FEBRUARY HEARTS Due in February 2015 , open group all welcome!

[Wnt2beAMom]

Congrats Feronia!!!

 

[Captain]

Well since Wednesday night we decided to exclusively pump for every feed (she's topped up on the breast when needed). What a difference! Catelyn's barely been sick and has been so happy for the last two days. She can settle easier and quicker at night, and is is sleeping longer all the time.

She usually wakes around 3-4 for a feed and still isn't settling back to sleep properly after that, but I'm hoping it will change soon.

 

[xxshellsxx]

congratulations Feronia brilliant news x

 

[SurpriseBub]

Well since Wednesday night we decided to exclusively pump for every feed (she's topped up on the breast when needed). What a difference! Catelyn's barely been sick and has been so happy for the last two days. She can settle easier and quicker at night, and is is sleeping longer all the time.

She usually wakes around 3-4 for a feed and still isn't settling back to sleep properly after that, but I'm hoping it will change soon.

Glad you are finding what works for you! What specifically made you decide just to pump?

For the past week I have breastfed and then topped up with either pumped milk or formula. She is still grumpy, but it seems to have made a difference!

How often are you pumping?

 

[Captain]

Well with DH being home I was pumping for him to do some feeds and we noticed the difference in her when she had the bottle. She'd be a lot less gassy and sick every time.

We figured I had a strong let down and was taking in so much air to deal with it. A few times I would pump the first little bit to calm things down and then breast feed but then I figured, why don't I just pump the whole bottle then give it to her? Much easier.

I found that pumping every four hours works for me. She takes about 4oz (120ml) at every feed which I can get easily. Most mornings I'm so engorged I can usually get two bottles and I'll freeze the second.

Glad your little one is doing a bit better!

 

[SurpriseBub]

Well with DH being home I was pumping for him to do some feeds and we noticed the difference in her when she had the bottle. She'd be a lot less gassy and sick every time.

We figured I had a strong let down and was taking in so much air to deal with it. A few times I would pump the first little bit to calm things down and then breast feed but then I figured, why don't I just pump the whole bottle then give it to her? Much easier.

I found that pumping every four hours works for me. She takes about 4oz (120ml) at every feed which I can get easily. Most mornings I'm so engorged I can usually get two bottles and I'll freeze the second.

Glad your little one is doing a bit better!

Wow- 120ml every four hours? I'm not sure I could get that! When we give a bottle alone, she takes 120ml. I had always pumped in the morning, now I do once in the morning and last thing at night. Then every three or so hours I breastfeed and then top up with 60ml of pumped/formula in whatever ratio we have (sometimes a mix, sometimes no formula, sometimes all formula). When I am honest with myself, I have to accept that ebf never worked for us I am at least glad she is still getting at least over 50% of her food as breast milk.

Do you plan to try to go back to breastfeeding? I would like to at least be able to breastfeed a complete feed every second time and thereby cut the bottle washing in half. Not sure if we will ever get there, though! I can't believe she will be onto solid in 4 months! I'm hoping that changes things, and the breastfeeding might be better then, too. We shall see.

 

[savvysaver]

Congrats feronia!

 

[MellyH]

Oh Feronia, what wonderful news, I'm so happy for you!! Because I think you'll be a great midwife and the world should not be denied that

We have our first little baby cold and it's so sad My husband brought a cold home from work two days ago and yesterday Hugo was blocked up and screaming and unhappy. We used the booger sucker to pull out some beauties and gave him baby Tylenol for what we presume is a headache/sore throat if it's the same symptoms as my husband, but he wouldn't sleep, he would just lie in my arms limply and staring up sadly at me when he wasn't crying. Poor little tyke. Today I woke up with a sore throat and a headache and Clara is getting blocked up and starting to scream more so presumably she has it too. Sigh!

 

[SurpriseBub]

Hope you all feel better quickly, melly! it must be sad to see them feeling sick. I bet they are confused and grumpy! Good news is that at least being so young they will forget it as soon as they are over it.

We just went out to eat for the first time... Baby did wonderfully, mommy did fairly well... Daddy did well but currently trying to sleep and off that extra taco

 

[Wnt2beAMom]

Awe Melly Dealing with a cold is the worst! DS had one when he was only 2 weeks old. It was so tough, but we made it through. The phelgmy stage of the cold was the worst because it made him have so much trouble breathing with his nose and trying to breastfeed. Dr said to just use a lot of saline. It helped.

 

[bumblebeexo]

Well done Feronia!

 

[Feronia]

Thank you all! Still reeling from the news here. We went out and bought a tent and 2 sleeping bags yesterday and are starting to prepare for the crazy road trip.

Oh no Melly, I bet that's tough having everyone sick (especially the babies)! I hope you're all feeling better soon.

Good job with the pumping everyone! I bought one of those glass bottles and more breastmilk bags since Oberon will be having milk when I'm in class in September, but so far he's not taking this type of bottle. :/ He doesn't 'take any of the eco non-toxic stuff I buy him, lol. I have one of those natural rubber pacifiers and he hates it. I guess I'll just keep trying with the bottle! I don't plan to start solids until closer to a year so I'm hoping he takes it for the few hours I'm in class each day.

 

[SurpriseBub]

Sounds so exciting, feronia! how long into the course will you get to attend births?

Our baby loves food and has happily accepted five different bottles we are sticking with the Medela calma models now. They are great in terms of trying to have her accept the breast, too.

 

[RaspberryK]

No joy with a bottle here either, given up for now it's not worth the bother xx

 

[Feronia]

SurpriseBub, I get to start attending births after the first year and a half of courses. It's a 4-year program and in the final year I'm working as a primary midwife -- scary!!

We'll just keep trying until he takes the bottle. It was $15, he better take it, lol. At least it has a sippy spout as well so my daughter can use it for drinks (Lifefactory brand).

 

[Captain]

Wow- 120ml every four hours? I'm not sure I could get that! When we give a bottle alone, she takes 120ml. I had always pumped in the morning, now I do once in the morning and last thing at night. Then every three or so hours I breastfeed and then top up with 60ml of pumped/formula in whatever ratio we have (sometimes a mix, sometimes no formula, sometimes all formula). When I am honest with myself, I have to accept that ebf never worked for us I am at least glad she is still getting at least over 50% of her food as breast milk.

Do you plan to try to go back to breastfeeding? I would like to at least be able to breastfeed a complete feed every second time and thereby cut the bottle washing in half. Not sure if we will ever get there, though! I can't believe she will be onto solid in 4 months! I'm hoping that changes things, and the breastfeeding might be better then, too. We shall see.

50% breast milk is still great! I guess we just have to deal with what's best for our little ones

I'd like to give breastfeeding another try. Yesterday we went out and ended up staying out a lot longer than planned so I breastfed when she got hungry. Holy cow what a disaster it turned out to be. We were pulled over for an hour feeding then winding and she was being so sick and grumpy. We finally got her settled and continued our drive home, we stopped for food quickly which disturbed her and we went through it all over again, it took us almost four hours to get home and we were only an hour away to begin with!

It really confirmed to us that we were doing the right thing by bottle feeding her But I'm not giving up completely ust yet!

And great to hear you went out to eat with LO!

Feronia - when you thinking of heading out east?

 

[SurpriseBub]

Wowzers... Four hours! At least you got confirmation that pumping seems best! after a disastrous early pediatrician visit, we now bring an extra bottle and lots of extra diapers, too. These babies like to keep us on our toes

 

[dcm_mw12]

Ok finally my long overdue update....

OK so i was supposed to get induced on 01/26 due to having IUGR but baby girl couldn't wait and my water broke the morning of 01/25 around 4am. After my water broke i rushed to the hospital with my mother and daughters father by my side the whole time. I was admitted then went into a triage room to make sure it was amniotic fluid (which it was of course). I wasn't dilated or anything and the contraction wasn't that bad up until 9ish-10am, i wasn't given any medicine except IV's (that's all). I had to have the oxygen mask on because everytime i had a contraction her heart rate would drop and they said she wasn't tolerating labor. The doctors then explained to me that I would have to get an emergency c-section because i wasn't progressing and was only dilated about 1cm at the time. So i went into the OR room where they proceeded to given my the spinal but i wouldn't move to the operating bed because I felt strong pressure. So they checked me and said I was 4 cm then, but they still wanted to go through with the c-section. I remember the needle going into my back and I moved because of a contraction so they said they had to redo it (which Idk if they did or not) because they laid me down because I was crying really bad and they didn't want me stressing the baby. After laying down I can't remember anything. I remember waking up seeing my daughter's father holding her but I was so confused at the moment I still didn't know what was going on, then I was out again and woke up in the recovery room.

During the hospital stay I was breastfeeding her and she had jaundice so she had to be kept in the nursery under the lights. It was so sad seeing her in their I always cried because she couldn't stay in the room with me. Oh and she was born at 11:50am 4lbs 6oz.

I went home after 5 days staying in the hospital along with my daughter. The first few nights were the worst (because of my incision pain) and i couldn't really do anything, my medicine wasn't ready so i had to deal with the pain. Everything was going great and then one day her father decided he wanted to leave and I fell into a deep depression and wasn't eating. The doctors had told me I had lost 20 lbs and that wasn't normal.

Now I'm so much happier, just started looking at the positive and life and I'm so thankful for my beautiful daughter. She's such a blessing and I wouldn't trade her for the world. I have a great supportive team and she's doing great without her father. I wish he would see that she's a blessing want to be in his little girl's life. It's not about us its about her. But were doing so great.

 

[ttc126]

Wow!!!!! Dcm, you've really been through a lot! I'm sorry your daughters father left like that Sending you a Also yikes what a delivery story!!!!!!! I'm glad to hear you're doing ok now

 

[Wnt2beAMom]

So sorry to hear what you've been through DCM! Just taking care of a newborn is hard enough