Babies Born February 2008 #2

[danda]

Hi All,

re: wind, we are using infant's friend....mostly because my Mum is staying (from Singapore) and she is convinced that every cry or noise Zoe makes is because she has wind! who know's....i haven't even had a chance to try to figure out her cries cos Mum jumps in with the infants friend. IF she does have wind, then the infants friend seems to help, cos she settles quite well. I will do some tests myself after mum leaves i suppose!!!

My mastitis never eventuated thank God! a feeding, massaging,expressing regime resolved the problem before if went that far. It was seriously painful though, i hope i never actually end up with full blown mastitis!

good work girls...you all sound like you are doing great!

[Roquen]

Hi ladies!

I am sorry for being so quiet, have been having a lot of visitors as well as a lot of work with Jordan!

My little man is BF really well, I can feed without the nipple shields now - although overnight I still use it as my nipples have been KILLING when he latches on!

He is 3 weeks tomorrow and so far overnight feeds 2 hourly, however most nights he has a stretch of 4 or 5 hours where he won't sleep, he isn't always necessarily crying but is awake. Last night was the worst, we did feed/bath/massage etc and had him in bet by 930pm, he woke at 1230 for a feed, then slept till 230am, then was awake right up till 5am, then woke at 6 and hasn't gone back to sleep yet (its 1034 am!). And yeah, a normal night meaning a feed at 1030, 1230, 230, 430, 630, 830am is still horrendous. I lost it last night ,was crying, just struggling a lot atm.

He definitely had wind last night, but its hard to know what to do when Ive finished feeding him 30 mins before and he is acting hungry and nothing other than bbs settles him! I worry if he is windy that feeding him is making it worse, but if I don't, he works himself up that much I think he forgets why he is crying and it just gets worse. During the day he often sleeps 4 hours in the morning till lunchtime so I get a chance to rest then at least.

Everything just feels all over the place still, hope everyone else is having a better time lol.I love being a mum but babies so need to come with a manual :-)

[prama]

LOL Danda - my mum's the same, she thinks sometimes he's restless it's wind, and if we should give him Gripe Water. Im going to go to the ECC and ask htem abt it.

Roquen - sorry hun, it's very exhausting. Sometimes Lakshman gets restless and looks like he wants a feed, even tho he's just had some. I learnt this in Settling class. Hold him really tight to your chest. No rocking or talking or eye contact. They will settle in a few minutes. it's worked a couple of times, not all the time tho.

[Esme]

Prama - Yes, exactly; just when you think you got his routine worked out, they change it again; I have to learn to just go with the flow, but I just looove routines....

Danda - Jasper has a fair bit of wind to, so much so that he vomits because of all the straining he does trying to get rid of it. I have the 6 week checkup today and will run it past my GP. I am planning to go to the chemist today to buy some Infants Friend. I hope so it will help him . Infants Friend does get a fair few positive reactions in the general discussion thread, so I thought I will give it a go.

Roquen - Big ! That's got to be soo hard! Can you sleep during the day and catch up a little? Everything is so much harder during the night... Does Jordan sleep next to your bed? I have Jasper next to my bed in a bassinet and when he cries because of wind, I massage his tummy. This usually settles him enough to allow him to fall asleep. And the good thing is, I can do it lying down!

Hope everyone has a good day!

[kirsten74]

Hello everyone, sorry I haven't posted for awhile, but I have been lurking and seeing how everybody is doing with their bubs.
The whole BF thing is getting me down a bit and I am starting to wonder if putting Ben onto formula and being done with it would be a better option. My nipples are sore and I have no idea if he is getting enough from me. We have started giving him a formula bottle at about 8pm or so as this gives us a couple of hours sleep before the next feed, which is from the breast. DH then gives him a bottle of EBM in the morning to allow me to catch up on some sleep. I am worried that next week when DH goes back to work that I will be tied permanently to the couch with the older kids running riot. I also feel bad as I am not spending much time with them as I always seem to be feeding/ burping/ holding Ben. He doesn't sleep well during the day in his bassinet and would prefer to be held and cuddled while he sleeps. Night is a bit hit and miss with him settling back to sleep quite easily sometimes, but others lying awake in his bassinet farting and grunting for hours.
Sorry if I am having a bit of a whinge, but my hormones seem to be all over the place again. We have to go to a wedding on Thursday and it is the last thing I want to do with a newborn in tow. Plus my MIL is babysitting the older kids and she has never babysat before....ever! So I am worried about that as my kids can be a handful at the best of times. Just feel like hibernating inside and not going anywhere and just cuddling Ben and crying.
OK whinge is over. GOing to have a shower and a bit of a cry. Hopefully will feel better after that.
THanks for listening.

[danda]

gee Roquen...that sounds tough!! re: the "acting hungry"...have you tried a dummy? i presume you have.
Zoe was doing all that sucking/rooting reflex stuff right after a feed and after three nights (in hospital) of us struggling to settle her the midwife said "have you thought of using a dummy"....we did, and it worked, and now i won't be going back! Good thing is, i don't offer it to her every time she goes to sleep, only when she that little mouth is going for it.

[Esme]

Kirsten - Big ! Ifind it difficult enough with one; let alone three! It is so hard with breastfeeding; you never know how much they are getting... Do you get Ben weighed at all? If he is putting on weight, you can stop worrying about your milk... Maybe contact a lactation consultant? I'm having trouble too with my supply; the paediatrician put me on Motilium (tablets) and now Jasper puts on 250g a week!
Hope you'll be able to find the right support! Otherwise it is not the end of the world to start Ben on formula...

[kirsten74]

Thanks Esme. We went to take Ben to the baby clinic the other day only to find that the lady had quit and they wouldn't be running the clinic for awhile. So weighed him ourselves and he has put on weight. Still worry that he isn't getting enough (I had issues with my first child where the paed. at her 6 week check up said she wan't putting on enough weight and so made me feel like a bad mother etc etc)
I also saw a LC when I was in hospital and she was fantastic, but I just seem to spend so much time feeding Ben, I get nothing else done (it is 5:30pm and I am still in pyjamas!)
I will try to perservere for a bit longer, will try and make it to 6 weeks and then see how I go.

[prama]

kirsten - i hv to type a short msg, im expressing and hv 1 hand free to type.
so sorry abt what ur going thru... i know it's so tough, esp w 2 other kids.
BF is so hard, takes so much time, and there not much to do anything else & it's painful. formula seems so easy..
I'm at that cross road too... waiting to see how 6 weeks goes...bf really gets me down, sometimes i cry myself to sleep....
i dunno what to say.... maybe what the ob/paed says at 6 weeks, they are more rational than LCs..

thinking of you hun....xoxox

[Sueby]

Hi Girls,
We are still here just finding it hard to post between everything thats going on with a 4 and a half year old almost 3 year old and a baby.

Prama -- I feel for you. Please look after yourself. Ultimately the decision is yours. You are doing a fabulous job.

After two weeks of supply probs and visits to MCHN we have put DD on formula fulltime. It was a hard decision but she is so settled and content now. I had trouble breastfeeding both my boys and I guess that made our decision a little easier.
Hi to everyone else -- bub crying got to go!!!
Sue

[Roquen]

Hi Everyone!

Prama - sorry to hear you are still struggling with BF. Its so hard isn't it. I got a bit upset the other day about it, nipples were really sore as I have just about completely weaned Jordan off the shields now. Tried to talk to hubby and he flat out said I have to breastfeed and he won't let me stop! Unless you are doing it, I don't think anyone can understand how draining it can be, and just the whole concept of having to do it every 2 or 3 hours no matter what can be daunting (especially if it is painful). I've been expressing and freezing as I have a huge supply still, and hubby has fed the odd bottle of ebm to Jordan for me so I could duck out to visit my horses etc, have only done it 2 times so far, but its nice to be able to get away and just do something for yourself once in a while, and come back refreshed and better able to cope, maybe that is an option for you?

Jordan had a better night last night, I fed him at 930, then he slept till 1230, then after that feed made it to 3am, then 445am then 8am, which is actually a really good night for us! I got more than 1.5 hours sleep which feels great, I even got up and went for a walk with the pram today, whereas yesterday I didn't even get to go to the loo till lunchtime :-) I'm hoping we have a similar night tonight. He is still a bit unsettled with the wind/colic - I did try a dummy with him this morning as he was rooting around like he was starving after doing a huge feed - he took it and spat it out once asleep, so I'm happy I have that option there if I need to settle him when he thinks he is hungry but isn't :-) I normally just let him suck but I was too sore! I initially didn't want to use a dummy but I think they have their place and if it means we all get some sleep, so be it.

I found last night that if I let him feed off one side (he guzzled for say 10 - 15 mins) then did his nappy change, and put him back on that side, he was more settled - I guess getting more hind/fatty milk that way. Hoping I can work it so he can feed off both sides at each feed again soon as I get so full its painful, but it seems that really making sure he drains one side helps with the wind.

Kirsten - are you having a better day today sweety? Motherhood is damn hard, I knew it would be challenging but this first few weeks, its just so hard! I love it but I know I've had days like you where I just had to have a good cry.

Hope you are all doing ok, I'm glad I have this group to read and post in, has helped me get through some rough patches thats for sure!

hugs to all xoxo

[kirsten74]

Hey everyone, well today is a better day. Don't feel so emotional and actually managed to have a shower and get dressed and go out! I had to see my Ob about my c section incision as he is keeping an eye on it while it heals (almost healed fully now, just the itching from the scar as everything heals!) and bit the bullet and asked for some motilium. At least this way I can get my supply up and start expressing a bit more so DH can give him a bottle in the morning and let me catch up on some sleep. Had to give him formula the last 2 mornings as I just didn't have enough to express and I have been so exhausted that DH didn't want to wake me so gave him formula. I don't mind Ben getting formula occasionally and I vowed to BF for as long as possible, but the whole process and the worry that comes with it is doing my head in, so I will continue until 6 weeks and then reassess.

Prama you are doing great with the BF. I think if I were in your shoes I would have said stuff it, formula all the way! You wait until your next child. You will be able to do all of this stuff in your sleep and know it all!

Well, got to go and cook dinner for the big kids. I wish the novelty of Ben would wear off and they would leave him alone. They keep kissing and touching and poking him. Have had to explain to them not to touch his head etc, but they keep bl**dy doing it! Oh well.

Sleep vibes to all the bubs (and the mums!)

[prama]

Thanks so much, girls. sometimes i feel so incompetent...

Roquen - my biggest problem is not having enough milk and each breastfeed takes almost an hr, followed by formula and everything takes an hr and half. and then its time for the next one. Motilium and fenugreek tablets are not helping.
Well done on getting off the shields!!
im going to be on them for a while yet, im getting lots of shooting pains. so im going to express for a day and see if my nipples heal. i was told that shooting pains mean your nipples are pretty damaged.
DH gives him EBM early mornings, and i express. so that helps too.
Glad your having time w your horses. getting out does help doesnt it.

Kirsten - so glad you;re doing better. it's nice to get out of the house isnt it. I went for a quick walk and it made me feel better. im tired of my ass being on the sofa all day feeding. it's hard to walk with my tummy still so wobbly.
whats the best way to get rid of it, it does go away doesnt it?
im waiting for the 6 weeks too. we'll take to the paed and then see how we go.. i know i will never forgive myself for giving up..
I know, the other day i was soo exhausted and my nipples were so painful, we gave him formula. i felt guilty but i thought it was better than me bf-ing and being unhappy and he gets my bad vibes.

off to have some dinner now...
love you all.
xxooxox

[Trillian]

time for a new thread everyone