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Lj- Dont feel alone! Sleep is non exsisting in my house! During the night Annabelle has been coming in for cuddles, then Dp up at 5:30am or work and waking up all 3 of us. Then Annabelle gets up at 6-6:30am for the day!
All of this with Lucy thrown in waking all the damn time!
Haha the joys! Lj- It all dies down, this is a very small stage and before you know it they're into a new stage, not so frustrating
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hang in there LJi am so with you with the feeling alone thing
DH is being no help and all we've done the last week is fighti feel like tearing my own head off.. or his haha.
dont have a great deal of time at the moment, but im thinking of you all
xxx
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Stevie - Same with me and DH here.. For example, yesterday we were walking through the shops with the pram and I couldn't keep it straight (struggling to walk atm - getting back to being used to walking around heaps) and kept bumping into stuff - in my defense, I was trying to keep out the way of people that were walking towards me - and he kept saying things like 'You know you gotta watch where you push it' and 'You know your not keeping it straight' and I just snapped saying that if he could do a better job than he should do it.
Kass - Thanks hun - It's kinda the same here.. Usually I can get William to sleep after DH has left for work by just giving him a feed and we're up and about again at 9-10am but today, even after three feeds in the space of 2 hrs, he just didn't wanna sleep again and kept crying and crying (which made me cry because I didn't know what I was doing wrong) and eventually he fell asleep at 2:10pm until about 5:30pm and since then he's been in and out of sleep - really only waking for a feed and a change and thats it.
BellyBelly Member
Sometimes a little boiled water can help
If they have a saw belly they keep trying to feed, to sooth themselves, as they dont realise this will make it hurt more
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Thanks Kass
BellyBelly Member
Yeah boobie babies no they're on a good thing with the boobie, so its hard to get them to take water from a bottle
Lucy can get fussy at times but in this hot weather I often give her some water instead of constant boobie
See how you go.....
I found with Annabelle I would get so overwhelmed, now with Lucy I can just keep telling myself, its just a faze and before I know it she'll be 2!
All your thoughts, worries and breakdowns are normal
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Hi Ladies!!!
This is my first post on this thread.... bub was born 29th but i only got home from hospital on 2nd and have really just spent this week settling in at home with DH and Eli and recovering from my c-section.
I am going to join the everyone in saying their brag is sleeping... Eli goes down to bed at about 8-8:30pm each night and wakes at 1pm for a feed then back to sleep until 6-7am... can't ask too much more of a bub currently 9 days old!
My gripe is the afternoon's.. he has some sort or witching hour(s) where he will grizzle and whinge for about 3 hours in the afternoon, not take his feed properly and is just generally unsettled. We go through this each day but i keep telling DH that at least it is the afternoon and not the middle of the night!
My DH goes back to work shortly and i am a little concerned about having to look after bub by myself.... i guess it is more nerves than anything and second guessing my ability.
Well bub is starting to grizzle so i better go......
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Hey All - just clocked on that this must be where you all went!!
We are doing ok here. Compared with DS1 Jasper is a pretty easy baby - although I also think I am just finding it easier as he's my second bub. With DS1 I used to fret and get really affected by his distressed sounding cries - whereas with this one, I hear him cry and I'm like "oh good he's alive"... "yep - I'll be there in a sec mate!"....lol.
I think its true that they pick up on your emotional vibes.
I'd love to say that he is sleeping through large chunks of the night like some of you but unfortunately that is not the case - more like every 3 to 3.5 hours around the clock!
LJ - how did bubs go with the oral thrush? I wish I'd seen your post sooner - I would've recommended a good probiotic supplement for you - once the probiotics ('friendly' bacteria which prevent yeast infections) get into the breastmilk and are passed onto bubs - they will knock any thrush infection right out of the ball park - and prevent it from coming back too - unlike antibiotics. Probiotics are also responsible for the effective assimilation of nutrients so can assist with the absorption of breastmilk and assist with bubs digestion.
Thrush is more common in women and babies who have been administered antibiotics during or after labour (ie with c-section) as the antibiotics cannot discriminate between good and bad bacteria - they effectively kill both. This leaves you a little high and dry in the probiotic department. Ask at your nearest health food store about a good probiotic supplement to take whilst breastfeeding. In-Liven by MiEssence is good - there is an article on it under the articles section here on bellybelly. Needs to be kept in fridge. XX
Last edited by JellyBean; November 7th, 2009 at 12:26 PM.
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Oh - and I forgot to mention chiropractic care for bubbas. I cannot tell you how much this helped with DS1's colic!! Definitely recommended!! There are some chiropractors that specialise in pediatric and maternal health.
There are some massive changes in weight distribution that occur after birth and this can throw your spine and neck right out of alignment and cause severe headaches - not to mention the additional strain that holding a baby and feeding can have on your upper back and neck.
I saw my chiro yesterday and although I am feeling a little tender after the adjustment already I am feeling SO much better!!
XX
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Hi All - I made it! Only just realised this thread was here
So far all is going pretty well with little Leila, I am so in love with her! Everytime I look at her I'm just blown away by how gorgeous she is and how much I'm in love with her. I can't believe DH & I made such a perfect little person!!
I'm very jealous of all of you who have great sleeping babies. During the day Leila is a gem, she has no trouble going to sleep and will sleep through anything but once the sun goes down she turns into a little horror! The other night it was 7:30am before she settled into a decent sleep, it was so awful! Last night was probably her best night, she settled down at 3am and slept until 7:30am. I think her little body clock is a bit out of whack and she just needs to learn the difference between day and night, but we'll get there. DH is being absolutely wonderful so we take it in turns during the night so that we each get some sleep. I express enough for a good feed for her so that when DH is on shift he can feed her when she's hungry. So far it's working well but unfortunately it's only going to work until DH has to go back to work. Let's hope we get into a better routine by then!
I'm recovering well from the c-section. I'm finding my recovery to be great physically but difficult emotionally. I feel so disappointed that I had to have a c-section as I really wanted to birth my baby naturally. I feel like my body has failed me or something and that I've been robbed of something that I desperately wanted to experience. Leila was very distressed and within 3 hours of getting to the hospital she was born, I only got to 2cm and they said there was absolutely no waiting to see with this one, the baby had to come straight out. So I know that it was definitely the right thing for her and at the time I felt fine, I had no issues with it as I just wanted my baby safe and well. Now however, I look back and wonder why it had to be that way and if there was anything that I could of done to prevent it. I guess the main thing is that she is safe and well and absolutely perfect.
BF is going well, I had one very sore cracked and bleeding nipple the other day but thankfully that is healing now, its still tender but I can feed from it ok. I seem to have a pretty good milk supply which is good and Leila is a very good feeder. I had my first experience of BF in public yesterday which was weird! I don't have any issues with it but I must say I did feel a little self-conscious when I was doing it, probably because I am still learning.
Hope all you mummies are going well and enjoying your lovely little bundles!
Fi x
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Just a quick post... i am hiding out in the study as DH tries to calm a screaming Eli! He is shortly due for a feed but is being particularly unsettled tonight.
Just had a couple of questions for you ladies re feeds / BF.... how long do your bubs tend to feed for on each feed and generally how far apart are there feeds?
Eli is feeding for approx 45 mins and during day this is every 4 hours but at night it stretches to 6 (this is his waking pattern). I'm not sure if i am feeding him for too long at each feed etc as all the midwives say not to time feeds and just feed on demand, but i am concerned i am going to overfeed him!
Ah, the worries of a first time mum!
Hope you ladies are all doing well and bubs are all quiet and sleeping.
Tam. xx
BellyBelly Member
Sounds to me your doing it exactly right
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Will do personals later
I'm doing my head in, honestly! DS is screaming his lungs out - it's 3:28am and I KNOW he's crying so much cause he's over tired - we got up for the day at 10:30am and he never slept more than an hour during the day.. And then a couple of hour naps from 4pm, but each time I (I shouldn't put we, because DH has done sweet f*** all - yes I know DH has to work tomorrow, just a lil bit of help would be nice though!) put him in his basinette after he has dozed off on my chest, he'll wake up 2 minutes later screaming againI've tried EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!! I've given him a warm bath with some Johnson and Johnson Baby Bedtime Bath, I've changed him, burped him, fed him (which is all he seems interested in right now - and so much of it right now! He's had about 6 feeds in 3/4 hours), cuddled him, rocked him in his rocker and I'm honestly at my wits end.. He's sitting on my lap right now, fighting the sleep, but I KNOW he needs to sleep.. I've got a friend coming at 10am today too, so now I know I'll just stuff all sleep
I just have had a good cry and I feel like I need another one. It doesn't help with DH came home from work, took his mum home and never came back for another 2 or so hours later (not till just after 6pm) then when he got home sat on the computer to do his work for the day tomorrow (well, today) then sat on here till AT LEAST 1am
Anyways, if I can get some sleep, I'll do personals when I've woken up and the visitor has gone.
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Sorry, double post
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LJ sounds like you are having a really tough time! Also sounds like DH needs a good kick up the bum
I know it's hard but you need to stay as calm as possible as the little ones pick up on our emotions. Looking back I can see that on our worst nights they have been the ones where I have not been coping and have been getting really stressed and anxious causing Leila to become even more unsettled. One night Leila decided she wouldn't settle down to sleep until 7:30am so I can totally sympathise with you! It is so challenging at times, I don't think anyone can really prepare you for the tough times. But everyone keeps telling me that there is light at the end of the tunnel and the 6 week mark is some sort of magical turning point when everything seems to settle down. Good to know but at the same time that for me is a month away!! Perhaps DS is doing a fair bit of growing at the moment hence all the feeds. I've noticed the same with Leila in the last 2 days, she just wants to feed feed feed!
Tammie sounds like you have a good routine so I wouldn't stress about it, I think whatever works for you & bubs is fine. They let you know when they are hungry so if Eli wants to feed more frequently he will, if not then I would say he is one very happy little bubba! I wish I had your routine actually! Leila feeds generally around every 3 hours and is an absolute guts! She gets so excited when she sees my boob and tends to guzzle down as much as she needs within 10 minutes, sometimes she's done in 5! It was starting to worry me as she was giving herself a bit of wind but just in the last day or 2 she's settled down and is feeding more slowing and for longer, around 15-20 minutes. Also seems to have helped with her sleeping too as we had a fantastic night last night, she settled easily and slept soundly for solid 3 hour blocks waking for a feed then straight back to sleep. That is the first time she has done that - normally she screams all night and wont settle so I definitely think the change in her feeding habits is helping with that. Anyway, if you and Eli are happy then I wouldn't change anything.
How is everyone else going? I think this forum is going to be great for all of us new mums to allow us to vent and get advice. As much as I feel for everybody who is going through difficult times it actually seems to help me in knowing that I am not alone as it is so easy to feel alone and isolated, as though you are the only one going through this. I hope everybody uses this to get the support they need - we are not alone, we have each other!
Hope everyone has a great day
Fi
BellyBelly Member
Lj- Sounds like he's a little over stimulated
Also you would have been given a health nurse line that you can call 24/7. Do it! They were my life savors with Annabelle
Try the pram
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Well after one good night we are back to having terrible nights again! It is so frustrating as I tried to do all the right things, all the same things that resulted in a great night the other night but nothing seemed to work and Leila just wouldn't settle. The only time I could get her to sleep was with her lying on my chest which I know is not a good thing to get in to but when she screams and screams and wont settle any other way what can you do? I know that without sleep she gets worse so I figured at least some sleep even though not in an ideal position is better than no sleep? I'm starting to feel like I'm losing it today. Last week I had a cracked, bleeding nipple which is still healing and sore to feed from and in the last couple of days I've had mastitis so I have felt dreadful with a really sore boob and fever, thankfully it seems to be clearing up now. This is all so hard!!!!!!!! To make it worse I have an exam to do - my last ever exam thank goodness. It is a take home exam which is not too bad and the lecturer gave me a few extra days to do it but I know it's not helping as I'm stressed and anxious about getting it done on top of having a baby that wont settle at night... I need a break!
Sorry, just had to get it all out
Fi
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Hey guys - love to those of you fighting to get some zzzz's - it really can drive you mad but hang in there!!
Those of you who don't have one - I highly recommend getting a Sleepy Wrap!! It is the absolute bomb!! Settles an unsettled baby very quickly, and as it holds them vertical, you can stick them in there after a feed and walk around with your arms free - or simply when you don't have the strength to hold them upright any longer!!! I had a baby bjorn for DS1, but in my experience it doesn't compare.
In response to Tammy's qu regarding feeding, we are feeding roughly every 3 hours (give or take 30 mins) around the clock at moment. I feed for 15 mins on 1 breast, then I do 10 mins of 'vertical' time to bring up wind, then its onto the other breast for another 15 mins, followed by more vertical time. Even if he is sound asleep I always do vertical time otherwise if i put him down he'll wake up with wind pains 10 or so mins later. So all up a feed takes about an hour.
Once the wind is up and he is settled - I put him down in his bassinette (wait for it...) on his tummy (yep - its my guilty secret!), with his little head to the side, and he goes straight off to sleep, waking for a feed roughly 3 hours from the last one.
I started tummy sleeping with DS1 when he was 6 weeks old as I had barely slept and couldn't bear the constant waking. My Mum urged me to try it as she reckoned it was the way they were told was safer in their day, so the babies could bring up wind better and not choke on their vomit. I know what they say about SIDS etc - but I have honestly not looked back since that day. Both my boys hate being on their back - even in a swaddle I think they must feel very exposed. Once on their tummy they just seem to snuggle in like they are against your chest and nod off. Its truely the only way I can survive - so don't kill me for revealing my secret!! My mattress is firm (and organic!) and I don't put any fluffy stuff in there!!! Jasper's bassinette is also right next to our bed so I can hear him and check on him regularly. At the end of the day you have to do what works for you - as they say.
Last edited by JellyBean; November 11th, 2009 at 01:57 PM. : added info
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