December-the 'Merry Christmas' Babies!

[Calmriver]

Hi Guys, thought I wouldn't betray our months of being together...whats a week amoungst friends!!!

Hi guys
First post to this thread. Since we've been home on Monday we've had two ok nights and 2 hideous nights. I'm BF'ing at moment and am determined to stick to it this time as was bullied into giving up early last time by my hv due to DS1's "slow" weight-gain. Not happening this time - I don't care!

If I could just get a continuous 8 hour sleep I'd be chuffed!

We can support each other through the bullying dd. I'm encountering lots of pressure from ds2's doc b/c of "slow weight gain" I'm determined not to cave in, but it is sooo hard when they look at you like you're hurting your baby. But he is gaining and having tons of pees and poops so I'm going to keep telling myself it'll all be OK in a few weeks...

forgot to say

Congratulations dublindee! And welcome to the other side

Am interested in this night-time feeding thing from those who are a little further on than me & ds2 (he's 10 days today). He's staying awake nonstop from 11 until about 5 or 6, feeding nearly all of that time. Am finding it really hard to cope as there is just no let up, and then he usually develops hiccups or nappy needs changing which of course sets him off on another feed. Has this happened to anyone else or are you getting regular breaks ie feeding every 2-3 hours (he does this during the day ok). Any suggestions?? I'm getting a bit desperate, was a bit cross with ds2 at 5 this morning, just pleading to lie down for 20 mins! Feeding lying down good, but he doesn't latch on as well, sitting up uncomfortable on both my back & stitches which are still healing.
DP still off work, but come Wednesday I've got both ds1 and ds2 so can't stay in bed in the morning, I can cope on limited sleep but not on air, feeling quite panicky about how to get through the days and crying a lot. Am trying to be positive, I think the progesterone is doing it's sudden sinking thing after the birth high!
Castles, how are you feeling today and how are the sicky babies doing?
Jabber, you tell them where to go, bfed babies always have slower growth curve and shouldn't be judged the same way ESPECIALLY when premature fgs!

Ds1 is exactly the same and is now 16 days old. He was up from about 11pm till 5.30am and is now sleeping peacefully
I have a huge coldsore and need to sleep I know it's normal for newborns but really can't remember how long it lasts?
So lots of sympathy from me and of anyone getting sleep at night

My DD (7 days today) is feeding much more at night. Last night she fed almost non-stop for 3 hours. She would stop, need a wind, or new nappy and that would waker her up and she needed feeding even more. From memory with DD1 it does settle down, the extra feeding is to stimulate the breasts into producing a faster flow of milk i think. Tough going through though...

Thanks ac Having you guys is helping a lot. I might easily cave in otherwise and that would be a shame.

DS1 was just like your ds2. That's how I got caught in the nipple confusion trap with him. Was up crying one night as so sore and tired from the non-stop feeding and dh convinced me to pump and let him give a bottle for 24 hours. Of course, thers's newer nipples out there specifically designed to reduce that risk now. I've bought the Second Nature and the Adiri ones to use when I go back to work.

Maybe he's just going though an early growth spurt? I remember ds1 was such a ravenous feeder that he never lost any of his birth weight and had gained a pound after the first week

Satinshoes---that makes me laugh.

My DD sounds very much the same! We kind of go around in circles too!!! Feed, burp,change,feed....

I have actually at times left her asleep on the boob, and put her down without burping! If it's a problem for them, they will soon let you know, and if not, well...you get some sleep!!! I think I worry more than she does sometimes! Maybe give it a go.?

Oh, Infacol has been a blessing!

I was in stitches the other night(excuse the pun!) as she burped 16 times from one feed!...needless to say, she slept like a baby!(excuse the pun again!)

calmriver - lol @ 16 burps.

Had a tough night last night as DD was up for 3 1/2 hours and feeding non-stop. Luckily she is still asleep now so I have had some sleep.

We are going to give her the first 'proper' bath today. I bet she'll hate it as she doesnt like being naked but there you go. Need to try and keep her awake more during the day and figured this would be a good way to do it!

Anyone b/feeding - dont let your health visitors or Drs bully you.

Tell me about it...they do bully you!I had a midwife tell me how to breastfeed,forgetting however that I had breastfed DD1 for almost 1 year!!!
WHATEVER!!!

I talked to dh yesterday about the bullying from our dr, He was surpringly supportive of bfing and said "Just nod your head and say fine, then forget what she says. He's doing fine."

And he is. He's nursing away even now

Hi everyone! Thanks for the tip Northernmama. Athina has settled down now. I think I was panicking cos DD1 had reflux and I just could NOT stand it again.

AQ and everyone else who is up all night feeding. I am no expert but my doula told me for 2-3 weeks we produce prolactin in our milk which is extremely tasty & why babies want to feed all the time. HOWEVER, on Friday night we had a night nurse (the most brilliant thing in the world ) who said if you can try and stick to 3 hour feeds in the day it will have a knock-on effect at night and they SHOULD sleep longer. I don't know if I'm having some luck this time but I've been doing this and Athina has slept from 12am-5am for the last few nights. I don't want to piss anyone off by saying this I'm just trying to help. However, she is up from about 5pm to 12am (even though I have tried to get her to sleep) and I just feed her every 2 hours or so. My reckoning is she's probably knackered and very full and just konks out.

AQ, in spite of this, I have had some VERY bad days. For example on Friday I just cried all day and shouted at the DCs inbetween My DS & DD1 are playing up like mad and demanding my attention non-stop. I'm terrified of PND again and DH is at work the whole time and quite stressed. The poor bloke looks absolutely terrible which is why he got the night nanny. They cost a bomb but he wants to keep me sane. Hopefully we are going to have her at least once a week until we are on an even keel ... maybe the 6 week mark.

Hang in there and keep checking on here! I'm going to see a homeopath next week. Also I've asked my MIL to come and stay for the week as I just can't cope on my own at the moment. I've let down all my barriers this time and admitted defeat. The last 2 times I struggled on and then fell apart. Cheese alert but be kind to yourself!!!

Thinking of you all and welcome to all the new babies ... if there are any. Sorry for deranged ramblings of a mad woman ... must be the effects of the epidural

Castles; I too suffered really bad wih pnd and this time have vowed that I will yell the minute I feel it all getting too much. Poor Dh is terrified I will keep it to myself until it's escalated but I have promised I wont.
If your b/f what exactly does the night nurse do?? I couldn't afford one but the thought of one sounds great

Up all nigh again here, ds1 is a 2-3 hourly feeder in the day anyway but it's not making him sleep any longer at night
He was very nocturnal when I was pg wih him so maybe it will take some time for him to change around! (I live in hope )

Anyone else had a section and still feeling sore ect...?
I was feeling great and made the mistake of running the hoover round Now I am in agony again, almost as much as the day after the section. Resorting back to the strong painkillers and will stop trying to do so much.

Xmas soon and I still haven't orted everything! Imagine if we had our babies even nearer to Xmas

Magnolia, I expressed loads of milk for the night nanny to give to DD2 and in typical fashion she only woke once at 5am Still I got to sleep from 9PM to 7AM. I've got the number of the agency if you feel tempted ...

I still feel quite sore round my wound too. I'm doing eff all really but it is worse than the other times. Maybe a cumulative effect.

Yes Xmas is not happening here at the moment apart from a tree which is already shedding. At least we have an excuse!!!

Actually had a great night last night Chris fed from 12-1 hungry little monster and then from 6-30 so I had a really good spell of sleep and then he fell asleep straight after at 6.30 so I got to have some more!!!! Soooooooo happy as it makes such a difference to your mental state esp with a toddler on the loose.

I find myself feeling hugely guilty atm saying "NO" constantly to Matthew so I've vowed we'll take him to an indoor playarea today to let him run wild and burn off some steam. Have to re-learn to be nice mammy again not nazi mammy!!!

How's everyone coping?

Health visitor rang this morning to say she'll see me Thursday for the first time. should be interesting to see what she says about Chris this time and the bf'ing.

Hello Dublindee! Long time no see! Glad to see everything going well for you.

Rhubs x

Hi all. A good and a bad night for me. Erin fed from 8pm until about 10.30. Went to sleep and then threw it all up at about 10.50 so wanted more milk for the next 90 mins!!! . She then slept from 12.30 - 3, woke for another feed at 3-4 but then slept until 8.30 so at least I had a block of 4.5 hours....

She seems to stuff her face from 8-11 or 13.00 though and then sleep from 1 am until about 11am. I just need to work out how to bring that forward a bit!.

I feel pretty good though. Just put on my maternity joggers and they are falling off me I am a bit pleased

I never felt that bothered with soreness. Of course, they sent me home with lots of oxycodone which I took full advantage of...

Surfed on over to have some of all of you, only to find it's still hard, just a different kind of hard!

I forgot about all the hormone shift, and the awake feeding business... DS (#2) was an all night feeder for months! Every 1 1/2 to 2 hours if I recall rightly.... oh crap, I don't want to do that again!

Now in a pickle, huh, baby due this weekend, and suddenly don't want it out, but don't want it in anymore either!!!!

Is it possible to have hormones crap out on you early? I've been crying off and on (mostly on) since Saturday.... not coping so good anymore.

So I have figured the best way to help your babies settle into the day/night pattern is have them sleep in your bed with you. It worked with DD1 and its sorting DD2 out! I'm getting sleep and thats still with feeds during the night!!!

Hello everyone, just having a look in as I will be joining you in a matter of days- I am now 12 days overdue and have begged for the full 14 days to see if I can have my much-wanted VBAC. However, it doesn't look like this naughty boy wants to come out at all so will be having an elective sunroof exit on Thursday. Boo.
So another four days in hospital for me but at least I should be out on Christmas Eve as I really can't face turkey sandwiches hospital style!
Hope all the new mums are all well and hope to catch up with you soon.

So you can join our c-section club, eh diamonds?

ds2 loves sleeping with me but I'm trying not to get in that habit. We have some friends whose 2 year old is still sleeping with them...

Hi All,

Now I can legitamately join this thread !

Can't belive DS is a week old today! At the moment he is sleeping, DH is sleeping and DD has just curled up under a blanket on the sofa to watch Thomas. Although it's still me up in the middle of the night a couple of times. Then again DH did give me a lie-in this morning

The feeding is going well although mostly formula due to unhelpful breasts again, am only managing to express about an ounce every 2 days ! The fact I had a cracked tooth on Sunday night and was too afraid to eat or drink for 18 hours until I got to the dentist has'nt helped. But some is better than none.

Anyway it's nice to be able to sit again and talk to you all again.

MIL went home Saturday, and not a moment too soon! I already have reports of her saying how different I am to my SIL in that I dont let her feed, change, dress DD or DS. Actually I do let her do all that with DD, I had to when I was in hospital. But she has also said I let her have more cudles with DS than I did with DD - I did'nt think I was any diferent actually.

And my really good news is DH's grandad is now out of hospital so looking good for spending Boxing Day with him!

Meant to ask - is anyone else finding existing children have become little saints?

Whether it's because she has always been happy to amuse herself or perhaps that DH and I are making a huge effort not to shout at her about anything, so we talk calmley and explain things etc, and involve her with Dylan every step of the way, if she wants to. But I am just so proud of her behaviour and have fallen in love with her all over again as well as Dylan - I am a very happy mummy .

DD is currently sat quietly on the floor watching Thomas and playing with a mini cooking set and some dry pasta

G'day, new Mums all - and surfers from Ante Diamonds, sorry you do'nt get your VBAC either (I can relate)...but hope your section is as enjoyable as mine was: will see you and Northernmama here again v soon

Milkshake, congrats on your ds - and on losing MIL . Every time I get time/energy to log on, a new babe has appeared...its lovely. Congrats to any others I've missed during my AWOL days, too.

Am avidly reading how to turn night time feeders into daytime ones...Mischa's growth spurt being over (she has put on 1lb in ten days, the little guzzler, no wonder my boobs are aching - not complaining though, is a nice change from dd who took an hour to drink 20mls) she is back to sleeping for 4-5 hours in the afternoon and early evening, then being colicky till 11pmish, then feeding every 2.5-3 hours at night.

Might have to try Calm's way - I take M into bed with me at her last feed around 5-6am, and she sleeps till at least 8.30 that way. Though I don't sleep quite as well, for fear of squishing her. Any tips?

dd1 has fearsome cold, coughs at night (when Mischa is sleeping, of course ) and has her birthday on Friday. Its all go here....am starting to feel seriously knackered....