oh wow, I've missed a lot since we've been in our own little world of trying to get some weight on Lottie!
I'll do a quick birth recap to catch up..
4th September, there I was at 8.30pm munching down a mars bar watching gossip girl (sad I know..) and I felt a slight trickle, went to the loo and my plug came out. First very mild contraction started 15 mins after that. They were quite irregular until intensifying at 12am (the was when they confirmed my labour actually started). Managed to have a nice bath at home then headed to hospital at 12.30am.
After 5 hours of contractions using the TENS & gas I was ready to start pushing slightly and 1 1/2 hours Charlotte was born. At the time I wanted to die (lol) but looking back it was a pretty good labour. I pushed her out with no contractions in the last 15 mins and not one stitch so I was pretty damned proud of myself. DH was absolutely wonderful. It was an amazing experience.
Charlotte Elizabeth
7lb 7oz
49cm
6.5 hour labour with gas
I'm going to take the time to read through everyone's posts now but I'm so behind! I really hope everyone is doing well.
We have a plan of action for Lottie's weight gain, I'm pretty much expressing 100% so we can calculate her exact intake and we're doing 85ml every 4 hours (in between she sleeps like an angel).
I'm on the herbs and some script meds (thank god DH is a pharmacist and thank you to the girls who mentioned these things as well!).
I feel my supply is increasing rapidly and I'm actually leaking now. The LC will help me get her back on the breast hopefully very soon (I still put her on for a suckle so we can have that skin to skin bonding).
Finally Lottie gained 100grams in 24 hours!! We were thrilled and so happy things are on the improve.
On the other hand our girl is an amazing sleeper and so easy to settle. She slept from 12am to 5.30am this morning and we actually had to wake her so she didn't miss her feed. In between that she's interactive and alert. We are totally smitten!!
I hope everyone is enjoying their little ones, its such an amazing experience so far (full on but amazing all the same!).
Hi girls,
Wow you get busy for a few days and it takes an hour to catch up reading all the posts!
It's so good to read all the stories about how everyone is going and feeling. It makes you feel like you're not alone, and recognise which things are going really well for us - so at least you can feel great about some aspect of the day ;-)
Tadhg is going really well, mostly a very calm and settled baby - although yesterday i thought someone had flown in and exchanged him as he was really grumpy. He is 4 weeks old now, and i'm finally getting the hang of feeding and burping - we were having a lot of crying trying to put him down to sleep after a feed, and after talking to my girlfriend i realised i was rushing him back to bed rather than calmly rubbing his back and getting burps. Also i started leaning back a bit to feed, as he is a very hungry feeder at the start and guzzles which contributes to wind. Good advise if anyone else has this issue - its called uphill feeding, and i think it makes them work a bit harder, rather than pouring milk down their little throat. My feeding is a little tricky as I need to use nipple shields due to flat nipples. I thought i had enough, but apparently not - especially when my breasts are full of milk. If i try to feed Tadhg without the shields he just keeps searching for something to latch on to. But if nipple shields allow me to feed him its worth it just as long as he doesnt bump them off before latching, they are washed and ready to go (a real pain at night), and you don't forget them when out (thank god he takes a dummy or it would have been a long drive home that day!).
I am really interested to see the various lengths of time people go between feeds. I started out trying to do every 3 hours, but i'm erring towards demand feeding now, as he had a couple of unsettled days and woke every 2 hours for a while, and its so hard to wake them up - especially if they are putting on good amounts of weight. I do think routines and waking would be useful if you have a night owl though, which fortunately I don't. Bring on the night sleeps though - we went 8:30 till 1:30 last night (then 3:30 and 6:30) - woo hoo, hopefully that continues or gets better!
Goodluck mummies!
feel free to add me as a FB buddy - Kelly O'Brien's Photos - Tadhg Anthony O'Brien | Facebook
Wyatt is still a tummy sleeper and he is 21mnths tomorrow..it wouldnt matter what I did he would end up that way..and yes it is bad because of SIDS but sometimes you cant do anything other than try and move them back once they are asleep. I used an Angelcare sensor monitor for my peace of mind too.
Nicola - Yeah I have the angelcare s & m monitor as well... it does provide a bit of peace of mind but I still worry a bit. I was told off by a MW when I mentioned the tummy sleeping but there's not alot I can do about it! I've tried with no success and i'll be damned if i'm going to get up every 15mins to settle a cranky baby. Thanks for replying, you've made me feel like not such a terrible mother
Feeling a lot more human today after a reasonable night!
Thank you girls for all of your wonderful comments that make me feel less like an idiot!
Nicola - we have found that if we try and burp V by putting her upright - she brings up the entire feed, so have optioned against that as i just seemed to be feeding, vomit, feeding, vomit - we were going round in circles! Usually she falls asleep lying nuzzled into my boob....and if i keep her there for a solid amount of time i can get away with only trickles of breast milk escaping.
I am going against every SIDS rule in the book, V co-sleeps and sleeps on her side, because of the brace she has no way of rolling over so it is safe enough - but i have elevated the head of the bassinette.
Janine - V won't sleep on DH just me - i think she must smell the milk or something! That is cool that she sleeps on your husbands shirt....he must be chuffed!
Art - yeah it was me asking about the boobs - the bad one has gone back to being hard again when full....admittedly I did take some Fenugreek last night because i am paranoid...so maybe that is why...she is sleeping better though.
CONGRATS Kylie on Rosalie......sounds like a very nice birth and she was a whopper too - very good job!
PB - great to hear things are on the improve at the milk bar.....handy with a pharmacist in the family Keep us updated on how she goes getting back onto the boob.
Kelly - I know what you mean about the switching of babies! Do you remove the nipple shield half way through a feed once T has pulled your nipple out? Or do you leave it there for the entire feed? I am demand feeding - and she was having good 3-4 hour sleeps but is now more like 2-3 with periods of cluster feeding. I didn't want to start a schedule feeding as I know it wouldn't work with BF....I have seen too many women try to enforce a strict 4 hourly feeds, and so they ended up formula feeding because they had a very stroppy baby (ummm i wonder why?!).
Taurean - how are you holding up - has Izzy settled down any? Hope you are doing ok.
AFM - had a better night.....she slept more, which meant i got to sleep more Weigh in is tomorrow which i am looking forward to. We saw the Orthopaedis guy yesterday to check her brace...we have an ultrasound in 3 weeks to see how the hips are forming. We are going to Tonga in Nov so am really hoping she has the brace off by then.
I have to start looking at how to pack for a holiday with a newborn? Do i just take the box of 100 nappies?! I have no clue.....I have never felt more clueless in all my life!!!!
I know how you feel about the feeding, I was so there last Thurs/Friday. I cried so much in those two days I thought I was starting to get post natal! Lottie's weight is on the up! 3.20kg today so we are thrilled.
As long as Violet is having lots of wet nappies and a mustard poo here and there I'll bet she's doing fine!!
Just a quicky as I'm ducking into the city to do a little bit of shopping while mum watches Lottie. Before then I've got to pump as well.. ah the joys!
My gosh I'm finding it so hard to get in here these days, don't even have time to scratch myself!
Ethan did better last night so I'm feeling a bit more human today. He slept from 12.30am to 5.30am which is a record! And then from 6am to 9am. Between 7pm and midnight he tends to cluster feed which is really exhausting but worth it if we get a longer stretch of sleep afterwards.
PB - enjoy the shopping trip!
Sanchez - good luck with the weigh in tomorrow! Um packing for a newborn, take lots of changes of clothes and nappies. But I wouldn't take too many nappies as it would probably be easier to pick some up when you get there? I'd take enough for a couple of days maybe?
Janine - my DD liked to be on her tummy too but then she outgrew it and was a side sleeper. She loves her tummy again now (just like her mum!).
Kelly - glad you are having success with the shields. I tried to use them but couldn't get it to stay on, think I'm just a dumbo
Hi Nicola, Taurean, Art and anyone I've missed. Sorry can't get to you all, gotta go prepare lunch while I can! For the first time this week I've managed to get DD and DS asleep at the same time, woo hoo!!!
and she was a whopper too - very good job!
Keep us updated on how she goes getting back onto the boob.
Between 7pm and midnight he tends to cluster feed which is really exhausting but worth it if we get a longer stretch of sleep afterwards.
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