Babies born ~ May 2014

Hi Ladies

I'm missing all your posts.

I need to catch up on you all. May take some time.

Miss M has been feeding great. I have been doing my normal routine of supplements and pumping and seeing the rewards. I'm freezing 600ml per day. That's the most I've ever been able to pump and freeze in any given session so my supply is much better this time. We are having to co sleep at night to get any sleep. For some reason she won't sleep in her bassinet at night. I can't believe she's 8 days old already.

Wait a sec Porsche... You are nursing AND pumping 600mL extra? Woah! Go BOOBS! Hehehe

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BF your msg inbox is full, so I cannot reply to your msg.

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Sorry Shanleem I've cleared out my messages now. ..

BR I hope the antibiotics have helped E.

Porsche - wowee 600mls. Very impressive.

How are you ladies managing to express? I want to try start stocking freezer up for when I can get out for few hours without bub. I have tried my second boob after a feed but all I got was a few drops. Not even enough to keep.

I'm also interested in connecting on fb so if u want to be my friend pm me details.

I'm keen to connect on FB too :)

How are you all going?

Oh I don't have Facebook :(

Millie will be 2 weeks old tomorrow.. Wow the time flies. She is such a good girl I feel so blessed. She is a good sleeper, waking every 3 hours of a night and is quick to settle afterwards... I hope it stays like this!!!
I can honestly say I love every little part of being a mum!

How is everyone else going?

Hi mamas!!

So happy to hear everyone is enjoying your new additions! First timers, try to enjoy the newborn stage as it really doesn't last long!!

AFM, poor E is currently in PICU. He's caught a virus which has turned into a nasty case of bronchiolitis. He's slowly starting to improve, but it's been very scary. I wonder when the universe might cut this little fella some slack!!

Oh poor little man!
I hope he is well and home with you soon. That must be so hard for you to have a sick bub. It would break my heart to see Millie sick :(
Keep us posted!

Oh goodness Ashlee that's terrible. Especially when you have your other boys to look after. I hope you have loads of support where you are??

Miss E is still on her antibiotics but gosh it had made such a difference. Her ear has completely cleared up and she is sleeping heaps better now. Slowly slowly she is settling quickly during the night feeds rather than being awake for an hour or so afterwards. I can usually get her fed and settled back to sleep within 30mins which is so much better. I feel more human when I have had 3 hr blocks of sleep :happydance:

Poor E Ashlee his little face in the pics on FB breaks my heart :( yeah universe cut him some slack he's been through enough!

BR glad to hear E is on the mend.

My little mite has conjunctivitis in both eyes and is on antibiotic eye drops :( still struggling with breast feeding. He's so hungry that I'm topping up with formula which is peeing me off! My supply is low and he never seems satisfied after feeds :( I'm loosing faith!

Ashlee- I hope he gets better really soon Hun. His poor wee face looks so sad in the pictures. And I bet your other boys miss you

Bf- can you get some support with bfing Hun? It can be a slippery slope with topping up. I used to have to push thru stages where my babies would run me dry and would hit my chest demanding I make more milk. We would go thru a day or two like that and that would boost my supply, and suddenly I would have enough. Even this boy has been amazing. I didn't think he would be able to drink my massive supply, but he does and then flattens me, but my body responds pretty quick, so it hasn't been to hard on me this time. Plus I guess I have loads of really rich foods around me, drink lots of water when I feel it happening and if all else fails, I just strip us both down naked and feed him as much as I possibly can. I hope you get your faith restored. And I hope you have support around you to help you thru this tough time. Cos it is hard.

I'm keen to join up with ppl on fb. Ashlee can you connect me? Or could someone start a 2014 may group on fb? I'm happy to join up on there.

Emmalee- so nice to see you enjoying motherhood. It is lovely isn't it. Even when it is hard it is lovely.

Afm- we are doing well. Dh has been off for four weeks. The little man turns four weeks old this coming Tuesday. It always goes so quick!! He has been having some really disturbed times. I can tell he is in real pain. We spend a fair amount of time in the evening trying to settle him. Lots of wind. I think my let down is pretty intense at times... But even when I express a boob, I find that I still let down fairly strong and he struggles to gulp it down. He also can go several days without doing a poo and so I think he gets upset when that happens. So I have given up dairy atm, and I am also giving up coffee :( I am also gonna try a fairly bland diet. I am also gonna try and get him into an osteo or chiro. Something is upsetting him. Last night we were in bed asleep together. I woke up cos the dogs were barking and he started screaming out of nowhere is so much pain it near broke my heart. I don't know what is wrong, but I would do anything to help. Something is upsetting his tummy, I just am not sure what. He has had a better day today, just a couple of unsettled periods, as I said I haven't had dairy for four days and no coffee today so maybe it is that? But he did a big poo yesterday too, so maybe he is just more comfortable with that. We are also working on thrush infections too, so it could be anything. I have to say that I am not looking forward to dh going back to work.... I suspect the toddler is gonna spend a fair time watching telli :(. Oh well... When he isn't in pain, is is pretty cruisy. When I know he is ready for a sleep, I can put him down on his tummy and he goes to sleep. He sleeps next to me pretty well overnight. Just wakes up for feeds and is straight back to sleep, so that is a mercy :)

Oh no Bella! Poor little man. I spoke to my GP about E going through the same thing (although perhaps not as badly as your little guy).. My GP suggested starting infacol and infants friend. The infacol has helped all three of my babies now and I have been using it around a week with e and she is burping so much easier now. And that in turn has helped with her wind pain. Also give her a dose of infants friend just before nursing which seems to help too. I also know if I don't spend the time to burp her properly then she suffers a little. My next step was to look at my diet but I'm happy wit how she is now. Also she was on antibiotics this week for her ear and that has cleared up which I'm sure has helped.

E has started cluster nursing at night now which doesn't help with dealing with the boys dinner bath and bedtime routine. I am able to cook dinner and then DH eats with the boys while I nurse E, then he has a shower with the kids (E loves her showers much better than a bath!!), I then get E dressed for bed and get the boys pjs ready. Then it's back to nursing while DH gets the boys dressed in their PJs. I am then able to read a story if I'm still stuck on the couch. It's a bit of a juggling act at the moment and I'm looking forward to when E has a more regular bedtime. Until then we take it evening by evening. I'm a bit jealous of you first time mums with only the one baby to worry about. I feel sorry for E. She most certainly doesn't have the peaceful infancy of her eldest brother. Ah well, that's the third child for you!!

Hi mammas,

A lot has been going on here. We were admitted to hospital for a couple of nights last week, very scary. Last Tuesday we had our newborn photo shoot and Alexis was a dream, but little did we know it was because she was heading into survival mode. Her feeding had dropped off really low and we think she got dehydrated. When we got home later that afternoon she wouldn't wake for her feed, and nothing we did would rouse her. So we rushed to emergency and we're seen immediately. The drs still couldn't quite explain what happened but she's home now and we're doing a combination of formula feeding and expressed breast milk. I needed some time for my nipples to recover, but have started her back on the boob today and she seems to he latching better.
We're still keeping a very close eye on her, particularly her weight and her colour, but have a follow up with the lactation nurse on Tuesday to hopefully get our being back on track.

Goodness Shanleem how scary! Glad they saw her so quickly and she is much better now. *hugs* please keep us posted with what the LC says xx

You poor mummas. Sounds like you have all been having some sick bubbas. Sending a big round of positive vibes so all the sick bubbas get better quickly.

Hi ladies

Shanleem that sounds very scary. Hopefully it was just a once off.

Bunnyfeet I have supply ussues so if I'm to breast feed at all I have to follow this formula to the T.

2-3 serves of hospital grade Sustagen per day. Available at priceline pharmacy for $20 a tin. Must be hospital grade because of the higher protein content .

Express minimum 2x per day. Normally after the first morning feed around 9am and the last night feed at around 7:30 - 8pm.

And Herbs of Gold Breast feeding support. It has fenugreek and blessed thistle in it which are natural breastmilk boosting herbs. Available at most supplement stores like healthy life. They are $$ at $39.95 but worth it. Alternatively you can get fenugreek which might be less expensive. I've only ever gotten the herbs of gold breastfeeding support.

This routine I do was recommended by my lactation consultant and has worked for me. You could also try lactation cookies or smoothies. I have a recipe but never tried them.

Also feed as much as possible and increase your protein intake. Things like red meat, nuts, fish etc .

Hope that helps.

Thanks so much Porsche will definitely look into this

Hi ladies :)

Just thought I would check in with everyone while I'm expressing! (The only time I get a few minutes by myself!)

Are all our babies happy and healthy now?

A is such an angel. Me and DH feel so blessed that she is such a good baby.. She feeds well and sleeps/settles well which makes our lives so easy!

However..

She does get some pretty bad wind pain.. I try to burp her really well and usually get a good burp or two out of her after every feed, the problem seems to be about 30-40mins after the feed that she starts to cry and get really fussy.. I think she is struggling to get her farts out.. Is there anything I can do to prevent this or to help her?? I've tried cycling her legs and massaging her tummy but it does nothing..

EmmaLee - if you think you're burping her enough.. Then here are some more tips:

Is your letdown strong? Your foremilk contains a higher carb content too... So maybe expressing for a few mins before you feed so that she's not gulping as much and there is more hindmilk coming through might help?

Infants friend... Should be named parents friend. We give this to Eloise before each feed (0.5mL) and if she seems unsettled. Definitely had helped.

Pop her in the bath ... A deep bath, nice and warm. Supposed to help relax them.


Baby massage, coconut oil or olive oil, concentrating on her tummy. Massage in a clockwise direction and alternate with bicycle legs.

My paed suggested half dose of infacol until she is 1 month then the full dose after then. The active ingredient breaks down the bigger bubbles and makes it easier to pass the wind. I think this has worked best for Eloise


Cut caffeine/dairy/citrus from your diet and see if that makes a difference

Hope this helps!!

Thanks BR! I'm EBF.. I'm considering buying different bottles - I'm using the medela ones at the moment, and I'm sure she is swallowing a lot of air while feeding.

I'm doing lots of burping still and trying a little tummy massage when she does get pains. I also find that popping her on her tummy for a few minutes and patting her back helps her get some gas out!

I'm still overwhelmed by how much I love my little girl.. :)

Did anyone who breast fed boys find them hungrier and spending more time feeding? Emma how often and how long do you express for feeds?

BF I have heard that boys feed more than girls, I can't speak from my own experience but my MIL swears my DH fed much more fiercely than his sister. How is everything going for you?

Nope, all three babies of mine have nursed the same... We used to call DS2 a piranha because when my nipple brushed against his mouth he used to practically chomp at it quite vigorously.. But once E gets latched on my goodness she has a strong suck. In fact my letdown is most painful this time round!! I guess every baby is different :)

Bunny - I demand feed A, she usually wants to feed every 3 hours (give or take 30mins) she will have between 60-80mls per feed and I try and express after every feed (which will be her next feed) to keep my milk up with her demand.. She is an absolute guts! She practically swallows the bottle whole!! Haha

My monkey will drink 100mls ebm and still looks for more Emmalee!

Haha 100mls! What a little piggy!
A is slowly having more and more every feed. She also will take more at night.. Not sure if this is common but during the day she will have about 60mls and during the night she will have up to 80mls!

Bunny - what weight was your bubs born? I wonder if there is any correlation between what their weight is and how much they feed?

BF all my babies have fedthe same. They all cluster feed in the afternoon. Dh gave McKinley a bottle yesterday afternoon as I was out and she had 150mls and promptly went to sleep. She has quite a strong suck too when I feed her.

:o:o

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Bunny - what weight was your bubs born? I wonder if there is any correlation between what their weight is and how much they feed?

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He was 3.33kg (7lbs 6oz) Emmalee. What was your bub? I think boys are hungrier too. Today he wasn't satisfied with 100mls of ebm and took 50mls of formula straight after! I'm starting to worry is he eating too much lol! What's normal for a 2.5 wk old to drink?!

A was 2.7kgs (6 pound 1 oz).

My midwife taught me a tricky little formula to work out exactly how much bubs needs is;

150 x weight in kgs = 'x'

And then you divide 'x' by the amount of feeds per day..

So when A was weighed 1 1/2 weeks ago she was 2.6kgs:-

150 x 2.6 = 390
390 divided by 8 (roughly how many feeds per day) = 50mls which is pretty much what she was having every feed!

Also 150 is the amount of calories a newborn should intake per day.

But that is only a guideline.. My midwife said that if bubs is hungry and is demanding then let them have as much as they want!

So long as he is steadily gaining weight and is happy then let the boy eat :)

Em - I second Infacol for wind. It's the only thing that helped any of my bubs. As for bottles, we use the MAM anti colic bottles. You can get them at target or big w. They are really handy too in that you don't need a sterliser for them - you put some water in the bottom and they go straight in the microwave to be sterilised.

E is getting better! He's still not eating as much as he was, and was projectile vomiting a lot. I've added thickener to his milk and this seems to be helping. I'll weigh him tomorrow to see if he's gained back any of what he lost - fingers crossed.

Hi girls! Sorry I have been mia, I just feel bad not doing persies, so I haven't even been reading the last two weeks.

Shanleem, how terrifying honey! I am so glad that she is better now. Glad you caught it in time. Babies are amazing with how quickly they can get sick, and how quickly they can get better.

Ash- sorry to hear that little E has been spewing. Eddie had a day of that yesterday, seeming more chucky, but he has settled. I think he had an upset tummy and just fed more to compensate. And then ended up spewing more.

Bf-I think my little boy eats loads, and may have even over taken my eldest girl for rapid weight gains. He is constantly on the boobs! He just hit 5kg, which is a weight gain of 1.6kg in not quite five weeks. Crazy! He is a third bigger than when he was born!

BR - I think of eddie as the little snapping turtle, cos he feels the nipple and just lunges at it! Hilarious to watch, although sometimes he is so excited that he can't think to latch and then gets really distressed as he tries to get on the boob. Poor boy.

Emmalee- it is lovely to hear how much you are enjoying motherhood :)

Porsche- my babies have all done the cluster feed too. Hence why my slow cooker is getting a work out!

Afm - well Ned seems to have intermittently good and bad days. I think some of it is due to just being over tired. I don't have much time to stop and so he sometimes gets woken up multiple times by being put in and out of the car. So by the time evening comes he is knackered. He also gets windy. He is pretty good at burping, but still gets the wind. I had some milk the other day stupidly, and he really paid the price. Luckily I am enjoying almond milk, and it is easy for me to make in a thermomix.

I'm trying to be super organised to get a handle on this whole three kids thing. Doing lots of slow cooker meals, to make sure that during witchin hour, that I am on top of my game, and just able to be there for the children. On that note, I have an osso bucco to get into the pot, so I better go do before the littlest one wakes up.

Sorry I've been mia too. I've been reading here and there when I can.

I hope your all doing well, especially those who are having issues with BF. Miss E and I didn't get off to a very good start but seem to be on track now. We seem to be dealing with some wind now though so have started infants friend.

Bella and anyone else I'm on Ashlees Facebook Rachel Jones. Add me if you want. How is everything ladies. Jason got weighed yesterday he is 9lb 9!!!! So happy. We have got a lot going on. Marks grandma has only got days left with leukemia sadly. Amazing woman and it's so heartbreaking. Bbl much love xx

Sorry to hear footsteps. I hope the next few days are peaceful xx

Eloise finally had her first HCN check up at 5 weeks (oops!!!). She has gained 1.7kg since leaving hospital so GO BOOBS! Hehehe so proud. I feel a bit bad that I haven't done more weight checks along the way but I know she is peeing/pooing great and is almost out of 0000 so I figure I'm doing something right. She is now 4.7kg. Right on 50th percentile.

Has a FB group been set up?

Amelia slept for 5 hours straight last night!!!!!

Then had a feed and went back to sleep for another 4 hours!!! I've had so much sleep I don't know what to do with myself! Haha

Such a big improvement on feeds every 2hours! That was getting very exhausting..

Happy mumma :)

I had her weighed yesterday and she has put on nearly 1kg in the last 3 weeks :) she is now 3.6kgs and fitting into 0000, which are a lot easier to find!

Hey BR, yeah there is a fb group now. Pm me and I can add you as a friend and then add you to the group. It isn't much more active than here tbh. :)

Done! Thanks Bella!

It's so quiet in here!! How is everyone doing??

All is well here! Bubs is chubbing up very nicely! She is 4.5weeks old and has gained 2.3kgs since birth! This has earned her the nickname fatso!

Anyone getting smiles yet? I'm getting the odd smile here and there! It makes me so happy!! :)