Babies Born December 16th ~ 31st 2008

Things are up and down here.

Emily is continuing to put on weight and is growing like a mushroom - she's my little chubba bubba now! She's sleeping very well at night, but can tend to be very unsettled during the day. She has been diagnosed with reflux and is on infant gaviscon now (since yesterday) and I am noticing a good difference already. Her wind/colic is up and down, but I think it is improving after taking her off the infacol - something in me said "I don't think it's working" so I took her off it and she seems less windy, and straining a little less.

We had a bad day on Monday where I had drunk OJ (first time since pregnancy) and that made the reflux extremely bad and she cried from 9am-5pm with fussy feeding amongst it, and then again from 8pm-2am, but we now know citrus is out (!!), and she's much better yesterday and today. I get worried about many things in my diet and how they affect her wind/colic with BF also, so I am off dairy, soy milk, no eggs (these definitely affect her wind!), some vegetables like broccoli and now no citrus. I was thinking about trying to take out wheat to see what that does, but it's getting a bit extreme and I"m trying not to get obsessed about it and just know that the wind will improve more as she gets older.

The main thing is she is growing and thriving and doing well :)

My mum has been in hospital since last week back in Melbourne - she had a minor/moderate heart attack, so it's been really hard to be over here in the UK whilst she's been going through that, but she had an angiogram, some stents put in and she's been allowed to go home after 6 days to recover, rest and get well at home. We are hopeful her health will improve overall now. Quite scary though when I got the call from my dad.

Kristy - how are things going for you with your supply? I hope everything is ok!

BW - how are you going? Has Samuel been more settled recently?

DanniiM - wow! Swimming is awesome! I'll look forward to seeing photos in your gallery. Glad you've got the day/night going well now - it makes such a difference, doesn't it?

jgal - It's nice to have that interaction going on now, and more alertness, isn't it? I hope all is going well for you.

Paula - how are things going for you? Been thinking of you!

Lee - Hope things settle more for you with the frequent feeds, especially so you can get some additional rest at night. I tried feeding DD more frequently during the day and found that this helped her go for longer at night. I know you're feeding often as it is, but can you try feeding even more frequently during the day to see if it helps?

Take care, everyone :hug:

Hi everyone,

my first post in here. Little Marciano came 2 weeks early on the 23rd January weighing in at 6pounds 7ounces. He has continued to put on lots of weight each week, around 4.5 weeks he was weighing 4.3kg (not sure what that is in pounds/ounces).

Breastfeeding is going ok. Don't think he's latching on properly all the time but i just put up with the pain. He suffers from really bad wind too and is always trying to push out farts/poos while he's feeding so he keeps pulling off and stretching my nipple and then screaming. I also like some of you girls, have fast flow so i've been leaning back at the beginning of each feed to stop him choking. He's feeding about every 2 hours during the day and sooner than that at night.

One thing i'm curious to know from all you girls is your little ones bowel movements. Marciano is pooing constantly, and i mean constantly. We can change his nappy every hour and it is filled with liquid yellow poo and grainy bits. Sometimes we might even have to change it more regularly than this. Poor thing has nappy rash too so we can't leave the dirty nappies on him for long either. We have already gone through 3 large boxes (pk of 108) of huggies newborn nappies. He is costing us a fortune!! Is this normal? Most other mums i have spoken to recently have there babies only pooed a few times each day and then others said every few days.

Bub and i are getting about 1 hour sleep blocks at best. Most of the time though it will only be around 45mins so i'm absolutely stuffed and feel like i couldn't last another day but somehow i've lasted just over 5 weeks of it!

Jellybean that seems a little excessive to me....regarding the pooing. Could it maybe be something you are eating that is giving him the constant pooing, maybe put a post in the BFeeding support section and Barb might pop in and reasure you or at least give some advice, there is also a section regarding bowel movements....here you go https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...on-babies.html

Lee i haven't been doing to well over the last week or so with the breastfeeding and expressing. I don't feel as though i have the support, DP thinks that i just can't produce enough, the LC at the local clinic thinks i should have been able to get 100mls+ out at each expressing session where as i was really stoked when i was getting 25mls out during expressing and that was in between feeds. It is just so hard...i have a happy baby on FFing and i just wonder if i am being selfish and of cause then i feel really depressed about it all. Every where i turn i feel as though i have failed a second time with Breastfeeding, it is on the formula tins (Breast milk is best)....yes i know and when i went shopping the other day i was in the dairy section and there were two ladies talking about how well the breastfeeding was going for her. I just don't understand how something so natural is so hard IYKWIM. Sorry about my rant...this has been the first time i can actually let out what i am feeling!

Thanks DANNIM. Not sure what it would be in my diet that could be affecting him.

I'll have to have a think about it :doh:

Thanks for the advice - i have posted in the forum you suggested :p

Hello Everyone,

I don't know why I haven't been able to find this thread before :redface:, but so pleased to read all of your progress.

It is getting easier each week, but this week has been a nightmare with 40+ degrees and our air con broke down a few days ago- aaarrrgggghhh. Getting new system put in on Monday can't wait.

I have found baby Jacob is happy/ sleepy in the mornings, generally good until 4, and then arsenic hour kicks in- but he goes back to sleep after his feeds after 11.

It's really weird, but for the really hot days, he just wants to be cuddled, even though it's been around 30 degrees in the house- go figure!

Like a few of you we've had some bf'ing issues- I'm on motillium to increase milk supply, which has worked, so now we're having 1 or 2 small formula bottles a day- usually if I have forgotten to take a tablet on time! I'm also going to the RWH (Melb) Breast feeding clinic which is a free all day clinic, on Monday. Hopefully I will pick up a few tips to help stop the constant snacking- when awake and alert, and towards the evening, he likes to snack, feeding for about 10 minutes every 30 to 60 minutes.

Also, for colic we're using Brauer's Colic relief which is homeopathic, although I haven't needed t use it today, which might be a sign his digestive system is starting to mature... I hope.

Other than that and the amazing scream he has developed, he's going really well. He's a little chubby buddha!


Great to see you all again.

Carole & Jacob

Hi Carol

I have been put on the Motilium as well, when did they tell you to take the tablets and how many are you per day....if you dont mind me asking?

Got Jaxon weighed last Thursday and he is a whooping 5.2kg already....where has my little baby gone, that is 2.2kgs since his birth.

Oh I'm so sorry girls - I am still here. Lurking mostly - the tiredness is a killer.

Having said that, I am not up with everyone's goings-on and need to look back at some posts. Just wanted to say all is well with April - she is bfing still and the LC was really encouraging when she came some weeks ago (thx Miss C). The nipples are a little tender today however - will keep an eye on them. Last week at the 4 week check, April had gained 600gm in 2 weeks and 3.5cm in length so the juice must be made of the right stuff!! I just love when she looks up at me when she's getting a cuddle and coos at me, with her stare intent on me. I just love that 2nd time around I am so much more relaxed and able to enjoy these things - with DS I was always so worried about doing the wrong thing that I didn't get to take this time out for extra bonding. So April will be using Infant nappies after the 6 or so newborns I have left are gone. My girl is almost 5kgs. So many similarities in weight, head circ & length with DS. I have some pics in the gallery link below...

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums/...0&ppuser=13389

I hope you are all travelling reasonably well - hugs to those who need them.

Hi DanniM,

I know, my little bubby now hangs over my lap when feeding and is heavy like a big bag of potatoes. He's starting to hold up his head though, so it will be good when he can sit up on my hop. Do you use a sling? I'm trying to sort out a good one for a heavier newborn...

I'm taking 3 tablets a day (when I remember!) and Jake weighed 5.13 kg today, with a starting weight of 3.835kg so he's now put on 1.295kg from his birth weight, and nearly 1.8kg since discharge. Jaxon's doing really well at 2.2kg - are you still using formula?

I went to Breastfeeding Clinic as an outpatient from the Royal Womens today, and really they could only suggest I work on my attachment and try to get him to feed for longer to reduce the number of feeds.

I'm down to 0-1 bottles a day, sometimes he only takes 20ml...other times he will gulp 120ml. Downside is he feeds at least 9 times a day, with the record at 14 times a day... mind you it was 44 degrees that day, so he probably needed the extra fluid. I have pretty much given up expressing as after that many feeds I don't feel like being hooked up for a mechanical feed, I already feel like a milkbar that never closes.

Hope everyone is well, and getting some sleep

Carole

Marciano only sleeps around 1 hour at a time at night.

Last night was really bad. He was screaming for hours on end. I have to rock him to sleep or put him on my chest while i watch TV and that seems to put him to sleep really well, that is until i put him in his bassinet. He wakes up as soon as i put him in there. I try to resettle him but he just keeps waking up. It's up and down with him for hours.

I'm at wits end with it and last night i started getting really angry with him because he wouldn't stop whinging or screaming. I've been so sleep deprived i don't know what to do with him at night!!!

Any suggestions? I'm thinking he doesn't like the bassinet maybe...

How does everyone else settle their babies back to sleep after a feed during the night/early morning?

Hi Jellybean
I can understand your frustration although Jaxon is doing great with his sleep, he wasn't for a while there. I have stopped his late feed at 10pm and instead just let him sleep cause i was actually waking him and hoping he would go longer but it actually had the opposite affect. Instead now i have brought his feed to between 7.30-8pm and then he goes through to around 2am. I think the best thing to do is take there lead and not to try and make them do something that they really don't want to, in the end you get frazled and so upset it just makes it all much worse. Have you thought about just putting him in bed with you...at least you will get some shut eye. I did this with my older DS and we co slept like this until he was 6 months, this time with Jaxon i tried it when he was real bad but to be honest it drove me nuts cause he is a "mover and groover" even when he is sleeping and he much prefers to sleep on his own i think too.

I know it is hard atm but just remember we are all here for support.

:D

DANNIM - i feed him whenever he wants whether it's every hour or 2 hours but he doesn't go to sleep now even when he's really tired. His sleeping and feeding patterns are getting worse everyday.

Today has been really bad too, he has screamed histerically nonstop all afternoon. Both hubby and i can't settle him. Something doesn't seem right but i don't know what :crying:

Will it ever end?

Hi Jellybean,

I'm sorry you're having such a rough time :hug:

Does DS have any other symptoms other than crying and not being able to settle? What is he like as he's feeding? How long does he feed for?

I ask this as frequent feeding and crying when you're trying to settle him on his back can be symptoms of reflux. Babies with reflux use sucking to soothe (as do many babies in any kind of discomfort) and milk also helps with the burn from reflux. Does he have much wind? Does he posset much?

He could also be going through a growth spurt, where babies feed more frequently for anything up to a week - it's common to have a growth spurt around 6 weeks.

I hope this little bit of info helps. Please tell us more about his behaviour, and hopefully we can suggest more things that may help!

Miss C

I was just about to post exactly what Miss C just wrote....hoping you are doing a little better this morning? My DS1 i can remember was extremely unsettled especially late arvo between the 6 wk and 12wk mark....it drove me nuts! I still find if bub isn't into a deep enough sleep before i put him in his bassinett he will wake straight up. Have you tried gripe water maybe? You can get it from Woolies...maybe he might get a bit of indigestion type burning pain when you pop him down, my LC suggested i pop something under the mattress just to raise it slightly and it has helped us. I read somewhere that if colic is the reason for a bubs pain it peaks around the 6-8 wks.
Sorry we don't have any other advice, sending you a huge hug :grouphug:

Oh also i find if Jaxon is extremely tired or overtired it is harder to get him to sleep...basically they get overstimulated! Hun don't beat yourself up to much, you will find your groove really soon. Also if you are getting really stressed pop him down for 5 it won't hurt him to cry/scream for a little bit until you gather yourself together and never forget there is always help out there!

;)

Hey mummas!

Just wanted to say hang in there jellybean :comfort:..Prolonged crying especially at night is just so difficult I know. Hopefully though, it ends soon and the next few months and beyond will be a breeze for you.
I was also going to suggest reflux as a cause. Our DD used to scream for hours and be such a hard bub to settle sometimes because she had nasty reflux which she needed treatment for. Otherwise, if you don't think that something like that is the cause then maybe try a baby hammock for sleeping, you hear very good reports about them. Plus I'd be really playing around with a dummy, swaddling/unswaddling, co sleeping etc...Just make sure you don't blame yourself, and know that it will get better and this crying will end soon..

ETA..Guys, little question!- how much have your bubs grown in length since birth. Our man just looks soooooo long atm!

ETA2..Sorry for not replying to anyone else..will be back!!

Hi Lee
Jaxon was 59cm at his 6 wk check up, so that would be 6cm since birth. My boy has long feet too LOL!

LEE - DS has grown from 47cms to 55cms - total 8cms.

DS does have reflux and colic. He's on Losec (just started on it the other day)and he's on Rhubarb and Soda for the colic. The rhubarb remedy is helping but still doesn't get rid of the wind completely.

His bed is tilted up at one end and we sit him up for about 20mins after each feed and burp him as much as possible. He also has a dummy but he spits it out all through the night and it's a pain putting it back in every 10 mins.

My girlfriend stayed overnight and got up for one of his feeds so i finally got a solid 4hours sleep. Shame i can't have her stay everynight!

Woooohoooo i just realised i got my new avator....i love it, so pretty!