Babies Born February 2008

[Ambah]

Just a quick one from me!

Re BF tops - Target are having a clearance sale on last seasons clothes atm, and yesterday I picked up a BF top for only $8! Its really quite nice too. I had to browse many racks of messy clothes to find it though...

2 please (are you Karlie?, sorry, trying to work out names!) - thats awful about the woman touching Jakes leg... how intrusive!
Eva is also preferring to lay her head to one side, although I haven't noticed it being any flatter on that side (yet!)

Jacki - with burping, I generally only try for a minute or two. I usually find that Eva will burp later on, when being moved/changing positions etc. Luckily wind doesn't seem to be causing her too much distress atm.

Kerrie - thanks for the tips! Esp regarding the lactose, I didn't know that!

Sue - hope you have a better night tonight hon..

Esme - hope your CHN appt goes well!

General question - how are you all going with your fluid intake when BF? I am really worried that I am not drinking enough, and may be dehydrating myself, although my supply is ok... I don't feel excessively thirsty, but I always seems to have a mild headache, and feel that I am barely drinking enough to cover the milk I am making... I should really put more effort in I think, or I will regret it!

Anyway, better make it into the shower today whilst I can!

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Okay, i think i have decided personals in this thread is going to be one heck of a task! There's so many of us!

Jen - Woohoo on the long sleeps! That sounds excellent, although a little unfortunate for your bbs. Hopefully she keeps it up and they can get used to it too.

Jacki - great to hear the good news about your lump! Good on you for braving the public BF - it may not have happened but you've taken the first step. I don't think i'll ever get that far, my bbs are too big for a tiny lil bubba's head to hide, LOL! As for sleep, i could be getting two lots of 2.5 hrs but i find it really difficult to fall asleep knowing there's things i *could* be doing as well. So i normally get a good two or three hour sleep after DF leaves for work and then stay up the rest of the day. I've only been home three days though so who knows how long it will last.

Carley - I absolutely adore your DS name. It's so unique, i love it!

Kelly - it's good to hear that your supply is getting better - sorry can't help you with your questions, but i do hope Reuben's feeding gets better for your soon.

Ambah - sounds like you're doing a fantastic job persevering with the breastfeeding!! The sidecar cot sounds like a good idea. I've got Alex in a bassinet next to the bed, which works well, but i'm still a little bit sore getting up and down and it sits a lot higher than the bed does... i might even try that with our cot.

Karlie - OMG i would have been furious!!! Where do some people get off thinking that it's ok to just touch other people's babies and children? And especially if she's sick - i bet she'd have been horrified were it her child. i swear some people just don't think! I hope you and your family start to feel better soon.

Sue & Esme - thanks for your congratulations.

Katkins - Thanks I know it'll take a while to settle down, and that all the changes are good i just like to have a whinge, lol! Also, thanks for sharing your BF advice, will have to sticky note it somewhere for a bit further down the track!

Prama - how are things going for you hun? You are doing such a fantastic job - i bet you will feel so good when things start improving!!!

Well in the hope i haven't missed anyone, i'll do a quick update... and by quick, im sorry i talk a lot!
Alexander has been pretty good at home so far. I'm going a bit batty with his irritable time / cluster feeds because it starts around 4:30am. I think i don't mind it so much, i'm getting more upset by it because it means DF is not getting much sleep & doesn't have the opportunity to steal a nap during the day, so i kind of feel guilty. I am slowly convincing myself that it's ok - my body's recovering from nine months worth of 'weird' and labour was hard work. And i need to be rested so that we he crashes i can do it alone.
Haven't so far had any issues with breastfeeding as such. Did have a blister on my right nipple, which was making me a bit teary when he fed, but enough air when not feeding and fixing his attachment has helped and it's mostly healed up.
With regards to supply: My left breast seems to think it's a tap. It's getting to the point i think i'm going to have to feed him solely on that side and just express enough off the right to be comfortable. I have been completely soaking through three breastpads during a feed on the right side, and then ill soak through another two (at the least) in between feeds - even if he has fed off the left side. I've gotten to the point where im going to chop up a few maternity pads because the breastpads just aren't doing the job! It's also making him lazy when he's on the left breast because he really doesn't have to suck.
He has also taken to the bottle pretty well - at the moment i'm not worried about expressing reducing my supply so i guess the bonus of being so leaky is that i'll get a good store for when it all regulates a little better - and then DF will be able to do some feeds for me.
Baby Blues, haha, i'm the weepiest little thing when DF gets home from work at night. But i think we're going ok!

Sorry for long rambles... hoping everyone is feeling well and semi-rested today.

[jenjams]

We went to the maternal health nurse today. Amber has put on 190 grams in a week. She has grown 2.5cm since birth and her head is 2cm bigger. Not bad for a 2 week old. Seeing as she is healthy I can keep letting her sleep for as long as she wants during the night. Just makes my bb's harder. I am wearing 2 breast pads during the night and they have not leaked for a bit. I still must be getting decent milk supply though.

Ash- Sounds like you are doing great. My first few days home from hospital were bad. I got the baby blues a bit and was worried about everything. Slowly things are getting better.

Ambah- I am trying to drink a lot of water but it seems to have dropped off a bit. When I first got home from hospital, my apptite was non existant. It is now getting better. I am still trying to drink though.

Jacki- I am not sleeping during the day but that is because I am getting decent enough sleep at night... That could change at the drop of the hat though. How are you coping with the heat? How does the little one cope with the heat?

Esme- How did the appointment go? How is the constant burping going?

Karlie- How rude of some people to disregard yours and Jakes health. They should stay away from newborns if they are sick.


Hello to everyone else I missed and hope you are having a great day.

[Esme]

Hi girls,

Just a quick update; went to the CHN today and Jasper has put on a very healthy 300 g in one week!! Very happy with that. Go the Motilium...

After this visit I decided to brave town and go have a coffee at my fave bakery like I used to do before DS arrived, and luckily Jasper behaved himself very well and slept until we were home. This gave me enough confidence to plan another trip in the afternoon to my work to show him off; very exciting and I am glad I did. Very tired now though, so hopefully we both will get a decent night sleep.

Jenjams - burping is going quite well. My bbs let the milk go a little bit to fast at the letdown too, and Jasper is just getting used to regulating his sucking with the flow. He still takes in some air, so after the fast flow has subsided, I sit him upright on my lap for a couple of minutes which usually produces one or two decent burps. After that I put him back on and he usually finishes that breast without any more air intake, so I skip the burping after that. By the way; congratulations on Amber's excellent growth and weight gain! It is so reassuring to see those numbers!

Sorry girls, no time for more personals. Hopefully tomorrow better. Hope everyone will have a good night!

[Bun]

Hi guys!

jen - woo hoo on your little girl's weight gain and enjoy the sleep!

jacki - I don't worry too much about burping, she often seems to burp on her own when I change her anyway. I am not managing to get any sleep during the day between visitors, housework and feeding/settling the little one, although I know I should try! Glad to hear the lump is nothing serious! My breast pump arrived yest and so far it is great! I just express if one boob is really full or it she only takes one, so there is no real pattern, I just do what suits me! I already have heaps stored so DH can do a feed over the weekend and I can get some sleep!

2please - we have a canon 400D too, such a fantastic camera - we have some beautiful shots.

katkins - I have posted a few pics in the gallery. I saw some of your montage - it's beautiful! I have the same issue with feeding - I have so much milk that she gulps it down and then gets wind, and we also have the issue of her falling asleep before she takes the other boob. Usually changing her halfway through the feed seems to work, but I must try the wet face washer next time I am having trouble waking her!

prama - how are you going?

Hi to everyone else

How much does everyone's partners help out? My DH sleeps in the spare room so he doesn't get woken up the baby so I do all the nights on my own, except on weekends. Last night was awful - she just wouldn't settle and I have no idea why. Actually, yest was awful all day, she was so unsettled and I was worried about her dehydrating in this hot weather so I fed her more frequently than usual, but now that has destroyed any routine we had going!

We started mothers group today and it was great! So good to meet other mothers in this area and to be able to talk about the pregnancy/birth with other new mothers. I also weighted Catherine and she is a little porker! She has put on about 700g since she was born! She is a little guzzler so I am not surprised.

[jenjams]

Bun- My DP and I equally do our bits. He has got another week off from work then I will be on my own during the days which will be very scary. He took 4 weeks off from birth. He will help with nappy changes and settling during the night. In fact he is better at wrapping Amber than me and can settle her too. I wouldnt be without him.
Catherine has done well with the weight gain too. Amber is like Catherine. She will fall asleep during a feed. I have also been told to try and tickle her feet to keep her awake. It must be so tough for you for the heat you ae having at the moment. I must prefer it a little cooler.

I have an avent manual breast pump but have not used it for a week or so. The only time my breasts get really full and hard is when Amber has the great night sleeps. But she must be getting enough during the day otherwise she wouldnt have her great gains.

I hope all bubs and mums and dads have a great sleep tonight.

[prama]

Boy, I've been trying to post all day! So little time...

Jacki - Ive got so little milk. I feed bub for about 40 - 45mins then give him the bottle. That takes more than an hr. The LC said everything should take an hr, i think is if you have enough milk. She told me to express after feeding for 5-10 mins but it doesnt make any difference as I get less than 5ml. I'm trying so hard to get my supply up. So really, with bf and then ff, it takes an hr and half. Then there's so little time till the next feed.
Do you feed every 3 hrs in the day and then whenever Luke wakes up at night? DS wakes up less than 4hrs at night I think with bf now, cos there's so little milk he woke up in 2 hrs last night. I was soooo tired, I was very bad and asked DH to give him the bottle. I just couldnt manage. I feel guilty.....

I'm also confused about when to switch boobs. The LC said if it feels floppy and there's no lumps then you can switch cos that bob's drained. But it's always floppy and there always seems to be lumps...

After he feeds, he usually falls asleep, we just put him to sleep unless he's wide awake. then I or DH spend a little time with him. I feel so tired Ijust want to sleep but then feel guilty for not spending quality time with him.
He seems to burp ok. Yes, if he's asleep it's so hard to wake him to burp or feed.
I hold his jaw with my thumb and forefinger and slightly lift his head so that his oesophagus is straight.

Ambah - I'm using the Ameda electric one I rented from the hospital.. I'm starting to hate it!
Thanks Ambah, but I'm finding it so hard with so little milk. I wonder if it will ever increase. Should I just keep going and going? I dunno. I'm SO tired from bf-ing then bottle feeding. I so wish I get more milk :'( I dont know how long to keep trying.

Karlie - geez, some ppl! My mum wont let me take him out, except for his check-ups. We have this thing about a mnths confinement, bub and mum should rest at home for the whole month and recover. I told her Ihave to go for short walks in the evening or go crazy being stuck at home. Today, I needed to and went to get my eyebrows done. First time I've driven in 2 weeks. It was soo good being able to get behind the wheels without my preggy belly. I told my mom I need to get out even to Woollies just for a short while to break out of the routine.

Sueby - thanks.. how is everyone surviving with so little sleep??

Esme - thank you. ooh poor baby (and mum and dad), 3 hr crying stretch. hope he gets better..

Jacki - i try to get at least an hr in the day.. but that makes me more tired. i get abt 3 hrs between feeds at night, mostly less.
When do they sleep longer??

Ambah - i have a glass of water when im feeding. Bf makes me thirsty, they say it's the let down.. but still so little milk.. wahhhh


ash - hugs, i still get teary too.. it's very very tiring... the lack of sleep doesnt help. I hope the weeks go by soon and they sleep longer.

jenjams - wow, good on bub's growth spurt!!

Bun - so glad bub is putting on weight. DS is still a bit slow with his weight.. We're trying everything to get his weight up, feeding more frequently etc.

As you can already tell, I'm getting so frustrated that my milk is soo little. I dont know how long I should wait..... I'm just getting so tired.

[prama]

oh - it wasnt a 20/20 match labour. i had a weird long pre-labour which i and the hossy thought was false labour. it was more like 2 day matches!

[Jacki]

Hi everyone, its been busy in here today. Must be a good sign that we all have time (albeit very little) to have a quick break.

Bun - DH does a little bit of the work around the place but not too much. He is just so busy at work. My mum is staying with us at the moment and is such a great help. DH is in for a rude shock when she leaves.

I went to a lunch for 0 - 8 week olds at SJOG Subi today - does Murdoch offer these sessions ?? There is that one then 8 weeks to 5 months and then 5months to 12 months. It was great to hang out with ladies in the same boat today. They had volunteers looking after the bubs and just calling you into seperate room when you needed to BF. Lunch put on and 2 midwives/LC's running the session. My local 'mother group' doesn't start until 11 March so will continue with this until then.

Jen - love the photo you have attached to your ticker !

Ambah - I am really making an effort to keep drinking. Between breastfeeding and today's high of 41.5degrees I can't afford not to.

Ash - little one is coping OK with heat. I don't think they notice it as much as us. May be spending extra at the breast. We are mainly inside anyway in air con in the loungeroom so not too bad. His bedroom gets pretty warm though.

Ash - can't win can we. We have some ladies struggling with little supply and here is you with enough to feed a small nation. I am sure it will settle down soon. I remember in the hospital I was brushing my teeth and looked at the floor and both sides were leaking all over the place making such a mess. Its funny now to look back at that !

Carley - Yes the air con was fixed. There is no way I could have coped if not and definately would have moved into a hotel. DH has been banned from touching the air con again incase he breaks it again !! Also I understand how you feel when you said you get a little lonely during the day. DH is always at work and even though my mum is here I sometimes feel like I am doing all the work on my own.

Prama - I don't really have a routine as to when I feed Luke. I just feed him when he wakes and lets me know he is hungary. I would like a bit more or a routine so I can know how much time I have before he 'demands' again but it is usually somewhere between 3 and 4 hours. Glad to hear you are getting a bit of sleep at night. And remember as difficult a time you are having you are doing an amazing job !!

Luke has started to bring up a bit of milk after feeds. Is everyone experiencing this? He didn't do it at the start, seems to be a new thing. Not bothering him at all, just seems to come up, esp when I change him.

Also expressing........ it I was expressing and gathering enough for a feed that DH can do, how much (in mls) do you give bubs in one feed ??? Or should I just start expressing a little and offering it at a feed to see how he goes with jsut a bit and then the rest of the feed on the breast?? Confusing! May need to ring LC at hospital for some advice

[prama]

Jacki - yes, DS has been bringing up some milk as well. the other he did a projectile but we think cos DH accidently put on a no.2 nipple on the bottle.
Do you get a lot of milk when you express?

I have a couple of Qs.

- What laundry detergent do you girls use? Do you always wash bub's clothes separately?

- is it ok not to wear a bra to bed at night. I havent got leaky boobs.