Due July 2024 - part 5

[Oatmilktea]

Starting a new thread as the old one is filling up.

Many of our July babies have already arrived, hopefully the rest make their arrival soon 🩵🩷

@AnonymousXXIX have you tried to do natural breast feesing positions. Leaning/laying back. A forceful foow can cause baby to gulp a lot of air with milk and not have a deep enough latch.

DS is a great sleeper at night. He wakes once or twice for a feed and goes straight back to sleep. But my milk supply is still high and I am leaking a lot!
Due ti the ICP itch I can't wear anything to bed as makes the itching worse. And so milk ends up everywhere.
Anyone got suggestions for a thin cotton nursing bra for sleep.

We have little one on infacol and it’s made a massive difference to us. When we forget to give it, it’s a nightmare! You can give two droppers full and it does have a cumulative effect. I have also read for some people it works better giving it at least 5 mins before feed.

We tried it a few weeks ago and it did seem to help. But he was feeding every hour so it seemed a bit excessive to give it every time, and the toddler kept hiding the bottle so I wasn’t consistent 😂 I might give it another go now he’s every 2 ish hours.

@MixedCouple2
Thank you 🥺 really needed that! Xxxxxx
Little one is latching on after tongue tie division, its not perfect but pretty good, it’s honestly a miracle! Still super gassy though and lots of refluxy sick and up for hours at a time at night, will try the positions you mentioned to others!

So sorry you have lingering ICP. I experienced itching in pregnancy and it was awful. I used to keep a wet flannel around and it seemed to help, maybe you could try 😣

good luck to those with super gassy bubbas, I haven’t tried any coleif or anything yet…. Here for all the tips 🫶

Haven't tried any meds or changes in diet as it's not that bad, baby doesn't seem to be in pain - just a bit fussy and in need of a good burp sometimes, which can take a while (up to an hour 🫠). We do lots of laid back feeding, etc. I also find it really helps to not feed the first letdown and just catch it in a muslin. Some nights are just worse than others 🤷‍♀️

On the upside baby has actually accepted the next-to-me the last two nights (been co-sleeping till now).

@MixedCouple2 I have the sleep bras from Seraphine which are very comfortable - I wear them with the Elvie milk collecting cups. I don't use the collected milk but you can. I just have a very painful letdown and I suspect over production as I need to wear those cups or I, and everyone else, am covered in milk. I will get the lily pads again when I've established a supply properly but feel that I don't want to stop the flow yet with those.
I looked up what to do about the painful letdown as it does cause baby some issues - he can't drink as the flow is too forceful at that point and he ends up with a shallow latch and gulping loads of wind in - but I am going to leave it a week or 2 before I try anything to see if it settles itself.

Sleep wise, we don't get a huge amount but it's so much more than when I was pregnant that I can't complain - I was awake every 0,5 - 1 hour peeing for about 2 months at the end.

https://www.smallable.com/en/product/elvie-catch-elvie-338011?country=NL&currency=EUR&srsltid=AfmBOoq4m3a8MTfUgTiPL8zrnnHPNJgitQA5EeRk7a73JcER476R_2eywO8
lilypadz.com/product/lilypadz-single-pair/

My lovely July baby is now four weeks old :)

@Jess725 woo-hoo thats great news. Do you have to do the massage? My friends daughter had hers done 3 years ago and she had to do these massages often in the day which was upsetting for her baby. But in the end it was a massive improvement.

My midwives had intervined and they are trying to aort an urgent referral for me to see a specialist about my ICP anf itching. My levels are still quiet high.

@Cherubs4 thank you so much! Will have a look now. Same boat at night time there is milk incidents. And as DS is well over his birth weight Midwife said not to wake him. In the day he feeds every 3 hours. At night between 8pm and 8am he nurses 3 times. Might have to get some letdown cups.

I have read a lot about hand expressing or pumping a little at the start of the feed to relieve some of the pressure and forceful letdown. Might be worth a try.

DS is 2 weeks old I cant believe it 😭

Hey all! Thinking of you all, hope you're all getting through the newborn stages well!

My preterm DD is 11 weeks old now (6 weeks corrected) and it's hard as I feel like I've had a whole extra month of newborn than others.

I thought we had gotten into a routine but yesterday was a shocker as it took her 4 hours (11pm - 3am) to fall asleep and she was screaming bloody murder. Thought the neighbours were going to call the police on me haha. Still waking up every 3 hours to feed.

I have started getting real smiles last week! Frustrating as she's preterm so it took longer but I heard exploded when she smiled at me after I finished singing for her. Now I get 1 or 2 genuine smiles a day. Best thing ever.

Has anyone got good sleeping babies? Any tips?

Heart exploded*

My little boy is getting better. We're co sleeping which is a big help. He's currently asleep on my lap (I'll move him when I lie down properly.) I forget he's a human, not a cat. 😁

I've been away because my tablet went swimming and I had to dry it out. Luckily for me it still works! Although I ended up using my laptop and that did a million updates and is now running smoothly, (it's over six years old.)

Daughter is 6 weeks next Wednesday and we had a brief 3 days where she fed, went in the crib for 2-3hrs then fed and went back down. However, it didn't last as she is much harder to get in her crib now. She just screams as soon as I try. We get proper tears so I end up holding her from 12 til 4.

She seems to be happy to go down in the crib for the first part of the night around 9 to 12ish but then she just wakes herself up afterwards as soon as I put her down.

Breastfeeding is exhausting as I'm the only one who she'll settle for. She just screams for my DH.
That said, she is smiling now which is lovely.

Hey ladies x
hope you’re all good.

yes newborn trenches here too and we unfortunately have reflux (what they are calling silent) it’s relentless (her pain and crying, not the puke) she doesn’t sleep. She’s been awake since 4:30am and only a 30 min nap since 🥴 no amount of soothing helps. Tried all the white noise, swaddling, lights…
Not sure how I’m surviving
eeeeeeeek!
best wishes to all, we’ve got this!

@Jess725 that sounds exhausting! Have you tried her in a sling? It’s the only way I can get my little one asleep during the days, she’s regularly awake 4-6 hours at a time during the days but not in distress, she is just very alert and fights her naps. The sling is a game changer and being upright should help with the reflux too. Hope things improve for you soon x

@Nocoffeenotalkie - your experience sounds exactly like mine. We did get that first stretch of sleep up to 5 hours (after relentless afternoon / evening cluster feeding) but then the 6 week growth spurt hit (at least I assume that’s what’s happening) and he only did 2 hours last night and then has been awake feeding or briefly asleep held upright since then. Had to hand him to my husband with a bottle this morning in the end as I was so tired I couldn’t even open my eyes and thought I’d make use of the bank holiday help!

I’m mostly breastfeeding but when I’m at my wits end with the cluster feeding I give him formula or expressed milk to buy myself a breather. I worry about not producing enough (so I’m pumping when I admit defeat on direct feeding, it feels better seeing the milk he’s getting for me) but this morning he downed two bottles of formula and a bottle of breast milk before BF for about an hour and finally going off to sleep in the course of 4 hours so I think he’s just a very hungry baby!

@Jess725 my first had silent reflux and would cry from around 5pm for hours. It's all my DH ever saw of her was a red, screaming little thing who was ridiculously hard to soothe. I echo what others said, the baby carrier was a good send. DD1 never slept and was a wide aqak newborn who did sleep in 30 mins blocks. It is incredibly difficult. Looking back, I would focus on survival not housework getting done etc. I was a zombie!

@Morningcoffeeaddict he does sound like he is having growth spurt taking all that on board. Cluster feeding is so, so tough especially at night. After DD1 I expected it and my Midwife said that might feed produce prolactin which helps milk production. So I guess they're putting in their orders for the next few meals 🤦‍♀️ I've not tried bottles at all as DD1 was a vehement bottle/dummy refuser. Am seriously tempted to try took take some of the pressure off me but it such a waste of money buying bottles and pumps if she won't take it. She is refusing a dummy at the moment so not hopeful.

@Nocoffeenotalkie - this one refuses a dummy, he grumbles a bit when offered a bottle instead of BF but he will take it. They’re so expensive though if it’s going to be a no I agree. I think I got a free mam bottle in one of those baby club “get a free box of baby things, just pay postage” deals and a £30 manual pump and tried that to start as he wasn’t gaining weight well to begin with so the midwife had me supplementing. I am trying to wean off the formula so especially at night I give a bottle of expressed milk last thing so I know he’s not starving and then stick with ebf to try to benefit from the prolactin and cluster feeding. Still on a bottle of formula a day but trying to hang on for back to school for DS1 when I’ll be able to give a bit more time to just focusing on ebf, napping in the day (I hope) and getting a better routine for this little one.

@ExpectantEs so sorry to hear about that. I would assume the crying spells maybe sue to being preterm. My DS1 was born 39w at 6pbs and was awful sleeping and napping.
But DS2 born at 42w 8lbs lovea hia sleep and self settles. He is 3 weeks old. I did nothing different. Honestly it is just temperament of the baby and just following their cues. After having a terrible sleeper, where i tried everything to get him to sleep, I now know for certain nothing to do with you but ia down to the baby. Your can only do so much.
It can only get better as they get older it will. In solidarity I was once there.

@Jess725 so sorry to hear Silent reflux is affecting your little one. Had it with DS1 and it only got better with time and introducing solids earlier. We atarted at 4.5months! He was showing signs so we went ahead and it made a big difference. It won't last and you'll be out if this phase very soon.

@Morningcoffeeaddict sounds like you have a solid plan there. Amazing you stuck with it and getting back to EBF. Fingera crossed for you.
There was an Australian study that found all women produce roughly the same amount of milk in a 24hour period BUT some women have more lobes and ducts (reaivoirs) some have as many as 20 and some have 4. All very very normal. It just means that the frequency of feeds will vary from woman to woman BUT the amount produced (as long as there is the demand) will be the same.
My first hated the dummy and couldn't hold it in his mouth. This baby loves the dummy we use it in the car and night nappy changes which he hates! He hates being woken up for changes. So I resorted to the dummy 😅

@Nocoffeenotalkie omg snap my DS1 was the same. One day he screaming cried from 11am - midnight. it is soul destroying. And I learnt to acceot it was not my fault I didn't do this. I tried dairy free and gluten free for 2 months and made no difference. We did see a cranial osteopath and that did help a little but other then that it was time and solids.

i second this a good carrier maybe a life saver. And a hand and arm saver!
I ourchased 2 woven wraps from Vinted snd at the moment i use them once a day when baby just want a to be held and not left on his back but I have things to do.

I have a momcozy stretchy wrap (has a fixed back) because I cannot tie stretchy wraps securely enough but this works for me. I also bought a Tula Explore carrier (has 5 or so designs in the sale for 40% off) and I love it. No back pain with it which is fantastic given she won't go in the pram bassinet. Our pram is just for show/an expensive shopping trolley at this point 🤦‍♀️
If you don't have a carrier already apparently sling libraries are all over the place and you can try them for a week and get advice!

I also love a good baby carrier! I love my ergobaby 360 for longer walks but have an izmi baby breeze that I use round the house or popping to the shop and love it. I also find tying the stretchy wrap a real hassle so I’ve abandoned that one for now.

@MixedCouple2 - that study sounds really interesting! Kind of comforting to know too. I wish this one would take a dummy for night time nappy changes - he screams the place down having his nappy done and I worry about it disturbing my older sons sleep

DS is 3weeks a 2days and he is such a chunky monkey! He has started to smile socially last 3 days and he coos and smiles with me and his big brother.
We have our last check up with midwife on Saturday when he is 1 month old and then we are discharged to the Health Visitors. Baby is sleeping 4-5 hour atretxhs at night with 2 feeds and in the day nursing every 2-2.5hours. Although now he is 3 weeks I did notice some cluster feeding from 3pm - 8pm every 35-45mins. So I been trying to be "free" then and have dinner ready to go so less stress.
Already had a moment today where toddler needed me while I was mid nappy change. He also needed the toilet. Was so stressful.

How is everyones physical recovery going?
Mine is very different this time. The aches and pains are still lingering usually at night time or early morning I feel quiet achy in my pelvic floor. And I lost all the pregnancy weight and fluid. My stomach is like a deflated balloon lots of loose skin worse then with DS1.

Little one has finally joined the Cluster feeding stage. 4 weeks tomorrow and today has been fussy at the breast and nursing on and off every 20-40mins all day.
His 0-3 body suits and sleep suits are tighter and his feet are now too big for the sleep suits. Just change all the clothes to 3-6months. I can't believe it.
He is being quiet social too and very "talkative" at this stage DS1 was the opposite so it is like a whole new eperience.

@Bali200 awww you’re little one is super alert too 🥰
glad the carrier works! Is your little one smiling and babbling already? I’m sure my baby is smarter than me 🤣
unfortunately the pressure on my tummy really effects my C section incision so I’ve been getting my hubby to wear it to force her to nap 🤭
I just invested in a ring sling and it’s much less pressure on my scar! Game changer, honestly! Thanks for the tip!