MSE Parent Club

purplepatch

Awww Bailey, more hugs from me.

I did the shouting thing last week while we were on hols. DD2 absolutely wouldn't settle during the whole 10 days of our "break", every night she woke every couple of hours, not wanting feeding, just to be awake shouting and disturbing everyone (we'd gone on hols with my parents). I got so knackered in the end that I wound up shouting at her. She looked so shocked I immediately burst into tears

Now we're home again, she's gone straight back to her old self. Still wakes once a night, but I can just about cope with that.

Also, still having problems with feeding. She hates pureed or sloppy texture food, no matter whether savoury or sweet. I've discovered that she likes finger food though, so have been trying bread, pieces of cheese, cooked carrot sticks etc and she seems to enjoy munching on them even though she hasn't got any teeth - is this something you could try Bailey?

I can also sympathise with the milk thing. She will only ever take 6oz max at a time but most of the time will leave an ounce and like yours, she wriggles and kicks and swings her arms around. Nightmare. Like you say, once the bottle comes out, they often won't have it back. Last night she wouldn't take any more from the bottle, leaving 2oz, but wouldn't go to bed either, cried her eyes out for 15 mins. Tried giving her the last 2oz but no way. Gave it another 10 mins of crying then tried her with a fresh bottle of 4oz which she drained!! Then went to bed happily.

Funny things babies aren't they :rolleyes:

We'll all get there in the end so hang in there.

heather38

madam has been like that the last week as well, she fights the food, shaking her head at the spoon but if you magage to get some in her mouth she'll eat it!
she has a really runny nose today and has screamed every time i've tried to wipe her face, the bottom lip sticking out and everything.
we're going to a wedding tomorrow and her routine will be messed up.
its in leeds and we live in manchester, we were going to stay over at the hotel, but it's not very child friendly and they don't have any kind of baby sitting service. we don't want to let her sleep in the room with the disco as it will be really loud and smoky, and i don't want to put her in our room and leave her on her own and i don't want to go to bed at 7pm!!
so i'm driving back to manchester to drop her at my mum's and then going back to leeds for the rest of the reception. i'm going to be sooo knackered by 9pm i'll be ready for bed!

inkie

Jack is 7 months in 3 days time and i've discontinued weaning again. He just isn't interested and his ecxema was flaring up majorly and i didn't know what was triggering it. Since Sunday we've been back on milk only and even that is hard to get down him. Its not that he doesn't want it, but he gets so easily distracted or drinks some and decides the immediate need has been met and i'm ok for now thanks. Only I can't stop at 2-3 ozs as he will be hungry in a few hours and i'm feeding all day. Therefore I have to put him down otherwise we get into a battle of me forcing the bottle in and him forcing it out with his tongue. After about 5 mins of him doing something else I can get another 1-2 ozs down him before he stops again. Another play session and so on until the bottle is finished. He just doesn't drain them like he used to in about 10 mins. He is a fidget too and can knock the bottlee out accidentally which can often lead to him not having it back. Therefore I have to hold him in a position where he can't move his arms and I feel like I am pinning him down.

This evening I lost my temper with him and he was sucking well, then wriggled, did an arm thing and wouldn't take it back. One lot of time out on the floor and we tried again, he wriggled and cried in my arms and was arching his back. This I knew to be temper/bottle refusal on principle nothing more. I ended up shouting loudly at him. I've read in babies his age this can make them cry, his bottom lip when down and he made a sad noise, but in a few seconds was smiling at me again!!!!!! Not that I wanted to make him cry but as you can see he is strong willed. Eventually he did take the bottle and we did it in 3 stages, he has the room and does want his milk but he makes it so frustrating.

I feel guilty and bad for shouting at him, he is only 6 months old after all. I am hormonal and that's not his fault, but honestly this feeding thing is enough to try the patience of anyone at the moment. Even my mother who absolutely loved feeding her grandson says I had better do it as i'm likely to get more down him that her. I feel I am being cruel to be kind.

I also think he is just not that hungry at the moment. With persuasion he has 3 x 7oz bottles and 1 x 8 oz at night. He doesn't always drain his bottles but with some effort on my part if he does leave some its only 1-2oz. He isn't waking at night hungry. He is still imitating us with his chewing action and reaches out for our food/drink. But when offered a spoon and his food on its a big no thanks.

I am speaking with my HV tomorrow, its just a phase I am telling myself. But no-one I know of has heard of a baby whose done this.

I feel bad for shouting at him before bedtime, we did have a cuddle and I apologised (I know he doesn't understand me but it made me feel better). Never go to bed on a cross word.........I'm on my own with him this week so we've had each other 24/7.

Sorry for the big whinge, I should be grateful I have my son, there are others who would love to be in my position, his life guardians for a start.

Night night.

Bay

Are you using fast flow teats??

Snaggles

Oh, I am so glad I've read this thread tonight, I've been getting really stressed out about breatfeeding Natasha, and it's so comforting to know I'm not the only person who struggles sometimes.

She's 5 weeks old, and I really want to breastfeed for at least 6 months, but ideally 12 months. But it seems she wants feeding every time anyone comes to our house, or we venture outside the doorstep, and I'm forever apologising for having to disappear off with her for 20 minutes to feed her.

My Mum and Dad are terrible for giving me guilt trips - my Mum is anti-breastfeeding and constantly tells me horror stories, and my Dad seems to think I'm fibbing about having to feed her every 3 hours or so, because he keeps pointing out that she goes for longer that 3 hours at night, so he can't understand why she wont through the day.

MIL tells me it's unhygenic :rolleyes:, my friend keeps telling me it's disgusting having a baby, in her words, 'sucking on your tit' :mad:......I feel like I'm the only person in the world who has ever breast fed.

Well nuts to all of them, I WILL keep going lol!

Edit - Sorry, that turned into a bit of a rant!

heather38

snaggles, don't worry what other people think. i successfully fed DD for over 7 months!
my mum positively encouraged it and so did my husband. my MIL was quiet and didn't talk about it at all and FIL used to leave the room.

DD has self weaned herself from the breast and when i see other mums BF i feel really sad, but she's has the best from me and is set up for life now.
she fed every 2 hours for 5 months and i used to feed her every where, the library, the swimming pool, in church, in cafe's etc.
DON'T appologise it's their problem not yours.
good luck and i hope you manage to keep B/F.

Snaggles

Thanks Heather.....you're one of the first people who has actually encouraged me to keep going.

I've just been back and edited my post from last night to remove the slightly rude word now that I'm feeling calmer about things lol!

Maybe I should start a 'breast feeding support' thread, for people to come and talk about any problems they are having and get advice or encouragement.

[Deleted User]

Hi Inkie, We are currently using No.3 teats, I do have some no.4's at home ready for the next stage. Do you think he should be on them then? We only switched to No.3's on our wedding day 14 April and realised we should have done this sooner. If he puts his mind to it, he can drain a bottle in 10 mins, but this is rare. As I said he just fidgets and gets easily distracted. Totally unable to multi-task.

Purplepatch it sounds like we are in a similar position, maybe it is a 6-7 month phase?

Snaggles I had to re-read your post twice as I couldn't believe the comments of your family. I was gobsmacked. You keep going girl. I really wanted to breastfeed my son, but I couldn't and he wasn't thriving, so the bottle it was. He gained 11oz the first week he had it though. Why don't you point out to them that its not unhygenic its natural. They eat more frequently during the day than at night for ENERGY AND IN BABIES CASES GROWTH!!! Would like like to eat 12 hourly??? But what gets me most is that they were in a generation where breastfeeding was more expected than bottle and there wasn't as much choice etc. They've had children so they must know these facts. Sorry to rant, you really got me there.

This morning Jack drained 5 ozs in 5 mins, no more despite 2 attempts. As soon as he whinge or back arched, he went down to the floor. Just before I decided to dress him I unexpectedly tried again and he left half an oz. honestly no rhyme or reason.

Heather maybe I should try the finger food, I've given him a titchy bit of bread before now and he's enjoyed gumming it. I just need to do the same thing 3-4 days in a row on its own so i can see if he reacts to it.

Anyway I must go, so much to do today.

Thanks everyone,i'll pop back in tonight to let you know what my HV said.

Have a good day.

bay

SusanCarter

Snaggles wrote: »

My Mum and Dad are terrible for giving me guilt trips - my Mum is anti-breastfeeding and constantly tells me horror stories, and my Dad seems to think I'm fibbing about having to feed her every 3 hours or so, because he keeps pointing out that she goes for longer that 3 hours at night, so he can't understand why she wont through the day.

How about pointing out that he goes longer between meals at night so why doesn't he go longer in the day? My baby has 5 breastfeeds in the day (between 7am and 7pm) and then just two at night (we get her up at 10.30 and the second is whenever she wakes). It is better for both you and her for her to feed in the day more than the night so don't worry about what other people say.

SusanCarter

Deleted_User wrote: »

But what gets me most is that they were in a generation where breastfeeding was more expected than bottle and there wasn't as much choice etc. They've had children so they must know these facts.

Apparently in the post war period there was a dramatic decline in breastfeeding and increase in bottle feeding. It was only more recently that they started really promoting breastfeeding so they don't necessarily know all the stuff that we are told about breast vs. bottle. Also if they bottle fed they may feel defensive of this and therefore needed to criticise breastfeeding to justify what they did.

Becles

Just ignore them Snaggles and don't feel you have to hide your self away to do it. Natasha is getting the best start in life that she can have, and you're right to want to continue it for as long as you can. It's heathy, it's natural, it's not dirty, and if anyone has a problem with it, it's their problem not yours.

Want to start breast feeders annonymous?

I'm Rebecca and baby Charlotte "sucks my tits" with pride :rotfl: