March 2017 babies

[purpleviolet1]

So my 9 day old baby boy was delivered by emcs at 37+5 gestation due to presenting breech (waters broke and contractions started). First baby so lots to learn!

Currently giving him expressed milk and formula topup. We tried breastfeeding but there was latch issues, he got very frustrated as he wasn't getting satisfied and my nipple was cracked and bleeding within a couple of days. I then got blocked ducts and the whole thing was a disaster really. I feel like a bit of a failure and did get help from bf clinic for the latch but it was little too late. With the c section recovery I just feel too exhausted to have him on the boob constantly and least with formula he is getting some decent sleep (although I'm usually expressing during this time so don't get a proper rest).

Oh and his fussy time is between 10pm -2am. He tends to feed and need winded on repeat between this time. It's exhausting but tonight I had a nap from 7-10pm in anticipation.

Come and join me for some chat...

I'm thinking about introducing a bottle as my DS has lost too much weight, but slightly too frazzled with sleep deprivation to work out how to do it. He's the sleepiest baby ever - every feed is about an hour of 'suck-snooze, suck-snooze'. This was ok with my first but how to people cope when they have an older one to look after!

I am still in the hospital with DS. They wanted to discharge me today but the neonatal unit said he can come to the ward with me! Really hope we can go home soon, like tomorrow! I've had to move from a nice side room back to a tiny cubicle too. I'm having to mix feed as he isn't breastfeeding efficiently enough but is giving a good go but they need to see he's having enough with breast or bottle before we can go!

Sounds positive green. This feeding thing is a real tricky business!

That sounds good Green 🙂 Hope you are able to get home as soon as possible!

How much weight has your little one lost Daphne?

With regards to my earlier concerns with my daughter's sleep overnight she has gained weight, she's 3 oz over her birthweight so they are happy for us to leave her to sleep when she wants 🙂

11%. We had issues with latching, which are improving, plus he's also a real sleepyhead. Hopefully things are picking up now but it's a real slog. Also makes you feel like a bit of a failure - feeding is such an essential part of being a mother.

Ouch poor you Hugh. Thanks for the encouragement - I know you're right but it's difficult to be rational at the moment!

Well still not breastfeed my LO. She just can't get the hang of latching on. I was hand expressing a bit for her as my manual pump use hasn't been successful either. I had a visit from breastfeeding support and they have lent me an electric pump to see how I do and so far after 6 mins on each alternating I have 20ml to give my LO when she wakes for a feed. Planning on giving her the expressed first then formula. Then pump again ready for during the night

Really gutted about BF. I had a bit of a cry about it today as well.

Have finally had a moment to actually post tonight.

Hope everyone had a nice mother's day. Older DS woke up baby who then would not settle so cried on and off for hours and nothing was working so once OH got home I managed to get upstairs and away from toddler and baby to sleep then myself. So not the best day but I was spoilt by them.
Its really hard work keeping the toddler away from baby when he's asleep, so from tomorrow going to be doing a lot of walking to keep baby asleep.

Sorry for those of you struggling feeding wise, before I had DS1 I did a lot of reading on breastfeeding and it can take up to 8 weeks to get the hang of especially as you are both learning a new skill. Don't be hard on yourself, even though the hormones can be unrelentless at this stage.

Getting baby weighed Thursday but he's out of his up to 1 month baby gros already now, I can't believe he's 4 weeks old in a few days.

Hope everyone doesn't have too much of a bad night.

carol it's totally understandable that you're upset, but don't beat yourself up about it. We can only do our best and bf can be really hard!

dolerite I feel your pain - my older DC will not leave baby alone. Really hoping the novelty wears off soon.

Well it's 3am and I'm finding MN a good way to avoid dozing off while feeding. Hope everyone else is having a decent night.

For those mums FF how are you managing night feeds? I'm using aptamil and it says to boil the kettle 30 minutes before using so obviously when she wakes for feeds I have at least 30 minutes to wait until I can feed her. Which I can wait for but she obviously thinks I'm torturing her

Carolann please don't beat yourself up, I totally understand where you are coming from. I felt the same but have had to discipline myself to not
Let it take over these precious first days with our bundles of joy. Main thing is that we have tried our best.

When I notice baby stirring I boil the kettle and put the water into bottle, add formula and then let it cool down / run under tap to cool down if he starts crying. I'm using cow and gait. I was told that boiling water (above 70c) and formula need to mix in order to 'sterilise' the formula. Leaving the kettle to cool down for 30 mins still retains the 70c temp so you can do it that way too. During the day it's a bit easier - If He is fast asleep and should be waking up but hasn't yet , I boil the kettle and leave it for 30 mins before making feed up so that I have longer to 'play' with as a made up bottle needs to be discarded within 2 hours. But during the night I can't manage up and down the stairs as I'm still sore from c section.

I think some people boil the kettle and put into thermos and take that up with them, the temp remains over 70c so that would work too.

Hope that helps...

Anyone else got dr browns options bottles or the Milton cold water steriliser? Instructions say that the bottles should be kept in it until they are needed. What do people do when they go out then? Is it ok to take bottle out of steriliser and assemble with the cap on? Milk to be added when required. Or is bottle completely unsterile when it's been out of the Milton steriliser for a few hours?

Thanks purple So do I need to wait the 30 minutes or use the water straight away?

I think you can sterilise and make up bottles of formula and keep them in the fridge for 24 hours.
We make ours ahead of time but don't keep them for 24 hours, never more than 12 hours.

Carolann you can do it either way, both are fine. Let the water Cool for no longer than 30 mins or make up straight away and run under tap.

Lottie I was told not to make up feeds in advance as if it was the work of the devil but the NHS website just says best not to, not that you definitely shouldn't. Making them up in advance saves a lot of hassle...so thanks for that!

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/making-up-infant-formula.aspx

Thanks for the link.

Still not sure on making them in advance or the thermos idea as I wouldn't know then temp the water is but I will try not waiting the full 30 minutes and cool under water for a little longer, see if that's quicker

There's a lot of info out there, plenty of for and against arguments 🙂 Here's another link that just says to discard after 24 hours:
www.nct.org.uk/parenting/how-do-i-make-bottle-formula-milk-safely
As I said I keep bottles for much less than the 24 hours but I find it much easier to be able to grab bottles as needed, and my husband enjoys making the bottles up for me so I can grab them when our little one is hungry.

Thanks Lottie that's made me feel better !

Carolann , I've read and been told by hcp that a thermos will keep water to at least 70c but I've not personally checked this myself.

Thanks, my DD has been extra hungry this evening, wanting a feed every hour and a half or so

Carol we have a Tommee Tippee perfect prep machine which is amazing in my eyes ( provided bought brand new and filters changed etc regularly ) .
If you don't want one of those you can make feeds in advance and store in fridge I did with DD always made 4 feeds in a go . She never got sick. Also a friend of mine takes a flask upstairs then cools bottle under tap when made .
As for the feeding that often , of my DD nods off after say 1/2 oz I change her nappy which then wakes her and she finishes her usual 3 oz feed which lasts her 3-4 hours. Worth a go .
Lastly a MW in the hospital told me that Aptimal contains all the exact same ingredients as Cow & Gate and is made by the same people in the same factory. Apparently it is just branded to appeal to the middle class as it is more expensive.
I hope this all helps and I would definitely take the "make the bottle up there & then " with a pinch of salt . I don't know anyone who has done this realistically and waited for it to cool so don't beat yourself up .

Agreed mother of a! Impossible to boil and wait for 30 mins if baby is crying it's head off! Babies are so unpredictable and it's not like they want their feeds like clockwork at this stage.

Even the Tommy tipppee prep machine doesn't tick the boxes for the current guidelines as it uses boiling water and cooled boiled water e.g. 2oz of boiling and 4 oz of cooled boiled water for a 6oz feed but the issue is that 2oz of boiling isn't enough to sterilise 6oz of formula. My point being that these are all just guidelines and they do change periodically. Just got to do what suits you best and what you are comfortable with.

DS has also had some evenings where he just feeds and burps , feed and burps on repeat and this can carry on and two feeds will run into each other meaning he hasn't napped in between. It's very exhausting for both of us but apparently quite normal.

Anyone else's dd or ds making funny noises when sleeping? Ds can be really quite noisy!

Definitely purple I find it quite hard to sleep through the wriggling and snuffling!

I hope feeding is improving for everyone. I think we're starting to get of bf. My nipples are no longer bleeding anyway! DS is still really sleepy though- I have to work hard to get him to finish a feed.

carol when I did bottles last time round, I used the water as soon as it had boiled, then ran under a tap. The waiting half an hour rule is not practical with a screaming baby!

Agree with Mother, DS was formula fed and I used to make in advance....he never got sick and is about to turn 5.
DD is cluster feeding, I feel like she was barely off the boob yesterday. My OH goes back to work today, going to attempt the school run for the first time with both the kids.
DD is such a noisy baby, awake and asleep. I think I'm managing to sleep through just due to exhaustion!

Thanks ladies that's reassuring.