There are many issues that you will encounter as a new parent. We have put together this list of useful articles and threads in order to assist you with some common questions or issues you may have, and to provide you with bit of extra support that we all need as new parents:
Please contact the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) or a Lactation Consultant if you are concerned that you may have breastfeeding and/or supply problems, and before the introduction of solids.
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Caro - I hope you're having a better night and things pick up for you soon
to those with pimply babies - Matty has had terrible skin for the first month but his pimples have cleared up a lot in the past week. Just the odd white spot. I wasn't instructed to do anything different by the doctor or MCHN, so haven't.
ETA: actually I have been rubbing breastmilk onto them..so maybe that has helped?
to those DTD - you're braver than me! Still not there yet..actually am too worried to try before we work out contraception.
We're feeding every 3 hours during the day, and we get one long stretch at night usually between 8pm -1am or 2 where he sleeps without a break. The early mornings are usually a bit more interrupted but I blame myself, as I'm usually too tired to put him back to bed and burp him properly after the feeds, so it can go a bit wrong with him awake at 5am and 7am wanting to feed.
We had a doctors visit last week for his 5 week check up and he got a clean bill of health. yay 5.1kg. Which means 1.3 kgs sincebirth. He's got chubby cheeks!
Had a shocker of a night...dh complained he was tired so Dylan and I spent the night out on the couch....grrrr. I'm sooo tired! It's going to be a fun day today - LOL! God knows what he'd be like nearly 4 weeks into sleep deprivation! LOL! He he
Deb - Thats great your getting a bigger stretch at night!! Fantastic. It's funny because when you don't get it you think it's never going to come! LOL. Although Louis was already sleeping better than Dylan is at the moment....grrr. Wow at the weight gain - so glad everythings going well!
soooo excited to have a computer back at home so I can catch up with everything! Just had it all hooked up so here I am.
Hope you don't mind if I post in here with you guys - all my belly buddies are in here and I don't want to miss out just because Mimi decided to be 10 days late!!!
Kristie - sorry that you had a rough night, hope that things have picked up for you.
Deb - hi! sounds like the weight gain is going really well, as is your sleeping. congratulations.
Mimi is doing really well. A week and 4 days today. She was measured on Monday and had put on 180 grams in the first week since discharge so that's ok. It's weird getting used to the feeding habits of the second one - Ella was such a guts, she would feed whenever and wherever I put her on, whereas Madam Mimi is very much - nup, don't want it now, get it away from me.....she is very efficient though - 10 mins a side and she's done, which is helpful when it's the middle of the night feed. She is doing 3.5-4 hourly with a similar long stretch to Matty by the sounds of things - but it depends when this is. last night it was from 8.30 til 1.30 so that was heaven. unfortunately it meant she was up again at 5.30 which was hell!
Re DTD - LOL at you girls. My repairs are such that I am not expecting to be right for quite some time. The forceps used to turn her were enormous and an episiotomy and tearing later, DTD is the LAST thing from my mind, and I am pretty sure DH knows better than to tap me on the shoulder for at least 6 weeks!!!
Will spend some time later catching up on past posts and getting to know those I don't know yet.
One question though - will hunt the threads but JenSam was the only one I missed the news on = birth details anyone???
Gigi, it's good to have you back! No news on JenSam yet, we're all dying to know how she and her bub are.
Kris, bugger on the sleep! I would have sent DH to the couch if I were you LOL
Caro, I'm so glad things are going better for you now
Deb, I'm jealous at Matt's long stretch at night. Ben is still only managing four hours at max. I'm hoping that will increase sometime soon.
Ben and I had a great night last night. He's now moved into his own room! It was kinda done out of necessity since DH works nights (starts at midnight or 3am) and I didn't want Ben waking him when he only had an hour or two until he had to get up. So, he's in his room in his bassinet and seems to like it. I do love my Angelcare monitor though, it really puts my mind at ease. Although last night, the alarm thing went off and I went racing into Bens' room - breaking all my fingernails on the doorway in the process - to find him sleeping soundly and still breathing normally. On closer inspection of the speaker thingy, I found out that it was the 'low battery' warning since I hadn't plugged it in and it was operating on batteries! Grrrr! They should make it a different sound to the motion detector alarm! Apart from that though, all was well - he fed well and then slept well. I even got a nap this afternoon.
Just barely managing to keep my eyes open...It will have to be an early night for me tonight! The kids have been pretty good though which is handy!
Caro - Glad you finally got some sleep and had a good night!
Gigi - Yeah - you made it in here! Woohoo!
Sounds like Mimi's going really well! Thats great. It's funny you say about the efficient feeding - Dylans feeding way quicker than I remember Louis feeding...I agree - it definitely helps in the middle of the night!
omg - I don't blame you for not wanting to dtd!!!! Give yourself plenty of time!
Nup - Haven't heard from JenSam - I sooo hope everythings ok and she's just too in love with her new bubba to post...
Disgirl - LOL - I know but he was having a sooky la - also I feed Dylan on our couch cos it's super comfy and I usually drift off as well...
I'm hoping for some long night sleeps as well...He had the one long stretch of nearly 6h on Sunday night and hasn't wanted to do it again since...grrr. Mostly 3 1/2 hours overnight at the moment...Don't they know we need our sleep?? heheh.
Yeah on moving Ben to his room! I sooo wish we could do that....
Better get going on dinner - exciting pasta bake tonight! LOL!
Hey All,
Not too much to report here, although am feeling ok. Probably coz I managed to take the dog and Olivia on a walk to the supermarket and she didnt cry once in the whole 1 and a quarter hours we were out! Yaya and its beautiful weather here in Melbourne.
She still has a cold and didnt sleep too well again last night. She slept in her own room for all of 2 hours and then slept with us the rest of the time. I tried getting some demizin at the pharmacy but the didnt want to give it to me coz its meant for babies 6 months plus. So I ended up with some saline drops and a nasal aspirator, which we did when we got home. I got a fair bit of crap out of her nose for a little girl. She was breathing a lot better for her feed. I will have to do it again as she is starting to clog up again. Hopefully shell be better soon.
Well take care all
Love melissa
sorry, no time for personals. I have run out of milk. I am down to tiny drops rather than the HUGE over supply i had yesterday.
Not sure whats going on but I am devestated to say the least and cant stop crying. I will keep persisting as i do not want to use formula, but my poor baby is starving
Melissa - Hope Olivia gets better soon. Sounds like a gorgeous walk today! I went to the shops as well and Dylan did really well - only screamed getting put into the car and taken out again! He's been asleep all afternoon so it must have tired him out! (Hope he sleeps tonight though...) I've never worked out how to use those nasal aspirators! hehe. Thats great you got some gunk out!
Danni - Are you sure?? Maybe your supply has just settled a little. Mine has done that the last couple of days as well and Dylan has even started feeding both sides again. Remember you don't need to have rock hard boobs to have milk...Hope it's all ok for you!
Disgirl and Kristie - it's SOOOO good to chat to you girls again! Sounds like the boys are doing well - with all the usual ups and downs that we all go through. Dis - Mimi is in her own room too and it's great. How annoying re the batteries though! Kristie - get some sleep girl. we all need it at this early stage don't we!
Melissa - OMG, Olivia Grace is my youngest niece's name - love it love it love it! Glad that you had a good walk - it's great when that happens and they don't ark up at all. so good to get out in this gorgeous melbourne autumn , although my OB doesn't want me walking until 2 weeks post so not til this weekend. WE are doing the million paws walk around Albert Park on Sunday - booked it in when I was assuming Mimi would be on time or early, so I will see how I go - my "repairs" might not be able to do the whole track!
Danni - try not to stress yourself about the thought of your milk disappearing. the stress will only make anything worse, but I agree with Kristie - I thought my milk left me too with Ella but it was actually only that they had settled down to her feeding patterns. Caro's advice sounds great too - always a bonus to hear from someone who has been through the same thing. But don't stress and get upset because that can help to minimise your flow too.
All good here - Mimi due for a feed around 10.30 so I am hoping that will be it before bed and then she will go through til around 2-2.30 and then HOPEFULLY not until 6ish. Hate the getting up twice in one night....
Gigi - I hate getting up twice as well....Well Dylan last fed at 2.40pm so I'm waiting for him to get up - I have a feeling he's having his big sleep now which worries me a bit - LOL! He's asleep in his bouncer so I'm thinking that he's much more settled in there than his basinette...He never goes this long between feeds but he fed really well on both sides...Why can't he do this in the middle of the night!
Gigi - Take it easy on the weekend... I found I was really sore when I even did the food shopping the first time...not until afterwards though!!
Isn't it funny what your happy with after feeding around the clock for a while...even an extra half hour makes such a difference!!!
Went to the doctor today for his 4 week check. He now weighs 4.75kg. What a little porker! Is finally getting a bit of chub as he is a really long, slim baby. Ben took him for a bit this afternoon and I have a 2.5 hour nap. It was amazing and I feel so good now. Amazing how much the sleep deprivation affects your mood. I suddenly had a flash today that it really won't be like this forever. Even though I love Iggy to bits, I have been feeling that I will have this tiny baby forever who can't really communicate and is so helpless. Then something Kristie said made me realise that he will grow up, and I will get to see him turn into a crawler than toddler, then he will be at school etc. And I will have my little boy who will be able to smile and laugh and talk etc. Really boosted me up. Well I hope everyone will have a great night tonight.
xox
Danni, if you think he is still hungry put him back on your breast. It may seem like you haven't got milk, but you do. I know I feel like I'm empty today, but Matt has managed to feed and settle. I know I wouldn't get a drop out if I had to express it. Trust your body. Big hugs.
Danni, all I can suggest then is to give him lots of love and hugs. Put on some quiet music and soft lights and give him some cuddles and walk around the room with him. He'll settle, just be patient. This too will pass! It could be a number of things, that you've probably already thought of. Hang in there. I feel your stress. Its so frustrating having an unsettled bub. You're doing your best.
huge hugs danni, i know what you mean about formula. i can't express enough to give nicky ebm for every top up , but i hate giving him formula. i'm having bf issues myself, about to call the aba. i hope your night wasn't too bad and that mason did settle in the end. thinking of you hun
Oh girls i feel for you. i know how you feel when you dont think bubs is getting enough and wont settle. its really hard and the worst thing is the thought of having to give formula.
i first went 50 50 with ebm and formula at 2.5 weeks and it broke my heart. then 2 weeks later it was full formula. the only thing for me that made me happy about it was that she put on weight and became much more settled AND my mental state settled too...less tears i hope you can perservere(sp?) and things go ok 4 you. the other day i popped her on the bb to see if she would take it but no, no good. i tried though.
Olivia is still snotty++ the nasal aspirator was too big that i got initially so i went and got a smaller one. she doesnt like it but it frees her breathing up a bit.
Last night she fed at 11pm then at 3am and the at 7am. i like it better than the 2 hourly feeds. she slept with us til 3 then slept in her cot... yay
well enough of my rambling...take care
love melissa
Babies Born April 2007 #3
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