Nettie- on getting to the 2 month mark with EBM. Its hard. How much are you making? I'm averaging 30ish mls an hour per breast. Not that I express that often. I'm trying to get my supply up, so I've been drinking fenugreek/raspberry leaf tea and taking flaxseed capsules. I think its helping. Am trying to get her back on the breast exclusively but its kind of touch and go. Sometimes I get really down and think I just can't do it anymore, but I get stuck in and do it anyway. One week at a time, weeks turn into months. That's my mantra for the feeding. Lila has sniffles, too. I don't know what to do for it other than the saline drops (loosens up the muck and kind of dries it out) followed by a good swab with a cotton bud. And I have her in the bathroom in the steam while I shower.

Zennie- Lila was like that for ages up until about ten days ago. Drove me nuts. I still race to bed every time I have her down for fear I won't get another sleep ever again. I don't know what made it change, but it did and now she sleeps unbroken 7-12 hours a night usually. I got up with her in the early morning once the past week. I just tell myself that it won't always be like this, and try to stay just in the present moment and it kind of helps. That said, I have had times where I cried and nearly threw Lila at her father because I was so tired and out of it and exhausted I couldn't stand her any more. Hang in there, I guess.

Janine- my back hurts too. She never sleeps during the day and is only calm if she's close to me. I can't get anything done unless I sling her, but I can't do it for more than a few hours at a time cause it kills my back. Like you said, persevere. I tell myself it will all pay off eventually, and hey I don't have to listen to her screaming. When I was at my wits end a few weeks ago I did a search and found a study that looked at crying in the first year, and overwhelmingly it showed that how much a baby cries in the first 6 months sets the pattern for how much they cry in the second 6 months. Could be completely off, whatever, but I think of that and it helps. I really don't buy the "manipulation" school of thought, either. Seriously. She can't even hold her head up for more than a few seconds, how is she going to be clever enough to manipulate me? It smacks of projection a little bit. Like how people tend to attribute human characteristics to their pets. When i put her down and she gets upset and cries I think of how she doesn't know she isn't alone and she doesn't know there aren't wild beasts just waiting to pounce on her the second she leaves the protective parental arms. Poor wee thing. Manipulation might start to come into play a few months down the road, but for pete's sake our babies are still womb-fresh. heh, sorry, not preaching, I'm thinking of that nasty woman at the dr's office.

BabyWrangler- we don't have much of a routine either. I couldn't say when she feeds or how much, I just take her as she comes. And you know, I have such a giggly, smiley contented little thing. Routines are overrated. The thing I've found with Lila and the EBM is sometimes she just has a normal feed (90 or so mls) and is happy as larry for hours and hours. Then other times she has one, has another, has another, has another and just when I think there is no way she can cram more milk in her little tummy she'll have another. I doubt it has something to do with your milk not satisfying him, it might be that he just has insatiable periods during the day. The other thing is, I notice my milk is thicker when I'm eating more fatty foods- bacon and eggs with hot buttered toast, that kind of thing. And I try to express regularly, even if she hasn't fed. About every 3-4 hours, more often lately because I'm trying to get my supply up. Maybe that would help?

Lisylee- Lila gets those spots like little ant-bites on her face every now and then. It looks awful but doesn't seem to bother her so I'm not fussed. I think I traced it to my chocolate intake, so I'm a little careful with it now...?

About Af- had a little one about two weeks ago and now a big one. I guess my body just needs some time to work itself out, but it kind of freaks me out having another one so soon, I've been 28 days regular since I was 12. We'll see. Am on the mini-pill.

The past few days I've taken a little sigh of relief mixed with worrying it will all come crashing down soon. But I've been able to get some good sleep at night, have been able to spend a little time being a wife, have been keeping up with the house and washing (mostly) and making dinner almost every night. It feels really good, hope it lasts but don't expect it to. And no sign of pnd, was so worried and prepared for it to raise its ugly head. I just get homesick for my mum in Texas every so often.