Babies born~July 1st-15th 2010 #1

[Olive]

This thread is for parents who's baby was born July 1st-15th 2010 #1

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MistyFying

There are many issues that you will encounter as a new parent. We have put together this list of useful articles and threads in order to assist you with some common questions or issues you may have, and to provide you with bit of extra support that we all need as new parents:

Feeding Support:

Breastfeeding General Chatter
Breastfeeding FAQ's
Is My Baby Hungry?
Bottlefeeding FAQ's and Useful Information
Is Feeding Your Baby Taking Too Much Time?
Bottlefeeding General Chatter
Feeding Your Baby
Lactose Intolerance
Starting Solids/Homemade Baby Food
Starting Solids - When Is My Baby Ready?
Starting Solids General Chatter

Please contact the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) or a Lactation Consultant if you are concerned that you may have breastfeeding and/or supply problems, and before the introduction of solids.

Sleeping Support:

Comforted Sleeping & Sleep Issues Forum
Comforting Tools to Aid Restful Sleep
Babies & Sleep
Controlled Crying/Comforting/Sleep Training
The Con of Controlled Crying
The Crying Game
15 Ways To Help Your Baby Sleep

Other Useful Information & Recommended Reading:

Baby Massage
Cuddle Me Mum
Infant-led Feeding & Weaning
Baby Wearing
Recommended Reading List

Got questions?

Post your questions in the forums mentioned above, or in the following forums where you're sure to receive many friendly responses!

General Baby & Toddler Forum
Breastfeeding, Bottlefeeding and Solids
Gentle Parenting Forum

Please note - To receive thread notifications click the "thread tools" button at the top of this post and click "Subscribe to Thread" there is no need to post in order to get notifications.

[~StarBright~]

Yay!!! We have a new thread!!!

[Oscar&Grouch]

yay!!! Welcome all new mummies

[Salad]

Hi just popping in to subscribe so I can stay in touch with you all.

O&G - How is Jett?? and how are you?

Hi SB

[Oscar&Grouch]

im horrible atm, just getting by slowly my horrible ex is causing me grief yet again- there is a thread started somewhere if you want to read it. Its in the relationship section!
As for Jett his going good, not as great as we hoped in regards to the feeding and my milk- but we will get there, I am only going up to see him twice a day atm as it really hard with noone to look after Oscar. being a single mummy sucks atm! Im really struggling with meeting everyones needs and keeping my head above everything.

Sorry about the not so positive post!!

[Salad]

You are entitled to a not so positive post its tough for you at the moment, anyway thats what we are all here for isnt it. Hang in there, wish I could help you xoxo

[mitf]

I have just been reading back over the babies due thread. I posted the below over ther but thought I should probably re-post here as the tread has changed.

Wanted to let you know that I am still here. Luke is taking up all my time at the moment and there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. I must say I am a little jealous of these babies that sleep a lot and need to be woken for a feed! Luke is a little unsettled a lot of the time and likes to be constantly attached to mum. I wasn't to keen on having him in our bed but have found it is the only way we get sleep at times. Last night he wouldn't settle in his bassinette so I pulled him into to bed and we slept for 5.5 hours! Usually the longest stint is about 2.5 hours. I read that a bath can help settle too so we tried that before bed last night and that seemed to help as well. Is anyone else having trouble settling bubs or have any suggestions? Luke is not really on a routine and I just feed him when he wants it... thinking maybe I should try and establish more of a routine.

OP - I noticed you were talking about caffine unsettling bubs. I haven't been drinking coffee but do enjoy 1-2 teas a day. I wonder if this could be part of the problem.... I asked the community MW about chocolate. She said if was eating during my pregnancy he should already be used to it.... but I have been trying to only have a little bit when I do have some.

[OceanPrincess]

Babies Born in our Group

23/05/10 duck01 - Jhett Alexander - 1740g (3lb 13oz) and 49.5cm
25/06/10 owens5 - Annabelle Sylvia - 2700g (5lb 15oz)
28/06/10 Molly C -Tia Lee - 2523g (5lb 9oz) and Belle Caitlyn 2466g (5lb 7oz)
29/06/10 mummy2aiden - Ayva Samantha Lilly - 3290g (7lb 4oz) and 51cm
30/06/10 Jacki - Nate - 3355g (7lb 4oz) and 53cm
02/07/10 ~StarBright~ - Kaleisha Lee - 3070g (6lb 12oz)
03/07/10 Dr. Tal - Brock Rider - 3545g (7lbs 13oz)
03/07/10 Oscar&Grouch - Jett Axel Storm - 2300g (5lbs 1oz) and 42cm
05/07/10 mitf - Luke Peter - 3830g (8lbs 7oz) and 48.5cm
08/07/10 OceanPrincess - Alexander Leigh - 4840g (10lbs 11oz) and 56cm
11/07/10 Jessey - Shay Bethany - 4655g (10lbs 4oz) and 57cm
12/07/10 Salad - Evan John - 4026g (8lbs 14oz) and 53cm
12/07/10 EmmaJane - Travis Alan - 3462g (7lbs 10oz) and 51cm

[OceanPrincess]

Hey ladies,

How exciting - a new thread for us!!! Woooo!!!!

O&G - I'm so sorry to read about your XP causing you dramas. So not what you need right now... Wish there was something more I could do. Is there a childcare near the hosp? Any way you could spend more time there? Must be so stressing for you - I can only imagine and send lots more big

mitf - tea shouldn't be as much of an issue as apparently most of the caffeine stays in the tea bag or tea leaves. Or so I have heard!!! Good to know about chocolate I do have a very sweet tooth...

As for unsettled bubs - fortunately for me X seems to be quite a content bub and easy to settle - at this point anyway! But I do know what you are going through - DD needed lots of cuddles, rocking and being held to get her to sleep. I have memories of sitting on the couch for an hour or so at all hours of the day and night to try and settle her... co-sleeping only really worked for us in the morning, for some strange reason.

Don't feel bad or anything for co-sleeping and not having a routine. Don't forget little L is so tiny he doesn't know which way is up, let alone what time he should be feeding. I'm taking a much more relaxed approach this time around - X seems to need to feed 3 sides (as in L, R then back to L after a little break) before he is really full, so that's just what I'm going with. And if he wants a feed an hour after I've fed him, I'll feed him. Routines don't really work for babies until their circadian rhythm is aligned - I think with DD we started the bath, boob, bed by 7pm routine basically as soon as we were home but she didn't get it until like about 3 or 4 months I'm sorry to say!

Til then, we had extended periods of cluster feeding from 6pm to anywhere around midnight, sometimes before. But she did get it, eventually. You just try everything and whatever works for you, works for you.

I've been bringing X into bed with us after he wakes in the early morning, so between 3 and 6am... I figure its the coldest part of the night and that's the warmest place for him, but also it means I can doze while he feeds. I've even remembered how to feed both sides without having to move him... I have big BBs...

Do whatever works for you hun. Whatever you can to get the rest you need.

SB - maybe its a boy/girl thing - X seems to think long and hard and then squint his eyes and I hear "squoooosh" and he's completely filled his entire (often just put on and clean ) nappy! I remember DD did some poo-splosions but not many...

Very exciting about DS's birthday! Jealous of your "toy room" - DD's toys are strewn all over the house!

Hope DD continues to be a happy bub for you!

Hi to Salad, Dr T, Emma, Jessey! And anyone I missed! Hope everyone is travelling well and adjusting to this thing called motherhood!

AFM: X is still a pretty contented bub at the moment. I know it can change so quickly... but for the moment I am enjoying being able to play with my DD more than I used to and I am falling in love with my little boy. He has such a wise little face and often after a feed he just looks at me, so serious... but then he'll get a bit of wind and smile and it just makes me love him more.

As I said above we don't really have a routine as such but he is feeding 2-3hrly during the day and a bit longer at night, 3-5hrly. I woke up yesterday morning to an alternate universe where I had fed Xander at 9.30pm and put him down, went to bed 10.30pm, he fed 2.30am and was back asleep by 3.15am, 6am DH went to work (usually wakes DD) but DD kept sleeping, we all slept til 7.15am

DD woke and we had brekky and played, DS didn't wake til 8.30am so I'd had a shower and we were all good! That was a pretty good morning!

I know it can't last but I will enjoy it while I can.

[Jacki]

Brooke – don’t blame you for the not so positive post. I feel like I am really doing it tough and don’t have time for everything and everyone and have DH to help, so hats off to you hun, you are doing an amazing job.

Star – I know what you mean about not being able to wait for DS birthday. I couldn’t wait to give DS his train tracks and table etc. Am slightly regretting it now as he does nothing else and is obsessed and always wants me to ‘play trains’ with him. Its very cute though.

Hands up over here for another boy with an explosive bottom !

Mitf – the early weeks are so hard with bubs that just don’t seem to settle. My bub is waking every 2.5 - 3 hours to feed and it is really taking its toll. Occasionally we get a 4 hour stretch but rarely. Not too sure is there is much you can do about it at this stage. Just have to wait until they are a little bigger and stronger and can last longer on the feed. I found that routines don’t really work this early on except for steering bubs in to a day / night routine to encourage longer sleeps at night rather than during the day. However a warm bath does seem to wear them out and relax them, a big feed and usually a better/longer sleep. Good luck

OP – I am very jealous of your day. I had a similar one a few days ago but sadly back to newborn normal ! I know what you mean about falling in love with you little one. I just can’t get enough of him. I feel so much more relaxed second time around and although have no time for anything seem to find plenty of time to just enjoy him and now stress like the first time. With DS1 I think I was over analyzing everything and worrying too much to be able to really enjoy it all.


Sorry, I didn’t go back and read the last couple of pages from our old thread so I am sure I have missed heaps. So a big hello to everyone, hope you are all well and getting some rest

DS was in daycare today so had a great day out in Fremantle walking and coffee’ing. However I am now totally knackered after not having a nanna nap today, I am off to bed.

Nite all
xx

[Dr. Tal]

Jacki - Sounds like you had a good day out and about! And I hear you on being exhausted if you don't have your nanna nap. I usually tuck Brock in next to me about 1 or so and have an hour and a half or so nap with him. Then I put him in his cot and get a few things done around the house till he wakes up.

OP - I envy you being able to give X both sides without having to move him Can't say my breasts are that big. It's a mission to switch sides with B. He's usually partly asleep and won't want to latch properly to the second side, but still wants food so gets squirmy and grouchy and we usually both end up with a milk bath I'm slowly getting better with it though.

Mitf - That must be so frustrating for you. Sorry I don't have any suggestions to help. I'm confident you'll get it figured out.

SB - The poo splosions MUST be a boy thing. I get 3-4 (sometimes more) of them a day! So far today I've already gone through 4 outfits and about 8 diapers I don't know how they leak out. Doesn't matter if I use MCN's or throwaways, how careful I am to make sure the edges are tight the poo seems to leak out everywhere! Up his back, down his legs, around his willy, up his belly it seems like I'm constantly washing the poor little guy.

Salad -

O&G - You're entitled to have a 'me' post once in a while. From the sounds of it you're dealing with several very hard situations at the moment and all things considered are doing a pretty good job. I hope it gets easier for you soon.

AFM - Just fed and put B down for his long afternoon nap. Am not too tired today, so thought I might take advantage of the situation and see if I can get my birth story written!

[OceanPrincess]

Ooh... Birth story... Yay. I looooove birth stories! Can't wait.

Can't type much, on phone with little X on my shoulder. He's funny - really loves being wrapped up. We wrapped DD of course, but if you were holding her she would go to sleep no probs. X seems to get grizzly after a feed, til you wrap him and then he's out like a light. Strange the little differences I am noticing between the two of them!

Dr T - when you say "long nap", how long are you getting?? Great that you aren't so tired today, you must be recovering, gently does it now!

How's B going at nights? LOL at the "milk bath"!! You'll get it! I'm impressed that you're trying - I didn't feel confident enough to feed lying down with DD til she was about 4wks old... Wish I had earlier... How lovely is the feeling of dozing with your little bundle snuggled in close?

Jacki - sounds like a good day was had! I sent DD to Grandma yesterday for a play and just spent time with X. It's nice, huh?

How's everyone else going??

[Dr. Tal]

OP - B will sleep for 6-8 hours if I let him. However, because he'd not gained any weight (in fact had lost a little bit) when he was weighed on Monday the MW said during the day not to let him go for more then 3-4 hours between feeds. So I wake him after 4 hours. For the rest of the day I try to wake him to feed every 2.5 to 3 hours. He even sleeps through his exloding poos. I can strip him wash him and change him all without him waking up

At night he'll only wake once...maybe twice. He's had a couple nights where he's slept straight through (as in I fed him between 9 and 10 and he didn't wake till after 6. The first night he did that he scared me near about to death. I woke up and thought for sure he'd stopped breathing.

I'm trying not to get too use to the superlong sleeps at night in case they don't last. But I'm certainly taking advantage of them at the moment to catch up on all the sleep I wasn't getting when I was pregnant!

AFM - I got my birth story written and posted. Make sure you have lots of time before you read it and grab a drink. I got a bit carried away and it is just a TAD bit long

[EmmaJane]

So interesting hearing about everyone else's bubs' sleeping and pooing habits. Travis had 11 pooie nappies in his first 36 hours - I got no sleep at all Tuesday night (2nd night out of my belly) because everytime I fed him, he'd poo, then I'd change his nappy and he'd want more food and was generally unsettled. Because there was meconium in the amniotic fluid I had to stay 2 nights in hospital, which was probably a good thing in the end because I would have freaked out over his not sleeping. The nurse even took him for an hour to try to give me some sleep but he wouldn't have it! Our first night home was better, I got him to sleep for a couple of hours twice. Last night was another no sleeper, and this night is also turning out to be. I'm typing 1-handed while feeding him. After the first 11 poos he went more than 24 hours without any and I was quietly hoping he might be one of those one a week babies, but tonight he's already had 3. At least the poo is easier to clean off now!!

Dr Tal - so jealous that B sleeps through his nappy changes, but sounds like you have your own issues with leaky nappies! When did you start using the MCNs? T's poo is probably at the point where I can consider gettin mine out. Will check out your birth story when I get a chance!

OP - impressed by your multi-tasking!! Would love some advice on how to feed while lying down if you have any, though might be very dependent on bb size and mine are only 12c in maternity bra size (i think).

Actually, anyone with details on how they co-sleep, if they do, would be gratefully received!!

Jacki, hope you had a good sleep to catch up on your lack of nana nap!

Hi to everyone else, gotta go, have a leak to clean up

[Dr. Tal]

Emma - We co-sleep with B occasionally. I'll usually bring him into bed with me after his 4am feed (When he has it). I just snug him up against my side with his head resting on my arm, so he's propped kinda like he would be if I was holding him and go to sleep. I figure with his head on my arm, then I know where he is and I won't roll on him. Dh does the same thing when he's sleepingwith him. I don't know if that's the 'proper' way ornot, but it's what feels comfortable for us. Plus with him that close we know the dogs won'taccidentally step on him.

I started using the MCN's basically as soon as we got home from the hospital. I don't use them all the time though (mainly because he has so many changes a day I don't have enough to keep up with him). At the moment I'm using about half and half.

[OceanPrincess]

Hi mums and bubs,

Sounds like we are all slowly slowly adjusting to life with out new babies...

Dr T - great birth story. Loved it. Thanks again for sharing all that with us - will say it again, you are an amazing woman. My DH commented that he had no idea I was that strong - I bet your DH is thinking the same thing

Which MCNs are you using? Maybe its a boy thing - we're using Tots Bots fitted with PUL covers and although we have had one poosplosion leak, I don't think any nappy on earth would have contained that one! The huggies we used for a bit when we first came home from hosp were useless - we had heaps of leaks. Must be a boy thing - we used the same MCNs with my DD and I don't think we had any leaks at all!

We're in them full time but I'm finding the washing a bit stressful - I think we're going to end up washing nappies every day, DD's one day and DS's the next. At least that way we keep the two sizes separate... easier to sort out...

6-8hrs - yeah I guess that is a bit long!! Little baby only has little tummy, I'm surprised his tummy lets him sleep that long Definitely take advantage of the long stretches at night while they last!

Emma - he will settle down! You're doing a great job! Are you getting lots of support during the day? Can someone take T for a bit so you can rest during the day, to prepare for the nights? I found that worked best with DD when I was completely exhausted and she was up all night. As far as the poos go, I think at this stage they still poo fairly regularly, but once you get into a regular BF routine (if you do) and things settle a bit, he might be one of those once a week pooing babies. There is hope yet!

X does the exact same thing though - I feed him one side, change nappy, then generally without fail while we are feeding the second side he'll do a big squishy poo. Its like he holds it in til he's in a nice clean nappy and then lets rip We are going through so many nappies - so glad we're in cloth.

As for feeding lying down, it doesn't really matter what size you are - my sister went up to about what you are and she taught me how to do it! She has a pretty sweet deal, as an aside - when my nephew wakes for feeds, she sends my BIL up to get him from his cot in his room, BIL gives him to my sister who feeds one side, BIL changes his nappy at the end of the bed, back to sis, then BIL takes him back to bed. My sis just lies there dozing through it all. Can't see my DH going for that one somehow!!!

Anyway, basically I lie X on the bed, on his back, with his head roughly where I think my BB will be (getting better at judging it...), then I scootch in beside him on my side, with the arm that is closest to the mattress sort of tucked up under my pillow and with the other arm I sort of roll X onto his side into me... and then I have to shuffle him up or down a little bit so he is lined up properly with BB.

The important thing is to still get the chin to breast attachment thing going on... I was a bit lazy the first night and got a little graze on one nipple and a crack on the other. I find I have to squish my nipple a bit to get him to attach properly but once he is on, I close my eyes and doze...

This morning I fed him at about 3am and he wouldn't go back into the cradle so he came back into bed with us, I'd done my PJ top up but he kept trying to attach, so I just undid it and let him suck, when I woke up at 6am he was still attached

I always put X on the outside of the bed, so I am between him and my DH. DH is too heavy a sleeper to risk having him roll onto X if X were in between us. I was putting a pillow next to him but I confess I have not been doing that recently... the pillow would just fall off and he's always tucked right into me so he's not going anywhere. Hope some of that helps...

AFM: we had a bit of an unsettled night last night which continued today - lots of long stretches of wakefulness (like 2hrs) followed by short sleeps and more being awake. He's asleep now, has been since about 8pm, so I'm now waiting for him to wake up before going to bed. Would have gone to bed at 8pm but we hadn't had dinner...

He made the most noise today that he has in just about ever. I think maybe gas/wind pains? He'd let out these real squawks of pain and go all rigid, then relax. Poor little bub. Happened a few times...

Aside from that, he is generally happy to just be, when he is awake I mean. Doesn't seem to like being left alone while he's awake, but if you're holding him he will quite happily watch the world without crying or anything. So that's pretty good. We did have a time today when neither him nor DD would go to sleep and DH and I were getting pretty snippy with each other. Thankfully they finally got to sleep and DH had a little nap on the couch... or else things would have gotten nasty.

DH working tomorrow Got family coming round so hopefully they can amuse DD for a bit...

How is everyone feeling physically, now that we are a week or so post-natal? I'm still struggling with digestion... I get really gassy/windy and am struggling to be, ahem, regular, if you get my drift. Might need some more natural fibre...

Hope everyone is going well... I'm off to bed... maybe...

[OceanPrincess]

... So we might have to start a bakery

Send anything you don't want down to me!!!

[Dr. Tal]

OP - Sorry it has taken me so long to answer your MCN question. I've been using a combination of lots of different types. I have bubblebubs, some itti bitti, abby grow and scarlette jayne. I have a few other types, but I can't remember which ones they are. Since I'd never used any before I just bought a few of each type to see which ones I liked the best. At the moment I'm likeing the bubblebubs the best, but I think that's because they are fitted so aren't quite as big as the OSFM.

DH has told me on several occasions he's glad I was the pregnant one because he didn't think he could have handled it. That having been said he was SO supportive during the birth I couldn't have asked for anyone better. Especially when he told off that mean MW. If I wasn't in so much pain I could have kissed him.

Emma - I LOVE poached eggs. Ironically enough they're one of the few things I can't cook

SB - I couldn't for the life of me figure out why that first MW was a MW. Her comment about not getting pregnant if you can't deal with the pain was so unbelievably inappropriate. I've actually filed an official complaint against her. I just thought what she said was totally uncalled for.

Salad - I did get those two nasty MW's but I lucked out with the two that stayed with me for the majority of the time.

Hi to anyone I might have missed

I can't remmeber who asked about the bleeding. I am still bleeding quite a bit, but no clots anymore. That having been said I don't have anything to compare it to so I don;'t know if it;s 'heavy' per say or not.

AFM - B gained 260g this week, so they were really happy with that. They said I should continue to wake him up to feed at least every 4 hours though.

Also had him at the cardiologist today for an ECG today. DH has a heart condition and he was told it could be genetic (about a 50/50 chance) so we're having B examined to make sure his heart is good. We should find out next week.

Poor little tyke also has an appointment with a peadiatric surgeon on Friday as he has hypospaedis (sp??). That's a condition where the urethra is in the wrong position on his penis. So depending on how 'off' in positioning it is he might have to have surgery to correct it. So I have my fingers crossed that it's not too bad.