Type 1 diabetic mums & mums to be damn that dawn phenomenon!

[SpottyTeacakes]

New thread ladies

Congratulations Puds and welcome to the world baby Pudlet :o glad you're both home safe and sound.

I've got Avent nipple shields in my hospital bag already they're the only reason I managed to keep BFing DD.

It is possible to stop feeding for a few days and then restart, but it's hard, especially if supply isn't properly established - it'd be better to pump, or pump & dump if necessary. BFing works on demand & supply (NOT supply & demand), ie you produce milk to meet the demand so for growth spurts etc LO feeds more often to encourage your body to produce more milk, once that kicks in after a few days the extra feeds tail off.

My sister's a BF peer supporter, I can ask her for links to read up on it if you think it'd help?

Thanks ladies for the reassurance.

The lady at the drop in mentioned nipple shields. I will try to pick some up tomorrow ( or amazon prime them). Did they cause you any nipple confusion or supply issues?

I feel pretty trapped - I had visions of being pretty mobile with the baby and being able to feed anywhere anytime. As it is I couldn't possibly feed out as I'm in tears, taking him on and off, applying medication. Not a good look in Starbucks!

I do feel determined to continue. I really don't feel we've had a fair crack of the whip with this bf'ing lark yet and that surely SURELY things can't always be this bad. On the other hand, i just don't know how many more days of this I can physically stand! We've just ordered some bottles online so that pumping and giving the odd bottle might be possible although again I'm worried about nipple confusion.

I can't find any indication on the interwebby about how long the medication is supposed to take to work other than horror stories saying the thrush lingers around and / or comes back with avengeance.

They didn't cause us any issues Bona. I did find them a bit awkward so practice putting them on lots before he is hungry.

I'm loving not giving a shit about highs - it's amazing!!

I had 3.5 units with two slices of toast this morning - a week ago it would have been 20u. Scary scary!!!!

I have found that I'm being very conservative with my doses (maybe just under 1u per 10g) but STILL heading a bit low. Anyone else found this?

Yes puds I was the same to start but after a while it settled down. Have you dropped your background? I can tell just from your posts how happy you are it's lovely

Bona it WILL pass.

How old is your DS? I'm going to star expressing to feed with bottle from about three weeks (if I can gather the courage).

DS was 6 weeks ish when we tried and it was too late - cue me being put far too much through the mill for ten months.

Was chatting to various mws about it whilst in hospital. A few said 'go for it' - one even saying that nipple confusion was exaggerated to stop women's efforts being chipped away by the lure of the bottle.

Another said that some Asian women don't bf in the first three days for religious reasons but then go on to BF successfully.

However the last one I spoke to before leaving said nipple confusion is most certainly real and does happen - but you obviously try a bottle earlier depending on how desperate you feel. That particular opinion left me a bit less confident about trying.

Such a difficult decision.

Thanks Spotty !!!

It's very early days but I am just in awe of my new family dynamic - it's mind blowingly lovely.

I suffered extreme post natal anxiety with DS so I'm a bit in tenterhooks waiting for a nightmare to start but so far so good. I had a wobble last night when milk came in (worrying about going through it all again) but it lifted.

Did any of you experience the shakes after labour/when milk came in? Didn't have it with DS. It's so weird - I get episodes of whole body shaking and teeth chattering. I've looked it up and it's quite common and to do with dreaded hormones apparently.

Anyhoo I'm off for a (much deserved nap) x

I never got that puds but I didn't have a normal post natal experience I was in macdonalds when my milk started coming in

It sounds like you're doing great enjoy your nap!

Puds, my ratios went a bit bonkers straight after, but now seem to have settled down to: 10g/2u at breakfast, 10g/0.5u at lunch and 10g/1.5u at dinner. A bit of a bugger without a pump as I can't do 0.5u, but never mind!

Oh bona, poor you. I still use nipple shields (Medela) at every feed. I have no issues with supply - still got lots . I wet the back of them with saliva then stick them on - you're meant to do it with breastmilk. You could stick them on with tape - that's what I was advised by a BF counsellor.
You are not a failure at all; you are a brave, committed, loving mummy trying everything in her power to feed her baby. If you have to stop, you have to stop. The weeks that T has had will stand him in better stead than if he'd had no breastmilk at all.
A couple of bottles of expressed milk a day should be fine - T's 4 weeks now, isn't he?

Ha ha, so chuffed that I've re-named puds's baby .
Also v. jealous of your delivery, but not the size of Pudlet!

How are you today hoping? xxx

Pudlet has stuck DH thinks it's adorable. It's weird cos although she's a whopper she doesn't look like it - except cheeks. Quite skinny little arms and legs! Didn't feel like that coming out though...

Hey diec well we r out n about today, treating ds. I went to gp this morning and he has given me a low dose anti depressant but it wont take effect for 2-3 weeks side effects may kick in straight away tho nausea oh joy.

puds you sound so happy

Puds ds is like that although he's a bit chunkier now.

Hoping that sounds hard 2-3 weeks must seem an age to you right now. Have you been offered counselling?

Hoping - good that you've been prescribed something. I bet you start to notice an effect sooner than that - I think they give you the outside time frame so you're not disappointed. Also good you are out and about - I know that even going for a walk around the block or out for a coffee makes me feel better, less trapped in the house.

I was at the GP this morning too and have been prescribed a tablet to deal with the deep fungal infection to add to the drops and cream. Reeeeally hoping it makes a difference soon. Have not been brave enough to give T a bottle of expressed yet - trying to wait til next week when he'll be 4 weeks. He's just 3+3 at the mo so want to hold off if I can. Painkillers are seeing me through meantime.

He's such a little gem that if we could just throw off this thrush and sort out the bf'ing things would be wonderful. One thing is that when this gets sorted I am not going to be complaining about sleepless nights or anything - it will all seem like a breeze in comparison to this!!

Each day at a time Hoping for me

I know this sounds extreme Hoping but when I'm at my worse with my anxiety I get lots and lots of fantastic support from the mental health board on here. It really helps getting the worst of your feelings and fears out there and having people who've been there supporting you.

Bona the tablets should work quickly well done for keeping going!

Thanks everyone im trying hard not to let it win we had a better night last night tho im still reallly tired lol yeah it does seem a long time till they will start working and apparently im to ask my health visitor re counselling i think they take over next week at somepoint. My sister is being great too she knows how im feeling. Turns out it runs in my family my mum suffered with us, i did with ds and now ellie and my sis has with her ds soo hoped id escape it this time but nope.

Clutching a bit at straws here Hoping but do you think it could be hormonal? Is it anxiety or more depression? Ie worrying about loving dd enough etc I'd say was anxiety as I went through it with DS. Like repetitive negative thoughts?

Anyhow...I've been on the raspberry leaf tea and I swear it's helped level out my hormones. I also drink lots of chamomile tea. You need to drink a load of both but it's worth a shot. A probiotic drink on the morning is supposed to calm you down too as is proper postnatal vitamins with a fish oil supplement. I really have 'been there', still am to an extent, so I'm here if ever you need to chat. Xx

puds thanks so much its nice to hear from sum1 who has been there. Id never really thought but yes its partly anxiety i worry about how im going to cope when oh returns to work as he is often 5am starts so away by 4.30am and goes to bed at like 8pm the thing thats the worse is that i hate the way everythings changed if that makes sense i dont have the same time to spend with ds and its almost like im babysitting for ellie rather than she is mine?!

I don't know much about it puds but it sounds like a mixture of anxiety and pnd. It's good that you can talk to your sister. My sister has bipolar so it was always at the back of my mind but I luckily managed to avoid it.

Ds is nearly twenty weeks and still feeds every two hours in the day and is 2-3 hourly at night he's been awful at going to bed and I haven't had a bath for three days. Woe is me

Holy moly spotty, your DS is a feeding machine. That is hard going after 20 weeks of it.

Hoping, glad you have some support and a plan of action in place. I am sure you'll feel better soon and meantime Ellie has a great mum to take care of her.

Bona he only ever feeds for about ten minutes I can't seem to get him out of the habit. His last feed was only 1 hour 45 minutes ago

Really would have no clue what to suggest there! Must be so tiring not to have a decent stretch of time 'off'. I prob get at least a couple of 3 hour stints and possibly more between now and the 'first' feed of the new day.

This is my worst feed of my 24 hours. It usually takes well over an hour - last night it was nigh-on 2 hours after I has feed from both breasts, applies cream to me, gel to him, settled him, settled me then started again when he decided he wasn't quite finished. Aaaarrgggghhhh.

I would have got three hours just now Bona but dd woke at 4:30 saying she needed a wee she had a nappy on but I suppose it's a good sign!

I'm hoping its just a growth spurt as he was only waking once in the night!

Oh spotty , I consider a wash of some description a basic human right for mummies. Poor you. My 15 mins in the shower in the morning is my favourite time of day, my little bit of time off!
Poor baby's got horrible cough and runny nose, so we're sucking her snot and dosing her up on Calpol to ensure she will sleep - she slept for 6 hrs last night! Yay the baby drugs .

After a night of feeding, changing nappies and bed swapping my newborn and toddler have slept in until 9am. There is a God.