July 2017#7 - The One Where We Have Sleepless Nights and Master the Art of Eating Food One-Handed

[Notyetthere]

Link to the last thread;

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/2962422-july-2017-6-labour-here-we-come

Love the title 😂

@butterflyfree the lying down feeding took me weeks with ds. Dd just doesnt seem to like it. It waa about 6 weeks before somethung happened and i just looked at him and thiught wow i love you id actually do anything for you. I think the delay first time round is because its such a life changer its hard to adjust. If you feel something is a miss speak uo though. I wish id have been brave enough to be honest abiut how hard i was finding it. Going to groups etc was a saviour for me and i went to something or visited someone every dsy just so i wasnt home alone.

Baby Glitter is refusing to lay down feed now as well. Baby Linda must have had a word. I reckon perhaps they've got babysnet and all secretly talking about us

Thank you @mynameisntLinda I agree I think probably the massive life-changing adjustment can have a delaying effect on that intense love feeling... I think I'm also struggling with DH being away for these 25 days because a fair portion of my emotions are caught up with missing him and wishing he were here with us. It's still all a bit surreal, coming to terms with parenthood but with my partner far away. I think everything will suddenly click once we're back together and settled in our own home. I hope so anyway.

@glitterglitters I love the idea of them all gossiping about us on Babysnet 😂😂😂

We're having a rough night already and it's only 1am... Baby Z spent an hour on both breasts and then finally unlatched himself so I thought he was satisfied. Immediately started screeching and making hunger signals. Tried to put him back on the boob but he refused, though he continued crying and signalling hunger, so I tried him on a bottle and he wolfed down an entire 120ml in one go. Then we had our first ever projectile vomit, all over the bedsheets and my softest comfiest dressing gown 😊 delightful.

Butterfly I had the same projectile vomit from baby Fran after her first expressed milk bottle feed. I think she overfed. I now freeze expressed milk in no more than 2oz/50ml pouches. If she ends up needing more then I top up by putting her on the boob afterwards.

Baby Fran vomited almost all the feeds she had on Monday. However, she also had plenty of poos, wet nappies and she had the most beautiful smile afterward so we assumed some must be getting through. We are not concerned. Yet. Just a huge pile of laundry.

For the first time baby Fran slept for 5hrs straight 11.30pm-5.30am this morning. She did make small whimpering noises at about 4am which were shortly followed by farts and she fell back to sleep immediately afterwards. I can only assume that it was the bath I gave her at 10pm as she would not settle. I fed her after the bath and she projectile vomited that feed ( and probably earlier feeds as there was a Lot of it). She fell asleep immediately afterwards. I have just fed her now and obviously her nappy was dry when she woke up but within minutes of feeding her she had a wee and poo so all back to normal I hope.

Oh no not thd bedsheets ! Maybr wind was unsettling him. Id defo find it hard without dh. Youre doing amazing!
Baby linda was fussing and faffing too. Toddler woke up at half 1 so i went and got in the cot bed with him and then dozed off. Heard her stirring back in our room at half 2 and woke up all squished in the toddler bed lol. Took 2 hours to get her back off with boobing, jiggling, back patting and shushing. Everytime shed doze off od then end up waking her putting her back in the crib.

I think laying down feeding is the only position we have actually mastered!! I really need to practice other positions so we can actually leave the house!! When you have a wriggling, fussing baby though it's just too easy to go with what you know!

@Notyetthere I'm very jealous of your 5 hours!! We had a bit of an unsettled night too, mostly due to trapped wind I think. I think she's farted it all out now but I'm wondering if I should get some gripe water for future?

My main 'issue' is that Baby CatRash only wants to sleep on me - whether it's on my chest or tummy, or using my boob as a pillow post-feed. I'm not overly concerned as read up on the 4th trimester and I'm wondering if that fact I was induced early has contributed to her clingyness as she wasn't 'ready' to come out?

My main gripe is that I'm getting nothing done at all unless DH is here and having to bed-share instead of using the SnuzPod! DH has been an absolute star working all day then coming home and cooking and cleaning. He even makes me a sandwich and leaves it in the fridge so I can have lunch!

Sorry but I'm gonna rant again-

I'm completely fed up! I've still got a rash covering me from the neck down that's itching like crazy! Baby is sleeping like an angel 4hrs between feeds but I'm still awake itching! Doctor said it could be viral and will go on it's own or it could be a reaction to something but I'd have to work out what myself (I haven't changed anything). Anti histamines aren't working. Overloading on cream at every opportunity!

To add to it my ears are now blocked (I'm prone to ear infections), pounding headache for last 2 days, a gum boil and a nice stabbing pain In right of my stomach every time I move or lie on that side which I'm assuming is all normal after a section.

Just needed to let it out somewhere as poor OH is having to deal with me being crazy emotional and fed up! I'm just annoyed it's taking the fun out of our joint leave coz I feel so rubbish!!

Hi everyone, it's nice to be on the other side with our babies safely here.

@Notyetthere thanks for starting the thread and congratulations on the 5 hour sleep. Hopefully the vomiting is over now and your washing machine gets a break.

@CatRash I know what you mean about baby sleeping much easier on you. After a feed, my little one will sleep for ages if he's on my chest or lap. But when I try to move him into the snuzpod or Moses basket, he stirs, though he will manage eventually during the night. I was reading about baby sleep cycles and wondered if I should wait to move him for 20 minutes - as I think that's when they go from R.E.M. sleep to deep sleep. I'll try it today, he's asleep post-feed on me now so I'll give him a little longer. I won't be able to do the "sleep when the baby sleeps" unless he manages longer in the Moses basket.

@nat2311 no advice about the rash but that sounds awful. As if you don't have enough to deal with post-section and with a newborn.

I think I had the overwhelming feeling of love yesterday, I was looking at him asleep and just started crying because I love him so much. And then every time my partner hugged me, I cried as well. Tired and emotional!

@Notyetthere Wow! 5 hours' sleep, and a smile! Amazing milestones for Baby Fran; well done. I hope her reflux issues settle down. Since Baby Z's projectile performance in the night I've been feeding him sitting upright, and then rubbing his back in a clockwise circular motion for about 15-20mins after the feed. Seems to have done the trick as he hasn't even had any spit up since and his wind appears to dislodge quite well.

@CatRash and @Lallypopstick this is exactly the problem we've been having ever since Baby Z was born 20 days ago. He sleeps soundly on me but upon trying to transfer him to his Moses basket or SleepyHead he stirs and wakes himself up and starts fussing, and will then only be settled if I pick him up again. Even if I wait until he's in his deep sleep rather than R.E.M. (do the floppy arm test - if you lift baby's arm and it drops back down again with no resistance then they're in a deep sleep) he still wakes up when transferred. There are only 2 places he can be transferred to without waking: the Mamaroo, and, oddly enough, his changing mat! Sometimes I feel tempted just to leave him sleeping on it on the floor 😅😩

I stayed awake with him on my chest right through until 8am this morning, and then I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer so I had to go downstairs and wake my mum up to take him for a few hours so I could get some sleep. She then came and woke me at 10am saying she's concerned that he's feeding SO much, draining a 90ml bottle every hour... cue me explaining to her about cluster feeding - apparently it wasn't a concept back when I was born in the early 90s. I'm exhausted 😓 I just want to sleep for 3 or 4 hours uninterrupted!

@nat2311 I really feel for you; how awful you're dealing with that itchy rash and the pain of c-section recovery on top of everything else. Completely understand what you mean about the frustration of your emotions usurping what you feel should be a wonderful special time for you, your OH & LO - I felt the same in the first week after Baby Z arrived and DH was here, when I was breastfeeding constantly and sobbing from the pain at every feed. But it's totally natural to be emotional considering everything you're dealing with and we have to remember that the aftermath of having a baby in reality is not all roses and unicorns like some movies or social media celebrity mummies would have us believe.

Got DS weighed again this morning (day 19) and he's still not quite back to birthweight. Feeling a bit deflated. Have asked a few bf peer supporters I know for advice via Facebook, and planning to go to NCT bf cafe on Friday.

Oh Spin I don't have any advice but I hope you get to the bottom of lack of weight gain with the support of the cafe and Facebook group. There has to be a solution; we have all almost had our breastfeeding issues ironed out with local support and this thread. I am also slightly nervous about baby Fran's weight gain as she has vomited alot of her feeds in the last week or so. I don't actually have any basis to be worried as she still very animated, strongmovements, very alert with wet and pooey nappies so something must be getting through. She had gained 500g on top of birth weight at 4wks old but the vomiting started after i had her weighed so it could have stalled since then. She will be weighed again on Friday at the 6wk appointment so fingers crossed she has gained enough.

Lally sadly she vomited again this morning after her 10.30am feed. She possetted lots of the other feeds. She did keep her 5.30am feed down though.

Those who feed baby laying down, how do you then get baby winded? I feed baby Fran in bed laying down for the 6am feed but then it's always a fuff winding her. I have adopted a cradle position where she sits up in the nook created by my belly and thighs and she has released some satisfying burps before I put her back down to sleep. But I reckon there is an easier way.

Cat definitely 4th trimester here too. She is attached to me during the day. She will sleep well for hrs on me; including the boob as a pillow position . If I put her down she wakes up. However, she will stay in bed for the night sleeps. I have even tried the sling so that I can get stuff done round the house but by the time I have the wrap on, She is already up and crying blue murder. She will only settle in the wrap half asleep.

Nat I'm sorry you are suffering. Like you don't have enough challenges with a newborn and csection. Hope you get better soon.

Not DS isn't very windy - he just falls asleep with my nipple in his mouth and stays there. If I dare to move, he wakes up!

Glad I'm not alone Lally, Butterfly and Not. It's exhausting isn't it!! I just tried waiting 20 mins and did the floppy arm trick (thanks for the tips!) - unfortunately after about three minutes of transferring her she woke herself up by doing a poop and then wanted feeding!! Oh well! Perseverance will be key no doubt!

Sorry to hear you're not well Nat - definitely check any medications you're on - or ask your GP to. I've had reactions to antibiotics in the past and had a reaction last week to a new antibiotic and I get covered in a itchy, red, raised rash. Intolerable at the best of times but 10x worse with a newborn baby!!

Tbh @Notyetthere I'm a bit lazy with winding. She doesn't seem particularly windy and I've been very lucky that she hasn't once vomited. If I feed lying down and she's still awake after then I'll sit her up and wind her. If she falls asleep and I want to sleep (or I'm already asleep lol )then I don't bother.

Sorry to hear about the weight issues Spind - I hope you get the support you need and baby starts gaining.

@spindelina dd is 15 days and not quite at birthweight. Some take weeks to get there and as long as theyre gaining and not loosing i wouldnt be concerned. She hadnt gained on day 10 so i was quite suprised shes almost there yesterday when weighed.
Offer both boobs at every feed seems to have done the trick (shoukd have been obvious but ds fed so much he was automatically given both boobs lol)

Yeah i have to wait 15 mins after sleeping to move her succesfully. I check by picking up her arm or leg and seeing if its floppy lol

With transferring a sleeping baby I lower them down and keep my body right up close to them and then slowly back away with my hand on their chest. Usually tricks them.

I don't tend to wind at night either, I've found that wind tends to happen when my two are distracted by daytime stuff, unlatching etc. At night I can get up, pick up and feed in the pitch black so tends to be really straightforward as they latch on and then unlatch and are asleep. Where baby Glitter is quite big as well she seems to be able to get a lot of her burps out herself now.

I do wind religiously in the day though. Surprising how much rougher I am now than the first days with dd1. Like I was scared I'd break her but you need to be a bit more forceful really.

Hope you're feeling better soon @nat2311 the human body is a right troll sometimes.

Saw this new thread. Just dropping in to place mark. Will update you guys soon. Hope everyone is good. X

Please say my boobs will stop hurting on the initial latch soon. Please!!

@Lallypopstick I swear it will the first week or two I was winging and curling my toes. It does lass but if not get the mw or hv to check your latch. Lots of nipple cream and air to them will help with soreness too

Thanks @glitterglitters - he's 12 days old now so let's hope it's soon! Health visitor saw me feed yesterday and was happy, plus he's gone back up to just above birth weight now. Definitely curling my toes at the beginning, and occasionally using ice packs to try and numb them a bit. And plenty of cream!

It's horrid isn't it. I can confidently say it does go though. I think women used to bite on wooden spoons when they latched on!

Lally ouch! Yes your nipples will stop hurting. Baby Fran is 6wks today and I haven't worn the shields for at least 2.5wks. I forgot to take the shields with me out one day and just had to feed without. Surprisingly, they didn't hurt so I stuck to not using them. Your nipples will toughen up.

Just chiming in to say baby Luna is now 16 days old and it doesn't hurt at all now for her latch. I was crying before with her on my breast. She is better on lefty than righty though? I think I will ask the specialist about how to get on properly on the right boob.

Eeek we've hit Wonder Weeks Leap 1 and, as if on cue, she's started cluster feeding. Thank goodness it's coincided with dh being off. Currently fetching and carrying sandwiches and drinks for me 😂