May 2014: Newborn snuggles while we await our comrades from the Drop Zone!

[MoominAndMiniMoom]

The Maybies are on the move to Postnatal! This is for graduated Maybies (and other baybies due in May but with other ideas; the almost-Maybies!) to discuss adventures in sleepless nights, nappies and lovely newborn snuggles. However you feed, however you nappy, however you give birth and however you like your tea - if your baby was born in May (or was supposed to be!), this is the post-natal club for you!

Thanks guys, yeah samba it started coming in yesterday. I hope it helps right boob is fine but when he feeds on the left every suck hurts and it started to bruise it's worth the pain when I see his milk drunk face lol

Hello! I've graduated!!

Baby Freddy was born on Thursday after a 3 day induction and 16 hour labour with an epidural, forceps, episiotomy, tear, shoulder dystopia, emergency alarms, blood loss, fainting etc. Followed by antibiotics, fluid drip, a blood transfusion, many needles and so on. Luckily all were for me and not Freddy! He's absolutely perfect

Despite concerns he may have been too small earlier in the pregnancy he weighed in at 10lb 3oz!!!

We are now home following another couple of nights in hospital to monitor my blood. So lovely to be out of there for the first time in nearly a week! Unfortunately Freddy chose out first night at home to cluster feed until 4 am! However my milk has now come in, my boobs are rock hard and so painful! He's not latching brilliantly either, I think his mouth us too little! Midwife came today and as he's lost ten percent of his birth weight we're hand expressing to top him up, which is nice for my boobs but there's so much milk in them I am going to go out and buy a pump first thing in the morning as I feel I could get so much more from them. I got 5ml from one in about 15 minutes, is that about right? The other is a bit more reluctant so I'm going to pump it as I'm hoping it'll be more effective than hand expressing? So so sore!

Anyway. Huge congrats everyone, think we might all have our babies now? Roll on post natal!

I am now in postnatal legitimately. :) Think there are still a few in antenatal though, so will keep track of both until everyone graduates!

My labour/delivery was no-where near as exciting as moobaloo's epic! For the benefit of those not on FB, I was lucky enough to have an uneventful home water birth with nothing but a bit of G&A for the last 10 minutes. Everything started at around 4am on Friday and I was all done by 10am! DD2 weighed in at 8lbs 15oz.

I got some more 2nd degree tearing, but the MW put me back together. She seems to have done an awesome job, as I barely hurt at all. :) In fact I seem to be suffering from Post Natal Elation - I'm so happy to not be pregnant anymore! I'm going to hormone crash soon, probably.

DD2 is lovely and has been feeding like a pro. A few 6 hour cluster feeds so far, but she latches well so I'm not too sore. My milk is being slow to arrive, same as last time. Guess that's just the way I work! Given a couple of small formula supplements between copious BFing to tide us by until my supply kicks in, as DD2 is ready for bigger meals.

Hope all is going well with you all! I'll try and catch up properly over the coming days.

This wasn't on my Active threads anymore

Hi everyone only just getting round to joining the post natal thread!

Isla is feeding every hour and a half or so, day and night and it's getting to me. We had her tongue tie cut but not seeing much improvement. She will feed for ages then show all the hunger signs straight after and scream until she is back on the breast. I'm so exhausted!

Just found this thread so catching up on how everyone's doing. We're on day 5 now and after demanding oh gets the snip ASAP I'm starting to miss my bump! I forgot how amazing newborns are and the thought of never going through this again makes me sad. It's been less than a week since I was moaning about being so huge & uncomfortable am I mad! Anyway, baby Ronnie is doing really well, we even managed 4 hours sleep swaddled next to me (we're getting closer to the crib) after days of only sleeping on my chest I figured we'd take baby steps to complete separation besides I prefer knowing he's so close. He even settled off on his own swaddled on the bed with ewan the dream sheep playing womb noises yesterday afternoon so I'm feeling optimistic.

How are we all?

It's gone a bit quiet on here- hope all ok.
Ds2 is now 19 days old. Feeding at night has gone from what felt like constant to every three hours for the last two nights so am getting a bit more sleep in between feeds. Trying to nap in day too where I can when ds1 is at nursery. Also find that feeding from the same boob two feeds in a row has helped reduce the wind issues so thanks to whoever it was that posted that article a few days ago!

My friend bought me Freddos for Freddy! Well, actually for me :) couldn't resist a pic - he's five days old today. The bruising from the forceps is going down and I have a cranial osteopath coming today to check his skull and alignment is ok after all the pulling of the forceps and shoulder dystopia.

Hope everyone is ok!

bezza glad the article helped you! I thought we had it sorted too but DS2 was very upset and cried for two intense hours last night... Still think it's helped a bit though!

moo Freddy's so sweet! Sounds brilliant to have osteopath check him over, we had one seeing Ds1 regularly after his surgery, helped a lot!

Moo- freddy is yummy- his hair is gorgeous! My dh always says all babies look the same but I totally disagree!

Moas- with ds1, I tried a few seasons of the Bowen technique with a qualified practitioner due to his traumatic birth, he was really unsettled- I think this really helped.

Hi it's nice to see a bit more activity on here, I love reading all your posts, gives me comfort to know we are all going through the same,
Hobbjobb hope the feeding is a bit better, I felt like that too but Gracie is 19 days old and we have better days than others, but in general seems to be getting better and going in the right direction
I might try the feeding twice on one boon too, as our main problem is wind that does not come up and give her a disturbed sleep!
Gracie is only breast feed but seems to have a red bum, she is changed regularly and I only use cotton wool and water but she still has a red bum, I am using cream but not working much, I have not had anything spicy to eat, but she does poo lots and list, has anyone else had this problem?

surprise we had terrible nappy rash during first week, metanium sorted it out in a couple of days. I blame the super frequent poos! He'd explode after every feed! It's getting better now I give him one breast at a time.

Anyone else struggling to keep up with feeding? I'm having to express and bottle feed in order to get enough into Freddy to get his weight back up (managed it! Now just got to maintain it) and so my day is a three hourly rotation of bottle feed for 1 to 1.5 hours depending on how sleepy he is, with a nappy change in the middle and offering both breasts so he doesn't forget completely how to feed (he just can't get enough out exclusively breastfeeding and gets stressed), put him down to sleep. Express for 15 mins, clean area/changing table/sterilise bottles. Small break. Express for another 15 mins. Small break. Gather things, try to wake baby, feed for 1 to 1.5 hours etc.

It's hard expressing enough milk to keep up as I can't miss doing any to sleep etc. I can't express enough in one go either as it stops flowing, so I'm feeding at 4am, expressing, sleeping for 1.5 hours and then waking to express more and feed again.

I shouldn't complain as at least he's sleeping in between feeds, but it's so tiring! I feel like an overworked dairy cow. I've not left the house once today, even just to go outside for a bit, and I've got breast milk all over my top, nightie, dressing gown and bed

Sorry about the moan! Off to express again now...

Gosh moobaloo, that sounds incredibly hard going. We had a similar sort of routine while in hospital and it was very difficult. I found expressing exhausting. I don't really have any advice to give - is it worth seeing a lactation consultant or similar? In the meantime look after yourself. You're doing an amazing job!

Mummy cherry haw are you doing? You've gone a little quiet.

Moo that sounds hard going, when can you start expressing less and trusting that he's taking the right amount? Or is this the way it's going to be?

moo that does sound hard. ive no advice im afraid as I gave up breast feeding and absolutely went to peices and uncontrollably cried for two days then sent dh to asda in the early hours to get bottles and formula. I hope it gets better for you soon. x

How is everyone

Well Gracie is 3 weeks old tomorrow and I do feel we have turned a corner, I have downloaded a app on my phone to monitor breast feeding, does loads more but I am just using the breast feeding part, I downloaded it about a week ago and it gives you your daily averages, about a week ago on averages was feeding every 1.25hrs, we have creeped up slowly and now at 2hrs, which makes me feel better! She also slept 3.5hrs last night, that's the longest since she was born! Becoming more alert a and having longer spells awake, which Is also nice. Hope everyone is doing well
L

Great news Surprise. I'm using an app to monitor breastfeeding too and find it really helps me know where I am. Xx

Congratulations to our newly posted mummies :)

Moo-Freddie is gorgeous! How's your feeding going?

I'm doing a bit better thank you sholer, infection seems to be clearing up now but I'm not convinced the antibiotics have completely shifted it yet. Have been resting and feeling sorry for myself for past few days but perked up yesterday! Managed a solo visit to the health visitor today and Alfie seems to be doing great, he is up to 9llbs and is spot on what he should be at 4 weeks. Starting to think about expressing now.. Any experiences or recommendations for me?

Met some other mums with similar age babies at centre and have been invited out for coffee with them next week :) breastfeeding mums, my health authority runs breastfeeding support sessions at children's centre which I've found really helpful. Might be worth checking out if yours do similar?

How are you ohdear? Moom you've been quiet, what's the latest on the christening? Mummytobe , how's Olivia?xx

All good here thanks mummy cherry! Glad to see you have been resting and feeling better!xx

Glad to hear all the stories of lovely newborns!

Moo you are doing an amazing job- you sound like superwoman!

mummycherry everything's good at our end Olivia is doing really well. She's just recovered from having the cold though which wasn't very nice but we've now seemed to have cracked the sleeping situation. The past 4 nights we've had 11/11.30 until 6/6.30!!

How's little Alfie doing? Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better! Get plenty rest where you can.

Sorry been very quiet on this thread lately, I've been updating on the FB page more regularly!

Hope everyone is doing good and the little ones are behaving

I too appear to have deflected to the fb group x