MSE Newborn to 1 year (& beyond!) baby club 3

fran-o

Re breastfeeding...

My first 'public' breast feeds were at home with family/friends present to get used to doing it in front of people. Out and about I have learnt ways to help make it easier eg choice of clothes, find a supportive chair, think location (eg corner of cafe rather than window seat). And confidence has grown as time passes. Some friends have the bf apron style covers to be extra-discreet and allow them more choice clothing-wise, but I find it hard to get on with and have slowly built up a small collection of nursing tops. H&M mothercare and mamas and papas sell nice styles.

Now he's a bit older baby can be very distracted when feeding out and about so if I've got any expressed milk I sometimes save it for occasions when it'd be easier to bottlefeed.

Good luck and well done on getting this far with bf!

Crabapple

Eeep BeNice. Ignoring the issues about early weaning, I must have missed chocolate pudding being on the 'first foods' list!

I did blw with my toddler. She is fussy, but more like one day something is great and the next she doesn't like it, then it's her favourite again! It still seems to be something of a surprise to people seeing a little one eat solids so well, but I always loved it. At her age people expect her to eat solids but still seem amazed when she stuffs down things like broccoli!

fran-o

As for me... Just doing morning feed after baby's first night in his room without me! We transferred him from Moses basket to cot (in the nursery) last weekend and I slept in with him on a futon. Last night I went back to my room with hubby and listened out on monitor. Was a regular night in terms of wake-ups, so I'd say a success. Felt very strange not having baby by my side though and had to make myself stay in bed and not keep getting up to check. He's only sixteen weeks so I have a touch of mummy guilt about not staying with him til six months but the cot won't fit in our room and I'm not prepared to sleep solo on a futon for another two months...

Nice day at in laws yesterday got FiL bday celebrations and baby did very well being passed around family and friends all afternoon. Had to hold tongue several times at fil's choices with baby... Encouraging him to touch dirty bird feeders in garden, getting a sticky empty drinks can out of the recycling bin for him to play with, holding him up to stand at the edge of the pond. Difficult to be diplomatic when someone else is hosting. I think if all the other people hadn't been there I would have nudged hubby to say something. We got through many wet wipes anyway.

Quiet day today but plenty housework to be done and also want to order some photo prints, still have none of baby yet... Have a good week all xx

Bangton

Welcome and congrats Vickyvics x

No advice on the breastfeeding as I've never done it but regards the day/night it eventually just passes on its own. We dimmed the lights and kept quiet at night but I honestly think he just learnt by himself in truth. For us it seemed to pass at 5 weeks when he started to sleep for 5hrs at once at night and wouldn't nap at ALL in the day!

RebekahR

VickyVics wrote: »

Hello ladies,

I am a new mummy to a beautiful 2 week old baby girl. She is absolutely amazing and I am totally in love but I am after a bit of advice and support.

We are breastfeeding and it has been going really well so far, however I am quite nervous about breast feeding in public. I was wondering how everyone eased themselves into it at the beginning. I just don't know how to approach it really. Where do you go to breast feed? What do you wear? Is there anywhere you won't breast feed?

My LO also has her hours reversed so she is sleeping in the daytime and not much at night. I know she is still so very small and young so I am not expecting miracle but I would like to know if there is anything I can do to help her along?

Any help and advice would be very much welcome. Thank you in advance xxx

Hello my lovely! 2 weeks is very early! I didnt leave te house with Jess until she was 4 weeks! I wore breastfeeding tops. You can't see anything then :-D

Example of the type: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nursing-Breastfeeding-Patterned-Red-Polo-Neck-Sweater-Jumper-Warm-Top-10-12-14-/271398712713?pt=UK_Women_s_Tops_Shirts&var=&hash=item3f309fb589

I would undo the bra and get my boob out under the flap then when its ready to go quickly lift it up and shove the baby on lol. That would take about 10 seconds. So about 10 seconds or so of exposure. Will become less the faster you are. You really do get used to it and like the whole breastfeeding journey its all learning and trial and error! If you are very badly concious then you can get aprons that go over the top so you and the baby are underneath. Personally I took the view that if no one liked it then tough - my boobs were made to feed my baby and its natural as anything. Heck the poster on the walls in the shops show more boob that I did! :rotfl:

Re sleep: Very very very normal. So normal I would be very concerned about a baby that age sleeping all night tbh!!!!! They are made tofeed frequently. The hormone that makes milk is highest in the night - this is why night feeding is normal. Night feeding is an essential part of keeping your period at bay too ;-) Jess started sleeping a tiny bit longer from 4 weeks. And I really noticed it more at 6-8 weeks. It's a very slow gradual thing. It helps to take them for a talk in the pram from 4 weeks in the afternoon so they see day light. Apparently it helps to regulate sleep.

Saffagal

Congratulations and welcome Vickyvics

Regarding breastfeeding out and about, I didn't really go out until 6 weeks as my GP wouldn't clear me to drive again after my section until then however, I invested in a few breastfeeding tops, and practiced feeding in my sling. When A was little the number of times I would be walking around the shopping centre/ out and about and people would come up and comment on how good my baby was being... if only they knew! I was usually feeding her at the time but the breastfeeding tops and sling made it super discreet.
There is nowhere I won't feed - even now and she is 13 months. I am of the opinion that if she was hungry/ thirsty/ needing comfort and crying for milkies, others would rather I get on and meet her need and we have a quiet baby, disturbing no one.

You can also feed her in front of a mirror - then you'll see just how little other people will be able to see.

Hope that everyone else is well? We had a lovely weekend, but two rather disturbed nights. Am hoping for a better one tonight... I'm thinking it must be teeth cutting through poor little love

Have a good week all x

Saffagal

Fran-o, well done on surviving baby's first night in own room. A moved out at 12 weeks as she'd outgrown the moses and that was it as her room doesn't have room for a bed as well as her coit.

VickyVics

Thank you for all the advice. It is so helpful. Just knowing that others have been through it helps a lot.

Last night she settled really really well then obviously decided she had had enough sleep after the first feed lol. Funnily enough though she is now out like a light so I am going to try and catch some extra sleep in a minute.

This afternoon we are going to go to our first breast feeding group. It is just down the road so completely within walking distance. Hopefully not only will we grow in confidence about breast feeding but also the walk will help with our night and day issue

lazywife

Hi Vickyvics, congratulations!
I wore a baggy (ish) top over a vest, pulled the top up, vest down and nursing bra underneath. Once baby is latched on people really can't see much. Hope the group settled some of your worries.
Back to work went well on Saturday. T was great all day with my mum and dad, but as soon as I got home he cried for a whole hour and a half (stopping go eat some pasta) before he went to sleep Hopefully he'll learn that I come home and won't cry everytime.

BeNiceToMySelf

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lazywife glad work was ok, hope LO cries less next time.

Vickyvics hope the bfing group went well, I loved going to mine. I'm actually starting my bfing supporter training next week

Saffa hope you get more sleep and it's just teeth.

fran-o you are very restrained at holding your tongue!

I'm staying at my parents and just got the baby bud from mamas & papas. It seems like a nice booster seat with nice cushioning. We got one with a tray toy and LO loved it. Porridge seemed to go well - messy cos of BLW. The bud has a kind of 'hidden' mechanism for attaching the tray that food could potentially get trapped in but seems ok so far. I put LO in a coverall type bib and didn't have to change his clothes at all! He must have grown into the coverall bib