Hey girls!! Nice to see you all in here Isn't it incredible to think that those big tummies we all had just a few weeks ago have now turned into the gorgeous little bundles we are holding in our arms..something I still find absolutely amazing!
Well, we had a little boy on the 16th. My labour started with my ob breaking my waters as at my routine ob app prior to this, the u/s seemed to show that there wasn't a whole lot of fluid anymore and movements had dropped off. So that afternoon we were admitted. Luckily enough though, when he did a VE at the app I was already 3 cm! So breaking my waters seemed a good option to follow. I must admit I was so scared!! I think because I wasn't expecting things to go that way, I just thought I'd go into labour one night naturally! Anyway, 3.5 hours later my young man was born naturally. Weighing at almost 4 kgs and I'm tiny! so I'm quite proud
Hi Kristy! Byron looks like an absolute hunny!!! Sounds as if you are cruising along! Hey how are the cloth nappies going? Our man is pretty much grown out of newborn cloth now- amazing!
Hi Danni! Jaxon is 1 day older then our fella!..Good choice in name too, gorgeous little boys name. Don't beat yourself up too much matey re. bf'ing. You are so right in saying help and support is so important and if it's not there then it can be so so hard. Feeding a NB is so tough, but it does most definitely get easier. Anyway, you do what's right for you hun, don't worry about anything else
Hi BW! Welcome! You sure have been through an incredible journey, I think your strength throughout it all has been absolutely amazing. I can't wait to share your (and baby Samuel's) journey over the next few months and beyond
Hi Bec! Yep, pretty much a blur to us as well even though our bub was born a few days before yours. It's all just flown by! How have you been with DH back at work? That's me this week eeek!.. I'm a bit scared!
Hi plc! Nice to 'see' you again! Congrats on baby April! Yes, things are a lot calmer here too second time round! But the trade off is that it's a whole lot busier too!!
Kristy, I have to admit that I was pretty surprised to find Samuel arriving 4 weeks early, too!
DanniiM, I too am formula feeding. Please don't beat up on yourself over it - it's much more important that your baby is fed and happy rather than starving and grumpy and you not coping. I still sometimes wonder if we'd have got the BF thing happening if Samuel had arrived on time and not on top of Christmas, but it's not like we can go back and change things... we can just accept and move on, and perhaps learn for next time (IF there is a next time! I'm still pretty convinced there won't be!)
Lee, I have to admit that I don't feel amazing... I just cope with what life throws at me as I don't have much choice in the matter! You had a very quick labour there... I was thinking mine was fast... probably would have been if we hadn't started out posterior, but the important thing is that our babies are here. Well done on birthing such a big baby naturally! I struggled with my little 2.5kg bub...
Looking forward to getting to know everyone more and more in the days, weeks, months ahead... I'm already surprised at just how much more alert Samuel is now than he was a few weeks ago. Working on the neck control and just quietly taking in the world... he's had a big day today (out to church and then lunch with friends) and I've been having to wake him for feeds and he's just about falling asleep on the bottle by the end. Hoping this continues through the night, too and we don't end up with him decided that 2am is party time!
Great to "see" you all ladies! and read about everyone's experiences. I'm thinking I am going to be hopeless on personals - something I prided myself on not so long ago - I will try to keep up as best possible.
I hear you about the whole bfing / formula feeding stuff. With my DS I really tried so hard to bf but it wasn't to be whether due to a lack of supply or bad technique or whether lack of rest, being too anxious, etc. may have contributed to lack of milk. This time being more relaxed I have had more success but only just and not counting myself as a total success just yet. We have been on the whole bfing, ebm, formula and then expressing routine (about an hour and half each time) 6 times a day (inc. twice at night). Up until Thursday, then I dropped the formula and was just expressing and ebming with the bfing. I was also taking fenugreek to boost my milk supply which worked!! Then I stopped taking the fenugreek when my pee was smelling like maple syrup (that was the instruction) and stopped expressing to just see if my bfing was enough. Well, I don't think it is. I have been feeding every 2 hours or so and the poor little thing is not getting enough sleep in between. So at 6pm, I gave her 60ml of ebm and 60ml of formula (not all at once, just based on demand) and after all of that she has been sleeping for 2 hrs now. Poor love!! I think I need to go back to the bfing, ebm, formula feed, then express for a little bit longer. Bfing is cheaper and simpler (apart from the whole argument about antibodies etc) but formula feeding sure does mean they get their rest in between (for mummy too!). Boy - that was a rant - must have needed to get that one out!!
How are you coping with the sleep aspect Kristy (both for you and for bub)?
I wouldn't worry Dannii and Butterfly re formula - tho I can understand your disappointment.
Lee I also take my hat off to you re birthing a big bub naturally. April at almost 4.2kgs was almost going to be a vbac bub but after much thought and research I decided elective c-s was better for my circumstance.
Welcome Bec - good luck with the bfing - let us know how you go!
Hi Lee, good to see you here, was just remembering when it was just you and me in the Belly buddies group! We had to wit a while before anyone else joined us - and here we are now with bubs safely arrived! Cloth is going well for us, Byron is still fitting into his n.b sizes but i have just ordered some small sizes as i can tell he will out grow them in a few weeks. Cloth is easier than i thought but i also am a person who is pretty laid back and does what needs to be done so the extra work doesnt really bother me - although i am suprised by how much other washing the little boy seems to create!
plc Sounds like you have the feeding all sorted for now - i know what you mean about how things can change. I dont want to get to confident that i have it all worked out for us as i know that what is working for us now might change without any warning. Byrons sleep is heaps better now thanks, typical newborn patterns of anywhere between 2-3.5 hours during the night - last night he slept for just over 4 hours solid! Couldnt believe it when i saw the time, then the next sleep was 3 hours - i hope it wasnt a one off!!
BW I have noticed the alertness too. Have you got any smiles yet? Byron will try to copy our facial expressions, its so cute. I finally got him on video giving me big goofy smiles.
All yu ladies with your short labours - i kinda jelous! My active labour alone was 17 hours! Total time in labour 32 hours. Still trying to write my birth story, its going to be quite long, already a few pages into it.
Hi ladies
Wow been off for a couple of days and look at all the reading i had to do to catch up.
I had been crying everyday for the last week and yesterday i finally decided to call the Child Health Nurse who is also a Lac Consultant, anyway she is coming out in the next hour or so to see me regarding re-lactating so i am going to need all the strength, determination and support i can gather. I haven't talked to DP about re-lactating yet so i am hoping that he understands why i want to do it
He had a whole week off last week just to help me as he could see i wasn't coping, funnily enough he could see i wasn't coping more than i could see it myself...i love him so much for just being by my side when i need it most. I just really feel as though i need to try one last time as this may be my last bub and i will always wonder what if IYKWIM.
LEE great to see you had a nice short labour, mine was only 3.5hrs as well....i couldn't believe it went so quick, too the point he was nearly born me standing in the corridor between the two birth suite and poor DP holding me up and trying to get to the nearest nurses buzzer as bub was crowning then and there. A far cry from me having to push for 1.5hrs before my first DS was born. I was told if i have another one i might want to go to the hospital fairly quick.
Anyway i am off as Jaxon is due for a feed any minute now.
Jaxon is sleeping again so i thought i would post again to update my visit from the lac consultant.
She has given me strict instructions to follow and to start with i have just made an appointment with the GP tomorrow to get a prescription for medication to make my milk supply to come in again and to give it up to 5 days to work. In the mean time i am to put him to the breast as much as possible before giving him a bottle and even when he stirs between feeds to get as much stimulation as possible and to limit the dummy as much as i can and instead put him on the boobie. Then 1-1.5hrs after feeding i am to express, i am going to be a busy girl for the next month with this and she thinks the plan should be that i can drop one bottle every week until he is fully on the boobie again. One really good thing is that he hasn't lost his interest in the boobie either now i just need to ignore any negative breastfeeding comments and just stay focased on the job ahead.
Oh i have just noticed my platinum membership has expired, i had better mix that asap.
That's wonderful new Danni, i'm really happy that your happy with the decision you have made. Yes it is going to be alot of hard word and if you ever need any support pease dont hessitate to contact me. I'm not an expert in anything baby related but i am a good listener and have opinions!
Isn't it incredible to think that those big tummies we all had just a few weeks ago have now turned into the gorgeous little bundles we are holding in our arms..something I still find absolutely amazing!
and I'm tiny! so I'm quite proud
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now i just need to ignore any negative breastfeeding comments and just stay focased on the job ahead.
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