Any other October mummies?

[Lollipopbop]

Hey guys.
Twins are doing so well. We've switched to formula and in a good feeding and sleeping pattern now. Gaining weight. They are such good babies. My OH is amazing. He's been preparing all the feeds and doing all the house work since I came home from my c section.
Only negative is that last night I had to come back to hospital as my c section incision became infected. It's been very sore so I'm just getting a course of anti biotics through a drip and fingers crossed I get to go home today. I was heartbroken when they told me as I had to spend a night away from the babies and ds. Hoping it's all getting better though.

Kat - I would try speaking to your midwife or health visitor again. Hope things are improving now x

 

[KatO79]

Twinky, glad you are progressing well and I hope she stays pur for You!

Kat, has he been checked for a tongue/lip tie at all hun? Ava bit down hard and cried sometimes when I fed her before her revision. They can cause babies to have a harder time nursing and then causes them to not gain as much.

Nope but he normally feeds fine, it's only when he's crying literally non-stop from 11 PM to around 4 AM that he'll often latch on so hard, it makes me cry.

Lolli our health visitor is a temp and she didn't take it seriously when we told her he's been keeping us awake for the last 2-3 nights with non-stop crying. I think she may feel we were exagerrating or something. I feel like she's difficult to talk to. No matter as our permanent one comes back Monday so hoping she's a better listener and we get along better. Glad your twins are doing well!

 

[blablamana]

I'm sorry lolli, that sounds horrible. Hope you get to go home ASAP. Happy your twins are doing well!

Kat: sorry about the struggles. I'm struggling with the whole bf-thing too, but the other way around. I thought it would be super great if I had a massive supply, but given the fact that he has so many cramps from it, it is far from great.

We are doing great too! Thomas is cramping a lot, even went to the ER for it (he was cramping non-stop, 24/7). The cause is my overproduction which also caused him to gain weight véry fast. Which is great, but too much on his system. So I am now 'block-feeding' so two feeds for one boob before switching again. This is to lower my production. It seems to be working because this week he 'only' gained 150 grams and the last couple of weeks it was 400-500 grams (which is ... about a lbs per week) per week.
He is such a little stinker though, only wants to sleep on top of us and hardly ever in his crib. SO and I keep taking shifts to accommodate him, because he is so sad with his cramping. There will be another time to learn how to sleep in his crib.
He is a very pretty baby, I'm so in love with him.

 

[Blessedbaby]

hi ladies ...

Kat can you try gripe water?

Lolli hope you get better soon...

Schylar also cried last night for two hours and I got her some gripe water today which seems to be helping. She wants to sleep in my arms or on my chest which is a bit difficult as Im a side sleeper ... Other than that we good

 

[KatO79]

Kat: sorry about the struggles. I'm struggling with the whole bf-thing too, but the other way around. I thought it would be super great if I had a massive supply, but given the fact that he has so many cramps from it, it is far from great.

Oh I don't think I have too low a supply, I think because Alexander has jaundice he's not eating enough at the breast because he falls asleep a bit too quickly which is why the nurse was thinking we could try giving him formula to top him off. My main issues are keeping him awake and at times getting him to latch properly. He has the biggest issues with my left breast because the nipple is pretty big so I have to help him more.

Glad your LO has an easier time gaining weight! I'm hoping that as Alexander's jaundice clears he'll start gaining more as well.

Kat can you try gripe water?

I'm not sure I can buy that here

Anyway we ended up going to the hospital to get Alexander's "conjugated bilirubin test" done. His level was a bit high but nothing to be too concerned about, the doctor wasn't in the slightest bit concerned anyway. They think it's something in my breastmilk that's prolonging his jaundice and that he just needs more time for the jaundice to go away. Oh and they felt feeding him every 2nd hour during the day was total overkill so said I need to feed him every 3rd hour during the day and every 3-4 hours at night. They said he may not be getting enough of the fatty milk and is mostly living off the thin stuff which isn't helpful to him gaining weight. I don't fear having to tell our nurse we're going to follow the doctor's instructions as I don't think we'll be seeing her again since our permanent nurse comes back on Monday. We need to go back to the hospital next week though for another test to make sure his bilirubin levels are going down.

Oh and they said him crying all those hours at night is indicative of him having gas because he's been feeding too often so hopefully that'll stop now that we're going to feed him less often.

 

[blablamana]

O i wasn't trying to say you don't have enough milk hun, i was more referring to how much milk he was getting.. Regardless of supply.

As for Alexander falling asleep: tickle his feet (just stroke the soles) or palm of his hand while feeding (or let dh do that if you have your hands full.). This triggers his grab-reflex and should wake him just enough to keep drinking. We were told to do that when Thomas was just born because he was premature and often way too tired to eat well. This made it easier, now he has no issues anymore with it.. But it worked for us!

 

[KatO79]

O i wasn't trying to say you don't have enough milk hun, i was more referring to how much milk he was getting.. Regardless of supply.

As for Alexander falling asleep: tickle his feet (just stroke the soles) or palm of his hand while feeding (or let dh do that if you have your hands full.). This triggers his grab-reflex and should wake him just enough to keep drinking. We were told to do that when Thomas was just born because he was premature and often way too tired to eat well. This made it easier, now he has no issues anymore with it.. But it worked for us!

We've been doing that but it never wakes him up completely So we're now trying to remove him from the breast when his sucking reflex is way down and trying to wake him up by trying to activate him more before putting him back at the same breast. Seems to work ok although we may have to try other methods.

 

[ajarvis]

Kat do you have a pump? I pumped for a day after feeding. So would feed both sides when she was alert and awake - during the day - then immediately after I'd pump. So getting the fatty milk out. Then the next feed I'd do the same but I'd supplement 5ml of pumped milk at the end of the feed - or very shortly after whenever she would take it. Usually while I pumped Built up supply and the next night she was sleeping much more content! She is also now very efficient on the breast so she eats long during the day and a quick snack at night. Just 5-10 min on one breast. But during the day much longer satisfying feeds.

 

[KatO79]

Kat do you have a pump? I pumped for a day after feeding. So would feed both sides when she was alert and awake - during the day - then immediately after I'd pump. So getting the fatty milk out. Then the next feed I'd do the same but I'd supplement 5ml of pumped milk at the end of the feed - or very shortly after whenever she would take it. Usually while I pumped Built up supply and the next night she was sleeping much more content! She is also now very efficient on the breast so she eats long during the day and a quick snack at night. Just 5-10 min on one breast. But during the day much longer satisfying feeds.

Yep I have the Philips Avent electric pump (not the double one though! The one where you can pump 1 breast at a time). Problem is I can barely get him to totally finish one breast, never mind try switching! The jaundice is in many ways making him super drowsy so he's a challenge in that respect. Also wouldn't that just fill him up with more foremilk? I think the doctor wants him getting more fatty hindmilk as she thinks him filling up on formilk is causing his gas/digestion issues and keeping us awake with his non-stop crying. Not even sure we could get him to take a bottle after he's finished, he seems to just go into a coma afterwards and almost impossible to wake unless he's still hungry in which case he wakes up himself wanting more.

 

[ClandestineTX]

Kat: We dealt with jaundice and feeding issues. The high bilirubin makes them sleepy. Feeding them is the most effective way to decrease the level. I pumped around the clock because it was early and my milk was still coming in, but we bottle fed expressed milk almost his whole first week to clear the jaundice, because it let him eat a lot quickly before he feel asleep. The foremilk is also important, it has more water, which he needs to flush his system.

 

[KatO79]

Kat: We dealt with jaundice and feeding issues. The high bilirubin makes them sleepy. Feeding them is the most effective way to decrease the level. I pumped around the clock because it was early and my milk was still coming in, but we bottle fed expressed milk almost his whole first week to clear the jaundice, because it let him eat a lot quickly before he feel asleep. The foremilk is also important, it has more water, which he needs to flush his system.

Unfortunately the doctor thinks it's my breastmilk that's prolonging his jaundice so my feeding him isn't flushing the bilirubin out effectively (https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/973629-overview). He'll be jaundiced for longer in this case because of that. He also has issues gaining weight. At the doctor's according to their weight he's only 3900 g (even though our nurse said he's closer to 4050 g on her weight) so she thinks he's filling his belly with foremilk and not getting enough of the hindmilk which is what helps them gain weight. I think at this point the biggest concern is he's not gaining as much as he should.

 

[MissCassie]

Kat - maybe suplementing him with some formula would help?
Maddison was jaundice when we brought her home and i did formula top ups and put her in the sun and it went away. Especially if your milk is prolonging it? Could be worth a try.

 

[KatO79]

Kat - maybe suplementing him with some formula would help?
Maddison was jaundice when we brought her home and i did formula top ups and put her in the sun and it went away. Especially if your milk is prolonging it? Could be worth a try.

The doctor felt supplementing isn't currently necessary so going to avoid that. I'm also producing plenty of milk so don't see any reason to jump to formula unless the doctor advises me otherwise next week. We've tried having him in the light but it hasn't helped one bit.

I think there's a difference in what jaundice our babies are suffering from. Mine has "Breast Milk Jaundice" while it sounds like yours and perhaps Clandestine's had the other variation which is called "Physiologic Jaundice"? In "Breast Milk Jaundice" it can last up to 12 weeks before the yellowing goes completely away. Found this excerpt from an article that explains the difference:

Physiologic Jaundice
Physiologic Jaundice is the most common and normal type of jaundice in babies. It can affect up to 60% of full term babies in the first week of life, and it is caused by elevated bilirubin levels. Bilirubin is a substance created by the normal breakdown of red blood cells. It is processed and removed by the liver. Jaundice will develop when a baby’s liver is not efficient enough to remove the bilirubin from the bloodstream. Once the baby begins to mature and the red blood cell amounts diminish, the jaundice will subside with no lasting effects on the baby. This usually happens about 1-2 weeks after birth.

Breast Milk Jaundice
Breast Milk Jaundice is jaundice that persists after physiologic jaundice subsides. It is seen in otherwise healthy, full-term, breastfed babies. There is no known cause for this type of jaundice, although speculation is that it may be linked to a substance in the breast milk that is blocking the breakdown of bilirubin. Breast milk jaundice tends to run in families.
This form of jaundice, however, does not mean that something is wrong with the mother’s milk and that breastfeeding should be stopped. Most babies who present with true breast milk jaundice (only 0.5% to 2.4% of all newborns) may see another rise in bilirubin levels at about 14 days. The bilirubin levels will eventually decrease. Breast milk jaundice can last for 3-12 weeks after birth, but as long as the baby is feeding well and bilirubin levels are monitored, it rarely leads to serious complications.
Breast milk jaundice must also be differentiated from breastfeeding jaundice, which is jaundice resulting from an insufficient intake of milk.

 

[ajarvis]

Kat do you have a pump? I pumped for a day after feeding. So would feed both sides when she was alert and awake - during the day - then immediately after I'd pump. So getting the fatty milk out. Then the next feed I'd do the same but I'd supplement 5ml of pumped milk at the end of the feed - or very shortly after whenever she would take it. Usually while I pumped Built up supply and the next night she was sleeping much more content! She is also now very efficient on the breast so she eats long during the day and a quick snack at night. Just 5-10 min on one breast. But during the day much longer satisfying feeds.

Yep I have the Philips Avent electric pump (not the double one though! The one where you can pump 1 breast at a time). Problem is I can barely get him to totally finish one breast, never mind try switching! The jaundice is in many ways making him super drowsy so he's a challenge in that respect. Also wouldn't that just fill him up with more foremilk? I think the doctor wants him getting more fatty hindmilk as she thinks him filling up on formilk is causing his gas/digestion issues and keeping us awake with his non-stop crying. Not even sure we could get him to take a bottle after he's finished, he seems to just go into a coma afterwards and almost impossible to wake unless he's still hungry in which case he wakes up himself wanting more.

I pump right after feeding on the same side so that the hind milk is what I'm pumping. Because definitely don't want too much foremilk. I have a double pump, but I always pump one side at a time as I find it's easier. I don't give her a bottle after I just get her to relatch about a half hour later with the feeding tube right by the nipple and topped her up that way.

 

[bcos21]

Still pregnant. Think I will remain pregnant lol perhaps forever

 

[KatO79]

Still pregnant. Think I will remain pregnant lol perhaps forever

FXed for you bcos, hope your LO soon comes

AFM met my permanent nurse and she's much more my taste - our personalities mesh better! She weighed Alexander and will weigh him again on Wednesday to see if he's gaining since she doesn't want to compare what she weighed him at to what others have weighed him at. FXed he'll have gained enough! She has also managed to close the (semi-argumentative) discussion DH and I have been having the last week about giving Alexander a pacifier since she feels we need to wait until I've been bf'ing for longer. So guess DH will have to tell his mother and older brother to forget it whenever they push us to use a pacifier whenever Alexander is crying

 

[ajarvis]

Still pregnant. Think I will remain pregnant lol perhaps forever

FXed for you bcos, hope your LO soon comes

AFM met my permanent nurse and she's much more my taste - our personalities mesh better! She weighed Alexander and will weigh him again on Wednesday to see if he's gaining since she doesn't want to compare what she weighed him at to what others have weighed him at. FXed he'll have gained enough! She has also managed to close the (semi-argumentative) discussion DH and I have been having the last week about giving Alexander a pacifier since she feels we need to wait until I've been bf'ing for longer. So guess DH will have to tell his mother and older brother to forget it whenever they push us to use a pacifier whenever Alexander is crying

You should definitely win that one! I had to ban the pacifier too. Just stuck a boob in her mouth whenever she cried lol. Lots of sitting and feeding, but definitely built up my supply!

 

[twickywabbit]

So has my last baby dr appt today. Csection officially scheduled Monday at 6am. Also having my tubed tied. 24 years old and this will be our second... A little bittersweet that this will be my last pregnancy but i know in my gut it's the right decision. Just have to wait a few more days! I can't wait !

 

[KatO79]

So has my last baby dr appt today. Csection officially scheduled Monday at 6am. Also having my tubed tied. 24 years old and this will be our second... A little bittersweet that this will be my last pregnancy but i know in my gut it's the right decision. Just have to wait a few more days! I can't wait !

FXed your section/tube tie goes well on Monday twicky Looking forward to seeing pics of your LO!

AFM we've had to supplement with formula since the weight gain hasn't been enough so Alexander is offered 25-30 ml 3 times a day (of course he gets it after a breastfeeding session). He seems to only drink most of it when DH offers so the formula feeding has officially become DH's job Was at the hospital today to hear his latest results and his jaundice is definitely declining and the doctor seemed very happy about the results. The doctor agreed that feeding him every 2 hours is insane so DH and I have dropped the health care provider's recommendation and going to feed him every 3 hours during the day and every 3½-4 hours at night. I admit the 2 hour program was making me crazy (I was numerous times at night feeds crying and threatning to stop breastfeeding all together) and causing Alexander to get too little sleep so he was often cranky Surely every 3 hours is also good enough to get my milk production a bit more up anyway??!! DH has said he'll take it up with the health care provider if she starts anything because we absolutely refuse to do it anymore.

 

[ClandestineTX]

We do on-demand feeding here, not timed. We look for feeding cues (putting hands in mouth, sucky face, etc.) and try to feed him before he starts crying. Some days he's attached to my boob what feels like 24/7 (uses me as a pacifier) and other days he's much more efficient about it. We do use pacifiers, it saved our sanity. When he got light treatment for the jaundice, he was knocking the mask of his face, trying to self-soothe by hand-sucking. The pacifier stopped him. There's zero nipple confusion, he knows there's no milk in that one! He goes between the breast, bottle with expressed milk, and pacifier.

And with a ton of effort, despite his hurdles due to jaundice treatment- we've made it through a solid month of breastfeeding, which has been a challenge but finally think we are OK! I have already started back at work this week, only half time in the office, but have pumped enough at home and there too have a small freezer stash. KMFX we can keep this up!

Bcos and Twix: FX for you both!

Who else is waiting for their LO to arrive?