Sorry I havent posted in so long. Like others have said, my days seems to get away from me and I dont even bother showering some days Just stay in my pj's all day...oops!
Its so nice to know that Im not the only one going through the same things. My DP and I never knew how hard parenting was! Mostly the lack of sleep is whats hardest.
Trent has had lots of wind and I think he suffers from reflux too. Again, so hard to know what to look for. He often cranes his neck back after a feed and we were thinking, What a clever boy!!! But after mentioning it to the MHCN, she was saying thats his way of stretching out his tummy due to reflux and wants to relieve wind. So now we let him be so he can get rid of it. We feel so helpless when he is crying in lots of pain. We have been using infacol for a few weeks now. It seemed to be helping initially but he's had a few bad nights lately. I also think what I eat affects him alot. Had my work chrissy lunch yesterday with different things and he was very unsettled last night.
I am only b/f about a third of what he needs. After b/f for 1hr (30 mins each side) he is still hungry so we then top him up with formula (he has up to 100mls of it) after b/f. Im hoping to b/f until New Years eve in which he will be 8 weeks and then may give it away. Feeds take so long and no wonder I dont get much done! He sleeps anywhere from 2-4 hrs at a time. Makes no difference with the formula. I was initially only giving him formula for those middle of the night feeds but he was still not sleeping any longer. Since my boobs are so big if we are out and he is due for a feed, we give him formula instead so thats not helping my supply but I try not to do that very often but sometimes it cant be helped. With such large breasts I only feel comfortable b/f on my chair at home with my pillow so hard to do it elsewhere. I get cramps in my hands holding my breasts while feeding they are so heavy
Alison - sounds like you have things under control. I am demand feeding when Trent wakes up. Have been told they are too young to have a routine so have been going with that. If Im lucky, I get maybe 3hrs sleep in a row
Shayna - I can totally understand how you are feeling! I feel like a zombie most of the time too. Im the same if I express, get different amounts from each breast. I dont bother with the pump anymore. If we are out when its feeding time, I cant express so Trent gets formula. I was expressing all the time and was getting anywhere between 60-100 mls at a time but that was without any b/f at all so Im sure thats different.
Kymmy - I have found that if I eat some things Trent gets an upset tummy but its hard to know WHAT it was. Unless you eat and drink the same thing everyday (BORING!) then how can you narrow it down
Billykat - make the most of your parents doing the housework! But like others have said, it comes second to the baby and your wellbeing. My mum was coming over once a week and staying the night so I could sleep to give me a break and do housework but that is stopping as of this week. I think as long as DP and I are fed, our clothes are washed and Trent's bottles are sterilised, the rest can wait!
Alicia - wow, cruz sounds like a big boy! Trent was born 3.8kgs, lost weight in hospital and at his 4 week check up weighed in at 4.2kgs. As for feeding, you have to do whats best for you. As much as they drum it into us that BREAST IS BEST, its not always that simple. You may not have enough milk, you are EXHAUSTED so cant function properly. Thats why I was using formula at night as I needed sleep and Trent would drink a bottle alot quicker than he breastfeds and at 2 or 3am, all you are thinking about is getting the job done so you can go back to bed to get some more sleep! I know that sounds lazy but you have to think of yourself too.
Beany - most of our outings say like shopping are all planned around Trent's feeds. When he's been fed, we quickly go out and do as much as we can which is usually about 2hrs, before he is crying to be fed. Obviously if we are out for longer then we have to give him a bottle but thats not very often. I stay home most of the time or people come over to visit me as I like our routine and want to b/f as long as possible and as I said above, I feel most comfortable b/f at home.
Hello to all the other girls. I will try and pop in here more often if I can. I read most of your posts but then just run out of time to post a message myself
Take care girls and its so nice to exchange information with others whom are at the same stage as me My g/f's have school aged kids so I dont have many people to talk to about stuff. Started mothersgroup last week so am HOPING I make some new friends there
Today was my first day of being home alone with the three monsters!!! 3 under 3 is very ... um.. hard work!!! LOL
Alison - I hope your baby is a baby that agrees with your routine, otherwise you could have a very unsettled baby on your hands.. LOL... I got lucky with DS - he was a perfect 4 hourly feeder and only woke once overnight for a feed - perfect!!! But he set that routine himself. Whereas DD1 - omg - she fed every 2 hours for the first 4-5 months!!!! And it was only after that she went to 3 hourly feeds. BUT - she still only woke up once a night for a feed too - so it wasn't all bad. We are demand feeding with DD2 cos it would take longer to settle her if she was hungry than it does just to feed her... plus I usually have another pooey bum to change - or being hounded for something by one of the other kids - so doing what takes the least amount of time is what is in my best interests at the moment.. LOL... oh, and about still having a life? Umm.. your bub IS your life - you will never be the same again (not that its a bad thing, but it is a scary thing to come to terms with)... what I would give for a sleep in... or sleep through.... or a morning out with DH with a nice coffee and muffin in peace!!! LOL... hell, I think I would settle for doing a pee on the toilet by myself!!!!!
MissMagpie - reflux symptoms can vary but they are usually ones like, they pull off whilst feeding, they pull up their legs to their belly after a feed, you can't usually put them down for longer than 5 minutes, and they wake up crying, they make disgusting looking faces when burping (acid coming up) etc etc - if they vomit as well its reflux, if they don't vomit, its silent reflux. DD1 had silent reflux, so no actual vomiting, but all the symptoms - plus the screaming and crying - arghh.. much hell. If you think his symptoms fit in with any of those listed, get him to a doc - or even better a homeopath, thats what fixed DD1. Plus we took her to a paed chiropractor, that was awesome for her.
Parenting definitely is a hard job - but you do get rid of them in about 18 years time... lol... just kiddin...
Ahh well, suppose I had better get off the computer and clean up the lounge room, have a shower (I shower at night when DH is home just in case a child wakes up and needs comforting), get meat out for dinner, pay some bills online, fold the washing.. arghhh.. its neverending!!!!!
Hope everyone has a relatively "good" night with their bubbas!!!
I'm so happy serenity is back to waking once at night and she's staying awake more during the day which is nice....
I can't beleive how close Xmas is at the beginning of the year I started getting clucky and bow here we are lol
just wondering what everyone is thinking on vaccination, I got the first ones done but due to her size I think I might delay the rest and cut a few out not sure yet am going to talk to the gp
I've never used a nipple sheild is it just a plastic nipple thing lol
serenity is also a comfort sucker mally is the only one who wasn't
Hi Girls....I hope I didn't paint the wrong picture before, I'm not against demand feeding, it just doesn't work for me, tried it for the first week and I got NO sleep at all, Amelia was constantly feeding and the lactation consultant told me that it's most probably comfort eating as my milk flows so she was getting plenty from her feed. I only feed for 10-15 minutes on average (sometimes longer) and she's full. So the nurse suggested trying something a little different so the 3-4 hourly routine is giving me much more of a break in between and my boobs a rest as I have a strong sucker on my hands and my nipples were being caned. Everyone has a different way of doing things I guess. I know my life will never be the same, what I mean is that I can still go to the shops if I need to and not have to worry about whipping out my boobs in the middle of the shops, something I'm not comfortable with ha ha. I'm not strict on my routine with Amelia, some days it goes out the window and I realise she's only very young, I'm just trying to start somewhere and I'm feeling quite relaxed about it to be honest - my aqua class friends told me today that they can't believe how relaxed I look....I said, don't worry, I have my moments of insanity and crying ha ha - don't we all! Like you all I have bad nights where she's up every hour and a half wanting comfort or a feed, it's all about being patient I guess.....................it's hard work for sure but I just keep telling myself the sleepless nights won't last forever...............I HOPE!
Hi Heavenly - yes the nipple shields are just like a plastic teet - very similar to that on a bottle and it just goes over your nipple, they are a godsend for cracked nipples!
I know what u mean Alison serenity is full after a 5-10 min feed too so I guess o have a routine demand feed thing cos I know she won't be hungry for awhile so if she wants to suck I know it's for comfort but I don't put a time on it so it's when I know she's hungry which can get tricky with the warm weather cos sometimes they do just need a quick drink
Tania - I'm the same with b/feeding.....my boobs are absolutely massive (which I totally hate....) so I dont like b/feeding in public either....if I can go to a mothers room in a cubicle or something then that's fine, but it's still a pain cause like you at home I'm surrounded by pillows which prop her up to reach my boob and without that it's really uncomfortable to hold her on and hold my boob up as well plus deal with getting the nipple shield on and her not knocking it off with her crazy hands etc....quite a nightmare really...but will persist at home....
AFM - Had a pretty good night last night, only woke twice for feeds and her wind seems to be not as bad....will lay off the chocolate for the moment to see if that makes a difference...it's going to be hard!
Count me in as another big breasted gal. I think I'm like an H cup at the moment! I've fed in public once or twice and it was tough. Otherwise I've only been going to places with parent's rooms or to friends houses. I also have a cushion I drag around in the stroller to help with feeding in the parent's rooms. I'm managing. I was caught out at a cafe though and ended up in a deserted dog walker's spot - the cemetery in Newtown so I could feed and feel better about it!!
Hi Heavenly - absolutely! For example this morning she seemed hungry still so I didn't make her wait the 3 hours I gave her a bit more, it's all about being flexible isn't it. I just can't do demand feeding completely or she'd be on my boob all day and I'd never get anything done. It was stressing me out, I'm much more relaxed having a bit of a routine at least.
As for big breasted gals, ha ha I'm the opposite, I'm only a C cup now - I was an A/B before I was pregnant and my boobs didn't really grow until my milk came in! So I have what you girls probably have normally but when feeding, sad huh LOL! It's funny how we're never happy, I was looking forward to having decent sized boobs for once in my life and I didn't really happen, although they're definitely bigger than normal now and considering they're not biggens I've not had problem with my milk coming in. The lactation consultant told me sometimes smaller boobs are better as they contain only milk no fat......she was probably just trying to make me feel better ha ha. I get a little embarrassed getting them out in public though, I think it's just because I'm used to them being on the small side so have always been a bit conscious of it, I only have small aerolas and nipples too - I guess they're in proportion to the size....the nurses were like, you only have small aerolas, I'm like, yeah, because I'm a B/C cup, hello!!!!!!! Never happy are we....and to think my oldest sister had a breast reduction a few years ago, go figure! LOL
Heavenly, have you got smoke at your place? Are they burning off again here in Perth? It bloomin stinks out here. I just took Amelia for a walk around the block in the pram and had to come back cause I couldn't breathe!!!!!
Last edited by Alison1973; December 15th, 2009 at 12:03 PM.
Ha. Funny comments about areola. I remember being told to shove the whole thing in bub's mouth - not just nipple and I raised my hand in class and asked "What if my areola are the same size as his head?" HA. HA. Pretty close to true. I still have inches hanging out even with a proper latch!
Just stay in my pj's all day...oops!
My g/f's have school aged kids so I dont have many people to talk to about stuff. Started mothersgroup last week so am HOPING I make some new friends there
Bookmarks