July 2023 babies

[Summermeadowflowers]

Hello everyone! So this is a continuation of the pregnancy thread(s) as we’re almost full.

DD was born by elective section on July 18th. Her older brother was born following an emergency section after a failed induction in December 2020 and I didn’t want to go through that again! It was a lovely chilled experience and I was a bit nervous waiting but felt like I was in good hands. I was also home the next day.

Feeding has been tricky for us. I really wanted to breastfeed but as with DS, DD hasn’t taken easily to it and struggles to latch. Nipple shields help to an extent although are not a cure all but she doesn’t get much milk and ends up frustrated anyway. I’ve mostly been expressing for her but realistically don’t know how long I can keep it up. It’s a shame as I do really want to breastfeed but it isn’t happening!

Oh and my wound is infected … lovely!

How is everyone else?

@AnxiousAnnie94 I think I’m going to give it a go and see if he’s ready. He’s pretty good with head control and seems interested in food so we’ll see how it goes. Still got a couple of weeks to go.

@Hippomumma
I think I might ring the health visitor to discuss it a bit more
My DS has really good head control, but obviously can't sit by himself yet so don't know if he could sit in a high chair?
I also assume it's not BLW at this early stage?

@AnxiousAnnie94 no, purely purées until 6 months. Avoiding allergens and focusing on simple flavours to start with.

DS2 can’t sit up on his own but can sit with a bit of support so our chair seems to work as it’s like a high backed very slightly reclined chair and he’s strapped in.

@Hippomumma
Thank you.
DS can sit with support and will on his own (with me right next to him) in the middle of his feeding pillow.
I definitely am going to ask the health visitor as if it can help him (and us) maybe he a bit happier and more comfortable and maybe even get a decent night's sleep (as I've been up at least every 2 hours) for the last 16 weeks, I'm all for it!

We weaned at 4.5 months with medical advice, as DS1 was cows milk intolerant and bawled for hours and hours every day. He became a different baby overnight - began sleeping through, and put on weight and was so much more content. It was a really great decision for us.

Worth raising with the doctor, perhaps, given you’re having such a time of it @AnxiousAnnie94

@AngryBirdsNoMore I definitely will speak to the GP or health visitor, thank you. Especially if it might help him sleep through the night! Or even if he'd go more than 2 hours at a time I would be loving life as he hasn't done more than two hours in the night since he's been born!

Hope you're okay?

Hi ladies! Hope everyone is keeping well.

Torvi is 18 weeks now (I think! I'm working with months now 🤣). She's almost rolling over, has started laughing and has two teeth coming in at the bottom front!

Endless sickness just going round the house and think I've finally been struck down 🫠 Headache and sore throat this morning and general aches and pains.

Hi! Aww my 17 week old dd is also almost rolling over and her laughter is infectious! Hope you get well soon x

Get well soon!

DD is no trouble now to be fair. She wakes once at night for a feed but that’s it. Feeding is still an issue. I’m expressing milk still but finding it harder and harder to keep up, for ages she was on six feeds a day with a four / two split with breast milk and formula but I seem to be struggling over this past week to make four feeds. I have managed but only just. And she is feeding more too.

There’s a July 2024 thread - blimey! I got my BFP with DD in early November last year and my due date wasn’t until mid July so I suppose that fits but gosh 😅

Hey everyone! How are we all doing?

I was one of the lucky few whose DD has been sleeping through the night from just before 3 months. Now the dreaded teething has started, she can only be soothed by little sips on milk and is crying in the night - so im back to the waking every 2/3 hours 🫠

DD was babbling like mad but with this new leap she's quieted down a lot and now just wants to stand up as much as possible 😂 the only time she chats in when shes frustrated and shouting at me or her toys! Lol.

I can't believe im talking about teething already 😭

@Hippomumma have you started weaning? How are you getting on?

We have the go ahead as of today, but haven't really been told anything of how to do it and I am so anxious about doing it wrong and making his reflux worse.
How have you done It?

Or anyone else early weaning, please can I have advice of how to start, how actually to cook/make the purees etc.

Thank you!

@GC2023 DS2 is also crazy about standing and trying to walk. I don’t remember this with DS1 at all, although he could roll by this point where as DS2 has shown no interest in rolling at all! We are deep in the 4 month sleep regression so 1-2hourly wakes as well 🫠 good job he’s cute and jolly during the day!

@AnxiousAnnie94 remind me how old your LO is? And who has told you to wean early? If less than 6 months I think the advice is to stick to purées (?but that might be outdated). DC1 wasn’t remotely interested in spoon feeding but when I tried purées I’d just steam the shit out of carrots or broccoli or some other vegetable, blend them down to completely smooth with a stick blender, allow to cool and then mix well with EBM or formula. Likewise you could really bash up a pear or a banana and mix with milk. I’m not sure if that’s ‘right’ but I think weaning is one of those things you can overthink and can be made far more complex than it really is. I really rate Charlotte Stirling Reed’s book, How to Wean your Baby. Her IG is great as well.

Ps @AnxiousAnnie94 you also definitely don’t need a fancy baby food steamer. A pan insert like this is completely adequate and a tenth of the price.

@AnxiousAnnie94 we started briefly (purées only - just a teaspoon to start before a feed) but his reflux was just awful at the time so we have engaged with a private dietician and I cannot tell you the difference her advice has made. She actually listened to what I was saying, what had and had not worked and what the side effects were of the various drugs etc for him, especially focused on his milk protein allergy. We’re now in a really good place and will wean in a few weeks. He’s now managing with just a tiny bit of thickener in his formula. He’s like a different baby.

@VivaVivaa thank you. DS is 19 weeks old (I think, I lose track of weeks now) and health visitor and paediatric consultant has told us to try weaning early to see if it helps his reflux/ sleeping/ being more settled. He has always woken every 1- 1.5 hours, although sleep regression has hit and we are now every 30 mins- 1 hour 😭
I have a food processor and will get a pan steamer :)

@Hippomumma I am so pleased you have found someone that helps! DS has had a reflux flare up again and I truly believe it is because we upped his omeprazole dose. It's like we are back to square one again, screaming all day, generally unhappy and not settling again. I have put his dose back to what is was again but I honestly feel awful because I have done this to him again and now he has trapped wind, awful constipation again and I can't help him 😭 I am holding out hope that weaning might help.
I don't know if I should do veg / fruit puree or baby porridge. It's been 'left to me' as what I think, but I don't know as I am a first time mum, never done this before and don't want to do it wrong 😭😭😭😭
I struggle to express very much and I am going to need to express to mix with porridge and don't know how much I will need to do and can I grind up just normal oats rather than buying specific 'baby porridge?'

@AnxiousAnnie94 you’re doing amazingly! Please don’t get down on yourself. You just want the best for them. Is he on a probiotic? I found it makes my son a lot worse and he’s better since I stopped it.

In terms of purée, I will be sticking to thin consistencies to start with, expanding out into thicker ones (like root veg etc) as he gets used to it. A mix of fruit and veg will get him used to different textures and flavours. Hope that’s helpful!

@Hippomumma thank you!
I introduced a probiotic to him about 3.5 weeks ago and after a week or so he seemed much happier and managed to poo every other day, even pood twice in one day which was amazing. He was having a 4 hour spell once put down at night which he had never had before (every 1-2 hours after that, but the initial 4 hours was lovely) still a little fussy on the boob at times and a small amount of back arching but so much better, then last week the paediatrics told me to put his omeprazole dose up and he had 3 days on the higher dose and I had the worse night ever, worse than when he was first born, he was screaming for over an hour and I couldn't settle him and after those 3 days, I put his dose down to what it was, but I fear the damage was already done, he's now not pooing again and has the worst trapped wind.
I actually haven't given him his probiotics today, I have just remembered, maybe I will try and day without 🤷 I hate not knowing what to do to help him for the best.
Are you not going to do porridge/ rice? And to make the consistency runny? Will you mix with milk?
Sorry for all the questions!

@AnxiousAnnie94 we have stopped omeprazole altogether. Went cold turkey and was so worried it would be worse but actually it was fantastic. Omeprazole can give them a sore tummy apparently so what we thought was the reflux was actually the effects of the omeprazole.

We won’t be doing rice/porridge to start with but will move onto it when he’s 6 months I think.

@Hippomumma thank you.
I have been reading about the side effects of omeprazole and they are what DS is displaying currently but I am terrified of stopping it incase he gets even worse. But me and my DH keep saying, what if we are making him worse by keeping him on it, especially as we saw the effects of what putting it up did to him.
Have you found it got worse at all since stopping omeprazole? I know it's definitely the cause of his constipation which definitely cannot be nice for him.

I think I am just going to do veg/fruit purees slowly until 6 months.

@AnxiousAnnie94 no it definitely hasn’t got any worse and he is much better. Doesn’t have the terrible wind and sore tummy anymore. It’s much better without it for him.

@Hippomumma do you find the reflux symptoms are still there? But are they better than the tummy/ wind pain caused by the omeprazole?
Also, what mg dose was your little one on?

@AnxiousAnnie94 the thickener in the milk seems to be enough to keep the reflux under control now. He was on 7.5mg so a low dose for his weight!

@Hippomumma see I breastfeed so can't do a milk thickener 😭
We are on 6mg which is low for his weight and like I say things were much better and then they upped him to 10mg and now things are awful.
Maybe the fact he was doing better on a low dose for his weight means he doesn't need it anymore 🤷

@AnxiousAnnie94 i think you can use a thickener like carobel with expressed milk or give with cool boiled water if you think it would help but might be worth asking your HV if it would be worthwhile.