Hi all,

My son Oliver Michael was born 16/2. I wasn't part of the due in feb thread, but I hope you don't mind me joining in here. I was more active elsewhere during my pregnancy but since bubs was born it seems its all about schedules, Tizzie Hall, and controlled crying which is doing my head in so I've been looking for somewhere a bit more baby-led.

Oliver is fully breastfed - I've been very lucky and not had much difficulty at all. It was very painful in the first week and I had a graze on my right nipple but both the graze and the pain have now passed. My midwife said I should be feeding from one side per feed and making sure Oliver drains it, which is what I've been doing and it seems to be working well enough. Weight wise he never lost from his birth weight and he on Tuesday he was exactly 4kg (up from 3.34kg at birth).

He gets a bum change half way though which wakes him up so he finishes eating. He takes ages to feed though, he is still taking up to 45 mins each feed (down from almost an hour last week). He gets windy and needs burping after every feed.

I've got a Avent Isis manual pump which works well enough. I just use it to empty the breast which isn't used first feed in the morning as it feels like it will explode otherwise. I generally wake up soaking wet in the morning which sucks - sleeping in a bra is so uncomfy but the breastfeeding singlets aren't holding the breast pads in.

He sleeps pretty well at night - likes a feed about 3am and about 6am. Day sleeps are another story, Oliver cat naps a lot. But as long as he is sleeping at night I figure cat napping in the day isn't a problem.

Hope you are all well, and I look forward to getting to know you all better.