January 2016 - Hello babies!

[Nousername2015]

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

I try but she wakes up. I think we fell asleep feeding last night

Does anyone else's baby get bad stomach ache when feeding or after feeding. She raises her legs as if in pain. She will often be sick after feeding. Poops are brown so she's getting enough milk but I just don't know how to help her or prevent it apart from winding after feeds.

Also anyone else get confused about which boob to use when they are on and off a bit or frequent feeding?

I think I jinxed myself.
Baby would not settle in moses basket after 2 am. Had some skin to skin to settle her but I nodded off and now feel awful.
She's been in the moses all morning while I did housework etc and slept fine. Midwife has told me to feed two hourly in the day and she'll sleep longer at night but I don't know if feeding her even when she's not asking for it is a good idea?

Have you tried infacol or baby gaviscon? They should help with the tummy ache. Have you tried elevating her mattress at one end? That really helped us and ds also started going in his basket more easily once we did that.

I use an app to track feeds so have a reminder of which boob was last. I have heard of people wearing a hair bobble on their wrist and swapping it over to remind them of which side to go for next.

First time I find warming the basket with a hot water bottle helps, less of a cold shock for her! Sods law she does a poo as soon as I put her down though! Also white noise. We have a ewan the dream sheep, I love him

I just use what ever boob feels fullest. Dd is a little and often girl and tends to only take from one at each feed but I've always forgotten by the next feed which one she had last time. Dp laughs at me because I sit there jiggling my boobs to see which is fullest before I feed her.

We managed to sleep in this morning. Woke up at 7.40 and need to be out the house for school at 8.15. Somehow managed to get baby fed and dressed as d big girl fed and dressed and get there on time. The only person who missed breakfast was me

Dp's first day back at work today. I'm having tea and cake and slightly enjoying the peace and quiet.

7 hours sleep altogether yesterday. Small victories!

lily go if you can - they are such a good support. I still worry about his latch as sometimes he bobs his around with mouth open and doesn't take the boob or slips off. But other times he's fine. What you have said is no diffirent to what is going on here.

firsttimemum after that bad night I had (day 2) where baby wouldn't go down at all I tried to put him down a bit more in the day when he was sleeping just to try and get him used to not being against me 24/7. He wouldn't go in crib but I laid him on sofa and wedged him with a cushion to give illusion being held and he went to sleep like this for a couple of hours - obviously we didn't leave him on his own. That night he went down better in the crib, but I have no idea whether the cushion technique helped or not. Maybe you could try something similar during day when you are awake and put her in crib for a bit and comfort her by wedging blankets either side of her? Also I've removed my baby from his grobag as I'm not sure he likes to be swaddled, and instead I layer blankets on him which he seems happier about. Oh and perserverance...at night I put him down 10 mins after his feed, only to have to get him out again a couple of minutes later. Eventually after many attempts he's ready to stay there! Fortunately our crib rocks so sometimes I have to rock him for 30 mins before he nods off. It really is hit or miss at the moment and I bet tonight he won't go down!

As I spend most of the time with my breasts out we manage lots of skin haha! DH also gets in on the topless action which is nice for him.

She will go in I think the problem is when I feed her I nod off. I'd like partner to wake up to help us. I feel like we are doing g ok though.

I go with fullest boob too. I can usually remeber which one but didn't know if 'I was doing it right' they often feel so empty but I was told at that point it doesn't matter too much. Thought I'd see what u were all told.

Tried he hot water bottle trick but I can't be bothered getting up at 3am to make one. Is that bad?

Didn't know whether to try in facilities.

Does anyone know how long breast milk lasts in a bottle out the fridge. I've just been told by bf specialist but I have instantly forgotten I know it's an hour from when they start sucking.

I had supply issues bit now I'm only pumping once a day. I'm seeing if weight improves just off me but realised if I needed to take a top up out with me I didn't know how to manage it.

Don't beat yourself up. You're doing great.
Yes hats what happens with us. She wakes and wants feeding. But I feel bad coz I nod off.

I'm. Already noticing a lite routine though.

I was feeding baby every 2/2.5 hours (timed from when she finish3d). I've been told to relax that a bit. I was doing it as weight gain was poor and milk supply was poor too. But now I've been told to stop that and let her go a bit longer. She rarely does but when they sleep they are growing.

I don't know if I do right timing it from the end of a feed but she takes a while so that's what I do. if it's a quick feed I would time it from the start.

If you're feeding for an hour then leaving her two that's like 3 hrs which is what I was told yesterday but again I haven't been doing it like thst.

I always thought sleep makes sleep but like you I've been told if they sleep a lot in day they don't sleep as much at night. Again, a but of conflicting information .

Not bad to not be bothered at 3 am! I get dp to fill one up around 11pm then put it in my bed when it's not in the moses. It keeps pretty toasty all night.

Good thinking

Hi, can I join in here?
I had my second DC, a baby girl, on Sunday night. Had a lovely calm homebirth with no intervention or pain relief and all is well with both of us. I was totally convinced she was going to be a boy as I was sure there were boy bits on the scan pics! In the beginning I was secretly desperate for a daughter but had long since accepted that it was a boy and was just as excited. Then when she came out and I couldn't find a willy I was so confused, but I am over the moon.
However, we bought no clothes as I was so sure, so for 4 days DD has been dressed as a boy in DS old clothes. So today we went and spent a fortune on cute pink stuff in mothercare, which was a treat.

I think I will need to join the ranks of the nocturnal posters - I've only slept about 10 hours total since Sunday morning and I'm starting to feel pretty wrecked.

My DD will only sleep on me, so this means that i I am not sleeping at all. OH has taken her for shifts but she'll only last about 45 mins with him before screaming for me so by the time I fall asleep I have to take her back again and I almost feel worse for being woken from a deep sleep. And last night toddler also woke screaming 3 times which wasn't fun.

Hi Mars. Congratulations! I've got a new dd too, as well as 5yo dd1.

It's a killer having two children waking you up isn't it (dd1 is one or those who has very rarely slept a whole night in her one bed). I'm actually finding dd1 my most difficult child at the moment At least dd2 stays where I put her, sleeps a lot, doesn't steal my food and doesn't argue back.

I had a bit of a soppy moment last night though when I had big girl invading my bed and tiny girl asleep on my chest. I felt very lucky.

Feeding so sar since 8.30/9. Exhausted. X

firsttimemum Could the drawing legs up during and after feeds be due to reflux? I have to raise the end of ds's basket quite high or he brings up milk whenever I lie him in it.

Glad I'm not the only boob-jiggler, I can never remember which side I fed from last. I have heard of people putting a paperclip on the bra strap of the side they used last but I don't have any paperclis. The hair bobble thing sounds better.

If they're feeding constantly like mine has tonight. Yep we are still at it does it matter which side.

Anyone else had feeds that last this long. 4.5 hours. Pretty much solid and counting. ...
Normal?

My little lady fed from 6pm right through until 11.30. She finally conked out and
Toddler immediately woke up shrieking amd OH had to spend 45 mins settling him. I tried again to put baby in her basket. She lasted a whole 2 mins before screaming blue murder
Oh took her and bounced on my birthing ball while listening to white noise and h just returned her for more boo, so I've had 2 hours sleep but that's probably it now for the night.
Please please someone tell me how I can get her to sleep on her basket???
I am getting desperate. Have tried towels to wedge her, warming with hot water bottle, rocking, not rocking, raising head, while noise, swaddling (she went ballistic!!)

marsaday sorry to hear you are having such a rough night. I don't have any additional suggestions but I didn't want to read and run. Things will get better - this is such a tough period hey, but it will get better. I bet you are doing a fab job.

marsaday if it helps, I tried all those things to get ds to sleep in moses basket with no success for the first week and spent most night with no real sleep at all sitting on the sofa but gradually he started sleeping more in his basket and at two weeks old he can manage a couple of hours a couple of times a night.

firsttimemum ds2 doesn't seem to feed for more than 40 minutes but marathon feeds like you describe were very common with ds1. I was told it was unusual to feed for so long but he was putting on good weight so must be just what he needs. Now I wonder if he had an undiagnosed tongue tie making feeding less efficient meaning he had to feed for longer. Or he might have just been using me as a dummy but I didn't have much choice but to let him, he screamed and screamed if I didn't let him feed.. you might be just going through a growth spurt though and feed length will be more manageable tomorrow.

She did sleep a bit the day before. Woke up with mummy guilt. Alarm went off and I turned it off without thinking been told not to let her go more than 4 but ideally 3 hours without a feed due to weight gain and my supply issues. She seems fine I'm worried about supply but she was feeding until 2.

Tongue tie done now.

Mouse my baby was like that to begin with gradually will ho down a bit easier although not yesterday. Read about the 4th trimester if you haven't already x

Well.. Apologies for being so quiet for a few days.. Have been reading everything but didn't feel quite up to replying..

Hannah doing well on the sleeping front etc.. Feeding is going well too..
My milk came in yesterday so I am a complete hormonal mess. Honestly. I had a cry just thinking about posting on here!

Plus, my OH has flu.. It may actually be flu.. He fainted in the kitchen this morning and I've never seen him this unwell.. Thankfully our toddler is being very good and we've bagged some childcare for thisafternoon, but I am a bit of a mess at the mo..

Hannah feeds pretty much three hourly.. Give or take.. And she seems very happy/sleepy as she's still only new..

Midwife just popped over and she's very happy, so that 's all good.. Just my crazy hormones making me insane..! Oh, and I've got insomnia.. Anyone else not sleeping when your baby is??

Reading these makes me feel better though! Marsaday I feel your pain* on the lack of sleep! .firsttime* that sounds tiring.. Are you at first growth spurt perhaps? Hope everyone's ok today..

Cheese - thanks for the glimmer of hope.

Last night was a new low. Toddler ended the night on 8 wake ups before we gave up and daddy took him into double bed in spare room. Baby slept 2-3 hour stetches but refused to be put down so I still got no sleep. We are all destroyed (except the baby)
My boobs are like watermelons and she's still so tiny she can't anywhere near finish a whole boob at one sitting , never mind both, so I'm getting really sore. I've tried offering again 15 mins after she finishes but it just makes her sick. Have hand expressed a little in the shower to relieve engorgement, but does anyone have Any tips for dealing with giant sore boobs at night?

Midwife also told me (more than less) that long cluster feeds were uncommon and could be sign not getting enough milk, but seems pretty common from what people have said on our forum. I think partly it's a comfort thing. his cluster feeds, when they happen, probably only last about 2 hours now (touch wood) - earlier in week they were 4 hours long.

Oh and just read latest posts from Vicky and Mars - sorry having such a rough time at the moment.

Oh sorry you're having a hard time.

I've seen midwife todsy and spoken to HV both have said it's normal and my baby has gained weight (it's been an issue (. So all seems ok).
I haven't heard a midwife say cluster feeding isn't normal. I was worried because it went on for so long.

It's not our first growth spurt. I think she had one at 2 weeks, 3 weeks and maybe this was the 4 week one. X

Elvi cluster feeds are totally normal!!

It's crazy isn't it.. The only thing that is keeping me going is knowing (repeating to self over and over) that it does get easier. These first weeks feel endless, but I did get through it.

Mars the toddler thing is a killer too..
And as for the engorged boobs.. I'm hoping my current Jordan esq look won't last..! It's sore!

mars I did the savoy cabbage trick when mine were engorged. Really works! Just wash a couple of leaves and stick them down your bra. The relief is amazing.