*** November 2014 Mum's ***

[Applecrumble]

Mellie, i think its acceptable as a newmum to wear black jeans..better to of attended the funeral than not attend because you didnt have the right trousers. I have oh xmas party on friday night and have nothing to wear! Need to start thinking about it...glad it went well today.

Ohs parents are 'here to help' this week...its going to be a long week...they had the tv off and just sat on sofa all day!! It was painful at times and I was out half the day (went to get baby weighed) Imogen has put on loads of weight, she now weighs 8lb 6 and she was 7lb13 last monday! Cluster feeding is obviously having an affect.

So took the opporuntity to escape upstairs and express this afternoon and managed to get 3oz which was great, we tried it tonight around 10:30 and she took the bottle really well and the milk was cold, so that was positive...HOWEVER and this is where i need advise, since taking the 3oz from the bottle she has been on the boob ever since..its 20 and she is wide awake...how much can one baby drink...?? Surely she is not drinking and using my boob as a pacificer...i hate it, so depressing. Just given her a dummy since writing this and it seems to be working...she is calm and not looking for food..eyes still wide open though

Njp...so sorry frankie is not well...what a night mare, and your niece, coming in and disturbing her!?! Its nice that she is sooo interested but how frustrating.

 

[mellie_88]

The bottle didn't have any effect on Jake he's been on my boob no more than normal. Except one longgggg feed last night where he spent an hour on one boob. I assume that was him sucking for comfort, although he refuses dummies he sucks them for a few seconds realises he's getting no milk and spits it out.

Good news that Imogen has put so much weight on, it always makes me feel so much better when I know all the cluster feeding had a reason.

So what exactly did OHs parents do all day? Absolutely nothing? How can they sit and do nothing in someone's house with a newborn, personally I'd be really on edge that I was just in the way of I did nothing all day. You should write a list of jobs for them to tomorrow

 

[Applecrumble]

They cuddled Imogen...ate my flapjacks (especially purchased for night time munchies) offered to help...but there was nothing to be done..it was weird they left as soon as oh came home and are going to be arriving at 8:45 (as oh leaves). Its like i can not be left alone..

In fairness it gave me the time to learn to express...but i felt when i was down stairs i couldnt put the tv on...i even put the light on at about 4pm and was advised best to turn it off so as not to disturb her....haha

Im not happy about imogen sucking on my boob..which she must be doing...but can not decide whether a dummy is the right way to go....she seems to want to awake at night....nightmare

Mellie...have you tried given jake a dummy since giving him his first bottle? Imogen previously would never take a dummy but tonight she would and wondered whether it was connected to having a bottle (taken it off her now as dont want her to get attached)

 

[mellie_88]

I'd be annoyed about the flapjacks, it annoys me far too much when OH eats mine! Very strange their only staying the hours he's out, I don't know how you're putting up with it I'd go crazy. Annoys me loads if my mom stays for more than a few hours I couldn't put up with her being here all day let alone any of OHs family.

Have you managed to pump more today then? I managed to pump a full boob earlier and got 4oz I was far too pleased.

Jake just doesn't seem like a dummy sort of baby, I assume its either the milk he likes or the being close to me. I don't mind as I would have only given him the dummy at night time. Wouldn't want him to be one of those children who cant ever be separate from it.

Jake has been awake for the past 3 hours. He's still ridiculously wide awake. I just want to sleep and OH is back at work tomorrow so cant make him take him downstairs in the morning while I sleep.

 

[nicejuicypear]

They sound like a pain in the arse apple! How long are they down for? Hide the flapjacks in your bedroom!

Mellie, the black jeans were probably barely even noticeable. I wore black jeans to work all summer as they were the only maternity trousers I liked. I got not one comment, I don't think anyone even realised.

I have had no sleep. Frankie screamed until 4am, whether held or put down. I even tried letting her cry it out since holding her was doing nothing. That was hard. The crying was okay but I couldn't look at her face while I did it.

From 4am she's slept but is so congested it sounds like she's choking so although I tried to doze I haven't been able to sleep properly. At 6am she started crying again so I'm up with her in my arms again.

My cold has kicked in too, so really needed some rest.

 

[mellie_88]

Have you tried the snuffle babe saline spray? It can be used from birth and helped break down some mucus Jake had. So it may help her feel a little less congested hopefully. Have you got a bouncer chair or something, will she sleep better in that at all because she wont be flat.

If Jake cries too much my boobs tend to leak, as 9/10 with him he's crying for food. Its definitely easier hearing the cries than seeing them.

 

[Kaa286]

Oh dear Apple awkward but don't let them rule. If they comment again just have to say it's what u do in yr house and since imogens been there it's never caused problems. Fancy saying it will disturb her they must think they need to be quiet but I should never really be quiet in day as they need to know that's when there's noise and if they get used to silence they'll never sleep through!
If u don't want tv maybe radio for bit of background noise at least.

Njp annoying about your niece :-/ I agree with mellie try saline drops and keep her in bouncer to sleep a bit in day so more upright. Hope she's better soon bless her.

Love the science experiment certainly makes me feel better about a small tipple on Xmas day. Although I'm more concerned about how it will affect me :-/

Bet no one noticed they were jeans mellie. Got same problem clothes wise as my grandad passed away yesterday and so will have his funeral maybe next week :'( going to take faith with us though as all my family will be at the funeral and not leaving with mil she b at work anyway thankfully. Just going to be awkward for feeding

 

[mellie_88]

Oh no sorry to hear about your grandad, you should be ok feeding faith just need to try and get her to sleep through the actual service. Then at the reception/wake I think people will be too preoccupied to notice a baby feeding. The nursing top I got wasn't that good really, it didn't make feeding that easy as my nipple was on full view before I got Jake to latch on. Had to make Shane hold up a muslin to protect my dignity! Definitely find it easier wearing a baggy jumper and putting him under.

 

[nicejuicypear]

Thanks for the snuffle babe tips, I'll try to pick some up. We managed to get a couple of hours this morning as we sat in the bathroom while my wife showered which helped Frankie for a bit. Going to get the bouncer out today. I wedged the mattress up at an angle last night which might have helped a bit.

Sorry to hear about your grandad, kaa, was it expected? Hopefully you'll manage the feeding okay, just have to try to time it around the actual funeral bit.

 

[Applecrumble]

Yes sorry about your grandad kaa...did he get to meet Faith.

 

[Kaa286]

He didn't get to meet her no we were planning a family get together on Sat and taking him out the home. He had dementia and liver problems but got poorly possible pneumonia and too weak to fight it off.

Funerals on Xmas eve. Thinking of expressing and taking bottle just in case she wakes for feed in church as its a Catholic funeral so be a good hour and half.

Upped dose of ranitidine to 0.3ml so fingers crossed for a better night although she feeding again at min and been a bit on and off again this week.

 

[Applecrumble]

Oh sorry kaa...as it happens my grandma has been sent to hospital tonight she fell and broke her leg...she is 95 so looks like she will be spending christmas in hospital! Bless her.

So we have just been for a twenty minute car journey to settle imogen...she was wide awake and using my boob as a comfort blanket so me and oh took for a ride...fingers crossed it will settler her for at least a two hour sleep...this baby lark is sooo hard. I dont want to use a dummy really, and i certainly dont want her to use my boob, which i suspect she has been doing for the last few nights.

Do your little ones use your boob as a pacifier? Hope everyone is fast asleep and only reads this at 10am when they wake from a full nights rest! Wishful thinking maybe...Imogen is already stirring....

Will save my rant about the inlaws till the night feed.

 

[LauraLoo2]

Good morning ladies how is everyone? I've missed loads, been a bit of a zombie but feeling a lot more normal today. Jonah is having a celebratory boob because he just managed 2 whole hours in his Moses basket yay! He's taken to feeding so well, his latch is like a poster, although we did have an issue with him losing too much weight but that was while we were waiting for my milk, he gained 60g in one day after that, piggy.
He's so lovely, can't believe he's 6 days old. He was so much more alert yesterday, will hopefully add a pic if it lets me.

 

[Kaa286]

Oh Apple what a shame for her, I'd hate to be in at Christmas

I completely with u on that. No dummy for us but often she will use me ha. She has now found her fists though and started sucking on them I wonder if she will be a thumb sucker when she realises she has one!

I've had a dreadful few days and nights cluster feeding at the weekend, so draining!!

Well faith went down about midnight and woke at half 5 this morning! Wow!!! Now bk down again after her feed. Don't want to get my hopes up as she has done this once before :-/ also hoping the increased dose of ranitidine is helping her to settle better after feeds.

Hope u didn't have too bad a night with imogen in the end??

Having a baby is much much harder than I'd ever have expected and luckily faith is really good as babies go.

Aw he's such a cheeky chops!! glad he's doing so well Laura at least he's piling it on after ur initial struggles.
Hope ur nights are going well for u

 

[mellie_88]

Ahh Laura he's absolutely gorgeous!

Sorry to hear about your grandma apple, bad things always happen around Christmas so horrible.

As I've mentioned I tried a pacifier, didn't work which I'm thankful for as I've always been anti them before having him. My mom is still keen for him to suck his thumb, I just want him to be fine without doing either!

I had a good night last night, he slept through for about 2 1/2 hours between every feed and he settled first time I put him down. Normally its lots of putting him down then 5 minutes later hes awake crying. Although I have learnt a new trick which I assume may be to thank. When I get him out to feed him I take his mattress out too and put it under the duvet with me. So when I put him back down he has a nice toasty mattress and one that also smells like me!

 

[Kaa286]

Ooh good u had a better night too
Great idea that I do think that's what wakes her sometimes she's gone from being warm n snuggly to lying on a hard flat cold surface poor love will try that tonight.

Off to mothercare in a bit to return my ring sling! Just going to get a wrap sling of they have one of just exchange for something we can get faith as a Xmas pressie.

 

[mellie_88]

The wrap ones look much easier to make secure. I need to try and return mine too but I got it ages ago so don't know if they'll let me.

I saw online about putting a hot water bottle in to warm the mattress, which is fine at the start of the night. But at 3am I'm not going downstairs to make a hot water bottle up.

 

[Kaa286]

Oh u should look for it! My mate sent me a vid of a woman demonstrating wrap sling on you tube looked well easy!!
And they are cheaper can get one for about 25 quid, basically a big bloody stretchy scarf haha.

I thought about that but can't find the top for ours anyway ha.

 

[mellie_88]

Tempted to wait until after Christmas try and return my ring sling and say I got it as a Christmas present then I can exchange it for either a wrap sling or clothes or something. Fingers crossed if they let me anyway.

Definitely try the mattress under the duvet trick tonight. I'm hoping that's what made Jake sleep so well last night anyway.

Been to see my niece today as my mom was babysitting. Got a lovely picture of her and Jake together. She's only 2 but she was so good with him, stayed perfectly still for the photo. Then later on he was having a little cry in his car seat and she was patting him and saying "It's ok, don't worry." Absolutely adorable!

 

[nicejuicypear]

I agree about the cold mattress thing, though mine is 60x120cm so won't be trying your trick! She doesn't settle well at night and I do think the cold flat mattress has something to do with it.

Lauraloo, Jonah is very cute! Glad he's putting his weight back on.

Sorry to hear about your grandma, Apple. They try to make Christmas on the ward nice for the patients. I've done quite a bit of Christmas hospital visiting in the past with my grandparents.

I'm in hospital myself now, with Frankie. We're in overnight, possibly for a few days. She has a viral chest infection, possibly called bronchiolitis? She was struggling to breathe and not feeding so we went back to the gp who sent us straight to hospital. Her oxygen levels are really low so she's on oxygen and they're monitoring her feeding. Apparently it's a common illness in little ones but because it stops them feeding it's got to be monitored. She looks so much better for being on oxygen, her colour is a bit more normal now and she guzzled some expressed milk down earlier, so that's good.