July 2007 - yet starting in June!

[Jamantha]

Well, I can't see a post natal July 2007 thread, so will start this, even though Charlotte, my DD was born 4.5 weeks early in June. I'm sure the other July ladies will be along soon enough.

Have had 2 nights at home now. Yesterday afternoon was fairly distressing as Charlotte wouldn't latch on, and if she did she wouldn't suck. But have got loan of electric pump from hospital, and support from midwives and now managing with comination of breast, expressed and formula milk, sometimes all three in the same feed. Finding it quite emotional, with all the issues associated with feeding one's baby, but trying to stay calm as found out yesterday that getting self into a state doesn't help anyone.

Dh has just gone out to get some things we're still missing, and I'm putting my feet up for a bit. Phil & Ted has just arrived so we might try a stroll down to the ante natal class tonight!

Any how, hope there are lots of lovely birth stories to come from July ladies, and that we can swap advice, give each other moral support etc over the coming weeks and months.

typhoonsmum - have you tried lying him on his back and 'bicycling' his legs, then gently bending his knees and hips so you're pushing his knees towards his chest for a few seconds? I've been doing this since my LO's wind problems started and I almost always get some farts if I repeat it a few times! It's easier than the direct abdominal massage and he doesn't cry so much.

The little blighter's been awake and 'busy' since 6pm so I can sympathise. He's exhausted but refuses to sleep in the basket - it doesn't matter how sleepy we get him, how deep he is, he still wakes within a few minutes of going down, hence he's snoozing on my shoulder again. It beats having him suck hell out of my nipples, which is what he's spent almost all night doing. But heck, I'm tired.

Never mind, another while and I'll try again.

Still awake ...

Chubby, sorry you had a bad night! If its any consolation mine hasn't been great either!

LO is whining now that I have laid him down but I am resisting the temptation to pick him up because I really need to eat my breakfast..

Anyone else notice that they are inhaling food rather than chewing it these days! Its playing havoc with my digestive system!

MFO - yes, have taken advice for OH to make sandwiches for me of a morning, but think really it would be best if he were to liquidise them so I can drink them with a straw!

Am V glad we haven't got any home-delivery pizza shops round here.

Off to try bedding LO down again. He's sleeping blissfully on my shoulder as per usual

Don't know if this will help anyone else with settling their LO's during the day, but what I've been doing is feeding Isla while I sit propped up on pillows on our bed, then if she has nodded off at the end of the feed, I gently climb out of bed and pop her down in the nice warm patch where I have been sitting. She barely makes a squeak and can sleep for a couple of hours. if i try and put her in the cot during the day, she's awake within minutes!

Glad to hear their are others on here with babies that are wide-awake and guzzling all evening - it's like she's a different baby on the stroke of 6pm! No matter how sleepy she looks, there's always one eye half open.... We finally get her to crash out in her cot at about 11pm - I get DP to settle her because I think she smells the milk on me and gets all excited that she's getting more! No chance missus - The Milk Bar is (finally) Closed!

Hi all - sorry to hear about the lack of sleep guys. I'm with you on inhaling food. My LO has an inbuilt food alarm, which means she wakes up the minute I'm about to eat!

MFO - on the expressing front, my LO is 6 weeks old and she will take 4-4.75oz per expressed feed. The last couple of nights she's only managed 2oz before conking out. When I started expressing she took about 3-3.5oz I think. HTH. Also, if you read much further down this thread, pulapula posted a formula that you can use to work out amounts, based on weight and number of feeds per day. HTH. x

HAve thought about feeding him myself but fear that the milk will come back with avengance and I'll be in agony again. I had mastitis with DD twice and it knocked meoff my feet for days. I don't want to go thru that again but I do want to give DS a good start in life. A midwife told me that if I was just expressing the milk it will eventually dry up. To keep the flow going I'd need to feed the baby myself. After he was born I could easily get two 4-5oz bottles expressed. One from each breast. Now I can get one 4-5oz bottle from the two combined.
Have been giving him 3 hourly feeds instead of 4 hourly and he slept brilliantly last night. Tonight is the test. He has never done two good nights since we brought him home.
Might try the bicycle manouever when he gets wind. I'll willing to do anything.

Kyte - that's awful and deserved a rant!

My understanding is that Church 'employees' aren't subject to employment law. Is that correct? Because in standard employment (I'm sure you know all of this anyway) you're entitled to your benefits during the period of ordinary maternity leave. The fact they made a verbal agreement would also be binding to a degree. I hope you manage to get things sorted out - how frustrating that the vicar is away. Thinking of you...

Typhoonsmum - I thought that any type of milk 'extraction', whether it's a baby or a breast pump, would maintain milk production. Even if your production has slowed a bit, you can still build it back up again I think. I know what you mean about the best start, however I think the most important thing for a happy/healthy baby is a happy/healthy mum - good luck with things.

I am feeling like a mad and irrational woman right now, but if the boychild keeps his current routine up I may just give up and switch to formula

Someone talk some sense into me please? He's going to have to give up feeding all day at some point right?

We all seem to be having a rough time of it don;t we? I hope things even out for everyone.

Kyte, if they get you to quit by being asshats, you can have them for constructive dismissal. Point that out to them and blow a raspberry or three for good measure.

Agnes

Agnesnit.
You've done better than me. DS spent the first 24 hours using me as a human dummy so I bought him a dummy and that was better. Then he was feeding every two hours and by nipples were so sore I would flinch when he latched on. Hence why the breast pump came out. Now I live in fear of mastitis so am expressing every time they fill up. With expressed milk I can see what he is eating and try and establish a routine. Formula milk is so tempting and I want to do it but I want DS to have all the best he can.
My new worry. Bleeding. After DS was born it was naturally heavy but over the next few days it had slowed down. By the time he was 7 days old it had stopped. Now whenever I do anything "slightly strenuos" Like go to the supermarket(in the car) and Mc Donalds (In the car) it starts again. Not for long but does it mean I'm doing to much. I have to go totown and get the end of DD school uniform soon (refuse to go in the mad rush at the end of the holidays)so I have to get out the house!

I am railing against the dummy. I just can;t bring myself to do it. I'm a stubborn old mare I know, but part of me would rather feed all day than give in.

I think I need therapy:s

I'm at the doctors tomorrow to get an almost unrelated issue sorted out, so I may well mention that I feel like a dairy herd and see what he says.

Agnes

HI typhoonsmum- similar issue here with bleeding. DD was born a month ago and had proper bleeding for a week and half. Then slowed/ stopped and just got a bit of a DC (sorry if TMI) but everytime I do any amount of walking etc I bleed again. I guess body is not quite finished with sorting itself out. really want to get on with doing situps etc but don't want to risk causing a heavy bleed!

Question for those of you Expressing- how did you get LO to take the bottle. My little madame screams the place down if you go near her with the bottle!! I really want one night where DH can do the feeds and I can do something I have heard of called Sleep.....

Agnes, I gave into dummyness when Lucy wanted to suck all the time for comfort - she's 5 weeks now and tbh hardly uses the dummy now - i think its a little phase they go through - or you could get the boychild to suck on your finger?

Re bleeding - I actually bled for 5 weeks after giving birth (obv got much lighter) - but I think i can say its finally finished now!

and I have to say, that there were times a few weeks ago when i couldnt have gone on BF without using "mexican hats" on my nipples - you know those shield things - they really do work and that combined with a heated up microwave oat pack on my poor engorged boob got me through some bad days.

and very for you Kyte - Im sure someone will post here with good advice for you.

Kyte I'm very cross for you. How are you all doing now by the way?

Kyte, how awful! I hope you get this resolved, it's shameful. And agnes, beware - I felt the same about dummies but I'd had enough a couple of nights ago and cracked open the 2-pack I had been given by MIL (to my disgust). Approached screaming, gumming baby and presented dummy with a flourish - cue more screaming, this time in outrage that I had dared offer something so far removed from a nipple. I'd expected a night of blissful sleep - no such luck, I didn't bank on the LO detesting it!

Just settling in for another long-haul night. For some reason in the last 48 hours LO has developed a hatred of his basket, a complete aversion to lying on his back, and a mean right hook. All he's done today is feed and thrash around and shriek. He's only happy when feeding or in his bouncy chair. The rest of the time he's yelling and flailing, seriously angry with the world.

Much tears from me - OH is back to work tomorrow and I'm struggling to cope with a permanently unhappy baby as it is. I'm dreading tomorrow. Mind you, there's tonight to deal with first - can't see me having any sleep again since LO refuses to lie down. I wish I knew what's got him so peeved.

Chubby have you tried swaddling? It's worth a try. I too have the sleepiest baby on my chest, and noisiest, angriest baby on his back. Swaddling REALLY helps at night.

Jennster, I tried this last night (I swaddled him a lot at first) but it made him angrier. Part of the problem is that suddenly he's started really throwing his limbs around and restricting him seemed to really enrage him. Shame, because he wakes himself up with the flailing every time I try to get him down! Good idea though, thank you.

Kyte - that is disgusting! I know nothing about the church or its ways but it seems to me that the way you are being treated is far from Christian! How dare they do this behind your back....I cant offer any advice but can say that I am so for you!

Typhoonsmum - My bleeding was really erratic too and still is (Lo is 4 weeks on wednesday). The midwife said as long as there are not any huge clots (sorry if TMI) or a bad odour then its not an infection and is perfectly normal...its just such a pain isnt it!

Chubbyscotsburd - Have you tried swaddling with arms out? My LO hated his arms being enclosed but is happy for the rest of his body to be trussed up like a sausage!
How are you feeling today? I hated it when my DH went back to work and felt very fearful and worried but we are here!!!!!

Okay, I too want to know how you get LO to take a bottle. I tried and he spluttered and puked and got very upset...would like to introduce one so he isnt against it later on.

Nasty weather today!!!!

chubby, it's a fight to get ds into the swaddle if hes not just been fed and very sleepy. When he wakes in the night he is usually air boxing.

Hi guys - quickie from me. I didn't do this on purpose, but my DH is the only one who has given LO a bottle and she took to it pretty quickly. One day I tried it (albeit a little half heartedly) but she wouldn't take it from me. Now, to be honest, I didn't persevere, but I did think that maybe she associates me with breast and therefore refused to take the bottle from me. I don't really mind as DH does the bottle feeds anyway, but might be worth a try in case they're more cunning and aware than we think.

Take care all

Those worrying about whether to use dummies might want to look at this www.fsid.org.uk/dummies.html - we now feel like very responsible parents when we use the dummy!

Catz - Thank you for the link...I too now can relax. We have been giving a dummy to DS but I was really uncomfortable about it. Feel tons better now!

Has anyone else's LO got spots? Surely at 3 weeks its too early for acne isnt it?
They look like tiny yellow heads and he has 3 on each cheek. What with the bald patch, sticky eyes and dry skin the poor kid does look a mess! I love him with all my heart though!

Big hugs to all...better go and inhale my chicken sandwich before his lordship wakes up!

MFO DS aint got the acne as bad as dd, but think dd got it later. It just clears up iirc. Ds has sebborhaic dermatitis and is very scaly too. He had far less vernix still on him when he was born than dd did and so is much drier.