New mummies - August 2013

[jjbump]

Oh also, do you know of any mummy-baby groups in the Surrey area, I figured since you have another LO that you may have been to some here before?

Hmmm, I did have a list of them, but they were in the Sutton area. Not sure of the ones close to you, but let me see if I get dig out that list. I go to a local children's centre to me with different (free) activities each day. Some of them are really good, but I find them difficult to meet other mothers as you're usually distracted watching over your little ones and different people turn up each week.

Wallington library have a session each Thursday morning where everyone sings songs. It's great for babies and my LO preferred that to all the other places I took her.

 

[despereaux]

Hi all. My plan was to formula feed as breastfeeding with my 2nd didn`t work out. It was too painful. This baby, at first I was formula feeding on the 1st day but when I tried bfing she latched right away. For the first 4 days it was too painful like injections but tolerable after 1 min. Now I`m strictly just bfing with no supplement. My bleeding has now stopped or pretty much stopped and it`s only been a wk.

 

[jjbump]

Hi all. My plan was to formula feed as breastfeeding with my 2nd didn`t work out. It was too painful. This baby, at first I was formula feeding on the 1st day but when I tried bfing she latched right away. For the first 4 days it was too painful like injections but tolerable after 1 min. Now I`m strictly just bfing with no supplement. My bleeding has now stopped or pretty much stopped and it`s only been a wk.

That's great, Despereaux! I tried BF, but had the same problem as you - it was so painful throughout feeding. It was my fault really - I didn't get my LO to latch properly. In the end, I just kept bleeding and my LO was being sick a lot due to the blood.

 

[CordeliaJ]

Glad to hear it's going well with the bfing despereaux. I have to say I almost gave up on day 3 because the pain was excruciating, but I used an absolute ton of lanolin for the cracks & bleeding (which healed it really quickly inbetween feeds). My milk came in on day 4, and by day 5 the pain was pretty much over. Now it doesn't hurt at all, but it does get tiring and sometimes he still doesn't latch that well. Also there are times when he uses me as a pacifier when it's seemed like he's really hungry, and that drives me nuts! haha

 

[CordeliaJ]

Quick question about birth control. We went to our last midwife check up apt today, and she asked what method of birth control I was going to use. I told her I didn't know yet, and she said I need to decide soon.
But, when I went to book my postnatal check up with GP, the reception told me the first apt they do is at 8 weeks now. Is the implication that I won't need birth control for 8 weeks? Because a friend of mine got pregnant at 4 weeks postpartum, and I do not want to be in that position! What are you ladies all doing, are you going to book an earlier GP apt?

 

[aimee-lou]

Quick question about birth control. We went to our last midwife check up apt today, and she asked what method of birth control I was going to use. I told her I didn't know yet, and she said I need to decide soon.
But, when I went to book my postnatal check up with GP, the reception told me the first apt they do is at 8 weeks now. Is the implication that I won't need birth control for 8 weeks? Because a friend of mine got pregnant at 4 weeks postpartum, and I do not want to be in that position! What are you ladies all doing, are you going to book an earlier GP apt?

I'm off to the GP as soon as I can get hubby to take the kids lol. Was going to go tomorrow but something has come up so probably next Friday as that's his next day off. I want to be back on a pill by the time my bleed stops, otherwise it's too tempting/dangerous lol. Charlie is the result of the 3rd Oopsie we had in the 5 months after Eddy was born!

 

[despereaux]

I breastfed my baby no.1 for a yr and I never felt any pain or discomfort since day one. I've used lanolin for soothing the cracks and bleed with my 2nd but it was too painful and didn't help at all. For the first 4 days my nips were cracked and bleedy and I tried lanolin again and it did help this time. I've been even wondering if they've made the ingredients better coz the colour tube seems different.
It's so funny about using our boobs as a pacifier lol that's so true. Last night my baby was awake for 3 hrs and just using me as a pacifier even though she already had some big burps. I've never used a pacifier but maybe I might try it this time.

 

[jjbump]

Cordelia (and others), I have scanned in parent toddler groups in my area (Sutton). Some of them may be for parents and baby, but it's wise to check first. I hope the link below works!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3MPAeQF8Fu8TjBadXRmUlZEc1k/edit?usp=sharing

 

[CordeliaJ]

Cordelia (and others), I have scanned in parent toddler groups in my area (Sutton). Some of them may be for parents and baby, but it's wise to check first. I hope the link below works!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3MPAeQF8Fu8TjBadXRmUlZEc1k/edit?usp=sharing

That's really useful, thank you so much x

 

[CordeliaJ]

Hey ladies, how is everyone doing?

Aimee-lou how is everything? I saw your post about having to keep going to the hospital with 3 young kids in tow, it seems very unfair that they can't make exceptions. Are you feeling any better now? If it's any consolation I'm in awe of you managing all 3 of them by yourself especially with one of them being a newborn & 2 under two. You are superwoman!

We met our health visitor on weds, to be honest she wasn't as comforting as I had hoped, she was very formal & matter of fact. Had to tell her that I was feeling low, then of course she asked if I had a history of depression (which unfortunately I do) so she started writing it all down which just made me feel like a bit of a failure, as I managed to overcome that depression years ago, and got the feeling she thinks these baby blues could be PND.

She also asked if we were doing tummy time with LO, I said I thought it was a bit young to start, but she said it's never too early. Well we tried it with his head/arms over the side of the sleepyhead mattress, but he just got upset because he can't lift his head up yet. I felt like it was a bit mean trying it at 2 weeks. I guess I have no experience though.

How big are your LOs? She seemed to think Ollie was so big, he weighed 10lbs on Tuesday, I don't mind him being big, makes him seem less fragile (which I'm always paranoid about). Only problem is I haven't got any mummy muscles yet, really need to grow some soon because he's so heavy to lift, haha.

 

[aimee-lou]

Hey ladies, how is everyone doing?

Aimee-lou how is everything? I saw your post about having to keep going to the hospital with 3 young kids in tow, it seems very unfair that they can't make exceptions. Are you feeling any better now? If it's any consolation I'm in awe of you managing all 3 of them by yourself especially with one of them being a newborn & 2 under two. You are superwoman!

We met our health visitor on weds, to be honest she wasn't as comforting as I had hoped, she was very formal & matter of fact. Had to tell her that I was feeling low, then of course she asked if I had a history of depression (which unfortunately I do) so she started writing it all down which just made me feel like a bit of a failure, as I managed to overcome that depression years ago, and got the feeling she thinks these baby blues could be PND.

She also asked if we were doing tummy time with LO, I said I thought it was a bit young to start, but she said it's never too early. Well we tried it with his head/arms over the side of the sleepyhead mattress, but he just got upset because he can't lift his head up yet. I felt like it was a bit mean trying it at 2 weeks. I guess I have no experience though.

How big are your LOs? She seemed to think Ollie was so big, he weighed 10lbs on Tuesday, I don't mind him being big, makes him seem less fragile (which I'm always paranoid about). Only problem is I haven't got any mummy muscles yet, really need to grow some soon because he's so heavy to lift, haha.

Yeah, doing better today thanks for asking. Just got back from taking the boys to the park. Met up with a friend while there and the kids ran riot but now Earl is back to his sedate self lol. I have 1 more appointment (tomorrow) and I have the car, then plan on going to the supermarket with them all - that should be fun lol Also sorted out some childcare for Tuesday (boys are going to the CM for 3 hours so will get to spend 3 hours playing with their friends and get chicken nuggests for dinner! lol) so I can now just go as me and Charlie, and if nothing else, I can have a coffee and a cake in the cafe! lol

My HV was here today - weight charlie and he now weight 9lb7oz! He's 13 days old and on day 4 he weighed in at 8lb8 so has gained nearly 1lb in 9 days! He is draining 4oz bottles most times though, and having about 7-8 of them a day, so I don't know why I'm surprised lol

Sorry the HV wasn't much help. Don't feel bad about the depression etc - they take details from everyone so that they have backup....it's more for their career than it is about you. I have a history of depression (had a bout when Earl was 1 and then when Eddy was born so fully expecting it this time. Best thing to do is acknowledge your feelings and don't ignore them. If it's not shifting, get yourself down to the Dr's. I usually do one of the online tests and if my score is higher than normal, I'm banging down the door the next day!

Re: Tummy time. Just putting baby tummy to tummy with you is enough at this age. I've never done 'tummy time' with either of mine really. Earl hated it (would literally scream until he was choking) and then Edward would just lie there and not move - rigid entirely lol - which is kind of defeating the object lol. It's more about giving them 'opportunity' to use each of the muscle groups - as long as you're giving him time where he needs to use his neck muscles you're doing enough, especially at this age!

Thanks again for the kind words.....I was really bad yesterday and the support from here really helps.

 

[CordeliaJ]

Oh I'm so glad things are sorted out a little more for you, and sounds like tuesday will be a good break for you

I think Ollie has been gaining weight that quickly too, as the week before he had lost weight since birth, so was only 9lbs, so gained 1lb in a week! Although he's actually only having about 3.5 ounces per feed (from what I can tell the few times a day he has expressed milk). He was feeding really often though, every 1.5-2hrs, but now it's down to about every 3hrs which is a relief.

I think actually when I wind him over my shoulder, hes always trying to lift his head up, so definitely trying to use those muscles.

I might try one of those online tests, see how I go!

 

[jjbump]

Hey ladies, how is everyone doing?

Aimee-lou how is everything? I saw your post about having to keep going to the hospital with 3 young kids in tow, it seems very unfair that they can't make exceptions. Are you feeling any better now? If it's any consolation I'm in awe of you managing all 3 of them by yourself especially with one of them being a newborn & 2 under two. You are superwoman!

We met our health visitor on weds, to be honest she wasn't as comforting as I had hoped, she was very formal & matter of fact. Had to tell her that I was feeling low, then of course she asked if I had a history of depression (which unfortunately I do) so she started writing it all down which just made me feel like a bit of a failure, as I managed to overcome that depression years ago, and got the feeling she thinks these baby blues could be PND.

She also asked if we were doing tummy time with LO, I said I thought it was a bit young to start, but she said it's never too early. Well we tried it with his head/arms over the side of the sleepyhead mattress, but he just got upset because he can't lift his head up yet. I felt like it was a bit mean trying it at 2 weeks. I guess I have no experience though.

How big are your LOs? She seemed to think Ollie was so big, he weighed 10lbs on Tuesday, I don't mind him being big, makes him seem less fragile (which I'm always paranoid about). Only problem is I haven't got any mummy muscles yet, really need to grow some soon because he's so heavy to lift, haha.

Hi Cordelia,

We're generally ok, although the wind/colic appears to be getting worse. Before, we would have a few hours of crying every evening, but now it happens at one hour periods throughout the day and night. Not sure the Infacol is working. How is Ollie?

Regarding the HV, ours was a little on the cold side. She didn't really explain her role, but inferred she was there to check the environment and rule out obvious abuse. I felt I had to be very careful what I said (not that we have anything to feel guilty about!). She even wanted to check over my 2 year old, which I thought was strange. I'm not sure why yours mentioned tummy time this early - it's not something I would do for some weeks. Most women do get PND in some form, so please do not feel any guilt. They are there to support you, so do ask for help if you need it.

My LO is now 8 lbs, 3 ounces - she was 7 lbs, 11 ounces when born.

xx

 

[CordeliaJ]

Oh no, sorry to hear the wind is worse
Did you say the infacol worked to begin with? How annoying that it's not working now.
Ollie is also still windy, he has bouts of crying on/off throughout the day. I did an accidental dream feed this evening. He was asleep and partially woke up sucking his hand off, so I quickly fed him & he was mostly asleep, so I let him stay asleep on me after. 32 minutes later all hell broke loose & he woke up with the worst wind ever! Leg thrashing, lip quivering, world ending screaming! It's enough to put me off dream feeding for life! Lol.
Thought I might start back up on infacol tomorrow, maybe..

How strange that your HV wanted to check over your other LO, that sounds more like social work :S I guess they all do the job differently. X

 

[beccybobeccy]

Hi ladies, how are you doing today?

I keep going through waves of extreme happiness followed by a real funk - crying/shouting at OH! I have a mild history of depression but I think this is just baby blues as my moods are really just all over the place.

The wind situation is pretty rubbish here too. My MW said to try infacol for a week and if it doesn't seem to make a difference then to try dentinox.
I remember this from when Sofia was little and even though i know its just something they grow out of it it's so hard when they are screaming at you to take it away. The screaming invariably happens at the same time as Sofia needs a wee or is also having a breakdown. Both of their unhappy noises seems to have a biological reaction with me and makes my heart break. I wonder if that ever changes? I can't imagine my mum feeling that way about me! Lol!

 

[CordeliaJ]

Hi Becky - I know how you feel. Sometimes I look at our new little addition and am so so happy and can't believe he's really here. Other days I just feel like it's too much and I don't know how to handle it all. I think (well I hope) these feelings are all normal this soon after having a baby.

It's so hard when they're screaming, I agree. It's so obvious when it's pain as well because their whole mouth goes down and the straining and hoarse throaty scream is just the worst. It was making me cry everytime he cried like that, but I've been getting better lately, managing it all a little better, although I still find it hard.
I'm not close with my mum either, but she's not very maternal, I think some people just aren't, whereas it affects people like us more. Hugs! x

 

[jjbump]

Oh no, sorry to hear the wind is worse
Did you say the infacol worked to begin with? How annoying that it's not working now.
Ollie is also still windy, he has bouts of crying on/off throughout the day. I did an accidental dream feed this evening. He was asleep and partially woke up sucking his hand off, so I quickly fed him & he was mostly asleep, so I let him stay asleep on me after. 32 minutes later all hell broke loose & he woke up with the worst wind ever! Leg thrashing, lip quivering, world ending screaming! It's enough to put me off dream feeding for life! Lol.
Thought I might start back up on infacol tomorrow, maybe..

How strange that your HV wanted to check over your other LO, that sounds more like social work :S I guess they all do the job differently. X

Yeah, the Infacol seemed to be working and then all of a sudden the wind seemed to affect my LO at all times during the day. I was warned by the midwife (who told me I was overfeeding my baby!) that she may appear to want more feeds, but that it'll be down to her trying to soothe herself when in pain i.e. give her a pacifier and not more milk. There was some truth to this because when I feed her when she's particularly restless, the wind problem suddenly worsens. It's hard to know when she's actually hungry and when she just wants to be comforted.

Something else that's bothering me - my LO now has green poo! I did read some years ago that this is down to wind/colic, but others have said it's down to the Infacol. Since she had the green poo (around 5pm today), she hasn't had any wind issues! Not sure if this is coincidence or whether the Infacol has worked its way through her system...

Beccybobeccy, I am going through the ups and downs, too. Yesterday I snapped at OH and I felt so bad afterwards. I think the hormones are responsible for this too.

 

[aimee-lou]

jjbump - green poo is Infacol based if its quite thick/sludgey. If it's watery, it's a digestive problem like wind inflaming their tummy.

Charlie's poo is like clay at the moment - good old SMA mixed with Infacol is always a slight issue in that it can bug them up good and proper. I tend to mix a tiny bit more water (fill to the mls rather than the oz) into the formula and that tends to loosen things up and keep them that way. Even so I've had to give all of mine a helping hand with poo occasionally. If all else fails though, a carton of premix is a sure-fire way of flushing out the system lol

Oh the joys of being a mum....poo talk! lol

 

[jjbump]

jjbump - green poo is Infacol based if its quite thick/sludgey. If it's watery, it's a digestive problem like wind inflaming their tummy.

Thanks for that. It was like pesto so most likely the Infacol. She's been much better since the green poo, so I'm hoping we're over the worst (seeing as OH goes back to work soon!).

Charlie's poo is like clay at the moment - good old SMA mixed with Infacol is always a slight issue in that it can bug them up good and proper. I tend to mix a tiny bit more water (fill to the mls rather than the oz) into the formula and that tends to loosen things up and keep them that way.

We're using SMA, too, and I remember last time adding a little more water when my older daughter didn't poo for a week. Thankfully LO hasn't been constipated at all so far, but we've been using the pre-made milk. It's bloody expensive, but with the lack of sleep and general convenience, we'll be using it for another week or so before making up our own bottles.

Last time we made the feeds ourselves, we used to cool them down quickly and store in the fridge for the day's worth. Every medical professional this time has drummed it into our heads that we need to make up the feeds as we go, which is almost impossible as LO will suddenly get hungry and scream until she is fed. I cannot imagine making them one by one and waiting for them to cool down for her to drink. Do you make yours as required or store them?

 

[beccybobeccy]

I know it's not technically the way you are supposed to but I sterilise bottles, put boiled water in the bottles and leave on the side til we need them and just add the powder.

Naughty mummy.