February 2019 babies - thread 1

[Celebelly]

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

HV told me yesterday I should be doing tummy time with my daughter (never even heard of it before - oops.) I put her on her tummy and she rolled onto her back! Was quite surprised as she's only 6.5 wks!

@detachablehoof i do tummy time delilah loves it i have one of them cushion things thats a roll from aldi good for strengthening the neck too x

@Yakadee hope Emma's jabs were ok. Max has his at 1120 and had pretty much just slept since just waking for feeds. I'm hoping as he's big it gets absorbed better!! Fingers crossed for a decent night for both of us!

Wow @detachablehoof that some good skills your little one has! My eldest hated tummy time and to be honest I haven't even tried with this one.....

Emma manages a few mins max of tummy time, gets fed up.

She's not very happy tonight, I can only assume it's the jabs - poor baby! She's usually very settled, especially this time of day so it's a bit of a shock to the system! X

We just had a night from hell.

DS2 actually "slept" well, over 5 hours, bottle then another 3 hours.

For what felt like the whole night though he made so much noise, including crying in his sleep. DS1 did this around this age too, but it was never for the whole night. The HV said it was a normal part of sleep cycles. But When DS2 did it last night he looked like he was in pain, bringing his legs into the air, but he was still asleep the whole time.

Anyone know what this could be or experienced it? I'm worried he's got silent reflux as he's v congested, sneezy, I've just started noticing a cough too, dribbly, and sometimes seems to "choke" on his feeds. He doesn't seem unhappy when feeding though...

@Lookingforadvice123 sounds like it could just be bad wind. Mine does it too some nights. I think if it was some kind of reflux he would struggle with the actual feed. We used the dentiniox colic drops for his nighttime feeds and they seem to help. Hopefully you get a better night tonight.

@Yakadee how was Emma post jabs? We've had an awful night: he woke every hour between 10 and 3 desperate for a feed but would only take an ounce before falling asleep again. He did this on the hour 5 times! At 3 I went downstairs to make another bottle and when I came back he's gone back to sleep and slept until 0545 and then DS1 can bounding in at 6.15. DS1 is in nursery today so hoping for some catch up today...

Thanks maxiflump yes I can't believe he wouldn't be unhappy the rest of the time too? Cool will try that thanks, also sent DH to buy infacol and gripe water. Anyone know which is best?!

We've had a terrible night too 😭 don't think she slept for more than 20 minutes at a time since about 2:30 🙄

My husband swears by infacol and I'm a fan of gripe water so we use both!

@Lulabell1 Shes EBF shes 9wks tomorrow. But born at 37wks so has been a week or two behind for everything. So maybe it will settle down soon. We shall see. I actually heard her fill her nappy from the other room the other day 😂 has some serious bowels on her..!!

@detachablehoof my little girl can get 3/4 of the way around then panics and throws her self back with such force I worry shell hurt herself. We have a mat with a roll on thats good for it. We also a water mat with fake fish in she can bat about and look at. (My no plastic toys ban didnt last long😂)

So after the jabs last friday we still have a clingey, wide awake unsettled baby. Shes feeding like a NB again. And wont let me put her down even though we bed share. Will only sleep on me in the day. Went to the drs yesterday to get her checked over. (She has other health conditions mean need to be alot more cautious.) just said shes reacted to them as shes so small and not uncommon for side effects to last a week. So far had about 8hrs broken sleep since friday. How im still going I dont know.

I have been expressing loads with my haaka (my boobs hate actual pumps and dont react to them annoyingly!) But she will not take a bottle. Just pushes it away. Cries. Refuses it and fusses.

Any bf mums had luck with bottles or any tips?

Would at least mean someone can watch her for an hour so I can get some sleep. 💤😴

Sounds like a lot of us had bad nights!

@Notquiteagandt have you tried someone else giving her a bottle? You may find she won't take it off you as she can smell your milk. Maybe try with someone else giving the bottle and you stay in another room? Lots of my friends swear by minbie teats as they are most similar to nipples although think they are quite expensive. Hope you manage some more sleep soon.

Nights are as standard really. Jabs yest. A little unsettled but not too bad. DD1 is still not sleeping well tho. Sigh. Sling is a sodding god send.

@notquite I echo what others have said - I would persevere as I had a bottle refuser and it was horrendous. This time I tried a bottle (because of circumstance) at 1 week. No issue. Usually they say to try before 6 weeks to avoid confusion. Def get someone else to try without you there.

We use dr browns bottles - no issue.

In terms of trying;

• At the end of a feed - try to slip it in quickly as a swap
• try a dummy to get her used to the sensation?
• syringe some expressed milk into her mouth first
• only try when she’s calm and not hungry - hangry baby = instant bottle refuser ime although I know some people reccomend it as they’ll take it if they’re hungry enough

We used Minbie years before we got breastfeeding established and have had no problems. She goes between quite happily. She latches on to the teat like she does the breast which helps I think

*teats not years!

Thanks ladies we have the minbie teats they look good but shes not having it. In hospital she had nuk. So think ill maybe try some of them. The little disposible ones.

I have tried a dummy since birth as its meant to help with reflux. Which she has really bad. She has about 2 sucks and gives me a discusted look as if to say what the hell is this.

I have a wedding in June which im hoping will be first time I can leave her. So got few more months to try a bottle. She can come with me as shes invited too. But just means I can let my hair down doesnt it.

Another day of squeling everytime put her down or shes not on my boob again today. My eyes burn 😶

@maxiflump1 - bet you needed matchsticks today! Emma did surprisingly well actually, age settled down around 9pm, woke at 1:30am and then 6am. She didn't even cry in the night and seems fine today thankfully.

@Notquiteagandt - hope you're lo gets back to normal soon x

@notquit i expressed from day 1 to get her used to bottles and i also think getting them when they aint hungry!

There is light at the end of the tunnel babyD went from 8.30pm-7.30am last night with 1 stir for dummy! I feel like a new woman probably wont last but she is 14weeks now! Age corrected to 8 tho so you never no fingers crossed

@Lulabell1 you have no idea how envious I am 😂

We’ve had another night of 10ish to 2:30/3. And then 5am. Pretty impressed tbh!

Can anyone recommend a good running app? Not couch to 5k as it’s too basic / slow but I’m not quite back to being able to just go and do it I don’t think, and would like something that’s in between. Any suggestions?

Oh and DD is still living in the sling 😂

Mummies of 5/6 week olds- how are your night times? Willow is settled at 10:30 till around 3 till around 6. BUT!! Evenings are shite. From 7:30pm after her bottle & bath she squinnies on and off till 9pm ish. Sometimes having a little top up feed helps (say an oz or so) around 8pm but other than that she's very unsettled no matter what we do. Any suggestions? X

Argh so trying to manage the transition from combi to fully formula is tricky! Currently DS2 is having a lunch time bottle, a bedtime bottle and a middle of the night bottle (exact time depending on demand obviously, except the bedtime one which is around the same time, but he's always starving and will have 4-5oz even after BF on and off all evening). The bottles are spaced out enough that I'm not worried about overfeeding now, but the GP worried me a bit when she said the bottle fed babies will often overfeed and to try and stick to the exact guided amount (which on the cow and gate tub is 25oz in 24 hours).

I'm keen to stop BF soon really as the combi is now stressing me out a bit, feels like it's complicated matters! Which bottles should I introduce next? I was thinking a first morning one as he wakes up starving for that too. An evening one would be better but we tried that last night but he was still hungry in between evening and bedtime so I BF him, then worried he would overfeed at his bedtime bottle. On the other hand my supply has definitely reduced so how much is he really getting during BF.

Worry worry worry! Tips welcome.

I haven't got any tips for combi feeding I'm afraid. Dd transitioned to the bottle so young that we just made them all bottles and I was expressing (expecting the bf again once I'd healed but it never happened). I'm currently trying to do the opposite with ds and drop bottles but he's just not putting very much weight on.

In terms of overfeeding, I'd be inclined to take it with a pinch of salt. Dd was ff on demand and was sometimes over the recommended volume and occasionally under it but always a healthy weight. If I'm remembering right your older ds was ff from a similar age. Can you remember if he was having more than the tub suggested? Those are guides and not every child will fit them. Hopefully the way your ds1 was will give you an indication of how your ds2 might act on the bottle too.

For now, would it be easiest to feed on demand as you phase out bf, even if it is over the suggested amount?

12 hour cluster feed And counting. I'm going out of my mind. Got the MIL coming tomorrow .... Wait ... Today... And I don't know how I'll cope.