January 08 - shiny new-year babies!

[Naetha]

Thought I'd start this thread now as I think there's already a couple of people to go on it, and I know there'll be an awful lot more!!

Will update when I get a chance

I guess we'll just have to make do with her sleeping with us then. Do you think it's a bad thing that she's sleeping with us? I mean are we spoiling her or asking for trouble?

Susie - I only burp her for about 5 mins and if I get nothing from her I assume she's ok. If she starts burping though i'll keep going.

Good evening ladies. Exactly the same here as far as co sleeping goes. No way George will go in his moses basket. Will try a better bed time routine in a week or so.
Had him registered today. Will send his child benefit form off tommorrow.
As for burping George has no probs either end and they can be quite loud sometimes too
Had him weighed today too. He has put on 7oz. The lady doing the weighing asked 'are you the lady who had your baby at home in the bathroom?'. Never met her before in my life
ds4 has been totaly miserable today. He has 6 teeth coming through all at once two of them molars. Lots of cuddles and tears today.....

morning all - thanks for messages re: burping!

gingeme - hope ds4 is ok - poor little mite. congrats on 7oz.

sabela put on 5oz in three days which is fab but there always seems to be another hoop to go through. seems she should now be weighing the same as babes born much heavier than her accordng to hv . how was i supposed to acieve that? she's already put on 2oz more than we were told to expect [1oz per day - she put on 5 in 3????] I would cheerfully BURN the growth chart!

hi all. hope everything's going well. been lurking but not posting for a while...

lucky i co sleep with Patrick. he sleeps fine, but i find i can't settle at all if he isn't right next to me Co-slept with dd and ds1 with no ill effects. Ds1 was an absolute sod to settle in the cot. I tried every trick in the book, with very little success. I think from shifting him into the cot fast asleep to him waking up again, the longest we ever managed was 5 mins! Co-sleeping meant i did actually get some sleep, and with a toddler at the time as well, i needed it! Hope you get on ok, but don't worry about co-sleeping too much. If it means you get some kip, go with it!

Really ought to get the washing up done and a v quick pathetic attempt at tidying up before going out this morning, so had better go before there's no morning left! Catch up again soon

Hi all, (Aly in arms so sorry for any mistakes)

HV been today & told us off for co-sleeping. She weighed DD and she is now 6lbs 15oz. Put on 13oz in 2 weeks lol

Hope u r all ok. xxx

Hello everyone,

How you all doing? DD2 got a bit of a temperature and been sleeping/feeding lots.

DD2 teething too, with her back teeth coming out, so have 2 unsettled babies with me today.

Hello,
just a quicky to say hi!

Lucky and Susie - tell your HV's to sod off! Growth charts are daft and babies can't all be expected to grow at the same rate. I think you've done brilliantly with Sabela and as her mum you know whether she is happy and thriving.
As far as co-sleeping is concerned, I agree that if it means you and the baby get some sleep you should go for it. As long as you follow the safety recommendations I don't think it's that risky. I'm lucky that Charlie sleeps happily in his moses basket but if he didn't I'd definitely have him in with me (although I find it almost impossible to sleep with a baby or toddler in the bed, v light sleeper)

Charlie is truly massive now, he outgrew his newborn clothes in a week and now his 0-3 sleepsuits are getting small! Am going to buy some 3-6 month suits today, where did my tiny boy go??! He is really long so suspect he will be tall like his sister. No idea what he weighs as have a health visitor aversion and a total disregard for bloody charts (you might have noticed earlier in the post!) I will relent and have him weighed tomorrow though as we have our six week check next tuesday and i know the GP will want to know. I found the HVs round here so clueless when I had DD, luckily I only had one HV visit after the birth this time so have been able to just get on with it!

My mum is coming round later and has offered to babysit so we can go to the cinema - can't wait

Hope you're all well and happy x

Hi I agree with toomanyshoes about growth charts. The ones in the red books are American anyway and they are based on formula fed babys. All babys like adults grow differently.My lot are proof of that. As long as your baby is happy and healthy what does it matter.
Wow toomanyshoes it has zoomed by hasn't it?
I treated lo to a couple of outfits yesterday from Mothercare. Not that he needs them but theywere half price
Got ds4 some vests too as his 12-18 month are too short now. Gad to buy him 18-24 month, hes 15 monhts old.
Well were off to the library now ds3 has read his books over and over.
Take care all
xxx

Hi all, I have been a lurker since before I delivered My DD2 is 3 weeks now and I seriously been enjoying and using all the advice circulated.

I live in South Africa so felt a bit weird joining a group from UK but having babies is universal right. So far I have found so much support from just knowing you all going thru the same problems at roughly the same time as I have!

Susiemj: I burp my DD2 relative to how much air she has gulped during the feed, i can usually feel when she has swallowed a wind. I have a fast let down and i kinda let it spray into a little cloth i keep for that purpose till its more managable for her. If she has a wind then i will pull her into upright position, by holding her under her arms or by putting her over my shoulder with her arms hanging over aswell. 5-10 minutes

As for all the co-sleepers, i have DD1 (age 22 months)still in the bed with us so cosleeping with DD2 not even an option!!

DD1's Name is Imaan
DD2's Name is Zahra

gotta run...DD2calling!

Strength to you all!~!

Hi all, sorry it's been a while. Cerys is awake so much more during the day now I just haven't had a moment for posting. Susie - am really feeling for you as cerys hasn't put on weight either. She was weighed 6 days apart by the midwife and then by the health visitor and had put on just 40 g so still down from her birth weight at 2 weeks. Neither MW or HV seemed overly cocerned as she is so big otherwise but I feel like I am failing. She will be weighed after another week which is tomorrow. I don't know what to do. Have tried expressing but my body seems to know Cerys isn't at the boob - I tried when she was feeding from the other boob and it took 45 mins to get slightly under 20ml. I tried using the pump directly after cerys when she was falling asleep and the first 3 were mega squirts and then body just shut down. So don't know what to do. Am worried she isn't feeding often enough but she sleeps so well and surely she wouldn't if she were hungry - for the last 3 nights we have had blocks of 6 hours from her!! at the start of the night and then after a couple of hours of feeding and sucking a further 3 or 4. If she hasn't gained tomorrow I am caving and topping up with formula at night.
Re the co-sleeping - I can't as am too worried and too light a sleeper. We had just the same problem transferring her from me to carrycot at first but have used a dummy which sometimes seems to help and sometimes she doesn't even bother with that. She is such a sucky baby that if she is close to sleep a minute or so with the dummy in her cot is enough to tip her into sleep there.
I burp as per beller - sitting her very straight on my knee and letting the air come up itself and then I pat and rub for a minute or so. But I don't bother for the last feed of the night as it would wake her up.
I too lie tensely in the night waitiing to hear her breathe and then allow my own body to relax.

thanks to all for support and tips.

barristermum - we almost always have to wake sabela for a feed. [every 2 hours]. she used to rarely cry for a feed. the 2 hour feeds seem to have jump started her a bit and she is now more alert and asking for feeds and putting on weight.

you mention going on formula - i'd try something like this first as I now feel i am trapped using formuala to top up. am trying hard to get exclusively back to breast and it is not easy due to supply/demand problems. also sabela possets far more with formula so you can make more work for yourself. two hour feeds aren't too bad if you have a supportive dp!.

sorry - you didn't ask for advice. i just wanted to suggest this to you as we're a bit similar. wish sabela was a biggie like cerys!

sorry - didn't mean to sound too anti formula. i HAVE used it, obviously and sabela has put on weight! it's just i know how much pressure there is to use it in that situation and its disadvantages for bf.

That's interesting susie - my health visitor said to absolutely NOT wake cerys. I wonder why - will have to ask her tomorrow. We get told so many different things don't we? And that's before you get into the multiplicity of baby manuals!

Talking about formula tried SMA with DD2 and it made her throw up each time. HV suggested Aptamil (sp?), as a top up and this is much better as she hardly throws up after each feed.

Ladies I feel sad reading about you topping up with formula as this is what was suggested with ds4 and I ended up switching totaly to formula and realy regret it. Though he is fantastic and healthy I still wish I had kept up breast feeding. My friend who as I may have mentioned is a bf counciler says she doesnt know why health visitors suggest formula anyway as it actualy has less calories in it than breast milk. I am realy going to try and persavere with George and see how well I can do.
The first six weeks are the hardest. Keep going ladies your doing a sterling job.
Anyway time to bath my bigger boys .
Take care xxx

Thanks for your support Gingeme. It's very difficult to have the confidence to exclusively bf now, especially since we've had success with weight gain and the HV is coming again on Thurday. I plan to give it an all out go after Thurs.Ditch the formula and go for breast. But i feel if i do it now and there's no weight gain I'll lose confidence permanently.

barristermumk - i think the worst thing in all this is the contradioctory advice. Sorry if I've put a spanner int he works.

Susie breast fed babies gain weight slower than formula fed because they lay down a different type of fat. They may feed more regular when bottle fed but it doesn't neccesarily mean they'll sleep any better. Theres more chance of them being constipated or/and sick too. I remember changing ds2 to formula and he was so constipated he looked like he was poohing plastecine. I still remember him screaming like mad trying to pooh .
It will settle soon.

Today is my due date! Ds2 is 7 weeks old and weighs 7lbs. And slept for a whole 4 hours in one go last night.

I cannot believe that I could still be pg.

wow fruitful i cant belive today was your due date!

Re the formula advice from hv feel really corss for you all as the growth charts are based on formula fed babies. As gingeme sain bf gain weight very differently. Years ago there werent all these growth charts etc etc. As long as basby appears healthy i would try and not worry. They will cry when hungry etc. There appears to be so much pressure on new mums in regards to feeding and how much/often etc. I am a firm believer in following what the baby needs unless specific health reason. FOr example with Jaundice, should feed more frequently to flush through system.

Well, Cerys gained 140g this week and health visitor who is very laid back said keep doing what you're doing and said she's clearly thriving. In fact, she hasn't scheduled another visit to us but says we can come to clinic if we want to. Whaddya reckon ladies? 140 isn't exactly loads, and she's still over 200g short of her birth weight and it's nearly 3 weeks now. Also, I am having terrible trouble expressing as I detailed in my last post and I don't want the time to come where she rejects a bottle - because of going back to work the most I'll be able to breast feed for is 3 months in any event. Really am thinking about a top up formula feed in the evening after I have breast fed in any event - find it hard to think that'll mess with my supply? Votes for or against ladies with non-judgemental reasons why please.

And finally congrats to fluffymummy - looking forward to welcoming her onto this thread v soon.

Personally i would try to keep breastfeeding. Is there any way you can take a few days with lo building up supply. lots of feeding, eating well and bed rest? Not being judgemental but is best for baby and it sounds like you really want to bf. It isnt easy to begin with but it does get better. Even tho this is baby 2 for me and i bf ds1 it still isnt the easiest thing.

hi all

have been meaning to come on and catch up properly for ages now and now feel so far behind i never can catch up
had been putting me off starting a post cos i will offend by not replying to any questions.

so, if you'll all forgive me i'll just start from now

keep up with bfding as long as poss, just don't beat yourselves up about it.
weight gain charts are a load of tosh - see if you can get hold of a bf one if you want. i can try to get them, have a boys one with ds1's info on i can photocopy but am hoping to get hold of another one for ds2, will ask for girls one too.

all well here, had a 4 hour sleep last night , as well as some 1 and 2hrs.
henry being a star, tom being good too, just a few tantrums, but tues and wed are nursery days for him so that keeps him happy

right, shd enjoy last few mins of peace before dh has to get ds1 home again - his manic level of energy is such a contrast to how quiet and chilled things are when it's just henry!

will try and keep up better from now on.

ear all
well the quiet from me is because my little bundle of joy arrived on 23rd January a little early as her due date is today.

She was 7lb 4 and called Charlotte Elsie-May.

Both back from hospital and fine and well although her body clock seems to be set to sleep all day and be awake all night.

Birth was a nightmare water broke tuesday morning 5am went to hospital and they were about to let me go and had booked an induction for 48 hrs later when they saw some mekonium in the water - so no going home for me.

They tried the tablets to start induction at 4.30pm but nothing happened a few internals established cervix closed. So thye put me on hormone drip and fluids - so not able to move through te whole of labour. Hormones started to be increased but the baby was becoming more and more poorly until they lost the heartbeat completetly. Emergency chord pulled, and full crash team descended not really telling me or poor dh what was happening and undressing me shaving me etc etc emergency c section etc.

Hormone drip was turned off an baby started to recover. so they left it a bit longer before c section or trying the hormones again - but a number of hours later and no pain relief as yet and another internal - nothing wa happeneing.

Anyway bit later another internal baby been in distresss again but they manged to get an electrode on the babies head to monito heart beat more easily.

My midwife was amazing and ignored the doctor saying that the hormones were bringing too many contractions in too short a period of time so baby was being squashed with nowhere to go and coud not breathe or recover betweeen them.

So she kept doese low i had only used gas and air up to now but next examination i was 5 cm so decided to have an epidural as it was going to be a long night. So had epidural - excellent decision and then at 7.09 i managed to push the baby out with a small epesiotomoy. But Dh was amazing helped with the final delivery and cut chord so much for his fear of needles blood and fainting.

Was quite a scary experience - however ask lots of questions and an epidural is not so bad as people make out and i would definitely recommend it if labour is looking like it is going to be long or induced as the contractions arrive more intensley and more quickly.

So thats our story.

Now onto the trials and tribulations of breastfeeding. My boobs are enormous i was a 32 e pre pregnancy so i will leave the rest to your imaginations.

Not had chance to catch up but looks like a few more little ones have been born.

Good luck to those still waiting.

charlie is beautiful with a full head of 1.5 inch long black spikey hair very cute indeed.

love to all

Am very sore underneath not only where the stitches are but also at the front am wondering if this is where the catheter was - any ideas

Breast feeding so much more tricky than i thought - how long does it take before it gets a bit easier? Are the first few weeks the worst?

hi nicky6, congratulations
yes the first few weeks of bfding i found the worst last time - until ds1 got teeth and bit but that's a way off yet!
what a birth story, glad you had good midwives there to support you. hope your pains are getting better, the front could be catheter, maybe you got a little scratch? or you might find you get a urine infection from having a catheter, keep an eye out, drink cranberry juice and ask for drugs as soon as you think you might have one (i left it last time as i thought it as just post-birth pain until it got really bad & the antibiotics worked so fast i wished i'd mentioned it earlier).
lol at 32e++ i'm v excited as i got measured in m&s today - 34DD, woo hoo , i'm normally a 34a the most i made it to last time was 34/36d. tho dh does say that they aren't 'real' cos they are so hard atm.

speaking of i need ds2 to wake up and feed soon, going through breastpads at a rate of knots, will have to get stuff out to sterilise and collect soon.

am getting increasingly peed off at all the things i can't do , dh is being fab, doing washing, cooking, looking after ds1, etc. and nappy changes at night for ds2 and, and, and... BUT nothing is where i keep it, kids clothes are all over the place, he keeps dressing them in stuff i wouldn't, i have to keep reminding him about what's next in the routine for ds1.
deep breath.....

Hi everyone!I've been completely crap about posting - I do keep up with everyone else's posts though!

Am having the same problem with Tana, as loads of you are having with your los - she sleeps in her moses basket quite happily during the day and early evening, but its a different story after 10pm...and she tends to take such a long time to feed that I doze off when I feed her in our bed, so we are co-sleeping - which I definitely hadn't planned on.

I had an interesting conversation with my midwife on the discharge visit, and she recommended that we don't have sex before my six week check (I had an episiotomy)...but the longer I put it off, I feel more apprehensive about it. Any thoughts?

Nicky6 - for me bfing was really difficult on day 3/4, and it really did get easier with a bit of patience and time. great birth story too!

Its so great to be able to chat to you guys - we've really had an amaxzing journey through pregnancy and motherhood together! (I'm so mushy, I'll blame it on new mummy hormones!)