The March-ers 2019 - Baby Talk #1

[Angelmiracle]

Congratulations to all the mamas with their new babies 🌸

Now the fun really starts 😄

@toastfiend - baby boy - 28/01/2019
@TheWanderlust - Baby girl - Althea - 7lb6oz - 16/02/2019
@PurpleFlower1983 - Baby girl - Matilda - 17/02/2019
@Wineandchoccy - Baby girl - Lois - 6lb12oz - 19/02/2019
@Harley8888 - Baby boy- Logan - 7lb4oz - 01/03/2019

Just checking in to see how everyone's getting on today!

I ventured out in my own today with the girls (!) as DH was working (self employed so squeezing bits in when he can). We went for lunch, to do a bit of a tip up shop and to the park. Managed it all with only one lot of tears from each of them and none from me - miracle! I'll remember this day when the baby blues kick in any minute now

I took both girls to soft play and survived as well @MistakenHoliday. We also baked flapjack and rocky road so that’s my snacks sorted for this week.

Lois has cluster fed for ages tonight I hope she now has a full tummy and sleeps for a few hours I’m shattered. DD1 is at my parents tomorrow and I have no plans so may have a day of rest watching catch up tv.

Well done @Wineandchoccy ! Very jealous of your snacks too

We've just had an epic cluster feed/dirty nappy/meltdown session that - fingers crossed - is settling down now. DD's cry is like an actual scream from a horror movie so god knows what he neighbours think! I think I need to be smarter about having a daytime nap tomorrow to make up for unsettles nights like this.

While I was pregnant I was going to bed at 8pm with DD1 and falling asleep to a film. I'd forgotten that 8ish is baby witching hour so that old routine is out of the window

I am still working my way through the flapjack I made for induction - working wonders!

I am getting really stressed about DD not feeding properly. She is obviously getting what she needs as she is happily sleeping and having some awake periods, but we will find out at weigh in tomorrow.
I have so much milk now it had come in she basically is getting covered every feed, but not sucking properly at all. The cup feed is how we are getting most in here but she gets too stressed to go straight on the boob. Hopefully I can get some help this week!

@SquirtlesMumAgain good luck at the weigh in. We have one tomorrow (today) too & I feel nervous about it as well even though the last one was fine. Baby has a minor tongue tie so am paranoid that he will stop gaining enough weight & then we'll have to have the op (which I'm hoping we can avoid) to continue EBF.

Is there a reason you want to avoid it @KarBB?

I know lots of friends whose little ones have had tongue ties and they say the snip is so quick and easy and has been worth it for them. No personal experience though.

@SquirtlesMumAgain so a few Midwife's & the BF counsellor warned us that with the 'minor' tie it's a bit more invasive - as it's connected right at the back of his mouth where his tongue starts from. The more classic (& problematic) tie is where the connection is just under the tongue at the front of the mouth, which is much easier to snip. At the back there's a chance it'll reconnect unless we do lots of exercises to make sure it heals 'open'. And it's not guaranteed to help either.
Obvs if he needs it I'll do it a the drop of the hat but don't want to put us all through it unless necessary, particularly as he was doing so well last week. 🤞

Ah fair enough, that makes complete sense!

Still no latching baby this morning.... Good job she is bloomin cute!

Ooh flapjacks @SquirtlesMumAgain I'm going to have to put that in my shopping list for today! Good luck with the weigh in today. I'm a bit behind on the thread - is DD not latching at all?

DD2 has a bad night last night. Lots of feeding, crying, wind. My milk's come in so I think she's adjusting to that, bless her. She's also not a fan of the snuzpod - she wants to be next to me or on me all the time. All completely normal, of course, but I'd managed to blank it all out of my mind after last time!

I'm hoping we can get a nap this afternoon if I can convince DD1 to watch a film on the sofa.

What's everyone else up to today?

@MistakenHoliday we had exactly the same situation. My milk came in yesterday and we had a terrible night- I was awake until 3am basically non stop feeding winding cuddling. Nappy changing I woke my husband for as I am.still finding it v difficult to bend over with the section wound! Got 90 mins sleep and then woke up at 4.30am to start again, haha! Thankfully DH took both boys at 6.30am and I have had just enough sleep to survive a bit longer. Today is going to be about sleeping when I can!

Baby has an excellent latch but my nipples are still very sore. More on one side where it cracked quite quickly. But nothing like as bad as last time (yet - haha!).

@BadBadBeans it's so nice to know I'm not the only one! Hopefully it's a phase that will pass.

I've got mega sore nipples too and am slapping lanolin on them like crazy. It's the anticipation of that first latch that's the worst

@melissa112 I hope George is a little more settled now and that you are getting some sleep. Having no sleep is nigh on impossible to function on, I find. I know of mums who do but I am.certainly not one of them!

@Elizabeth134 sorry you are suffering too. I'm on day 4 now and found it did get easier yesterday - certainly in terms of standing/ sitting/walking. Still moving like a nonagenarian though! I have started feeding in a proper nursing chair, one of those gliding ones, with a pillow stuffed behind my back, and I find my bum doesn't get nearly as numb and my back doesn't hurt as much when I sit in it. I think my bed mattress must be truly awful.

@WhatALearningCurve sorry you were kept in but yes - I do think it might be advantageous to recovery!!! Not that you necessarily recover faster, just that you notice it less. X

@MistakenHoliday when he first latches I count out loud slowly or hum a single note. Weird but it helps me!

@mistakenholiday pretty much. So she will root and open her mouth but then sucks about 3 times and that's it.
Not like I don't have any milk.... Managed to express 100ml in less than 5 mins on each side! We are both getting covered in milk and she is utterly frustrated. I am trying so hard to remain calm but want to burst into tears every feed.

She thankfully does like sleep which means at least I'm not entirely sleep deprived on top as I think that would just send me into a downwards spiral. Sorry for those of you not getting much sleep!

@BadBadBeans I'll give that a go!

@SquirtlesMumAgain that sounds really tough. Have the health visitors helped out much? I remember with DD we had patch problems and I went to a breastfeeding cafe which really helped. It must be so hard - we'll done for keeping going x

@SquirtlesMumAgain I have had to use nipple shields to help Lois latch on her mouth seems tiny compared to my boob. If I wind her 1/2 way through the feed I remove it and she seems to latch on better.

Waiting for the midwife to come today then we will go seeking help. There are breastfeeding support clinics across Northants every day so just a drive to the relevant one. Hopefully we can get to one in Corby this afternoon if the midwife isn't too late, otherwise a drive to Daventry which is less ideal but I will go anywhere to get help on this

@Squirtlesmumagain that sounds really hard. Glad you are seeking help. Sorry if you have already said but has she been properly checked for tongue tie? Also if you have a huge supply, have you tried expressing off a little bit before she latches? I remember that sometimes your boobs get so big and solid with milk that tinies find it hard to latch on.

Baby J has slept like a champion all morning. I had to wake him for a feed. Oh the irony! I am now about to attempt another nap in anticipation of being up all night again. So hard when the sun is shining though!

Everyone who has been to look at her says she hasn't got tongue tie and she can stick her tongue out, so I don't think so either.
It's like she just don't know what to do once the boob is in her mouth!

Midwife managed to get her to latch with the help of nipple shields. Have just about managed to get her to have a second feed with them, though couldn't get them to stay stuck on... Any tips??

Hopefully it will help her get the hang of sucking but seems to be working so far

@SquirtlesMumAgain wet the edges and they should stick. I do find it’s a bit of a juggling act using them. The medala ones seem to work better for us I bought some Philips avent ones but the holes are huge so milk gushed out to fast.

DH bought was sent to buy some at random when I was in hospital. He got the boots own brand and I don't know if they are too tall for DD as her mouth seems filled by a lot of empty shield. She had fed though and more than once now, so just need to see what I can source when it comes to other shield shapes

Congratulations @Daisy2990 - new baby - 14/03/2019 😊

Is anyone else pumping at the moment?

Can't believe how much milk I'm getting compared to last time. I struggled to get 1oz out a day and I'm getting 3-4 oz every couple of hours. Wonder if it's the better pump (had a tommee tippee last time and this is a medela harmony) or just my body still knows how to make milk!

@melissa112 I'm so glad things are looking good after all your worries. Whatever you're doing is clearly working! Like @BadBadBeans I've found breastfeeding easier this time, not taken to it like a duck to water but I've sussed Melissa out better than DS - she'll want milk but not take it if she's got any kind of discomfort so I offer regularly and then I know that crying is for other reasons. She often just rests her head on my boob. Still got cracked nipples and can't wait for the nipple daggers to go. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Does anyone else get weird pains around the boob during feeding? Latch will be ok, just some digging in from her lower jaw over tight skin (supply still settling) but I get odd pains further out. Is it the let down maybe? @SquirtlesMumAgain I got 1oz out of each breast yesterday (4days postpartum).

@BadBadBeans wow that's very quick after a c-section. I hope it gets easier soon.

@Hermagsjesty sounds like a lovely day out!

@SquirtlesMumAgain my DS was the same, glad cup feeding seems to be working for you for now.

@MistakenHoliday @Elizabeth134 @firsttimemumjess1 @daisy2290 Congratulations!