Babies Born March 2008 #3

[shell_120308]

Prama - I know how you feel. Last night I was in absolute tears because I had to give DJ two feeds of formula hoping it might make him settle from his wind so he could have a decent night sleep. I felt so guilty in giving him formula. I even had a dream that he was angry at me and biting me. It was really disturbing I just felt so upset and depressed because of the fact that breastfeeding is so demanding and there is no break for me. We are the sole provider of food and it is on demand. I don't enjoy breastfeeding, I don't look forward to it either Prama. I have to use the nipple shield with DJ because he can't attach properly. He moans and groans for a good 5 mins before latching on and I can hear sucking and swallowing. I just find breastfeeding boring..... I can't breastfeed in front of friends or in public etc because I don't feel comfortable, especially since I need the nipple shield.

DJ still has really bad wind and even the gripe water isn't clearing it up, it has definitely helped but not totally clearing it. He is in so much pain. All last night and today we would put him down to sleep but could hear him moan and groan, then cry, so he never would have a solid sleep. I was totally exhausted. At 9am hubby said it was time to feed him again and asked if I was going to breast or express or formula and I was that sleepy and out of it that I said there was a bottle already warmed up next to me and there wasn't..... I am obviously dreaming about feeding him haha arghhhhhhhhh

We just gave DJ some childrens panadol hoping that will help ease the pain for him. His belly is still super tight and he has been passing heaps of wind, burping and poo'ing heaps so we know the gripe water is helping, but still in heaps of pain.

Do you know if we can take our bubs to doctor without having them on Medicare Card??? I haven't had a chance to get DJ added to our card and if he gets really bad tomorrow I am considering taking him to our doctor. The community nurse is coming out to see me on Wednesday, but that is still 3 days away.

Prama - you shouldn't put yourself through so much pain and discomfort, do what you think is best. My mum told me not to put myself down so much about moving to formula for some feeds etc. You are doing such a great job and it is something I need to keep reminding myself about as well.

Better go girls, DJ finally asleep and need to go to shops with mum.

Shell xxx

[*becstar*]

Quickly again, almost tea time here.....
Shell you can take bubs to the dr, I did it this week and hadn't even realised Jake wasn't on our card yet. As long as you have put your medicare/baby bonus forms in (I think!) but they can do some kind of search or something and just adjust your medicare number to include him. For example our medicare number has changed with each child, went from ending in a 3, to a 4 and now a 5.

xxx

[mumzy]

The best thing I found for windy days for Cameron when he was a bub was a wheat heat pack heated gently then wrapped in a terry nappy or thin towel and let him have tummy time on it under his belly for a few minutes...if he was crying I would do it and gently pat him on the back or bum. Seemed to sooth him.
Izaak has had one sooky day like that and just did the tummy trick and some singing(with help from his concerned big brother) and he fell asleep....I then transfer him into his bassinet on his tummy to sleep with his head to the side and he loves it.
I let all my bubs sleep at least once a day on their tummy, while I was awake and close by, it also helps prevent flat spots on their heads. Spoke over the years to the MW about it and they said its fine as long as I keep with the SIDS guidelines at night or if I am not monitoring.

Hope this tummy trick can help someone.

Danniellabella - I'm like you, still bleeding and have a clear day and think great but it starts up again. I went to 6 weeks with both previous births. But thankfully don't need those giant pillow maternity pads LOL just the thin regular ones now

With the pimples, time seems to be the only thing that gets rid of them. It's just a matter of their pores to grow big enough to not get blocked (Millia my doc told me they are called). But I noticed with the kids that if they were hot or a little too warm, they were more noticeable on their faces. If they were not overheated or screaming/crying they kinda disappeared from sight but I could still feel them on my finger tips IYKWIM.

Shell - Yeah like Becstar said. Good luck with the docs tomorrow.

[india44]

*hugs* for you prama you poor thing. Talk is good and the fact that you recognise that you may need to chat is good too I do hop eyou can get tot alk to someone soon its always better if its someone else not your mum or huby or friends ans there is no judgment and you feel like you can talk freely.I think you have been amazing in your persistance in feeding lakshman and I dont know that I could have gone on this long in such pain.I know its easy for me to say hun but being un happy about feeding isnt good for etiher of you nad it must me so hard feeling this way each time you feed given its such a big part of the day. Do what you feel is right..I am not sure ifyou are needing someone to just say its ok to ff full time or if you are not at that point yet but I do hope you find some releif. I do hate reading how upset it makes you and I am gllad you can share it with us.I still struggle a bit with the combo feeding and wondering if I am doing the right thing and as trian said I think the guilt will alway sort of remain..but when they are fed happy, growing and sleeping well its all worth it. DO take care ofyou to sweet so that you can enjoyou your gorgeous little boy you realy are doing an amazing job with him.

Danni I am with you on the still bleeding alitle then it goes and starts again ALso on the soreness. Dont know about you but I Seem tohave days when I feel perfectly normal then others when I feel like I cant move and am so very sore. Sounds like all you are doing is really helping jazz must be so frustrating when they are sick .She is a real cutie your girl.
SHell its horiruble watching them with wind pain isnt it its th eonly time WIll gets upset and it makes me want to cry as its like his little heart is broken. We have started to cut bakc ont he grip ewater to just every second feed and to top him up more as I htink he is having a growth spurt HE is feeding both sides for baout 15 mins ( all I have) and then a 120 ml top up every second feed. He sleep smuch better after this. He also pooed twice in two days which was casue for celebration *L*
Hiya to everybody else sorry ran out of time his nibs is ready for a feed. Hope the weekend was good and daylight savings doesnt throw us all out to much.
Bron xx

[prama]

hello girls,

i rang tresillian, the lady was wonderful and understanding. i told her the whole story from day 1. she understood that i was at crossroads. one option if i really wanted to continue breastfeeding is to go to their residential house but i need to a referral from gp/early childhood centre/lc. but she also understood the pain ive been going thru and said i probably have vasospasm. it's pain that's burning /excrutiating and can be psychosomatic. she said she takes her hat off that i actually stayed bf-ing for 8 weeks. she saod a lot of woment start to wean at 4 mths and im halfway there so it's not so bad. i told her about the pain and depression and not wanting to go out cos it hurts and feeding takes an hr and half.
at the end i guess i wanted some sort of reassurance. you;re right bron, it was nice to know from someone neutral that it was ok to stop.
while i was talking to the lady, i saw steve crying cos of the pain i was.. it broke my heart to see him upset over the pain i was going thru.
so we've decided to stop for now, im still upset to stop so soon but almost 8 weeks of pain is too much. i wish i could have done it for longer but i guess if we had a good start it might have been different.
im going to keep expressing just to keep comfortable to wean, and slowly stop my motilium as you cant stop it immediately, it has to be gradual over the next few weeks.
it also broke my heart when i was warming some ebm and lakshman was crying, i was trying to comfort him and he was trying to get to my breast thru my shirt. he's so beautiful, i dont want my pain and stress to affect him.
part of the decision came from last night. steve's aunt went thru a lot of pain bf as well, but her aunt was a nurse and made her do it. it was comforting to hear her story and that she understood.

well, that's where we are at, right now. maybe the next child, if we have one, it will work out better. i do feel a little better know that i dontr have to go thru excrutiating pain. even as i sit here, my breasts have burning pain.

Thanks so much for all your support and understanding.. it made all this a lot more bearable. i know GPs say that dont do it if it's causing you so much problem pain, they think of the wellbeing of both mother and child.

Shell - sorry to hear of your discomfort too. dont feel guilty.. it was a bad dream but DJ loves you heaps so he;s not going to bite you! I feel the stress of being the sole provider too, that everything's on your shoulders and there's no break. it feels a bit unfair. i suppose if bf was going well for me i wouldnt feel that way.
are you still expressing, you get tons of milk and that helps heaps.

medicare - you will have to pay the actual cost and then when you get his card you can claim it.
we went to put him on our card. steve and i had our own cards and hadnt got ours put together. but then stupid medicare couldnt put lakshman onto our cards cos his name was too long for the system so now he has his own medicare card, lol, 15 years ahead of his time!

thanks for all your wonderful thoughts and support. it means so much that no one's judging my decision... what would i do without you all!

[prama]

i have a question that might be silly - this is for mum's w boys... when you put the naapy on, is it better to have their penis facing up or down, or whichever way it is at that time?

[all girls]

Don't ask me but willy down otherwise they pee up and the nappy leaks. Good that you spoke to someone Prama and that you have made a decision, trust me the guilt will go pretty quick hun and you will be enjoying your little man.

Shell if you can go to medicare they give you a slip of paper that you can use straight away at the Dr. I have been using Donnalix and it has been working well, summer is so much more settled and you only use 0.1 ml per kg of body weight so only a tiny little bit is needed. Maybe DJ is having a growth spurt, when they have one you usually don't realize until after the fact and for me/summer I really thought it was wind at first.

Bron, isn't life different now getting excited over poo! hehehe

I went bike riding with Codie today was nice easy ride but we were gone for 2 hours and now am paying for it geez my butt is sore, used DH bike and it felt like there was no seat, trying to get her a bit fitter for soccer (her request) so everyday either walking or riding, i hope it helps me too!!!

Im off to bed xoxox

[teachmum]

Down, point it down Prama! Unless you want to change his clothes regularly. It's funny when you have a boy coz there's heaps of stuff you just don't think of coz you've never had to deal with them.

When I had my first bub I stressed about wind pain but unfortunately there is not much you can do other than comfort them. Apparently babies under 3 months cry for at least 3 hours a day - seems longer somedays doesn't it!

To all the new mums don't wear yourself out trying to get your bub to sleep longer at night. I refuse to believe anyone that says their bub slept through at 6 weeks - they must have amnesia from lack of sleep .

Have you noticed how they respond to your voice above everyone elses? They quickly work out who loves them the most not matter how you feed 'em or how cross you feel at having to get up 5 times a night. Can't wait for that magic first smile .

Take care