October 2014 (including some september early arrivals) the wonderful and crazy newborn days

[fedupofrainydays]

Thread to share the newborn news and support each other through the 'eeek what do I do?' When the baby gets home and you stare at it in the car seat and think - help!!

Same bump in the first week - she would always fall asleep. we supplemented with formula after the breast and she always woke up more for that. Eventually she just started taking longer, though will often doze off in that 40 mins. Stripping her down, blowing on her, feet tickling all helped wake her up a bit.

Oh dear, DH first day back at work not started very well. Settled DS at 11pm for the night and he went through until 1am which wasn't bad however he then stayed awake, partly feeding, partly just alert and awake and partly windy and in lots of pain for next few hours. At 5.30am DH decided to go for a run as his alarm was going off at 6am. So he's gone to work on 2 hours sleep. DS did eventually fall asleep about 7am and slept until 9am so I've achieved a little more sleep.

He's getting more and more grouchy and windy now and the first two weeks of sleepy placid baby have very much come to an end. Trying long burping sessions after every feed, infacol before each feed and lots of upright time but doesn't seem to be making much difference. I want to feed lying down but can't lie on side yet as incision too painful. Any other tips?

I think babies and wind is such a blimmin design flaw!

We had a better night reflux wise by really tilting her cot. But she still feeds at 11, 1, 4 and 6. Yawn. J was always 3 hourly at most. Still I know she will get longer and longer between feeds I just have to be patient. Bump she will get longer at the boob too.

I didn't find infacol worked - just made ds1 puke!
Have you checked for tongue tie captain? wind issues are a sign. Also try laying him on a slope and not flat. And make sure he drains a boob before next one as fore milk makes more windy. Sorry for typo, just expressing as I write!

This is also about the time reflux will appear - babies are often born with a weak sphincter at the top of the stomach which means milk can come back up - they either puke it up, or if suffering from silent reflux they swallow it back down (tell tale signs are weird noises in their throat after a feed, and comfort feeding as breast milk is a natural antacid). Unfortunately the refluxed milk comes up mixed with stomach acid and can burn the back of their throats after a few weeks. To help tilt the cot head higher than the feet, feed in as upright a position as possible, hold baby upright after feeds and DON'T give infacol. Lilla is definitely refluxing and I'm dreading the point in a couple of weeks when the acid in her throat has burned her and causes her pain . 40% of babies with reflux are actually suffering from a reaction to cows milk in formula or in a BF Mums diet.

Bugger if you're taking baby off one boob after 15 minutes put them back on that side later as baby will get too much foremilk otherwise and that causes awful wind and tummy troubles!

Buggerlugs yes it might well just be a temporary oversupply issue from pumping am sure it'll resolve x

What a day! And not over yet as this is the first time DH is out tonight so I've got to attempt bath and bed for ds1 with ds2 around and no doubt wanting to feed throughout. Got the fear!

Manager to get all 3 of us out by 9 and to nursery, explain all the kitchen stuff to the carpenter, drop scooter back home, go to register birth, saw the midwife, friend came round, went out for lunch, cleaned up builders mess and picked up ds1 and done his tea. I'm knackered!!!!!

Good news is midwife has signed us off as doesn't think he's jaundiced any more - hurrah!!!!! His weight gain is good too so am really chuffed. He was 6.14 today and was 6.1 at birth. So the feeding marathons are working.

Re BF, useful bit of advice breastfeeding lady fave me at tongue tie clinic was to keep feeding on the same boob until they do that fluttering / flicking feeling - this is them shaking the fat drops off the milk ducts so a really important part of the feeding. I will take a photo of this graph she shower me as to what a typical feed should be like.

Try lying down bugs then less likely to 'pour' into her mouth. Is she gulping it down? Or if the flow is too fast try expressing a bit off before you feed her - it's the first bit that has the rapid flow then slows down. I've got lots of milk at the mo - think its due to the last few days of constant feeding. It ends up everywhere but then calms down after a minute or two. It drips everywhere and I need towels too!

Can I join? was a September due date but baby waited 11 days so she could be born in October. can't believe it was this time last week was having contractions in bed and now am feeding my wee one.

We had an exhausting day today my husbands father died last week and it was the funeral.
hope everyone is enjoying new born hugs and to quote the bare naked ladies song.....who needs sleep ?

Hi Dazed! Yep both my babies have deemed sleep as being for the weak in the early days but it got better quite quickly last time. Fingers crossed it will this time. My wee miss has discovered cluster feeding with gusto tonight. Let's hope it improves our sleep.

Hi Ladies, sorry for gatecrashing from the antenatal thread. Hope all
is going well with your lovely babies! I know some
of you had sections, mine is due Friday and I have a silly question that is worrying me: does it hurt when the catheter is removed? Presumably the epidural has warn off by this stage - i have visions of
an overworked staff member yanking it
out. Dunno why I've seized on that small
Part of the process to get wound up about!
Thanks

fatpony when myn was removed it didn't hurt its a strange feeling but not painful. Good luck for Friday your baby is nearly here :)

Catheter removal didn't hurt at all. Don't worry about that part I promise

Didn't hurt, just a very quick pulling sensation (2 seconds) and done! Good luck for your section fatpony!

I feel like the worst mother in the world... for the second night in a row,I've slept through my alarm to wake baby for a 3 hour feed at night. I don't know if I'm in some kind of Cadbury's drunk sleep or what! She woke by herself after 5/6 hours but felt so guilty!

Pony I was panicking about that too - I never felt a thing and mine was removed 24 hours after my epidural. Also from 12 days post CS I haven't even needed to take paracetamol so the recovery pain has been much less for me than with a vaginal birth / episiotomy. All in all I'm v chuffed with a CS.

Porcito enjoy your sleep! She'll wake you when hungry. Lilla was going great last night then DS woke us all

Thanks guys for the reassurance!

Bump I found the big improvements came at 3 days, 3 weeks and 3 months last time. Lilla is still waking us every 2-3 hours at night and will do until her tummy grows and is capable of lasting longer. She has really cracked cluster feeding in the last two days so I'm hopeful better nights might be on their way. Sadly last night DS woke us all up 2 hours after she'd finished cluster feeding.

I think my CS scar might be infected. One side has gone really hard and swollen - docs tomorrow methinks - bugger

It gets better bump !