November Sparklers 2012

[Fish&Chips]

How lovely. My dh has offered to do the same but I need to store up some expressed milk.

 

[gaiagirl]

Wow I'm jealous! I honestly feel right now like he won't ever sleep longer than 4 hours...

 

[lilbeanhoping]

Gai- i think it was around the same time my lo woke up all the time like that and ate a ton! Maybe a groth spurt?

 

[daddiesgift]

Lol Lilbean! That's aweful

Anthony wakes about every 2-3 hours a night to eat hasn't gone four hours yet I'm pretty sure he naps longer during the day! My husband stayed up with him the first week or two but now I have a routine down I think he'd just wake us up since we all sleep together. Anthony sleeps in the bed attached to ours so I have a box at the end of crib with bottles, formula, thermos of warm water, gas drops and extra pacifiers so I don't even get out of bed anymore he starts to stir I just sit up make bottle, feed him, burp him, pacifier back to sleep! Except this morning he was awake antsy from 4-630!! Then 830 my oldest woke up jumping on bed so we were awake!

 

[gaiagirl]

I'm banking on a growth spurt! Lets hope!!!!!

 

[cookielucylou]

Oddly mine tends to only wake at 4am every night, sleeps through until around 8am then will have another few hours. Shame the older ones sleep has gone downhill, he wakes us more through the night now then the nb.

 

[morri]

I am also using cloth and sposies, fuzzybuns seem great atm .
my girl had ger 4 weeks appt and she is doing fine. 56 cm and 5. 06 kg. (11lb and a couple of oz.)Her hips are still immature so she gas to see an orthopedist in the new year but she'll be alright.
end of jan she has her 6fold vaccination.

 

[Fish&Chips]

Tristan wakes anywhere between once and four times. Currently it's the latter but I think he's having a growth spurt too as he's constantly feeding during the day.

Happy Christmas to you all if I don't get on again x

 

[Mrs.326]

I just found this thread!! I was wondering why the boards had been so quiet.

 

[cookielucylou]

Hope everyone had a brilliant christmas with their babes.

 

[daddiesgift]

We had a pretty good laid back Christmas! Anthony was upset for part of the day but giving him some HIPP tea ( a baby tea we got when we lived in Germany) and taking a bath with him to massage his belly helped and he was back to his cute self Dominic enjoyed all his gifts, really loving the play kitchen we got him! Mommys main gift was an elliptical that im excited to use!

I attached a photo of me and the boys on my birthday (the 23rd) they decided to dress fancy in their tuxedo tshirts It makes me laugh too much not to sure

The last few days with today being a tad better I have been feeling down about the breast feeding thing. Im not sure why, I guess in a way I feel like a failure. Like I make the milk, the babies wanted the milk but I still couldnt take it and quit. With Dominic I felt guilty mostly about stopping like formula was going to kill him or something so this time I dont feel like that as I see how smart and happy and healthy Dominic is so I know thats not true. I guess its the giving up thing. IDK!! I try to talk to my husband but like last night he said " I wish you would quit bringing up this breastfeeding thing and move on" so of course that hurt my feelings but I realize as a man he just doesnt get it.

I guess the fact that im still leaking a tad is whats making it worse like my body is sayingn "you still have a chance!" IDK what to do. I know I could relactate but I know in my heart that breast feeding soley is not something I want to do. Then I think I could pump every now and then just for the benefit of the breast milk but my husband says why add the stress of pumping when he is doing fine on the formula. BLAH!!

 

[Fish&Chips]

That must be hard to hear from your dh when you obviously need to talk about how your struggling with the decision to give up. You always have us, we'll listen

There is so much pressure to bfeed but it's more important that both you and the baby are happy and well. If bfeeding wasn't for you then why force yourself to do it? I'm bfeeding but I have it easy with no pain and a baby who is a good feeder. It's something I enjoy at the end of the day. If I didn't, I probably wouldn't do it as it's hard enough with a newborn.

Love the photo by the way. What a gorgeous family x

 

[daddiesgift]

Thanks! I know he just doesn't want to see me upset and hurt I know he's supportive whatever I do but he could be more considerate of my feelings. Eh who knows! And honestly if I had a really good pump I'd try to get supply up just to offer breast milk a few times a day but Unfortunately the pump I have just isn't up for the job! When we thought insurance wouldn't pay for formula I tried to latch Anthony which he will get on but it doesn't hurt at all so I think he's use to not having to "work for it" and then after a few minutes he gets antsy cause much doesn't come out. He'll get on nipple shield which causes discomfort? Once again who knows!

I think maybe I just need some time I really had no issue with this till this week! Hormones maybe? I have been weepy and snappy more than usual. Maybe the baby blues is kicking in late this time around.

 

[babyfeva]

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
For the last 2 days Eddie has been up almost every hour during the late evening/early morning. Is this just a growth spurt? I think i've slept only 5/6 hours in the last 2 days. Ugh. Please tell me it gets better. For those of you who will be going back to work how will you manage?

 

[lilbeanhoping]

Luckily I have a year off, I dunno how I'd go back now!

I have had one needy little man today. Any time I set him Down, even when he's completely asleep, he screams bloody murder! Even now he's in my arms. The last couple nights he's only slept snuggled next to me too, (I managed to get him next to me at least, rather than on me). Anyone deal with this? I hope it doesn't last!

 

[Fish&Chips]

Daddies it does sound like pesky hormones could be to blame but either way I think it's natural to be emotional.

Babyfeva, ouch that sounds bad. I'm pretty sure we're just coming out the end of a growth spurt as the longest Tristan was going was 2 hrs at night. Sleep ins over Christmas have been my saviour!

 

[morri]

I also had a strange night, I don't know what was wrong but maybe I was too dazed and didnt wake up properly(although I was walking around, anyway had a good christmas , need to upload some pics later, and need to fill out my child support forms(german child support gets paid to anyone with children until they are 18 /25 yo max) and some more forms , I hope her insurance card comes soon too, as shes got a app with the orthopedic for her immature hips.

 

[gaiagirl]

We had a nice holiday at my parents place. The LO was a bit thrown off for a day with the travel and the new sights/smells/people but all in all he did great! I was more of a nervous wreck with all the meet and greets and passing him around...kinda glad that's over TBH...

I'm pretty sure he had his 6 week growth spurt, but he's back to 3 hour stretches now. I kinda thought after 6 weeks we would get some 4/5 hour ones but I guess not!!!

Daddies - sorry to hear you're feeling down...it's really hard not to be able to talk about it with your DH, but hopefully venting on here can help. I can empathize because I know I would struggle with that too..but honestly you have put so much effort into the situation you should really feel like you've done everything you can!

 

[charlie15]

I just found this thread!! I was wondering why the boards had been so quiet.

me too! nice to see how everyone is getting on.

Hope everyone had a lovely christmas

 

[daddiesgift]

I think all our babies are in sync or something cause sleep last night was UGH! He would wake up fussing so Id make his bottle and go to pick him up and hed be asleep again! Or I would feed him and hed take a few sips and fall right back asleep! Id try to wake him up but he would just be snoring away! Then wake up an hour later to finish the bottle! But you shouldnt keep formula longer than an hour once made and at room temp and since this formula is so expensive its like throwing away liquid gold cause he wants a few sips in between feedings! Then his usual 4am wide awake..I got him to go to sleep soon after but back at 6am he was ready to get up for good!

Thanks for listening ladies. Yesterday while my husband was in the bathroom with my son I was in the next room with Anthony so I told him while he was in the other room and could hear me I wanted to talk with out seeing his expressions so I told him how it hurt my feelings, and I dont think he understands and how I feel about this and what I want to do about it. He came in room and told me he was sorry and that he supports me no matter what he just hates seeing me hurt and he thought I was wanting to stop formula all together and try to breast feed again which I never said (men!) and he felt after all weve been through with finding him a formula that works, paying for it, struggling to get insurance to help cover it ect that it was all for nothing and it was a lot to risk when I wasnt sure what I want to do. So that is completely understandable. But I never plan on stopping the Neocate. It has helped Anthony out, his weight gain is great and the truth is I do love bottle feeding for our family. Of course if it could be soley breast milk that would be great but it just cant be.

I contacted about three lactation consultants in the area one who I keep in contact with since I run a mothers group here at our military base and she helps with and told them how im feeling and how I would like to at least try and pump some milk to help with the costs of formula and to of course give him that. I will have to stop eating diary and all that but I guess it can only make me healthier. So maybe they can give me some insight in to how to do all this. I already have all the herbs and teas from when I was breast feeding I just need a good pump! This way I will feel better about stopping and he will still get a few benefits from it.

I for sure havent dried up though last night after our talk I put him on with a nipple shield and he pulled off at one point and the whole shield was filled with milk and he was swallowing the whole time?? I put him on bare breast but my oldest was a little too curious and kept pulling my breast out So we stopped for the moment. Then this morning we did same thing and once he fell asleep there was still milk in the shield. He doesnt suck as hard bare breast which is good for me!

Anywho we will see. Maybe the women I contacted can give me some insight into the best way to go about this. And maybe Ill start feeling better. I do know I did try my best to begin with and feeling engorged the whole time and cracked then getting mastitis ..I just cant cope like that. If it happens again for sure Ill know that im not a failure and Its just not for us!!