March 2008 births

[MarchNowFebMum]

Welcome March Mums (and late Feb/early April Mums!) from the March 2008 threads.

I dont believe alcohol slows down your milk...had a drink last night at 12 after feeding and was given the night off by DH...woke up at 545 in agony breastwise and expressed 9 1/2 oz. If that's slow...

MNFM - how do you notice that your milk levels are really low? Is it because the baby doesn't feed for as long / is more fussy? I wonder this sometimes as some days my DS is feeding more frequently but for shorter amount of time whereas other days he seems to have really satisfying feeds and I am trying to work out if it something to do with my supply or just him having an off day. Any tips on how to work out how well my supply is doing? I'm just a bit nervous as we've been giving him one bottle of formula at night (10.30-11) this week so I'm wondering what effect it has on my supply as it means I go from 8pm until 3am without feeding but I have no energy to pump at that time of night to keep supply buoyant (we're ff at that time because he has a tendency to cluster feed late afternoon/early evening which means I'm shattered by 10pm).

I've had a couple of very small glasses of wine since he was born and then a glass of champagne (which was lush!) on Fri to celebrate my mum's birthday. I haven't been too bothered by it though - think I'm still too exhausted to appreciate anything other than a cup of tea!

v happy, have managed to get photo of LO smiling his gummy grin

Hi everyone, thanks HQ, I finally made it on the other side . Theo was born on the 6th of April weighing 7lb6oz and has been growing quickly so far. Still at the very smug stage and not feeling too tired. Like many others, can't bare to see or feel my tummy, it is so saggy and I have no choice but to get into shape asap for our wedding in August (the dress has already been ordered etc....and is not forgiving at all..grr...). Must have been crazy, when I ordered it, thinking it will be fine/easy to get my shape back!!!
Turtle, I am with you on the wine front, I had a glass of wine a couple of time and the same things happened, I had to express as well as it was just too painful, the other things is that apparently, drinking stops down the let down reflex, well this has not happened either. However, I am expressing every morning and keep the content in the fridge in case I am going to have a glass of wine at some point (if it is not used that day, I freeze it). From the different research etc...alcohol goes into the milk after 90min and stays for 2-3 hours but I prefer to make sure, so by expressing it means, I have 5 plus hours for the alcohol to get out of the milk as it does not stay inside it.

Has anyone got any good tips about nappy rash, LO just started having some today, been using sudocream but is there anything else better?

Also, going to the UK in 4 weeks, wondering how people are with breastfeeding in public (never paid attention before) we have a lot of shore to do and thus will be going in and out of places etc...and with everything else that we will need to carry around, I want to avoid the pump, bottle scenario. Has anyone experience any looks etc...?

prisci, have no problems at all BF in public anywhere in London, Cardiff or Norfolk. People are reasonably clued up I think.

Prisci-bepanthen is fab for sore bottoms, but letting them have some nappy-free time and changing them very frequently is the best cure.

trying to do a bit of online shopping...red direct website is so slow i've given up. muppets.

i just did a breast feed and cuddle while watching last night's 'high maintenance wives' program, expecting a bit of daytime light relief, but oh my there was this poor, tormented woman with OCD and instead i found myself on the verge of tears for her and her dh - it's no way to live. anyone see it?

Hi guys - a bit of advice needed here on weight gain. DS and I went for his first trip to HV clinic today (he is 3 weeks old today). They weighed him and I was a bit to find that he has only put on 50g this past week as I thought he had been feeding really well and seemed to be thriving. Basically he was 4090g at birth, had dropped to 3700g at 6 days and then up to 4050g at 14 days when midwife signed him off. So he had a gain of 350g in 8 days but then just 50g in 7 days (is now 4100g) and is only just past birth weight.

There are a couple of differences - HV is digital and midwife wasn't so HV probably more reliable, and they weigh completely naked whereas midwife let him keep his nappy on. And he has at least gained. But his notes now say "slow weight gain" and he is only just back at birth weight at 3 weeks old which seems like quite a long time.

I'm not too worried yet, and nor was HV, as he was a big baby and is obviously happy, but I want to make sure he has a good week before next week's weigh in so I don't start to worry more!

Could it be my milk supply, or could it be the way I am feeding him? He feeds 8-9 times per day, at roughly 2.5-3 hour intervals in the day and 3.5-4 hour intervals at night as he is usually only waking once. I try to give him at least 25-30 mins on one breast before switching if he's still hungry and he often feeds for 40 mins in total, often for an hour at night. His 10.30pm feed is a mixed EBM/ff bottle of about 3-3.5oz (I may be able to make it fully EBM now I've finally started to get to grips with expressing.)

Any thoughts / advice?

Hello Prisci and Congratulations!

littleducks that sounds exhausting. Is there anyone who can mind the children while you nap?

merryberry Charlie is just under 12 1bs. Put on 4lb in 7 weeks!

Just to prove that you shouldn't take scan measurements as gospel. Charlie is on the 95th percentile for length. Short legs indeed!

DP is over his nasty virus/bug/infection. Charlie is getting over a nasty cold and I had to take DD to A&E this mornning as she suffered a bad allergic reaction to face paints at her Dad's this weekend.I bought the face paints for her 2nd birtday. God only knows what he's doing with them still. She's nearly 8 now.

One of the jpys of formula feeding is that my periods have started again. sorry if tmi but it's like 10 months at once.

Right, little headbanger on my lap is lurching dangerously, excuse typos.

Hope everyone else is ok.

just seen your post HQ . It's hard not to worry but it could just be your LO settling into his natural growth pattern. They can gain at different rates from week to week. If he's not finishing a feed hungry and he's feeding frequently and he has wet nappies then I'd just continue what you're doing. It sounds like you're doing a fantastic job.

HQ, if it were me, would put it down to different scales and watch what he does on those in the slightly longer term, and anyway, they do grow in spurts, so there must be some down time from the growth at points, oh ds1 wakes, back to it i go.

HQ- is he doing lots of dirty and wet nappies? alert? pink? hsppy? don't worry, weight gain isn't the top indicator for a healthy baby.
Speaking of weight, dd gained 100g last week! Not yet at birth weight, but it's something. Abd since starting mixed feeding, her nappies are properly WET. Wish I'd been able to recognise earlier that they weren't.

on an entirely less serious note, have just come down from watching dp and ds1: ds1 chose baggy pants to wear this pm and dp is teaching him how to do MC Hammer time dancing.

family life very very silly at its best

HQ my DS is still not back to birth weight at 4 weeks (he was 4280g) at birth, but bf babies are often slower and most of the charts are still the old ones that are based on ff babies who grow faster. I second what others have said - so long as he is doing plent of wet/dirty nappies and is otherwise healthy and thriving, don't worry. Don't let the HV/MW make you feel pressurised.

There is a thread for support on this somewhere, but I cant find it atmo and LO is crying. I'll have another look shortly ...

on the opposite end of the scale...somebody save me from this growth spurt please? My breasts are agonising as they keep filling up. He has gained 14 oz THIS WEEK. I am shattered.

Glam, merry - thank you for being the voice of reason as ever I'm trying not to worry and it helps to have people like you telling me not to worry as well!

e14mum - you're right he is all of those things (and very cute with it too!) I'm so glad that things are going better now with the feeding and with your DD's weight gain

c4it - maybe we just assume these bigger babies will gain at the same percentage as others whereas they actually just gain the same ounces and so it takes longer to get back to birthweight! I have to say, I'm pleased that I had a big baby - the HV was absolutely fine about his slow weight gain so far (although think she wants to see more this week) mainly because he is big and has plenty of fat reserves

feeling grumpy today. decided, as had had quite a hectic weekend, to maybe (whisper) sit on the sofa and watch repeats of the OC while Evie was asleep. Then she didn't go to sleep till 8.45 and woke up at 9.15. then DH phoned to say that some people were coming to view the house at 1 so could I make sure everything was ready. Have just run around emptying bins, putting washing away,blah blah blah. And have completely lost the relaxed mood I was going for. Plus am also realising that I will probably have to feed evie while either out or with people looking round the house. and a manic 3 year for company.
At what point did having a baby and putting our house on the market simultaneously seem like a good idea?
and breathe....
on plus side, growth spurt seems over. she's settled into having about 4oz per feed and has been known to last more than 3 hours. though not often.

News from Turtle

Pascal is a little poorly with a high temperature and off his milk. He's currently in hospital while they try and find out if he has a virus or anything else.

{{{{{hugs to Pascal and Turtle}}}}}

Link to slow growth support thread - www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1364&threadid=417135#10387310

aww bless him, hope hes feeling better x

hv came round yesterday and has decided to come back again next week as my score was a bit high in the pnd thing (not helped by me being tearful while she was there!) felt much more perky today though so hopefuly the last few days have just been a blip.

I've finally updated my profile to show some photos...

I think...

Hi all sorry not been on for ages dont know where the time goes now lol.

Well Both Harry and Millie are both doing well, Millie is not quite as sick as she was maybe only onvce or twice a day so that is not too bad she is always sick on the first feed of the day once we have got up not quite sure why but she is puttin on plenty of weight she is now 8lbs 4oz and Harry is my little dumpling he is now 9lbs 12 oz they are having 6oz bottles every three hours or so not always finishing them but no where near the 4oz every four hours like the formula milk says, i was quite worried i was over feeding them but the HV said to feed them when they want feeding and they are doing fine to carry on what i am doing which put my mind at rest.

I had my first period, oh my god i dont think i have ever had such a bad period i was so heavy i was changing my pad every two hours i dont know if it was just because it was my first period since having the twins or because i had to take the emergency pill the other day as the chemist did tell me it could make me irregular.

I had been issued the mini pill but never even contemplated sex but it happened at 6am one morning when we were both awake after feeding the twins. i have now started taking it as dont want to end up pregnant again not for a very long time if we have anymore children anyway.

Hope you are all well. I have missed so much on here anything important i have missed ?

preggersagain how is everything? Also, saw this thread and thought of you

Oh turtle I do hope little Pascal is ok, hopefully it is just a bug, Tilly had one last week and it was really horrid and scary.

Spugs hang in there you've already manage two other DD's, you can do it.

Turtle, hope everything is OK.

LO is putting on weight very very quickly indeed, one pound in one week (on week two) and seems to be wanting even more this week, just not sure how I am going to cope if he increases his appetite so quickly indeed. Making me tired indeed, as it feels he is non stop in the daytime, but at least he only wakes up once or twice in the night.