June 2023 Babies ☀️ (Thread Six)

[ireneadler101]

Thought I'd start a new one as the old one is full!

I'm 37w exactly and definitely starting to feel more Braxton Hicks (they woke me up last night) but they don't seem to be getting more intense/frequent. Also a bit of lower back ache and general bump tenderness, plus I think I've lost a small bit of my mucus plug. Think this is probably normal at this stage and just my body gearing up for labour but am quite nervous as have a c section at 38+3 and hoping to last till then! Second pregnancy but last baby arrived at 36w so feels like uncharted territory!

How is everyone else feeling?

Thank you everyone of Ethel e messages of support, it's really comforting to know it'll get better (hopefully 🤞)! I've rang medicom today and they're going to send someone to see me this afternoon to try and help. I just really hope they can! We went to a clinic last week but it's so hard to replicate at home!

@B1993 Hiya. We are doing a lot better this time than with DS1 as he had tongue tie. Any pain this time round is her not latching right and I take her off and start over. A good latch is really important and we used a lactation consultant with DS1 who taught me some good tricks to get a good latch.
My battle at the moment is not the latch but supply as she is constantly hungry so I'm drinking enough water for an Olympic sized swimming pool and expressing at every opportunity between feeds.

How many ounces are all your little ones having per feed?

Breast feeding is such a struggle at the moment! My little one seemed to be doing well until she started losing a lot of weight, she lost almost 11% of her birth weight. The consultant suggested to supplement with formula after every breastfeed until she reaches her birth weight. She’s almost three weeks and hasn’t reached her birth weight yet. The formula top ups and me having an infection in my uterus have contributed to what I think is a low milk supply. Currently I’m trying to build up my supply by expressing wherever I can.

I think her latch is good because I’m not sore when she’s feeding but she does fall asleep on the breast really quickly and I feel like she doesn’t empty the breast completely because of that. Has anyone else experienced this with their babies?

@HasHus86 I could have written all that myself. My boy lost 11.4% and we ended up in hospital for another 2 days. We got told to top up with formula too but I'm really struggling. He won't take what he's supposed to, sicks up alot of formula but not breastmilk and falls asleep on the breast alot so I've no idea how much he's actually eating. I just feel like he's constantly hungry.

For anyone with sore nipples I can recommend the koala silver nipple cups. They were recommended to me by a midwife aswell as another mum from my nct group and they help so much. My nipples were starting to get a bit cracked but even after only a day using these they were so much better. You can get them on amazon.

@BobbySD345 my man’s a little gorgey porgie 😂 he’s having 100/130ml per night feed (I’m expressing at night).

It’s crazy how quickly they grow!
I can’t believe he’s a month old already 🥹💙

@tigerlily0 we are going away in August it's been soo long since I travelled with a baby as out 2 girls are 10 and 8 now but I am breastfeeding and staying in a villa so just packing lots of nappies and wipes and clothes which I can wash so won't need lots. I do need to contact the airline to find out what I can take pram wise or if i need to pay to take extra things like carseats.
@HasHus86 my little little one galls asleep alot too but I think this could be down to his jaundice as he still has high levels and been referred to the jaundice clinic and she did say a side effect is them been sleepy so he does gall asleep after a couple of guzzles and I have to prompt him to carry on sometimes, thankfully he's back at his birth weight now at 2 weeks old.

@C1umsyGiraffe I hope today went well and someone came to give you some advice, with my first 2 breastfeeding would make my toes curl with the pain! Looking back I definite didn't have the latch right and would just let them feed no matter how painful it was but this time round I did lots of research and didn't leave the hospital until I felt confident. My little one had a good latch straight away this time and I've learnt if I do have to take him off 20 times until its right thats okay. Sending lots of love and support and I hope things get easier 💜

@HasHus86 my babies have always been the sleepy type to fall asleep at the boob. Found it helps to strip them down first so they're not super warm, lot of tickles/face stroking to keep them awake and burping them midway through wakes them up a bit, then I put them back on after

@tigerlily0 all I can recommend is the snoozeshade for your pram, I got one as the parasol was rubbish and it’s so much easier and light weight

I've started breast feeding DD here and there and I'm really enjoying bonding with her. I sometimes express and still use bottle here and there so I'm sure my milk will dry up soon but it's lovely while it lasts.

@B1993 you were same gestation and weight as us! Dd a little over 3 weeks now. She was in tiny baby clothes but after tumble drying she's now out of them and into newborn (slightly too long in the arms).

@Rlt8990 @Mummy2Girls2 Congratulations on your babies! 🤍

The time is flying by, baby is already changing so much 🥲

@Kelvie103 @Mummy2Girls2 @Givealittlebit thank you so much for the tips and advice. It feels good to know that other babies do this too. I see a lot of advice for babies who don’t latch well but for us that doesn’t seem to be the issue. Hopefully she’ll get better as she gets bigger. I really do want to breastfeed for as long as I can! But I know that ultimately, fed is best.

I'm so pleased this thread is still being used, time seems to be flying, matilda was a month old Wednesday just gone she's a little piggy and having 120/150ml each time and now weighs 7lb 9 😯, seems like a life time ago she fitted into her tiny baby clothes 😢 and I got rather emotional when I packed them all away and brought out the newborn clothes 😭

I stopped trying to breast feed at 1 week. I have been expressing but my milk never really came in. And now at 1 month old, my milk is failing. I'm only getting 1 feed every other day.
I don't feel bad, (or at least I am telling myself that,). DH loves being able to feed and I really wouldn't be able to cope with doing it all myself.

Formula is working for us

@firsttimelondonmummy I got my period 3 weeks after my csection after I introduced formula alongside breastfeeding. It's still here 2 and a half weeks later...

@Hlc86 I know how you feel 😭 I put an outfit on our little one today and it used to be huge on her and now fits 😭 I'm so excited to see who she'll be as she grows up but can she please grow slower!

Gosh @Hlc86 that's a goodly amount! Love her name too and cute pic :-) DD's newborn clothes are fitting now but luckily I didn't buy too much in those sizes as I doubt it will be for long!

@firsttimelondonmummy @Dewintergarden I think I got my period yesterday/today. I'm 3.5 weeks pp - am sure I finished the after birth bleeding as there was literally nothing for a few days so I stopped wearing pads. Now I've started bleeding again and it's a different consistency and colour, this is like a proper beginning of period if that makes sense (along with period pains, hurrah!)

I'm just over a month post birth, and I haven't really stopped bleeding. It has slowed the ladt 48hrs so fingers crossed. I know it sounds stupid but I'm really looking forward to not having to wear pants!

My DS grew out newborn at 4 weeks I was so sad putting it away ☹️ I bled for 3 and half weeks postpartum and came on my period yesterday 7 weeks after having him, wasn’t expecting it as I went back on the mini pill not long after, I’ve formula fed from the start.

It was also my brother’s wedding on Friday so having my first hangover since before pregnancy, looking after a baby plus coming on my period was really not a fun day 😂

DD was 4 weeks old yesterday. Time is flying ! She slept til 5am this morning; what a treat !

She's still in some first size/newborn bits but it depends where they're from. Next sizes always seem to come up small and their up to 1month sleepsuits look tight on her toes now whereas George Asda first size are still roomy. Put her in a 0-3 dress yesterday and it was huge, looked ridiculous so I guess we're in the in between stage.

Anyone EBF still getting cramps during feeds at around 4 wks pp?

Anyone had an episiotomy and still feeling sore? I've got 2 cuts and they sort of go past my knicker line in between my legs exactly where my pants and sanitary towel rub and I think it's slowing the healing process down. I'm still taking painkillers daily and we had to come home from shopping yesterday as I was so sore.

We think she has developed reflux and we were hoping to avoid it as DS had it and we had such a tough time with it.

Sorry couple more questions.

Is everyone still bathing just with water and using water wipes or are you onto normal "sensitive" wipes and introducing some kind of bath bubbles/baby wash?

@BobbySD345 we are using the my little coco range and bath most nights now as part of our bedtime routine, I'm using aldis version of water wipes still but have used the odd sensitive ones during the night when I grab something fast 😅

@BobbySD345 just been reading up on reflux and I think my little ons has it too, he's EBF but is sick alot after feeds and unsettled at times. I'm feeding him now as his last feed has just come straight back up, he always has hiccups straight after which don't help and get him very restless. He's just over 2 weeks old.
My 2 girls never had this so it's a whole new world to me 😩

@Mummy2Girls2 I bought some of the aldi water wipes dupes so I might start those but you're right when it's middle of the night and there's no water wipes in sight it's hard not to grab whatever you can find isn't it ! I might start introducing a sensitive baby wash we use on DS soon as I feel she needs a proper wash not just water !

Reflux is so difficult. DS had it really bad. We have 3 "wedgehogs" in the loft as we couldn't even lie him flat for a nappy change and we never got any use out of his play mat as he'd just throw up as soon as we lay him down, no matter how soon after a feed. I remember having to roll blankets under the changing mat when we were out and about to create a pillow for him. We got told with DS if they're coping OK and it's just them being sick but not particularly unsettled, just keep them upright after each feed for 30 mins. If they become very unsettled and/or you can smell acid on their breath, they may need medication. DS ended up on omeprazole for 12 months as it was the only thing that worked. Plus gaviscon. Oh and we were told to try formula as it's thicker than breast milk. Just hoping this little monkey doesn't get it as bad as her older brother !

@BobbySD345 I had an episiotomy and still sometimes feel sore but more like a tight tugging feeling if that makes sense?

I bathed DS with just water up to 4 weeks, then started using the child’s farm bubble bath and wash because it’s more sensitive, at 6 weeks we started using the Johnson’s bedtime bath and shampoo which he is getting on fine with.