February 2016 - our babies are here!

[IslaMann]

New group for those graduating the ante-natal thread

You poor thing clara glad you're on the mend and you have some good support around. It might be worth investing in a perfect prep machine to reduce the time spent making up bottles, i have friends who say they're great.

How old is your lo clumsy? Could it be a growth spurt rather than a reduction in supply? Or suckling for comfprt rather than food? I'd Check out the kellymom website to see if there is any advice on increasing supply... good luck getting ds appetite satisfied!

Oh goodness Clara you poor thing, sounds like quite an ordeal. Glad you were able to access help and your dh has been supportive.

Clumsy when my milk hadn't come in I had to feed then pump to encourage it. Also fenugreek is meant to be good for increasing supply.

It's definitely supply both times I have expressed today only got 2oz using both sides rather than my usual 4 from 1. Will try fenugreek tonight thanks.

Clumsy my new obsession is trying to up supply. Lots of water, oats (porridge or flapjacks), fenugreek and mother's tea. I notice the biggest drop when I've not had enough to drink. Water by the pint! On fenugreek I'm taking 6 capsules per day but thinking about increasing it - some recommend double this but they smell and taste gross!

Clara - thanks for sharing your story, very brave of you and glad things are getting better. Don't beat yourself up about feeding, the most important thing is the baby is thriving and putting on weight. The rest is not that important.

purplepineapples - yay! Welcome! Hope everything's going well. Can you believe how quickly the past three weeks have gone???

Also just to say how brilliant the Perfect Prep is. We're agreed it was our best purchase. I'm up in the night prepping bottles (tend to keep expressed milk for daytime when waste seems lower) and it takes about a minute. Press button, put in scoops of formula, press button, shake bottle. Serve. Always the same and always the right temperature. I've never made a bottle any other way, but I can't imagine it's much fun. Amazon always have deals on them. Highly recommended.

Thanks ladies. When you read it from the outside, it's almost like 'i would have loved a birth experience like that' but for whatever reason, I couldn't deal with it. Probably my personality (control freak/planner)! The adjustment is still ongoing and I constantly want to plan everything (the wee guy of course doesn't comply with mums plans!! ).

I have just googled perfect prep - had no idea this existed (was planning to breastfeed so knew nothing at all about formula feeding)! Will need to investigate as even with the flask etc in bedroom, the formula prep takes time and ds doesn't like to be kept waiting! Thanks for the tip.

Have been reading back and giggling re pee and poo catastrophes - we've had them here too (even between the toes, euch!). I would add that best fit nappies for ds so far are mamia from aldi. Pampers were awful for pee leakage. Sainsburys were ok. Haven't tried any others yet.

Oh no I don't like oats! Couldn't find any fenugreek tonight so will have a walk into town tomorrow and get some thanks for the warning on the taste. I think my afternoon nap may have caused me to drink less than normal so have been drinking loads tonight to make up for it.

I definitely second the lid nappies (they are reduced at the moment too ). Whatever you do stay away from asda nappies they were by far the worst for leakage!

*aldi

Agree on the perfect prep machine, it's a saviour especially for night feeds no hanging around all done in 1 minute, wouldn't be without it.

Good to hear about the aldi nappies I bought some to try today as they are on offer and also have been impressed with the Lidl ones as well.

Sorry to hear you had such a bad time clare

Bloody hell Clara, sounds like you skirted round the edges of post-natal psychosis there. Thank goodness you had the support from your family and the hospital, and you got treated asap. 'Bog standard' baby blues that was not! Certainly sounds like you're having a far better time now with your boy, and enjoying the poosplosions.

Hello pineapples!

It's really frustrating and so horribly stressful clumsy, the evening cluster feeding where they drain you and want more! Keep at it, as by letting DC feed it will

sigh, fat fingers...
...It will eventually up your supply. Takes a few days though. Definitely keep hydrated, and I personally have found that a top up of formula (30-40 ml) like you're doing can be a saviour - gives you and your nipples a break!

I've managed to avoid mastitis as the golf ball blocked duct seems to have gone after 48 hours of attention.

Even got out for an early drink with work colleagues yesterday - DD kindly slept through it all and I thoroughly enjoyed a pint and a catch up

clara well done for getting through that and seeking support when you needed it

clumsy fenugreek worked for me (3 capsules 3 times daily, I just swallow them down without smelling them!) but it gave DS green nappies so too much foremilk apparently- but that's just my experience and most people say it works great.

The other thing is domperidone (Motilium). Works like magic apparently. I didn't try it myself but do a search on here and you'll see threads about it.

I have DS1 (19 months) at home with me all the time as he doesn't go to nursery or anything. He's sick atm (oh the joys) and yesterday was super-clingy so I'm having to learn how to accommodate a 13lb 6 week old and a 2 stone toddler about my person simultaneously.

In good news, I have lost half a stone in a week but I honestly and truly think every ounce of it has come off my boobs as my tummy and thighs are making no further inroads into my pre pregnancy jeans than they were before

Who doesn't love poomageddon? Twice today I've been mid nappy change when DS has violently pooed over the clean nappy, the changing mat and me. The one just how he actually peed too. The joy. He's got to stay in this nappy for the next two hours after which he becomes DH's problem! Definitely his turn to do a change!

Also just tried a Dr Brown bottle for the first time - we have a million Tommee Tippee but I'm not a fan - and it wa amazing. He took down 120mls straight off, a couple of burps after and straight off to sleep. No crying, no struggling , nothing. Even tried it without Infacol to see what impact it would have on its own. I feel like I've just seen a miracle!

clumsy I'm obsessed with monitoring my milk supply. Fenugreek, milk thistle and brewers yeast tablets are all recommended by various websites, I'm taking all of them- but rest and water are honestly the factors that seem to make the best difference for me. Plus pumping after every feed.

Milk seems to have come back so DS is happy

handbag glad the bottles are good, I have heard that they are a pain to clean though

Lol @ poomageddon! We just had one this evening after nearly 3 days of no poo. Had to double-bag the results, and clothes currently steeping in cold water . Luckily happened before his bath!

Can I just take a moment to get all emotional and say that everyone is lovely! The mutual support no matter what anyone's problem or query is has and continues to be amazing!

Poomageddon continues... Clean nappy on, do a poo... He's doing a lot more poo than usual but it is normal colour and consistency. I'm fed up of both smelling of baby poo and constantly nappy changing,

Should I be worried? Should I be calling the health visitor?

Boys poo lots! Just changed mine again, it's like they sense when a clean nappy goes on! Key thing is weight gain so if your hv happy on that front perhaps not too concerning?

If he's OK in himself, poo isn't smelly or glowing in the dark, I'd say you don't need to handbag. If it goes on over several more days, I'd think about it then. Brilliant with the Dr Brown as well, let's hope that continues!

Thanks all ref the Perfect Prep info - my friend is due her first next month and will ff, and for various reasons hasn't been able to get stuff yet, so I'll pass the recommendation on

Need to get DD to her first HV weigh in appointment, but....having had a section, and not being a driver, there's nowhere I can really reach. I can't lift the pram or car seat out the house (steps), the walk there will be nothing when I'm fully fit but is up and down a large hill so is too much. Think it'll be a double bus journey and sling, and gritted teeth!

Troika I also have a fast let down and dd only seems to feed for about 10 mins so I was quite reassured to express and get nearly 4oz in 15 mins! I find when I express from thd other side I don't get as much anyone else have that? We also had rhe health visitor come this week for a 6 week check (she's just kver 7 weeks now) and said she's gained an average of 4oz a week, normal is apparently 6oz but she's doing plenty of wet amd dirty nappies so they're happy with that

Thanks guys. He's tracking the 22nd %ile - we have the withings baby scales so weigh him regularly. He seems fine other than all the poo! He was 6lb 15 at birth and last night was 8lb 7 so doing well. I just worried he was having diarrhoea but it's not the consistency I've seen online for that.

Chinchilla - my HV booked our six week appt for my house as I'd us a section. I'm actually feeling fine but again can't drive yet. Can you see if they can rearrange to make it easier for you?

I Can't remember too many things at once so have to keep reading back to see who I was going to reply to lol.
Purple my dd1 is nearly 3 luckily we managed to day time toilet train well before this lo arrived she's out at nursery all day but every evening without fail manages to need the toilet when I'm feeding and dh isn't home uet but she's a shorty so even with a step can't reach the toilet, thank god we got her a potty as well!
Clumsy interesting you say avoid the asda nappies I find them fab and have used them both times in newborn size and then older when dd1 outgrew kiddicare sizes. I find you have to make sure they're done up tight and they're fine. Pampers on the other hand I find the wee comes straight through they always feel wet on the outside but don't think I ever had a poosplosion from a pampers

It's a hard life....

Oooh, SO cute!