MSE Parents Club Part 16

Metranil_Vavin

CL wrote: »

LOL girl! We aren't so modern as to dress a boy in pink. She is actually very fine featured, but in that photo definitely doesn't look like it! In that photo she was about 6 weeks. She's 8 weeks today.

oops! sorry CL! I'm not really all here at the moment

SHE is beautiful!

Sigh..well I have been struggling again this evening with BF'ing. He was on for half an hour, but when he came off again he just screamed and screamed and screamed

My boobs are so sore, I'm really not enjoying BF'ing. In the end we gave him a bottle of formula which seems to have quietened him down.

I have the midwife coming tomorrow so will chat it through with her again, but they are hell bent on you perservering with BF'ing, and at times I just want to give up

I'm so tired...

aless02

sir_monster wrote: »

Welcome MV and CL as others say any questions re bfing pls ask there is also lots of help out there too please ask your m/w and health visitor if need assistance as numerous groups that take place in your area.

Re breastfeeding and being open I used to feed on my own upstairs when people are over but now do with everyone - why should I be excluded. Also my SIL just had a baby and has a 3 year old girl, she has a doll and when me and SIL were bfing on a sofa she lifted her top to feed her baby, she even asked why I was feeding thomas with a bottle (I do give him a top up sometimes).

That's so cute . I think it does take having a baby and getting through a few months (or so) of BFing in order to have total confidence in doing it in front of others. Like I was relatively shy with Finn and quite selective about whether I would feed in front certain people or not (weirdly, I'd rather do in front of strangers than family??), but I have the confidence now and think I will not care who's in the room .

Susan, that's a great idea that you do with Alice's pocket money. I wonder when a good age to start that sort of thing...probably around 3ish? They have to be old enough to understand.

GISI, I hear what you're saying. Do you think a tiny bit of it stems from H's birth or are you just genuinely not broody? I'm one of those weirdos that wanted another pretty much instantly after Finn was born; I'm an EXTREMELY impatient person. :rotfl: I love Finn so insanely much it can almost be overwhelming, so it kinda makes me want more kids to share that love with? IYSWIM, sounds so cheesy. Those are just my reasons, but that's why we're all different!! I might be singing a different tune when I have a toddler :rotfl:

aless02

MV, just saw your post...have you tried feeding lying down? Most people on here swear by it...that way you can literally can have the baby latched on for hours (dozing in between) while you get rest, too. Also, if you're worried about producing enough milk, unfortunately the best way to up to supply is to feed more! So if he wants to eat more, giving a bottle can be counter-productive IYSWIM, if you want to continue BFing.

Hope that helps, don't be afraid of asking the MW for help, hopefully she will be really helpful and non-judgmental . If she's not, you can phone the Breastfeeding Helpline (3rd post of this thread!) and they have really wonderful people that give advice over the phone and really try to work with you to help.

Metranil_Vavin

Thanks alessi - I have to say I haven't tried feeding lying down, I always use the same position where you hold the baby with the opposite arm to the boob you are using, across your body.

I think it's the mundanity as well of BF'ing that I don't like. I know I need to keep it up though if I want to keep the milk flowing..I have done several breast feeds today and have also expressed some.

Trouble is, with a bottle you can SEE how much milk the baby is drinking. With your breast you can't, and part of me worries that the fact he cries so much after feeding means that I'm either not doing it right, or I'm just not producing enough. He seems such a hungry baby.

Of course I want to do what's best for him, but I also don't want to spoil his first days being stressed out and in tears.

redmel1621

Right I really must get on with this budget, the main problem is knowing how to get started actioning it, when we are behind with everything to begin with!!!

Anyway...before I go quick children update. After a wonderful christmas and school holidays L has turned into the child from hell, his attitude is awful and I really felt like slapping him last night, obviously I restrained, but did shout a lot:( I really hate yelling at any of my kids but his back chat just riled me sooo much. J is being his usual annoying self, but is lovely with it so I try to not let him bug me...problem is he follows you round the house wittering on down your ear and trying to keep on showing things he has discovered/made etc on the iphone, he really doesn't take a breath! But like I say a really lovely lad atm. K is being a complete monkey, climbing all over the furniture, snatching toys away from T and generally being a toddler....he has started eating his dinners again (mostly) after his weird, only eat sandwiches, phase. T is getting stronger by the day, she is sitting up on her own now, only the odd wobble but not really falling over, she will also sit on her hands and knees for ages now laughing, which is cute, she is still very clingy and I can't even leave the room with out heer screeching, but hey...it's a phase;)

That's all really

xx

got-it-spend-it

Metranil_Vavin wrote: »

oops! sorry CL! I'm not really all here at the moment

SHE is beautiful!

Sigh..well I have been struggling again this evening with BF'ing. He was on for half an hour, but when he came off again he just screamed and screamed and screamed

My boobs are so sore, I'm really not enjoying BF'ing. In the end we gave him a bottle of formula which seems to have quietened him down.

I have the midwife coming tomorrow so will chat it through with her again, but they are hell bent on you perservering with BF'ing, and at times I just want to give up

I'm so tired...

I was going to suggest feeding lying down too. It really is a life-saver and means that you can sleep while baby feeds. Also lots of folk recommend spending the day in bed with baby so bubs can feed as and when they like and apparently this is great for upping supply.

I remember the toe curling nipple soreness and the chapping. It might be worth getting the MW to check your latch when she comes tomorrow as that does make a difference, but to be honest I think my nipples just got tougher as they got used to it .

I hope this isn't patronising as it's really not meant to be, but you said he fed for half an hour and I just wanted to reassure you that this is totally normal for a littlie. It takes them a while to get efficient at getting the milk out and in the meantime it can be a slow process.

I hope you manage to get a good rest tonight as it does make all the difference.


Aless- it's not the birth but more the thought of going back to the whole 'life being turned upside down' heavily pregnant and newborn phase. I am really enjoying the walking/talking/joking phase we are in now and if I could have no.2 at this phase and miss out the first bit I would . I also worry a teeny bit that I couldn't love another as much as I love H, but I know deep down I would! I'll get there, I'm just not there yet.

CL

Metranil_Vavin wrote: »

oops! sorry CL! I'm not really all here at the moment

SHE is beautiful!

Sigh..well I have been struggling again this evening with BF'ing. He was on for half an hour, but when he came off again he just screamed and screamed and screamed

My boobs are so sore, I'm really not enjoying BF'ing. In the end we gave him a bottle of formula which seems to have quietened him down.

I have the midwife coming tomorrow so will chat it through with her again, but they are hell bent on you perservering with BF'ing, and at times I just want to give up

I'm so tired...

Hi MV. I'm BF and wasn't really bothered about it, but felt that I should. I find a dummy a life saver. If you feel your boobs are hard at the start and softer after half an hour, and you could hear the baby swallowing for a decent length of time, then he is just suckling for comfort. I would give him a dummy as soon as you take him off. I know some people will tell me off for saying this as they say the suckling helps stimulate milk production, but if you need a break and you are at the point of quitting, it's worth a try, it never affected my milk production.

I also find that I have plenty of milk in the morning and not sometimes cannot seem to satisfy LO in the evening, so use an electric breast pump in the morning and again in the afternoon an hour after a feed and use this as a top up in the evening. I started this at about 3 weeks and only could express about 2 oz over 2 pumps, but is was enough on top of the evening BF to satisfy her.

Also babies cluster feed in the evenings for a few weeks and this will not last forever.

I'm no expert, but that's my tuppence worth.

CL

Also MV, my LO will still feed for 20-30 mins. I just watch TV. Remember with bottle feeding and winding, it can take this long too.

Becles

SusanC wrote: »

They keep being busy and it gets very boring lying around doing nothing.

Have you heard of Open Learn from the Open Uni? It's small sections of old courses in the public domain that you can work through at your own pace and it's all free :money:
http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/
If your brain is bored, you might find something interesting to read on there.

I hated the laying around bit when I was expecting Charlotte and got bored really easily

Metranil_Vavin wrote: »

I have the midwife coming tomorrow so will chat it through with her again, but they are hell bent on you perservering with BF'ing, and at times I just want to give up

Stuff them!

You're a new mother and naturally you're knackered as babies take up far more time and energy than you ever imagined them to do. If you decide you'd rather bottlefeed than breastfeed as it's easier for you, then go for it. As long as you and baby are happy, does it really matter what anyone else thinks?

Advice worth taking: grow a thick skin now as they bug you right through about following guidelines and doing what they say is best, but sometimes that advice isn't really what is best for you as an individual.

Charlotte asked me this evening if I'd ever sniffed a flamingo. I've absolutely no idea what was going through her mind when she asked me that :rotfl:

sir_monster

hi mv totally agree with everyone else try different things to keep you bfing, maybe you might 'top up' with formula or expressed when your supply is low or if you feel happier on formula full time then so be it but as CL says it is time consuming too and in the long run bf is a lot easier. Make sure you sleep when he does or get your DH to look after him when not bfing so can rest as you need rest and food to help your supply.