February 2005 Mums (if a little early..)

[Hazellnut]

Well as promised I have started this thread but am waiting patiently for February and the rest of you to come and join in !!

having said that, his health is the main thing... and if that means topping up with formula then that's ok...
don't feel bad if you have to do that. You can carry on b/f but just give him one feed of formula a day or something...

last post I promise... have yuo had a look here?
babycafe

I went to my local baby cafe when I was having probs and they were really, really helpful. They had a health visitor there, and some b/f counsellors from la leche and it really helped me with latching and stuff...

last post I promise... have yuo had a look here?
babycafe

I went to my local baby cafe when I was having probs and they were really, really helpful. They had a health visitor there, and some b/f counsellors from la leche and it really helped me with latching and stuff...

Great link - no baby cafes near me but lots of helpful websites. Have spent a good hour trouble shooting sore nipples & latching and just managed a very comfortable feed!
Fruitful, someone will have said this already I'm sure but those weight charts are based on formula fed not breast fed babies.

Well, he's put on another 5oz this week so he must be getting something! I'm happy that he's latched on ok, just worried that he is putting almost as much energy into getting the milk than he actually gets from it, iyswim. And sooo fed up of these long feeding sessions, when I know it takes him 20 minutes at most with a bottle of expressed milk!

It will get better, it will get better.

fruitful... I know that feeling!
I find myself feeling very bored (and a bit sore) after Linus has been munching away for 45 mins! Half the time he isn't actually even sucking though, just using me as a dummy!!!
I was doing mixed feeding with him to start with and often think how much easier it would be to go back to bottles...
But it does feel good knowing that I am feeding him myself.

Great news that he's put 5oz on, my HV said they normally put on 4-8oz a week so it sounds like perhaps he's on the right track now!
When I feel really down with the whole b/f thing I tell myself I'll give it another week, and if it's still getting me down I can think about stopping.
It's worked for 6 weeks so far! LOL

I am tired and emotional, and in pain! Just posted in breast and bottle feeding as am thinking of giving up b/f...

can i join here? dd3 was born the 21st feb. cant belive she is 5 weeks old already.

Starlover, so sorry to hear you're struggling as you'd done so well, have read the thread in the BF section. Really hope things improve for you whatever you decide to do.
My left nipple is cracked & still isn't showing signs of healing and I'm doing much the same as you to try & help it. I posted a thread on BF last week & got some useful replies - especially re using stuff called jelonet. MIL left yesterday so am finally on my own so feel as if I can give it more attention rather than running around after baby AND the MIL. Am using a shield for some feeds but have to really make sure she latches on right when I use it - if she sucks her way on it's sore as she bruises the nipple - I have to hold her chin down so she goes on with a wide open mouth. Also as of today I'm introducing a bottle so she gets used to it so am expressing for that off the left side which again gives it a rest. Am latching her on "au natural" at least once a day to reassure myself that she can do it and she's latching well on the right side. Am keeping my fingers crossed that all this finally does the trick because it is SO sore and each time it looks like it might be healing it bloody opens up again. Let us know how you go...
Hi Misdee - welcome to the sore nipple thread!

Sounds like we're both in the same boat doesn't it nik!
Had an awful feed earlier, tried using the nipple shields but he really wasn't happy with them and when I took it off he refused the boob completely and just screamed. Had to give him dummy and rock him to sleep and let him calm down. When he woke he had a bit "au naturel" and is now asleep again.

What's with the length of the nipple shields??? No-one has nipples that long do they???? I find that the nipple bit is so big that his mouth is so full of it he doesn't get MY nipple in his mouth properly! argh!!!

Where did you get the jelonet from? is it good?
I know how you feel re bruising! I have a big black patch on my left nipple. He tends to fuss around a lot and it's difficult to get it in right... he does this thing where he kind of moves his head from side to side with his mouth rubbing over my nipple before he'll take it in his mouth! It takes forever to get him to give me a big open mouth so I can stick it in! LOL

It's difficult when you have other people there as well isn't it? I always feel like I am being watched, and I hate people to think I am doing stuff "wrong"... It's nice when it's just you and baby and you can do what you want.

And yes misdee you are more than welcome... as long as you don't get easily bored by stories of bleeding nipples!

I think you should be able to get jelonet from a chemist - I nicked it from work. It's a gauze that is covered in stuff like vaseline and works by letting the crack heal from the bottom up rather than scabbing over (apparently).
Know what you mean with other people, no matter how comfotable you are with them. One evening MIL was cuddling baby to settle her and said to her "mummy's not making you enough milk, is she?". Honestly , of all the thoughtless things to say, even though I don't think it was meant to be criticism or anyhting - I think all first time mums must be paranoid about their supplies! Was pleased to tell her that she's putting on the correct amount of weight after the trip to the health visitor. Grrrr!

yeah, i think you'd know about it if she was hungry!
We just went to the baby clinic and Linus is now 11lb 13oz !!!!!!
So, it may be agony for me, but he's certainly thriving on it!

Bad news is, the health visitor wasn't there, so was seen by some lady who weighed him etc... she said I would need an appointment to see the Dr if it's thrush that's making feeding so painful.
First appointment I can get? Monday 10th April!!!

Starlover - phone your doctors and demand an emergency appointment. Tell them you're in agony and your 7-wk-old is not getting enough food and you cannot wait! (I'm sure he is getting enough but they don't need to know that). They have emergency appts available, and this is one. You cannot possibly bf with thrush (if you have it) for 10 days.

Also, have a search on Mumsnet for threads about thrush - there is some tablet you can take which I think you can get over the counter.

Huge, huge sympathies, I know how desperate you can feel .

Don't take no for an answer from your doctor. Phone them while you're feeding and cry on the phone!

i phoned this morning all ready to demand an appointment... but I didn't need to, because they had a cancellation I could have!
So went along and got a prescription for each of us... so we have just had our first dose.. will keep you all updated!

yes very busy still bf ,no routine very tired but lovin it try too get on again soon jolly xx

doin this with one finger havin bad nite katy sittin tummy too tummy with me as she has reflux and ispainful for her so she sort of sounds as if she is regurgatating but nthin comes up she is more comfy upright it takes her breath she had this weeks ago and the docter gave her infant gaviscon but when i went to c the hv they told me too stop giving it too her as her tummy was thinkin it was full she was 10 lb 10 oz born then at 11 days was 11lb 1 oz then at 3 weeks was the same but is now 12lb 2oz so they said that the weight gain wasnt good enough i have too take her weekly now but i think i need too start the gaviscon again because it did seem too help anyone else had this problem //?i am still bf and yet they say that they dont have probs also she had a stage were she was pooing dark green poos but i insisted on a stool sample too be taken for allergies just waitin results

is she sick a lot jolly?
we thought ds had reflux, due to noisy breathing etc.. but it turned out he has a floppy windpipe!

How are you getting on with the breastfeeding? I have been reading a lot about it, as have been having probs... and one thing I read was that you should let them drink for as long as they want from one side. Then have a break, and then offer the same side again before switching. Also, always offer the breast that you last used.
This is because (as i'm sure you know), the foremilk is more watery and the hindmilk more fatty. So your baby needs to be getting enough hindmilk to put on weight. So do make sure she stays on one breast for long enough at a time that she gets a nice lot of the full-fat stuff!

she does bring up milk but not alot this morning thou she did bring quite a bit of milk up, i have heard of floppy windpipe about it not closing properly but she seems too be more in pain when she catches her breath and makes these funny swallowingg noises but she dosent projectile vomit but they dont have too have all symtoms the breast feeding she going ok ikwym about offering the same breast she falls asleep after 5 /10 mins so then i wind her then put her back on the breast same one but sometimes she gets fussy and i think she has emptied it , i find it is still trial and error i will see how much wieght she has gained next week some days thoou she wants feeding on the hour this is growth spurts , i also read that it is normal for breast fed babies too feed every 2 too 3 hours

Hi All

I'm afraid I'm feeling quite down at the moment as the cold Sasha has had for the last 5 weeks (she is only 7 weeks tomorrow!) has been causing problems with her breathing, feeding and sleeping. Finally succumbed to antibiotics (even though she doesn't actually have a chest infection) as I needed to feel like I was doing something. Poor thing - her breating is really laboured and she is full of snot which makes feeding really troublesome. The antibiotics are also giving her tummy problems which is just adding to the stress. Yesterday was one of the worst days yet as she hardly slept at all and was very fretful as she couldn't feed for any length of time which meant she was only getting foremilk and not enough hindmilk. She cried nearly all the time and I ended up shouting at her which made me feel awful. Ended up giving her a bottle of formula to get her to go to sleep in the evening. It doesn't help that I'm finding breastfeeding quite difficult at the moment, mainly due to her inability to breathe and feed at the same time so she ends up spluttering milk all over the place. At least she is putting on weight ok. I just wish this cold would go away .

hi bunjies.... sorry to hear you're having such a hard time of it.
I have shouted at ds too when he was screaming for food but wouldn't take any! Please don't feel bad, I think we all do it from time to time, and although it isn't ideal at least neither of us did anything worse!

Have you thought about expressing for her at all? That way she can still have breast milk and you can make sure she is getting enough of the hindmilk.

I hope she starts to pick up soon... if you're worried about her breathing then take her to a&e.. Not sure if it varies from area to area but here all kids under a year automatically see a paediatrician if they go to a&e so you may get a bit more help than from your gp!
I think that 5 weeks is an awfully long time for such a tiny baby to have a cold, especially if it is interfering with feeding!

You can get Jelonet on prescription. It's 5.99 per pack at the chemists but my GP took pity & prescribed me 5 pks. Nipples are fine now - I swear by the stuff!!

ok.. boob update...

left boob... much better, no cracks or bleeding! still a bit sore, but can feed ok from this side.

right boob... nasty crack which was bleeding still can feed for a few minutes, but am expressing from this side to let it heal!

My nipple on the right side is much flatter than the left one, and I think this is why it gets so sore, because it's very difficult for DS to get enough into his mouth.
has anyone tried a nipplette (think that's what it's called)... it's a little suction thingy that you can use to bring the nipple out before feeding...
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/540744/ref%3Drd%5Fbru%5Fhp%5FSTE/002-0740419-3705624
How is everyone else getting on?

ARGH! We have this stupid mouse, and if you press a button it pastes the last thing you copied...

so ignore the stupid link.. it's the mouse's fault!!!