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

420 replies

theUrbanDryad · 07/01/2007 14:39

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???

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
JodieG1 · 14/02/2007 17:39

Well my dh had his vasectomy last week so that's us sorted for contraception We had sex when Ethan was 3 weeks old and used a condom. I really wouldn't risk using the withdrawal method, any sperm leaking out before he finishes comtains so many sperm and it only takes one

Lizzzombie · 14/02/2007 18:10

wilkie - my sister had the coil fitted about 6 months ago, and has had no problems so far.
I personally am using the 'unshaved legs' method! Happy Valentines!
Jodie - thanks for the vote of confidence, it cant get any worse right?!
Have just expressed for the 1st time (nearly 6oz from one boob!) no wonder LO is such a biffer! x

ellieandhattie · 14/02/2007 19:25

wilkie at you valentines present, I got a chocolate sponge pudding from tescos as they are my favouritre and he went round there afer dinner (shame he missed the flowers section!!!!!!!!!)

Loved seeing the pics of hideous outfits will dig out the chavvy tracksuit and try and post it.

We finally got round to putting Hattie in her room last night and she slept like a baby (funny that since she is one!) out her up at 7 had dream feed aroun 9.30 slept till 2.30, bottle and bum backin bed (awake and no crying ) by 2.50 and slept till 6.30 and finally after a year of dd1 getting into our bed the dora the explorer sticker chart that arrived at the weekend seems to work and she slept 12 hours in her own bed without waking and at 6.30 this morning came in and said "mummy mummy get my sticker get my dora sticker" hurrah long may it continue, it seems to work int he day as she gets a ticker for eating breakfast, cleaning teet (been an issue of late) eating lunch, eating dinner, if we haven't had any toilet accidents and if she hasnt had her dummy in the day and so far if we have had any problems we just say don't you want another dora sticker and magically she does what we want. We have a small dora doll sitting above her sticker chart and she knows she must fill her sticker chart to get her

Lizzzombie · 15/02/2007 08:43

Ok, am addicted to expressing. Its a million times easier than I thought it would be. Does anyone have any thoughts/advice/opinions on feeding LO's exclusively from the bottle, using expressed milk? Is there any reason why this would be wrong?
He slept from 11pm - 5.45am last night after my DP fed him an expressed feed which I milked out of myself earlier in the afternoon (so maybe its true, day milk is more nutritious than night milk). Can't believe I have had so much sleep! I'm trying not to hope that this would happen every night. Also, expressing is so much more less painful than actual feeding from the breast with mastitis.
The only downside I can see is that my nips are now HUGE and a little bit tender. But its so nice to have them empty.
What do people think? x

Lizzzombie · 15/02/2007 08:45

I mean - what do people think of the idea of feeding expressed milk from a bottle exclusively? Not, what do people think of my HUGE nips!

jessddibs · 15/02/2007 08:59

Hi ladies! Taken me ages to catch up on most of the posts. But everyone seems generally ok and getting into the odd routines..!?!

Well, Nancy is now weighing in at 10lb (was 8lb at birth and now 3 weeks old) so am quite happy with that, apart from she hasn't worn all her newborn pressies and has grown out of 99% of her babygrows, so need to get ebaying them and all my maternity wear! The breast feeding is going well, am just getting wound up (being very selfish) with the fact that I can't go and get drunk with the girls or dh and that I can't get a babysitter for longer than a few hours, plus the limited wardrobe! But Nancy feeds so well (every 4 hours and latches on and off beautifully) that I feel to guilty giving up just yet. I also think I have worked out that a bath EVERYNIGHT is well worth the effort with this little one, she was originaly screaming every evening for a couple of hours, but the last three nights I have bathed her at about 6pm, and massaged cream into her and so far so good!! We have one chilled out baby so meal times are becoming easier for us and dd1 gets a snuggle with me before she goes to bed..

Someone was asking about coil experiences, I must say that I had one fitted after having dd1 and my body rejected it bigtime. I didn't have an infection or anything, but my body just wanted it out and I started to bleed very heavy and fainted a couple of times before having to get it removed. I really am not sure what contraception we are gonna use now, can't take pill etc due to migraines (makes mine 10 times worse), can't have a coil and was using the withdrawal method previous to dd2 but do not want to run the risk anymore and know that after a few shandies that this method tends to fail! So, like someone else said, the unshaved legs and jungle of a lovegarden is currently all I am using

Dd1 is off at her grannies house for the day tody and being half term I've yet to do any housework this week, so had better go get the hoover etc out and catch up...fingers crossed Nancy stays asleep.x.

jessddibs · 15/02/2007 09:03

Plus, expressing milk is no different for baby, just in theory harder for mum! It still all goes down the same way! I did it alot with dd1.x.

LadyTophamHatt · 15/02/2007 09:16

Lizzz, i've been expressing for DS4 since he was 3 days old and now 4 weeks on it's a right royal pain in the arse!

Most of his calories come for formula as I only get enough for one 5-6oz feed in 24 hours. I'm tempted to stop but the guilt just makes me plug myself on. I think I'll have to stop soon TBH, with the 3 older ds's I haven't got enough time to dedicate to it and I'm getting less and less milk each time. Getting 6oz in one go from one boob is FAB, I'm in awe of you It might be easy peasy for you to do it exclusively because you're getting so much.....I think they say you have to do it in strict routine though to keep the supply up which means expressing during the night too....

There are a fair few exclusive EBM givers on here who have been doing it for weeks and weeks. It works for them, why don't you start a new thread summoning them

JodieG1 · 15/02/2007 10:00

Liz - personally I wouldn't feed only from a bottle unless I really had to. They do get a lot of comfort from sucking at the breast and can't do the same with a bottle teat as they cant stop the flow of milk in the same way. I have given Ethan a couple of bottles of expressed milk so far, or rather dh has and my mum has so that I can catch an hours sleep during the day and it has worked well. I do enjoy feeding him and comforting him in that way and don't want to give that up. It's entirely up to you if you want to just express though. I have read that expressing doesn't empty the breast as fully as baby does though. If it's the pain from mastitis worrying you then it really is worth persevering as it won't hurt for much longer and it really does help to clear all the milk.

katierocket · 15/02/2007 10:05

hi all
I'm having a crap time see here
any advice very welcome

Loubie37 · 15/02/2007 13:07

Katie - sorry to hear you're having a bad time - feel guilty now for thinking we've got it bad - at least Ben will sleep if someone holds him...gets very boring in the middle of the night though, very tiring too, I'm exhausted Big hugs, hope it passes soon. I would go see your GP and see if they will try some Baby Gaviscon...sounds like reflux to me alhough I'm no expert.

I found this on another forum I use...it really made me laugh!!

OK, here's my situation. My Mummy has had me for almost 7 months. The first few months were great I cried, she picked me up and fed me, anytime, day or night. Then something happened. Over the last few weeks, she has been trying to STTN (sleep thru the night). At first, I thought it was just a phase, but it is only getting worse. I've talked to other babies, and it seems like it's pretty common after Mummies have had us for around 6 months. Here's the thing: these Mummies don't really need to sleep. It's just a habit. Many of them have had some 30 years to sleepthey just don't need it anymore. So I am implementing a plan. I call it the Crybaby Shuffle. It goes like this: Night 1cry every 3 hours until you get fed. I know, it's hard. It's hard to see your Mummy upset over your crying. Just keep reminding yourself, it's for her own good. Night 2cry every 2 hours until you get fed. Night 3every hour. Most Mummies will start to respond more quickly after about 3 nights. Some Mummies are more alert, and may resist the change longer. These Mummies may stand in your doorway for hours, shhhh-ing. Don't give in. I cannot stress this enough: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!! If you let her STTN (sleep through the night), just once, she will expect it every night. I KNOW IT'S HARD! But she really does not need the sleep, she is just resisting the change. If you have an especially alert Mummy, you can stop crying for about 10 minutes, just long enough for her to go back to bed and start to fall asleep. Then cry again. It WILL eventually work. My Mummy once stayed awake for 10 hours straight, so I know she can do it. Last night, I cried every hour. You just have to decide to stick to it and just go for it. BE CONSISTENT! I cried for any reason I could come up with. My sleep sack tickled my foot. I felt a wrinkle under the sheet. My mobile made a shadow on the wall. I burped, and it tasted like pears. I hadn't eaten pears since lunch, what's up with that? The cat said "meow". I should know. My Mummy reminds me of this about 20 times a day. LOL. Once I cried just because I liked how it sounded when it echoed on the monitor in the other room. Too hot, too cold, just rightdoesn't matter! Keep crying!! It took awhile, but it worked. She fed me at 4am. Tomorrow night, my goal is 3:30am. You need to slowly shorten the interval between feedings in order to reset your Mummies' internal clocks. P.S. Don't let those rubber things fool you, no matter how long you suck on them, no milk will come out. Trust me.

Loubie & Ben x

katierocket · 15/02/2007 13:29

ha! like it Loubie.
Thanks for your thoughts - I'm not sure you have it much easier! Off to docs this afternoon and have an appt to see cranial osteopath next week. Just have to take it one day at a time I guess. One of hardest things is feeling like i'm neglecting DS1.

RGee · 15/02/2007 13:43

loubie - absolutely pml especially at the pears bit. shame really as i woke dd who was asleep on my shoulder but didnt dislodgde cat 1 from my knee

Lizzzombie · 15/02/2007 13:48

Loubie that is hilarious! Sometimes you get a look off your LO that you know is not as innocent as it seems, and is his internal cheeky monkey just testing you out!

I've just done something really stupid.
Knew this expressing lark would come with some hitch or another. I took my eye off the tit for one moment to answer the phone. Boob came out of expressing machine, and I shoved it back in and had a conversation. Ten mins past, no milk coming out, hmm. Carried on for another ten minutes. Still no milk. Weird. Took boob out thinking it was empty. No. Nipple hadn't been in sucky bit of the machine, and the sucky bit had been 'sucking' against my aeriola (sp?) So now I have a love bite from the expressing machine on one side of my tit and mastitis on the other side. (same tit) great!

vinorouge · 15/02/2007 16:23

Lizz - sympathies to you with the mastitis, it sounds horrid. Hope it clears up soon.

I am off to see a BF specialist MW tomorrow (didn't even know they existed!) to try and sort out my BF problems. She told me the crack should heal in 48 hours once positioning is correct - thought 4 weeks was a bit long for it not to have healed!!!!

Ellen has put on a pound in a week so she must be liking what she's getting anyway.

Can't decide what contraception to use, MW was asking me about it today. Sex is the last thing I want these days so the need for contraception isn't very urgent!

Enjoyed an hour off today as went to use a voucher for a facial that was a present from work when I left, friend looked after Ellen so I got to properly relax. How nice !

Whoever was asking about breastmilk in the evening - Ellen often feeds for hours in the evening (I feel like all I do is watch TV!) and empties both breasts.

trixymalixy · 15/02/2007 23:40

Hi guys,
I have been lurking, but haven't posted for a while.

Been having a bit of a rubbish time as had a badly cracked nipple on one side. I eventualy resorted to nipple shields on that side. Can't believe I didn't do it before and why everyone makes such a fuss about them!! It was making me feel so down and spent most of the middle of the night feeds in tears. The nipple shields have made such a difference, I'm actually starting to enjoy the bf and I'm hoping I can get rid of the shields soon as my nipple is healing up.

PMSL at those horrible outfits 2happy and wilkie. We haven't had anything that vile, but we have had several hundred bibs!!

Galmum, my SIL's swear by the tommee tippee closer to nature bottles. We tried DS with some EBM in one last night for the first time and he took to it straight away.

ellieandhattie · 16/02/2007 08:57

if anyone wants the tommee tipee closer to nature bottles and teats i have 5 only used one bottle and one teat a few times as hattie couldnt get on with them, if youwant them email me michelle parks 11 @ aol dot com without the spaces and I'll post them to you

Lizzzombie · 16/02/2007 09:18

Ok, at the risk of sounding like an obsessive, this expressing thing is fascinating as you get to see the difference in the amount of milk you are producing during the day. Last night it took an hour to get a 1.5ml from each boob. Very boring - no wonder LO feeds for hours in the evening. BUT, this morning, right boob chucked out 6ml in 20 mins, my DP couldn't believe his eyes! Left boob not so productive as it was the one LO fed off at 4am. The only problem is that I didnt think about having to express in the middle of the night.
Anyone who is express feeding their LO's, is there any advice/schedules you are following? Or are you making it up as you go along? x

RGee · 16/02/2007 09:33

P*ss poor night so feeling grumpy today. Lo seemed to have trapped wind from 1am to 6am - at least I was kept midly amused by the constant farting, and she has been fast asleep now for ages.

I tried expressing about a week ago, but on all three attempts could only get a piddling 1oz after eternity of pumping both boobs (hand pump). Would like to hear when you all do it - immediately after feeds or inbetween? My lo rarely sleeps for long enough during the day to pump and feeds aevery 3 hours, my boobs rarely feel full enough for her. Am so of you who are successfully pumping. would love an evening off!!

laughalot · 16/02/2007 10:20

Hi everyone had a good night last night lauren had a bottle at 8 and slept untill 3 which was bliss she then had another bottle and woke up at 6.45 so a good night all round. I am sorry to hear of those who are having bf trouble I tried with my ds and had many problems so he was bottle fed and when I had lauren I decided because I had a toddler at home who needs attention I would bottle feed again I guess its for a easy life however im sure down the line I will regret it as I really wanted to do it with my ds and we have decided that 2 children is plenty for us especially as we have one of each. I am starting to feel a bit sad that I shall never be pg again if you had said to me 2 weeks ago that I would be feeling like this I would have laughed in your face but as life is getting a little easier I cant imagine never having that little baby kicking inside again iv always been fascinated by pregnancy even though at the end its a pain in the bum i just think its amazing maybe I should be a midwife. On a different topic all together POTTY TRAINING AAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH !!!!! my ds has started things backwards he stands up for a wee yep its good that he does that but it is causing problems in the poo department he wont sit down so therefore he wont poo on the potty, he goes and hides in the pantry and poos in his nappy if he has pants on he will come and ask me for a nappy so he can poo so iv been on toys r us and ordered loads of stickers, a potty book for me to read and a book for my ds so I think today we shall be making a chart for the stickers.

Katie just wanted to let you know im thinking about you and just wanted to say things will get easier just think every new day is the start of it getting better I totally understand the feeling about pushing other siblings out I spent a few days crying all the time thinking my ds hated me and hated his sister but now hes better still gives her the odd poke in the face but then again he is only 2.5

katwith3kittens · 16/02/2007 10:27

Liz, your amorous encounter with the pump made me laugh, but tell me ..how the hell did you not know you werent collecting anything ??

expressing was something I've never got the hang of and I tend to avoid it if possible, but thats just me. I ended up with nips like a john paul gAutier cone that madonna would wear after doing it constantly for a week ( They have reverted to raspberries now if anyone is interested.)

Hope the mastisis is on the mend. I managed 12months successful BF with 1st baby then got it with number 2 after a few weeks..it was awful, but over with very quickly. Dont be disheartened its just one of those things (along with leaking nips, baggy bellies, exhaustion all those new mum accessories). Keep going with the BF/EBM your doing a great job, you and your LO are benefitting HUGELY each day you continue (trying not to come across as a massive earth mother type emotion)

KR, feel for you and your LO, Big Hugs.

Did anyone catch the baby on BBC breakfast news that was born very prem and treated with viagra ? He was in the next cot to us in SCBU at Christmas. So glad to hear its all worked out well and he's home. Its put me in a happy mood for the rest of the day now.

BTW, decided on a name change

Coffeebeanz as was

Galmum · 16/02/2007 11:26

Hi everyone - dreamt about bibs last night!!

Liz - so impressed by your expressing skills!! I've always found it a struggle. The best time for me is to express of one boob first thing (before dd wakes up) - it's just too much like hard work later on. However there is not point in expressing if dd will not take a bottle - she thinks it is STUPID idea and it makes her v. !! Posted question on bf section and now have lots of tips that we will be working our way through. I will be wanting an eve out or morning shopping without her at some point, so we will be perserving.

Katierocket - thinking of you, hang on in there - what can I say, it will pass. My nephew was a complete nightmare for the first 3 months, but then he settled down and was a lovely child and he is now a kind, happy and good-looking 11 year old - there is hope! Try to beg, borrow and steal help from any source.

Sorry if TMI, but I have started bleeding again when it looked like it was nearly over (dd is 5 weeks old) - having read earlier posts - I have been a good girl and I'm off to see the GP this afternoon. Annoying as I was contemplating trying some contact sports with dh! I do have to be v.careful though as I had MMR the day after dd was born...my rubella immunity from my jab at 14 had worn off, so I cannot conceive for 3 months, as the live vaccine can damage the foetus. Of course there is no single licensed rubella vaccine in this country so I had to have the lot !

Galmum · 16/02/2007 11:31

Ellie&hattie,

I'm interested in the TommeeTippee closer to nature stuff - someone recommended them to me when I posted the question about dd refusing the bottle. Will email. x

Galmum · 16/02/2007 11:34

Sorry - friend has already picked some up for me - ignore previous post!

x

theUrbanDryad · 16/02/2007 12:14

hey everyone - hope you're all doing ok. we had our last visit from the HV this week, Zac now weighs 10lbs8oz, which she is very happy about, but she did the edinburgh test (or whatever it's called) for PND and i scored 10 which is really high apparently! so she's half-bullied me into going to her "support group" on monday morning, which actually, i've just realised i'm not going to be able to go to because i've got a job interview at 10! hehe... i've kind of got to go back to work, as i missed out on maternity allowance by not having worked enough weeks in the test period. so all i got was 6 weeks incapacity benefit (which has run out now) and then just child benefit. so...it's the big bad world of part-time work for me! i'm lucky, because my mum can have him for me while i work, so long as i can express enough milk for him. i thought i was doing well, with my 4oz a time, but i am in awe of your 6oz Lizzz. btw - we use avent teats and bottle, but my nipples are very pointy and almost identical to the Avent ones. i think you're supposed to match your own nipple as closely as you can. i'm sure someone said that if you have flat nipples then the tommy tippee ones are good - but i could be making it up!

oh yeah, something else the HV said - i should give Zac a dummy apparently! he just "nurses for comfort" (so the 4lbs he's put on in 6 weeks is irrelevant then? ) so i went out and duly bought him a couple of avent dummies - will he keep them in? will he hell! he just spits them out after a few sucks! is that normal? or did other dummy-using mothers have to perservere as well? oh, and apparently babies who suck dummies at night are at less of a risk of cot death. so don't feel guilty about giving dummies at night!!

OP posts: