JUNE 07...Starting thread!

[nannyjo]

Well i think i was the frist to 'pop' from the due in june thread so i thought it was about time we started the post-natal thread.

DS2 is 2 weeks on monday I had him 4 weeks early due to induction for OC. Everything is going really well and i think things are finally starting to settle down (i hope i haven't just spoken too soon!!)

He is really suffering with colic though and were getting about 4 hours sleep a night on average and with a 2.5 year old there is no chance of catching up in the day, but i shouldn't complain as i'm lucky to have got two wonderful boys. Thats it now NO MORE!!!!!9smile0

I know a few other june mums have had their babies so it would be lovely to hear from you to see how you are all getting on (when you get the chance )

Hi all, I'm officially coming to join you. Having a difficult "3rd day" struggling with feeds which is making me really anxious and dreading them as got cracked nips and just uncontrollably weep every time we try feeding.

Bought nipple shields, but don't have enough flow for them to work at the mo' (are they supposed to be so much bigger than your actually nips? She just didn't want to suck on them), so expressed a little and then seemed ok. Next boob is so hard going try try the same when she wakes up next. DH and I were having a lovely sleep of 2 hours, but she is getting windy half way through a sleep a the mo' DD and DH are watching cribs with sign language while I'm on here!

So, my numbness in my little finger from grabbing onto the bed head in labour has spread to a nervey thing down to my elbow , and my arms are still so weak from where I was supporting myself for hours during labour. Didn't seem to hit me until yesterday, and makes the feeding more difficult coz arms are so achy and DD is huge! (well, seems it!).

I must say, it's good to read all your messages and see how you are doing.

bumper...try to keep calm sweetie. i got myself into a sate when i had ds and just made things worse. this will pass and it'll all fall into place. it's just a matter of getting your latch right. i wish i could just 'pop' over and help you out.
em wasn't sure about the shields to start with but she soon got the hang of it, but it might be easier when your milk is fully in.

have you tried lying down or having her in a rugby ball hold, it might take the pressure off a bit. and please call your MW, if you can get someone out today.

don't forget as wel that the baby blues hit you like a truck on day three. keep warm and well fed and watered and this too will pass. (((((hugs)))))

bumper...are you using cushions to support your arms when holding her. it might take some of the strain off. Boots do an inflatable semi-circular BF pillow for a tenner, which i can't live without. Em gets really excited when she sees it now as she knows what's coming!

Hello everyone
Just a hello, here I am, I will be popping in intermittently between burping, feeding, stressing, sleeping, washing etc etc etc

Am so totally exhausted. Sulli is a windy baby and we have had no sleep trying to learn how to burp the LO. Hate seeing him in so much pain.

BF hasn't worked for me - I don't seem to be producing anything, even colostrum! He was on my breast for an hour and only gave me nipple blisters, he was still famished, so we had some formula and now he is sleeping. Feel disappointed but I don't think it's too late to keep trying? Milk isn't in yet.

Haven't read other posts, hope you are all well, and well done Holly xx

TA DD1 was quite windy, and I found laying her across my lap and rubbing her back in circles worked pretty well? That and infacol...haven't had to use that with Matilda so far...she seems a lot more stoic than Ella was

Bumper - expressing a little bit off will help her latch better if they're hard - and cool cloths or cabbage leaves will help with the swelling. It should only last 24 hours or so, but it's really freaky when it happens. And daisy's right about the pillows. You're doing great!

Hello all, congrats to all the new mummies!

Daisy, Matthew is very hiccupy too! It is a pain at night as I feed him, wind him, put him in his cot sleeping peacefully and then 5 minutes later we hear the sound start up, he hiccups so much he wakes himself up! Then he needs another feed

TA, if your nipples are really sore my midwife recomended trying various feeding positions to alleviate the pain on one area. So on your side is really good as your little one will be feeding from a different angle. This helped me a lot!
Matthew is still mixed feeding at the moment, mainly breast, but with the odd bottle in the night when I am ready to scream from exhaustion! I really want to stick it out as I remember from DD that it is so much easier when going out for the day! AND of course BF is the best form of weight loss going! I've got less than a stone to lose now to be my pre-pregnancy weight - Yay!

Hi everyone and congratulations!
Can anyone use some vouchers for half price huggies nappies at tesco? According to the vouchers they're worth £4.88. They're newborn only though, and my LO was born in April! If you want them, email me on Kate Fallon 44 @ hotmail . com with your address and I'll send them to you.

Hello new mummies!

Gosh with a 4week old I feel ancient

So the Magical Dr Browns bottles actually do seem to be working quite well. In fact our little madam was so chilled after her midmorning feed with one that we've not been able to rouse her to take more than half a feed at lunchtime! I hope this doesn't mean she's going to be up all night...!

I'm just so happy she isn't screaming during every feed anymore

hi everyone, thought i would come and join you here.

OOh bumper do feel for you , 3rd day in for me was particularly hard I literally just started sobbing to my partner, as bf was just so painful I thought i was going to give in, and I advise others for my job!, but I stuck with it and it does get better, try lying down and feeding it really does help with the pain, look for a diagram on the net or in a book on how to do it, massage in the bath also.

Mine are still cracked but the pain is non-existant once he is latched on. Nipple shields don't work too well if its only colostrum but once your milk comes in they will work fine and yes they are supposed to be bigger than your nips.

your doing great perservering.

Daisyboo, just saw the new AN thread and do I understand correctly, your baby slept from 10:30 through till morning??? My God woman how did you manage that?!?

Just wanted to say feeding lying down rocks! I always fed DD that way and will do so with Baby Sputnik too, unless we are feeding in front of the computer
Not only does it take pressure off, you get to have a lie down too

Yes she did, Lilkel and no, I don't know. She decided to have a mad feeding frenzy and was on and off from about 5pm till 10:30 last night. It seemed like I couldn't satisfy her at all and she only snoozed for about an hour in that time, and it was wet and dirty nappy after wet and dirty nappy. She fell asleep, exhausted at 10:30 and I put her down and crawled into bed just before 11. Next thing I knew it was 5:30 and she was just waking.

She's fed on and off this morning in between snoozes and has been asleep since 12.

It was pretty horrible through the evening as she was screaming when she wasn't on the boob, so I gave in and let her suckle as much as she wanted (I'd had half an hour of her sucking my finger as well and she stayed awake all through that so it wasn't comfort sucking or she'd have fallen asleep)

Think I can live with that if it means she's going to sleep all night!

TA, you can keep trying, it will come. I'm surprised they let you home without knowing you were doing OK . It sounds like he's not latched properly which can affect your supply. Can you get some advice from your community mw or hv? It might expalin the wind if he isn't latching propeerly. Have you got some infacol. I used it for DS and Em has had some too, but her wee face when we give it to her. She does not like it one bit and screws her nose up and purses her lips as if to say "you're not putting anything else in there"
Hi RedFraggle, Claire and BZ...
...hope I didn't forget anyone else.

Bumper...how are you today love?

Baby Boo has just possetted a not insubstantial amount of milk down my cleavage.....nice

Afternoon all

DH & Mum are doing a mothercare trip so I am here on my own. Thank god for the support network.
Mum has been invaluable and showed me how to burp and now I am getting the hang of it, Sulli doesn't make a peep. He is a blissfully easy baby really, the only problem is I am not producing any colostrum/milk at all - MW helped me try and express and I only just get the teeniest drop of colostrum out, so am having to FF. Will keep perservering for a bit though!!

He is adorable, I am very tired but getting there. I am pleased that he seems so healthy as well, he looks just like Dad.

TA, not everyone can express, so he may still be getting something. not sure how you feel, but you can keep letting him suck (as well as FF) till your milk comes in. You've got nothing to lose really!

god, i'm going to turn into a BF evangelist, but this is such a revelation to me after the problems i had with DS.

No Daisy I am grateful for the support.

I do plan to keep perservering but I am hoping that when my milk comes in I will have something substantial to offer him!

He is feeding 40ml every 3 hours!

He latches on easily one side but not the other. I am still offering boob for 15 minutes before FF though and he isn't turning his nose up at it yet so no you are right, I figure I have nothing to lose.

wow DBoo sounds like a real feeding marathon! I can see now how 7 hours sleep happens

TA - just to say, if BF doesn't work for you, you'll not be alone, and if you should hit the guilt wall (as we all seem to when we stop BF) just come online and we'll make you feel better. FF ain't the end o' the world . Glad you are getting some help, it could make all the difference to your milk too...

Thanks Lilkel

No-one is making me feel guilty but myself, but on balance I feel that Sullivan would prefer a happy healthy mum and a bottle than a stressed upset mum that feels inadequate and a boob - so I WILL persevere for the time being but I won't beat myself up if it all gets too hard!

Hi guys. DS2 asleep on sofa and babyria (can't call him that, will hav to think of something else) in his carrycot. I'm bored. Might walk round the corner to my mums again when they've had their tea. Will see.

I've had quite a few "cow&gate moments" too, it's not nearly as painful as feeding ds1 was, but that initial latch on is NASTY.

I suppose I should be hoovering ready for the MIL visit tomorrow, but am in denial and hoping she won't come (have asked DH to ask her not to as he will be at work but he doesn't dare...) MW is coming too to do the heelprick thing. I SO want to go and hide at my mums so I'm out.

HI HOLLY, I'm sure you'll be here soon!

How about butterbaby?

As always TA, you are being very level headed and pragmatic about things....and as you say as long as you both are healthy and happy....
....I had the whole guilt thing going on with DS which is why I was prepared to keep going even though it was agony, but when I eventually gave in it was such a weight off my shoulders and I really started to enjoy him more. Was all prepared for it this time, but things have been so much easier (well so far anyway...I'm aware there's still time for it to go horribly wrong)

thanks. By 3am it will be back to little bugger I think - he's still asleep! (So is DS2 and he fell off the sofa).

I might have to jump ship, if you'll let me... its like the Marie Celeste on AN!

I'm there!...but figured I'd have a look here too!