December 2013 - sleepless nights & lots of cooing

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Our very first Thread :)

Just marking my place, hope everyone is not too tired today!!

Poor you mum, good luck. I'd start with formula for the first bottle feed so you 're not too stressed about Joshua waiting/not getting enough expressed for first feed. As long as you keep expressing to keep your supply up, and perhaps try some feeds with nipple shields?
I heard somewhere it's good to introduce a bottle in the first 3 weeks anyway as if you leave it too late they may not take one, then you don't have the option of leaving them for a bit or getting someone else to help with feeds. Might not be a problem at all, but just in case I might get my DPbto start doing an evening bottle soon.
Welcome Fraggle! How is your lo sleeping? Afraid I'm not local to you, but there may be other folk along in the area soon x

Mum - have you seen there 's a thread about switching to ff while expressing, over in the 'feed the world' section of mumsnet. Offers better advice than my post above, might be worth a look?

Thanks YogaFan. LO has a routine which is a nightly car crash! All sorts of issues with nipple shields, 2 hourly feeding, lazy BFing and guzzling top ups. Lucky i have several freezer draws of expressed milk to fall back on after 7 Wks in NICU so limited expressing needed in the dead of night. Taking it all in good humour now. Gained 10oz in a wk so can't be all bad.
Which formula were you thinking of using? We are trying HIPP and mixing it with milk. X

Why is it that bedtime is the only time of day they don't want to fall asleep? We spent 3 hours trying to convince Her Royal Fussiness that she should sleep by she wanted anything but, including feeding every hour. She finally went down in our bed, must crack getting her to sleep in her crib but not a clue how to.

Thanks yoga I'll have a look at that thread.

Well I expressed 60ml (was starting to hurt- anyone else get pain when expressing?) and DH fed him that plus as formula at around 10.30 and he slept till 3.45! I was engorged on sore boob tho. Managed to use nipple shield and it was less painful than without so that's good! Now just need to settle fidget so I can sleep. mogz mine doesn't always like the Moses cot either- I've found cuddling him to sleep first helps. Something that's ok to do now but can be habit forming but they're still so small- I don't think my other DS's settled by themselves till about 10 weeks. Getting the Cocoonababy today so I'm looking fwd to seeing if that helps him sleep!

Here you all are! Hello just marking my place then going to catch up.

Woke today with my 3 year old singing happy birthday to me..... So cute

Awww Alyssa that's so cute. Happy birthday!
mum I'm glad it's not just us that's having crib issues, I figure that right now she is so tiny I just need to do what she needs, it's too early to expect he to sooth herself to sleep, it's all too new.

Thank you mogz
Lleyton was twisty from 4pm this morning and after dp put him into bed and cuddled him he slept until 8pm.
I never did co sleeping with other 2 but this ones been so different but we are just going with it got now as he's so lite still xx

Happy birthday alyssa

I have to say James is a super star at night, last night he slept till 4.45 had a feed & change and then till 9.45.

I think its time to hang up my expressing hat and just stick to ff, I just cannot produce enough or express often enough to keep up with him. I didn't have time to do it at all yesterday in between physio appointment, food shopping, errand running,visitors turning up and then being sick. I'm only producing about 20ml an express and he's now drinking 125ml a feed.

Hi there I had baby on 2nd dec, poor thing sleeps ok at nite but not so much in day... Also she has baby acne!! Still the cutest baby I know even with a spotty face!! :)

Hi hotmad ah bless I remember one of mine having baby zits, still cute despite them

Happy birthday alyssa!

Ok so this is so unfair. It seems after a blissful night of much needed sleep I have a blocked duct in one boob. (Painful red swollen patch on side of boob) The cause apparently can be due to leaving it too long between feeds. The cure? To feed more frequently. If that's not unfaire I don't know what is. So I'm supposed to start feeding every 2 hours at night to sort it out?! Has anyone else had this? I'm worried if I don't try and sort it out I'll get mastitis .

Happy birthday Alyssa

Hi Hotmad

Sorry to hear about the blockage Mum, sorry I don't have any advice tho

I'm so bleeding knackered! Louie has been awake 8 of the last 13 hours i.e most of the night and even this morning when DP took him whilst I tried a late sleep...which never happened! The worst thing is the night before he slept well for him going 3.5 hours and then falling asleep himself in his Snuzpod after each feed, so I got all excited thinking we were close to cracking this sleeping lark!! Silly me . He's 4 weeks tomoro so was hoping he'd start to sleep for longer periods rather than be awake for longer!! He had a very large vomit in the middle of it all too so had to wash him, his hair and change him and his bed too

Hello all.

4 weeks today for us. And I am fooooking knackered lol. Seb is getting a little better. He has had 3 little naps today. So I have managed to get a little housework done. Yesterday he was a star and went a couple of hours between feeds. Today we seem to be back to comfort sucking. Time to try again with a dummy I think.

But I think he is a bit tummy achey today. Poor bugger. Going to cuddle him to sleep and try and have a snooze.

He did stay in his crib last night though.

Yikes mum, that is unfair. I had blocked duct and was terrified of mastitis, yup to feeding/ expressing lots, but also rest (!) and hot compress/showers and ibuprofen. Do done googling to see what is recommended, but mine cleared in a day or two. I didn't drain it every 2 hours, so perhdosctou could just offer it with nipple shield when you know babe is really hungry and likely to drain it, then start next feed with other breast and express a little from painful side if poss, then repeat... Try different feeding positions as well as that seems to help. What rotten luck, sorry. Let your DP know he must reeeeally help out to stop it turning into mastitis- look after other DC and bring you everything you need while feeding (including hot water, flannel and towel for hot compress - best to do 15 mins before feed I think, followed by some breast massage to help clear blocked area.
From body towards nipple)
Good luck!

Hope you've been having a good birthday alyssa, including some well deserved rest!

MumOf3, i had mastitis and i bought some really cheap boob pads from Mothercare. You can heat then in the microwave and freeze them too, they were a boob saver! Hopefully you won't get the dreaded M word! Good luck x

Hi all, I'm 19 days on and still cup feeding Charlie as no success at all getting him latched in. Despite all the advice from professionals/support workers I'm probably going to give him EBM from a bottle this weekend and drop the cup. I hope to keep trying him at the breast though.
Does anyone know if the Tommy Tippee closer to nature bottles really are compatible with BF? Hoping there might still be a chance of BF if I use them.
Other than that he is good sleep-wise. He has on average 125ml EBM from the cup every 3hrs (more like 2 at night). I usually change him after, cuddle him on my chest for 10-15mins til sleepy then he settles in his basket.

Snoz - sounds like you're doing an incredible job! Have you tried nipple shields to help with the latch? Sorry if you have, it's just my DD1 couldn't latch at all without them and we wouldn't have been able to bf without them. I tried and tried to help her latch at each feed and found it really stressful. Ended up using nipple shields for a few weeks. Then she just got it and latched in without...

snoz I can't believe how much you can express I'm so jealous, how long at a time are you expressing for?

Belated Happy Birthday Alyssa! Welcome to the new people too.

I have a blocked duct too, ouch it's so painful.

snoz I heard from someone at breastfeeding café that the Medela Calma bottles are supposed to be the closest to a real nipple, they are expensive though. Our baby didn't get on with the Tommy Tippee bottles (prefers Avent) but everyone is different. Good luck!

Our little one transferred from boob to bottle with no fuss using the Tommee Tippee ones, but we've not tried offering the boob again since.

Hope everyone's doing ok, we've got DH's brother and his fiancé visiting this weekend, they're already up and cleaning the kitchen, I love them!

Thanks yoga and all the others who have offered advice. The expressing ibprufen and massage worked- it seems to have settled thank god.

We're using Avent teats and bottles- only because we have them from prev DC's. No teat/nipple confusion here and DH is now giving a bottle every night. ( bliss- I get more sleep!)

Anyone else frustrated with the amount of time spent feeding? Maybe it's harder for the mums of 2 or 3- so much to do and I can't do it!! Feel bad that I can't spend any time with other DC's as well..

I am the same mum. Seem to spend at least 12 hours a day with my boobs out lol. Given him a dummy again yesterday teatime to give my nipples an hour off. Was a tough one all day with him feeding from 10am until I plugged his gob with a dummy at 6pm.

But he went down at 10 pm and went every 3 hours and self settled in his crib! Pure bliss lol. Think he was a bit colicy yesterday. It's the second time he has been like that after I have had Chinese food. Don't know if it's coincidence or not.

And I been and bought a sling. A caboo dx close thing. Seems quite comfy but need to set it up properly and try it out. Never used a sling before so hoping I like it!