Martians 2014 (and the February early arrivals)

[LyraSilvertongue]

I expect it will be quiet in here for a while with only four Martians born so far and it not even being March yet

Those who have popped so far:
Coolhand
Dabarai
LyraSilvertongue
Wuxiapian

I'm going to start looking into some extra support for our feeding - we're so nearly there with it, but we don't have it nailed just yet.

My baby blues would be easier to cope with I think, if his feeding was less hit and miss.

He's started to be really fussy to latch even on the good side now - and cluster feeding just on that side. He wants to spend all evening just gnawing only nipple and is inconsolable if I take him off.

Could be the first growth spurt mrsmugoo? I'm with you on the baby blues too, though today I've only cried once - progress!

Mine comes in the evening - I'm chipper all day then 5pm bang - I'm sobbing.

I think the evenings are always the worst bit - you're tired and want nothing more than to sleep and slob out but you can't because you've got a fractious baby that won't stop feeding and crying. It just feels so relentless doesn't it?

I'm trying to tell myself that it's just a few weeks and then I'll get my evenings back. I can't wait for that magic moment - it made me feel human again last time round!

I'm looking forward to B sleeping any longer than 2.5 hours we're managing with the sleeplessness but it'll still be nice to some semblance of normality!

We're now in a pattern of him not sleeping for any length of time between 8am and 1 or 2pm... he'll feed, snooze, poop, and then is just fractious and unsettled, not knowing what he wants, will try feeding but cry, until eventually I'll put him down and he might drift off. Anyone else have this malarkey?

Yep Em & 20CG exactly the same here!

I don't want to wish away the precious newborn days but man I can't wait to turn that 6 week corner and feel a tiny bit more in control!

This newborn thing is hard!

Amen

Hold on though... this 6-week thing is definitely real, yeah? Worried I might get my hopes up, week 6 will go flying by and I'll still be thinking 'what the have I done?!'

Ha! I think that by the six week mark I had just become a bit more accepting of the way my life had changed. DD1 had become a little bit more predictable and we were getting a little bit more sleep. By 12 weeks we were in the swing of things and then things went completely to pot when the dreaded four month sleep regression hit!

Ahhhh... okay acceptance and more sleep is a fair combination!

I would settle for him latching on first time of asking, a little less cluster feeding and one guaranteed 4 hour stretch of sleep a night. Too much to ask?

For now... yes, it seems!

My Mum's just been reassuring me that I haven't just lost the knack of looking after B, even though he's made me feel like I've done everything wrong today, and that the rewards are worth this early hell... better bloody had be

Little angel is now fast asleep in Daddy's arms... of course.

Completely stressing out about his feeding here, he's refusing both sides now - have managed to coerce him on his "good" side once today, first time since 6pm yesterday he'd fed from the breast. I'm feeding him EBM in a bottle when he refuses.

I'm so down in the dumps over it - I feel like an absolute failure and am beating myself up for not enjoying his first few weeks with us.

Of course he latched on perfectly in the postnatal clinic yesterday!

He is gaining weight though so even with all the feeding struggles, food is going in!

Completely stressing out about his feeding here, he's refusing both sides now - have managed to coerce him on his "good" side once today, first time since 6pm yesterday he'd fed from the breast. I'm feeding him EBM in a bottle when he refuses.

I'm so down in the dumps over it - I feel like an absolute failure and am beating myself up for not enjoying his first few weeks with us.

Of course he latched on perfectly in the postnatal clinic yesterday!

He is gaining weight though so even with all the feeding struggles, food is going in!

Mrs please don't get stressed, the main thing to take away from post is that Edward IS putting on weight so you are feeding him! Are his wees / poos regular? Another sign he's doing ok.
its not as natural an activity that some people would lead to you believe so please don't beat yourself up about it, you're doing great, express when you can and try getting him latched little and often.
Have you contacted your local BF support group / LLL? They were fab with my first DD.

Yep regular wee and pooey nappies it's just the latching on to the breast - when he does it he's really good at it! But we're down to one successful latch every 24 hours at the moment. My boobs are getting really full and painful and he's even less likely to go on when they're full so I'm constantly on the pump to try to get them softer for him. Am I over stimulating?

DH trying to be helpful but really not being as he keeps saying "stop giving him the bottle he'll feed when he's really hungry", and "just keep trying for longer you haven't tried enough times"

I haven't phoned any of the helplines yet because I'm still under midwife care so I've got them on the other end of the phone if I need them - waiting on their call today.

It could be over stimulation if you feel like you've got metal for boobs, but you obvs want to keep your milk up. try hand expressing a little before you try to get E latched on as I think that helps them get a good latch if they are a bit softer around the nipple.
Poor DH trying to help but can imagine his coaching isn't going down too well could you give him a little activity of his own to do (google or you tube research on BF techniques, getting you drinks etc).
it's a new skill for you all to learn, if E is growing well, you've got loads of milk coming in and your nipples aren't too sore you will come to relax into it by the sounds of it.
Good luck with the MW, let us know how it goes.

Oh Mrs, please try not to beat yourself up about these first few weeks I've been doing the same about my own anxiety but I think no-one really 'enjoys' much until about week 6! So everyone tells me... there's too much that's overwhelming, we'll only enjoy things when it's all settled and less scary. It doesn't mean you won't remember recent moments fondly, just that there's better to come. My heart goes out to you, the others' advice is sound xxx.

Of course he latched perfectly in the midwife clinic again today! I'm sure they think I'm just crazy.

She did give me a couple of technique pointers and he took another really good feed from the breast an hour ago and is now sleeping it off!

I'm really hoping we've turned the corner again. Keep your fingers crossed for me and thanks for your lovely supportive replies, it's such a comfort.

Hi All! Delurking...thought I'd say hello as I'm enjoying reading & feeling like I'm not the only one with all the newborn joys & worries ! I was on the Antenatal thread waaay back. DS1 was due 18/03, but arrived 14/02 after an ante partum haemorrhage. So he's now almost 6/52...we were in hospital for a week as DS had blood sugar & then jaundice issues. The jaundice has really just cleared up & he was referred back to hospital for further tests, but all was fine. I'm Bf, but due to his rocky start we had to top up with formula & DH is now doing a FF every evening as his weight gain was slow at one point. He has 3 DS, 8, 6 & 23mths so it's a busy household! Hope you all had a restful night (ha!). My toddler has a stinky nappy, DS has just burped up milk which has run into my generous cleavage & Id better make sure the older 2 are ready for school..so I'll sort all this & come back later.

DS's weight gain that is: DH's weight is just fine!

Hi Jelly

Yikes - my worries about coping with one child pale by comparison... how on earth do you manage?!

Hi all, struggling with a feedathon baby! All day yesterday it seemed to be feed, feed, feed, then I managed to get a break by taking him out in the pram so he fell asleep. Couple of normal night feeds, then constantly feed, fall asleep for a few minutes, wake up and want to feed again from 4am till 630. I was in tears by the end. We've finally had a few hours sleep, but he woke again at 9 and had been feeding ever since. He's 3 weeks today.

I'm assuming this is a growth spurt? Please tell me it won't be like this everyday!!

How many days is he now Owl? We've had days like that and yes it's usually down to a growth spurt. I console myself with the fact that it never usually lasts more than 24 hours at a time

Sounds like DD owl! She is asleep ATM but I too scared to surrender to sleep in case she wakes in ten and I have to drag myself from the depths of unconsciousness!