December 2007 - Santa's come early for some of us...

[Housemum]

Thought I'd start off the new thread as I've never started one before - congratulations to those of you who are on here now - hope I'll be joing you in the not-too-distant future!

Lizzer - How for your ds. I really hope everythings ok and that tuesday isn't too bad for either of you, i'll be thinking of you

Thanks fifi,

I've just come back on to say I'm sorry for sort of hijacking the thread with ds's stuff so I've started one just about that subject..

I don't want to change the 'mood' of our post natal thread and want to keep it full of sick, sore nips, lack of sleep and nappies

Oh bless him Lizzer, hope it does help him in the end though.

Everyone is suffering a bit sleep wise now i think. We are no different here, DD had an interesting day yesterday, involving her not sleeping for most of the day, then by 6pm was flat out and could hardly wake her. Changed her at 8pm to wake her up for a feed, only managed one boob and she was gone again, didn't wake again until 1.30am.

The infacol seems to be helping her gas, but I'm still struggling to wind her properly, she definitely needs it but I can't be patting her for 20 mins before I feel like nothing will happen or like I'm distressing or hurting her.

At least now the baby is asleep, but now the dog is crying at me!! It never ends! It pissing it down so she isn't going out for a walk until daddy comes home.
I'm having a lazy sunday today, slumming around in trackies, no shower or makeup (although will have to before dad comes home, before he's completely repelled by my laziness!)

Lizzer - your poor, poor ds! And poor you! And don't apologise for off loading here, we want updates on how the little fella is doing.
Fifi - is ds any better?
Holly, i don't know if the being sick is overfeeding, Daniel is bf and throws up quite regularly.

BT - Yeah thanks he's fine, he hasn't been sick anymore and has been asleep in h is bouncy chair since about 9.30. Need to disturb him in a minute though and get him and ds1 ready to go and pick my neice up from school, we've got her staying tonight as well, looks like im in for a fun night!

Lizzer0 your poor little DS - best of luck and hope it goes well

insy - sorry you're having a rubbish day - i was exactly the same yesterday. I actually phones DH and asked him to come home early as i felt I couldn;t cope - tantrumming toddler and screaming newborn. He was fantastic and took them both while I went to the gym and then came back and had a bath and felt so so much better. I think a break even just for 20 mins can make such a difference - is there anyone (during the day)who can pace your DS2 round for 20 mins for you so you can at least put your feet up

amani - my DS aso does the tugging thing and last night fed literally every hour - i am so exhausted and can' help worrying there is something wrong with my latch. went to a bf group today and hv said latch was fine but i'm not really convinced. am also very of all the babies going for 4 or more hours between feeds. but let's stick at shall we? i will if you do

congrats MM

oh no time for another feed ....

Skidaddle , most impressed you being back at the gym. I've got another 2 wks til I'm 6wks postnatal/section but then I hope to get back in the habit.

Well I did it! I took DS and DD to a party today. Wasn't as bad as I imagined at all. DD had a great time then we came away early so I could get her in the pram to have a nap at home.
With DS I'm going to persevere with getting him to nap in his cot unlike DD who always napped in the car/pram and so would not take a nap in her cot.

Lizzer, by all means start a new thread for your DS but definitely want to have updates on him, his condition is part of the postnatal thread, we're all here to support you/receive rants if you need!

Hope everyone has a nice weekend, we're going to venture to the shops and out for lunch but other than that nothing at all!

Hello everyone.

Has anyone given up breastfeeding? I'm thinking about it. Am absolutely fed up with the pain. Had to go to doc today for ab's, have mastitis and am engorged again. MW thought I'd got thrush, doc thought mastitis. MW said no ab's because they'd make thrush worse. Doc said nonsense its mastitis. What can I do? I just want the pain to stop. Its nearly 7 weeks now and I have had enough.

At least DS has finally put on weight and is now over his birth weight. But that took 6 weeks for him to regain and only because I've given him some formula supplements.

Wizz - you poor thing! Sounds like you have had an awful time of it. NO advcie really, I'm sure you have had advice up to your ears, but the main thing is that you and your baby are happy and healthy and if that means switching to formula, you do that.

I'm keeping on with it, but I get frustrated at times, and I have had any of the problems you have described!!

poor you wizz! I would definitely express and give him a bottle of EBM a couple of times a day- it would relieve your engorgement as well as giving him an amount of food you can measure. If i hadn't been expressing since my milk came in, i think i would have given up BF, too. Now i BF during the day and give EBM at night. Millie only woke once last night for a feed- she fed at 10pm, 2am then 7am. (4 weeks old) and she is doing exactly what she should on the weight gaining curve. Do remember, though if you do decide to FF you HAVE NOT FAILED- it just wasn't for you or your LO.

Lizzer millie had a canula for the first 3 days after she was born- it sounds worse than it is, although he will probably try and pull it out- i would have a mitten to hand to cover it so he can't get at it. But it really didn't seem to cause millie any pain.

Thanks for being lovely yesterday, today has been much better ? I expressed a bottle and crashed out at 8pm, dh did 1am feed and I had the witching hours from 3am but at least I got an amazing chunk of sleep, dh was great, I needed the break ? does anyone else get really frustrated with it all? I want to cry with ds because he?s obviously uncomfortable/in pain and at the same time throw him out the window! Ds1 is also teething! It never ends but today I?m just smiling about it more and singing a lot of stupid songs!

Lizzer ? sorry to hear about ds?s kidneys, big hugs for Tuesday, hope it all goes well x

Hollybobs ? don?t use Holly?s weight as an indication of overfeeding/underfeeding ? ds2 is exclusively bf, 8lb 5oz at birth now 11lb 4oz at 4 weeks old

Wizzka ? sorry you?re having such a hard time of it, I?ve got thrush and ds and I are taking meds (tablets for me and gel in his mouth for him) ? is your ds?s mouth white? And every time you latch him on is it really sore ? almost stinging ? actually like there?s glass in your nipple? That?s what the thrush feels like for me, don?t know if that helps you self diagnose a bit? I think you should do what ever preserves your sanity but if it is thrush its not going to go for you or ds without treatment even if you ff
would a breast feeding counsellor be able to help you work out what was going on, its rubbish 2 health care professionals can?t work it out ? I hope you feel more comfortable soon

Insy - glad you're feeling a bit better. Your DS weight gain is fantastic. Yes it is very frustrating, really do feel for you as having a toddler myself I can imagine we are having similar days. Do you have any friends close by with young children? I am finding it a great relief to invite them round or drop in to them - DD is entertained and someone else to give DS a lovely cuddle whilst I go and make the tea!

Wizzska. I'm really sorry you're still in pain. I had an awful start to BF with DD and really was ready to give up on so many occasions.
Are you giving many formula top ups? I don't think you should put yourself down as thinking it's these that are making your DS gain weight - think of all the feeds you do every single day, surely those few top ups aren't going to making a huge weight gain? If you feel you would be happier moving to formula then do it and don't think back for a moment. You've given him a great start.
I had thrust with DD - mine felt like I was having needles put in my boobs and I had pain during a feed then afterwards as well. With mastitis I was led to believe it often came with flu type symptoms as well?
I felt my boobs didn't settle down with DD until about 10 wks but I wonder if I had really given them a good express like Suey suggests it might've helped. I wonder if it'd be worth you taking the pump in the bath and get nice and relaxed then massage your boobs and hand compress the milk ducts. Are your boobs lumpy?

Wizzska you have been an absolute star for continueing BF in the face of all the pain you've experienced. Only you can make the choice now for the way forward but you should recognise the amazing accomplishment of making it this far.

I've now got the feeding routine fairly well refined: 3 hourly during the day with EBM, then formula at 10pm and 2am. And expressing 3-4 times per day including immediately after the 2am feed. Seems to work fairly well for us.

Have become a bit of a dummy convert too although am def going to try and wean her off it by 6 months. Means I can put her down after 2am feed when she's still awake. Only downside is that sometimes it falls out before she's asleep and then she starts crying again. Never thought it'd be me using the dummy but she is just such a sucky baby (drains 4oz of milk from a bottle in 5 mins flat!)

Wizz please don't feel bad you have done sooo well ...but remember formula is NOT poison I was FF and turned out ok ...no allergies and quite bright ....
BF is terribly hard when it all goes well....as I tell my patients the priority is a happy and healthy mum and baby ...do whatever you feel will be best for you....on the other side if you do carry on it does get easier eventually

Wizz - can only add to what everyone else has said, you have done a fantastic job so don't worry too much if you give up breastfeeding (totally your choice - don't let anyone make you feel guilty if you do). I don't think we are educated enough in advance as to how HARD breastfeeding is - even the second time round I was shocked as to how difficult I found it.

I have now pretty much got the hang of it but now have a very over-productive right boob (similar to mellymooks I think - if you are reading this any advice?) - and she chockes and gags on it when she takes from that side.....

Am v. of all those whose babies are going for longer periods at nights. Martha coming up to 6 weeks and still never goes for longer than 3 hours between feeds. I keep thinking this should be getting better by now but I am sure it will sooner of later.

Sympathy to all those out there with toddlers, Insy, Loucee, Skidaddle etc. I had a NIGHTMARE day yesterday - dd1 threw the mother of all tantrums at lunchtime, it went on and on and I just find it so draining. DH was out from 7am - 6.30pm and when he got in I was ready to drop.

How do you without partners do it on your own? Top respect. I will be on my own for four nights a week for three weeks soon so any advice gratefully recieved! Not sure how I will cope...

havent logged on for a while again. Simply not finding time.

Wizz - lots of sympathy and can only echo what everyone else said re you are NOT a failure if you do decide to FF.

Am on another course of AB's here as cut still infected. Think i posted that last time tho. Only 6 tablets left and am feeling better down there and def not as sore.

Read with interest the painful latchings on as when baby latches on it makes me gasp as feels like needles in my nipples but quickly settles so just thought it was the fact that baby has 'super suck'. Still feeding between every hour to every 3 hours. He whinnys when i put him down. He was 3 weeks on Thursday and had put on another pound and an ounze! 11lb. Already out of newborn clothes and size 1 nappies.

Thinking of reusables.. anyone else using them? Atm he is having about 12 changes a day so prob not quite ready for it.

Also baby has pimples on his face.. anyone elses babies have this?

Am soooooo knackered. Waiting for the magic 6-8 weeks when he goes longer between feeds and i get some more sleep.

Loucee - I think it is normal for them to sleep a lot. Samuel sleeps for ages and only just starting o have some longer waking times but really not that much. Although even when he is asleep he make lots of noise

Hi Everyone!
Gosh it's so hard to keep up with all that's going on. Sounds like we're all experiencing a mixed bag on sleeping/feeding etc

I've started expressing this week and it has relieved my very fast boob hugely and Kaesha has coped with taking a bottle but still feeding from the boob so I'm really glad about that.
Can anyone tell me how much does your little one have in one go on EBM? She's comfortably putting away 4-6 ounces in one go and she's 5 weeks does this seem a lot or about right? It's so different now we can see how much she's having, cause you just don't know when they're on the boob!

I plan for Kaesha to be sleeping in with us for the first 6 months, she's co-sleeping with us now and has started sleeping from midnight to 6.30am which is fantastic - long may it continue!!!

Awen- K has lots of pimply rash type stuff on her face, the MW told me it's milk rash, as when you feed them they tend to get milk spray and dribble on their faces and it dries their skin and can cause that "pimply look!"

We have also invested in reusables but are still currently using eco-disposables, we are trying to get just a little more settled and caught up on sleep before we try them out (also they are quite large and I think she is only now getting big enough to fit them) I think we'll always mix them up though and use the disposables at night and if we go away etc.

Congrats Mixedmama and Beckle, have we heard about all Dec folk now?

Anyway have rambled on enough loads of hugs to everyone

hello everyone.
awen - dora has spots too. luverly, especially when combined with the beetroot-coloured "trying to poo" face.
anybody prepared to estimate how long it will take for the digestive discomfort to pass? she's 3 wks today, and at the moment it seems to be getting worse rather than better. she's on the infacol, but not sure if this has helped.
she's started crying properly now too, not just the odd squawk. oh goody.
also, it is normal for babies to be quite sick, isn't it? combined with the straining/groaning/occasional back-arching anf fussy feeding, i keep wondering if she's got reflux. but she;s chubbing up nicely, and is only sick every few days (but really goes for it when she is), and somebody told me it's normal for babies to cry a bit , but I WORRY .
oh yeah, and my baby carrying muscle has gone. hurradidadidah...

Hello everyone. Thanks so much for the words of support. You are all so lovely, thank goodness for mumsnet.

Loucee - from the descriptions of thrush, I think I probably do have it, although ds doesn't have white marks in his mouth. I think I've got mastitis too so that's all great fun, I felt fluey yesterday.

Went out with some old friends today to take my mind off it all, had a pub lunch and DS slept beautifully through it. He's still asleep.

Melly - we let DS co-sleep with us after his night feed. He usually only wakes once in the night at around 4.00am then he won't settle in his moses basket. Its more cosy in our bed with us. I find it so sweet waking up with him next to me.

For daytime sleeps, how do you all get your babies off? DS sleeps if out in his pram or sling, but finds it hard getting himself off to sleep. He'll usually sleep on me but I can't get him to stop wailing if I put him down in his basket. Anyone find tough love works if you let them cry? I haven't been able to let myself do that but I don't want to encourage velcro baby syndrome further down the line.

Evening ladies,

On the topic of thrush - Called the BF helpline today as still having this awful pain in my boobs - nipples feel like I have needles being poked into them and deep breast pain. The BF counsellor mentioned it sounded like thrust, as I had been on antibiotics and suggested using daktarin, which I have applied and it immediately felt much better. However advised that I still need to go to the GP to get it properly checked.

Wizzska - Sorry to hear you are having a rough time.

Skid - thanks for the support about BF, some of DH work friends are shocked that I am still BF at 4 weeks, all of them had given up at around 2 weeks

Dundee - your LO symptons sound exactly like what DD2 is experiencing. Spoke to MW about it and she said it is all 'normal' as long as it is not projectile vomitting. We are giving her Infacol too, but it hasn't made much of a difference.

Hi Wizz, I'm finding K doesn't really sleep that much in the day, we usually sleep until about 9.30 - 10 and then she's often awake for rest of day until 6ish! She will nod off on me, or if we go out in pram or sling, but if she falls asleep on me it's very rare for her to stay asleep if i then put her down in crib or on the beany, within 5 mins she's usually fussing!
I tried putting her up in crib once and leaving her but after listening to her cry for a few mins I was in tears myself and couldn't bear it and had to go and get her!!

wizz - my ds doesn't settle himself, he'll only sleep in the sling or on me - ds1 was the same and he's 19 months now and sleeps fine so don't worry about it at the moemnt you can break them later we did controlled crying with ds1 at 12 wks and it took about 10 mins of crying over 2 nights to get him to settle himself.

loucee - we're just starting to get into a routine and find out where all the toddler groups are, its going ok, I think I just lost the plot on Thursday I actually find it easier when I have ds1 and ds2, when ds1 is at the child minders I get frustrated when ds2 won't sleep but when I have both I know I'm not going to get any sleep any way so don't even think about it if that makes sense...

Re: infacol - on HV advice I went onto gripe water on Thurs which is crap and has proved that infacol was doing something! its not solving the problem but I think it makes him a little more comfortable and helps him burp, gripe water isn't doing anything we've sacked it off and now on infacol again

awen - we've just started ds2 on reusables (we waited till his legs were chunky enough) we use poppolini easy fix - they were fab with ds1

hi every1 remember me??? i had a baby girl on 16-12 6 days overdue got admitted three days before with pre-eclampsia, labour started that night but no progression for 3 days, they broke my waters, i had an epidural - which didnt work, then everythin stopped and had a c-section the next mornin baby weighted 9lb 9 and was 58cm long, got discharged three days later, and went back in for a blood transfusion very soon after. then got an infection and ended up back in for 3 days, dd has been bf partially - i cant keep up, and is sleeping 8 hours at night but not at all during the day. and she possibly has clicky hips argh!

am really strugglin to bf today, shes not intrested in me, she just screams, not sure what to do? any suggestions??? i hope u an ur lo's are al doin fine

mememummy, do you think you DD is getting used to the bottle rather than bfing? I'm no expert but how about offering her a bf before she is really hungry so that she'll be more patient? If DS is really fussing I find feeding lying down a lot easier. Congratulations on your DD.

Another one here as well that wakes in an instant if you try to move him from me to moses basket. I am sure DD was the same though and like Insy sys grew out of it.

Amani/Dundee - DS does similar fussing at breast - do your little ones also kick their legs out when they're doing this? My DS did this about an hour ago then I put him high over my shoulder then went to get something from upstairs, he did two huge burps then te third was semi-projectile vomit.

Wizzska, your DS is a star to only wake once at night!

Insy - yes I know what you mean about the sleep if both are in the house, I was lucky the other afternoon that my DD and DS were sleeping at the same time so I managed a 30min nap on the sofa, felt good for it.

Mememummy - My DS has been doing that this week when I've been trying to feed him. I'm not sure if its because I've been feeding him more formula recently or perhaps he's picking up on my stress from breast pain. He won't latch on straight away and screams himself into a kicking, scratching tizzy. Usually I use a dummy or my little finger to calm him down then I try to latch him on again. Otherwise I hand him to my husband to calm him for a moment and try again.