Cyber Cycle Sisters !! xx

[hb1]

Oh Rachel - he's scrumptious bet you can't stop staring at him

Read your birth story - so sorry it wasn't like your plan - I think they rarely match up to the real thing - i think you might grieve your planned birth but have also been through a traumatic experience - if you find yourself dwelling or stressed definately address it - that coupled with the worry you went through and the hormones and getting over the birth physically must make it tough - I can see why it's not matched up to how you imagined it - I found it tough at first too and didn't have such a traumatic birthing experience. Also - we have all been trying to get to this point for so long so it has been such a focus just getting to the birth with all the additional worry that PAL brings..

Hope that you're feeling better tho and the feeding/expressing is going well... just focus on you and LO for now - before you know it he'll be chatting, smiling, rolling.... it's amazing how quick it is!! I can safely say it is the hardest, most amazing and rewarding thing I have ever done!!

lots of hugs

hx

 

[goddess25]

The pictures of little Harry are beautiful, lovely name by the way and hes such a little thing lovely.

As helen said the births rarely match up to our expectations and birth plans are such a bad thing as it can only leave disappointment.

All I can say is if any of you decide to go for #2 then the birth should be better. Livis birth was all I hoped it would be and more (apart from a wee bit too quick)

 

[goddess25]

Livis nappies over the past 4-5 days seem much dryer than usual. She hardly seems to pee overnight. Our house is so hot though now that summer is kicking in and she is sweating loads. I need to start putting her cloth ones on or putting a little square of toilet paper in to make sure.

Hope you all had a nice weekend. Feeding livi right now it's 7.30 and I don't want it to be the start of the day already am knackered. I can hear Euan chatting about trains and trucks so sounds like he is up and waiting.

He has been in his own bed for a good while now and can get up but for some reason he still waits in his room before he gets up, am sure it won't last for too much longer.

Steven is totally asleep next to me. He wants to go hiking today in one of the provincial parks so we need to get up & out soon. He is so hard to motivate these days.

 

[cutelou101]

Hi ladies,

Rach lovely pics - he is adorable. Hope you are recovering well and the feeding/expressing is going well too. Hope you are feeling much better, harry is over a week old already!

Jo how hot is it out there now? Hope you managed to wake steven ok and had a nice day hiking. Bless Euan for staying in his room.

Helen hope you and ollie are well.

Hope everyone else is well

Well Foley had his hip scan today - no problems at all from being breech that long so all good. On the other hand DH fracture clinic appointment we found out he has fractured it in 3 places. One more week until anouther x ray to see if it's knitting, if it's not they will discuss a op. So he's signed off until then. Its nice having him home, and i seem to be doing ok with keeping up with foley and the dogs needs now (i had had some differicult weeks of tears each day with worry of not being able to cope). Think DH being home is helping, though he can not help with anything he does remind me i'm doing good.

Foley is doing great, i just love watching him. He is awake most of the day, will drift off for 10 mins after a feed then wake up again. But he seems very happy and alert and just seems to enjoy spending the day awake.

How do you get the BF milestone badges? I've made it to a month!

 

[goddess25]

So glad to hear that the hip scan on Foley was ok, I had not even thought about that but totally makes sense that some of the kiddies might have some issues. A bit rubbsish though about hubby's break it sounds pretty bad, hope it is knitting together and he does not need an op as his recovery will just be a bit longer but on the up side you would have him home for longer too

We went to a really nice provincial park it was lots of fun, temperature wise its proabably not far off what you have about 26-27 at the moment but its humid and it stays pretty hot at night too. So far its not too bad the past 3 summers have been far too hot months of 35 degrees every day with water shortages, forest fires etc so hopefully it stays as it is now.

Have Livi at her 4 month injections tomorrow She will get weighed and measured this time so I can see if any of the extra feeding has done anything.

 

[goddess25]

Oops Lou meant to post this link its the link to all the BF tickers I had it saved in my bookmarks. You just copy the code and post it onto your sigi... i think its the IMG code.
https://s1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff393/milky_mommy/?start=all

 

[hb1]

https://s1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff393/milky_mommy/#!cpZZ3QQtppZZ16 poss the same link as Jo....

Hiking Jo - you're a brave mummy - we were all intrepid going to my friends handfasting at a waterfall - even had to climb a gate and all got bitten by midges - but no where near as intrepid as hiking!! 26/27*!!! far too hot for me!! we're back to a lovely 18* - i feel quite lonely in my love of mediocre weather but this is my perfect temp - if all summer was like this then i would be so happy - i start wilting at over 20*

Lou - hope oh is on the mend and glad you're feeling better. I think having oh around always makes it so much easier - going to the loo, having a shower, making lunch etc all so much easier with another pair of eyes - i love it when oh gets home!!

hx

 

[goddess25]

Had a lovely day met a girl at a indoor playground today actually from B&B that lives pretty close by, so that was nice. Came home went to Olivias injections this afternoon and then had dinner. It was so hot in the house so we went up to the pool after, we are lucky to have an outdoor pool in our complex and its so nice. We have been here for 4 summers now in this house and it still feels strange to walk up to the pool in our swim stuff and walk back in it too but to our actual house rather than a hotel. It was nice there were a few kids there but it was pretty quiet. I parked Olivia in the shade it was nice and coolish while Euan and I frolicked in the water.

The visit with the public health nurse was fine, she was weighed and she was 13lb14oz so she has put on 7oz since Thursday with all my forced feeding, will calm it down a wee bit. She has grown 5cm so I think she might just be tall and skinny like her Daddy.

 

[cutelou101]

Great news on the weight gain jo! Way to go! How many extra feeds did you add in? Sounds lovely your pool, euan must love it! Nice way to cool down too in that heat. Your hike sounds lovely too. Do you carry livi for the hikes?

Up feeding. He had a grouchy day yesterday, very unlike him. Lots of crying. Started after his 4 am feed when he wouldnt go back to sleep till 7. He was really not his normal happy self. He was up later than normal feeding last night, and woken an hour earlier than normal. Hoping he goes back down ok. Feeling tired.

 

[goddess25]

I added in an extra feed in the day time and a dream feed at midnight and basically made each feed last longer by switching her from boob to boob HOWEVER the saga continues...today has been pretty crappy on the milk supply front I have been trying to feed a bit extra as she has a temp and has been pretty sad for most of the day, she is going to have her first tooth very soon and I think the fever is from the injections yesterday.

I suppose I dont have much confidence in my ability although I know a 7oz weight gain in 4 days is great I need to keep trying. Tonight she was so fussy at the boob before her bed that I went downstairs to defrost my only bag of EBM and see if she was hungry but came up and she is fast asleep so its in the fridge waiting.

I tried to pump after her feed and pumped out nothing but will continue to try after each feed... my only aim is to make it to 6 months then at least we can start feeding her and she will get some calories from food instead.

Our pool is wonderful Euan loves it, we went along today too as it was so hot but typical mummy, Euan was covered from head to toe in sun cream, his SPF body suit, hat that covers his ears and entire neck, I had cold water for him and me nothing I never got round to sun cream and left my water at home, so needless to say tonight I am a more than a bit sunburnt. A friend from work came round with her 8 month old and we went together she was the same.

Lou I bet your tired, hope Foley settles and gets back to sleep.

 

[hb1]

Great news on weight gain Jo remember she has put on 6lb in 4 mths - Ollie had put on 7lb in 5mths....try not to stress too much

Lou - could be the 6 week growth spurt ? poss expect more frequent feedings and poss extra wake ups in night if so

afm - babu yoga and swimming today and up late - pooped!

hx

 

[goddess25]

Thanks for that Helen I know your right. I will continue as I am and hopefully its ok. I bought a new breast pump today and electric one and hopefully it will boost supply a bit more. We also decided to try Livi with a bottle of EBM today, DH settled down to feed her quite excited and she so wouldn't take it. She was pushing it away spitting it out, gagging, not wanting the wretched thing anywhere near her, he was a bit disappointed, we tried 2 different bottles with 2 different nipples and she hated both. I tried too in case it was the lack of mommy thing but she was twisting her face into my boobs and trying to get in there instead.

Not sure what to try next, just keep offering it to her I suppose.

 

[cutelou101]

Jo 4oz in 4 days is amazing, you are doing great try not to stress too much it's excellent to have a goal and she seems to love the boobies by the sound of it. Not got any tips on the bottle front as not tried it yet. Not sure whenthey can go onto a cup? Does she have boobs each time?

Know what you mean about forgetting things for mummy! I'm so busy checking I've got everything for him, you do forget about yourself!

Sounds like a busy day Helen, how is ollie enjoying swimming and yoga?

He was back to happy baby yesterday, but did have trouble getting him back down. Test of day back to smiley happy boy. Went to breastfeeding support and found out our latch was wrong, so maybe why my cracks never healed. They showed me how to do it, basically he isn't tilting his head back and taking in enough boob, and I have habbit of boob to him rather than other way round. Went home positive, then have really struggled. He wriggles so much you put him nose the nipple and he wriggles up by time you gethim on and I can't get him too tilt his head back either. Went to bed so upset that i just can't do it. Going to hope I wake up less tired and try again, know me and him need to relearn but feel like I need to be an octopus with him, kicking his legs to move up, arms everywhere plus needing a hand to push him on. Hoping he goes back down now quick then be more awake to try tomorrow.

 

[hb1]

Lou - if you are doing cradle hold so Foley has head to left boob and feet to left - or rugby with head to right boob and feet to back - then i found it easier to hold him with my right arm up his back - tummy towards me - and hand holds his neck and head - leave left arm free to direct things. If you have a pillow or just a good cushion - it aids holding as supports the legs and body for you. Vica versa for the other boob - hope this makes sense?


Jo - Ollie took to the breast flow bottles - they do a free sample on their website - if it's only for uk get it sent to your mum and she can post on to you. OH fed Ollie i same position as I do on the boppy pillow. Ollie wouldn't take the bottle in the same way from my mum tho - he had to be in his carseat in the end...

Got thru yesterday - Ollie spends yoga crawling off (cute but naughty) he loves swimming tho - doesn't batt an eyelid at being dunked , v cute when swimming on his back as he eats his feet while doing it

hx

 

[goddess25]

Might look into those bottles will put a post on the BF section too and see if anyone has some advice. My brother is coming over in September and I would like livi to take a bottle before then so we could do a few things without the kids nothing major a cinema trip mainly, he is coming over for a concert I bought some tickets for it and would like to go so we have a few months to practice. Thanks Helen.

Lou I know what you mean about the latching mine apparently is a DIY job that doesn't get enough of the aerola in her mouth, the BF doc showed me the cradle hold that Helen just described but it felt so uncomfortable besides I don't use pillows so have went back toy DIY position that seems to work for us just now.

I hope it feels more comfortable once you practice more. It will be wonderful when the cracked nipples heal.

Helen the yoga does sound funny esp with Ollie crawling, he's doing really well. Glad he likes the pool it's important at this age to get used to the water.

 

[cutelou101]

Know what you mean Jo, he was getting enough milk our DIY way - but this be better for me and more efficient for him. Finding it so hard to do at mo, think my pillow isn't high enough so feel like he is so heavy. It doesn't hurt my way, just a little after. Will keep trying - better i'm now more awake. Hope you get her onto a bottle ok and get some advice from BF section.

Thanks Helen, thats the way she showed me, just struggling getting the pillow height right i think. May also try swaddling him to see if i get an extra hand that way. Ollie sounds so cute swimming with feet in his mouth. Bless him!

Foley went back to bed by 6.30, noisey but asleep. So got a sleep in till 9.20, and got to shower, book up baby massage and swimming for sept before he woke at half 10. Bless him! Back to happy baby today. Think it might have been the 6 week growth spurt. Feeding going ok, just takes so long to get him on (lots of on and off's), prob should have waiting till a new day to start when wasn't tired (DH did say last night what would 2 feeds the old way really do - he was getting plenty of milk) Going to keep trying this weekend and go back Monday.

 

[hb1]

It really clicked for me when i got a good pillow setup - getting him in the right position is easier when you have the pillows feeling comfy - like getting in car - you have it all setup as you like it - it takes ages to feel you're setup right if someone moves it all around when borrowing your car....

If it was growth spurt then the next one is 9 weeks... have you read the wonder weeks? it is a good read if not - really explains what development they are going through - it can impact everthing - sleep, eating, growth, communication..

PS - that is just for positioning - once they are on you can move to how you feel right - I just have one arm ( the side he is on ) over his side and I can stroke his back and my other side is free for boob and can stroke his face and hold his hands - this is also how he nurses to sleep - as all naps are on me I either pick him up asleep and place him on my shoulder or some naps he lays next to me on the boppy and i can cuddle in to him....his entire weight is on the boppy and against my side

 

[goddess25]

Helen sounds like your a pro.

The breastflow website isn't giving away the free bottles anymore its was limited to 5000. Nevermind. I will ask for some advice about Canadian brands.

Lou glad you have your happy baby back for today.

 

[cutelou101]

Thanks Helen that really helped. Tried a new pillow set up today and got it to the right height so I was just having to deal with his head with my hand, rather than head and weight. Then other hand free to deal with his hands! Def made a step in right direction today I feel, not perfect but a marked improvment. still not great at head tilting but he seems to be slowly getting it. I haven't read it, I'll have a look on amazon for it during the night feed, give me something to keep me busy!

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend, any nice things planned?

Jo shame about the bottles, hope you manage to find a candian brand ok x

 

[goddess25]

Tried 5 brands with different nipples no luck yet but will keep trying. She got tricked a bit yesterday...I was feeding her she pulled off for a break then wanted some more so stuck the bottle in her mouth, she sucked it for a few seconds then once she realised she was furious and would not take it again.

Its lovely today so just about to skype with parents and then we will head out to one of the outdoor pools in town, they are really nice as they sit on the ocean.

Hope your all having a good day.

Lou well done for persevering with it it sounds like your doing much better. I am still doing my DIY job, my left boob is starting to hurt a bit again so i have no one to blame but me!