January 08 shiny new - year babys , tired mums and dads!

[lilyloo]

Will that do

Bluebell - can I reinforce that you should feed in the way that makes you happy. At the end of the day you spend more time feeding than almost anything else, so ignore everyone else.

I currently feed ebm with a formula top up every two to three days, depending on my supply. I am very lucky to have such a good supply and to find expressing so easy, otherwise I would have been feeding formula from about 6 weeks. To be honest I was really chuffed to have got so far.

If formula is what does it for you, then go for it and to hell with other peoples' opinions.Chances are, if you are struggling with bfing, then your LO may be as well, and you may both find it a welcome break to use bottles (whether ebm or formula).

Right, that's my bit said, off for a ride on the motorbike now

hello everyone, I'm feeling more together today. Went and bought some Formula and fed lo at 3.30pm, she only took 2.5oz of it, she was struggling with latcvhing onto the bottle, which is strange as she didn't struggle at 3 weeks when I gave her ebm.. I haven't given her a bottle for about 4 weeks so maybe she just has to learn how to do it again. I tried to latch her onto me to seeif it was the milk or the bottle etc and she didn't want me either and has since fallen asleep so god knows!

I didn't struggle with bf infact I love it but I am not confident in bf outside of my home because of my massive boobs and also Ruby is the noisest eater I have ever hard, she regularly coughs, smiles, laughs chokes, gulps etc and I am a squirter too! I just feel that because of this lack of confidence I am constantly rushing home to feed her and it is impacting on our lives as a family, so I do intend to mix feed because I feel we will get the best of both worlds... I feel so selfish!

Also is it normal for formula to smell horrendous, it doesn't taste that much different to my milk but my god the smell!!! I am using Antapil I think thats what its called..

Thank you so much for all your messages of support it really helped me to get through the night, I know I ma making the right decision for me and Ruby but you can't help but feel a bit guilty x

Hi Bluebell I have the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles. We did formula top ups the first couple of weeks of LO's life then I managed to switch to exclusive BF, and since then he has had a bottle of EBM about once a week on the odd occasion, eg when I went to the hairdressers, or when DH took DS to his work - because it takes me that long to express, I get about 1oz a day! Anyway, he seems to have no trouble with the teats on those bottles so I would recommend them. Have had DS out twice in snow showers today, he's gonna be a hard nothern lad! Snug in his pram though. Some numpty kids on scramble bikes nearly ran us down, DH had to kick one out of the way!

MamaChirs have you tried tanking up in evening, feed as much as you can. I 've been getting DS down by 9pm & he sleeps til midnight. Then 3am and 6am generally. except last week when he was unsettled. Also I reckon as much fresh air as I can stand tires him out and stops him getting grumpy.

Seconding the closer to nature bottles. Nathan had those at night in SCBU while I bf him during the day and it did not faze him at all. He really latches on to them rather then you putting the teat in his mouth. Mind you, there is one in the steriliser but have not used it since coming home.

third closer to nature bottles, used last time with ds1.

things i keep forgetting to post:

mamachris - sorry didn't get to chat at meetup,

ds2 now sleeping from 7-2am and i am exclusively bfding so there IS hope

oh and even with (now) supportive MIL, she still tries to tell ds2 that he's not hungry and doesn't need feeding mostly cos i think she wants to cuddle him for longer so it's nice really, just odd when i think it's obv he's hungry...MILs (& mothers i guess too tho mine knows better than to question my methods!) have lots to learn....

right, PIL dropping ds1 at nursery then coming home to say bye (dh said i could try hiding their car keys). then off to bf group to weigh ds2, reckon 13lbs-ish.

lovely sunshine, workmen working, cleaners cleaning, waiting for lots of internet shopping to arrive, life is good

Morning all! Had my appointment re:stitches, at the end of last week, and they should now be sorted (had to have some small repair, and that should do the trick)...yay! Feels loads better already. Think lo is settling into some kind of routine now, and will probably turn into a perfect little baby just before her next round of jabs, when it will all go pear shaped again.

Had lots of visitors over Easter, and the wonderful thing about it has been DH got to spend lots of time with Tana....which makes my life easier because a)he no longer decides to pick her up every time she makes a noise, and b)he doesn't try and play with her/jolly her out of crankiness when she's tired and needs to sleep. Yay!!

Glad you're feeling better bluebell, and hope your lo gets the hang of mixed feeding soon.

I keep expressing and leaving bottles in the fridge for DH to use at evening feeds, but the bottles invariably end up being there for three days, at which point I chuck the milk out. Aargh, my precious ebm! Have started freezing them now, despite DH always saying 'oh, don't freeze it, I'll use it tonight'.

Good morning ladies and along one it has been . George had his usual bottle at 7.30pm Asleep by 8. I went to bed at 10. He slept till....wait for it.....3.13am had about 3 oz of a bottle took about 10 mins of rubbing to burp had about another ounce and was realy realy asleep.Was now 4.18am Put him back down and settled back to sleep. 5.06 he woke screaming from wind. Burped him and layed him back down at 5.19. Back to sleep. 6.35 again sreaming from wind. Gripe water which he spat all over the place making everything sticky so a change of clothes needed though he did burp. 6.50am back in his cot. 7.18 the other ds's woke up. dh got them up and breakfast etc so I kind of went back to sleep. 8.45 dh woke me to say hes taking ds3 to nursery so I got up to watch ds4. Phew!
Repeat after me 'this shall pass,this shall pass,this shall pass
Have a good day all x

afternoon all , hope you all had nice easter
(((((((hugs))))))))bluebell as others have said just go with what feels happy , no advice but see you have got lot's here. You have no need to feel guilty but hey that's motherhood i guess we always feel bad about something
With everyone else on the lack of sleep ! Martha still going 7 / 11 / 3 / 6 and i am now feeling very tired and very of dp who sleeps through it all at the side of me!
We had loads of snow over the weekend but luckily it melted after dc's had played in it so we got to church and il's on Easter Sunday. Had a good rest and have eaten loads
We also had some news my gran had a heart attack on Saturday and is intensive care. Am hoping to go visit her this evening or tommorrow as trying to juggle it around getting sitter , also i haven't expressed any milk so need to do that and it can take all day to get 4 oz ! This is the reason why i should have a stock in the freezer just never seem to have the time to do it so am at Frag and at you having that muich you can throw it away!

Don't talk about sleep here . I was very content with Nathan's 11-2-6-8.30 routine mostly because he went back to sleep so easily. Now he is rapidly getting more awake and alert, during the day and night, coupled with a bout of colic which sent him haywire late yesterday evening and what seems to be a growth spurt my dear baby was happily smiling away at the various items surrounding my bed at 5am and would not settle until more food at 6am and daddy giving him his medicine. Then he woke me at 9 and I felt so dazed!

He must be having a growth spurt, either that or my bountiful milk supply is drying up, which is unlikely!

He is also hoarse, gets all set for a good bawl but it sounds really funny. His oral thrush has not cleared up very well so I wonder if he has some in his throat. Have made an appt to see dr on Friday, does not seem very urgent, he is happy as larry.

Anyone else's lo reluctant to spend time in bouncy chair and under play gym? We are really building it up minutes at a time but Nathan easily gets fed up and cries. Tumy time involves me lying on my side with my face next to his!

Hello from me, the very occasional poster! I couldn't just read and lurk when I read about your problems Bluebell.

I exclusively breastfed for 8 weeks with my LO but was finding it stressful, because he would be after my breast all the time. I foster and my 2 foster boys would be horrified to see me feeding, however subtley I did it, so I found myself trapped in the front room of our home or my bedroom. I began to feel like a prisoner. I couldn't plan things outside the home and it was starting to make me feel out of control and a bit miserable. I spoke to the health visitor who was lovely and she recommended Aptamil, as my little boy farts his head off too and that brand is supposed to be very good for baby's digestion! So now I give him a formula feed just before bedtime ( I regularly get 6 hours sleep now in one go, rather than 3. Yippee!) and if we are out and about in the day he will have a ff then too. If my boobs start building up then I express into a bottle and he has that at another time.

I don't feel guilty about it now. I think he's getting the best of both worlds. He gets the goodness of my milk, plus a happy Mummy as well! I feel proud I managed 8 weeks exclusive feeding which wasn't easy as I'd had a caesarian as well but we did it.
Do what makes you happy. Mixed feeding still gives him your breast milk so he's still getting all that goodness from you.

Hello all...

Only just got a chance to get and wanted to say a big THANK YOU to fluffy for organinsing meet up.

Gingeme - V&A sounds fab will look out for details.

Hey to everyone,.... no time as usual.

[Waves manically running from the room]

Hi girls,

Just to let you know we're getting the internet back on 2nd April I will try and catch up but I can't promise it.

Aaliyah is 11 weeks tomorrow!! Time flies!

Hope your all ok.
XXX

Hey Bluebell - I have to say the formula smells like sweaty feet to me and is absolutely revolting once it's sat for a couple of hours - doesn't seem to stop him guzzling it tho' . We have always done mixed feeding although I try to BF as much as possible. Formula has been a life-saver in terms of reducing my stress levels when he was tiny and underweight and I love the relationship he and Moominpop have developed because he feeds him half the time - so much development and communication seems to happen around feeding times.

Our nightfeeds were 6-9-3-6 until the last couple of nights, when it's gone to 6-12-6, hooray . Just had his 2nd imms today tho', so that'll probably go out the window...

Hi all,

No time to catch up, just grabbing 2 mins online before dinner/feed/bed-times to let you know that my DH's father passed away very suddenly on Sunday.

So its been a farkin awful weekend, as they say on MN, and I'm not likely to be online much this week - just wanted to let you know why I was dropping off the radar for a bit.

Hope you're all well and your babies are being gorgeous, xxx

(((((fluffy))))) sorry to hear that hon, take care of yourself and DH, we are here for you!

So sorry fluffy. Take care
Had a lovely moment this afternoon. our 17 month old Edward was having a bit of a nutty half hour and he was doing row row row your boat on my lap and going right back and laughing. George was on dh's lap being burped after his feed and was realy chuckling at Edward . It was so lovely. Im smiling to myself as Im typing this.

hiya girls! sorry haven't been about for a week, busy with mum, sister, babies etc! haven't got time to catch up properly, will do when i have a spare half hour to myself! just wanted to wave at everyone... and fluffy, sending you a big cuddle, friend.. nothing else i can say apart from that i'm really sorry, take care of you and yours. lolo xxxxx

Dreadful shock for you all Fluffy - difficult enough to deal with when you have time to prepare yourself. Heartfelt best wishes.

Hey all nice to see some of you back , albeit fleetingly
Fluffy on your fil much love to you.
Well my gran seems to be getting better and is moving to critical care ward off intensive care so fingers crossed.
But we had more news last night my dp's step sister found out at her 20 weeks scan she will have to abort her baby as it's skull isn't growing.
Think we having growth spurt here had a two hourly wake up last night so very tired today, but hey what's new!

Sorry for sad news everone. life deals us these blows along with the happiness.

Took Alek to work today, people kept putting pound coins in his car seat (in lieu of pram), call me thick but I never knew that custom! is it a northern thing?

Planning a trip to parents during school hols in 2 weeks. It is a 5 hour car journey, I guess we will stop lots, anyone else attempted a long journey with their LO yet? I feel a bit funny about him being in the car seat that long but am desperate to see my mum!

PS Hi to Lucky and Mixedmama!!!

Betterhalf - does the Aptamil actually help with the farts do you think? It is supposed to be the formula closest to breastmilk right!? I keep dreaming of the day I'm gonna drop to mixed feeding - am trying to hold out as long as I can. No one but no one tells you that it can be difficult to BF after c-section / postpartum haemmorage, only afterwards did anyone say what a minority actually achieve it at all! so wel done us

Angechica - think so, friend of DH met us in Sainsburys and pressed a coin in DD3's hand - said it's a Scottish tradition.

Fluffy - sorry to hear your news.

Lily - poor woman, I can't imagine what she must be going through, when you go for your scan you know they could say something awful but by that time you've felt this little person move.

Bluebell - happy mum = happy baby. You can mixed feed if that would make you feel less guilty - if going out is a problem, feed her in the morning and evenings only. Only drop one feed at a time or you boobs will be rock hard and painful - express a bit if they hurt (stick it in a freezer bag and use it to mix with baby rice when weaning if you use that, or use it for a top up/put several together for a bottle worth), but not too much as you want your body to believe it doesn't need to make food at that time of day. I am feeling v smug at making it to 12 weeks - more than I did with others, then met mum at Gymboree with DS 2 days older than DD3 who said he'd been sleeping through the night since she gave him a bottle at bedtime [envy[ - am now wavering...

Need to express more for DD3 to make up a bottle for Friday - DH is taking me out for lunch for my (sshhh, whisper this, "40th") birthday. don't know where we are going, is all v hush hush. My guess is possibly the restaurant where we got married (quaint little place by a river) but I could be wrong...

Hello, so sorry for our sad news Fluffy and Lily, thinking of you and your families.

Haven't been on for a while as have had throat and ear infection and felt rotten. On antibiotics now and feeling a lot better.
DS had second set of jabs yesterday and is even sleepier than usual today. He is such a lovely little chap, when he is awake he is so smiley and happy. He is laughing loads now and likes having his ears tickled He is also rolling onto his side now and wants to stand up on my lap all the time. Just seems to be growing up so fast

Hope all the babies are well and you're all doing ok x

sorry for the bad news fluffy & lilyloo

Daniel had first jabs today (he cried, I cried, the nurse laughed at us both - not fun!) and so I'm hoping for sleepy baby like toomanyshoes' ds, but dreading temperature/cranky baby. Have calpol at the ready just in case

AngeChica, the formula has definitely lessened the farts but they are still there and sometimes can smell horrendous, but he is a much happier baby now and really guzzles the formula down. And , yes, it is supposed to be the closest formula to breastmilk.

It's helped me get some sort of routine and structure to the day now rather than the feeds being all over the place.