Babies born~September 16th-30th 2010 #1

[Apes23]

Hi all! Good to hear from you all with your new bubba's.

We are going well here. Although we think Isla might have a bit of reflux. She will sometimes cry in her sleep like she's in pain and last night she did a couple of major screams where she couldn't breathe. That was pretty scary. So might see what the child health nurse says today when she comes over.
We had to up her bottles to 120mls as the other night she was feeding every 3 hrs and being restless in between. She seems to be going fine after that. Are we the only ones bottle/formula feeding here?
I have to admit I was really dissapointed I couldn't breastfeed her but I don't want it to get me down and in the dumps so i've just let it be.

[fuzzy]

Apes - Does Isla take 120mls of formula each feed and how long does she take to drink it? That sounds terrible with the reflux - I hope you get answers from the child health nurse and its a simple fix for her.

I expressed 90 mls and DH gave it to Chloe but she guzzled in 10 minutes flat and looked for more. I have no idea how much we should be giving her now as I thought she would only be getting that amount or less from my breasts. Does anyone have a rough idea?

[kirsten74]

Apes- my nephew had reflux and my other nephew has it now as well, and it is doing my SIL's head in! Apparently he chucks 5 out of 8 feeds! He is still putting on weight though so something must be getting through! If it gets really bad you can get a formula specifically for babies with reflux. It is thicker and so is harder to bring back up. There are also some drugs you can give but you need to check with your doctor. Sam sometimes cries in his sleep but then he farts and is all good. Can be quite funny.

OK, time to feed again. My day seems to be split into 3 hour blocks!

Kirsten

[Apes23]

Fuzzy, yes 120mls is what we give her now every 4 hours, takes her about 20mins or more to finish. We were giving her 90mls but she was guzzling (like you said with Chloe) every 3 hrs and was really restless in between. It says on the S26 formula can to give 120mls from 2weeks to 2months but that's just a guide. It must be hard trying to know how much she's getting from the breast?

Kirsten, Oh dear your poor SIL. Isla doesn't really chuck much at all, so we think last night's screaming marathon might of been just a one off tummy ache. The health nurse said if she's screaming all the time then it's something to worry about. So that was a relief.
She has put on 280grams so we're happy with that.

[Deana]

Fuzzy – His rash is a skin reaction and seems to be getting better. I have also bought him infant friend’s medicine for his gas and reflux. He seemed ok today but still took him from 5am to 10am to fall asleep.


Connie – Can you tell me the routine pls. Blake will be 2 weeks as of tomorrow (Wednesday). Thank you.


Apes – Im bottle formula feeding at the moment as well. Ill probably go back onto breastfeeding now that the doctor said I can do both. Blake just doesn’t seem to be getting enough breastmilk though to keep him going.


Better go Blake is hungry lol

[CoNNiE_Melb]

I am formula feeding aswell... for the last week and a half we have been offering George 140mls per bottle (6 bottles per day) he usually drinks between 120 and 140mls at a time.

We had a terrible night with him last night, I think because we were at someone else's house for his bedtime feed, where there were approx 30 people there - I think he was overstimulated and that affected the whole night.

Deana - Routine for Breastfed Baby Aged 2-4 weeks
6:40am: Express as much as you can, up to 30ml, from your right breast
7:00am: Wake your baby and feed him for up 25mins from you left breast. Then feed him for up to 15mins from your right breast. (Wake and feed him even if he last fed at 5:30am, so he is always starting his day at the same time and on a full tummy)
8:15am: Swaddle your baby and put him in his bed awake and allow him to self settle
9:40am: Express as much as you can, up to 60ml, from your left breast
10:00am: Wake your baby and feed him for up to 25mins from you right breast. Then feed him for up to 15mins from your left breast.
11:30am: Swaddle your baby and put him in his bed awake and allow him to self settle
1:00pm: Wake your baby and feed him for up to 25mins from you left breast. Then feed him for up to 25mins from your right breast.
2:30pm: Swaddle your baby and put him in his bed awake and allow him to self settle
4:00pm: Wake your baby and feed him for up to 25mins from you right breast. Then feed him for up to 25mins from your left breast. After this feed, put your baby down somewhere safe and comfortable, so if he feels like having a little nap before his bath he can. But dont put him in his bed as he may choose not to sleep.
5:20pm: Bath baby or give top-to-toe wash
6:00pm: Feed your baby for up to 25mins from you left breast. Then feed him for up to 25mins from your right breast. Or you can get someone else to feed him a bottle of expressed milk.
7:00pm: Swaddle your baby and put him in his bed awake and allow him to self settle
9:10pm: Express as much as you can, up to 90ml from your right breast
9:30pm: Wake your baby and feed him for up 25mins from you left breast. Then feed him for up to 15mins from your right breast.
Night Feeds: Now that you are in the third week and your baby has regained his birth weight and is over 3kg, you may let him sleep a bit longer at night, but dont go more than 6 hours without expressing or feeding your baby (for your milk supply). Feed your baby whenever he wakes during the night, but dont talk to him and keep the lights dim.

Geez... I just realised that the routines are so much harder and more detailed when breastfeeding, because they are also aimed to keep your milk supply up. The key times are:

Feed Times: 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 6pm, 9:30pm & Night Feeds
Sleep Times (Naps): 8:15am, 11:30am & 2:30pm
Bedtime: 7pm

[Deana]

Thanks Connie, it sounds promising so I might give it ago. I hope it works lol. What if he demands a feed though? do I wait till the nest feeding time or give him a feed when he wants one?

[CatherineL]

Hi girls, I've only just read through this thread.

I've noticed what was said about routines and I don't doubt that Belfie's son settled into his own routine and slept well on his own accord. I think alot of it (having a child that sleeps well later on down the track) has alot to do with common sense and habits that are established, not so much feeding to a certain time. Even if you feed to a time plan, but rock your baby to sleep, doesn't mean things are going to be easier down the track. I completely believe that there are some level headed folk out there that loosely keep in mind what kind of habits they are creating and just go with the flow and have children that sleep just as much as mine. I think it's after the second year of a child's life that they start testing sleep, even after the third year from what I've heard from friends. So you just never know what's around the corner for you - I always keep that in mind. I feel similar to Connie (although my routine isn't as in depth as the one she posted) it keeps me sane knowing what's happening when and helped me survive since about 80% of the time my husband is working away and I do everything on my own. I don't have much help even when my husband isn't away because we're on a farm and there is always something that needs to be done. So when dinner has to be cooked, kids and baby need to be bathed, fed, read to and put to bed, I do it myself. And I am more than happy to do it myself even when my husband is home, I can tell you things run alot smoother with our routine and I am happy to have that time after 7pm - once all the girls are in bed - to myself (which doesn't mean that I don't love spending our time together during the day, but let's face it, we all need some time to ourselves. I usually straighten my hair, infill my nails/gel toes, waxing etc which in turn helps me feel like I'm keeping myself together better). I actually feel like it's not a positive thing for you guys, me being here. I don't want to feel like I'm putting pressure on you guys with routine. Plus things (so far) have been much easier and smoother than I expected, so I probably don't need the support I thought I would. So I'm not going to continue in the babybuddies part, instead I'll catch up with the developing babies on fb.
I don't think I'll have much time soon anyway. Playgroup plus and swimming (twice a week) resumes this week and kinder soccer starts next week for Rochelle. Busy times and it's only going to get busier!!

Hope you're all keeping well and don't be a stranger on fb! Xoxo

[CoNNiE_Melb]

For the record, I am not following the routine I posted, thats just the one suggested in the book for a breastfed baby at that age.

I am roughly following a feeding every 4 hours routine, but depending on the situation we give or take half an hour. I am mainly trying to focus on the self-settling techniques because it drives me crazy that George seems to have a 2 hour limit! The last 2 nights he has been sleeping better, waking up just when its time for a feed. But we have 2 problems:
1. He keeps waking up at 6am!! It's 1 hour before his next feed, and too early!! Hehehe
2. He won't sleep in his cot after his 7pm feed, he has to be held until 11pm, and then he goes down after that feed. EVERY other time he goes down for a sleep, he will whinge a little, but be asleep within 20 minutes. Just refuses to go down when its his bedtime!! Even after a bath and feed.

Catherine - I dont want you to go!!! Your routining abilities inspire me! I feel like people could learn so much from you, even if they dont want to follow everything you do.
I know we are confusing him and creating a bad habit when we pick him up and let him sleep with us on the couch at this time, but we dont know what else to do.

[CoNNiE_Melb]

Deana - as for my boobs... they went back to their old size and they are a bit saggy now. I hate them! They were always small, and now they are small and ugly. I am going to go get re-measured for a bra, because I have no idea what size I am.

I have heard of people whose boobs stayed larger, but it didnt happen for me, which sucks!!

[belfie]

I actually feel like it's not a positive thing for you guys, me being here. I don't want to feel like I'm putting pressure on you guys with routine.

Aaww don't say that! I think it's fantastic that you're on here - there's such a range of first-time mums plus 2nd/3rd/4th time mums that it's great to hear what everyone is doing. I realised some things about what I do, when I read what you do, so I thought I should put it down... that way everyone can see all the different ways there are to approach things. Plus tbh, I also know that I'll have to do things a little differently this time cos I've got a toddler to look after as well (not that it's really sunk in yet!). So pls pls don't desert us! I remember my first baby buddies group had a similar mix and it was GREAT to see all the different ways we all approached things!

As for boobies... arrgh mine are too big... would love to shrink 'em a bit!

Connie - I'm so sorry to hear that G needs surgery , hope it all goes well.

[Deana]

Apes – I have bought the s2g reflux for infants, but because the formula is so thick, it doesn’t go through the teat so Blake isn’t getting anything. Its very thick formula almost like a thinkshake lol.


Connie – bummer on the boobs, I bet mine go back down to my old size as well.


Have to take Blake back to the doctors as now he has smelly urine and is drinking a lot, I asked the chemist as I thought it may be a UTI but she recommended me to see a doctor as it could be a sign of diabetes. I hope not. Blake is very unsettled today. Just doesn’t want a bar of sleeping.


Hope you are all doing well.

[fuzzy]

Catherine - dont leave! I agree with Belfie and Connie, its so good to hear the different way people are doing things. Can you tell us what routine you are using, i.e. times?

Connie - how did you go with little George's hernia? Chloe wakes up at 6 too - sometimes 5:30 am. arrrrh

As for boobs - you can have some of mine they are SO sore. lol

We had a terrible night last night. I *think* Chloe had a belly ache as she refused to sleep and made these horrible 'arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrh' noises when I put her down and wriggled around a lot. Needless to say we got no sleep last night! We couldnt get a burp out of her either but this morning she did 5 big farts then fell asleep. Although now she is really restless again. Hoping its just something that goes away really quickly.

[CatherineL]

Thanks girls. But understand, it's nothing that any of you have said - I just remember what it was like to be a first time mum and the last thing a new mum needs is to feel as though they should routine because it's working so well for someone else.

Connie, are you swaddling George? Some babies hate it, but some babies seem to settle much better being swaddled especially at the end of the day when they are a bit over stimulated from the day. You know what I've even found stimulates Ava? A black and grey striped shirt I wear!! I've been wondering about George and whether because he was premie will he smile earlier than our babies or whether it will be closer to his corrected age? Does he still have a startle reflex? Sorry, I was just curious whether those were things that developed with environmental exposure or just when the brain develops with age. Don't be too concerned if every now and then you let George sleep on your chest because it's the only way to settle him. Do what works, but just remember to try to settle him in his bed next time. Since his self settling mostly during the day, it's not so much of an issue and I 'think' he'll outgrow the night tine thing (sounds like a witching hour thing maybe). I remember with Ro if she was ever a bit unsettled at bed time, I'd pat the side of the cot like a heartbeat and she'd go very quite and just listen. As long as she was tired - but not over tired - her eyes would start to flutter but I could see her fighting it trying to listen to the sound, so I'd just taper off (as quickly as I could) then leave. If any of my babies have gotten over tired (I've always tried to not let it happen too often, but it did happen) I'd have to cuddle or help them to sleep, it was impossible to get them to self settle when they are over tired... Little babies just don't seem to cope well over tired. Another thing you could try to help him settle (it'll only work if he's quiet) in his bed, starting from the crownof his head, with your finger tips brush down over his head down over his eyes, do it a couple of times. Sometimes it just relaxes them enough to help them get themselves off to sleep.

Fuzzy, I follow three hourly routine. 7, 10, 1, 4, 7 and dreamfeed. I feed if bub genuinely wants a feed before three hours, if it's close to three hours, I'll just feed that bit earlier and if there is still more than 45mins till the due feed, I'll top up at the regular feed time. I just don't let any more time pass than three hourly between feeds. Funnily enough, I didn't dreamfeed last night because Ava woke up early wanting a feed at 9pm. So I fed her and went to bed thinking I'll just let her wake up when she wants her next feed. She woke at 2 am and then I had to wake her at 7am... 2 x 5 hour stints! Think I might just see when she wakes between 7pm and 7am for a few nights!

Well I stayed up thinking Ava would feed soon, but she hasn't woken since her 7pm feed. Think I might just go to bed and see when she decides to wake. Hope your all enjoying your beautiful babies.

Btw, Deanna - you can get different flow teats. I think there is one for thicker formula. I've heard of a fast flow teat for thick reflux formula.