Wow - I have finally caught up.... so much has happened.

But the thing that is most reassuring to me, is that everyone is having unsettled periods with their bubs, Hannah seems to have them a lot but at least it's not me going crazy. OMG it was doing my head in that Hannah was just so much hard work and I was exhausted all of the time. There have been some better days for me, well last night, but one good 24 hours is better than none.

Hannah has had some trouble with her weight - at 2 weeks, she had actually lost weight from her hossy discharge weight and at 3 weeks has yet to regain her birth weight -but she did put on 105grams in a week and is close to her discharge weight. She is still on the 75th percentile.... but that is despite feeding a lot, I think she was 97th % at birth, when she is a awake every 90 mins to 2 hours. it may not help that I think I had a tummy bug for the past 10 days or so, and that I was so tired all the time. Will see what this next week brings.

So last night we gave her her first complement feed. I was against it, wanting to exclusively BF - but I can't seem to get any decent amounts expressing - either hand or with pump - after 3 sessions with both bossoms I have 30 mls! Just not enough to feed her an extra BF. So we gave her 60mls of Nan HA formula with a pidgeon peristaltic teat which mimics the action of the breast. Wow did Hannah like that formula and she fed quickly and settled quickly and had a sleep from 12 -5, which after not sleeping for more than 40 mins at a time in about 16 hours was a godsend. She readily accepted the breast this morning. We will only feed her one comp feed a day at this stage. Will see how her weight goes.

Hannah has a lot of gurgles in her tummy and sometimes when she is BF'ing she squirms and arches her back and pulls her legs up to her tummy and grunts/moans. To me, that appears like she has a tummy ache. I will burp her, and sometimes get a result. Have yet to try Infacol, although we have some. The label said not to use til 4 weeks...I almost cried when I read that last week...

I am worried that Hannah can't settle by herself very often... but I think it's also a product of her sleeping and settling so poorly that I latched on to what worked and gave us some peace from the crying and allowed us to snatch some sleep. But today, she was really quiet and calm, and showing signs of being tired, but still bright eyed in our arms, but when I put her down, she grizzled and just built up to a full throated cry, and she never self soothes from one of those. That's even with wrapping, which she tolerates at times, soothing pats, gentle rocking, white noise to try, gentle words to try stem the inevitable build up.

Connie - how is George? Did he have an infection?

Bec - so glad to see a pic of Issaac. Sorry that you had such a rough time with your birth... but I am so glad you've got him in your arms.

Buzzie - perhaps for me giving birth vaginally was a link to my angels, but I am surprised that I am actually really disappointed I didn't get to labour at all for Hannah, esp given that I used to say it doesn't matter how she got here, just that she was safe. I needed to have a emergency caesarean under general as I had pre-eclampsia and hellp syndrome which put us both at risk, and in fact my BP spiked to something completely unbelieveable. But I actually missed the contractions and the whole process and didn't realise that I had so much invested in a vaginal birth. I honestly would do it again... and if DH and I go down that path I am going to try to be a VBAC'er, but then my vaginal births have been uncomplicated. But everyone will be different.

Belfie - sorry Dh is PITA.. hopefully it passes.

I would love to do more persies but need to rest- Chuckie, Pantha, Apes, Kirsten, Catherine ( i agree - don't go!), Fuzzy, Wite and sorry if I have missed anyone - I am thinking of you and enjoy reading about your little ones... and your journey together.

I had to laugh - it is MUCH easier to clean the projectile poo off us ( even though it's gross) than the carpet walls etc. Hannah had a poo - nami like that and I found a squirt of it in an impossible place and I thought next time, stand in front of the stream and take it for the team!