MSE Pregnancy Club 26

pigpen

They don't all want feeding every 2 hours.. Squeak (and a few of the others) slept through from being a few days old.. and I mean slept through 10-14 hours !! That meant I did nothing but feed them all day long.

I'd suggest waiting to see what type of baby you get.. yes they make different types! and how you settle in to things.. it is no good planning anything because you don't know what you will be dealing with... same philosophy as birth plans I'm afraid.. play it hour by hour, day by day and see where you end up!

BeNiceToMySelf

thanks PP, ready for my world to be turned upside down as much as I can be!

pigpen

You might get a well behaved one that just slips into your life like they've always been there.

Metranil_Vavin

I did find that by breast feeding it was pretty much down to me to do 99% of the baby care. I did express and we did mix in the odd formula feed as there were times when I just didn't feel he was getting enough from me, despite everyone/MW's telling me that you produce enough, you just have to keep feeding.

OH was good at doing the odd late night bottle feed..I did/do really struggle on little sleep. I know it's going to be tough again, but all I'll say is..if I can do it, anyone can!!!

IHateDida

BeNiceToMySelf wrote: »

it does feel like a lot of pressure really - it means that I'm pretty much responsible for all baby care for six weeks. I was hoping to express ASAP so I could have more of a break for my sanity. I don't fancy getting up every 2 hours 24/7 for 6 weeks - although it depends on baby and how I feel after having baby.

Hey - don't worry! My nearly 4 week baby feasts during the day every 2-3 hours (I express and use formula as she was tongue tied and won't breastfeed), and after her last feed around 11.30, I wake her about 3/4am for another feed (I don't like to think of her going all night without fluid - especially in the warmer weather), and then she will sleep until around 7am, then feed again and then have around a 3 hour sleep (when I will also nap if need be).

I was really worried that I would have to feed every 2 hours at night - but its not been like that at all! What I would say is make sure you have a pitch black room from the outset at night - to get baby used to what is day and night. I also don't play or talk to her when feeding at night.

You will be absolutely fine - promise!

NoAngel

Hi everyone. Thanks for listening to my moaning earlier and all the advice/comments. Had a chat with DH tonight and feeling a lot better about things. He's been n it tonight but I went out to visit a friend. He says he won't have time for it once baby is here, think he's starting to realise. I doubt I'll ever get him to do loads of chores, but after 11 years tgether I never expected this to change. If I write a list for him he'll help out so might try that one when I need help. Hopefully he'll be quite hands on (seems to be with other people's children) and doesn't go out too much at all.

33+4

BeNiceToMySelf

glad to hear it NoAngel

here's hoping I get more than 2 hours sleep at a time! thanks for the advice

IHateDida

amus wrote: »

.It's my experience that HV and midwives are too pushy when it comes to breast feeding exclusively, and discourage anything to do with a bottle, even if its expressing. I think if they were more supportive of mothers who wanted to mix both more people would continue for longer. Breast feeding simply doesn't work for everyone and new mums are under enough pressure as it is.

This is sooooo true - and BF-ing doesn't work for everyone - you would be surprised at how many people cannot BF for one reason or another - about half the people I have spoken to either express or use formula (or both). You never really hear about this before - both my NCT course and any of the mw's in hospital would hear bottle/expressing as swear words. I have come across 2 lovely community mw's though who have been wonderfully supportive about my methods of feeding - they seem to know the reality. I was really beating myself up about not being able to BF - but I have been much happier since I have come up with my own solution - which, whilst not ideal, is much much better than a constantly frustrated baby and Mum!:)

We have a local breastfeeding cafe which in itself makes you feel like an outcast - I am almost tempted to turn up with my bottle and electric pump..... and see what they say!:rotfl:

pigpen

IHateDida wrote: »

We have a local breastfeeding cafe which in itself makes you feel like an outcast - I am almost tempted to turn up with my bottle and electric pump..... and see what they say!:rotfl:

If you had come to the one I worked at you would have been made to feel most welcome.. but then I was booted because I told a mum who had been struggling for months to continue bf-ing to do what she felt was best for her and her baby because that is what is important!

(neither Surestarts nor NCT like this response .. but I''m not one for blindly complying in case you've not noticed)

Kayalana99

4 weeks left till I am off work for M/L!!

I can't wait having alot of trouble with my child minder and mother.. lucky MIL has offered to have DS for the last 4 weeks instead of child minder. (2/3 days instead of 1 and my mum has him the other day)

We were giving DS abit of orange juice and water but his nappies very quickly turned to orange mush ...just not soild at all and he was getting really bad nappy rash.

Told my Mum not to give him any more orange juice as it was her idea to start with and she hasn't had him for 2 weeks since this all happened. She pulled a face at him having 'just water' and suggested apple juice but I said no just water is fine and she suggested orange sqush and I said no thats bad for them (Which MIL told me it was I took her word for it I guess? lol)

She had him Wed and his nappies are still complety runnie and disgusting...I havn't had chance to confront her but I am 99% sure she has given him Orange juice or even apple juice...his bum is really sore now.


Don't know how I am going to go back to work again this time and be leaving two kids behind...I just only feel comfortable when he's with MIL as I know she respects our decisions (little as they are its not exactly hard not to give him orange juice) and he's really happy to go thier. She won't look after them both maybe one day a week if im lucky or alternative weeks but nothing more then that. *Sighs*