JULY 2014 - WE HAVE BABIES

[justhayley]

Well it's only mid June but I hear we have our first July 2014 baby - congratulations MrsC, also hear there is one going to be joining us very very soon so thought it was time to start a postnatal thread! Wow can you believe it's that time already!!!

I hope to be joining you on this thread in the next few weeks - have no desire to get to 40 /42 weeks in this heat thank you.

For now congratulations new mummies xxx

Yes coco I'm breastfeeding. But he's getting more alert and seems to want more attention at times.

ismarah mine falls asleep usually though sometimes throws his head back in apparent disgust in his sleep!

One thing I suspect has not been mentioned to anyone who had a C section is scar tissue massage. I've done it before on my palm where mobility was important but it works for other scar tissue too. Here's an article I found about how and why to do it: C-section Massage

thanks ismarah, that is very helpful

This is DS5 looking a lot healthier now. We're clusterfeeding again.

%>*+€

So my parents left today which in theory means we should be able to sleep a bit more and be more comfortable in our own house. Except there's a MASSIVE thunderstorn hutting us just now and the dog's completely lost it.

After an aborted attempt to bring him up here with us, DH is now downstairs on the tiny uncomfortable sofa with the dog while I'm upstairs with bean. Neither one of us will be sleeping much, I reckon. Which makes DH understandably grouchy but then I still have to deal with him...

&;):&/@>$%#%#.!

Feel your pain on the thunderstorm front. DS got woken up by it.

Think DS is having a growth spurt - he fed on and off from 8pm to midnight last night. 10pm to midnight he went b

... Bonkers again, screaming and all worked up which makes it impossible to latch him on. So knackered now and was hoping for a bit more sleep before feeding resumed!

ellie he looks beautiful glad hes doing so well!

its am right there with you so much screaming, so hot - even just in nappy! Then when finally asleep to scared to put down/into moses basket in case wakes up again! so frustrating but enjoying calm cuddles right now...

Those of you that are breastfeeding or combo feeding - do you have plans for how long you will breastfeed for? Or with previous DCs how long did you feed for?

Playing it by ear so far but starting to get a bit squicked by the feeling. It is lovely as a thing to do and it's great to see my milk running down her chin but I don't realky like the feeling of it, which makes me less diligent than I should be.

#badmummy

Playing it by ear for now. I don't mind the feeling (apart from the initial toe curling latching pain) but I find the responsibility of being the only one who can feed him very scary. I think

I think once I'm able to express for d

Sorry - fat thumbs!

I think once I'm sble to express for some feeds it'll hopefully get easier. Ideally I'd like to do 6 months minimum but that seems soooo far away at this point. I think on one of the threads on here someone said something about taking it one feed at a time and I'm trying to bear that in mind.

I breastfed ds1 till about 7 1/2 months and stopped mainly in preparation for going back to work and because he had started to get really distracted and kept pulling off to look around spilling milk and flashing my boobs in the process.
I plan to do roughly the same for ds2 all being well.

I think combination feeding is probably the hardest going of all as you have the downsides of both and I think it probably takes more dedication than either method alone.

I agree it does get easier when you express some as it gives you more freedom but each individual has to decide what's right for them and their baby.

Casmama why do you say combo feeding is hardest? #boobnoob

I'm planning to breastfeed til 7/8 months.

DS was like those you are describing (all worked up etc) in the early days and I had to learn to be a bit forceful with him to get him to latch on with the help of the mws... bit of a case of shoving my boob in his mouth rather than let him latch on!!!

I'm struggling and feeling like my life is just to feed/look after DS. It's a culmination of everything that's happened over the past month I think which has just left me feeling really shit about everything - I should be happy and celebrating my little one but nothing has gone the way I wanted and just feels wrong. Doesn't help that it's a month today since mil died and dp is struggling. I'm still not 100% well myself and really don't have the strength to deal with everything but don't have much choice. If one more medical person tells me I need to look after myself/eat/drink/take my meds I will scream - I am trying but it's hard when you've got a little one demanding so much of you!

Auntie the worst thing is that you know they're right - but reality of baby and recovery is not conducive to actually doing the things you need to do. So they're not helpful telling you what you need to do rather than helping you make it happen.

Your DP will recover - and you'll recover - and you'll get into a routine and suddenly it will become easier. I'm finding the tiredness really does a number on my balance which I don't like but so far I've been OK apart from when I'm overtired. Which is actually one of the benefits for us of topping up with formula - DH can feed her too at night which means we both get sleep and the formula is a heavier meal for her than breastfeeding alone which means she sleeps for longer stretches at a time. But that's our choice after me being ill - you were really up against it yourself and you've persevered in breastfeeding because that was what you wanted and you deserve all the credit for that. But you also deserve all the breaks.

I think because with breastfeeding you have the upside of no prep, milk always ready and at right temperature with the downside of it being relentless at times, painful at times and restrictive. With formula feeding there is the faff of preparation but you get your body back and the freedom.
If you are doing both then you don't get all the upsides of either and you get the downsides of both so it seems hardest to me. Total respect for those who do though.

Sorry Ismarah, I hadn't refreshed so cross posted with your last post. It sounds like combo feeding is working for you and I hope my comments didn't come across as critical because they absolutely weren't meant that way.

No worries Casmama I didn't take it as such - was just not clear on how you saw it as involving the downside of both. Thanks for clarifying!

Bean's taken in nearly 200ml tonight and I'm seriously wondering at what point she'll go pop. She's not been sick though so I guess she's just having a hungry evening.

ismarah Theo literally would not stop feeding last night. Hours upon hours non stop! Up again after only 1h sleep for more where is a sleepy emoticon when you need it!

As for how long, taking it a day at a time imagine will start weaning at 6 months...going back to work at 9 so somewhere in between!

i'm planning to bf for 5 months as going back to work full time in 6 months. Doing combo feeding like you ismarah

officially marking place. our little man arrived on wed 16th @ 04:47 weighing 8lb 14oz (4.028kg)

My BF history is long and complicated so I'll make a list
DS1 - BF exclusively for 14 months
DS2 - BF exclusively until 6 months and then mixed fed until 18 months
DS3 - BF exclusively until 4 months and then mixed fed until 23 months
DS4 - Expressed with some formula as well until 5 months.

I'm not sure how long I'm going to breastfeed this time. I hate the faff of formula, sterilising and having to bring bottles etc with you (and I'm forgetful so have had to go/send DH home for forgotten bottles etc so many times) and breastfeeding is going well at the moment although it is fairly constant.

So any advice ds (8 days old) fed for 30mins then 15mins later starting to cry/want more has fed for another 3030mins now screaming uncontrollably have winded throughout but could be colic? Given to dh to try and calm down with someone who doesn't smell of milk! Getting tired earlier and earlier at the moment! If he was to fall asleep now think I would go to bed too but it's 8.30!!! Arhh bring on a routine!

oh dear ickle hope the crying stopped last night. Could it be wind or reflux. Sorry probably not v helpful but when DS has been crying after feed, i've tried putting him on his tummy to relieve the wind and given infacol before the next feed which leads to him having a big dirty nappy and being calmer.