Nov 09 and we're feeling fine, feeding, burping, not enough sleeping - that's us!

[BeckyBendyLegs]

Just thought I'd better create a new thread.

Raggie how about a trip to Burford?

BBL you beat me to the new thread. A good title as well, far more creative than mine. Hope everyone finds us

Aw fruit your DH sounds a real sweetheart.

bbl thanks for the idea - a common suggestion! Not to sound ungrateful but unfortunately been a lot of times before. Any other suggestions?

Just finished last ep of true blood on 4od...very satisfying but now need a new fix. Maybe House is the way to go, sounds like there some fans amongst us

Bourton-on-the-water? I think Charlbury is lovely as I lived there but not much to do there!

Found you!

Fruit hoorah on the jeans I've managed to get into some of my jeans so have ditched the maternity clothes thankfully. My pressies this year had a definite theme of making me feel more feminine - new pants and some new make up as my new years resolution is to get fit and start looking after myself again.

Is house good? I've been given the box set but haven't seen it before.

On 2 hourly feeding again here.

Wanted to wish everyone a happy christmas (a bit belated!) and a happy new year (a bit early!!) I've been feeling a bit sad as with having the LO we decided not to go back to my parents this year! I really missed the whole christmas thing so i'm made a bit of an effort to recreate a UK christmas in Paris! There were crackers, cranberry sauce and brussels sprouts but no christmas pud and worse of all no mum!! Had a bit of a cry on christmas eve as despite my efforts i really felt lke something was missing but I've already started planning going home for christmas 2010 which has cheered me up! Plus of course i had my 2 ds to drive me mad to make me smile

No hanky panky here yet as I really don't think things have healed properly "downstairs" seeing the doctor on weds so i'll find ou if its bad or just my imagination.

I'm thinking of checking out Dr House too as it'll make a change from CSI...but i'm going to have to track down a DVD so i can watch in english as i've seen a few episodes in french on the telly and it just seems all wrong!

mamantotom, I think Christmas is often a time when expats get a bit weepy. My mother used to mope on Christmas Day in NZ because it was too sunny, and then make us listen to the Queen's speech on Boxing Day.

I went shopping in the sales and bought a bunch of clothes in the size up from my pre-pregnancy size. I figured that I could wait six months to see if my tummy is going to get anywhere near flat again, or I could just buy some skirts and trousers which I liked NOW. To be honest, I don't know how I'm ever going to get back in shape - with DS 1, I just put him in the pram and walked around the village like a maniac (I was walking briskly for at least an hour a day) and that did it. Now DS 1 wants to walk himself, so we're going sloooowly at toddler pace with me bent over to hold his hand.

Places to go in Oxfordshire in the winter? I'd actually pop over to West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire - the Hellfire Caves are good for a laugh, and the hills there sometimes have snow. You can wiki them if interested...

I've found you! Hope this is the one we're going with.

tamlin I sympathise with the sleeplessness. The hardest part, I think, is how it colours your outlook on life and makes everything more emotional. I hope the schedule changes to something more workable soon.

We've had two nights of reasonable sleep (33 x 2 hour chunks) which has been fabulous. I daren't hope for a third night, especially as he has been sleeping all day and not feeding well. I think he might be under the weather - in one posset this afternoon, he threw up a couple of...green things. Bogey type things (sorry for the detail). Does that mean he has a cold?

Have I mentioned that the hard work gets easier to take once your love for the wee things starts growing?! A good thing to realise.

Also this - you MNers are fabulous. Everytime something happens and I get upset or I wonder about something, My mum says 'Can you ask the ladies online if they have found the same thing?' She thinks you are a marvelous source of support and she's right.

er - I mean 3 x 2-hour chunks of sleep!

Also this - (more yucky detail) Bean's poo is yellowish=greenish with some...curdlike bits in it today. Is that normal? Poo analysis, who'd have thunk it would become part of life!

We haven't tackled the S yet at all - congrats to erika and those of you who have! I'm not even sure I can have a bath yet after the episiotemy. 17 days on - surely a bath is allowable, no? I've been doing pelvic floors in hopes the rumpy pumpy is somewhat good after pushing out an almost 10 pounder!

best gift - tie between new clothes from DH and a massage from the parents

worst gift - ?? Hard to say. there weren't that many this year, which is fine, but means there aren't any odd pressies to ridicule!

hiya, just book marking. will update tomorrow but am just so tired right now. hope you all had a fab christmas.

Hi All, thanks for the new thread, bbl, hope you're feeling better.

sass yellow poo is what you want, means your milk is coming through nicely. If it's green it means that he's mainly taking foremilk.

Feeling all wobbly today. I started using the nipple shields again a couple of days ago as they just do not have time to recover - Lucy just feeds constantly. Then yesterday I spoke to mw and asked if it was OK to express milk and let them rest a bit. She said OK, but I couldn't express much, most I got was 2oz (I was putting Lucy on the boob and then expressing afterwards). Called the mw again today, she said come in to get weighed, only 10 gram up since Wed, still not at her birth weight. MW said it could be an issue with my supply and advised a new schedule of boob for 30 mins and formula topup straight after, said I'd probably need about 50ml each feed. Well, after we came home she went on the boob and then I gave her the formula and she took the full 100ml! And slept beautifully. And now I'm thinking have I been starving my child? And can I produce enough for her? And will giving her the topupp diminish what I produce still?

I'm so sorry for this mammoth me me me post. I'm just so desperate and don't know what to think and do anymore... The stupid hormones are on overdrive again and I just keep crying.

skorpion you poor thing. It's so hard with breastfeeding as you have no idea how much the baby is getting and just have to trust that it will be enough. I don't think 2oz expressed after a feed sounds too bad. I was expressing to replace most feeds for a few days over Xmas (I was too exhausted, so I'm back to mostly boob) and the most I could get most times was about 3oz, and that was without having fed him first. I read on kellymom that babies from 1-6 months need around 25oz of expressed milk a day, so if you were doing 8 feeds you'd expect to give about 3oz per feed. (This never actually seemed enough for James though, I usually had to give more an hour later as soon as I had it) Sorry if all of this is stuff you know already. How about feeding her from your breast, then while DH gives her the top-up you could express a bit more to make sure you keep up your supply?

sass I have also become obsessed with poo . On Christmas Day James didn't do a single poo and I went into a total panic. Yesterday he did 5 in 12 hours and I was celebrating with each one!

skorpion Did you also establish with your MW if your latch is correct? If they are not latched on well, they don't actually get as much milk from you, as well as it hurting. I've been researching this today as we're still struggling with it too. I've found some stuff I thought was useful so am posting the links below. Feel free to ignore if it's not relevant!

video clips showing good positioning and poor positioning

latching info A bit long-winded but I got DH to read this to me like instructions earlier and it helped

Hmm... I think there were more, I'll have a look for them...

Thanks, laugs, that's what we'll do I think. DH gave her the bottles of ebm yesterday and she had no problems going back on the boob, so hopefully nipple confusion is not going to be a problem. Goodness, it's just been one subject with me... when will this come right? Thanks again.

Has thrush cleared up for you then?

There's also loads of articles on here La Leche League - the early weeks and here LLL - proper positioning and latch

It's definitely better, thanks. It's very early to be tempting fate, but the last two feeds haven't hurt at all. The problem now is I still get a severe pain which starts after the feed. Not sure if it is thrush or latch related?

I started giving James the EBM with a syringe, but he didn't like it and neither did I. We moved on to bottles and he doesn't seem confused (at least no more than usual!).

I know what you mean, I can't wait to think about something other than milk. And to spend some time with my DD! I keep reminding myself it is early days yet.

Skorpion It will get better with a bit more time. Scarlotti introduced the kellymom website (as Laugs mentioned) and I have found it very useful, there will be lots of info on there that will assist you. You are feeding on a regular basis which is the best thing you can do for a good milk supply. Think of the formula as a temporary solution that will help get you both through this tricky time. Laugs had a good suggestion with DH giving the formula (when he can) and you expressing what you can. Are you eating and drinking enough fluids? This will increase milk supply, read this link may help you.

Thanks, I'll definitely have a look. It has been a problem, I always seem to get it right when a MW is looking but then it sort of slips again and the next time someone has a look there are new things to twitch... It's so technical it's doing my head in.

I'm using sheilds today, as they hurt so much. I find the expressing is not as painful so I'm hoping if I do that it will let me heal and we'll start afresh. I hope because I express it will not affect my supply. I can actually feel them swelling and starting to feel engorged now - night is the only time they do that, as she feeds so frequently.

Thank you again - I'm off to bed to feed her and tomorrow we'll start all over. As you mentioned before - short term goals and one step at a time. I just get so emotional about this.

Btw - whoever recomended 'What Mothers Do' - it is brilliant, thanks.

Night xx

fruit - x-posted, thank you, too. It's so nice for you to hold my hand.

I'll have a busy day reading tomorrow

Yeah, I loved What Mothers Do. Guaranteed to make you cry (with relief/ acknowledgement)! Has anyone else read it? here

Another idea: I watched those video clips and then got DH to film me feeding on his phone, so I could compare them, as I couldn't really see what was going on otherwise.

Just book marking

tamlin christmas is really hard for expats just remind me that my mum isn't just around the corner (but not as far as NZ) Plus christmas is great in the UK and a bit rubbish in France!

skorpion How old is your LO? 2oz sounds alright to me epecially after a feed. When I started on bottles i'd express and give the milk straigt away and only get around 2/3 oz (LO was 3 weeks) Expressing won't harm your supply at all now LO is 2 months i'm up to 8oz!!SO keep pumping and things will get better. If you've got a manual pump i found in the begining I had to bend over almost double and press the pump quite hard into the upper part of the boob to get milk out!! Thats prob just me but try latching the pump on in different positions

Morning all! Last night Toby only woke once for a feed at 3am. Wow!!!!! I still feel pretty grim and now cannot breath through my nose at all.

Skorpion you are doing so well. Breast feeding is not at all easy, is it? It's bloody hard (I got so annoyed at that free DVD that goes on about how lovely and wonderful it is without talking about the hard bits).

Hooray for some decent sleep Becky! It makes the world of difference doesn't it? I didn't do too badly either. I hope you feel better soon.

I also got annoyed with the NCT. On their website, under the section of Problems in Breastfeeding, they say, 'remember most women have few if any problems'. Er, thanks. How is that supposed to be helpful advice for people with problems? It's blatant propaganda.

fruitpastels I meant to reply to your post at the end of the last thread - it's definitely normal for your appetite to increase. My MW said you need 500 extra calories a day, so if your appetite was small before that will feel like loads extra. I never had a sweet tooth at all before I had DD, I couldn't even eat a whole chocolate bar without feeling sick, then suddenly I was eating them every single day. The hard bit is going back to normal afterwards!

Ohh am craving so much chocolate at the moment!!

Skorpion you're doing fantastically. As everyone has said, its very difficult, and no one tells you that before hand. I figured it would be a pretty much make sure the mouth is wide open and plonk them on job! Are you using nipple cream? Also, the softest breast pads I found (and I needed soft ones on my bleeding nipples) were the Sainsburys own. Hope today is better.

Becky that's great

I swear Bryn's gums are getting stronger by the day. Was thinking last night about what I'm going to do feeding wise when his teeth come through - and I have a feeling that's not going to be very long!

morning all, slept really well here. Annabelle only woke up at one then it was six so is the first day for ages i dont feel like a zombie.

christmas was ok. would have been fine if dh hadnt made arrangements without telling me (we had agreed to spend christmas day with my mum and boxing day with his, as we've been to his mums the last two christmas days.) so pils appeared on christmas day when we already had my parents who dont get on with pils. soo many uncomfortable silences and black looks between them. so my parents left early in a huff claiming space issues. so I am mad with dh for making plans without telling me, and not thinking about the fact that it would cause unnecessary aggravation. am mad with mil for agreeing to said plans knowing it'd cause a problem, and mad with my parents for not behaving very well, as they should have been grown-up enough to just get on for the sake of their grandchildren. sorry for the moan. had to get it out. thinking we wont bother with any of it next year.