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?

@AIRRRR so pleased you got a 2 hour nap! What do you mean not sure about formula and how you'd do it?

@serenfach1 She just projectile vomited when we tried expressed milk in bottle tonight, there goes my 2/3 hour bit of sleep! I’m super worried that she’ll never take a bottle and I’ll be unable to leave her with anyone (including when I go back to work) 😩😩

I'm struggling with night too, my husband has been sitting up with her until about 1am then puts her in the next to me cot and she sleeps for a couple of hours but wakes at 3am and I can't get her down in the cot for more than a couple of minutes so end up sitting up with her until 7-8am when my husband takes her back. Not sure why she won't settle back in the cot for me, the current way has been manageable but he's back to work on Monday snd I'm hoping to let him sleep overnight and just do a feed at around 5am.
Also really struggling to express any more than 50mls- how's everyone else doing? How much are you able to express snd how long does it take? Not sure if it's my supply, technique or type of pump (Medea flex)?

@TerryRose mine takes the bottle from his dad but I make sure I’m scarce (in bed ha) we started at 4 weeks as the health visitor said wait till around then so it doesn’t interfere with breastfeeding and dummies after a month, he’s 5 weeks and the dummy is coming tomorrow!

Hi ladies. It has been interesting reading about all of your newborn journeys and how different they are.
Marley is 4 weeks old today and we are now 100% on formula. Any first time mums that are breast feeding and really struggling, don't feel bad about switching to bottles/formula! I remember with my first I felt like such a failure and I dreaded seeing a health professional in case they asked how I was feeding!! Happy mum definitely means a happy baby so don't stress!
Marley has slotted into our family beautifully. He feeds every 3/4 hours and settles well on his moses basket at night. That is not to sound like we don't have tough moments!! We do, but this time round, I can keep calmer and am trying to appreciate having a newborn as this will be our last!
For those struggling with bottles/dummies etc there are so many to choose from and if one doesn't work it then another might! All three of my kids took to Tommee Tippee bottles over any other brand. Marley likes the MAM dummies that are a but flatter than some others.
Sending love and sleep filled nights to you all! Remember to look after yourselves too . Even if it's just a bar of chocolate in the weekly shopping! Lol.

@ChasingARainbow I’m not going to try pumping until after 6 weeks when my supply is established. Right now it just sounds like extra effort. Pump, sterilise, feed. Instead of just feeding.

@AlRRRR it’ll be okay, your DD is only 10 days old!! (I think) she has plenty of time to learn how to take a bottle. She’s only just really learning how to take a boob.

@Jinglebells87 How long did you breastfeed for and how was the transitition to formula? What was the reason for switching it? :)

@stitchervice you can get lateral flow tests for free from.chemists. my sister got a pack from Tesco pharmacy yesterday.

Oh! I think I may've replied to a really old post.

@ChasingARainbow I express after morning feed. Apparently you get more in the morning time.

@serenfach1 🤣 don't worry, baby brain excuse. I got them from. .Gov

@AlRRRR - first baby was 10 weeks when I stopped breast feeding but she fed a lot and I just needed my body back and for someone else to take over. Second baby 10 days because he just struggled to latch from birth despite no physical reason for this. This baby, 3 weeks because I started to feel resentful that he wanted to feed AGAIN and I knew it was time to transition. I also like having a bit more control as I don't have time to sit and feed him for hours as I have school runs etc to do. I also know exactly how much he is drinking so I feel satisfied he is having enough. Plus after being in a lot of pain for most of my pregnancy I just wanted to feel like myself again! Even though his latch was good, if he got startled or started hiccupping etc then I was back to square one of sore nipples for days!
Transition to formula was easy peasy. Started dropping just one feed a day then another etc. Expressed a bit of milk whilst having a hot shower to ease the fullness and can recommend cabbage leaves in your bra! It works so well to cool down any swelling and reduce supply!

@Jinglebells87 This is my reason too! Can’t just sit feeding for hours as I have a 4 yr old and school runs etc!!

We tried a NUK and MAM bottle with expressed and wern’t successful at all! She was sick last night everywhere and we did paced feeding, as slow as possible

@AlRRRR oh bless you! I would definitely try the Tommee Tippee bottles. They are meant to imiate the shape of a boob 😂. They have a little valve on them to let some air into the bottle but we try and wind part way through to avoid it all coming back up! Good luck!

Haha . After writing that Marley just threw up on my shoulder! Typical!

@Jinglebells87 I ordered a glass Dr browns last night at 3am as they have raving reviews, my first had MAM and loved those but maybe I need to choose 1 and stick to it rather than swapping and changing, also I hate expressing, with a passion! I use a HAAKA device to catch let down when feeding from one boob and that sometimes catches 4/5 oz! It’s a crazy thing…

But thought maybe she’d take formula better in a bottle and BM just from me? who know’s it’s all just crazy haha

Anyway, how’s everyone’s PP bleeding? Mine has practically tailoured off after 9 days, was using just normal pads and it was barely there, but yday after been out for the day and lifting the car seat 3 times (my mistake) Later on I had a gush of blood and in toilet, rang triage and they said just keep an eye on it, now just a light period… i know you can bleed for up to 6 weeks but mine had gone and with 1st it just stayed that way

@AlRRRR my friend used Dr Brown bottles and got on fine. The size of the teat always scared me on those but maybe I just have small nipples on comparison 😂😂! They remind me of cows udders! Lol!

Same happened to me re bleeding. I thought it had stopped and then it came back again! Midwife said I had probably overdone it. I'm 4 weeks in and although not bleeding I'm still not back to "normal". I won't go into detail but still passing small amounts of tissue type stuff!

@Jinglebells87 Ah okay! Thanks for that!!! I’ll defo keep an eye on it x

@AIRRRR 4/5oz is tons! I've only started using my haakaa today, got about 10ml a time.

Not sure I have the best supply tbh. The boobs feel quite empty throughout most of the afternoon and evening, and she's still cluster feeding all the time. She's put on plenty of weight but is having the formula as well so not sure if that's really a good indicator of my supply.

I am getting so disheartened and frustrated with conflicting midwife messages!! My baby lost 10% of her birth weight which was 9lb 4oz. One midwife put us on feeding plan which was then contradicted by the second community midwife who came to see us. Current plan is regular breastfeeding sessions but providing a top up after each feed of expressed milk from a bottle. She is putting on weight but it's slow and we've been told that she will continue to be weighed until she makes it back up to 9lb 4!

My concerns/questions are:
1.we were told to bottle feed the expressed milk and now her suction on my boob seems to have lessened. Is this a thing? I have to hold my boob as otherwise she slips off the nipple.

1. She feeds from 10pm until 4am most nights... It's not proper sucking so I'm concerned that I'm not producing enough for her. Is this normal cluster feeding??
2. I am spending so much time expressing. I can only seem to get 2oz each time. When will this increase?
3. Is anyone had an alternative successful feeding plan? This is not sustainable and I am becoming so emotionl feeling like I'm failing her 😔

@Lovethatjourneyforme It’s probs 1 out of 5 times it catches that much and only on left boob 🤣🤣🤣 way i see it as catching free milk which would otherwise just go on my top🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

@Firsttimeconcerns All i know about cluster feeding is they’re trying to regulate the suppy? Maybe her body knows and this is why she feeds loads between 10 and 4 am as that’s when milk production hormones are at their highest??

My LO is yet to be weighed again, day 12 tomorrow so I’ll see what gain she has had!

Has anyone suggested formula tops ups to try boost her ? I’m part of a combi feeding group on fb and seems to work so well for them I’m considering trying it just once or twice a day ☺️☺️☺️

Babies make you nuts don't they?! P has been feeding every 1.5-2.5hrs, more frequently in the heat. Last night I felt so exhausted, finished feeding at 8.45, went to bed and left P with DH. He bathed her and she was inconsolable, so I took her back and rocked her asleep by 9.30 and put her down. Woke up at 1.30 to her crying. First time she's ever gone longer than 3ish hours at 5 weeks old! She also had a dry nappy, I panicked stripped her off to check from rashes, got the the Thermometer out, so worried somethings wrong. She's totally fine, she's urinated and pooped whilst on the boob and fed for an hour. I'm a medic, I know this is all normal and I'm going nuts worrying hang in there mummas, it's super tough but everyone seems like they are doing amazing and finding their own parh

I'm just popping on to have a bit of a vent... I really don't like breastfeeding at the moment. Haven't enjoyed it at all so far actually. I don't like that all she ever wants from me is feeding. She settles better with my husband because he's actually a source of comfort to her, whereas with me it's just all about the boobs. I don't like that 90% of my time with her is spent doing something I don't enjoy. I don't like that my boobs are not my own. Every feed takes ages because she finishes each side, is still hungry and flip flops back and forth between the two, feeding on each side at least 3 times per feed. I don't like feeling pinned to the sofa for such long periods of time. I don't like that I have to give her to my husband to comfort for 10 mins just so that I can shower/eat/go to the toilet but I know it's only a temporary reprieve and she'll want feeding again any second. I don't like that everything is on me, that

Whoops pressed post too soon!

That I can't share the load and that I cannot go anywhere by myself. I'm just not enjoying it and can't see that I will, even when it does get easier.

That's it, vent over 😅 I've told myself I'm getting to 6 weeks and will see what I feel like then but I really can't see myself feeling much different, even if it does get a little easier.