Having a baby Old Style???

ummiesbump

Jellyhead - have you tried ringing the BfN helpline - 0870 9008787 - it will put you through to your nearest free supporter and you may be able to get more help that way. Babies breastfeed a lot more often than formula fed babies, generally feeding little and often so it may be that you need to express more often to increase supply. A baby would naturally increase supply simply by feeding more often until the milk caught up with his demand. Also, breastpumps are never as efficient as babies so you will never get as much out as baby would be able to and so probably have much more milk than you think.

Congratulations on perserveering - you are doing a great job, every drop counts and i would have thought it will really help with the allergies.

jellyhead

hi,
the NCT breastfeeding counsellor called again and recommended that i try pumping more often. i must say that today i've been tingling and leaking every couple of hours if i don't pump, how do people who pump ever leave the house lol! he's such a cross baby i couldn't actually do the expressing while we were in town, he wouldn't stop screaming for a minute so even though we were in mothercare feed and change room i couldn't use the battery pump as i expected, i just had to feed him and rock him all the time. i bought new bottles and teats today so i will start the omneo comfort milk, hopefully it will settle him so he's content for a few minutes every so often, giving me time to use the pump more often. oddly he seems content for about an hour after he drinks breastmilk, even though it comes through the same teats and bottles as the formula.

sorry if i sound like a whingebag, always complaining about my baby, he's a sweet little thing and well worth it all

mum26

congrats jellyhead

omneo comfort is good stuff, just remember to have the water hotter than normal to mix it , don't worry about the residue on the inside of the bottle, thats fine and also prepare for stinky green poo, lol, but it works! changed one of my twins form mr fidget grumpy bum to mr happy xxx

jellyhead

yes, i'm glad i was warned about the nappy thing, i'd have thought he was ill otherwise lol! he's still a grumpy sausage for part of the day (about 6 hours) but is fine and dandy the rest of the time and is consuming less milk and not always hungry.

we mix it warm but he drinks it at room temp, is that okay? we give it a good shake before he drinks it.

frannyscho

A mother of three here...you really don't NEED anything much with babies. They sleep perfecly happily in a drawer if necessary! Don't go buying anything at first unless you actually want to.
As soon as people see your bump showing you will be drowned in things from people like me who can't wait to find the next victim for the many bags of grown out of stuff. It comes by the bin bag. Talk to other mums with same sex kids (if you know yet) a bit older and get next in the queue.

This also applies to fatty bump maternity stuff too. In our group of friends the 'maternity bag' got passed round every pregnant mum, gathering more and more clothes each time. The last pregnant mum just kept them all till the next friend got preggers. On the second and third pregnancy the bags came back with slightly different stuff in. No-one ever bought more than one or two items but had loads to wear.
The only thing which is quite nice to buy is the very first small babygrowbags coz stuff is always too big when they are new, and it's nice to have something that fits...but it doesn't for long.

IMPORTANT - MAKE SURE that the early clothes can be applied easily with the baby lying flat ie. little vests open the full length so that the baby can be lain onto them and fastened across the front, and not stuff that has to go over the childs head...babies are floppy and they hate being forced into stuff. Your head would be sensitive too if you had just been squidged for hours. Closed clothes ie. a jumper as opposed to a cardigan are easier when the baby is more solid...3 months onwards.

Nappies - kushies type or washable ones save you a small fortune. Nappies need changing seven or more times a day when the baby is new...and all the clothes too usually. There is no difference to chucking a kooshy into a pail as opposed to a disposable into a bin...except a big impact on the environment your child will be living in..

Otherwise all they need is love, warmth and mummy milk.

Top tips...before the baby comes.
Spend preggy month seven or eight cooking freezer meals for the family - at least a months worth.
Then organise as much help as poss during the day for at least the first three weeks. At the least someone who will come and keep an eye on the baby while you have a little sleep during the day. A local granny would love that.
Failing that, just sleep when the baby does. Don't try to get all the housework done then, coz when you decide to sleep at night...... hmmm...well you get used to it.

Relax, welcome chaos as your friend, and enjoy every minute...they grow up too fast...mine are nearly 10, nearly 7 and 4 and a half already. Didn't take five minutes, and if I had the time again, I would try not to do so much, get more sleep, therefore not get so tired and then have that much more patience with them.

That was a ramble...take what you will from it....hope any helps

frannyscho

COLIC - try getting a special bottle, I can't remember what it is called, but they use it for cleft palette babies, it has a special one way air valve in the strange shaped teat. It costs a fair bit but I found it brilliant. It stopped all the air going in at the greedy gulping stage.
If expressing breast milk you can rent the bigger industrial machine pump versions from la leche (if I remember correctly) for a very reasonable amount. Ask the breastfeeding councellor about that. They enable you to relax and read a book whilst stimulating oodles of milk, and they don't make you so sore or anxious.

starlite_2

they are called mam ultivent, they are around £11 for a three pack in boots, and i agree they work wonders! worth the investment!

getcarter

"They sleep perfecly happily in a drawer if necessary!"

That reminds me of when I stayed at my mums house unexpectedly and the only thing handy was a drawer! He was quite cosy in there!

It also has always bugged me seeing little babies in jeans and tights etc, mine were in babygrows day and night for at least the first 3 months.

Lillibet_2

getcarter wrote:

It also has always bugged me seeing little babies in jeans and tights etc, mine were in babygrows day and night for at least the first 3 months.

Another trick of marketing:rolleyes:; now they aren't called "baby grows" but "sleepsuits", so they are suggesting they are suitable for bedtime & not daytimes!!! Spud is in babygrows at home & outfits when we go out (i.e more than just poppong to the shops!) but the frowns I get from other mums when they hear me say this! Apparently "sleepsuits" should form part of the bedtime routine & baby will get confused if in them during the day!!!!:rolleyes::rotfl: Balderdash:p:p:p (or some other appropriate word;)).

rosielx

Try ebay for a good source of bundles of baby clothing - items can work out at 25-30p each including postage. If it includes some items you don't like simply donate them to your local charity shop and help others too. Plus charity shops can be a good source of baby clothing. I've picked up new tagged items for 50p or £1 often. Buy a travel system which includes everything with it so that you don't have to buy a seperate changing back/foot muff/rain cover etc. Plus remember to register you and your partner with the boots parenting club so that you can get the offers for the mum to be to pamper herself too