December 2008 - Its not wind they are smiling.

[JamInMyWellies]

Here we go ladies Rosmerta suggestion.

I'm just dropping in have only read a couple of post but as it is sunny we are going for a walk. Rosemerta is wasn't that one but I know which you mean that's the Brazelton technique one I went to his conference a couple of years ago as the hosp I worked a used the brazelton technique social baby in the neonatel unit with exelleny results.

Also dropping in to say my Spanx got delivered today I love them and they have a sale on at the mo. I wan to wear them all the time!

Still lurking as we are still getting ready to go out it takes ages as we have to take turns holding ds2 and keeping ds1 entertained and dressed.

Sorry turnip I crossed posted with you last night. The advice was to go back to basics with getting baby to latch and do it exactly as I was told. So checking I have him straight on across my chest and well supported pistol grip on neck but not holding head and then slide him across mr breast til just the tip of his nosetouches boob then let him do the rest. I was tending to sibconsiously move my nipple towards him so making him go too far across and also was tending to push him on by applying a bit of pressure so in the end his mouth wasn't open enough and he wouldn't get a good latch so would then slide his mouth back down my nipple and be just holding the nipple in his mouth so not getting a good let down and also squashing my nipple...ouch. That's prob not a good description so will look for a video of it maybe one on that dr Newman site.

Also Kayz I think like man flu men get man tiredness which of course is sooooooo much worse than the tiredness we feel.

WG and Cat on the swaddling, I really really would persist if you can. I know it seems as if you are torturing them when they fuss when you put them in it, I really think it helps very young babies. This Happiest Baby bloke swears by it and gives a good demo of how to do it, why it works and that it is honestly not cruel.

But, even though we swore by swaddling for our first two, DH and I both lost our nerve with L when she was at the height of her very very unsettled phase. (So I totally know where you are coming from). But a few days later we did it again and she is so much happier in it (she still squawks when we go to wrap her but not because of the swaddle, because its normally when she is tired!). We swaddle DD for the early nap and midday nap but not always for the last as she often sleeps wherever she is (ie not in moses). I swaddle at night and feed in the swaddle if at all possible.

Hope I don't sound too prescriptive, but that's my own experience of swaddling.

Cat so sorry you had a shocker. I can post you the DVD first thing Monday (or if you are desparate could drop it round to you tomorrow - I am only a couple of miles away). Email me on the list [email protected]. I really hope today is better for you. LOL at your DS not understanding English...I try saying that too.

Veggie thanks for the tips on wide mouth - I need to get back to basics too.

I have got one of those bands for top of jeans - so can now say "I am back in my normal clothes" (complete lie - I can just about struggle into my "Fat" jeans and wear them with the fly and button open and this band thingy over the top !!) Still, makes me feel better...

Nolda that's a very wise thing your HV said about the other woman!

KMP so sorry you have the house of sickness. So, another 26th Jan birthday...that's me, your DH and erm...Andrew Ridgely from Wham!.

Daisy and Kayz with you on the DHs sometimes. Mine is having a good phase but still moaning today about tiredness. Hmmm bed at 11 and up at 7.45 sounds like bliss to me.....

hello ladies, its been ages since i have been able to post .. ihave missed half of the last thread and not even attempted to catch up with this one yet. Just a quick wave so i can bokmark thread xx

rosmerta/nolda it is hard seeing your older ones feeling left out isn't it? My DS1 (2yrs 3mths) loves the book 'Za Za's Baby Brother' which is about Za Za feeling left out. He gets us to read it frequently, so maybe that helps him when he is feeling a bit neglected. Our problem with DS1 is usually that he is too over affectionate-if he isn't trying to give DS2 bear hugs/jump in the moses basket with him he is shoving a dinosaur/'Roary the Racing' car in his face expecting him to play. Keeping an eye on him is, I think, more tiring than looking after the baby.

Cat sorry to hear you have had such a rough time. We only swaddle for night time. If it helps to hear it, I remember when my DD was tiny we had a horrendous night when she wailed from about 1am and went on til 9am. It was hell. However not long after she started to sleep really well. In fact, now she is 5, we usually have to wake her to get her up for school because she is still asleep.

KMP hope your family are better soon.

Oh great-just got DS2 down for a nap and can hear that DS1 has woken from his. What about my mumsnet time!

Just discovered the best thing ever for dry chapped lips - Lansinoh cream!!!! (for cracked nipples)Try it - you won't be disapointed!! (if this is old news, i'll try and keep up!)

Turnip and Eddie Van Halen apparently!
Wham!!! pmsl!! That was the first ever "record" I bought!! "Wham - make it big"!

wow DS is asleep (in cot yay) dh is asleep, and dog is asleep! Not sure what to do! This hasn't happened! Such a lovely day but too scared to take DS out as he's just about getting over his cold....

cat, turnip - could i borrow that dvd after you? we are all north london, aren't we? i can come and pick it up - no probs. will email.

Back from a nice afternoon out at to a local museum and of course caffe Nero. Also bought some size 16 jeans!!! from a second hand shop. Derby is a university town so has quite good charity shops for clothes. Mum suggested it for my jeans as I was not happy to pay for new jeans when I don't intend wearing them beyond this winter. This is because next winter I will be a svelt size 8. I can dream anyway. Maybe spanx will invent some super full body hold in pants.

Hi everyone, hope you're all having a good weekend?

Kayz/trace/lal I'm glad and you had lots of fun yesterday - I'll be at the next one with you! And Kayz, I'm also pleased your H (or is he sufficiently sorry to be DH again?) has apologised.

Trace what lovely people at your church. The best thing anyone has done for us (and I love them so much for it) was ringing up when DD was a week old and telling us they were bringing a picnic round and what did we want in our sandwiches

I learnt a few interesting things about expressing yesterday, so I'll share (and apologies if everyone else knows this already). Apparently there's no best time to express, just whenever you're most milky, and it could be before, during, after or between feeds. Apparently the ideal would be to feed off one side and express of the other, as the let down reflex occurs on both sides, but that sounds mighty complicated to me! The next best is just after a feed when the let down reflex is still in action. What I thought was the best suggestion is to make up lots of small bottles, as we don't know what a 'normal' sized feed is for our baby - so at first it would be better to give three tiny bottles, than only give a third of a big bottle and have to throw the rest away. I'm going back to see the BFC next week and hire a pump from them, and she'll supervise me expressing so I get the hang of it.

So I told DH about all this and his input in the middle of the night when we get the hang of it, and he said 'where do you get a breast-calator' thing from? I hadn't mentioned to him the breastaurant, because I knew I'd never hear the last of that, but he just comes up with his own, tut!

Have a good evening all xx

Zoe If you decide to purchase a breast pump, "this" is what I got. It was what they were using in the hospital and is a dual pump. It also comes with 5 small bottles (100 ml) and 5 large bottles (200 ml) free!! The bottles have been life savers for us. They are easy to measure and store.

Things have been going okay here. I'm a bit tired of BFing. My nipples are so cracked and Judah only wants to latch on one side. He just screams and goes all rigid if you try and feed him from the other side! I'm also having the issues with him not wanting to open his mouth wide either. So out of frustration I've been pumping and thinking about switching to formula. Is that bad? I'm only 3 weeks in and wanting to give up... but I don't think my nipples can take much more punishment. Plus I feel a bit trapped too.

Thankfully LO has been sleeping well and seems to have worked himself into a schedule of feeding every 4 hours. So we are thankful for that.

Kimbereley this won't help the trapped feeling but it might be worth getting someone like a BF councellor or HV trained in BF care to check your latch. It has been like a transformation since I got my supervisor from my course to have a look at ds2s. No pain regular feeds and ds2 is so much more settled.

don't want to jinx anything, but... and shush... i seem to have a sleeping child at 9.30pm. this is UNHEARD OF. it may of course, be the precursor of a midnight meltdown, not a pre- midnight meltdown, but cross your fingers, touch wood, press your thumbs (how the germans do it), do whatever you can... shush... shush...

WG - brilliant!!

Veggie - I second what you say. Kim, I texted you about the lact. consultants at John and Lizzies - they should be able to help.

I just found out that a girl from my class at secondary school was the motorist killed in the storms tonight in Northern Ireland. She had a boy and girl 5 and 3. Hug your babies and bigger children tonight and please take care if anyone is out and about.

How sad Turnip.

WG really hope you get a few hours.

Oh Turnip how sad puts it into perspective.

Well done WG that's one little win for you believe me you will have more, slowly but surely.

Morning,

Turnip I am really sorry to hear that. I've just seen it on the news.

WG I really really hope you had a good night, you really deserve it.

Freddie slept all night!!!! He is still asleep now too!!!! Dylan woke a couple of times but he is much easier to get back to sleep.

kimberly 3 weeks is a common growth spurt time when they need to feed LOADS. How about waiting 24 hours before making a decision? Growth spurts are so tough when BF - I felt half-dead last week when DD2 did her six week one and was poorly - but things have gone back to normal now.

Also it's great your LO has a four-hour pattern, but if you try to keep feeds spaced out during the spurt it will go on even longer... your baby is trying to get you to make more milk and needs to stimulate production by feeding really frequently.

Have you tried breast shells to keep your bra off your cracked nipples? I found it agony having anything touching mine when they were bad. No one tells you how HARD breastfeeding can be, do they? I totally know how you feel with wanting to switch - but if you can hang in there even another couple of days it's about to get MUCH easier! Honestly!

Sorry if the above is preaching to the converted, but having just gone through a spurt and knowing just how tough it is I couldnt lurk and not post!!! Good luck!

Kimberly thanks for the link to that pump, it looks good. Does the dual action mean you can express from both sides at once? That sounds pretty fancy! Hope the BF picks up for you

Turnip that?s so sad about your old school friend, I have already given DD an extra hug this morning and will make sure she gets many more. Hearing about poor families like hers make me realise how lucky we are.

WG I hope the lack of posts from you overnight mean that the waiting family have all slept soundly. And kayz, well done to your boys for both giving you a good night at the same time.

Verso its good to hear from you and hear that things have picked up since last week.

Odd question now ? did anyone get a hairy belly whilst pregnant? I was in the bath last night and my hairs are all still there, I?d hoped to have moulted by now ? how long does it take before I stop looking like a yeti?

Have a good day everyone xx

yes, apart from a 1.5 hour grizzle at 4am which dh dealt with, she slept soundly apart from her feeds. hurrah! just hoping it isn't unfeasible for it to happen again. thanks for all your good wishes. now let's see what havoc she can cause during teh day!

Hello ladies, sorry been absent but am having a nightmare with BF. The pain has been really getting me down and have called NCT and LLL but there are no BFCs in the area so am having to soldier on . Have had many moments when I've wanted to give up but am worried that in a few days time when the milk has gone I'll regret it terribly and there will be no going back . I have had to do some FF as the pain is just unbearable. Kimberley sounds like you are having similar problems, I have started a thread on BF which may have some helpful hints for you - link

kayz hurray for a full night's sleep

turnip so sorry to hear about your friend - DS is about to embark upon a cuddleathon when he wakes from nap.

Right off to catch up properly.

kimberley and mibbles - so sorry to hear that. have no advice, but thinking of you and hope things work themselves out for you both.

zoe yup... the dual action allows you to pump both sides at one time.

Thanks for the support everyone. I expressed all last night... but will give it another go and see how I get on. To be honest I'm surprised I've made it this far with the BFing.

turnip got your text and will call the birth unit. So sorry to hear about your old class mate.

Hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine today!!

And well done for getting this far even one feed is gold so to feed for an period of time is brill and a deserves a pat on the back (and by pat on the back I mean lots of chocolate and presents from dh/dps) .

Well I know I will not make all those still in maternity clothes jealous when I say I have graduated into fat lady clothes. I don't know if I'm being practical buying larger clothes or just admitting defeat. I will be starting post natal pilates classes this week and am going to sign up to a couple of open water swim races later in the year. Don't think I will get back into Triathlon this year hurts too much.

SL do you think you will get back to cycling again?