October 2014 // thread 2 // keeping each other company through the night feeds!

[sazzlehopes]

Hi all, welcome to thread 2!

I'd make any long term decisions about BF after the 6 week growth spurt as this intense phase is very short lived and after 6 weeks it gets much easier. I think during the early days all of us at one point have yelled at our DHs to go and get some formula to get this blimmin baby off ma boobs!!!! Luckily DH knows its bluster and frustration and took the baby and supplied me with biscuits when this happened with J.

Hello, finally joining the postnatal thread. I haven't quite caught up on the previous thread but as I have lots of nocturnal feeding sessions ahead I'm sure I'll catch up.

Captain I guess it's one day at a time with BF, but whatever you decide will be right for your little one as you are obviously giving it a lot of thought.

My sympathies to all of those with unhelpful house guests, our house is way too small for guests to stay overnight, sadly my parents whilst wanting to be helpful have just overstayed their welcome on a number of occasions (1am still in our house...). As they are my parents, it's my job to ask them to leave but I feel guilty as they postponed travel abroad plans to stay to 'help', whilst I'm grateful for the many meals they have made, I'd also like some family bonding time with DD1, DD2 and DP before he goes back to work. I hate confrontation but no time alone as a new family is driving me crazy and they are my parents. DP is being very understanding as he knows any criticism will illicit emotional tears!

Sorry if this question has already been posted, I'm breast feeding DD2 (2 weeks today) on demand and would like to express enough for the 10pm-ish bottle feed, how much should I express? Is there a recommended time of day to express 'sleepy' milk? Should I really wait until week 4?

My DH is a lovely, kind, supportive man whom I adore.

But I swear, the sound of him snoring away on the sofa while baby settles in for yet another consecutive night of cluster feeding makes me so jealous I could kick him.

celly - I found a calculator on the kelly mom website for expressed quantity. Helps you work out how much you need. I worked out 90ml. Am yet to try it, hut we're week 3 and both midwife and health visitor have said it's ok to give it a go. Will express tomorrow morning at tye same time as her big 11am feed and see how we go tomorrow evening.

Hi new thread!

badger I express now. Started somewhere around the 3 or 4 week mark once I knew he was happy with bf. I think it's best to express at night first thing in morning as milk is creamiest. It's thinner at the end of day.

My boy is 6 weeks today! Time is flying. Now can't help wondering if we have had the 6 weeks growth spurt last two days as he's mich calmer and sleepier now. Probably not and I'm in for hell tomorrow!

I too have found bf harder this time. Mostly because having another child to care for makes it mjch harder to settle down on the sofa for the cluster feed and also I got a cracked nipple and didn't last time. Ouchy.

still getting a lot of puke here, keep finding him with it in his hair and round back of his neck - gross.

DH in a mood tonight - indigestion, fed up of jobs and house mess to deal with and tired. I think we should have a weekend off sorting the house. It's never ending and draining and we Haven't had time to enjoy being a family yet.

Parking myself down on the new thread. Matilda fell asleep on the pillow she rests on whilst feeding 9:30. Only trouble is we're downstairs . I sent mrsthedog up to bed at half nine and have watched rubbish since. I'll be knackered tomorrow but it's the first bank of a few hours sleep mrsthedog haas gotten for weeks.
Sorry to hear house guests are PITAs. The professionals is on itv4 +1. I have a crush on Doyle :-)

I'm rinsing Netflix - finished Orange Is The New Black and embarking on House Of Cards while baby sleeps on my chest and I contemplate trying Operation Moses again...

Oh, yes, and eating. Eating A LOT.

goats- good news about pip.

happy- did tilting the Moses basket work?

Sorry to hear that others' babies are suffering/ have suffered with constipation. Has anyone heard of infacol causing it? We stopped giving it to DS yesterday afternoon and around 1am this morning had a nappy full of poo. Not sure if it's coincidence though? Never been so glad to smell poo in my life

pregnant- that sounds like a scary experience and from what you've written I really think a proper debrief and review of your notes would help you.

rudy- I hope you're feeling a bit better now? I'm only on day 11 of being a mum but nothing anyone said could have prepared me for how difficult some moments could be (nor how wonderful some other moments are). How old is your LO? Are you close to or past the 6 week stage which everyone has been mentioning?

Yawn just got in from a wild night out with my girl!

So Lil's hoarse cry worsened to raspy, laboured breathing - come to OOH says the doc, they hear her hoarse cry, noting she was prem and rush us to A&E. Whereupon she produces the biggest poonami all down her and me. Ruining my beloved mat jeans and fave nursing top. The nurse produced a lovely NHS baby grow for her. I was just v glad it was dark outside as I was very obviously poo stained! Stay classy!

Thankfully heart, lungs etc all fine. And yep the diagnosis - silent reflux, inflamed larynx - keep off dairy and soy; and ranitidine to give her, if there's no lasting improvement after a week - away to the GP we go for omeprazole. And so it begins. At least we've side stepped the don't believe in reflux / its colic / have some baby gaviscon stage - it took over a month of asking for J to be prescribed ranitidine.

She sounds like a squeaky dog toy

badger- good luck with operation moses.....I'm about to try now too!

Sounds like a worrying night yellow, I hope the medication does the job.

Feeling better thanks sore, managed couple hours sleep following evening of beetroot baby screaming. He is 3.5 weeks now.

Sending to all of you fellow 3am feeders.

Yellow - glad Lil got sorted even if it meant a trip to A&E

waves at all the other feeders

R been waking every hour or two. Knackered!! I even fell asleep siting up. Unheard of for me

yellow glad L has got some help
Now even of that did mean a panic trip

Aaaargh, get 4 hours sleep from 1.15 to 5.15, which she then ruins by peeing all over my bed mid nappy change. Cue me crashing around on the landing with a head torch on trying to find dry clothes. She's now in sleep suit that's far too big and no vest. Bad mother.

is anyone elses baby very noisy when feeding? Pip sounds like a pig at a trough. Particularly noticeable at night.

yellow your poor little babathat sounds horrendous for her, glad you skipped the bullshit diagnosis, hope she feels better soon with the medication ?

yellow- what a horrible night, but at least things are (hopefully) sorted and L will hopefully start to feel better.

goats- DS makes some interesting noises when feeding too, and when he's finished being winded but wants more food so is rooting around on my shoulder (tend to have a short window to get him back in position with his bottle before he realises my shoulder doesn't give him milk and starts crying)

yellow poor lil, glad you managed to get a quicker diagnosis this time

badger DS does exactly the same thrashing, pulling, squawking thing as baby badger when feeding. He usually seems to feel better after a big burp/poo so I'm putting it down to wind.

I'm getting fed up of being puked on. Last night DS had a big feed from both sides and fell straight asleep but then puked and completely soaked himself and his moses basket. Obviously then he was wide awake and hungry again, grr.

Has anyone else's baby outgrown their moses basket yet? DS is getting too big for his at almost 3 weeks old. He looks like a giant compared to dd at the same age.

sorehead Infacol has been our lifesaver and def no constipation here, we even had lava flow poo on the changing mat yesterday, it wouldn't stop!

Yellow sounds stressful but atleast it's all sorted and you have the right diagnosis. Issy also squeaks when she cries, we thought it was just her cry as no one at hospital/ community midwives have said it's wrong. I might speak to mw today to check it's ok.

Morning all! An average night here - N cluster fed all eve so I was hoping for slighter longer stretches but hey ho.

Thanks yellow will call the docs today.
Badger, discovered the macaroons in the supermarket the other day. Yum!

Pregnant I feel for you with your birth story. Mine was similar and I think sharing always helps. It's good to write it down and get it out. I might do the same later.
Right off to get ds1 to nursery now!

Yellow sorry to hear you had such a scary night but glad that L is now having proper treatment. Hope she feels better soon.

Pregnant my first birth was similar, except ended in a crash section (luckily under spinal rather than GA). DS had decels throughout - such a horrible thing to see/hear on the trace. I was flat on my back having continuous contractions (DS was b2b and I hyperstimulated within 10 mins of the pessary going in - induced at 42 weeks). If I moved they lost the trace. I had the trace for the full 7 hours, so it was literally the opposite of the home water birth I'd hoped for. The room was like a train station with midwives, doctors, students coming and going constantly - we were never alone but I didn't know who any of them were. On my way to theatre I remember asking a midwife would everything be ok and she said she couldn't promise anything but really hoped so. I was so scared (makes me cry thinking about it even now 4.6 years and two vbacs later!). I found reading my notes (when pregnant with DD1) really useful. I was in the hypnobirthing zone and kind of out of it due to getting through the continuous contractions but dh was traumatised. Talking definitely helped, but I found people in RL do tend to minimise it - usually with 'DS was fine and that's all that counts'. Talking with DH was most useful. I also found it useful to read up on how all the HCPs there had to make life-changing and saving decisions and work together to make it all happen. I hope you come to terms with R's birth.

hefner I feel your pain! Dylan pukes all over me most feeds whilst still on the boob, it's delightful! I'm going through muslins like they're going out of fashion.

Another fairly good night, he slept in 3 hour chunks, I'm hoping he has a better sleep day as the last 2 days have been awful. He was constantly feeding and refusing to sleep!

Yellow, hope your little one gets better soon. What a frightening thing...

Goats, mine makes the strangest grunts. When he pulls off when finished he smacks his lips!

Can't remember who was askig about their LO settling in the bednest. Mine wouldn't easily settle but about ten days ago we started taking it down to the sitting room for his daytime naps (rather than the bouncer where he had become VERY cosy) and made him sleep in it. Also put a little sheepskin in. It seems to have helped, that and him being conked out from his 10pm formula feed. I don't want to curse myself but fingers crossed!

Binky her cry has totally disappeared - she either cries soundlessly or with the faintest hoarse squeak. It's very sad to hear. I'm OK wasn't that stressed last night was only stressed thinking they'd not take it seriously.

Sounds like we are all having similar stuff!

That's fat pony - will try the sheepskin. With muslin under head as so sicky.

With you on pukey babies I have another pool of puke in my bra. Nice. It feels such a waste of milk and time / effort.

For a long time adter my first birth I would physically shudder when I thought about it so can imagine how hard it is for you