldn't find that name but lots like it, and would be good to go with a recommendation.

Hey Mango it can be quite full on - injuries are pretty common, but it isn't as bad as films as TV (eg Whip It). There's no punching for example!

[Mooster1709]

I used a notebook for the first few weeks, and even drew up a spreadsheet at one point, but have given up on both now... An app sounds much easier so might have a look at that.

DD is 5.5 weeks now and I was wondering about beginning to try getting her into some kind of routine. Is this madness do you think? It's just that she can go 5 hours between feeds but always does this in the afternoon, and is then really fussy in the evening, and goes 3 hours at a time overnight. It's the evening I'm most concerned about really -any thoughts?

[JethroTull]

Mooster I'd like to try & do the same. I've read a couple of books but not sure where to start! Hopefully someone more experienced will come along & give us some advice....

[fl0b0t]

Yup, app is called Feed Baby... Android app though? Not sure if there's an iphone version or not?

[PurplePoppySeed]

I've given up on feeding apps since I got mastitis as I figured I should concentrate more on her latching! Will try again when she's a bit older but at 3 weeks she doesn't have much of a pattern anyway!

ION - DDs got nappy rash really badly which I'm hoping was only due to my antibiotics? But annoyingly I finished then yesterday only for my boob to start killing again!

[FastWindow]

Anyone getting pains after peeing? Like a stabby pain right at the end, when bladder is pretty well empty?
No pain when actually peeing (no razorblades here, thank god)
Sorry tmi, but I guess we've all shared a lot worse on this and the pg threads!!

[FastWindow]

While I'm in sharing mode, anyone bf, getting shooting pains in boob? Like from the nipple straight back to the ribs iykwim?
God, I'm a wreck.

[JethroTull]

Purple - mastitis is the work of the devil isn't it. I had it over the weekend & felt like I was at deaths door. By the time I saw the doctor yesterday afternoon it was clearing up. Are you still managing to feed?

[PurplePoppySeed]

Jethro - yes and have been trying the cabbage leaves. The first time I got it, I thought I'd beaten it myself, only for it to appear again, spoken to the doc again this am and have more anti bs, could try and fight it myself but don't want that horrible fever again!

I'm finding it harder to feed through it this time as I assume the blockage it nearer the nipple

Fast - my mastitis started like that, so check your whole boob for lumps and massage them down toward the nipple under a hot shower to try and get rid!

[FastWindow]

Thank you purple. Good tip.
What causes it???

[PurplePoppySeed]

Blocked ducts that then get infected! I've read a few reasons, bad latch, germs from babies mouth etc etc! The one I read that I think might be my cause is that if you have any other bugs you often get mastitis too & I've got a throat bug/cold that DD has caught too

[Joskar]

Tales of a Wannabe Breast Feeder

A Very Bad Day

DD has not had boob all day. Angry wee octopus. Bright red and beating her fists whenever I've offered it.

I've cried all day.

I loathe expressing with every fibre of my being but I've been permanently on that effing machine today because I have blocked ducts.

I feel utterly despondent. All the progress we've made seems to be out the window. I feel as though she will never be properly breastfed and I'm just wasting my time and energy. I'm so exhausted. My (incredibly stupid) health visitor informed me that I should regard this as a "golden time". I wanted to punch her on the nose. Only a complete sadist would regard this as "golden".

I resent every bottle of formula I have to feed my child. I hate sterilising. I hate trying to work out if the formula is the right temp or if it's been hanging about too long. I hate how much it detracts from my feeling like a mum. I don't feel like a mum at all. I couldn't give birth to her (emergency c-section for undiagnosed breech) and I can't feed her. What the hell am I for? I'm supposed to be able to feed my child.

[fl0b0t]

joksar so so so sorry to hear about your crappy day. It's so hard to enjoy a lovely baby when you are feeling shit about not being able to do what we are all sold as the natural option. I can totally empathise as my first week at home felt exactly like that. I hated every bit of formula, found expressing exhausting. ... Have you got any specialist bf clinics locally? If so keep attending every single one as I promise if they can help they will. Failing that, I'd try la leche league at I've heard wonderful things about them. Please don't dispair. You're f doing a great job at persevering and many women wouldn't and don't. If you really want to bf, try your hardest to relax. I know it's not easy. Make sure you get the help you need x x

[Joskar]

Clinics are 20+ miles away and I can't drive because of the c-section. Added to which I don't think I can stand to look at another midwife in particular the one who runs the clinics. LLL have no one in the area neither do NCT. They are very nice on the phone but cannot offer any practical advice that I haven't already tried.

Sorry. I realise that all sounds really negative. I think I'm using all my positivity up. Thank you for your message, fl0bot. Did Robin just start feeding? Was there anything that precipitated the change?

[Kkklll]

Mooster1709 and JethroTull I'd like to try for some sort of routine but again no clue! Lol the books make it sound so easy but don't actually tell you how to achieve it! Our LO will go generally 3 hours between feeds and sometimes 4/5 hrs through the night which I'm very pleased with but it's different every day. I have my 6 week check next week at 10.30, the first time I actually have to be somewhere at a set time ....hmm we'll see how that goes lol

[SGJ]

Oh Joskar, you poor sod. What a crappy day. I don't have anything amazing to suggest (wish there was a magic solution) but the only thing that springs to mind is to try feeding in the bath?? Must have heard it somewhere because it's a totally random suggestion but perhaps the combo of skin to skin, nice relaxing set up, warm temperature to stimulate milk flow and good for c-section recovery too will prove to be a success?? No idea but worth a try I guess.
Huge kudos to you for your perseverance; if it was me I'm not sure I'd be doing as well xx