January 2016 - Hello babies!

[Nousername2015]

Thread to share our experiences and also have a chat to someone also dealing with lively babies at 3am!

It's good to be honest! But also good to know it gets easier even if that's a little way off...

Definitely. You dint want to wish their time away but 8ts god to know and ti know you're not the only one x

Keep talking on here first, and please don't be afraid to speak up in real life if it is getting too much. I suffered with anxiety while I was pregnant and it was only when I admitted it to someone in real life that I could start to get help.

Weird night here. Not much of a cluster feed, I even managed to sleep from 9 til 11, DS went down at 1 and then was up at 2:30, now he's up again for another feed but has settled really quickly. Up to tonight it's been cluster feed until 2 then settle for 4/5 hours.

How is everyone else getting on tonight?

Ah thank you but I'm nit anxious. I promise.

We've had an ok night. Hope you have a few more z's

We've had cluster feeding til midnight then feeds at half 2 and half 5 (feeding now) with sleep in between (yay!) so a good night here.

I'm reading lots that says you should offer the second breast for each feed but I've just been doing one side at a time and letting him feed to sleep (at which point he's not interested in either boob!). Is this wrong?

lily - I'm in Upper Norwood too! Today we went to a bf cafe at Windbourne children's centre which is norbury/Thornton Heath way as that was the one recommended to me by the bf helpline I rang this morning. I'm not too familiar with that area and we had to drive there - took 10 mins. There are loads of other 'cafes' around, taking place on different days. I may drop into another at some point. And wow - you are so lucky to have shrunk back down already! I can't wait to go for long walks but even short walks are difficult so far, so until I can do that I'm ignoring the scales.

firsttimemum you're not alone and do not feel guilty that you are finding it tough. Maybe people don't tell us how hard it is because they forget which I'm hoping MUST mean that is does get better at some point. I'm glad that you got out for a walk - being inside for 3 weeks with little or no interaction with the outside world is bound to be another contributor to you feeling like you are not coping. (I started writing this a few hours ago and have read your more recent posts in which it sounds like your doing just fine and coping as well as the rest of us).

After this morning I was feeling a bit more positive, but come the evening yesterday I was really struggling. Baby just wanted to cluster feed from 4pm until way gone 9pm and was uncharacteristically whingey. . The pressure of having baby attached to me all those hours and the prospect of another sleepless night got to me and was in tears to DH. He sent me up to bed so I got some sleep between 10-12pm, and so far this morning I think I may have had an additional 2-3 hours. Just feeding him now, but hoping to get another couple of hours when he next goes down.

It's definitely these long drawn out feeds I'm finding so hard, and that he's not a fan of his crib (although we have made some progress). I assumed that baby would feed, then be happy to be put down to sleep, and you get some kip around this.

So far, it sounds like a few of us have had a better night than yesterday - things are so changeable, but I'll take this!

Also this was shared on the FB group, really useful!

Timeline of a breastfed baby

Sounds like a much better night elvi! I'm with you on evenings being hard, I think it's the prospect of no sleep and this going on for ever. But you're right, enough people say it's better later on (or seem to have forgotten) to give me hope

Funny that we live so close!!

Any tips on how to sit comfortably to bf in bed? I'm sitting up but slightly reclined so gravity's helping him face towards me but my bum is so sore after holding this position for hours on end - and it's not helping my stitches heal either. Tips welcome! Doesn't seem so painful during the day on the sofa...

lily I offer both in the day, if he feeds to sleep I'll burp him for a bit and then offer second boob. If he's interested he will wake up. At night I don't offer it, I take sleep!

Someone has suggested feed-change-feed as a way to offer both - and it's also proving easier to change him when he's mid feed rather than hungry. Going with it for now!

Yep Elvi,I never said I wasn't coping I live being a mum. I don't think I said anything different to other people. We had some sleep last night too and after nit going on chicco I borrowed a moses basket and used my own mattress and hey ho she went in it.

Hoping it's not just a one off.

I've started feeding and changing then feeding too. She's much calmer being changed after feed. I too was confused at first about how to offer second side when the were zonked.
X

Sorry firsttimemum - you mentioned you were finding things tough (the same as the rest of us) didn't mean to suggest that your weren't 'coping' although I can see I used that word. I'm half asleep when responding and forget to recheck what people have posted. Nope - you definitely haven't said anything different to the rest of us, and certainly nothing dif to how we all feel.

I think I had at least 6 hours sleep last night which isn't too bad. He is definitely going down better in his crib although it does take a few attempts to work out when his mammoth feeding session is finished.

You're doing really well to get baby in his own crib. Last night was the first time I've managed it not sure if it was the moses basket or just coincidence. Spent a fortune on the chicco which may no2 be redundant. X

I'm sorry if I took what you said the wrong way first, I also didn't want to insinuate that you weren't coping but I did want to offer support.

Think we are on a growth spurt here today as I have a very clingy baby who won't get off my boob. It's DH's last day of paternity leave and I had high hopes of going out for lunch which fell by the wayside. DS is 2 weeks old today, no idea where that time (or sleep) has gone!

I know. Amazing how quickly time goes.

Thank you for your support it means a lot. I'm nit one for wishing her time away.

Not sure why ppl thought I wasn't coping. Perhaps I didn't articulate myself too well.

Sorry about your lunch plans just take each day as it comes

Lily I feed in bed with two pillows behind me (one horizontal one vertical) and one under the baby. Or else I feed lying down. I lie on my side with my arm around the top of ds's head with him lying on his side tummy to tummy.

My new (well, second hand from ebay) close caboo nct sling arrived today and ds loves it (or at least slept for ages in it) and it's really comfy. Think it's going to make it a lot easier to butter toast (possibly hardest thing to do one-handed?).

Hope you all get some sleep tonight.

Ar that's a shame about lunch nousername. I'm already nervous about my husband going back to work but he's not returning until the 8th and then my sis is booking a week off work to spend some time with us. I hope it goes well!

Arrr...I always start to get nervous this time of night not knowing how drawn out it will be. But it's comforting to know that we will most likely all be up at different stages during the night and posting on the forum during those long drawn out feeds!

Looks like we're cluster feeding tonight. Non stop since 8pm/9. Growth spurt perhaps.
How is everyone?

Hey all, can I join? I'm in hospital post birth and I can't seem to sleep.. Hannah is generally contented at the moment and feeding is going well so far , but I cannot drop off !!

Sooo tired now! How's everyone else's night? Morning seems a long way away!

Hope your cluster feeding is coming to an end soon firsttimemum. May be at the beginning of a long session here.

vickyors hope you are feeling ok. I found it really hard to sleep the first night my baby was here. Now, I find it almost a race against time to sleep inbetween feeds and when can getting baby down on their own, but sometimes it's hard to drop off quickly.

Congratulations vicki! Good to have you with us.

This baby is STILL awake. I really pissed someone off in a past life I think.

Good morning or is it night? all! We actually haven't had any cluster feeding tonight, managed a couple of hours' sleep since the last feed so we seem to just he running to the usual routine. No complaints from me!

Had an okay day yesterday ruined by a friend outstaying his welcome in our flat and stressing both me and DH out. Visit requests are coming in thick and fast and we're both feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to fit everyone in. I also seem to get the baby blues every evening and this isn't helping. Think we might need a few rules and a visiting schedule so we get some breaks!

Congratulations vicky - it's so hard to sleep in the hospital so you have my full sympathy. How was the birth? I hope the hospital staff are being helpful and nice and that you're recovering well.

I had a c section, so went in yesterday morning at 7.30 and just waited for our turn.. It was all really good.. The op was v chilled.. They started and Hannah was out in under 10 mins, then they sew up while we had time with her.. And she was so alert compared with DS1 who was born after 4 days labouring and she just was shattered!

We were to recovery and our midwife was assigned to us for the rest of the day, and she got the latch sorted so Hannah fed.. It felt so beautiful..

We had the same midwife with us until 8 this eve.. And she checked on us all the time (every 15 mins, because of post op).. But it's a lovely hosp.. We found the same last time.. My OH stayed till 9 then headed home..

However, I'm on such an adrenaline high I can't sleep.. Ah well.. Hannah is feeding well and I think my milk will come in quicker this time.. The section site is painful, but last time I had a hideous episiotomy while got infected, so it's probably swings and roundabouts as to pain- at least with a c section they know you can't move, lift, pick things up.. With a 'normal' birth I think you feel more
Pressure to 'do' stuff..

And lily it's so hard when people stay too long! You want them to come over, help out (or bring a meal) and stay for about half an hour- if you're like me! then bigger off!!

How many days in are you all?
How long did you all stay in hosp?

Sounds like a lovely positive experience vicky!

DS is a week old today, I was in hospital two nights as I had an epidural and some problems bf-ing. He started feeding properly once we were home although I'm still having some problems with the latch.

I also spoke too soon earlier, he'd being really fussy right now so looks like we might be in it for the long haul this morning...