MSE Parent Club

Becles

jenpoptab wrote: »

I'm struggling with lack of sleep.Hayden will be 20 weeks on Sunday and he is getting worse rather than better. He's been up every few hours for feeds but I fall asleep with him so am unsure of what he is getting. OH convinced we need to wean him but I am stressed as they say six months.

6 months is the max time you should wait until you start weaning. At 6 months their natural iron levels fall, and they need to get iron from their diet.

My HV said when the weaning age was 4 months, you got people trying to start early at 2-3 months which is far too young. She said part of the reason for raising it was so people started at 4-5 months which is fine, as long as you don't give gluten, eggs and other things that run the risk of allergies.

Charlotte was the same as Hayden, and I just started her on a few spoonfuls of pureed fruit and baby rice once a day when she was about 24 weeks old. That was enough to settle her back into her normal routine, then we've gradually increased it. She's 6½ months now, and gets 3 meals a day with a pint of milk and juice/water over the course of a day too.

purplepatch

Deleted_User wrote: »

I am still worrying about breast feeding, as I had such an awful experience with Jack, i'm finding myself worrying about doing it again. I really want to but I found the whole thing so stressful before, I never felt I was doing it properly. What with Jack's jaundice, reflux and tongue tie, I didn't stand a chance. Will I have the time to breast feed with Jack at my heels or would formula be better, so other people can help and the baby won't need feeding 1-2 hourly.

We all have it dinned into us that breast is best for baby, but it isn't necessarily best for you.

I persevered for a week or so with Olivia but gave up in the end, couldn't stand my blood blistered boobs for a minute longer! When Izzy came along, I said I would give it another go, but as soon as she started, along came the blisters again immediately. I just rang my hospital buzzer and asked for a bottle of formula and we didn't look back. It was such a relief to just admit defeat and I was able to enjoy her straight away - with Olivia I used to dread her waking up as I knew it meant I'd be in agony.

Basically, what I'm saying is do what is best for you. As Susan says, formula isn't poison, it is formulated by experts with the intention of making your baby thrive - they aren't going to suffer in any way whatsoever if you decide to bottle feed. If you think it will make your life easier to bottle feed, go for it and don't feel pressurised. It is your decision.

[Deleted User]

THank you EVERYONE, for your encouragement and thoughts, I didn't mean to sound like a drama queen and its really nice to be understood by mums in a similar situ.

Purple, your right, I am just going to go with the flow. I am going to get this baby checked for tongue tie as soon as poss, Jack's wasnn't picked up until gone 9 weeks and by then it was way too late. Apparently its heriditary too. I am really hoping this baby won't have reflux too. Fingers crossed to a nice easy baby. Jack's personality has made up for all the teething problems of the first 7 months and now they've faded into the back ground.

My HV thinks I have PND as I came off my tablets at 6months when pregnant, she said most mums stay on them for over a year. Combined with pregnancy hormones, no wonder I am all over the place.

Does anyone know if you can have antidepressants when your breastfeeding?

Jack has gone to DH's parents for the day, he tends to go most fridays, which gives me a day to catch up on stuff I can't do when he's around and be a break for me. I have found though I spend the whole time doing jobs and have no me time. So I have decided today is different. Jobs until noon, then that's it.

We are hoping to move Jack into his new bedroom in the next week or so. Then we can start preparing for the newborn properly and sort out her clothes etc.

I am just about to post my application for maternity allowance, what a palavour that form was. I had to get the CAB to help me in the end and I don't consider myself that stupid either. They want wage slips for a certain test period that hasn't happened yet, but yet want me to apply preferabley before the baby is born. Well I can't do both. So I am sending it without the wage slips and i'll have to forward them later. Not that they will be that exciting I've been on unpaid leave since May and now i'm on holiday pay until Feb, then maternity leave again! No more babies, 2 is plenty. I feel too old, yet I know I am not really. I would have preferred to have had children in my mid to late 20's, not early 30's.

Is anyone else thinking of anymore? I'll have just turned 33 when this one is born and I was 31 going on 32 when Jack was born. DH was 37 and will be 38 when the arrival comes. I don't think we are old parents but not young either.

purplepatch

Deleted_User wrote: »

I am going to get this baby checked for tongue tie as soon as poss, Jack's wasnn't picked up until gone 9 weeks and by then it was way too late. Apparently its heriditary too.

Yes - someone I know has a tongue tie herself and both her daughters have them too. Rules out breastfeeding altogether I believe - well, according to her that is. Not sure what the so called experts say.

Deleted_User wrote: »

Is anyone else thinking of anymore? I'll have just turned 33 when this one is born and I was 31 going on 32 when Jack was born. DH was 37 and will be 38 when the arrival comes. I don't think we are old parents but not young either.

No more for me, I'm 37 and DH is 42 - he feels positively geriatric. Izzy has been such hard work with her bad nights, I don't think either of us feel up to going through it again. I feel more like 87 some days I'm so knackered!

BTW forgot to say hello and welcome to Septemberbaby and Curious George.

Js_Other_Half

A friends' baby had a tongue tie late last year - it was cut with a pair of very small scissors (!) by the doctor very early on. I'll see if I can find any info:

http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=byID&r=true&o=11180

Antidepressants and breastfeeding info:
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/pregnancyandchildbirth/207756.html

http://www.library.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/ViewResource.aspx?resID=240347

http://www.anxietyinsights.info/abstract__use_of_contemporary_antidepressants_during_breastf.htm

Js_Other_Half

We would love another one, but time is not on our side- I am 38 and DH a year younger. I have to lose 2 stone of baby weight (that's my excuse and I am sticking to it...;) ) before we can have more IVF.

And yes, welcome to Septemberbaby and Curious George

SusanCarter

http://emc.medicines.org.uk/ has useful information - you type in the name of the medication and it will tell you if there are any known effects on either pregnancy of breastfeeding. Lots of them seem to say it is contraindicated due to being excreted in breastmilk but we asked our pharmacist about my hayfever medication and he said that all drugs go into your milk and that if you take it just after feeding then it minimises the amount that goes in.

Mazcabs

Hi all

Have finally plucked up courage to log on to the Parent Club. Henry Ferguson Green was born 4th November by emergency C section.

Main reason for logging on is re the debate about breastfeeding v bottle. Henry had bottles alot of the time in hospital to start with as couldnt do much after c section.. so when I tried to breastfeed he wouldnt take. Only way was to put a bottle teat on my breast and he fed through that... its been going ok with me using some of the pre made bottle stuff at night to make it a bit easier. Anyway last week was ill for a couple of days and couldnt express or breastfeed at all and now it seems like I am not making as much milk as I was before I was ill so keep having to top up with formula...

Gettin myself in a panic now as to whether to give up on the breastfeeding or carry on now. OH says its not a major thing but then HV said takes a few weeks to get into the swing of things but DS gets himself into such a state when he wants feeding that I get stressed and then want to give up and use bottle... any advice?

SusanCarter

These might be helpful:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/maintainsupply-pump.html

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html

http://www.breastfeed-essentials.com/hindrances.html

Personally, I found at six weeks that my supply seemed to have got lower (although it was probably just a growth spurt) so I expressed the second breast after the night feed for a few nights and that seemed to do the trick.

heather38

even though i bf kennedy, i would go with what is best for mum, forget dad, you will be home all day with a new baby and it's very tiring until you get a routine. only you know what's best.
if you offer the breast to baby every hour you milk supply should go up, it usually takes a week or two to get your supply up and then you're good to go, but you can't really do anything else when you do this as you feel that you have a baby stuck to you all the time!!
if you go for bottles don't beat your self up about the breast, you did your best and move on. enjoy your baby they don't stay small long, my DD was 1 a few weeks ago and it has flown by!
congratulations by the way!