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

auntie I've been lent a tommy tippie one- nct friends who are expressing recommend medula (sp?)

four I've got a friend who has one of those- think I may struggle to get him in but might be worth a try! Also now hes 9lb big enough for gro bags would they help? Arms are free so guessing not...?

maggie I've been lent a Medela, and an Avent that can be used both as a manual or electric. So far I've just tried with the manual because I'm a bit scared of the electric, but I'm finding it hard to find the time to express, as DS seems to cluster feed most of the morning!

On recommendation from people in NCT group I've ordered a microwave steriliser so I can hopefully at least make that part of the process quicker.

I used a medela in hospital after having ds but it was a big one on a stand which is probably out of my price range.

its don't be scared of the electric - the one I used was really good

its hope the steriliser works well. From what people say manual pumps are almost not worth bothering, electric much less discomfort than breastfeeding!

Dh is forgiven (see antenatal thread for moan) he took ds after 5.30am feed downstairs and entertained without being asked so I could get an extra hours sleep- made such a difference!

Thank you for the advice. I used a hospital grade medela when I was in hospital to stock up before my scan then ditch the radioactive stuff after - it was very good. I'm producing loads of milk - one boob is streaming while I feed ds on the other and I want to be able to leave ds with dp for the odd hour without worrying about him being hungry.

ickle I'm not sure about weight limit re swaddle pod. They are a bit snug if I remember correctly so maybe a gro bag is worth trying. I think the first size may last until 6 months so even if he doesn't get on with it now , it won't be a waste if money as he will definitely use it later on.
Gro bags are fab. I have always used them until the age of 3. I would recommend them. You get find them in TK max and they are much cheaper

Last night we slept without the fan on for the first time since dd born. Newborns are so noisy! Snuffling, hiccuping, squeaking, breathing...and then every time she went quiet I was checking she was still alive!

My right boob is still really sore and I hate feeding off it. How long does it take nipples to heal? Latch is fine but only when I'm on the sofa, can't get the positioning right on the bed so at night I just use the left boob.

Only 2 days until dp goes back to work. Scared!

Hello everyone - I forgot about this thread! So this where you've all been hanging out!

Bit of a place marker for now. Baby Plate is wonderful but still excessively sleepy which means we are still heavily dependent on formula feeding and trying to introduce the breast is a souce of frustration and heartache.

So what's the solution please oh wise folk...

Ds falls asleep on my breast, starts sucking/chewing for comfort but ruining my nipple. If I unlatch he wakes screaming and takes hours to soothe and feed to sleep again

ickle is the latch okay when you start to feed but slips when he falls asleep? If not, unlatch and relatch until it's right (hard I know but worth it). Have you considered a dummy for the comfort sucking? And are you doing skin to skin? He might be happy getting his comfort from the direct skin contact without a nipple in his mouth. DH can do it too. Oh and lansinoh or equivalent for the sore nipples. Also breast milk rubbed on nipples and left to air dry helps too.
Sorry if you know all this and tried already. Just going through the things I did the first time around!

ickle some other thoughts: swaddling for sleep (think you mentioned that up thread), white noise (or loud shushing noises) and patting to settle to sleep without having to feed (see dr karp's 7 S's) and maybe a swing (think fisher price make a good one) would help him sleep somewhere other than on you (friends have sworn by them) but obviously they can't be used for long periods.

Thanks for all the pumping advice! The steriliser arrived today and made it much easier for me to grab some time to express after a feed! I might try electric in the next couple of days once I'm a bit more in a routine (I just want enough in the fridge that DH can do a evening feed or I can leave DS with him if I want to!)

ickle again you might already know this but have you tried breast compressions to wake him up while he's on the breast to make sure he's completing the feed and getting the hind milk? That works for us when DS falls asleep on the boob. I don't think I fully understood what to do until being shown at a workshop but this web page explains it:

www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-BC

Having said that ickle I'm just feeding DS again after he came off, fell asleep on me and then woke up as I took too long to re-swaddle him... Sigh.

its have you heard anything about health visitors being unhappy about people using microwave sterilisers? A friend who's due soon was told by the mw they don't like them so she's bought an electric one... I hadn't heard this and was surprised as we used the microwave to sterilise when I was in hospital as instructed!

Thanks for advice will try breast compressions to finish a feed. Have tried skin to skin- how do you then make sure baby isn't cold in sleep? Dressing then wakes him no matter how careful. I would like to introduce a dummy but dh adamant no as midwife at hospital told him not before 6 wrrks- by which time I don't think he will take it.

As for not liking microwave sterilisers that is ridiculous!

Haven't heard that about microwave sterilisers?! Seems bizarre if you were using one in hospital.

Our HV (who apparently only does one visit due to lack of resources) also asked me if I'd been drinking fizzy drinks before feeding DS as a way of working out what might be causing his wind so I'm taking everything I'm told with a pinch of salt . (I mean, what does she think- that it would make the breast milk bubbly??)

Despite DS's sleepiness am still struggling with getting him to sleep in cot/Moses basket etc. He will conk out immediately if held but transitioning to cot, no matter how deeply asleep he seems to be, he wakes and cries the place down.

As a result doing a lot of co-sleeping with him lying on top of me whilst I'm propped up in a semi-recumbent position. But really worried about SIDS/smothering him.

Plate there are studies into this and in films taken during the night the mother simlly doesn't move and if the father moves too close she wards him off. If you've ever napped with a pet you'll know what I mean. The risk in cosleeping is drunk or drugged parents and smoking ones. Also apparently heavy bed clothes & duvets.

The microwave thing is bs. Sounds like someone who has a thing about microwaves and wants to have their cake and eat it. Ie that microwaving food is unhealthy because it kills all the nutrients / fills your food with radiation but sterilising in the microwave isn't good enough because it doesn't kill the bacteria. Both ideas are incorrect btw. The only thing that could be a risk in microwaves is if the plastic used does not tolerate the repeated heating and leaks chemicals.

Bean fell asleep last night listening to and watching her new mobile. She was in her crib while I did nighttime things for 5mins and she'd fallen asleep. Could be worth a try? We got her mobile not for encouraging sleep but to stimulate her vision.

True enough ismarah I slept cradling him for four hours last night and when I woke I hadn't moved a muscle - my arms were very stiff though!

Ismarah you've inspired me to build dd's mobile this afternoon!

Dd is being a beast today- grizzly, constantly hungry but not feeding properly, windy, tearful. I hope this isn't the start of things to come once dh is back at work tomorrow!

ismarah ds did the same with ewan last night. Put him down crying and he fell asleep! Amazing!

plate I have a friend who always co sleeps with little one on her - I only do in desperation shh dont tell dh!

sorry to hear BF is not going so well plate

i'm so sorry I haven't been able to congratulate anyone. I've been doing everything solo for the last 4 weeks as DH working till 9 everyday and then going to bed by 10 p.m with earplugs. I've been following the thread though. Find it really difficult to type while feeding.

Hello all. Will someone please remind me who adds people to the Facebook group?

Feeding has become very painful so have despatched DH to Boots for nipple shields and a working breast pump. Will have to get MW to help with the latch tomorrow.