Due July 2022 (Thread 7)

[Lianna93]

New thread for the last of our July babies that are due 🥺💛

@KizboBaggins has his nappy output changed? He could have just got a bit more efficient now he’s a bit bigger? Length of feed doesn’t necessarily equal volume of feed, especially if they comfort sick or drift off to sleep sometimes.

I spent ages tracking with DD (kept it up for months and months) but the app can’t tell you how much they’ve had from the boob. You have to go by their behaviour and what comes out the other end. I haven’t tracked at all with DS and I’m way less stressed about him getting enough because I can’t compare x hours yesterday to y hours today.

General guidance for expressing if you’re leaving baby is 1 to 1.5 Oz per hour you’re away so 3 Oz in 2 hours sounds ok to me

@SamanthaVimes thank you - so yesterday he pooped 3 times, all after 5pm which isn't like him. Today he hasn't pooped (had tiny tiny bits in his nappies but not a proper poo) - this is not like him at all

Today he's only breast fed for 14 minutes 😬 Plus the few ounces he took from the bottle. He averages an hour a day normally.

I know what you mean, keeping track probably isn't the ideal thing to do for my stress levels lol

He could just be getting more at each feed but just seems such a drastic change. I know I'm overthinking it but I can't help myself 😅

@KizboBaggins what about wet nappies? Does he seem dehydrated at all?

@SamanthaVimes no lots of wet nappies. And naturally he's just done the BIGGEST poo ever. I am no longer concerned 😂

@KizboBaggins haha that’s good. These babies like to make us worry!

@Chh0412 oh wow you both sound like absolute troopers! Glad to hear your both healthy & happy 😊
A bit like kizbobaggins I thought I had it bad having GD & then a 3rd degree tear!

@KizboBaggins could be your supply has increased / faster let down or baby is more efficient.
My baby girl has reduced her poos & doesn't poo at every feed now. I'm sure when she started she fed less. I wondered if she was "backed up" but she was happy in herself & plenty of wet nappies.
Word of warning we had some epic poonamis whilst she "adjusted"!

How often does everyone’s babies poop? I’ve noticed recently my LO only seems to be going every three days! She doesn’t seem in discomfort apart from once a few days ago she had an poonami Monday afternoon but hasn’t been since. I asked the GP and she just said anything over 5 days to give them a call but only pooping once every 3 days doesn’t seem right? It’s a normal consistency when she does go and there is a lot of it 🤔

@ChinChilly Mine goes probably 4-6 times a day! But I know they can go longer. If she seems comfortable she's probably OK.

I get the worry though. Baby had a completely dry nappy after a 2hr nap 1 day & I started worrying she was dehydrated! (I had changed her just before the nap)

@ChinChilly mine is probably every other day, makes a lovely change from DD who did massive poonamis all the time!

@CaptainCarp are you BF or FF? The worry is unbelievable isn’t it

@SamanthaVimes ahh thank you that makes me feel better, it is always a poonami when she goes and she farts loads, can hear her across the room sometimes 😂

@ChinChilly mine used to poo every 3 days as well about a month ago, it seemed to be a phase and she now poos once almost everyday but sometimes she does one every 2 days and then there is a lot! I asked the GP about it and she had said not to worry about it but to tell them if she was going longer than 3 days without a poo.

I had the nursery nurse out for a home visit today, talk about thorough, she was here for almost 2 hours to talk about weaning! My baby girl was very grumpy by the time she left as she had been awake too long, had wee'd on her scales and had upset herself, and was ready for a feed 🤪 I wish they would keep the visits brief! The main things I took away is the pouches in the supermarket are full of sugar, so better to make your own stuff. Don't buy baby porridge just use normal porridge. Definitely start weaning from 6 months and not before. Don't purée everything as she needs to get used to different textures. Cut most things into sticks so she can grab it and explore it with her mouth. To let her play with the food, hold it and get messy, and try to guide her hand with the spoon to her mouth so she gets used to doing it herself rather than spoon feeding her as apparently that makes for a more fussy eater. To get a proper high chair which will go next to us by the table so we are all eating together as she will learn from us how to eat properly. She gave me lots of websites to look at and books to get so will have a look and will report back here if they are worth checking out. She said a lot more but my head is a bit frazzled, but I feel like I have to study for a bit to feel fully prepared! I'm sure we will get the hang of it when the time comes. She said they are going to stop this 3-4 month visit soon which is a shame as for first time parents it was really helpful. Not stopped since she left as I had a hungry and tired baby to sort, right now all is calm again, for now!

@ChinChilly my boy poos several times a day, more or less every nappy has poo in it. And you know when he's doing it! He's very loud 😂

@ShellUK09 ahh ok well she’s 10 weeks today and this has been going on for about 2 weeks so hopefully it’s just the same phase! I briefly mentioned it when I took her for her jabs and she told me to let them know after 5 days 🫣That’s all really helpful info, I feel like I need to screen shot it for when weaning starts 😂

@missv556 bloody hell! I do wish she would go more often but not that often 😂😂

@ShellUK09 I'd take some of that advice with a pinch of salt - we spoon fed our daughter now 4.5 years (she did do finger foods by herself like toast ) and she is the least fussy eater ever, she'll eat all vegetables, fruit, sushi, meat 😂 I don't think spoon feeding makes for a fussy eater at all and I couldn't stand the mess of baby led weaning so it wasn't for me but I know they really push it as a method. Same with everything really just do what you think is best. Same with the supermarket pouches, dd had the odd one if we were travelling etc it doesn't hurt them. Best thing we did was just give her what we were eating, she was on a full roast by 7 months 😆

@ChinChilly BF. I know anything she does different I'm there thinking are you OK!
I think DP is convinced I blame baby for my farts sometimes she's that loud 😂

@ShellUK09 that sounds really good although a lot of information!
Not convinced about the spoon feeding making fussy eaters. Most of our generation (30s) were probably spoonfed at weaning.
I do think a lot of babies like to do it themselves so you can give them the chance to try to feed themselves as well as feeding them yourself maybe.

Sticks do seem the easiest when watching friends babies eating. Peas are very hard to eat!

Our health visitors have weaning clinics they recommend you go to at about 4 months so hopefully they'll do something similar in your area if they stop the visits.

Do you not feed whilst they are around? I whack out my boob wherever & in front of everyone mind lol!

@ChinChilly ah I wouldn't worry, but don't you find everyone gives out slightly different advice when it comes to babies! Haha yeah I feel like I need to do a whole course on weaning, or at least buy a book and study up on it properly!

@kiwi17 I was spoon fed and I was quite fussy as a child, but you're right I don't think that the spoon feeding necessarily caused the fussiness, every child is just different. They do like to push baby led weaning. Yeah makes sense to save pouches for day trips out when you need convenience. Haha that's good advice, she might be ok to try a Christmas dinner this year!

@CaptainCarp yes will give the baby led weaning a go and I'm sure the dog will enjoy picking up any scraps off the floor! No she was so intense and I kept thinking she will surely be gone in a minute so I thought I'll just wait until she has gone and then do the feed, in hindsight I should have just gone for it! We were only 10 minutes overdue for the feed though, if it had been much longer I would have just gone ahead.

@CaptainCarp I know my OH looks at me like I’ve just dropped it I’m like no hun that’s your daughter cracking them off 😂

@ShellUK09 I see solid starts on instagram recommended a lot. I agree with the others about the spoon feeding we used to spoon feed at the nursery, mainly because we would be there all day waiting for all the babies to each lunch themselves 😂 we did used to give them a spoon aswell so they could attempt to copy or play with

I don’t think there’s much you can do to avoid fussy eating phases, they all have them at some point. DD was full BLW, never had a pouch, always fed herself whatever we were having for dinner (sat at the table with us) and now she’s 2 (and perfectly capable of using her own spoon) all I get at meal times is “mummy feed me” and will only eat carrots cut into a certain shape. I just mentally chant “it’s all a phase” on repeat!

Sorry my point there was just do whatever makes life easier for you!

@SamanthaVimes now I need to know - what shape do the carrots have to be?! 😂

@KizboBaggins little matchstick shapes (from a pack of mixed frozen veg so way smaller than I’d ever cut fresh carrots)

Rounds and semi circles are currently unacceptable but I expect it’ll be something different next week 😂 I’m just happy if she eats a vegetable

@SamanthaVimes haha 😆 got all this to come. That's a good chant which I think I'll use too! You're so right about doing what makes life easier right now. Next health visitor home visit for me is at 1 year old and quite glad we are just being left to get on with things now!

@ShellUK09 I'd agree with taking the advice on spoon feeding with a pinch of salt. I spoon fed my first as I was super worried about choking with BLW and have a brilliant eater now. My SIL also used spoon feeding and has a fussy eater and my other SIL did BLW and has a mega fussy eater...

Personally I don't think it really matters which method you use, the key things seem to be keeping eating calm and not stressful with lots of talking and eating mealtimes with them all together as a family.

Definitely leave it until 6 months, it's fun at first and then you realise you actually have to make them food! At every meal!

@Mattieandmummy thank you, I'll just see how it all goes and not rule spoon feeding out. Maybe a mix between the two is a good idea. The way she discussed it, it was like baby led weaning was the only option! Agree with being calm at mealtimes is the best thing for everyone 🙂 the risk of choking does worry me too, she said to make sure we are up to date on the medical advice should that happen, yikes. Yeah food at every meal time will require some planning, just milk is much simpler!

@Mattieandmummy @ShellUK09 I think worrying about choking is quite normal- I booked onto a child and baby first aid course which was baby friendly so you could take them along and they played in the middle while the lady taught us about choking, burns, falls etc it was really valuable if you can find one in your area! I can't remember exactly but think it was about £35 for a half day. Made me much more confident about weaning