Still awake with a (not so) newborn - the further adventures of EBLL...

[Jellybean2017]

Hope everyone finds the new thread 😂 and new chatterboxes are welcome to join us and battle through the night feeds together (with or without the assistance of EBLL [Ewan's back left leg!) 🐏

puts things into perspective. I've been complaining i just got DS to sleep and hes done a poo so i had to get up and now he has hiccups

Feed #2 here.

Oh wow, that's incredibly sad.

2 wake ups from DD so far. Well, now DH woke her up.
I am coming down with a cold, so not sure about going out. I really can't afford to be ill as DH is doing long hours and don't want to pass it onto DD...It's freezing

My gro-egg is staying 16.9 constantly even though the heating is set to keep things at 18.5 tonight...

I'm alternatively hot and cold with this virus but my LO woke at 4 and I think it was because he was cold. He's not used to having his arm out yet I don't think.

Evening feedingpeeps.

DS is well and truly in leap 2. He just does. Not. Sleep from about 2pm onwards. Then he feeds all evening on me. My poor nipples are really starting to get sore.
DP is having to settle him to sleep every night although tonight has been better than before as he went down for at least 4 1/2 hrs.

I've been pumping like a maniac the last few days as I'm going to work later on today and will be gone for about 6 hours. I feel so guilty but will also sort of enjoy being a normal human again for a bit. DP will be bottle feeding DS my breast milk, will be interesting to see how t goes! So far I've expressed 11.5 ozs and will hopefully do a bit more in the morning.. should this be enough?!

@Gimbleinthewade - that’s over 300ml so you should be good for a couple of feeds there working off the average of 80-120ml a feed. DS tends to do 100-120ml a feed so I always try to have 150ml expressed milk to allow for spillage. Found out this week that their milk intake doesn’t really increase after a month, which I found odd.

We had a strange night. DS cluster fed like a mutherfooker last night. Did the same the night before and made me realize what I thought was cluster feeding before was just closely spaced feeds! He then had half a feed at 21:00 (so an hour earlier than normal or two hours late, depending on how you look at it), a bottle from DH at 01:00 (I went to sleep at 23:00) and then another at 03:30 during which I pumped. DH retreated to the spare room... DS starts crying in his sleep at 05:30 - no way he’s hungry again after two hours (both bottles were 120ml and we switched back to a bottle for the second night feed so he got a full feed rather than falling asleep half way through) so I proped myself up with four pillows and put DS on my chest and we both slept until near 07:00.

Okay, so I know it’s not an ideal sleeping position but he would not settle otherwise. We don’t do well bed-sharing and I made sure no blankets above his armpits and my PJs out of the way. I did an extra pillow so I wouldn’t slump down and lord it felt good to just sleep. Woke for 07:00 feed and off we go.

Does anyone else have their DC sleep in bed on their chest? I am nervous about something happening but it is literally the only option sometimes.

Morning all. @GimbleInTheWabe how old is your LO? Babies from 2 to 6 months drink between 4 and 6 oz per feed. So if your LO is quite young and feeding every 2 hours then it might not be quite enough, or it might be plenty - there's not really any way to be sure. I'd see if you can squeeze a couple more oz, even if they just go in the freezer for another day, just to be sure. Otherwise try to feed your LO as much as possible right before you leave. Good luck!!

So DD went down just after 10, then woke st 12.30. Down again at 1.45, up again by 2.30. We fed lying down from 3.30-4.30 but I didn't sleep and then at 5 she completely went ballistic. I brought her downstairs and calmed her down and she fell asleep about 5.45, on me, waking at 6.45 for a brief feed and now is drowsy but will not be moved or even have the nipple, that she's not sucking, removed from her mouth. What the hell is going on? My eyes are burning from exhaustion and tears, I feel like I can't cope but I'm trapped in this situation with no-one to help me. DH sympathetic but has to go to work now and won't be home till 6pm.

Another night of lying down to feed, not too bad apart from sore neck, back, shoulders 🙈

@Hashtagtired I think you should take credit for the advent gifts, not the elf 😂

@gingerhanna I sometimes do sleep with DS on my chest how you have described. I also worry about it. But sometimes if there's no other option and you're exhausted then it's the only way. I suppose it's a case of minimising the risks so not making a habit of it and only doing it when all else fails?

Just found chocolate in the folds of Dds neck; must have been from overnight snacking!

Currently waiting for my car to go through mot. What a mare getting up and waking ds. Soooooo sleepy. On the bright side i get cake for breakfast

Jealous of your breakfast @Jellybabie3! Hope mot goes smoothly.

@gingerhanna I have fallen asleep with DS on my chest twice now. Both times post 5am feed, both unplanned but I was propped up and duvet was nowhere near us. Not ideal, but it's so hard to stay awake! I'd rather be prepared than for it to happen when I can't control it.

Back and neck still hugely sore. Managed a bit of sleep but was worse when I woke as could barely move. Got pain killers and DH getting me an ibuprofen gel so fingers crossed it'll help. Today was meant to be a lovely day, it's mine and DH six year anniversary and it's our custom to celebrate by seeing the Christmas lights and market in city centre (that was our first date!) Was planning to take the kids but now I'm thinking that won't happen.

@gingerhanna yes l have fallen asleep with my DS in this exact position a couple of times, as has my DH.... It's always after the 2nd feed so usually around 5am when he just won't settle back in his moses basket, we are actually wondering now if the room is too cold by that point and he's just looking for heat, as he sleeps fine on us!

I do worry about it but when my eyes are burning with tiredness and he is content sleep just takes over.....

@percypigs happy anniversary, l hope you start to feel better soon

@gingerhanna me and dc sleep like that probably more often than we should, baby just loves it and I get a bit of much needed rest because I'm an unreasonable bitch on less than 8 hours sleep.

I try to tuck a thin baby blanket around her and under my back to hold her in place iyswim. Anyone else tried that technique? Is it safe?

@GingerHanna We also do this - him sleeping on my chest - it's the only way to get any rest. My baby has reflux which further complicates things. It's not ideal but after the lack of sleep started giving me dangerously high blood pressure I realised I simply must go with what works just to survive.
DH is a light sleeper and wakes up several times at night so he checks up on us every time. We tried bed sharing as a safer option but breastfeeding was really awkward in that position and ended up being more of a faff than helpful so had to go back to this. I feel bad for it not being very safe, but I'm at the end of my wits. Hopefully it's just a phase and as soon as I recover a bit I can start exploring other options again.

@undertheradarplease
La Leche League have a sleep manual called Sweet Sleep in which they mentioned using a soft baby carrier (baby wrap) for napping with the baby on your chest as a kind of safety option. They said they'd only use it for daytime naps with your baby but wouldn't suggest it for night time. But I'm not sure what the actual difference is, other than maybe you sleeping too soundly.
I haven't tried it for night time, but I did use it for daytime naps with the baby and it worked ok, he didn't get tangled and I would say he was safe in it.

Snap, @actino, see attached photo! 😳

That's such good cake @Jellybabie3, I had it last weekend while I had a few baby-free hours to go shopping.

@GingerHanna I sometimes end up sleeping with DD on my chest as you've described, when she just will not lie back down in the crib. I've noticed that while I do go to sleep that way, I'm still very alert and if she so much as twitches I'm wide awake. I'm not really sure how safe it is, but sometimes there's just no putting a windy baby back down flat on their back.

@GingerHanna DD has a bit of reflux and the health visitor told me to keep her at least a 45 degree angle for an hour after each feed. In the middle of the night this often means me having DD lying in my chest as I'm propped up with cushions. Inevitably I nod off!

Only got 2 hrs sleep plus another hour this morning... I did try and lie down to feed this morning and it was okay at least I could rest a bit.
@GimbleInTheWabe can I ask what sort of pump you’ve got?
@Jellybabie3 I’m so envious of your breakfast!!! Good for you😊
I’m struggling big time with constipation😔😔 ever since I got home from hospital, I ditched the iron tablets last week but that hasn’t helped, I’ve never had issues before....

@Sakura Have some prunes! They were my life saver

@Sakura03 Try probiotics, they definitely keep me regular and I always had issues with that. You can try those probiotic drinks and yogurts, or if you're avoiding dairy there are also sachets.

@AMagdalena yesterday I nearly ate a whole pack of prunes and I’ve been eating them regularly it’s so strange... @Ven83 I’m willing to give anything a go, I’ll get dp to pick some up on his way home from work. Thanks both.

@Sakura03 go to your GP and ask for a different type of iron tablets. I had the same problem and my GP changed my prescription to a more "tummy friendly" version.