we did it, we did it, the babies are here, now come and join us and we will give you a cheer!!!!

[Dozymare]

Hope this works

thought i would start a thread for those of us already in the heady World of motherhood, so we can share the trials and tribulations of the early days....

I shall start with my birth story and hope other's follow and I haven't started a dud thread

As you know I was dreading a 3rd CS, almost to the point where I was having panic attacks - we went in on the Thursday and after waiting for an EMC we were taken to theatre where I was DELIGHTED to recognise the aneathatist (sp!!) who helped deliver DS2. Now, one of my major fears about a 3rd CS was the fact that having had a "perfect" excperience with DS2, it6 wouldn't be possible to experience the same thing again...I was wroing, it was better The whole thing was started at 1315 and Tallulah was born at 1344 weighing 7lbs 2oz. She has a shock of dark hair but seems so small compared to the boys who were 9 and 10lbs respectively. The care I recieved was absolutely 2nd to none - no complaints or gripes.........So far so good.........

HOWEVER.........my god, do you forget the pain of breastfeeding before the milk comes in - I am in absolute agony and have had to top up with aptamil as the poor wee thing is so, so hungry...I am literally BF for up to 2 hours (the point of pain in both udders ) and then topping up with Aptamil. She guzzles 30ml and then settles.......As for sleep - sleep is for wimps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

merryM; you sound so cheerful and upbeat......I'm looking forward to being in that place in a week's time

It's good to know that "this too shall pass" Finlay isn't opening his mouth wide enough or for long enough so getting him latched is a bit of a battle. My boobs haven't been too engorged though (is that a good thing or not? third baby in I'm hoping that they know what they are doing!!) so we haven't had that issue. He also seemd to have a very shallow latch which i know I need to work on, but part of me is happy that he is getting milk in at the minute. He also tries to stuff both hands in at the same time as my nipple which is frustrating.

I am enjoying a teeny tiny glass of red wine this evening that I started with my cheese and biscuits that we have had for tea......yum yum yum.

off to look for advice on shallow latch.

I'm another one struggling slightly with bf. Oscar is a little tryer but like Finlay doesn't appear to open mouth long enough to latch on. My breasts are slightly engorged which makes it even harder so trying to express in between feeds. Just keep thinking 'shall i give hima a bottle now?'. It's so frustrating for us both

Lacks lol at both hands and nipple in Finlay's mouth . Oscar does the same.

Does breastfeeding get easier? Does the baby learn to latch on better? one feed Oscar has no problems and the next feed he seems to forget what he needs to do So bloody frustrating!

I gave in last night and gave Jay a bottle I was too scared he was not getting anything with him feeding so little. He seems happy enough but is very very sleepy. He took 2 oz which took over an hour and 1 oz of expressed milk. I tried to express again this morn and got just over an oz which he guzzled but hasn't had anything else since 5AM. He does seem quite happy though. I'm going to try and express some more now as it seems to be easier to keep him awake on the bottle then the boob. I'm determined to give it my best shot!
Merry I am so impressed that you are feeding both of yours, well done you.
Obs hope things are getting better for you too

Afternoon

Lola, it'll get easier, honestly. they do learn to latch on better. the thing at the minute is to make sure that if they aren't latched perfectly to take them off and relatch so they get the idea.....easier said than done I know. re the expressing, it'll be easier for you if you just hand express enough before you lacth him on to soften your boobs up a bit.....expressing between feeds will only encourage your boobs to make more milk and make the engorgement worse.

LB, sounds like you are in a bit of a vicious circle with the feeding; he sounds like he is sleepy because he isn't feeding enough and is conserving energy and so not feeding and so it goes. Be it breast or bottle you should maybe try and wake him to feed at least every three hours. As long as he is weeing and pooing OK then he will be getting enough milk.

Obs, it does seem to come and go doesn't it? F latched on beautifully when the MW was here on Tuesday, but it's been a huge fight ever since and my nips are really sore. I hope you can get things sorted, but remember your own health is important too.

I'm not planning on expressing until my supply has well established as I'm not sure it's helpful in the early days. My main worry is that my boobs haven't been too engorged and that it's his latch that is causing this. He is still doing green poos as well,not yellow so suspect he isn't feeding long enough to get to the creamy good stuff.

We are booked in to see a cranial osteopath tomorrow to see if thst helps with his latch; instrumental deliveries can cause neck stiffness. And i'm going to talk to one of my NCT counsellors as well to get some pointers.

It's been visitor central here this morning and we have more booked in this afternoon...looks like my babymoon is over but I'm fine with that; I'm in need fo some new company and am strangely giddy about leaving the house tomorrow and being OUTSIDE for a bit!!

Yorky sent me some of her lovely chocolate bars this morning; all printed up with F's details on . there were some for me with Congratualtions, and some for DD with Big Sister and some for DS with I've Got a Baby Brother. I'm so thrilled with them ............it'll be OK to just keep the wrappers for posterity and eat the chocolate won't it?

phew long post.

Hi Ladies

Sorry to those having a hard time with BF, unfortunately I do not have any words of advice leave that to you Lacks X

Can someone reassure me that its normal for babies to be sick. Rebecca had a really good BF for longer than normal but then bought alot up, some of it was really yellow. She is happy and has slept since. Did not know if she had over indulged and whether she was just clearing her system as it seemed a bit mucusie.

Unfortunately still think I have infection as not felt well yest, started back on anti-biotics, tummy feels tender and it feels like all my bruising is coming out below

On a brighter note me and DH went out for lunch, Rebecca fed at 11.45 so we thought what the hell, it was lovely, although felt guilty as DD1 was at school.

Welcome LadyBuzz.
And hi to MerryM, who I haven't seen for ages. How you doing my lovely. That rash still hasn't gone then. Must be driving you nuts. I LOVE th middel names too.
Dozy your fireworks party sounds fab. We had sparklers last night with me, mum, ds1 and dh. It was really nice.

Mum and mine conclusion on the bf is , that I will continue, but try not to sweat. I will top up with formula, if I need to. Like Ladybuzz, I was very sad when I needed to give ds2 formula today. Then he was sick and my mum reminded me how common that was. Made me not want to give it even more. Calm down obs. I had to give it becasue ds has thick blood, jaundice ( like us all, all babies on this thread, so it seems {wink] and is so sleepy. Does not latch on well,. Only half heartedly, but becasue my milk supply was so good, he didn't need to latch more than half way, becasue he got lots. Bf counsellor said it would be very difficulyt o retrain. My mum and I have concluded that he is sleepy, not interested and a @muncher'. I don't have the neergyt o change him.
Clare kedves talked me through a great way to increase supply, which I do twice and then when I pump I get more. But in the early hours with a bad latch and not enough back up milk, it made ma sad to give formula.

Never mind.

Dh and I are getting on much better. It has been a godsensd to have my mum here. Our babysitter came round and I pid her £20 to do all the housewrok and all the ironong, to talke pressure of dh.
Gosh, visitors have arrived. Will write more later.

Can I not in a gloaty way, but in a kind of things do get better so take heart kind of way, say that Bfing is going very well here.

lola they do get better it- especially as theuir necks get stronger, and you get more confident. It just takes a fair bit of concentration to start with.

oblomov relaxing about it all is definitely the way forward.

coolkat yup, it's normal. DD1 was a real puker, she had a bit of a reflux issue- her stomach sphincter was a bit weak for the first few weeks.

I did have to wake Dinkyminky a few times to feed last week- something I have never done before, but she was a bit sleepy.

dh took DS and DD1 to the fireworks display at school last night and I tink DS was the only one of his friends who wasn't terrified! I'm not big on fireworks but they had a fabby time.

Had a bit of an emotional meltdown earlier . I know it's just hormones but my god; trying to latch baby onto a very sore nipple, DD screaming in the background, DS trying to take things from her (admittedly it was something she shouldn't have had) and DH had popped out to the car to try and find some ibuprofen for me as there was none in the house and my undercarriage was very sore...and I took some lactulose earlier and it gave me a very gripey and sore tummy.

I just sat and sobbed and told DH to put the kids to bed.

Painkillers have kicked in now and I'm feeling a bit calmer; CJ and Looby in bed, baby asleep and poor DH hiding out in the garage with a cigar.

coolkat, some babies posset more than others unfortunately. DS used to throw up constantly and it went on till he was about 9months old; DD was more normal and used to possett a little after each feed. Finn is undecided which way he is going to go as yet, but he is very windy as well.

woohooo that the feeding is going well pinky; and I love you calling her dinkyminky

Obs, glad things are settling down a bit and that you are feeling more relaxed about the feeding.

Called one of the NCT breast feeding counsellors earlier and I'm going to chat more with her tomorrow (she isn't on duty tonight!) after we have seen the osteopath.

lacks me to on ther meltdown front...this BF lark is really, really getting to me....Having successfully BF both DS's for nearly a year each and to now be having problems is really, really getting me down. I feel it is all my fault due to my having the thyroide issues (which I know are irrational). Have made the decision to keep doing waht we are doing until after this weekend - which is to BF until the pain kicks in (usually an houe between both boobs) and then top up, I fear she is getting very little from me, as no letdown or signs and she is guzzling lots of formula.

However, I have to out Tiger's needs before my own, and it is far more important that she is well nourished and happy.

I jsut wish someone had flagged this up to me durting my pregnancy as at least I would have been forewarned and prepared. It is the assumtion that all would be good and it;s not that has upset me,

On another note, Tiger has been awake for only about an hour today - she is also jaundiced and I wonder do I need to worry??

It is amazing that having had 2 kids today I still feel like a novice.

I read on the other thread about Pinkali and Esme - do we know why Esme is in baby unit??? Poor things, have been thinkin about them.

Anyway, am off for a bath and bed now...no doubt will be up most of the night with my little poppet!!!

Sorry for me, me me...neededf to get the whole BF-ing thing of my chest and rationalise my thought process into words...it helps!

Just shows they are all different Dozy. Persevere with it though; you know it's the easy option once things are going well.

We have had a bit of a breakthrough; I held Finn in rugby ball hold and managed to get him latched on well and feeding for 20mins off my sore boob (I was getting some blocked ducts as he isn't draining the boob well enough) and he is now totally zonked out. I feel so much more comfortable and hopefully he is fuller and so will sleep longer

I'm now working on my piggy trotters which are still swollen and sore. Brithing ball is being put to use as a footstool!

Lacks I employed the rugby ball hold on my left- the unfavoured side last week and it worked a treat. It was the best for DD1 when she was tiny too.

Dozy you are not a failure, sweetheart. Not your fault re the medication. Hopefully you will get past this. DD1 did feed and feed and feed for hours when she was new- I felt like I was completely empty but she kept on- it settled down in a few weeks, but at the time i was shattered.

I think I read tiktok on another thread saying that they will guzzle the formula, regardless of wether they have bfed well, so tsake heart.x

I took my last diclofennac today- and I am now feeling quite sore - I'm definitely more bruised than last time,I didn't use up the box last time.

Pinky, can you ask for more? or switch to palin old ibuprofen instead?

They wouldn't give me any diclofenac this time as it made me a bit wheezy last time. the wheeze this time is down to the anaemia but they didn't want to risk it. shame cos it's bloody good stuff!

Well, I put the milk monster down after that feed at 9 and he is still asleep now!!

Better night, last night.
Off with mum to bank, etc. Catch up with you later.

Why does my baby sleep beautifully in the day with 2-3 hour feeds and feed every hour at night? It's driving me crazy
Still persevering with bf here too even though it can sometimes take up to ten mins to get Oscar to latch on. It's quite frustrating at three in the morning though.

Hope others had more luck yesterday?

Thanks Lacks, I'm going to see howw I get on.

Lolabella- babies do tend to be nocturnal, it's probably some primeval self preservation thingy, but he'll get the hang of it- same with the latch. Keep going, it will get better!

the night time thing is hormonal as well; the levels of the hormones that drive BFing are higher at night and as pinky says probably harks back to our hunter gatherer days when night times were safer from a predator risk. Same reason why most women go into labour at night as well.

Stick in there Lolabella it'll get easier.

Saw the cranial osteopath this morning. Last night it took 3 hours to get wind out of Finbo.....fed himwhen I got home, sat him up and he let out a huge belch.

We have thrush as well which might explain some of the latching issues. His poor tongue is coated and his gums are covered as well. My only symptoms are breast pain, but I thought that was due to bad latch. Anyway, getting nystatin for him and canesten cream for me, but doc wouldn't prescribe fluconazole tablets, so I'm having to shell out £6 a tablet . Doc said wait and see how it goes, but having had it for six months before it cleared with DD, I'm nipping this in the bud now!

Looks like things are finally happening for rutho on the other thread

Right off to do our first school run

Hello Ladies, we have had a breakthrough here, Jay is now feeding quite well and regularly and seems to be heppy with the boob, expressed milk or formula so I am currently doing all three and trying to minimise the formula useage!
I seem to be able to express quite well so far so I am going to persevere.
I had a weepy night last night I had convinced myself I would get a UTI after having the cathater so every little twinge freaked me out, DH shouted at me and it did bring me round and I feel alot better this morning.
Lacks hope the thrush clears up for you both quickly that can't be nice.
hope you can join us soon!

Daisy, hope thrush clears up. Sounds nasty. Porr little mite.

Hi all. What's this about pinkali and her baby in special care? Any more news? I can't keep up with other thread as well, though have seen that HM2J and rutho are on their way here.

Still having a ball! BUT I do have a lot of help right now...Mum and dh around today, mum stayed last night...just enjoying this time as it'll soon end, and I'll have 3 kids under 3 all to myself! Arghhhh. I don't want to think about getting ds to playschool, will involve 3 trips to the car, just to get kids in, and we can never park near our house.

Bfing is fine for me too, but did take a while. Daisy, it took me about 10 days for me feet to go down, but boy, now they are down I am looking at them and thinking they must have been swollen since about June! They look so slim and petite (which is the only part of my body that is!). I didn't realise with cs that I would have this droopy bit like a turkey chin, in fact I think mine has several layers. Lovely!

Sorry about the bfing dozy, but sounds like you are doing exactly the right thing. Letting TL suck for a time and then topping up, so your boobs get 'stimulated'. When will you know about the medication etc? Will you get answers or do you just need to 'wait and see'?

Hi Obs, missed you and the scrabble too! No time for scrabble now. Actually have time when bfing but as dh is off he is hogging the computer all day. Yes, the itch is driving me NUTS.

Daisy, I have spare Diclofenac if you want it. I can post it to you. I'll probably go to prison or something, but you're welcome. Also, with the piles, I remembered something from my 3rd deg tear last time. Sorry if TMI (no-one else read please, unless you have piles/ constipation), but put some oil (or I use KY jelly!) around 'the entrance' - as it wer -) and the poo slips out more easily. Hmmm...maybe I should send the tip into one of those magazines and get 20quid for a top tip! Still painful, but ok. Got dh to get me anusol today and lactulose. Don't find lactulose is strong enough, but will give it a go.

Well, gonna TRY and catch up the other thread...

Evening all - seems as if everyone's babies are settling down a bit - my BF seems to be going a bit better as well, am now htinking that perhaps my production is just a bit slower5 than before due to the medication. Have only had to top Tiger Lemonade up 2x in the last 24 hours so fingers crossed for me. Like ladybuzz I am going to keep perservering and hopefully cut right back on the formula..........

TL had her midwife check today - she has gained 10oz but still not back at her birth weight.....MW coming again on Wednesday but looks as if her jaundice is clearing up. She is still sleeping lots and lots though - awake I reckon for about 2 hours in 24...does this sound about right????? Can't believe I have had 2 kids already and still asking obvious questions!!!

Is anyone else going for routine led gina ford ?? Or am I the only one who thrives on routine??!!! If so, when are you going to do it????????? I think both boys were about 4 weeks when we started although we never put them in their own rooms until much, much later.......are you all co-sleeping BTW?

DH and I registered Tiger's birth today..can';t believe they wanted £3.50 PER COPY of the borth certificate - am sure we haven'[t had to pay before!!

Anyway, I am rambling and waffling (*and making huge typos and spelling mistakes, ple\se do firgive me!)

Hope everyone is well - hear from autumnlady today she came home from hospuital this morning so hopefully will be joining us very soon, as I hope will Cricri

Love to all

DM xx

Thanks for the tip on the lubricant MerryM

The CS "overhang" is to do with whether or not they sew up the fat layer or not. No sew = flap.

Things have been a lot easier today. Stopped taking lactulose as all it did was give me a gripey tummy.

If finbo doesn't wake up soon my right boob is going to explode. I think I have some blocked ducts as well so will need to express but am scared this just makes me more engorged. I can't wait for his mouth to heal up and things to get rolling with the BFing.

I did the school run this afternoon. It's a ten minute walk normally and took me half an hour to get back I was going so slowly! But, it was good to get out in the fresh air and sunshine.....and to walk without waddling (well sort of!)

And on day six my arse has finally stopped feeling like it belongs to a baboon

now you tell me about the overhang!!!!!! mine is BSOLUTELY BLOODY AWFUL and DEFINATELY going to need a tummy tuck at some stage......3 CS have definately taken their toll and I can't belive that 10 years ago I had a 4 pack....so how do we know about sewing the fat up?! I presmue they haven't on me as it is so disgustingly wobbly and overhangy....YUCK.............

Already spoke to dh about the tummy tuck. He said, "Will that cost hundreds or thousands?" BLESS!

I never had a 4 pack, just a nice little tummy which I quite liked really, but this wobbly, jowly, double chin down below is really gross. It's almost like the cs bit is so tightly sewn up that everything above it goes all wobbly...

I've put pics on profile. Check out your blankets, pinkee