March 2008 births

[MarchNowFebMum]

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

Hello ladies!! still in one piece (JUST!!!)girls are both fine- i'm kind of confined to the sofa atm- both of them are having a growth spurt so are feeding almost constantly! We contemplated giving formula but i am so proud that i have done it so far that we have decided that its worth the hassle for a few days to increase my milk supply. I had to go for an appointment the other day so our nanny looked after the twins for the first time- she gave them a bottle of ebm each just before i got back so they didn't need feeding but my boobs were rock solid and leaking so out came the pump- dear god i nearly fell over when i expressed over 7oz FROM EACH BOOB!!!!! if i am producing that much it seems a shame to waste it and go to formula!

Millie is much better after her ordeal, they have both had blood taken for genetic testing to make sure that there are no more nasties just around the corner!

Carys has developed a somewhat cheeky side- feeds, goes down into the crib next to a sleeping millie, turns her head and spits milk all over her face!! She will also still try to latch onto millies nose if a boob isn't in the immediate vicinity!

I've gone for a name change, used to be whathavewedone, reason being that towards the end of this pregnancy that's exactly how I felt. We had 2 wonderful dds, so why were we risking upsetting things by having another baby. Now that little man is here I know we did the right thing, so new name. Also feeling very positive and happy today because a) I got 4 hours solid sleep last night and b) this morning I've managed to squeeze my slightly numb and jelly like belly into jeans I was wearing pre-pregnancy , shall probably pay the price by having chronic trapped wind later .

Well done wontbepreggersagain on exclusive bfing twins - must be very very time consuming.

Best wishes to all looking after poorly babies, can't be easy I'm sure.

Ds is 5 weeks, and I think the smiles we are getting are just wind related - can't wait for the proper ones.

Fitandfortyone It was four weeks after the birth that my periods returned.

Wontbepreggersagain Well done on still breastfeeding with other children as well dont know how you are doing it. I tried it as i breastfed my DS and loved every second of doing it but it was too tiring doing it this time. I know what you mean about the twin babies sucking each other if there is no food available if i am now quick enough i find Harry sucking Millies head and Millie sucking Harrys hands it is so lovely.

Hi all

Ffion has been particularly lovely today - long periods of happy wakefulness, kicking about on her baby gym and gurgling away. MIL visiting tomorrow - am I mad to be hoping she will withdraw comment from two weeks ago that Ff isn't focusing as she should be? Shouldn't I be able to ignore her? Grrr.

HV invaded on Monday - Ff is still only 7lb8, but that's no reason to call a perfectly compact and petite baby skinny, is it? I only realised how angry I was after she had left.
We're getting lots of wet & yellow nappies, she's happy, I've got plenty of milk...where is the problem?

Think we're having a growth spurt at the moment, so expect more gain this week, but could still do without HVs. Is anyone else being hassled by theirs?

hiya everyone, i've not been on the net for the last two weeks so haven't caught up with what everyones been up to... hope all those babies are doing well xxx

I've only just been signed off from the midwife and i've not had my health visitor leave us alone yet! i've been diagnosed with postnatal depression and i've been having a hard time really. Just crying on and off all day and feel like i have nothing to be happy about. Darcie is a perfect little angel, she is such a sleepy baby and so beautiful but i just can't snap myself out of it. Any one else feeling like this? is it hormones that everyone is experiencing?

I'm off to go and try load up some photos of ashleigh and darcie on my profile

xxx

hiya everyone, i've not been on the net for the last two weeks so haven't caught up with what everyones been up to... hope all those babies are doing well xxx

I've only just been signed off from the midwife and i've not had my health visitor leave us alone yet! i've been diagnosed with postnatal depression and i've been having a hard time really. Just crying on and off all day and feel like i have nothing to be happy about. Darcie is a perfect little angel, she is such a sleepy baby and so beautiful but i just can't snap myself out of it. Any one else feeling like this? is it hormones that everyone is experiencing?

I'm off to go and try load up some photos of ashleigh and darcie on my profile

xxx

Sorry I've been MIA, have been trying to figure out Sanam's gas issues and it's a full time job. Have eliminated all diet possibilities (after eating chicken and air for the last few days with no change!) so HV and I have just chalked it up to her still immature digestive system. Will wait another week and if we still have waterfall poo and rocket farts (during which she does low sobbing, poor thing), will be going to Dr. Was glad she didn't dismiss it as catchall 'colic' Sanam is doing low grunting and sobbing when pooing rather than screachy cries. Heartbreaking but thankfully not classic colic.

MB, totally agree if baby and you like schedule (and all is healthy) who cares what others think. I am presently doing one feed over the night at 2:30 but otherwise she goes from 7pm to 6am. HV trying to get me to alter it around so I get longer stretch but it's working for both of us right now so I don't want to mess with it. Speaking of (as I imagine there will be time when I want to alter...), MB and those of you who do dream feeds, do you wake baby or do they wake? If I wake her to do feed, she's really faffy and it's an unproductive feed and she just gets up again in a few hours.

prisci, have not had any looks bfeeding in London. maybe not at the pub :.) but certainly, cafes, dept stores, starbucks, etc. all ok.

echo jfly on love hate on bfeeding. am proud of doing it and feel it's special but it's a full time job and sometimes makes me claustrophobic not to mention that it takes and takes too time away from what should be spent on my and dh's relationship, i feel. how long does everyone plan on going? i am thinking if i get to the 6-8 month mark, i'll be happy and 'call it a day'.

Hugs to those with poorly babies and feeling blue....

sorry for slightly incoherant bits of earlier message...long day!

hq I consider my supply low when I am not bursting in the boobs when a feed starts (as that is what normally happens - I am 'uncomfortable' by the next feed - 3 hr intervals for me). It 'feels' different - not scientific but that's what I meant by low supply. You could test your supply by pumping a full breast at feeding time and seeing what your yield is. If you do that a few days in a row at the same time you can get a sense of what you are producing. Others may have more specific ideas - am not expert on pumping (desperately wish I was.....)

dream feeds for us involve gentle lifting from bed. if gg in deep sleep i can't prise open his gums for love nor money, so i lay him back down and read while waiting for him to rise up into lighter sleep. when he stirs, twitches moans into lighter sleep i pick him up again and can slip boob into his mouth and off he goes. it's usually a one boob and quite quick feed, but it does the trick. i feed him lying down while i'm sitting up with a pillow on my knees, so he doesn't get too attached to my body warmth and i don't jig him too much. then i lift him across into his cot without burping him as he doesn't seem to need it after a slow simple suck.

then i crash out into bed with a silent scream of joy....

At this rate i'll be bf for oh, about 6 weeks... Hero's happiness and my sanity are not worth it. I'm tired of being in tears all the time, tired of her mincing around on the boob only to gobble down the top up when i slip the tube in her mouth. Tired of each feed lasting 1.5-2 hours. We'll see what happens, but I'm truly at the end of this struggle.
Sympathies to all feeling down. My blues are just around feeding, but it's awful.
Hero has been smiling for a while now. It's so sweet!

Just wanted to say thanks for bedtime routine advice. Tried it this week - feed, play time, walk in the sling with DH to get 45 mins kip, then start routine - kick around time, bath, breast then sleep. Fabulous success first night, total meltdown for 2 hours second night, but doing better again since then. Having a couple of hours to myself in the evening is truly strange. I'm so over exited about it, I don't know what to do with myself!

Huge hugs to studentmum and everyone else having a hard time. I have my low times, when I feel its all so relentless. Haven't spent more than half hour away from DD for 7.5 weeks. Heading out to Post Office after this feed, leaving DD with DH. Again, far too excited about this!

On the plus side, finally got her to sleep not on me or in sling during the day which feels like a triumph and her face-filling grins are the best thing in all the world. Cliche I know, but they do make everything worthwhile.

e14- don't beat yourself up, if bf is making you unhappy then find a solution that is going to cheer you up!

i can reccomend to anyone who is having issues with milk supply- fenugreek capsules! wonderful things!!!

studentmum - hugs to you hun its horrible feeling down when youve got your new baby. have you tried having some time out from the kids and doing something for you? hope thing get better soon x

e14 - sorry your finding feeding hard going, ive never managed it for very long as ive always found it very difficult. 6 weeks is brilliant though and youve given hero a excellant start. if mix feeding or ff is going to save your sanity then do it, theres far to much pressure put on people to bf and theres no reason to feel bad if you dont find it a walk in the park

turtle- glad your home must have been horrible

has anyone elses lo got bad skin? iz has baby acne (according to health visitor)her chest, neck, face andscalp are covered with red spots. on top of this she has cradle cap between and in her eyebrows! she matches her mummy cos my skin is horrific at the min. got spots all over. very attractive

turtle - am i right in thinking you had your boobs done? ive booked to see a surgon in august and wondered how you found the op and who you went with

studentmum - sorry to hear you are feeling down, hope things soon start to get easier for you.

mnfm - i'm aiming for five months. that way i'll stop bf a couple of weeks before our summer hol. that way i'll be able to enjoy the hol, leave dd with my parents and ... drink. i know 6 months is recomended but i'll be bloody proud of myself to do 5 months. i think if i didn't have a target i'd give up now.

gritting my teeth today, SIL visiting for first time and showing no interest in dd at all. didn't even look at her at first till dh said 'do you want to meet your niece, she's in the pram behind you', i know not everyone likes babies but she could pretend!

spugs..email me on sarahturtlehopewell at gmail dot com and we'll discuss. My surgeon is absolutely fantastic.

spugs, people have to grit their teeth to not recoil from the spotty, crusty, giant infant in my arms/prams/bed ;) he really is not a looker atm. Oh well, its just the hormones acting on the skin, they'll be glowing gorgeous dumplings soon.

studentmum, don't beat yourself up for feeling down, whatever the cause of it. I wish you power to get through every day, every hour and wish you a lifting in your feelings sooner than a very soon thing. it is pretty hard adjusting to being a mum to 2 lovely kids isn't it. (i really like the play gym pic btw! i would not be ble to get ds1 to stay close to ds2 for that long!)

e14 that's jaw dropping. i nearly gave up with ds1 and his 1 hour feeds every 2 hours. i would not have got as far as you have with feeds that long. lordy, are you watching loads of tv? reading?

gg is calling for umpteenth feed of the day, it's (drumroll) growth spurt feeding time, day 2. i am eating random things, he is making me so so hungry. i really hope he does the sleeping bit during this rubbish weather they predict next week.

ah, he stopped, well done dad

am aiming for 8 months bf, btw. that's what i did with ds1 (went back to work then, and didn't/couldn't express). and i feel like i have to be fair.

we'll see if that works out though...i might want to stop early as he is so damn active while on the breast and i can see him being harder to hold quite soon. or i may want to go longer and keep him my babe in arms for ever.

people in parks etc, they say to me 'is he your first?' and i say 'at 11lbs 11oz, he's my last', but i may not be so blase about never having another baby as time goes by.

never having to be PG again, oh that I can i totally celebrate!!! i feel so damn well not being PG.

spugs - DS too has been spotty all over his head. The HV thought it may be infantile acne or a reaction to my washing powder and conditoner and advised me to use non-biological and unperfumed conditioner. Which I haven't done yet, as I had only washed a load of his clothes in my normal biological stuff and I was pretty sure it was just milk spots and or the acne. Anyway that was on Wednesday and the spots do not seem to be as bad now. He'd hadn't reacted before to my washing powder, so why suddenly at 5 weeks old?

We had success today with expressing and then bottle feeding. I'd managed to do 2 1/2 oz yesterday evening, and then another 1 1/2 at lunchtime today, so I could go to football and feed him there if necessary. Well I'm gald I did, as he he did want feeding, he gobbled the whole 4oz in quick time. I think this must mean that he takes more than this straight from the boob. However he takes twice as long this way. Lets hope that we can get DH to feed him from the bottle then I can get more than 3 hours continuous sleep

Spugs, Theo is also very spotty indeed, my DP mentionned it to my mother in law on the phone, I overheard her saying it was due to the milk, I almost went crazy but I am very proud of myself I managed to control myself and not grab the receiver. My milk is not good enought for her grandchild or something...?
He is spotty mostly due to the hormones and also the fact we have 75% humidity at present, I have asked the paedetrician and he had no advice, and just told us it was normal and if we had issue with, we should not take any pictures. At least he has a sense of humour.

In terms of breasfeeding, I have worked out it is much easier/more efficient when LO is already feeding in the am. It is a bit of a sight LO on one breast and the pump on the other, but apart from expressing more easily, it also means saving time. I have also altered a cheap sport bras, I have put holes into it so I can fit the pump in and thus have my hands free. I am aiming to Breasfeed for 6 months but then I am thinking that if I can I would like to continue to at least breasfeed him in the evening for as long as I can, well maybe not when he is 18 years old. .

I thought a baby's cheeks were meant to be lovely and soft but they are really rough and crusty and pimply... I'm 31 years older than him and my cheeks are much lovelier DS looked particularly delightful at 2-3 weeks old when he had horrendous red spots covering his whole face each with a raised yellow pimple in the centre.

One thing to remember is that there is a reason why they never use newborns in adverts for Pampers etc. People would stop buying the product in droves because the models would look so minging...

I've been having a tough time bfeeding recently due we (me and HV) think to low supply because of my anaemia (e14mum - I think you are a saint for persevering so long!) but one of my friends said DS's increased fussiness, continuous feeding and bobbing on and off might be because he was trying to increase my supply. It seems to have finally worked - yesterday I actually felt full before a feed for the first time (I had never had this feeling before) and this morning I woke with rock hard boobs. Really hoping a corner has been turned...

prisci - lol at holes in bra, great idea though!

HQ- that's fantastic! It is still one day at a time for us. I don't ever feel like I have much milk- except after big night sleep stretch. Even then they aren't rock hard, just a little lumpy I know it's not the end of the world to stop, I just want to know I've done all I can first...

MB I'm with you on feeling great not being PG - even though I'm full of cold and coughing like I smoke 50 a day . Poor little DS has it too though and he is really struggling with his cough bless him.

I'm pretty sure I'm not going to have any more - can't imagine having more children than hands and at the moment DH and I can man mark them .

studentmum Hang on in there and remember it doesn't last forever (even though it sometimes feels like it).

E14 You are doing brilliantly - any bf is fantastic, but don't kill yourself trying.