June 2021 - part 6 - the final push!

[swiftt]

We’re coming to the end of our last thread so here is, hopefully, the final instalment of our journeys. I’m going to compile a list of due dates and births from the last thread and I’ll post them below.

Hopefully we’ll have lots more baby announcements on the way! How is everyone doing?

Ooohh I saw my post now ahah

Baby brain !

@AIRRRR our tryst is not doing them for colicky babies or bottle fed. Only babies that it's effecting BF, jaundice, small babies etc
My baby was born small for gestational age as

Just adding to the 'I'm absolutely shattered' theme. I've got to the point where I now can't sleep, even when she is asleep. I just lie there on high alert waiting for her to wake up again. Currently functioning on about 4 hours in the last 48. Just don't understand how it's sustainable really.

Anyone who's formula feeding, how many times does baby feed during the night? The formula we're topping up with says 5 feeds a day. 5!! Sounds wonderful 😂

@Lovethatjourneyforme I’m finding that too, it just feels like a constant wait for them to wake up. I expressed for the first time yesterday and he had a bottle from his dad but unfortunately I’d just gone to bed when he had it as his dad tried to put him in the Moses basket which he didn’t appreciate so no extra sleep for me. Hoping to get more today.

@Fishingforhappiness it’s so inconsistent isn’t it, I’m still seeing every 1.5 hours or so between feeds, I’m on day 30 today he’s currently on feed 7 since midnight

Hi all, wee update here...
Our baby boy arrived 5 days "late" but with perfect timing really as it was Father's Day.
Labour all went very fast in a bit of a blur, woke up 1am with period pains which became sore quite quickly, didn't realise they were surges as everyone had made comments about period pain days before. Waters went over quite a few surges so hospital wanted us in to confirm they had gone. Arrived at 4am desperately not wanting to be sent back home & was told I was 9cm. Woo Hoo!!!
I was looking for a water birth & managed most of it in the pool but our boys heart rate was dropping slightly so needed a little monitoring, eventually agreed to episiotomy and he arrived at 8.18am. The best feeling the world!
Hope every with new arrivals are well & those still to meet there little ones are enjoying the final days / weeks of pregnancy xx

Oh gosh, it is hard!!! With my first I struggled with BF for 2-3 weeks, it was hell but as soon as we switched to HIPP organic formula me and the dad took turns, she fed twice in the night!!!!

With no sleep and a toddler who decided to join me in my feeding madness, it's hard, I feel so bad for her

Anyway tried nipple shields? Or expressing to get some relief from feeding?

I could do the tiredness but with the pain, it just fills me with absolute dread during the night, I have checked latch, seen MW and also spoken to lactation people and it just seems she will not open her mouth wide enough!

MW on day1, did say she has tongue tie so just waiting for an appointment with my private osteo who does them, hopefully this week, but till then? cry every night ... dear lord... so thinking nipple shields?

@serenfach1
My midwife suggested those frubes yogurt sachets frozen wrapped in cloth for comfort - or any kind of ice pack. I've not tried it yet so can't comment but sounded like a good idea!
Also Epsom bath sealers for healing wound. Tried once and was more comfy afterwards.

@Normando91 how do you pump and do breast? I've seen some NUK bottles in boots and a medela pump for £139, a small ish one,

what do you use and when do you pump? Just wondering how all that works and if this will give me some relief and some sleep so i can get through the pain of feeding !

@AlRRRR I pump when he’s sleeping or chilling and I’m not running around cleaning 😂 At the moment I’m just using the hand medela one but have the electric one coming as they are supposed to be amazing (even use them in hospitals)
I’ll usually pump a little to get the let down and then try him on the boob, I have about a 50% success rate as he’s a very twisty baby and finds it difficult to latch. But pumping has proper saved my sanity. It’s difficult to build up a supply as he goes through it so fast and I feel like I’m attached to the pump some days.

@Normando91 So instead of being attached to the baby, you're attached to the pump but amazing that he is getting your milk !!!

Mine attached but the pain at the beginning makes my toes curl, i sometimes scream, she does have TT but that won't be fixed for a while.....

Mmmmmmm, thanks for your advice !

@AlRRRR I think days 4-6 afterwards were the worst for me. My downstairs hurt and my nipples hurt, too many things hurt 😂 was probably very hormonal too. Now on day 10 it’s only really the nipples that hurt and that seems more manageable now I can sit down without pain.

Hope you find the next few days a bit easier x

@AlRRRR I had non stop feeding all day and night. I just can't keep doing this! No tounge tie according to doctors midwives and HV. He pops on and off boob (probably because he's run me dry!!)

He dosnt even settle on formula. Keep thinking there must be something wrong with him if he's not settling, but he's probably a normal baby.

He did go down in the end and woke again this morning. Dragged him over for a tired frustrated feed and we both fell asleep 🤦 he seems OK from the acidently Co sleep 😑

@Sitchervice mine was like that for a week but he’s put on double the amount of weight they’d expect in 2 weeks so must have been a serious growth spurt! It’s frustrating all the feeding though I got upset a few times.

@AlRRRR I used the Medela mini electric pump and it seemed ok, a little sore after but I don’t think I was holding it right, and I was surprised by the giant nipple after ha.

@PinkPlantCase @Sitchervice @Whywontitname

So had a visit form midwife / support worker and she showed me the biological position and 0 pain ! Oh my.... she made it look so easy but it was a good feed! Has anyone else tried this, so relaxed and easy so let's see if I can replicate later!

She said day 5-7 is hardest as milk has come in and getting to 2 weeks is key for the milk supply for the entire breastfeeding period! Gosh, she said between 10-4am are also the vital fussy times and baby will be on and off constantly so as long as no pain, keep going, it's just baby regulating the breast milk supply! Hard though to say the least!

@AlRRRR I'll give the biological position a go. I really hate it when he tounges the nipple 😬

I hit 2 weeks tomorrow!!

@Sitchervice Do you want me to send you a photo of what it looks like on me, she took one whilst doing it :)

@Sitchervice I'm going through the exact same thing at the moment , she won't even nap in her crib during the day now , constantly wanting to feed but seems completely normal from what I've read here, just wasn't expecting it !! I even tried a soother last night but she wouldn't take it and ended up sleeping in the bed again

@TerryRose From what I know from 1st kid etc sling in day and co sleep at night for sanity, I’m currently using sling when moving around or if i’m sat down, she’s on me or dad 😆😆😆 I really struggled with that 1st baby but 2nd i realised it’s just what babies are like 😬😬😬😬😩😩😩

GOSH we’re fantastic! Teddy has such a low level of thyroxine he’s now on medication most likely for the rest of his life. He has a scan with contrast on Monday to locate and size his thyroid; fingers crossed he has one as they’re unsure if his thyroid ever grew in utero! And then follow up two weekly bloods until September.

Hope everyone is well; I’m very much on the I’m shattered bus as well lol. Roll on when a routine kicks in x

How’s everyone doing with getting back to birthweight? The first time ours was weighted he’d lost 7%, the next time he was 5.6% but 2 days later now he’s only gained to 5% 😞 midwife said we should wake him up every 2.5 hours.

I had my covid jab on Thursday and it gave me a bit of an upset stomach and baby was less settled to, so think that probably hasn’t helped.

It’s a shame because he feeds so well I don’t really know what we could do differently (apart from stopping him having 1 long stretch of sleep in the night)

@AlRRRR thank you ! We are all in the same boat so 🤣

@TerryRose Yep! I fought it so hard with 1st, own cot, own pram, own space for naps and nearly ruined me! Watched a documentary once which said ‘African babies don’t cry’ basically they hold baby in a sling all day and sleep together all night and I was like ‘ooooo might try it with next’ and she is so much more settled but so feel like I have no personal space now 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

@PinkPlantCase was that your first covid jab? I’ve got mine booked for a couple of weeks time when I’ll be nearly 4 weeks PP but wondered if I could get away with changing it for next week instead. How many days/ weeks PP were you when you had it done?

@PinkPlantCase I’m sure if he’s got plenty of wet and dirty nappies then he’ll catch up eventually. No baby is the same so just because he’s not following their “norm” it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. You’re doing an amazing job, keep going 😘

Thanks @Humpty11 I think it depends which midwife does the weighing as to how laid back about it they are. We do have lots of wet and dirty nappies 👍

It was my first Jab I had it 8 days after giving birth, when I got there I said how soon it was since I gave birth and they were able to double check with a GP there and then that it would be okay. They were just a bit surprised 😂 I wanted to get vaccinated asap as things open up more.