Hey all My Dad is up for a long weekend, so just a brief post!
Awen - Ben has a spotty face, with loads of pimples on his nose! I keep on getting the urge to try and pop them, but I can't see that being a success, or indeed fair on Ben! As for using reusables, I feel I am doing my bit for earth-motherhood by breastfeeding, so happy to stick with disposables! My friend used reusables for about 3 months, but said they made her DD so uncomfortable and gave her really bad nappy rash she couldn't bear to carry on using them. I've also bought about 6 months worth of disposables (they were 1/3 off!) so can't see it happening any time soon!
Susie - Glad things are better between you and DH and great news that Sabela has put weight on! Me and DH had a bit of a tiff as well - he went back to work on Friday, and on Thursday night Ben wasn't settling at all, and DH insisted I fed him in another room so he could get some sleep, even though it would mean Ben would take longer to settle overall. We'd obviously had a mis-understanding about how night time feeds would work! He assumed that because I'd got a chair for breasfeeding in the nursery (which we're not using yet, so is freezing cold and still smells of paint!) that I was going to feed in there from day 1 (or at least when DH went back to work). However I'd assumed that I'd use this for night time feeds when Ben was in there in his cot. Ended up feeding him downstairs in the end, but wasn't ideal and he took ages to settle. Not sure how we're going to work it out next week, but it may be that the 11pm feed is a expressed/bottle feed so Ben doesn't fuss and fret so much.
Susie can you express a couple of feeds in advance and get DH to give them so you can get more than an hour's sleep?
Barristermum - we've had similar problems, i.e. Ben will only settle in our arms and wake up when we put him in his moses basket. We've got round it to some extent by putting him in his grobag (don't know if you're using grobags or blankets, but grobags are fab!) before he goes to sleep, then when he's fallen asleep in our arms we can put him straight down in his moses basket and he doesn't notice/wake up because he's already in bed (as it were!) and there's no big temperature change / fussing with blankets to disturb him.
BWMum - hope your DD's pooing issues are sorted soon! At least if you know she's already done one poo you know all the tubes are connected ok! Often breastfed babies can go for several days between poos.
Beller - I'm so impressed at you keeping going by yourself! I'd fall apart if DH wasn't here! Definitely identify with the days being a blur of boobs, bums and vomit, with the odd bit of gazing into gorgeous blue eyes! Like you, the eye gazing seems to be between 11pm and 1am when he's at his most awake - very frustrating!
MrsMcJnr - cats got locked out of our bedroom for a week and that was it. They're either just not interested in Ben, or very respectful of him. Max got in his moses basket once (when Ben wasn't in it) but was chased out of it so forcefully that he hasn't gone anywhere near it since! Our kitten Tillie is ever so sweet with Ben - this morning Ben was in bed with us, and she curled up by his feet under the covers and didn't mind at all when he kicked her! She's really taken a shine to him, and will often look in on him when he's in his moses basket, especially if he's grizzling a bit, but never jumps up. She also likes to gently headbut him as well - ever so sweet!
Luckysalem - congratulations!! so chuffed for you that Aaliyah is finally here! Sorry you didn't get the birth you wanted, but at least you started off at home! Best thing is that you and her are healthy, and it sounds like your DP was an absolute rock for you We need photos though!!
Like I said at the beginning (where I said this was going to be a brief post - I lied!) my Dad is up here for the weekend and he's absolutely bowled over by Ben - I've hardly got my hands on him other than for feeds! We had a great day out today, we went to Bolton Abbey (which is about 15 miles away) where there's some lovely riverside walks, and a derelict abbey to look around. We gave our Quinny buzz a proper test-drive and it came out trumps, even over gravel and mud! Was nice to get out for a walk again after the birth - bits of me are still sore (hips and sciatica) but walking will make them better so I need to get into the habit again! Ben slept the whole time other than a brief bout of crying at the end when he realised he hadn't been fed for 3 hours and 10 minutes and absolutely screamed...for 5 minutes until he fell asleep again! Think the fresh air tired him out as he's been fast asleep since we got back 3 hours ago! We're going out for our first meal with Ben tonight which will be interesting! Only the local child-friendly pub, but will still be a first! I'm going to try and express/bottle feed him before we go so hopefully he won't want to cluster feed all evening! I've just about cracked BFing in front of my Dad, but not ready for BFing in front of a whole pub!
Nipples are still sore, but I guess I'm just used to it now! I think it's more from clamping than anything else, as once the let-down has slowed and he re-latches, it's a lot less painful, although I still get nipple blanching. Can't believe how much milk I'm producing though - I go through about 6 breast pads every day (well, 3 lots of 2!) and have managed to soak through 2 of my t-shirts and one of Ben's babygros! The problem is I seem to get let-down on both sides, regardless of which side he's feeding on!
Right, I'm going to start expressing now so he doesn't have to wait when he wakes up!
Sorry for the mammoth post, speak to you all again soon, and enjoy your LOs!