January 2007 - i know i'm not the only one, come on, where are you all???

[theUrbanDryad]

hey, where are all you guys? i know i'm not the only one to have popped from the jan '07 thread!!

anyway, if you're out there, how's it going???

Hello ladies
Sorry I haven't been here much, internet has been down and ds1 is still feeding loads, he is 10 weeks now and I was hoping it would settle but it hasn't

He's gaining weight well though and is now 11lb 1oz which is great as he dropped to 6lb's at birth.

Trying to find the money for a laptop coz I can't feed him while on this stoopind chair

Hope you are all ok xxxx

• Magnolia - try www.shopacer.co.uk for laptops. Bought mine from there, laptop price was really reasonable, service was excellent, laptop is excellent.

Night x

Can I ask if anyone else is still bleeding over 4 weeks after having their baby? I've just got some bright red blood (and this has happened a few times now after it's changed to a creamy colour) but I thought that it was finally stopping. Why am I getting red bleeding again, does anyone have any ideas and should I be worried? Ds2 is 4 weeks and 2 days old today.

Hi Jodie - I would pop to your Drs on Mon. I had exactly the same thing, bleeding just about stopped then started bright red again intermuttently. Dr did a swab and it is an infection for which I have antibiotics for - Metronidazole (started them today - LO is 4 weeks 1 day old). They weren'y unduly concerned but said that they would much rather clear it up before it turned into a raging infection. If you otherwise feel well and the blood doesn't smell it could be nothing or, like mine, early stages of infection. Better safe than sorry. Think UrbanDryAd had same thing (read earlier down thread about two weeks ago, me, UD and Hattie had conversation about it).

xx

Thanks Wilkie, I'll have a scroll down and read. I think I will see my gp on Monday. I'm already on antibiotics for the mastitis but it's erythromycin. I have been feeling ill but think that's down to the mastitis. Have to see what the gp thinks then.

Thanks, DH, I really appreciate the advice. I have help from relatives until the end of week 3, but having problems for after that, and I really don't know what I'll be capable of by then. I did the hoovering and cleaned the bathroom today which was probably pretty stupid, then sneezed and felt like I'd just had another cs without the anaesthetic this time, ow!
Looshkin - I spoke to our friend today...can I do anything? (Hey, you could come up for my week 4 post cs and spend your week putting ds1 to bed for me, and I'll take your ds and let you sleep! ) Seriously, ring/email any time x

I've put a couple of pics of the kids playing in the snow on my profile if anyone wants to look and also a new one of Ethan

having worked out how to resize photo I've put 4278 photos of DS4 on my profile.

You better all kiss goodbye to MN because I'll probably crash their system downloading another 5,368,342,576....

Lovely pics jodie and lth i have put one of ellie in the snow on my profile but Hattie stayed in so no pics of her

Had a nightmare night last night dd1 went to bed fine but at 10 screamed went up there and she had been sick everywhere, she has never been sick before and was crying, (and I had only changed her bed yesterday morning) so had to strip the bed and her and wash her as it was everywhere, out her in our bed where she promptly did the same so stripped our bed remade it etc. All were asleep by 11 but I woke up at 1 and have caught the same bug and spent most of the night in the bathroom. DH taken the girls to inlaws at 9.30 as ellie fine now but I'm still feeling really rough caught up on some sleep but dreading if i feel ill tomorrow as dh back to work, how do you cope with kids when you are ill youself??????

Hi Ladies, only joined the antinatal thread late on and just wanted to update... Zac was born after induction on 5th Feb at 23.41 - 9lb2oz, 4hrs of labour, plenty of stiches and the best (male) midwife ever!

I've just had a read through some of the posts on this thread and I'd really like to thank you all for being so honest and frank with your posts. I'm having a difficult time with the old breastfeeding and have been feeling very teary. The thread has made me feel I'm not alone...something you forget at 5 in the morning after no sleep...

All worth it though as being a Mum is the best feeling ever. Where does all the love come from?!

xx

Hi everyone! Congratulations to everyone who has just joined this thread, and big sympathies to everyone who is suffering.
Must be awful being ill with a newborn at the same time, really not looking forward to that one.
Think I have cracked the breast feeding thing now, LO is piling on weight from it, so I must be doing something right. Am worried though, my boobs are so horrendously huge, that when I start expressing, how much should I be feeding him? And also this thing about 3 types of milk, should I express the whole boob then give him the last bottle (which would contain the fatty hind milk) Or, are my boobs just huge and the milk content is totally relative to how much the baby can manage? I dont know?! I am pretty sure I could feed an army of babies with the amount I am producing at the moment. How mortifiying is the leaky boob thing! I am never wearing coloured tops out again. And as for trying to find suitable clothing at the moment, another nightmare. Why have none of the baby companies got any (or any decent) breast feeding friendly clothes?)
Am so fed up with looking like Dolly Parton. Worked out in Contessa that my actual correct size right now is a 34HH. Great.
re. Dummies, I love the nuby ones, as they look really cute in their mouths as you can see inside their little mouths. But, have found the flat teated avent ones much better. Have no shame in giving him a dummy when he is screaming his head off at me and going redder and redder! Or when he is grizzling in his cot at bed time. A mate of mine reckons that as long as you aren't dipping the dummy in coke or ribena before giving it to your LO then its not that chavvy! x

pmsl laughing at the coke/ribena

Welcome newcomers!

Big sympathies to those that are ill - that is really really tough. Big hugs.

Lizzzombie - I also have big leaky boobs - unfortunately I'm not as slim as you so I don't have such a strong Dolly Parton effect ! Despite having breastfed my son exclusively until 6 months and done mixed feeding until 8 months - I still have to find my feet with dd when it comes to is the boob empty/ has she got to the hind milk type of questions!! You never know for sure!

All I can say is I'm relaxed about it all this time. Last week - she seemed to be feeding okish - not very long, not that often but seemed happy enough - she put on 10oz that week on boobs alone! I'll tell you what I do - I don't limit time on the boob (within reason!!) and I tend to squeeze my nipple after she comes off to see (sorry if TMI) - if it squirts across the room or feels fairly full, then I'll put her back on there if she wants more!! When she pulls off again (if I've put her back on the same boob) - I take it she has finished it.

She seems able to empty a boob in around 10 mins, sometimes less, sometimes a bit more. I had midwives tell me my son was not feeding for long enough, but I started to ignore them when it became apparent that he was gaining loads of weight - he was a quick feeder and she is as well.

My memory is blurred but I think the leaky thing calms down - well I bloody hope so. At the moment it's really putting me off feeding in coffee shops etc as sometimes she pulls away mid feed and my boobs spray milk all over her face and I get a wet patch below the side I've fed on (where she lets milk run out the side of her mouth) and a leaky patch on the other side - not a good look!! Also I find it difficult to be subtle with big boobs - sometimes I have to hold a boob when she feeds as it swamps her!!

Just realised I have vented somewhat about big leaky boobs - sorry to be so self obsessed but hey I feel better!

Lizzz - don't panic, the leaky boobs will settle (though I also can't remember when... I do know that by the time I finished bfing ds1 I wasn't even wearing pads any more as there was absolutely no leakage at all!). Your boobs adjust to be able to give your lo exactly the right quantity and combination of milk and just produce on demand. Be careful how much you express, of course, since if you feed lo and then express your boobs won't know the difference and will think your baby needs that duration of feed so will adjust to producing that amount of milk each feed so prolonging the engorgement (IYSWIM, I'm not very good at explaining things). But if you are expressing, if it all goes into one bottle, then just give ds that bottle, don't worry too much about the fore/hindmilk thing. If you fill more than one bottle at an express, it might be worth mixing the bottles then giving it to him, so he gets the full mixture. The hindmilk is good for growth, but they need the thirst-quenching foremilk too. HTH
Galmum - totally agree with you about some babies being more efficient feeders than others. ds1 and now ds2 will feed in 10mins, and it'll last them up to 4 hours. I think the advice you get from mw doesn't always apply! dsis2 is having her first baby next month and was saying that at her bf workshop she was told that a newborn should feed every hour and might feed for 1/2 an hour at a time Quick route to trashed nipples if you ask me!
Now a question from me about bfing - I can't remember how old ds1 was when he started taking both boobs in a feed - anybody?
I hope the various colds, D&V, snip incisions, and chickenpoxes are clearing up!

Ok, have questioned my own HV and also, my mums' mate is a HV and have questioned her too. Apparently 20 mins is plenty enough time for a baby to get to the hind milk of a boob, no matter what size the boob is. It must be working, my LO is getting bigger and bigger, and only goes for 30 mins once a day. Normally its just 15/20 minute bouts.
LOL about the millk spraying everywhere. I got a huge shock the first time that happend (so did LO!)

I use the chicco breastpads which although they have a waterproof backing, it is breathable. I never had aleak after starting using them for DS and not had one with Ruth. WOuld def recomend them.

Not sure how much easier it is to know how much your lo has had second time round. THis time I seem to have managed to make one boob produce more than the other! Look very lobsided!

Dsis has had her scan and everything is fine with her baby due in Aug this year! So happy for them after a pretty rough year. She has had really bad morning sicknes so think that reasured her after what happened last time.

My boobs still hurt - lo has just spent 1 hr feeding but i don't think ske's feeling too perky oday after projectile vom last night, poor mite. My boobs have never leaked which makes me wonder if i produce enough milk. Am still thinking about switching to bottles but feel so guilty. I told myself to get to 6 weeks, whixch i have, then reconsider, so here i am with sore boobs and a bootle v breast dilemma.

galmum - whemn you were talking about keaky boobs and a coffe shop, i seriously thought you were going to say your milk sprayed in to someones coffee

hope everyone al;ll happy, getting better, abnd reasy for another week.

[excuse my spelling as typing one handed]

I feel like a cross between daisy and ermentrude with this breast feeding thing. Its totally boring too as it take so long to keep him a. awake and b. stop him from guzzling it so quick that he pukes it back up again.
Ages ago someone mentioned having nips like raspberries, that is so me too! And I am fed up with having sore boobs when they are full. Will keep going as long as possible, but not going to feel guilty about stopping. To keep baby happy, mummy must be happy right?....now, where did I put that chocolate?! (btw - I am never buying teddies/babygrows etc for new mums. I am just buying them bighuge bars of chocolate!) x

RGee - your entry made me laugh with the typos 'keaky' nipples do not sound attractive - I have two hands free at the mo as DH is feeding LO.

Lizz - totally agree about the teddies/babygro thing. So far we have recieved 24 (!!!!) teddies and so many sleepsuits I have started returning them and changing them for something else.

Here's a Q - WHAT IS THE MOST HORRENDOUS THING YOU HAVE RECIEVED AS A GIFT?

Ours is a 'Baby Bear' outfit. It is basically a proper fancy dress-esq 'bear suit' (fluffy caramel felt) with ears, hands and feet which says 'Baby Bear' across the front. It is BLOODY awful!! Prob is, the person who sent it wants a pic of Jacob in it and he is too small for it at the mo so I can't even put him in it, take a pic and then take the sodding thing back - sorry if anyone else has bought and likes this delight, it's just not my taste

Must go, ha ha, Jacob just puked all over DH's new top

hey all - sorry haven't been on in a while, our internet has gone down at home so i'm at my mum's!

well Zac weighed in at an astonishing 9lbs13.5oz on wednesday. "are you sure you're not giving him formula?" asked the HV incredulously. oh, no, thanks for reminding me, i clearly forgot!

re: the hindmilk questions - i actually asked my MW this on day 2, and she said that so long as they're settling between feeds, and producing plenty of wet and dirty nappies then it's fine. and clearly all your LO's are putting on weight so i wouldn't worry about it!

we've started to get into a bath/feed/bed routine. i take Zac upstairs at 7 and then he's usually asleep by 8. DH and i might even be able to eat our dinners off the table tonight - if he clears all his work stuff off that is!

oh, and BTW, think the worst gift we got given was a huge pale blue teddy from MIL. i don't like teddies at the best of times, and this one is particularly vile. by contrast, the best present i got was a job lot of stinky cheese and two bottles of wine - closely followed by more wine and a big box of thorntons!

wilkie - PMSL at the 'bear' outfit!!! When do they imagine he'll get a chance to wear that?

We didn't get any particularly horrendous gifts, but some fairly useless ones - a chenille (sp?) dressing gown and matching slippers (dressing gown for me may have been useful though) springs to mind.

Took DS to be weighed this afternoon and he is now a hefty 11 lbs 12 oz . On the downside we have thrush and poor DS has a really sore red, blistery bottom. Amazingly it doesn't seem to bother him too much but looks horrible.

We are lucky to have had some lovely clothes and I've been able to swap some of the stuff I don't like - sorry I'm not putting a 4 week old baby in a denim dress - she's still a squidge!

Great present - sister had beautiful basket of buns delivered from some posh N.London bakery on day 2 - homemade muffins & chocolate brownies DELICIOUS !!!!! We were so chuffed that we took photos of dd next to them!

Worst present - truly horrible girly bib for son - it was shaped to look like an elephant with lace edging and wait for it...there was a dummy hanging on the end of the elephant's trunk - it was the most trashy chavy thing I have ever seen!!

PS I'm not anti-dummies by the way (unless used by 4 year olds in the street!)

PS Hope the thrush stuff clears up soon

PPS My mother asked me if dd caught thrush from me on the way out - only mothers could say such a thing!!

Presents for the lo? Well, can someone PLEASE tell me what the obsession is with giving bibs as a present for newborns. FFS, we got about 20 of the fers when ds1 was born, never used them (when he dribbled when he fed/possetted it always dribbled past his ears, never went anywhere near his chest) and by the time he was teething and dribbling everywhere he'd grown out of them. And now, what are people giving us for ds2?? Fecking more BIBS*!! Anybody want any bibs? I'd be happy to send them!!
And funny we should have this bf-duration 'conversation' today: had last visit from mw today, and I think she must have trained at the same school as yours, Galmum. When I told her how long/often ds2 was feeding she sort of sucked her teeth and said "well I think this week you should be aiming for him to be feeding for nearer 20 minutes". Whaaat??? So, the fact that he has frequent wet and dirty nappies, had regained his birhtweight plus an ounce bay day 6, and tends to feed until the milk comes out of his nose (yes, he really does! Daft child!) means nothing; what matters is that he conforms to your idea of the correct duration of feed. So relieved I am not 1st time mum as I know that advice would have totally stressed me out, this time I just smiled and nodded and thought "I am soooo going to ignore you, pet!". Rant over