hi buddies!
storm - expressing is hard work isn't it? I'm supposed to be doing it to help boost my supply (BF plus formula at the moment, although I suspect the bulk of his intake is formula), but good grief, how are you supposed to find time?? We only bought one of those Avent manual pumps, and have since borrowed a pretty good electric one, but I can understand the reluctance to 'waste' money. I got totally put off early on when I was sitting in our main room double pumping and somebody came to the (glass) door. I felt quite traumatised by it! (He probably did too ;-) ) I recently had a session with Pinky McKay and have her book Sleeping Like a Baby. She pretty much says that if being in your arms is how they get to sleep, then that's what you need to do, and as they develop they will gradually learn to sleep by themselves. When you think that they have been all snuggled up inside us for so long, it makes sense that having to sleep by yourself, on your back, isn't an easy transition to make! Fortunately DH really likes his evening cuddle time, so when he gets home from work Zac takes up his position on Daddy's chest and stays there until I go to bed :-)

Chopsticks - I might look out for a white noise album. I have discovered that doing the vacuuming is a good magic trick, as is using the hairdryer, but it would be nice to have something else to fall back on.

Preagainpan - I hear what you're saying about 'arsenic hour' - ours is about 4pm to 7pm when it seems like what little milk I have is even lower after a day of feeding, plus I'm getting tired and grizzly and trying to make dinner etc.

Ryatha - Zac has been smiling too, and is quite 'vocal' during feeds. Especially funny when he's been having a bit of a cry, and he kinda continues it while BF-ing. He makes this 'wuggle wuggle' sort of noise, which has me and DH in hysterics. And don't those little smiles just make you melt?!

Miss E - glad to hear you had a better experience with a different MCHN. You just don't need that sort of BS when you're dealing with all the new experiences and emotions of being a mum!

mums with windy babies - I think we are just starting to have a few problems with this now. He gets absolutely beside himself and I've been trying the 'are you hungry, are you tired, does your nappy need changing, do you just need a cuddle' roundabout, and generally after a while he has a bit of a burp and settles down. This morning I had my first experience of being chucked on in the middle of BF

All you ladies with other children - oh my god, I do not know how you do it! I am full of admiration for you!!

AFM/us - had a great session with Pinky McKay the other day who reassured me that actually my BF 'technique' is ok, it's just that I've got nipple thrush and vasospasm, which is why it's hurting so much. So I've been to the Dr to get a couple of prescriptions, including motillium to try to give my supply a boost.

I think I got a bit over excited about weaning Zac off the formula, esp when I hadn't started the motillium, so we had a couple of grizzly days where he's been on the breast for ages but still ravenous. I'm just going to feed him - breast or formula - when he's hungry and not worry too much about it I think.

Our MCHN keeps saying 'we like newborns to be back asleep within an hour of waking up' - what planet is she on??? Zac will (quite happily most of the time) stay up for 2-3 hours during the day. He might have a couple of cat naps, but other than sleeping in my arms, and usually a reasonably decent sleep in the early afternoon, he's not interested in sticking to the rule book!

He was four weeks old yesterday - in some ways it feels like it's been so much longer, and in others, so much shorter. At least I am feeling more human now - that first week or two, especially after coming home, was just hellish

I hope everybody else is doing well - looking forward to more news about all the lovely babies!