May 2017 Mummies

[BettyHoop]

Emily I didn't realise you were hand expressing. I get hardly anything at all that way. My oh bought an electric pump and it's amazing. Our latch isn't quite right and I can't seem to fix it so unless I pump a few times a day too my supply goes right down. I highly recommend the medela pump, it was £90 but so so worth it. I find that I get a second round of milk if I stay on it for 15 mins at least on one side.

Kabuk that is such a nice picture. We've taken pictures of daisy but i had to take all the the apps off my phone after a traumatic birth, and I can't even look at the other sections of this forum yet.

Dovekie I've had a terrible time with my back and shoulders. For all the pain and suffering I've been through, other than the back contractions during labour, the worst pain has been this back and shoulder pain post op. They say it can be trapped gas, or it could be bruising from surgery or from the epidural. They really had to work hard to get daisy out of me she was so stuck! I'm trying to find the time and energy to get to the Dr's to see if there's anything I can do about it. So are you home now? Xx

 

[nikkix86]

hi girls how is everyone? things have been manic aria has gone from being so easy to not letting me put her down. oh is ordering me a sling tonight so i can still do stuff. cant believe shes 5 weeks

 

[Emily0505]

Yeah still bf but top up with formula after each feed.

Just got the pump and it's an electric medela one. For some reason I assumed it was a manual! I'm actually excited to try it but that being said I'm not holding my breath that I'll get much if any but it's a pump I've not tried before so you never know! If not then it'll be back to milking myself by hand! Lol!

XX

 

[Emily0505]

Betty after I had Cam, I had a labour debrief with a midwife as part of my treatment for PND. Do you think sitting and discussing what happened might help you to come to terms with things? If you're struggling with what happened then make sure you talk about it and get extra support if you need it.

XX

 

[kabuk1]

Thanks. No, I didn't bother with bounty. The one time she did come around, Aidan was receiving light therapy treatment, so photos weren't possible.

Dovekie, you can still try to breastfeed. If he doesn't latch on his own, then you can always go to a breastfeeding drop-in for support. Aidan latched and fed the first 2 days and then stopped latching. He was jaundice and we couldn't wake him enough to feed. I was also finding it difficult to have him on me after the c-section. Once I was transferred to the maternity ward, I used their electric pump to express and then topped up with formula, so he received a bottle for the remaining 3 days in hospital. He now primarily breastfeeds. I still express as my boobs just get too full and one night feed is still formula as he doesn't fully wake and latching can be a pain then. I also tried the Tommee Tippee and he doesn't like them. I use the medela ones for expressed milk and avent for formula.

 

[Emily0505]

Woohoo!! Expressing success with a pump!!

Got 5mls from left breast and 4mls from the right with 15mins on each breast.

I hand expressed after too and was still getting some out so the pump isn't emptying the breast but hopefully a mix of Eleanor feeding, pumping, hand expressing, domperidone and fenugreek (which makes me smell like maple syrup as a fun side effect!lol) will ensure that we can continue on our bf journey.

I'm going to get latch double checked at bf support group tomorrow as although it doesn't hurt when she feeds sometimes my nipple comes out miss-shapen and flattened on one side and I'm not sure if we're still getting it quite right. Obviously a poor latch will mean she's not feeding effectively and not stimulating breast properly which will also affect supply.

But yay... NINE WHOLE MLS!!! WOOHOO

XX

 

[Eryinera]

I think that's normal ibe not noticed but not looked lol but I noticed the teat on the 1st milk was mishaped like that I meant to look after I noticed it but I forgot til you mentioned it. Well done on the 9ml! I've started fenugreek too as I'm making less than I was and at night I feel shes getting fustrated I make enough through the day but at night she majorly cluster feeds almost all the time for a few hours.

 

[lisey]

I read its normal for them to cluster in the evening Ery. Sophie does, luckily not during the night. It's usually from 7pm to bedtime, I looked it up the other day and said they usually stop the clusters by 3 months.

That's great about the milk Emily!!

Sorry some of you are having pain and discomfort since the births, is anyone still bleeding? Sophie is 6 weeks tomorrow and I'm still bleeding red (sorry for tmi) xx

 

[Emily0505]

Just on the pump again and not even got a drop out of the right boob yet!!

Gah!! Stupid things!!

I'm not bleeding anymore. I stopped after about two weeks then nothing until exactly four weeks post partum when I had AF!!!!

XX

 

[Emily0505]

2.5mls total from that session.

A bit disappointing seeing as how the first session gave so much more. I'm wondering if it's because there was five hours since I fed when I first expressed whereas there's only been 2-3 this time?

Meh, I'm never going to be a great milk producer but I guess any time spent on the pumps I'd extra stimulation even if I don't get much out. If the 9mls was a fluke and I'm ending up with the similar sorts of amounts I'd get expressing by hand then I'll give up on the pump all together as it's quicker to express by hand and it doesn't make my nips feel sensitive after!

XX

 

[BettyHoop]

How much should babies cry?! Daft question but daisy is just so unhappy all the time and it just seems to get worse and worse. She's been on me feeding all day and my supply dried up?! I'm just so exhausted and stressed we're now having to give her formula this evening and I've gone to bed while oh watches her for a couple of hours. She's not stopped crying all day until now. Is this normal?

 

[BettyHoop]

Betty after I had Cam, I had a labour debrief with a midwife as part of my treatment for PND. Do you think sitting and discussing what happened might help you to come to terms with things? If you're struggling with what happened then make sure you talk about it and get extra support if you need it.

XX

I don't know if I have pnd to be honest, I know I'm pretty traumatised but wouldn't say especially depressed. I wrote out my birth story the other day which helped. Not sure if I'll even ever show anyone! I don't know if I'd like to even go through what happened with anyone right now. I think I just want to bury it for now and concentrate on daisy, she's a very fussy baby so takes pretty much all of my energy anyway.

Good news on the 9mls! I've found if I don't express regularly it doesn't work, but also if I do stop or miss a session my supply goes right down. Sometimes I pump even if I get nothing much out as at least it stimulates for next time. I also find if I'm stressed or over tired I dry up like today. Xx

 

[Emily0505]

I didn't mean that you have OND but just that talking things through might help you come to terms with what you went through. If you don't think it will help then fair enough, you know better than anyone what you need. I just wanted to mention it as an option in case you didn't know it was available to you.

If bubs has been feeding all day then hopefully that will help your supply boost up a bit. If you think it's low then maybe try taking fenugreek to help?

I'm wondering if perhaps I need a different flange size to pump with? Going to measure my nips tomorrow and see. Could be that's what the issue is when it comes to pumping? Or at least it might help a bit? Think it might be another straw to clutch at but for the sake of £13 odd quid it's worth a try! Just need to find a tape measure now!

XX

 

[lisey]

How much should babies cry?! Daft question but daisy is just so unhappy all the time and it just seems to get worse and worse. She's been on me feeding all day and my supply dried up?! I'm just so exhausted and stressed we're now having to give her formula this evening and I've gone to bed while oh watches her for a couple of hours. She's not stopped crying all day until now. Is this normal?

Does she seen satisfied after she has fed? Is she lifting her knees when crying as if in pain?
I ask as it could be she is not getting enough milk so is hungry but then if she is still crying after formula then not likely that as can obv see how much she is getting.
I was asking about the knees and pain as it could be colic? Is she burping well after feeding. Sophie is unsettled in the evenings with colic so for 2-3 hours she cries and can't get comfortable, doesn't want to lay flat and struggles to sleep etc. I am using infacol which has helped as was crying more before. We had one day (before infacol) where she cried on and off all day, was heart breaking xx

 

[Eryinera]

I will reply to some of the above posts later I'm too tired to mage sense now x
Just wanted to complain about a new thing that's arrayed happening post birth. I'm bow drooling so much in my sleep it's ridiculous my arm is soaked and I gage arm drool patch n the bed how do I stop thus lmao

 

[Emily0505]

Haha! No idea on that one hun!

So glamorous having babies isn't ?!

XX

 

[kabuk1]

Emily, it's great that you managed more with that pump. The amount I get from expressing varies depending on the time of day. I always get quite a bit more when expressing in the morning, whether before or after feeding. As I give formula for the feed in the middle of the night, my breasts are usually quite full, so I tend to feed him from one in the morning and pump from the other.

Betty, I wander the same at times. We've just been through a very fussy period, but it seems he's calmed a bit now. However, he seems to know when it's bed time and then becomes very fussy. Last night was awful. No problems with feeds and sleep all day and then as we prepared him for his 10pm feed and bed, he simply refused to settle. No signs of discomfort- no knees to the chest or anything-, had a clean nappy and was fed- showed signs of being satisfied. But then he just wanted to scream. Both my dw and I tried everything for over an hour. He finally settled with my dw, but as soon as I moved him to his crib, he started again. I was so exhausted that I can't even remember how he eventually went to sleep. Never have problem with the next feed, it's just that initial going to sleep one.

On a much cuter side, he's engaging so much more. Yesterday he was really focusing on a bright toy on his bouncer. I also got my face close to his and his hand touched my face. He kept moving his hand on my face and had the cutest confused and concentration faces- he really looked like he was trying to figure something out. He also seems to be doing this excitement thing with his legs and arms, but it may not have anything to do with it, but the movement is different than before- controlled and seems linked to stimulation.

He also likes to grunt. He is a major grunter. It's either linked to him trying to get rid of the wind/pooing or to being annoyed that he's being moved. It's really cute until it's bed time and your worried he's going to wake up.

Ery, that's a new one. I have no idea. Maybe it's a combo of sleep deprivation and over production of saliva. Who knows?

My bleeding has stopped now. I'm using panty liners with more cm discharge (sometimes a little brown) than anything else. I sure hope with me breastfeeding that I don't get AF for a few more months. After all that bleeding during m pregnancy and after, I would love a break from it all.

 

[snowbee]

I have the drool too ery. I have to keep washing the pillow cases...

We are at 7 weeks already. Time is flying. We also have evening scream time, I've been told it is a fairly normal time of day for it!

I'm not bleeding but one of my friends did for over 8 weeks eek.

Betty hope you are ok.

Emily good news about the expressing. You are right your nippleshouldnt be misshapen afterwards, it might be the angle she was laying for that feed?

Kabuk I love that photo, how old was he in the end when you had them done?

I'm taking g to have his passport photo done next week, she is going to do a whole load and I'm hoping my 8 weeks he will smile a bit more and we can get some cute shots too.

 

[Emily0505]

Got just over 5mls from this mornings pumping session.

The flange is deffo too big though so I need to order a smaller one and see if that makes a difference to the amount I get out. I haven't had a chance to find a tape measure yet though to see how wide my nips are! Don't know where the day has gone really?! Need to feed Eleanor in a minute and then pop out to Tesco and get a few bits including some shorts as it's supposed to be scorchio at the weekend and my shorts won't do up! Lol!

XX

 

[kabuk1]

Thanks, snowbee. He was 3 weeks and 3 days. We managed one photo with a reflex smile whilst he was sleeping. It's so cute. Whilst we managed quite a few newborn style photos, him being older meant we got some with his eyes open and with personality- even one with him on his belly and head held up and on forearms. We've been emailed some, but they aren't finished. She still has to touch them all up so you can't see his newborn rash.

Emily, I so need some clothes too. I'm just 3kg (about 7lbs) off my pre-pregnancy weight, but I don't look anything close to my pre-pregnancy figure. Even my big shorts are too tight in the waist, especially with the incision. I can fit one pair of my dw's shorts, but I don't have much to go out in. Even my maternity jeans are a tad uncomfortable as they are all skinny- fit well but irritate the incision. Then the tops are all real tight in the chest. I was much smaller there, so some tops fit, but not well. I really don't want to buy a new wardrobe. Hoping to get back to crossfit at 8 weeks, well the post-natal rehab sessions. I'm living in my gym clothes right now- most comfy.