February 2019 babies - thread 1

[Celebelly]

Let's go ladies! Share your tales of cluster feeding, cracked nipples, poo explosions and sleep deprivation!

Hello!

Actually doing pretty good so far, sleep wasn't great last night as Emma was very snuffly.

Suffering with a cough which isn't great considering I had a section 2 weeks ago! X

Woo hoo! Thank you so much for the thread! Hope you're doing ok @Celebelly and don't have to stay in hospital too long.

Baby Max is 12 says old now and doing great but because he was so big 10lb 6oz his appetite is enormous! I'm pumping 4 100 ml bottles a day for him (struggled with feeding with both babies after the first few days) and he also having another 5 or 6 bottles of formula. @Yakadee I think you are bottle feeding: how many is Emma going through in a day??

We are hoping to get home tomorrow as Emma's bilirubin levels have dropped nicely.

Feeding is our issue at the moment. I suspect she has a tongue tie as she cannot latch or suck. I've had to pump every couple of hours since she was born and am having to combination feed as she's dropping weight a bit too fast. Hoping to see about tongue tie tomorrow and speak to feeding team.

We've had good support on ward but because the staff change so often, no one really believes me when I say that Emma cannot breastfeed, so we spend hours with people trying to get her on in the same ways and with no luck. It's really frustrating, and the constant pumping and zero sleep gave me a mini meltdown this morning when DP walked into the ward and I just started sobbing 

I really hope we can get this fixed as I don't really want to be discharged home with a baby that won't feed (but I also don't want to stay in hospital any longer than necessary).

I can't believe how big Max was! That's amazing. Emma was 7lb 9, so all the growth scans and measurements predicting babyzilla were totally inaccurate.

I love that we both have Emmas, @Yakadee !

@maxiflump1 - yes, I'm bottle feeding her. She was 7lb13 when born 2 weeks ago and now 8lb 8! Your boy is a big lad so not surprised he'll be having more feeds. Emma is having approx 8 feeds of around 100/130 mls a day (although today she's had full bottle / 130ml).

@Celebelly - I know, good taste! They thought my Emma would be around least 9 and a half! Just goes to show you it can't be that accurate. Xx

Sorry to hear you're having such a rough time @Celebelly. I struggled massively with feeding the first time round and so know how stressful it can be. Am a bit more relaxed about it all this time around! Hopefully you can sort her tongue tie quickly and get home. Try to enjoy the newborn snuggles though as they go so fast!

And I had no idea Max was going to be such a whopper! All normal at 20 week scan and measured bang on at all my midwife appointments. Although the last few weeks I felt like my bump was so tight it was going to break open and I guess I was running out of room!!!

Hope all is going well with the babies ladies! Just place marking so when I finally have baby I can find the thread easily 😊 can't wait to join you! Still seems so surreal to think baby could come anytime now!! Xx

Thanks ladies.

As I said on the previous thread - we started off well but she’s lost weight and is v sleepy so not feeding well. So now I’m pumping and BF, doing bottle top ups. It’s exhausting but seems to be doing the trick as she’s taking it all. She was 7.11 so not 6 as predicited but DD was 9.11!!!

Recovery is slow. My bladder is still causing problems and I’m on day 6 and in a lot
Of pain still 😔

11 days old now and still in hospital after emergancy c-section. With a mamouth 14 day stay for me..!!

Another jaundiced baby loosing weight. Staying static at 5lb12 for a week now.

Holding on for some weight gain to get us discharged and home.

Know a few of you are in the same boat with top up feeds etc. Hard going..!!

The lactation team here are fantastic though a huge support and been a wonderful help. The hospital have been above and beyond fantastic. So detirmind to keep at BF so working really hard to keep my supply up.

Dr have said as tomorrow is a week static growth after a 13% weight loss post birth.

If theres no gain tomorrow they will be satisfied after a week that it is no longer a potential feeding issue. And will investigate into medical reasons why 😥

Sorry to hear you are still in and having some issues @Notquiteagandt. Fingers crossed for some weight gain for your little one today x

Place making for when little miss arrives

Finally I can hop back on the thread! 😂 Teddy was born on Christmas day but his due date is today! He's 7 weeks old but adjusted he's 0 so I'm technically in the same boat as the rest of you.

He weighed 4lbs 3 at birth and now he weighs 8lbs. He sleep a pretty well and feeds well. He's bottle fed as he was whisked away instantly at birth and in the NICU until three weeks ago.

@LookingAtTheStars89 - sounds like he's doing great!

Totally random (and hilarious) but anyone else's baby fart all the time! I'm not talking little poops but massive dad trumps!! This kid cracks me up! X

@Yakadee. Mine doesn't fart but makes lots of grr type noises lol. Like the noise babies make when they have dummies in.

Following on from the feeding discussion on the antenatal thread...

I'm uncertain about feeding too. He didn't feed from me for a while after he was born because nobody could get him to latch (he had expressed milk instead). I can now get him to latch both sides but one is easier than the other. It's getting more uncomfortable to feed but I don't know how much of it is just my skin and nipples getting used to it. It's a million times better than with dd where I was so cracked and split that I was told to stop feeding but I'm worried about causing damage again. I'm also not sure when to tell if he's finished a feed because he doesn't just pop off and can be very slow through a whole feed. I've also found that if I take him off to correct the latch I can't get him to latch again.

@lanalawr and those others who are finding breastfeeding hard I'm another one who struggled with feeding both DC. They both latched well for first few days but once my milk came in both struggled to feed off the right boob as I have an inverted nipple. I then started pumping the right one and feeding off the left. Because my boy is so big (10lb 6 oz) I couldn't keep up so started topping up with formula. I'm now pumping 4 times a day which is manageable and get 100nl a time. He now has 4 bottles of breast milk and the rest formula. I will keep this up for a few weeks but will probably then switch to all formula.

With my first DC I got myself really wound up about the difficulties I had and it really effected my mental health and didn't enjoy the first few months. This time I feel a lot more relaxed about it all and just pleased I can get some of my milk in him in these early days. For something that's supposed to be so natural it's the most difficult thing I have ever done!

@Notquiteagandt and @Celebelly how are you both getting on? Are you both home yet?

We came home late last night. Seems very sureal after being in our own little bubble.

No one told me the mw would be out to see us. So that was a shock 1st thing 😂 when im looking a little zombie like. They will be coming every other day to weigh her.

Just trying to settle into a routine. Been for our 1st walk. It is so lovely to be able to do whatever whenever. But took us 10x as long as every one walked past wanted a peep. Village life for you!!

My maim concern is the poor dog is so out of sorts and doesnt quite know what to do poor thing. Anyone any tips?

Hi all,

I haven't posted in the antenatal group for ages - doubt anyone remembers me!

Anyway - I had our baby girl on 1st Feb at 2.18am weighing 8lb 4 🥰. My EDD was 6th Feb but after having been niggly for over a week she was a few days early. Happy days!

Labour was horrendous - I really had assumed I'd be in and out of hospital in four hours or so as she is our third and the last labour was about six hours but I woke up at 4am on the Thursday morning with some tightenings. I had a midwife appointment booked for 12pm anyway so we went to that and she offered a sweep which I accepted - I thought it might get things moving as I had been losing my plug for over a week. On the way home I could feel some stronger tightenings so we decided to go for some lunch at a pub before going home. While we ate lunch I was in no doubt that I was in early labour. We headed home and my Mum came over to look after our two older children. I had a bath and tried to relax and then I put my tens machine on which didn't work (it was faulty!) Eventually we decided to go into hospital at about 6pm as my contractions were coming every five minutes and snow was forecast. We managed to go to the wrong ward first of all and then got taken to our room in the midwife led unit. Unfortunately my contractions spaced to half an hour apart - I think this was the midwife as she was very 'efficient'. I honestly thought I was going to be sent home! However we luckily had a shift change and got a lovely midwife who we knew! I felt much more comfortable and contractions soon ramped up again. Eventually I could get into the pool at about 1.00 and after a very painful hour where I completely forgot about all my hynobirthing ambitions - I gave birth in the pool at 2.18 with gas and air (I loved it!) I lifted her up to my chest and it felt so special to be the first person to touch her. The pushing was extremely intense and very fast (baby has a red eye as a result!) I had a physiological third stage so no injection for placenta which came away after about an hour. All in all my recovery has been really good. Some issues with a bad latch - lots of clicking but hoping that gets sorted.

I don't know why I've written all that - it's really not well written but sort of cathartic writing it down! I've been really surprised at how much I love our dd already Love seeing all the new babies!

We are home!

We got discharged late last night after Emma's blood tests came back fine. DP gave me the best Valentine's gift ever: he took her overnight In the spare room with bottles of expressed milk and I got FIVE HOURS SLEEP.

Given that's all I'd had between 7am Friday and 11pm last night (I didn't/couldn't sleep in hospital bar an hour here and there) I feel like a new woman! I have never loved him more! Felt weird being away from her but I needed the sleep so much as I had reached the stage where I was falling asleep with my eyes open and I was terrified of dropping or smothering her). And she adores her daddy and settles super fast with him - I came through at 6am to them having skin to skin cuddles ❤️ which I never thought I'd see (my DP is not an overly emotional type and is a big hairy bloke!)

We are still having feeding probs - she still won't feed from breast so I am having to pump every three hours, which is pretty gruelling, but hoping we crack it soon! After losing 11% of her birth weight she's now gaining again so that's good news too. And it's so nice to be home!!!!

@Notquiteagandt So glad you are home now! It must be quite an adjustment but such a lovely time to start your new life together properly.

@Leafy2018 Congrats! Sorry your labour wasn't ideal. My hypnobirthing went up the bloody swanny too. I'm sure it's good if you have a 'standard' labour but mine wasn't and the epidural was my godsend until I had to be rushed to theatre for a section.

Thanks @Celebelly and huge congratulations on coming home (and five hours sleep!) @Notquiteagandt happy homecoming to you too! x

Congrats on getting home both! There’s nothing quite like being home. @celebelly sorry feeding a bit challenging. I’m there too - despite BF she’s not taking enough so I’m also expressing and feeding every 3 hours with bottle top ups. Exhuasting isn’t in it really!! Hoping her next weigh in (Sunday) she carries on gaining, I’d love to scale back on the bottles it’s killing me!

Still adjusting to life as a mum of two. We’ve only left the house once (week old today) to go to the drs so it’s still a bit surreal!!

Congrats @Leafy2018. Both mine and @Notquiteagandt babies were born on the 1st Feb! Birthday buddies!

Hi everyone! I was on this thread early days but then dipped off...so lovely catching up with everyone’s stories and little (and big!) bundles of joy.
I had a baby boy last week, same weight as his brother 8lbs 3 but this birth was an elective c section after the first natural birth with third degree tears. It really wasn’t that bad at all so anyone who might be worried about an emergency section try not to worry too much (though I imagine emergency much more stressful obviously than planned)

We are breastfeeding but OMG the pain!! What is something so natural so difficult for many of us ??

Just some tips for those struggling with sore nipples /bad latch

Check for tongue tie (try get more than one healthcare professional to check as I’ve had different opinions!

Google silver healing cups /breast angels, they’re £40 so not cheap but they really worked for me both times. You put a little bit of breast milk into them and leave on to work their magic between feeds

Haaka silicon breast pump - great option to get through the first stages of feeding to give breasts a break - very reasonable and works well. I know midwifes are often anti giving bottles if you want to breastfeed but it was either this or give up completely for me. After a few weeks with my first son I got back to 100% breast

Nipple shields - any brand . They didn’t work for me but friends have raved

Dummies- neither of mine would take one but really helped friends with babies they suckled for comfort over need for feeding

I’m hoping my nipples toughen up over the next few days! I’m lucky that I have a good supply

Gosh it’s so much easier second time round (for me at least!) I remember swearing to never have another baby again and here I am and enjoying it so much !