Michelle, that sucks. Your son is gaining massively, are they out of their minds? Are your ILs going to be minding him when you go back to work? With your obvious grand bfing prowess, I'd say you'll manage no worries at being a pumping working mum! The proof is in the pudding, let them poo poo and you just show them you can do it. My mother was a 50's mother, back when cow's milk was given instead of bm (not formula), and there were rarely reactions (better milk, I guess) and little to no research done on anything. So that generation really doesn't understand our determination to bfeed. All that mattered back then is "sleeping through the night" and if solids or cows milk did it, then they did it. So they seem to fall back to that advice for every baby ail - "He has gas? oh, he needs solids... Can't read yet? He needs formula...whaddaya mean she's still in nappies at three months old! She needs a good dose of goat's milk..." Seems food solves all their problems (kinda explains a lot, eh).
Steph, WOW about your sleeping babe. I'd take your apple butter recipe if you were up for sharing it, and as for chili, how does Lila go after you eat it? I'm worried about eating curry (my favourite), but I wanna I wanna I wanna. re milk bank, I was so engorged I had to pump and got 60mls in five minutes so I froze it. My own little milk bank. I'm kinda excited about building up a milk bank in the freezer. I also think, for emergencies should I be unavailable for some reason, that DH should have something to feed DS. I also plan on getting him to let me sleep through a feed if I'm totally wrecked (let us pray it doesn't come to that). So yeah, milk bank. 'xcitin' stuff. FWIW, residency here is a cinch. They barely check anything really. DH had a medical and showed police records from one of the states he lived in. Where as I was all but anally probed in the States for my residency. It was a nightmare (michigan). I refused to be vaccinated which didn't help. But yeah, I think you'll be fine. Not that I'm advocating running on a loan (who, me?) but just advocating less stress on your behalf, and don't knock yourself out or miss more time with bub than you need to just for that. I think they just like to know you aren't a criminal or otherwise up to no good.
Ci had a MAJOR breakdown today. Cried harder than he ever has, almost lost his voice. Just woke up screaming, and it's not the first time. Weird, can't figure it out. Took half an hour to calm him.
Fire LOL - you are so right!! Even my mum - who is very suportive - keeps asking "why can't you give them cow's milk at 6 months?". Theory seems to be that we survived so it musthave been OK. Yes, my MIL will be minding Luke everyday that I am at work unless DH has weekend rostering and has days off during the week. My folks live an hour away and would have come over once a fortnight for few days but they are leaving for a 9 week OS holiday next friday (Canada, Alaska, Europe -not jealous at all!). I kee telling myself that it will be OK, but DH refuses to tell his mum exactly what we (I) want so it will probably fall to me to have that conversation. Yay for your milk bank. It is awesome to be able to get DH to feed Luke and give me a break.
Steph Yeah, I came to the same conclusion that at least he will be with family and have consistency of care. My MIL did the same with SIL's 3 children so she is pretty adept at looking after little ones, only real difference is that SIL didn't BF any of them. Will have to be quite firm.
Luke is a trooper! Spent all day yesterday stressing about whether he was getting enough to eat and wondering if I should comp feed him with EBM (I have about 3.5 litres in the freezer) but decided just to feed him as usual and see what happened. Put him down at 7.15pm and he woke briefly at 5am (had his arm jammed in the cot bars and after I fixed him up and went to put some warm clothes on to feed him he was asleep again) and then woke up hungry as a hippo at 7am. He fed lots and lots and went down again at about 8.45am. Pooey to those who think he is starving. We are off to the MCHN today so looking forward to seeing how big he is.
Janine- No idea why/how she sleeps through the night so well, I just count my blessings and hope it lasts. I thought maybe you were talking about milk donation with the "bank," I see what you mean now. I need to get some containers to freeze milk in, I make heaps but juggling boobie/bottle has made my supply weird so I'm trying NOT to pump so things even out. As for immigration, I was so embarrassed when DH was DF and came to the US for a visit and was fingerprinted and photographed and interrogated. I've been treated pretty well here, really need to get on the police check and medical thing. Blah.
Apple Butter-
2 c apple cider or water
1 kilo apples peeled cored and chopped (I used seven- a few granny smiths, a few pink ladies and a red delicious because thats what I had around)
1/3 c honey
.5t cloves
.5t allspice
1t cinnamon
Bring water/cider to boiling, chuck in apples. Let simmer covered for 1 hour stirring every so often, til apples are soft. Do not drain, mash the apples or use a mixer to make applesauce. I usually set a little of that aside for making cakes. Then add in the honey and the spices, really its just a guide and you should spice it to taste. Then cook it all down for an hour or two over low heat uncovered until its thick for spreading. Stir it to make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom.
As for diet and breastmilk, honestly I haven't paid much mind to what I eat and how it affects her. Obviously I stay away from caffeine except my morning cuppa, and I can't have too much chocolate or she breaks out. I think when I've had cabbage she upchucks more but I like cabbage too much to care. Nothing seems to bother her much, I mean absolutely nothing. I was cutting her nails and took off a little skin and she just sort of meowed and looked at me accusingly. I hope she stays this easygoing since DH and I are planning to travel/work/live overseas with her once he's finished uni...
Michelle- WOW WOW 3.5 L in the freezer? You machine... That will stand you in good stead when you have to go back to work. Good for you not letting other people get in your head when you know you're doing a great job.
I just want to come in and say my MJ has hit the 5kg mark!!!!
bit of a whinge though, stupid MCHN had a lecture for me when she asked how she was sleeping and i said well she must sleep well cause she sleeps in with me and she will wake feed herself then go back to sleep and i dont even wake most of the time uless its to roll over so she can change boobs
told me that i shouldnt co sleep etc, i just walked off and said i will do it my way thanks
Shell Doesn't sound like you have any problems with feeding to me. Maybe just tell you MIL that he is in the 75th percentile of weight for his age (or whatever it actually is) and that as long as he is gaining 150gms a week the MCHN says he is doing wonderfully. You are going to have to have the conversation as DH's don't tend to know how to communicate with their mother's about childrearing. Maybe even give her some written instructions. Politely say this is how I'd like it to be for a week and then ask for her feedback on how it went. Each time she suggests something different just tell her that things have changed since she was a mother, generally for the worse and research indicates your way - even if you don't have the proof at hand. I feel for you having to return to work after 11 weeks. I went back after 4 motnhs with DS and exclusively BF for a further 2 months and continued to BF with part formula during the day for another 2 months and then from 8 months to 14 months I BF when he was with me. Gave up at 14 months because I wanted him not to be dependent on me for night time feeds - he still wasn't sleeping through and it was doing my head in.
As for me - I'm geting better with this whole thing. Talked at length with DH the other night, explained how I was feeling, said things but prefaced with I'm not saying that I couldn't work out how else to explain my feelings so to listen carefully to what I was saying between the lines... it worked out great. Now that I'm letting the communication occur. I've had a super productive day on my first day with both DS and DD at home I have done more in one day than I was doing all week - at least that is how it seems. DD is sleeping for 1-2 hours in the arvo in her cot . Now to get myself to do the night time cot settle.
Speaking of which she has just woken - gotta dash.
Grubi: That is great she is sleeping in cot, I haven't set up Wyatt's yet for 2 reason.
1. We are waiting on out builder to put built-in so each child can have there very own side. Wyatt getting quite a few clothes.
2. After wardorbes go in we will change kids over boys in bigger room DD in smaller room unless she want to share.
3. I don't want to let him go into his cot. I'm not that ready for him to grow up.
Anyway DD and DS are fighting so I better go.
Cheers
Sarah
Last edited by sarah_dobbo2; July 1st, 2008 at 05:42 PM.
Sarah - I need to get DD into the cot as I cosleep with DS ATM and three in the bed isn't going to work for much longer as she gets bigger. I'll still be in the same room, just not in the bed with me. I'm hoping that if I get her sleeping in the cot then DS will move to his own bed, we tried that before DD was born and it was working, but I got lazy and gave in to him sleeping with me and I figure when I'm working he only gets me for 2-3 hours a day so why not sleep with me. As much as I want to give to DD the same, I can't have 2 of them sleeping with me for the next 3 years. DD is getting more mummy time anyway as I'm not going back to work as soon with her and I'm going Parttime to begin with when I do return, so she will have lots of Mummy time in her first year. I'll cosleep if she is sick, but do not want her to get the idea that the bed in the nursery is her bed like DS thinks.
Besides if she doesn't sleep in the cot what a waste of money it will have been.
Ha, Luke was weighed today and came in at 7.2 kgs... he is now off the weight chart... Nurse said that if there was a 100% he would be it... called DH and told him and he said, "yeah that is why I reckon he needs more food". Think we will be having a talk about it tonight! He is a biig boy generally though, he is on the 90th percentile for length and head circumference.
Grubi sounds as though it is getting crowded at your place! Will definately be asking you for tips on BF'ing and working! well done for communicating well - sounds as though you are feeling better about it all.
sarah hey! sounds as though you too have your hands full!
Well Luke is having a spastic and I now have him sitting on my lap - seems the computer is quite fascinating! best go and feed him some more and give him a bath.
Just killed myself, DD in carrier on front and DS piggy backed from the park, an extra 20 plus kilos to carry.
Both kids are asleep ATM. Have to hold DD a little longer as I tried to put her in the cot but she only lasted 10 minutes .
Still today I have:
Swept and mopped floors
Done dishes
Cleaned the stove
Put dinner in slow cooker
Had a shower
Did a load of washing
Made all the beds
Cleaned up the mess DS made
Went for a walk to shops with both kids
Bought fruit and veg from Coles
Made Icing and put on Milk Arrowroot Biscuits with DS
Had Lunch with DS
Re swept floors
Hung out washing
Emails to DH, Ebay check, Belly posts
Re mopped the floors
Folded and put away half the washing
Went to the park
Started chopping up vegies for dinner
And both kids are still unscathed, no growling Mummy at all today.
I'm proud of myself
. Now to get myself to do the night time cot settle.
. 
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