Mid-August Testers

[NotNic]

Happy birthday Hands! Hope you're having a great day.

Bea my nipples were a sorry state too. My mw insisted I took at least 24 hours off feeding and expressed instead to give my nipples a chance to heal. It took nearly 3 weeks for the cracks to heal and that was using nipple shields. In the early days he would still make me bleed with them on!

It sounds like you're doing brilliantly Hands. A real natural. xx

 

[snowflakes120]

Love new Dex pics. Any other ladies want to share baby pics!!! Or a bump pic???

Hands - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Hope you are enjoying your special night out!!

We are back from a lovely Vaca! It was really great to spend alone time with hubby. We had a wonderful time. We did tons of things and ate great seafood - my fav! Took lots and lots of pics too.

Best news is: Hubby's SA came back as "perfectly normal". We just have to deal with my issues. So I am soo thrilled and feel like a load has been taken off my back. Got a + OPK today so should OV soon. And 2 weeks til RE appt!

 

[Srbjbex]

Happy Birthday for yesterday Hands - hope you had a wonderful day!!!

Tonight I have my first antenatal class with NCT - really looking forward to it! And Snow, I am definitely due a bump pic so will upload one soon!

 

[InHisHands]

snow - yay for youerresults with hubby and your positive opk!!

Thank you all for your birthday wishes... it went well.

I think for about the past week Dex has been cluster feeding. He used to feed 15-20 on each breast... now he tends to take only one... for 10 to 30 minutes... but wants to feed every hour for 3 or 4 hours.. and then goes back to longer stretches again. Happens about every 12 hours. Is that what you have experience Nic and Bea?

 

[MrsBea23]

Snow - That is fab news yay and yay for + opk, I so hope this is the month for you.

Bex - How was your NCT? I had a great group and we do loads together which is really awesome.

Hands - Happy birthday, how was you evening. Ariana used to feed for hours with maybe a 10 min break every now and then but it turns out most of it was comfort sucking, the LC said once I couldn't hear her swallowing anymore then I could take her off and that was fantastic advise it cut her feeding down to about 20 mins out of 90 instead of 80 out of 90 that was at 6 weeks though.

Nic - Your BF journey sounds very like mine I took days off and expressed due to the pain, used nipple shields tried everything and we finally got there and I became pain free at 8 weeks whoop whoop.
I wish they told you all this before the birth lol.

Does anyone know how to add photos from an iPhone?

 

[NewbieLisette]

Hey you guys

Sooo happy to come on and read all your wonderful news!!!!

Hands happy belated bday and what a beautiful little gift you have! He is precious

Snow awesome news from H's SA I hope only the beggining of wonderful news for you sweetie!!!

I miss all you girls tons and hope to be back on and chatting very soon! Been a rough time for me...trianing a new person at work so no personal time on the net and nights I'm totally exhausted from the day and no sleep at night really Extremely sore and swollen these days....only a 2more weeks of work though after tmmr! PHEW! Also had a bad infection under an old root canal so been on antibiotics and in the end had the tooth pulled and the roots with only no adrenalin anesthetic which for the record DOESN"T WORK Baby is doing good though thank God....measuring 10days ahead! Posting a new bump pic for you ladies and I promise I'm still stalking when I can and love to see new pics from you all as well! Lots of love

 

[InHisHands]

My birthday was very nice.. the last nice day that i have had. Since Dex has hit 2 weeks old he has developed what looks like colic. That is what the doc says anyways. He is very gassy and from around 6pm-midnight each night its a constant pattern of breastfeed, vomit, severe gas pains, calm down and fall asleep 5-20 minutes, wake up screaming to breastfeed again. It's a vicous cycle and momma has gotten no sleep. My milk supply takes a hit in the mornings as im too tired and he's too tired to nurse after our nights. I fall asleep holding him and wake up to me letting go and almost dropping him. I can't function like this.

I took him to the ER today to get rehydrated and thats when the doc says she thinks he has colic and that it should go away in a few weeks and the good news is that i already have one week down. But i thought colic lasted till 3 months. Nic, didnt you say Finlay has colic? Any suggestions? I broke down today and expressed some milk to put into the fridge so that my mother can feed him once tonight so i can get some sleep.

You are suppose to wait 4 weeks before introducing a nipple.. but im no good to him after a certian point at night and i can't take it anymore. Introducing one at 3 weeks is just gonna have to be good enough I feel like an awful mother.

Last night at 12 30... after dealing with the constant struggle pattern stated above i just stood there at his door way. He's screaming in his crib, and im just standing there crying as i lost all hope. My mother came in and said she would take him for a bit...and i laid there balling my eyes out on my bed as i heard him screaming on the baby monitor.

 

[NotNic]

Huge hugs Hands. Colic is evil! It turns dream babies into nightmares. Colic can last until baby is weaned but most of it eases once their digestive system matures. I'd suggest taking Dexter to a pharmacy and asking for something to help brung the wind up. We use infacol drops which took sone time to work, but now Finlay is much calmer. He cries only during wind episodes rather than for hours on end. Baby massage can help relieve gas by getting things moving - clockwise rubs on the tummy and cycling their legs are the best. Also if I sit on a sofa with my knees up and then prop him up with his back against my legs and his feet on my tummy that gets the wind going. Try giving Dexter a warm bath and laying a warm flannel across his tummy. That helps calm them too. To stop them being sick I raise the crib mattress up with towels in the head end so he's not completly flat and hold him upright after feeding. I also wind Finlay frequently rather than spend ages trying to get burps out. I put him down and try again when he's calmer. Apart from that you just have to ride it out, take regular breaks (they feed off our stress and make themselves more stressed) and remember it WILL get better. Finlay was brilliant this week and I spent my days beaming. Don't worry about the nipple thing. I gave Finlay a bottle on day 2 and he's not had any nipple confusion. In the uk you can get teats that mimic the nipple and have anticolic designs. It's definietly worth investing in a few.

 

[snowflakes120]

Oh man Hands. Many hugs to you. Sending you lots of strength vibes your way!! Has the Dr. recommended Gripe Water? It is all natural. I remember my cousin using it when she was having the same exact problems with her baby and found it to be a god send. It is worth a shot. I believe you can get it pretty much at any Walgreens, CVS or natural food store in the baby section.

 

[NotNic]

Snow - I forgot to say yay for hubby's results. Also I've been doing the maths and won't you be close to having a birthday baby if this is your month?! Ah so hoping it is for you. Xxx

CH - how's things for you lovely? Missing you xx

 

[InHisHands]

hey girls dex update: So since the hosptial really didnt provide any help i decided to look online. There is this website that lists 20 ways to survive colic/gas pains.

On it was several things that i have tried, but some i hadnt yet. I changed a few things i was doing and last night he slept like he used to!!! I really hope that it wasnt a fluke that it will continue to work.

I have tried a lot of your suggestions nic. The heating pad, baths (he hates them right now), bicycling, and massages... but none of those worked What seems to work for him though is an elevated crib, gas relief drops, burping every 5 minutes of eating with head elevated, and holding him 10-20 minutes in a vertical postion after each meal. Even with that he will get fussy with some additional burps... but its not a constant crying and throwing up session... phew! Thank you for all your suggestions... its amazing how a few simple changes can make a world of difference!

Snow - i've thought about gripe water and if things dont continue to get better, it will definately be something i try. BTW - are you symptom spotting this month?

 

[Srbjbex]

Oh Hands!! Sending you so much love and hugs - try and stay strong and always remember that none of this is your fault, and it will all end eventually. I can't offer any tips I am afraid but I hope you manage to find a solution that works soon!

Snow- how is this cycle going for you?? And it really can't be long until your appointment now.

Lisette - great to hear from you! not long left for you now, and you look absolutely great in your picture! And only 2 weeks left at work - that is going to absolutely fly by! Have you got some nice things planned for when you finish?

Bea - my NCT class was really great. There were 7 other couples there who were all lovely, and there are some people there who I relaly think we will end up seeing a lot after bubs is born. Both me and OH agree that it is definitely worth the money.

Nic - Hope all is well with you - are you going to be affected much by all the Olympic disruption or are you far removed from that now? I am really looking forward to the olympics. I have some tickets to the athletics and to the canoeing so cant wait for that. I only wish I was on maternity leave a littel earlier so I could have watched more on the telly!

CH - we miss you!!!

 

[snowflakes120]

Bex - Glad you had a great class! Will be in my appt in exactly 1 week. It's 7/23 @ 1pm.

Nic - Thanks hun about hubby! I'm thrilled! FF says if we conceive this cycle I would be due 4/3. So a kinda b-day baby! It would be nice as I will be 33 next year which is quite scary to me!

Hands - Don't even have any Sx's to spot!

 

[InHisHands]

Well.. im still not quite ready for it, but i introduced the bottle (expressed milk) to my baby boy today. I let grandma give it to him and he fussed at her for a good 10 to 15 minutes... but then took the whole bottle in 5 minutes. She forgot to burp him and he got a tummy ache and that was a pain.. but hopefully that means he'll take a bottle.

After wards he acted as if he was still hungry (though he couldnt have been) and i think he just wanted to know that mommy and her breasts were still there. I was able to make him wait 1hr 45 minutes before he decided to fuss enough that i fed him again.

Im hoping to make his 4th feed (around noon) and his last feed (around 11pm) each day bottle feeds.... i can't handle the 11 oclock feeding. My nipples are on fire, im being awaken in my heaviest sleep period after having zero to 1 or 2 hours of sleep... and im grumpy and he's fussy and alert and it's not a fun time or good combo. I get short with him really quick. It's the only feeding that i just can't tolerate. I can do the 1am and the 4am feeding just fine. So im hoping by doing a bottle and having less stress on my body and a quicker feed... that the 11 o clock feed will be more tolerable.

I just sat there as she fed him feeling like i lost my little boy forever LOL Its gonna be a hard road for me to let go as he grows up.

I hope i havent sabatoged my milk supply by introducing expressed milk at 3 weeks and etc... but worse case.. my milk dries up, and he refuses the breasts and we end up buying formula. It's not the end of the world... though its not what we had planned.

 

[NotNic]

You won't have Hands. You are feeding really regularly and you are expressing so you're not missing the number of feeds, just altering the timing. Soon you'll find Dexter will naturally drop feeds and you can try to work it so you are missing the ones he is feeding from the bottle. Now we've increased formula to 3 feeds I have noticed when he's fussy he's less keen on the breast, but I try not to force it and offer it when he's more settled. He then will feed nicely. I don't envisage going past 12 weeks, so Im not worried if he starts prefering the bottle. I find when I feed him with a bottle he makes eye contact (which he doesn't with bf) and snuggles in like he does when I feed him, so I feel just as close if not more so than with bf'ing.

Snow - so looking forward to your bfp.

Bex - Now we've moved the Olympics won't really affect us. My office is in the Wharf , but I won't need to go in. Hubby will find that his train service is messed up, but then our train company doesn't need an excuse to be rubbish Rather excitingly Finlay and I saw the Olympic torch today, so we got in the spirit of things with flag waving and patriotic tops. The sunshine came out too and I have a pink arm! My SIL is dancing in the opening ceremony so we are excited for her. I didn't apply for any tickets but hubby is seeing a few bits with his brother.

Lisette - pregnancy suits you love. How many weeks are you off before due date?

I'm so glad that you are having a little relief from colic. Finlay hated baths until c. 4 weeks and he now loves them and we bathe him nightly as part of his bedtime routine.

 

[NotNic]

Grr I can't edit properly on the iPhone. That last bit was obviously meant for Hands!

 

[InHisHands]

i agree lisette you look gorgeous.

dex and i have an appointment today to see if we have thrush. BF is so painful.. the LC thinks its more than a latch issue doe to being on fire and having stabbing pains. i made the apt with the same doc that did the infertility testing.... so that should be fun to see him with baby in arms.

 

[InHisHands]

Good news no thrush... bad news... still sore nipples.

Nic... dex doesnt like bottles so far... we are trying a different brand today. He hasnt learned to use his tongue to block the flow and chokes on it. I didnt realize you hadnt planned on breastfeeding for a year and etc. I plan on weaning dex at 6 months. I wish i was more successful in introducing the bottle. Any tips?

Bea - how are you doing with feeding? How long do you plan on BF for? Have you introduced bottles?

Bex - how many weeks of work dear?

Snow - im still hoping for a BFP for you.

 

[snowflakes120]

Great news on the no thrush Hands. I would just keep trying out bottles til he finds one he likes. Isn't there supposed to be a bottle or a nipple that have flow control or something like that?? (I really have no clue what I am talking about!! - I have yet to research this type of stuff!!)

P.S. 1st symptom to spot today. Heartburn after lunch. FX!

 

[MrsBea23]

Hmmm I was sure I had written a post in the last couple of days i must not of posted it, strange.

Lisette - not long now until mat leave woo hoo. Glad you are getting on well.

Snow - I was 33 when I got my BFP I am sure it will be a lucky year for you as well.

Bex - I had 7 other couples in my group as well. I keep in touch with all of them although some more than others. We are actually all meeting at mine tomorrow to try and do our own baby sensory since we didn't enjoy the class so much. Baby massage was awesome though I would totally reccomend that.
I really couldn't of gotten through the first few weeks without them, just knowing others are in exactly the same position and being able to meet up was a real relief so pleased you have a good group.

Hands - that is great news it's not thrush. I plan to exclusively BF until I wean at 5.5/6 months and then see, I might keep one feed up after that.
I don't know if you want to know this but I had that burning pain/nipples sticking to bra pain until 8 weeks but then one day it was just perfect. I think her mouth was just to small before that and it was also about then she started sleeping 10 hours a night so no more night feeds which probably helped.
I was giving her formula at the start due to pain but I stopped that after about 6 weeks and started EBF so don't worry you can always cut the bottles out if you feel like it later.
I will sometimes give her a bottle of expressed milk just to be sure she still takes it (I express every day and freeze it) but generally it is just hassle to take a bottle out with me so I just BF all the time, like in Sunday we where dropping into a friends for an hour but ended up being there for 5 hours but if I wasn't BF I wouldn't of had enough milk with me to stay out that long, so it's just laziness really lol.

Nic and CH if you are reading.