March 2008 births

[MarchNowFebMum]

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

Having weepy time of it here too. Your experiences and advice are so helpful. Thanks guys.

echo piggyp - four weeks down the road life is certainly better. feeding better, washing my hair more, better rested, no crazy hormones anymore. everyone is different but i think those first few weeks are just so intense any way you slice it. i remember one particularly bad feeding night after which i felt so guilty for days -- but seems distant memory now.

re: nipple sheilds. have been using them since week 2. lactation consultant said to me 'if they get baby to feed and you two have a positive experience, who cares how long you have to use them'!?! in my case milk was coming too fast and baby choking.

one of the things my doula did for me was insist on a quiet time for her and I to 'unpack' birth experience. this was really helpful. I noticed there is a woman at the active birth centre who will do post birth counselling session along these lines as well. but maybe you could also ask a friend to just sit with you for a bit and go through the whole thing to process it, if that's your thing. like mb's suggestion about writing it down as well.

went out for dinner tonight and left LO and DH at home - they did marvellous job with expressed milk and whatnot. felt like a real person again - there's hope!

oh and despite advice to the contrary, i never woke Sanam and she once slept 6.5 hrs! She now feeds regularly every 3-4hrs so do with that what you will :.)

got my friend coming over tomorrow who's a holistic therapist, helped us with getting in shape to conceive naturally so will be unburdening all to her... I think she's expecting it as she warned DH to be prepared for the hormones to kick in and me to cry lots when i got home from hospital!

Have just fed for nearly 2 hours straight on alternate boobs with nipple shields and am in agony...seriously contemplating making up a formula feed for overnight, but hope that the pain will have gone down a bit before next munching session.

Update from cricketsmum : Caitlin Maria born Sat 8 pm..7 lbs 11 oz. Mum and baby doing well and more details soon! Hurrah!

such good news

i feel like a proper deep dyed mumsnetter today. i posted on a Camping thread. Cor.

MNFM...how old is your LO now?

We took baby monster to meet our friends at the pub we go to on a thursday He was very good and slept while ppl held him and DP and I got to sing some songs too ( we are saddo's and do karaoke)

Other than feedmenow's news i haven;t felt blue yet this time round. Have been a lot more cross than i normally am though.

Winky...how did you manage a bath? I am still bleeding-albeit lightly so the thought of a bath is heaven to my ears!!

The bath was HEAVEN thanks MOM. I slept a lot better last night. I went up for my bath at 9pm after a marathon evening feeding session. And went straight to bed after bath. DH did a formula feed at 11pm (we did one formula a day with DD (now 22 months) and it worked well for us so are doing it for DS too.) And then brought DS in to me at 3.30am for a feed. He then slept until 7am.

Have still been anxious today and tired and sad but not actually crying. I am taking this as a positive sign. But to be honest one of the most positive things has been reading the posts of you lovely mumsnetters. On DD's postnatal thread I seemed the only one to suffer so I felt isolated. Now I feel really positive I will come through this.

Re nipple shields I used them with DD for a couple of weeks because I was so bruised and they really helped. I say you should try whatever you can to keep breastfeeding if that is what you are keen to do.

Love to all at Easter. By summer we'll all be cheery with our chubby 3 month olds wondering what the fuss was about...

Just back from taking LO for a walk in the snow! Not sure if this was cruel, but she seemed as cosy as anything in her pouch thing. It seemed a shame for her to miss her first snow!
Had a big wobble / cry at midnight last night, had been feeding her for an hour every two hours all day and it just seemed so relentless. Also I haven't been more than about 2 meters away from her for about a week and it just suddenly seemed very mentally exhausting. Used a dummy for the first time - felt really guilty and it looked so ugly. But it did stop the evening scream (lasts from 7 till 10 every night!)Feel better now though! DH is going to take her for a few hours this avo so I can have a break.
Fn41 - hope you are feeling better, you seem to have made some good plans. My parents came to help last week and I found it uterly exhausting. Be ruthless with visitors!
MB - hope you aren't going camping in snow with new baby!

LO is 5 weeks. Am v. interested in introducing a formula feed at night. What does this 'get' you? A longer period of sleep? I was worried it was a bit early, but sound like others have had success. Any more thoughts?

From a purely personal point of view I found that my supply was lowest at the 6.45pm and 10.30pm feeds. I found that a giving her formula meant she wasnt so frustrated at 10.30pm and would settle well. It gave me time to prepare for bed, put on face cream and chill while DH fed DD. I would often use a breast pump to express some if I was worried about my supply. (Which took less time that actually feeding DD) If not I would get leaky at night. So I guess you might not see it as an advantage but to me it was a nice break from being the "feeder."

I understand that it would probably be frowned upon by experts. But you could post on the breast/bottlefeeding threads for advice. And there is a useful section in the Mums on Babies book on mixed feeding. I think they say it takes 6 weeks for your supply to come in properly.

As I say, its just my personal feelings and it helped me keep breastfeeding for longer. We did it throughout the 6.5 months that I breastfed. So my views cover a long period of time...

Good luck whatever you decide to do

MNFM - with dd1 I found that my supply was a bit low for her evening cluster feed, so we would give her a bottle around 7-8pm when she was put to bed (this was when she was a couple of months old). I would express at bed-time to empty the boobs out before I went to sleep, and use that milk for her evening feed the next day. And if I couldn't express for any reason, we'd give her formula. Worked like a treat, she got all the milk she needed for a long sleep and we got a bit more peace and quiet.

We haven't got to this stage with new baby yet (she's 3 weeks old now), so maybe she'll be different. I can't remember when we started that with DD1 but it was before 7 weeks cos that's when we took her on holiday and I remember taking the breast pump/bottles etc with us.

Anyway, the evening bottle feed was a life-saver with DD1 so I highly recommend it if you're having trouble with evening milkl supplies.

my old m/w called today and was very reassuring re Ed's health, even though still reinforcing the waking him up every 4 hours. I made the mistake of saying i left him to sleep for 5 hours overnight as neither of us woke to schedule!

My holistic person is encouraging me to look at the birth as the one the baby chose...he didn't want to go the hard route and has been taking it easy ever since

Best of all, have managed to feed several times without the nipple shields by lying down in bed to do the feeding. He's still inconsistent but feel so much happier about it all today! M/w wants me to express during or after a feed to keep him topped up so he doesn't use all his energy on trying to get the milk himself.

The twins are here !!!!

Harry Ronald and Millie June have arrived.

My waters broke on Saturday morning at 12.20 i called the labour ward and was told to go straight in as was expectin twins. contractions started about half past twelve and were only at the most two minutes apart. Got to hospital and had internal examination was only 4 centmetershas gas and air, half hour later was getting pressure in my bottom told midwife she checked me was fully dilated and nearly ready to deliver. Had epidural was advised to incase of problems delivering twins. Two fifty Harry was born and weighed 7.3 eight minutes later Millie arrived and weighed 6.5 1/2 all seemed to go too smoothly felt like i was dreaming i was breastfeeding them both at three twenty was amazing.

Came home same day just after dinner, as i am breastfeeding them they are constantly on the breast if its not them together they are taking it in turns i am so tired first night got about three hours sleep and last night only 45 minutes but going to try to stick with it until my milk comes in at least.

congratulations mods, am so impressed you managed to deliver them naturally and so quickly!

mods, you get double cakes next meet up for carrying twice the load! congrats

oops, seems we have lumbered george with an 'unattractive' name

I think George is a lovely name, MB and I noticed that it's also in the MOst Succesful category on that page, make of that what you will.

Typical, Charlie has been asleep since 12.30 and is now starting to stir. Nope, he's gone back to sleep. It is no coincidence that his major nap involved being pushed around in the buggy on mine and DD's mind bogglingly expensive trip to Woolworths and Sainsburys.

I'm holding it together finally although the first couple of weeks were hard. I also felt very low at times but I'm over it now, touch wood. Guilt over Charlie not being breastfed didn't help, nor did complete strangers commenting on his bottle and telling me that breast is best! Why does anyone think it is their business, I have no idea. I honestly feel more self conscious giving him a bottle when we're out than I ever did whacking my norks out to feed his sister eight years ago (in the dark ages ) But I'm trying to not let it bother me although it makes me cross rather than upset now. As long as the baby is healthy and thriving I'm happy. And it also meant that yesterday I managed to drink a whole bottle of rose to myself, although it took me six hours so sadly I did not get in the least tipsy .

On the subject of dental health, I now realise why new mums get a year of free dental treatment. It's because whenever the baby wakes in the night, it is compulsory to eat just a little bit more easter egg. I woke up with chocolate smears on my pillow . Well, it makes a nice change from regurgitated milk, spat out milk and little boy's wee.

Little boy's wee.....ain't that a marvel. The distance that can go. The other day he managed to wee on me, the changing mat, his clothes , his face and his sister's plastic horse in one magnificent fountain.

I love little boys

Take care everyone and hang on in there, those that are feeling low. It does get better and the anxiety does subside, I promise.

I like George too, has a certain gravitas to it!

Still having ups and downs here, boobs have been so sore and getting blistered due to not latching properly that i've spent yesterday and today expressing and topping up with formula. Then feeling guilty as hell because of it. Luckily m/w today did say that although they ram the breast is best message down everyone's throats, they do appreciate that the bond with the baby is the most important thing and that by the time he gets a bit older noone will give a shit what way he was fed. So am taking another couple of days to think it over and hopefully heal enough to go back to trying boobies again.

Ed dropped from birthweight to 3.7kg, but now up to 3.89kg - progress, though apparently they'd like to see more weight gain by now. Have had it confirmed that he did a real smile as well, weeks ahead of schedule...love watching the change in expression on his face

Right now, having the strange experience of an awake baby looking round, not crying for food or nappy change - not used to him being anything other than asleep between feeds unless it's nappytime!

Argh! I'm sooooo tired and feeling pretty low. Emily (3 1/2 weeks)is still wanting to be fed every two hours or so and taking an hour each time - not sure how much more I can take. Health visitor cam today and LO is putting on weight at the right rate so there's no problem with 'supply'. The problem is I have no time to do anything! Health visitor suggested letting her feed for twenty mins, then expressing whats left and using that to top her up next time to see if i can cut the feeding time and lengthen the gaps! It's so tempting to give up and use formula - but i'd feel really guilty as it's not that I can't feed her.
MB George is a nice name!

Hi Ladies, I can finally join you - baby Lewis came into the world on Wed 19th. We just got home on Sunday as he had to spend a few nights in special care due to low blood sugar levels and small birth weight (6lb 2).

It has been really helpful to read through everyone's posts and recognise many of the problems/worries that I've also been having. Lewis just seems to feed, sleep, cry, feed, sleep, cry and doesn't really have any 'awake' time when he's not looking for food!

I am breastfeeding and as he was tube fed with EBM and top up formula while in special care, and so this is only day 4 for me in terms of feeding. Already my nipples are bleeding and very, very tender. After the first 10 seconds or so the pain eases off slightly, but initially it really is toe curling. I'm hoping that my nipples harden up a bit and get used to it... the midwife also mentioned that fair haired people are more likely to have sensitive nipples which I'd never heard before!

Otherwise, things are good. Physically I'm feeling fine and not having stitches has made things much easier.

I also have a baby poo question for you experienced mums - for breastfed babies I've read that their poo is initially black then green, before turning yellowy around day 4. Lewis is now a week old and still has green poos (and lots of them!) - is this anything to worry about?

im over here as well, ismay kate born good friday weighing 7lb9oz

sorry to here so many of you are finding breast feeding hard, im bottle feeding ismay as i find breast feeding very painful and i end up not wanting to hold baby and it seriously affected bonding with dd1. i feel guilty as hell for it but its whats best for both of us. i did feed her for a couple of hours after she was born but had blood blisters off that (she was latched properly). so in my opinion as long as its right for you both then in doesnt matter if you breast feed, formular feed or both.

merry - have also just had my 1st poo, (am very proud) but mine was black!!!! assuming it is due to nasty iron tablets there making me take as im anemic.

ismays belly button has now dropped off, not sure what to do with clamp thing as it still has stuff in it but i would quite like to stick it in memory box. any ideas?

oh, pooh questions!
ed's 11 days old now and pooh only just changed to an orangey colour. Apparently we're aiming for flouescent yellow, but don't know how formula supplements affect this?

And yes, iron tablets give you pooh more like meconium! I thought I had internal bleeding when i first saw the colour

Am still expressing like mad - tried to get ed to latch on this morning but he'd only do so with the nipple shield and i'm paranoid he won't get enough that way Not quite as teary as i was, but still feeling guilty as hell -can't wait for this to pass and hugs to all of you going through similar

ps congrats spugs and mm!

just popping by to say hi now that we are the 'other side'. So very happy - feel very fortunate, and truly blessed. I am totally devastated to hear the news of feedmenow - as I'm sure we all are. I can't stop thinking about it and feeling so blessed to have my own baby safely here. I really feel for all the others due dates impending - it must be extra stressful. Poor lovely lady - what a terrible thing. Anyway - i just sort of wanted to say it really - I know I've never met any of you but it all feels so close.

I send you all my love and special hugs.

book says bright green poo ok, light green could be a cold

mahem, try nipple sheilds, might get you through a few days until they heal, doing wonders for me

also like george, traditional names the new attractive i reckon, look at our group. same with my nct group!

formula not poison! let's remind ourselves - these days it is v v nutritional.

frequent feedings also doing my head in. i have about 3 hrs in between but when an hour feed and an hour to bed (argh - just happened!) it amounts to the same. had fit on sunday about not having enough down time. also haven't washed my hair since saturday. still flirting with adding formula for night feed but la leche person reminded me 5 weeks is still pretty young and it might not buy me anymore time. i think we have a couple more weeks of intense feeding, girls! am hoping 8 week mark it gets a little better.