MSE Newborn to 1 year Baby Club 1

fluffnutter

turtlemoose wrote: »

Pickup is near OH's work - so he's happy as it means he'll get a lift home in the car with me instead of having to get the bus! Not far, about 10 miles.

I just want to curl up and sleep for about a week, but the bloody fleas are back (or never left?!) - so I am doing lots of hoovering like a mad woman. I have given in and booked the council to come tomorrow, it's £50 I don't really have available to spend but needs must. A quick google shows they are really bad this year, wonder why?! I wish I knew where they'd come from too - the cat is a house cat so it wasn't her - must have been one of us, urgh horrible thought!

Right I'm off to crack on with finishing hoovering and washing EVERYTHING that will fit in the washing machine on the highest possible temperature. ARGH!

turtlemoose, it takes about 2 to 3 weeks to completely rid yourself of fleas because there's no house treatment that can kill the eggs and this is how long the lifecycle is from laying to hatching.

However, if you have sprayed your house properly, any flea that hatches should die. Decent flea spray, e.g. Indorex, RIP (the stuff you get from the vets for £10 - £18 depending on whether you can get it online or not) should last up to 12 months so if it's been applied properly you shouldn't need the council to come too. It's essential to treat your pets at the same time and hoover regularly (but not immediately after spraying because it will just hoover up your flea spray).

This is what I did...

Treat pets
Hoover
Spray entire house - 1 large can should do a three bedroom house
Wait a couple of days
Hoover
Wait a couple of days
Hoover
Spray house again (just in case you missed anywhere!)
Wait a couple of days
Hoover

Keep on top of hoovering! (This is something I neglected when I was big and fat with Freddie and then in the first few weeks after he was born). Make sure you religiously treat your pets every four weeks too. It's been a mental year for fleas - wet and mild.

It took about 3 weeks for the fleas to completely go. There's loads more useful info on the pets board too.

ikkle87

Gillyx wrote: »

Ikkle If you're going to be expressing exclusively, then I'd recommend getting an electric pump. You're going to be expressing 8-10 times a day, so that could make a big big difference. With an electric you're looking at maybe expressing between 15-30 minutes each time, I'm not sure how long that would take on a manual? I'm pretty sure you can hire them from the hospital or from the local HV so may be worth looking into it, it will be cheaper than formula anyway If you're expressing exclusively you want to be pumping as much as you can at each expressing session.

We were looking at electric pumps hun it's just pennies standing in the way. I was using a Medela Symphony in hospital and then I googled how much they are and fell on the floor lol. The manual took a while and gave me wrist ache in the end but I did get 3oz. Tried to feed him with a TT bottle which then went over his face and chin rather than in his mouth which left me in tears and bubs without any milk so he ended up with formula from the one and only Mam bottle I have . Have ended up latching him on today as he seemed to enjoy the formula a lot and I felt crap I couldn't feed him so we've had some nice snuggles and he's had plenty of booby milk x

Gillyx

They aren't cheap. I sold my Medela Swing on Ebay, for around £50, but I had added a few extras on to that, they also do a Mini, I can't remember what it's called though.

Is he latching ok? I couldn't feed A because he wouldn't bloomin' latch but he has lip tie. Would you just prefer to just feed him from a bottle? There is nothing wrong with formula if that's what you want to do. A happy mummy is a happy baby, so don't feel guilty. Big hugs xx

Sammie_03

Loving the jeans Gilly

Katiechoc - you really just stop putting me to shame with your cooking skills!!

Managed to fall asleep for 20 mins whilst Noah was watching Mickey Mouse, I set his travel cot up so he could watch it through the mesh side. Bad mummy I know but I felt like death warmed up. Feel a but more human like now so going to have another cuppa before I pick the boys up. Definitely an early night for be tonight.
Xx

fluffnutter

Why are you exclusively expressing, ikkle? Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, I'm just wondering if there are any suggestions we can come up with. Expressing and bottle-feeding can be exhausting. If you've decided you don't want to breastfeed, why not use formula? Alternatively, if you've decided to bottle-feed because you're finding breastfeeding difficult, have you talked it through with a lactation expert?

turtlemoose

thanks for the tips guys. I have sprayed and hoovered religeously according the instructions on the can of stuff I have - which is one which apparently inhibits the reproductive cycle too.

It's been 2 weeks now and while we had a brief lull and I thought they had gone, it seems they have resurfaced with a vengeance, (even though I had continued the spray-wait-hoover routine) and the ones I catch are big fat ones so they are obviously enjoying a good munch on us all

I have treated everywhere that is carpeted 4 times now - and today while I was feeding Reuben on the settee, one jumped on his face :eek: so that is the final straw for me - I'm getting the professionals in!!

I once moved in to a house that had been empty for some time and had a really bad flea infestation even though there were no carpets - the guy who came out said it was one of the worst he'd ever seen, ick, but the treatment then killed them all off pretty much straight away so I'm just going for it for the peace of mind. They're coming tomorrow, so busy day today clearing everywhere ready!

ikkle ref pumping. I have a medela swing after using the symphony for 10 days exclusive pumping in hospital. It works well for me - but I am not exclusively pumping (except for one week when I was away from bubs for 12 hrs a day) - If you are getting a medela pump, swipe the parts they give you in hospital if you can - cuz they are only going to bin them anyway, and parts are pricey! Although they can all be sterilised so second hand is safe etc.

ikkle87

The reason we decided to do the expressed breast milk is because I ended up back in hospital with Cellulitis and a hematoma (sp) in my stomach which meant it was very awkward for me to get bubs in a position where he could latch on comfortably that didn't add any pressure on my tummy. Cos of the section and how my stomach has been it's also been awkward to lie on my side etc. I really really want to breast feed him but have been struggling - physically, emotionally etc and tbh have often been found at 4am sat in bed crying because he can be quite demanding as he likes to suck not just for feeds but comfort too and by that point Im physically drained and scared of falling asleep with him in my arms etc. I've been quite paranoid about the amount he was getting to feed as when he was born he was 9lb but when he was weighed 3 days later he had gone down to 8lb2oz and so I felt like I'd failed him a bit there too.

ikkle87

turtlemoose wrote: »

ikkle ref pumping. I have a medela swing after using the symphony for 10 days exclusive pumping in hospital. It works well for me - but I am not exclusively pumping (except for one week when I was away from bubs for 12 hrs a day) - If you are getting a medela pump, swipe the parts they give you in hospital if you can - cuz they are only going to bin them anyway, and parts are pricey! Although they can all be sterilised so second hand is safe etc.

I got discharged yesterday and never though to bring them with me - although this morning I wish I had as those bottles and teats worked really well for Jakey - the milk actually went in his mouth!

fluffnutter

ikkle87 wrote: »

The reason we decided to do the expressed breast milk is because I ended up back in hospital with Cellulitis and a hematoma (sp) in my stomach which meant it was very awkward for me to get bubs in a position where he could latch on comfortably that didn't add any pressure on my tummy. Cos of the section and how my stomach has been it's also been awkward to lie on my side etc. I really really want to breast feed him but have been struggling - physically, emotionally etc and tbh have often been found at 4am sat in bed crying because he can be quite demanding as he likes to suck not just for feeds but comfort too and by that point Im physically drained and scared of falling asleep with him in my arms etc. I've been quite paranoid about the amount he was getting to feed as when he was born he was 9lb but when he was weighed 3 days later he had gone down to 8lb2oz and so I felt like I'd failed him a bit there too.

Aw, bless you. I used a widgey pillow when F was small. It sort of tucks really tightly around the bottom of your ribcage and didn't put any pressure on my c-section.

All babies lose weight in the first few days, sweetheart. Anything up to 10% is completely normal and no cause for concern. He's lost about that but no more so there's nothing to worry about and certainly no need to feel you're a failure. I used to fall asleep feeding too. They make out you'll squash your baby or something but you don't. You don't fall deeply asleep, you just doze a bit and you're still fully aware that your baby's there. There was a period when F was about three weeks old when I was so tired when I was doing the night feeds that I'd just cry. It gets better lovey.

I can completely see why you're expressing. How about carrying on with that whilst your tum's sore but giving the boob a try now and then? That way you'll build your confidence up about feeding him yourself plus you'll know he's getting plenty plus you'll be able to feel whether your stomach's healing enough for you to be able to find a more comfortable position. In a few weeks you might find that he's having more and more feeds directly from the boob, in which case, brilliant. I know everyone's different but IME, having had to express for a while due to really sore boobs, it's so much easier having bubs directly on the boob. Try a decent nursing pillow too - they need to be really firm.

TBH, I never found a particularly comfortable position when F was small. It was only at about 8 weeks onwards that I could hold him and feel relaxed. Breastfeeding really takes time, but you do get there in the end.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Widgey-Nursing-Pillow-Cow-Print/dp/B000NCAFOQ

fluffnutter

My little munchkin's fallen asleep, in his baby gym, on his side! First time he's slept in any position other than on his back. And he's sucking his thumb. Too cute!