June 2021 - part 6 - the final push!

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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?

@PinkPlantCase our measurements were pretty much identical to yours - lost 7%ish, then went up to 5.6%, then 5.2%. She was 1.5oz shy of her birth weight by 2 weeks though and I think gaining fine since. Don't worry, he'll get there, think with mind it just took a while for my milk to fully come in and to get in the swing of it x

@AlRRRR I found a diagram online and have given it ago. He seems more comfortable like that.

@Sweetmad I'm glad to hear Ted is doing better. I have two family members on thyroxine both doing really well. One was born without a thyroid she's healthy as ever! Running rings around her brothers XD

I had a neighbour we don't talk to in a different stairwell walk up to us today and said. I heard your having a hard time with the baby. I feel like such a failure! Sounds like our neighbours are talking about us 😭

@AIRRRR sorry you had such a tough night. You must be exhausted. I hope you caught up on a few zzzzs during the day today and you get a little bit of respite tonight. Is your partner around this weekend to help out? My son's at his auntie's until Monday so once I'm allowed out of hospital (any minute now!) we have a couple of nights to get accustomed to this new way of life. I'm excited and terrified in equal measure. Already feeling quite tired. Hope you have a more restful night tonight.

@serenfach1 Ooo so 1st night home!!! EEEK and a couple of nights to get used to stuff before older one comes back!

Are you breast feeding? I think the nights are made worse by the pain of feeding… fills me quite with dread, so I’ve bought a medela basic pump and a Nuk bottle and I’m going to store some in the fridge and see if 1 bottle of Bmilk here and there could help?

I hope you have a good first night, let us know how it goes!

Hey ladies.
Congrats all babies who have arrived so far.
My baby george was delivered by c section yesterday.
Anyone else had a section?
I've been sent home five doses of oromorph and just brufen and paracetamol in between.
I feel when I stand up everything's going to split in two and struggling to walk easily!

How's everyone else's experience?.

@MelissaAnn92 congrats! Sorry to here you’re feeling like that! Lots of rest rest rest!!

Morning, how’s everyone doing? :) How many babies are yet to be born? ;)

Morning all,
Just a quick question from a FTM!
Baby boy is 3 weeks old, named Teddy - looks as though he is the second boy to be called Teddy on here! 💙 during the day he feeds really well, 4oz every 3 ish hours and mostly sleeps in between but wakes up a lot more now to just look around which is lovely. Anyway, come night time he’ll wake up and have 1oz then drift back off to sleep then after 15 mins of sleep he wants more. This can go on for 1-1.5 hrs before he has the usual full 4oz. It makes me shattered because by the time he finishes one feed there’s not a lot of time to sleep in between so I’m running on empty atm, is there any tips on how I could get him to feed like he does in the day?!
He was 36+4 when born and 5lb 10oz, three weeks later he is over 7lbs so we’re doing something right but I just wondered why so different at night

@Tatty1987 Is this with formula or breastmilk?

MW told me that both types of feeding will cause baby to act the same at night as prolactin levels are the highest so they respond to that! Between 10-4am is normal to be alert and awake

Some people will say increase day time feeds in the hope they won’t want so much at night but there is a growth spurt around 3 weeks, which means they suddenly develop new things etc!

My first didn’t sleep for more than hour or so at night (formula) til 11 weeks ish if that helps? x

@Tatty1987 and what you’re describing is him cluster feeding, where they drink a bit, nap, wake up, drink a bit, perfectly normal and not much to do about it

I'm not doing so well. Partner is worried I'm slipping into PD.

Eland just dosnt want to stay latched at night and just screams when he's not latched. I must be doing something wrong especially if neighbours are talking about me.

@Sitchervice ok!! let’s talk about it!!! I get how you’re feeling 100000000000%.

I had this with 1st due to demands of feeding, i just could not handle it, baby wouldn’t latch, i was stressed, so so so so stressed and that combined with nipple pain, milk and tiredness made me start to get the start of PND.

So, I made a plan and decided to find the best formula I could have put her on it after couple a weeks. My life improved! Me and husband shared the night feeds, him one night, me the next and my gosh, I felt so much better for sleeping a whole night in a different room! I could also leave baby with my mum for few hours and just breathe!

I also talked to HV loads and went to support groups, some are over phone, online now but still something!!

Does any of that help in any way?

Thank you @AlRRRR!! I have heard the term cluster feeding but I didn’t realise that’s what it was. Never mentioned on the antenatal courses 🙈

Also, baby is formula fed. Up to now I’ve been doing on demand feeding (so the HV called it) so I just let him decide when he wants it and coz he’s gained so well I’ve just left him to it rather than tried to feed more in the day.

@Tatty1987 Yes something I didn’t realise was that formula fed babies cluster feed it you let them!! I thought it had to be a routine hahahahah

I only found out cause with 1st i bfed for couple of weeks, nearly lost the plot and then switched and saw similarities !

So yes just keep going with it! You’re doing it all so well, on demand and letting him cluster feeds, it usually settles as soon as their growth spurt is done!

There are some apps that tell you about the leaps they go through, which can be helpful.

we’re all battling the sleep deprivation in the early days and wishing for that full stretch (4/5hours is my aim haha) so don’t worry that you’re doing it wrong or something isn’t right, next month you could be having 8 hour sleeps and worry he’s sleeping too much 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Oh the joys!

@AlRRRR

The thing is, I don't want to stop BF because I want him to get my antibodies. It does hurt, it hurts alot when he feeds. Toe curling! we are doing mix feeding but even after a bottle of Formula he's still asking for more after 90ml!!

My husband picks up the poop end moet of the time but regardless both of us are so tired.

I don't like my HV she has issues with my cats and seems to think I can't keep my baby safe. I have online help but that only goes so far. Other than that we are pretty much alone.

@Sitchervice sending hugs, does your area have a drop in breastfeeding clinic? Sorry clinic might not be the right word. Near me there’s a breastfeeding help thing every Friday separate to the health visitors, if there is one near you it might be a chance to talk to someone who is hopefully much nicer than your health visitor and could offer support with feeding.

In other news I just woke up in a puddle of milk 😂

@Sitchervice how old is Eland now? My bubs is 3 weeks, we're combi feeding same as you and she's meant to be on 120ml formula but she takes a little more than that, so if he wants more I'd give it to him. Some babies are just hungry babies I think, and I have no way of knowing what she's taking from me when she breast feeds so I just go by her.

It really is so so tough, and I completely understand how you're feeling having had my fair share of down days in the last 3 weeks. If you want to carry on BF then definitely get some support with it, the pain really does make it so much harder for you so you'll want to tackle that. I had breast feeding support through my hospital, separate from the HV. It was arranged through the post natal ward.

Also remember though that it is totally okay for you to FF for your own wellbeing. All Eland needs really is to be fed and loved and a happy mumma is much better equipped to do that!

@Sitchervice Totally understand, I wasn’t telling you to not BF at all, just sharing my experience, I was the exact same as you, so determined that that was what I wanted to do.

I’m in touch with MW, and local BF support, I’ve rung their helpline 4 times in 4 days! It’s so tough, alongside the other newborn bits as well! Sending hugss

I got a text for my second vaccination on Tuesday but still on antibiotics from the hospital and just so anxious about baby and feeding so cancelled it for another two weeks . I would have to commute about an hour and baby would have to come so just felt overwhelming. She was very unsettled last night and I tried to give her a bottle but she wouldn't take it , she only wants the boob , turns out she had a small bit of wind . It was the first night I really felt like crying . But today is a new day so hopefully tonight will be better!

@Sitchervice I find the first 20 seconds or so of breastfeeding excruciating, I'm using the cream but also bought silverette nursing cups , they are meant to be amazing for sore nipples.
I get what you mean about the public health nurse , I was so anxious about her calling to the house and I told her we didn't have dogs and sent them to my mother in law for a few hours as could tell she was funny about dogs which I understand to a point but I really didn't feel in the mood for a lecture 🙈

@TerryRose I also have that toe curling moment when she first latches, so you get that too??

I’ll look into those nursing cups! Anything else you you’re trying?

When you say bottle, what was in it ?

@AlRRRR yup my public health nurse said it's normal for the first 10 seconds or so to be painful. I have also ordered multi mam compression pads for the breasts from Boots as my friend found them useful .
So I have these little pre made Aptamil bottles they had them in the hospital also as she wouldn't latch on to me and was screaming so I thought it was something wrong with my boobs but she wouldn't take the bottle at all and then I realised it was wind she has and that's why she wouldn't latch on .

@TerryRose Thanks for that!!

Ah yes, I noticed if she fusses at the boob or keeps pulling off, wind could be an issue, did she go on fine after the burp? It’s so scary when they won’t latch and you think gosh they need to eat!!

What bottle were you trying? I have a NUK to try with some expressed at some point

Update. We've seen a midwife today, no tounge tie. We've rented an electric pump to help with the feeding and are going to up the combo feeding to help me.

He is apparently just at that fase (2 weeks old) where he's just wants me but dosnt want boob but also think he wants boob but dosnt. His screaming time just so happens to be at night. I'll be going on meds to help with the PND.

He's still not at birthweight which was 7.8 he's at 7.6 but they arnt worried as nappies are producing good results. Plus he peed all over the midwife 😫

Hopefully with the up on combined feeding and pump things should improve.

@Sitchervice Oh brill news!!! :)

did you have a routine appointment with them or did you call them? Glad you’ve made a plan ❤️❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻