December 2008 New Moms!

[Kerri]

I thought I would get us started.

Me: oh, I just turned 33 last week. Didn't think about that.
DH: 33
DS1: James, 2
DS2: Andy almost 6 months

I really just wanted to respond to Luv2Cook. Really?!?! Have you tried a swing/babywearing/bouncyseat/white noise/swaddling/readTHATbook?!?! Ok, I am totally kiding, but you have so talked me out of baby#3. I really had high hopes for baby#2, but no, cries all the time, just like baby#1.

But to answer your original question, both of my boys seemed to sleep at night in their crib, but their daytime sleep really took awhile. I guess it is just another part of them that has to mature. Actually, I was thinking that the first time around I just didn't know what to do, but after putting my hard earned knowledge to work with Andy, I realized that somethings you just have to wait it out. I don't know, maybe its me. Maybe I am doing something because no one else seems to have these problems.

We do have some really good moments with Andy, but still, he spends most of the day crying. He has started to BITE while nursing. The one area where he does differ from his brother is eating. He will eat a few bites of solid food, but loses interest pretty quickly. He likes peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and rice cereal, but hates green beans and doesn't seem to care for fruit. Wierd.

Here is a sweet picture of Andy sleeping, although there is bumpers in his crib and a blanket. Don't call CPS!

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o79/wirrek/Dec2008/DSC03157.jpg

[mabvt]

Me: 31
DH: 32
DS: Neal- 8 weeks

I laughed when I read your post Kerri. How many of us have paced in the dark, jiggling the swaddled baby while going shhhh in his/her ear!?

We have the exact same situation as Kerri. Neal will sleep at night in his crib no problem. But during the day he lays there wide eyed. He usually doesn't cry and when I come check on him he smiles but he is NOT sleeping. Day time naps happen in the car carrier (sometimes while grocery shopping), the bouncy seat, or on me.

My question right now-- tummy time. I am so paranoid about Neal getting the dreaded flat head. I do try him on his tummy but it usually only lasts a few minutes- he gets pretty agitated bc he can't lift his head up all the way for long. At 8 weeks, how long should he be on his tum?

I think this photo will be our Christmas card this year. :)

[Luv to Cook]

Me: Anita 33
DH: 35
DD1: Asha 5
DD2: Sahana 3
DS: Ayaan 5 weeks today


LOL...kerri! Cracked me up...I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that. Yes, we had 3 crybabies as well...sometimes I cannot really believe it. And yes, like you I am convinced that I am doing something wrong, because I know NO one in real life who has had 3 kids who need some serious help to go to sleep. I hope that I did not convince you not to have number 3...maybe wait until mine is 6 months old and then ask again!

Ayaan's new thing is to nurse and go back to sleep at 8 and then 11 and then at 2:00 when he wakes to eat, he will NOT go to sleep without my boob in his mouth for the rest of the nite. If it falls out, he roots around and cries. The rest of the nite is spent eating and spitting up. Any suggestions on what to do? Perhaps let DH hold him...though he will just scream and then no one sleeps....sigh...I wish babies came with their own individual handbook!

Love the picture of Andy sleeping :)...he looks so sweet! And wow, how brave of you to take a pic of your baby sleeping. We have no pics of our kids sleeping, cuz you know how loud that flash is! Don't want to wake a sleeping baby....lol.

mabvt, I would not worry too much about tummy time...just a few minutes will do it. He will get more and more tummy time as he gets bigger and tolerates it more. Love the pic for your Christmas card...can't wait to get gummy smiles like that over here!

Thank you for allowing me to vent here. Over the next 3 months, you will hear me venting alot. For that, I apologize, but I appreciate the support :)!

Anita

[SusanPC]

Me: 33
DH: 45
Maddie: 6 months

Hi, checking in just over 6 months and life is getting great. There really is a light at the end of the tunnel. Maddie LOVES her exersaucer in the last week or so and will entertain herself while I cook....yay! She loves our dog all of a sudden and just giggles uncontrollably when he walks by. When he sniffs her face she is hysterical to watch.

We've got 2 bottom teeth about to come in, plus are on the tail end of a cold, so it's been a challenge to get her to sleep the past week...but once she's down...she sleeps through the night, getting up anywhere from 6-8am (we put her down between 6-7 at night.

I started her in the last week and a half on solids. So far, sweet potatoes and applesauce. I am going to make all of her food...it's so easy. Highly recommend the book Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. In general, it seems to jive with the advice I am getting from my DR.

Question for those with kids on solids, how much are they eating per day? Maddie is getting 30oz of formula a day (had her last BM bottle yesterday from the freezer...she's weaned) and I'll give her applesauce (2TBS) and some cereal in the late AM after her nap. Late afternoon after her nap, I'll give her 2TBS of sweet potatoes. The DR said to ensure that the solids aren't decreasing her formula intake...which they don't seem to be. But, she is getting to be one chunky monkey (was in the 70th percentile for weight at 6 month appt last week). Thoughts on feeding amounts/schedules?


MABVT--I agree, I wouldn't worry about tummy time too much. Maddie HATED it, even for a minute. Now, she loves hanging out on her tummy and rolls all over the place....her flatish head is a thing of the past. Just do the best you can. One thing I would do is put Maddie on her tummy on the edge of the bed and sit on the floor eye level with her....seemed to keep her on her tummy for a minute or so before wigging out.

Kerri--Sounds like you are doing well with solids! I am not sure why, but my Pedi told me to hold off on green veggies until maddie was around 7 months.....so I haven't tried. I am not sure if it is a taste thing or what? I hate all of the conflicting info out there!

Well, best get some stuff done while Maddie naps. We've got my husband's kids visiting (15 and 18 year old boys)....Maddie was so excited to see them at the airport last night...too cute!

[2HUNGRY!]

Me: 31
DH: 34
Ryan: 6 months

Hi all! We had such a great week last week hanging out at home. Its so fun to see Ryan learning new things every day!

Luv to Cook -- I feel for you. Hang in there.

Kerri -- To make you feel better, Ryan now sleeps on his stomach with two blankets :eek:

mabvt -- Have you tried laying her on a boppy or other pillow and then putting a toy or mirror underneath her to look at? That's what I did around that age and it seemed to make him more happy. Also, at our child care class they told us, tummy time is good but time being held, or in the bjorn or anything else that gets her off her back is also good for preventing flat head.

Susan -- I think when they first start on the solids you should keep liquid consumption the same and just use the food as a learning experience. With Ryan, we didn't really start increasing the solids until he started acting more hungry. We do a morning and a night "meal" of solids now, and just yesterday had the baby sitter start a lunch meal. weird about the green foods. I had heard that you should start with green foods because if you start with the sweeter foods they'll expect everything to be sweet. So many different opinions. No wonder why we are all confused!

Our ped. had us start teaching Ryan to use a sippy cup. Is he supposed to be able to spill it? He tips it upside down and the water comes right out. Did I get a bad cup or do they all do this? I thought that the point of a sippy cup was that it can't be spilled?

[Couperine]

Short one hand note re: sippy cups. There are two kinds - the wonderful 2 piece disposable and the other that has a removeable insert to keep all liquid inside if tipped. David throws his, so I'm waiting a bit longer. I didn't like the one with the extra piece - got gunky too fast.

More later!

[tholbrook]

Me: 34 (like Kerri, this changed just last week)
DH: 37
DD: Maya, 14 1/2 weeks

Kerri - it sure does seem like "everyone else" had easy, laid-back babies, doesn't it? Until you read the posts of those of us in the trenches right now, and then we all have fussy, crying kids who need constant attention! Maybe it's like labor where once some time has passed, you can't recall how difficult it was!

mabvt – Maya hated tummy time too, and still only tolerates it for short amounts of time. I try to catch her at her “best” times to put her on her tummy, but if she’s really fussy, I don’t push force the issue.

Luv to Cook – First of all, how on earth are you managing a 5-week old with 2 other young ones? It’s perfectly understandable why you’d need a place to vent! (and what, only for the next 3 months?!? ;)) I feel guilty sometimes because I think the only thing I do here is complain about my baby! But who better than fellow moms to understand the frustration of a baby who doesn't seem to follow the "rules" in all those books?

SusanPC – thanks for the recommendation on the food book. I’m sure we’ll be at that stage before I know it. Too cute about Maddie and the dog!

From the November New Moms (https://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=122962) thread
tholbrook, how was it taking Maya to work? That sounds so fun!

Yikes, where do I start? Fun would not be my choice word at the moment. Yesterday was an absolute nightmare.

I’ll preface that by saying that she’s been pretty good most of the other days, and I’d still have a positive outlook on taking her to work if yesterday didn’t factor into it. But I feel extra pressure to perform well since I’m being allowed to care for my baby at the same time I’m being paid AND to keep her quiet so everyone else can do their jobs too.

Well, she cried and fussed ALL day yesterday. Loudly. I couldn’t sit at my desk for more than 10 seconds without her wailing. If I walked/ bounced/ swayed with her, she was okay. But that’s not really conducive to getting work done. And every time she fell asleep (I’d take her into a semi-dark office and rock / pat her to sleep), she’d wake up 5-10 minutes later despite me continuing to move around with her. Normally I would have called it a day and taken her home, but this happened to be the day that I had a deadline to finish up a report and send it to our customer. Add to her fussiness the fact that I haven’t slept more than 3 hours a night for at least the last week. I could not even think straight, and of course, this report had all kinds of technical info I needed to get my head around.

I have come to the conclusion that Maya does not do well if there are any disruptions in her little world. She does okay initially but it’s the next day or so when I pay for it. She’s used to being at home, and once the novelty of new sights / sounds / people wears off, she’s done, and there’s nothing I can do to make her content until she’s back in familiar surroundings.

So I really need to put in some hours at work at least through the end of the month. MIL can still watch her a couple days a week for a few hours. But I’ll have to continue taking her with me at least 2 days/week. I’m hoping that either yesterday was just an “off” days for both of us, or that she’ll get used to being at work with me, and won’t fuss as much.

I loaded this CD (http://cdbaby.com/cd/babysounds) onto my iPod today and took it to work. I played the “hair dryer” soundtrack in a continuous loop while wearing Maya in the sling. I sat at my desk and just patted her back - no other movement. Lo and behold, she was asleep in 5 minutes. Quietly too, with no fussing. So maybe there’s hope yet!

We’re still having BF issues. But given the length of my post, I’ll save it for another time.

I will end on a positive note: after yesterday’s horrific day, I finally got home with her and sat down to nurse her in our favorite chair. As tired as she was, she pulled off after a few minutes and gave me the biggest smile – ear to ear grin with her eyes all crinkled up. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!

Also:
MomofMooch, you had mentioned a possible nursing strike on last month’s thread… hope that resolved itself quickly!!! With all the BF issues that we’ve had, I’ve found La Leche League (http://www.llli.org/resources.html) and kellymom ( http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/index.html) to be good resources – and motivational when I feel like throwing in the towel (which is frequently :() I know they specifically address nursing strikes…

[Couperine]

Me: 35
DH: 37
DS1: Ethan 3.5 years (though he wants to be 4 badly)
DS2: David 7.5 months
D?3: 12 weeks and growing

David is doing very well - he can commando crawl forwards now instead of always heading backwards, and he's getting close to staying up on one hand and moving forward as well. I can see how he'll transition just fine to pulling up - he has a low bookshelf filled with board books that he reaches for already. He's much more laid-back than Ethan ever dreamed of - he still naps twice a day, and he's pretty cool with everything until he gets hungry. I've set up our highchair near our kitchen island so he can watch while I make dinner - now I have two kids helping me cook. :) Now I remember why when I hit this point with Ethan that I thought I was ready to try for more - it's a great time developmentally and emotionally for us all.

tholbrook - You are amazing to even try to take Maya to work with you; I hope that yesterday was just an off day and she enjoys it more in the future.

Susan - good work on starting the solids - it really is easy to make their food, and they get used to the right taste. At this point, I don't do anything set for amounts - I just let David take whatever he wants, and he definitely lets me know when he's done. How did the weaning go for you? My hormones went insane when I stopped with Ethan. I hope your boys enjoy Maddie - Ethan's much older brother is a blessing when he visits; he'd play with him for literally hours at a time.

Anita, I hope Ayaan finds a happy medium on nursing soon. It's got to be frustrating and exhausting for you. And since you asked for advice, since Ayaan is spitting up the milk from the continual nursing through the early AM, he doesn't need the breast - he just wants it for comfort. Any luck with a pacifier?

mabvt - It's a bit too early to worry about tummy time for Neal; you can lay him on his sides sometimes as well to keep rotating where his head lays. As for naps, Ethan was awake almost all day from the moment he was born, but David needs his naps still at 7.5 months. They are individuals for certain!

Kerri - wow David hates fruit too! He actually seems to enjoy spicy food - babies can be funny in their preferences.

Hopefully all the moms are having a good day today - Ethan is at home this morning, so he and David are rolling around on the floor having a good time - leaves me time to post!

[aprilbride]

I haven't been here in forever!

Me: 35
DH: 39
DS: 3 1/2
DD: 10 months today!

I'm popping in for some advice today.....for those of you with 2 (or three:-)), how do your older kids get on with the babies in the family? Elliott is so rough with Mia, I'm starting to get increasingly annoyed with his behavior towards her and the fact that he doesn't seem to want to understand she's still a baby and he needs to be gentle. She's been crawling for months and is pretty close to walking now, and she's a pretty tough little thing, usually she's amused by him and his antics, but often she just gets frustrated. I've tried reasoning with him, taking away priviledges, but he doesn't seem to care/get it. It can make for unpleasant weekends (they're both in school during the week) and I always feel terrible for continually reprimanding him. I know he loves her and looks out for her and he loves to make her smile, but his random poking her, picking her up etc. is not acceptable. I also know that a lot of it is jealousy, because when we do things with him alone he's well behaved etc. Anyway, I've written a novel, I guess I'm just wondering how everyone else handles these situations because I'm running out of ideas and patience.


Other than that (:-)), everyone is doing great. Mia is so close to walking and just a happy little girl. She babbles non-stop, is a great eater and we're loving this age.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!

[Couperine]

Aprilbride, looks like you're a few months ahead of us in issues to deal with, but I've had good luck on stealing/sharing toys by having Ethan pick toys that David can have. He's not that rough with David yet though, so we'll see what the future brings.

Ethan's bear with David is strangers cooing and drooling over David and saying absolutely nothing to him - that makes him act out a little for a while. People sometimes just don't think about how hard that is on the older child.

[SooCookie]

I guess it is time for me to join after almost 3 months! :rolleyes:

Me: Michelle 30 (but only for 2 more weeks!!!)
DH: 32
DD: Kayla - 2.5 yrs
DS: Benjamin: 12 weeks

I'll start with the positive - Ben is such a happy baby (most of the time). I get smiles and coos and gurgles all day long. Even the stop right in the middle of nursing to smile thing that tholbrook described! It is amazing the personality difference between my two kids. While my DD is a love, I wouldn't have described her as "happy" at this age! Nursing is going just ok. He seems to be getting plenty to eat (in the 75th percentile for weight) but he constantly is pulling me in every direction, which really hurts. I am not sure what that is all about. :confused:

My boy is the king of catnaps though, and I don't know what I am doing wrong. When he was newborn, I had to wake him to eat. Now, I never get more than a half hour out of him. Is anyone else going through this? Will he eventually sleep longer? You think I would know the answers to all these questions since he is my second, but it seems like a whole new set of issues that I have no clue how to deal with.

He also got into the habit of me rocking him to sleep (like how I am blaming him! :rolleyes:), which wouldn't really bother me if he wanted it from the beginning, but it all went downhill around 8 weeks old when he just would not settle down unless he was in my arms. It makes it really hard to care for my DD when I am rocking him all day long. I feel so guilty because I feel like I am neglecting her. So I guess it will be sleep training for us, too, at some point. Anyone have any tips on how not to wake up the older kid with the little one's cries??!!

Luv to Cook - I am so sorry you are going through this, again! I have no advice to offer, but wanted to know that I am right there with you. Our night time sleeping isn't going so well either. So just know you aren't the only one!

Mabvt - Like others have said, I wouldn't worry too much about tummy time either. What is the point of putting them there if all they do is scream? My DD HATED it, and DS seems to be heading in the same direction. DS is lucky if he gets 5 minutes a day. Most days, he gets none at all. Bad mommy over here.

Kerri - what a cutie Andy is! I am still working on breaking Ben of the swaddle so I can get cute sleeping pictures too. I have only had success with one arm thus far!

Well, my little man is getting fussy. I hope to be able to check in more.

Michelle

[mabvt]

You guys are the best. We had an apt yesterday with the doc and I asked her about the tummy time thing--she said EXACTLY what you all have been saying: Don't stress too much about it right now, get on the ground with him with toys for a few minutes, anytime off the back of his head helps with the flat head thing--sling, snuggling on my chest, etc.

THANKS!:D

Have I mentioned how much I love his doc? She's a family practioner and my GP as well. When I called to ask about the breast milk thing. I talked to her on the phone! How often does that happen? We are going to go with the friend's breast milk as I talked about last month. Doc was supportive.

[Megan James]

Me: Megan, 37
DH: Fred, 42
DD: Rebecca 3
DS: Will 3 months

I love this board! You all covered most of my gripes
-cat napping
-twist and pull at the breast
-not sleeping through the night
-dealing with the older sister

Mabvt I can't imagine taking Will to work with me, kudos to you for doing that. In fact I have to admit that as I walked into work today I smiled and relaxed and was happy to be there!

We are still battling sickness and medical issues. DD was SO healthy and we are usually such a healthy family that this is really out of the ordinary for us. I've had a cold for 2 months, Rebecca's been snotty since August (the congestion type of snotty).
Yesterday Will woke up at 4am crying inconsolably with a fever. I ended up keeping him home (and of course myself too). Then while I was getting dressed and trying to decide if I should take Will to daycare or not DH had sudden horrid pains which he knew to be a kidney stone. So he headed off the the ER. He was home drugged up on Vicoden yesterday too. And the poor guy is scheduled for a vasectomy tomorrow.

Will's fever broke about 3pm yesterday and he was grinning all over the place this morning. His other issue is consistent diaper rash. I can clear it up with clotrimazole (anti-fungal) & hydrocortisone ointment but if I stop that treatment it comes roaring back. I thought it was yeast and boiled all my diapers and started probiotic stuff and even went to the pediatrician fearing thrush. She said it wasn't thrush and that he just has sensitive skin. I'm not sure I totally believe there is no fungal part to it. I'm planning to go to the dermatologist soon for my eczema and then whip off Will's diaper while I am there for a second opinion.

OK my book/complaint session is over. On a good front Will really can be a smiley cute baby sometimes and Rebecca is a great big sister.

[veschke]

how do your older kids get on with the babies in the family? Elliott is so rough with Mia, I'm starting to get increasingly annoyed with his behavior towards her and the fact that he doesn't seem to want to understand she's still a baby and he needs to be gentle.

We've had a lot of jealousy, possessiveness over toys, and the occasional push (big sis is 4, JJ is 11 mo). There have also been hugs and kisses and an occasional moment of unprompted generosity, so we bear with the former and try to encourage the latter. :)

It happens most often when she's tired, hungry, or otherwise stressed, so we do what we can to head off the stressors. On a first offense I'll go and have a talk with her and remind her of proper behavior. On a second or egregious incident (pushing him over) she gets a timeout.

I don't really stress out about it too much. I have a younger sister, I remember what it's like. :D

[helios7]

I actually have a minute to type with 2 hands. Amazing!

Me: Heather, 30
DH: M____, 31
DS: Quinn, 5 days old

Hello everyone! I'm happy to be here. Finally. :)

Quinn was born on Sunday, and man has it been some week. I'm still recovering from the aftereffects of birth and am now battling engorgement pain on top of that. Breastfeeding isn't going great - I'm finding it agonizing for the first few seconds. Like tears streaming pain. The lactation counselor in the hospital said my latch was fine, so I don't know if it's slipped since I've been home or the nursing before my milk came in has just not had time to heal before engorgement came along. Either way, something isn't right and I dread each feeding. I do have the # of a lactation counselor to call. Course she is observant and it's now the Jewish Sabbath so I don't know when she'll be able to help me.

That's probably my biggest gripe/issue right now. DS seems to be a pretty sweet baby, although he doesn't like to sleep alone. When we put him in the pack and play or cosleeper, he wakes and fusses. Even if put in completely conked out. Out of desperation we've had him in our bed so as to get some sleep, but we don't like the solution as we'd rather have him in his own space. But overall, things are good. He weighs the same as he did when we left the hospital on Tuesday which is 7 oz below his birth weight. So the pediatrician was pleased with that.

Looking forward to learning from the varied experiences on this thread! :)

[Couperine]

Welcome Heather - you are discovering one of the unmentioned joys of starting breastfeeding. Basically your breasts haven't done this before, so they need to build up the ability to take the kind of abuse your darling Quinn is giving them. Lanolin can really help keep you from cracking, but I'll be honest and say that the first two weeks are the worst. You've made it through your milk coming in, so you're halfway there. If you are engorged, a good massage in a warm shower can help. Even if you don't want to, really squeeze the painful parts because you're trying to get things unclogged.

Good luck these next few days!

[Delanl]

Just wanted to pop in really quick for Heather. First, congrats! I saw Quinn's picture on the pregnancy thread and he is a cutie!

I went through the very same thing with Kylie, for the first week my n*pples were sore and cracked and nursing hurt SO much. I would wince and tear up when she first latched on. But it will get better! And like Couperine said, DEF use the Lanisoh, it helps tremendously. I also found it helpful to "air" them out after she was done nursing. Amazing how all modesty goes out the window after you've given birth! :D

Good luck and I promise it will get easier!

Leigh

[mabvt]

Helios! Welcome to the other side. It will get better. The first weeks are the hardest. One thing that I found helped with engorgement is cabbage leaves. Keep the head in the fridge and stuff your bra as needed. It doesn't smell the greatest :rolleyes: but man does it feel good!

Sleep when you can and accept any and all help you are offered. Enjoy the hazy, weepy euphoria. I am only what ? 7-8 weeks ahead of you and I can tell you that in a few weeks you will be feeling MUCH better.

Melissa

[Kerri]

I just wanted to repond to a few quick things.

First of all Heather, yes, Lanolin, after every feeding. Don't be afraid to give a bottle if you really need it. Also, at this point you should be in survival mode. Do anything you can to get by. Worry about getting the baby out of your bed later. If it works for now, do it!

Also, on the sleep front, I wanted to respond to everyone who was having trouble with naps. I really think you guys are being too hard on yourselves. I am a big fan of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, and that book says to look for the development of the first morning nap sometime before 4 months. Later it says after 4 months, and I know for us, it was definately after 4 months. The other naps came later,a nd we are still working on it. With this being my second child, I just have decided that their sleep system is just something else that has to mature and it is the normal progress from sleepy newborn - never sleeping at 2-3 months - to a normal sleep schedule after 4 months.

Michelle - I am a big fan of white noise. I think that helps to drown out the crying.

Big Brother James has started to be a little more jealous of his little brother. A lot of it is just normal two year old stuff, whatever Andy wants to play with, he wants, but he will say things like "put Andy down, James up" "baby nap!" But we haven't run into any major problems yet.

[tholbrook]

First of all .... Hi Heather!!! Glad you made it over here so quickly! I'll also chime in on the breastfeeding - despite what they (they being the supposed "experts") say about "if it hurts, something is wrong", everyone I talked to who has been through this says that it hurt for the first few weeks, even when you do everything right. As for me, I called the lactation consultant, maybe around Day 4 or 5, weeping uncontrollably. Despite me thinking otherwise, it actually did get better (so ignore the rest of my post, please, as I am still having issues with breastfeeding! :rolleyes:).

So ... onto the BF issues... SooCookie and Megan, this is the same problem I am having with Maya: the twisting and pulling. WHY do babies do this and HOW do you get them to stop??? She definitely wants to nurse (or at least stay attached to me) since every time she lets go, she flings herself back on me. Granted, she doesn't really hurt me anymore (unless she's gassy, and then she tends to be pretty aggressive with the tugging) - but it is really annoying.

I've seen a few ideas on the "why" but not on the "how do you make it stop". I've tried unlatching her when I see that she's about to pull away, but if I don't allow her to latch back on in about half a second, she wails. I've tried distracting her with something else, but when she wants to nurse (whether food or comfort), there doesn't seem to be any convincing her otherwise.

I plan on going to a local La Leche League meeting early next week, so I'll report back if I get any helpful advice.

[Luv to Cook]

Hi Everyone!

Happy Saturday :)! I live thru the week in order just to get to the weekend so DH can help out... :)!

Helios, I hope BF goes better for you. Are you taking Ibuprofen for your birthing pain? If so, take it around the clock...I think it is 600mg every 4 hours, this will help GREATLY with engorgement pain. Wish someone told me this with my first kid. I barely had any engorgement this time around. Oh and my nipples were SO sore this time around...you would think this would be easy for me by now, but each kid is so different. I second the Lanolin cream.

And the sleep thing...we are right there with you. DS is one month old and will not sleep alone. My other kids were like this too...and they sleep just fine in their beds (cribs when they were smaller) now. We did give them a little tough love when they were about 6 months old. I just use the swing or my sling during the day and we just let him sleep with us at nite. At around 3-4 months, we will try helping him sleep alone.

Claudia, we did not have too much jealousy here, but we really praised DD1 when she was sweet to DD2.

Couperine, am I reading correctly that you are expecting again? If so, congratulations! I hope you are feeling well :)!

tholbrook, thanks for making me feel better. I feel like I complain too much as well. I am really trying to just chill and enjoy it...if there is anything that I have learned with my other kids, it goes WAY too fast and if you blink you will miss something.

Ugh, Megan, sorry to hear about the diaper issues...I hope it gets better soon. I have no advice for you since it sounds like something worse than regular diaper rash. I hope the derm can help you.

All is well here...tired, but doing well. We are going to get our tree today. Also, going to make salt dough ornaments with the kids. Looking forward to getting the house ready for the holidays!

Have a great weekend, everyone and thanks for all the support :)!
Anita

[Couperine]

Yes Anita, we're expecting another baby! Proof positive that if you have a difficult time conceiving two babies doesn't mean you always will. I had one little cycle after having David, and 4 weeks later when I felt strangely pregnant, I was. :eek: I didn't think there was a chance in this universe I'd conceive without many months of trying.

Anyhow, we're doing well here - David grinned up at me this morning and he has two top teeth - not the middle pair, but one of the middle pair and then the one next to it. Guess we're in for two more in short order! DH stood him up on the side of the ottoman yesterday, and David thought he was the king of the world til he plopped backwards on his bottom 1 minute later. Thankfully he didn't scream his head off - he has a major temper when thwarted, and he has to learn to fall while learning to stand. :)

We're also dealing with cats who keep stealing the bottle nipples from the drying rack and chewing them up. We've gone through 6 this past week - I just stuck one of the chewed ones in cayenne pepper and left just it out, but if anyone has suggestions I'm totally open to them!

[Luv to Cook]

Wow, wow, Couperine! It will be so wonderful to have them so close in age

I don't have much time to post, but wanted to know if anyone had any experience on hindmilk/foremilk imbalance. Ayaan has had green, frothy stools (sorry if TMI) and I did some reading and it mentioned the HM/FM imbalance. He went for his one month check up and had gained a pound, so the ped said he thought it was unlikely that it was an imbalance. And the fact that Ayaan takes a good hour to nurse must mean that he is getting the hind milk, but the whole poopy thing is a mystery. Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks!
Anita

[MinEaston]

delurking for Anita...

When Anna was around that age I observed the same thing. She wouldn't necessarily nurse for 1 hour at a time, though. But I did notice that she did better when I could be sure that "let down" was occurring.

Around the same time I cut WAY back on my dairy intake because that seemed to affect her similarly.

[2HUNGRY!]

Heather -- Hang in there. It does get better. The long hot showers and the massage on the sore parts really do help. Do you have a pump to help a little with the engorgement? As for sleeping, DS would not sleep without me for the first two months and he's a great sleeper in his own crib now. I think its too early to make any bad habits yet -- just do what you have to do to survive.

Nancy -- I drape a dish towel over the drying rack so my cat can't see it. Out of sight out of mind.

Love to Cook -- How did the salt ornaments work out? I want to make those with Ryan.

What are you all doing for bath time? He's outgorwn his baby tub, but isn't big enough for the regular tub yet. We got a bath seat thing but its useless because he's half out of the water and gets cold, and plus it covers up half of his body so its hard to wash him. I feel like there must be a better way!

[veschke]

Ayaan has had green, frothy stools (sorry if TMI)

We had that too, so I was worried about it myself for a bit, but as long as he's gaining okay I wouldn't worry too much about it. After a while (maybe as long as a month?) the green stuff went away as mysteriously as it arrived; we never did figure out what was causing it. Might just be a mild tummy bug.

[Megan James]

I don't have much time to post, but wanted to know if anyone had any experience on hindmilk/foremilk imbalance. Ayaan has had green, frothy stools (sorry if TMI) and I did some reading and it mentioned the HM/FM imbalance. He went for his one month check up and had gained a pound, so the ped said he thought it was unlikely that it was an imbalance.

Yes I definitely had this with Will and probably with Rebecca too. I was definitely overproducing at first and had a STRONG let down (still do and poor Will gets squirted in the face sometimes). I got my advice from LLL and kellymom and it was to block nurse. Basically only nurse on one side for a period of time (2 or 3 hrs is suggested and I did 3 hours mostly). So during that period of time only nurse on the one side. The first feeding they'll get foremilk but then will get hindmilk later on. It really did help us and got my milk supply to regulate much quicker than it did with DD. One big caveat is if you are struggling to produce enough milk this will decrease your supply slightly. For me that was a good thing.

Also it sounds like pediatricians are very unlikely to "diagnose" this. But at my LLL meetings at least 30% of the women said they had this and there was lots of support on the kellymom forum too.

I am still struggling with twist & pull but have noticed he does it more when he is nursing b/c he's tired/cranky than when he's hungry. I am mildly thinking teething but have also found that sometimes I just need to put him down and either distract him or let him cry for 30 seconds and then he's not so interested in nursing afterward. It is a crazy behavior, almost manic in how he bops on and off and round and round.

Heather I agree that it does hurt a bit in the beginning. If you aren't too cracked and feel you have a good latch you'll probably be feeling better in a week.

[Couperine]

2Hungry - Thank you for the obvious solution! I knew I was missing something simple. :)

As for bathing, we bathe David with one or the other of us. It's great playtime and parent/baby time and we feel much more secure with him in the bath.

[Luv to Cook]

Thanks for the comments on the HM/FM imbalance. MinEaston, my let down occurs in between nursings, or very early on in a nursing (like 1-2 minutes)...does let down = hindmilk??? I am confused!

Megan, what do you mean by nurse on one side for 3 hours??? Acck, do you sit there and nurse for that long? Or are we talking nurse 2 consecutive times on the same breast? So if we have one at 8 and then at 10, use the same breast and then for 12 and 2 use the other breast? I don't think I have oversupply, more like just the right amount. I was taking fenugreek a few weeks ago to build up my supply and now I am wondering if that was causing the green stools. They have not been frothy/foamy lately, and a little less green, so maybe not taking the fenugreek is helping. Anyhow, I would love it if you could clarify the block nursing. Thanks!

I hope your little twister and puller stops soon. One thing that helped me was to go in the bathroom and turn off the lights and close the door and nurse. My kids were distracted starting at that age.

2Hungry, the salt ornaments came out so cute! I highly recommend making them. We used a ton of glitter on them, and it is everywhere now, but they are so fun! My girls had a blast making them.

OK, that's it for now...gotta get my oil changed!

Anita

[SooCookie]

Megan - It looks like you and I are having very similar issues! I feel for you, but at the same time, am glad to hear it is not just me.

2Hungry - Target sells an inflatable duck tub that is slightly bigger than the infant tub that we used until DD was a little bit older and more stable in the tub. She loved it.

I intended to post more, but DS is waking up. :(

[Megan James]

So if we have one at 8 and then at 10, use the same breast and then for 12 and 2 use the other breast?

Anita
Yes that. So even if you nurse 4 times btwn 8 & 11am only nurse on the right. The following thread is a really good description of hundmilk/foremilk, scroll down a few posts to Paula's response:
http://forum.kellymom.net/showthread.php?t=92707

[helios7]

Thanks for the warm welcomes! I'm so happy to be here...

Breastfeeding is going a bit better. After speaking to a lactation consultant by phone, and following up with my OB we determined I have an infection on the left. So I'm on "safe" antibiotics, and only pumping the left. And feeding him on the right. So far it's working with minimal bottles (we actually just bought bags for freezing some of the stocked milk) - he eats often but my supply seems to be holding. I'm pumping 2-3 ounces every 4 hours or so on the left. There's still a lot of damage though so I don't know when I'll get to resume feeding on both sides.

Question - does the engorged slightly painful feeling ever go away? It also seems to be dependent on the time of day. I feel most comfortable in the afternoons, and quite engorged during the night. I just find it odd as I feed pretty regularly around the clock.

I may still have a session with the LC as I'm noticing he keeps his tongue pretty far back. She told me over the phone that this can make the whole process a bit more painful, so I think I want to at least check it out. It's a lot of $$ to set up a session with her, but if it makes the long run go better then I think it's worth it. But overall, minus a little gnawing, feeding is going well on the right. So I'm feeling more hopeful (if not so uncomfortable from the engorgement half of the time).

And that's been it the past few days. I keep waiting for the day I will wake up and feel dramatically better (either from the antibiotics/chest or from recovery from birth). Hasn't happened yet but I'm still hoping! :)

[Couperine]

Heather, I promise the engorged painful feeling does go away. You still have alot going on hormonally - milk coming in, baby came out, have to get the uterus shrunk, figure out how much milk to make, etc etc. I'm guessing your breasts have gotten bigger, maybe like ... 3-4 cup sizes bigger atm? It's not comfortable and once your body figures out what Quinn needs and regulates it, they'll shrink down a bit. I run around a D, but after my milk came in, I was an H for about 4 weeks and went back to a D.

You only have a few more really hard days - I'd be looking for positive signs by the end of the weekend. You can do it!

[KathrynY]

Delurking for helios7...

Heather, if you haven't tried Soothies (http://www.soothies.com/gelpads.html) definitely pick up a package. I couldn't live without them for several weeks - they are a bit pricey but worth every penny for the comfort they bring! :)

I hope your LC can give you some additional pointers to help make bf'ing more comfortable - don't hesitate to call/set up an appointment if you feel that you could use some help or advice. I found our early appointments with an LC crucial to our success in continuing.

Hang in there on the recovery - it should get much, much better very soon. Have you tried sitting on a boppy pillow or inflatable donut to relieve some of the pressure on your stitches? I couldn't be without mine for weeks, it made sitting (especially for long feedings) so much easier.

A soak in a warm bath was also recommended by my dr. to help with the healing. DH sat next to the tub and read a funny book to keep my spirits up when I felt particularly low/sore/tired, and to physically help me get in and out. (I can recommend almost anything by Bill Bryson ;) ) HTH!

[SusanPC]

Helios--Re: pain from birth...I found soaking a pad with Witch Hazel to be very soothing in the beginning. Also, yes, the engourgement gets much better...promise. Eventually, I really only experienced engorgement as Maddie started to sleep through the night, so I started pumping just before bed and I could make it through w/o too much pain. Hang in there.

2Hungry--I have the Primo tub (it is just this white plastic thing) and it remains plenty big to bathe Maddie and she's nearly 20 lbs. May be worth checking out. On the weekends or if I have time I'll take her "swimming" in my tub.

What are these salt cookies you guys are talking about? Did I miss something?

I got my Christmas presents in the mail yesterday (Rum cakes, fudge and peppermint bark). Maddie was a good girl while I did all of the baking. My mom helped. Not sure if I mentioned but my mom had a mastectomy in October for BC. Now they've found nodules in her lungs so we are facing some tough times ahead. I am so thankful that I am not working and am able to spend lots of time with her and for her to see Maddie so much. Prayers for her would be greatly appreciated.

Hope all are well. Not much else new here. I added Carrots to Maddie's menu a few days ago...have to decide what is next... She's got her two bottom teeth popping through and is just the happiest baby in the world.

[LaraW]

Helios, I wanted to just chime in too. The engorgement does get much better. Have you been taking anything? I remember that taking the maximum dose of ibuprofen, around the clock, for a little while (less than 10 days, I'm sure) really helped the engorgement pain. It does get a lot better.

One other thing that i did that helped a lot was to try and express milk by hand before feeding the baby, just so that the breast wasn't so rock-hard and it was easier to latch on. I made a hot pack with a damp washcloth and heated it in the microwave. That did help a lot. You can also steep some tea bags and once they are cool, put the tea bags in your bra. I don't think I ever needed to do that but have heard that as a way to help the pain.

I also wanted to chime in quickly on your comment about putting the baby in bed with you and DH. We did this with both my kids. They were both born in the winter time and I think being warm just helped them to be able to fall asleep. We put them in bed with us for the first couple of weeks, but they were sleeping in their own beds before they were a month old (and have been ever since). Just thought I'd throw that out there, that if you do head down that road it doesn't mean you will have a baby in bed with you forever.

Also, you might try putting a lightweight hat on him at night, again to help with the warmth. We found that to be a tremendous help with our 2nd, and wished we would have thought of it with the 1st.

[Couperine]

(((Susan))) - I'm sending every good thought and wish I can your mother's way.

[2HUNGRY!]

Susan -- I'm sending good thoughts for your mother. Take care.

Helios -- Hang in there. It will get much much better very soon (and then finally you will be able to sleep on your stomach again!).

[Couperine]

I subscribe to crockpot365.blogspot.com - a woman with a good sense of humor who made a goal to use her crockpot daily for a year. Her latest post is about making salt ornaments in a crockpot. Check it out - looks like fun!

[Delanl]

Susan--I am keeping you and your mom in my thoughts and prayers. So sorry you are going through this.

2Hungry!-We have the Primo tub too. When I was doing my baby registry, it was the only tub on Babiesrus.com that had consistently good reviews. We love it and are very happy with it.

Kylie is 10 months old today! I can't believe in two months we will be celebrating her 1st birthday. Time just flies by. I am already thinking about what kind of cake/theme I want to do. She is doing good, starting to pull up a little more on things, but gets really frustrated when she falls down. I am going to call my pedi next week, not sure if she's going to want to see her for some motor skills tests or what. My DH taught her how to do "so big!" she usually just raises one arm though. Its pretty funny.

Hope everyone is having a good week. Its been raining like crazy here in NJ.

-Leigh

[mabvt]

Question for you all--

For the last couple of nights Neal has been really rough to put down. It is when he goes to bed at night but also after his night feeding. He will be calm or sleeping and then all of the sudden will wake up screaming. It is full out red faced, not breathing, top of the lungs. It doesn't last long but is fierce. Then he'll calm down and fall asleep or smile. Five, Ten, Fifteen minutes later it starts over again. This is always at night. He's slightly fussier during the day, but nothing too out of control. Nothing in his routine has changed--same pjs, same bottles, same bedroom, etc. etc.

He did have his 2 month vaccinations on Tuesday.

Also, complete unrelated (or maybe not?) there have been several night stretches where he wakes up with a dry diaper. During the day pees and poops are the same.

Help! :eek: Any ideas?

[mabvt]

Okay, so the last couple nights have been fine. FINE. Perhaps I was freaking out a little? Me? Never! :rolleyes:

[Delanl]

Just saw your post now Melissa, glad Neal is sleeping better. They do like to keep us guessing, don't they? :)

[helios7]

Sometimes there's just so much to say, and with a little one there's hardly time to say it (with two hands). :)

Thanks to all the lurkers and regulars for their BF support. We're still going, but it's been a rough road. I've been on antibiotics, which have helped some but haven't really cleared up whatever's happening with my left side. The good news is Quinn is eating like a champ. He gained a pound and 13 oz in a week primarily feeding off my right side (we supplemented with a couple bottles but not that many). So he's doing great, and the right side is feeling okay. I worked with a Lactation consultant on Friday and learned that A. he eats a lot! and B. the reason I don't want to put him on the left is that it still isn't healed. I was worried it was becoming mental! I learned he ate close to 5 oz in a feeding (we weighed him before and after) which astounded her at not quite 2 weeks. And she also thought I have some vasospasms going on which is one reason things have been more painful. He'a also a little tongue-tied, which i'm trying to deal with as I'd prefer not to have the tie snipped except as a last resort. So, it hasn't been an easy road. I still struggle with engorgement, but as she said with him taking in that much then no wonder I'm feeling "quite full" fairly often.

So... I'm off to the OB today to get things checked out. See if it needs a culture, if we're dealing with thrush or yeast or what's going on. I'm hoping something will turn up, because it has been hard dealing with all of this while STILL healing. I'm definitely not AOK yet. Course getting to the dr's is a big operation - Quinn's first subway ride.

Little man's ready to eat... again. Must run!:)

[helios7]

Helloooooooo!!!!!! Any new moms out there? :D

I know everyone's probably busy with the holidays, but I wanted to ask if it is normal to still be sore 4 weeks into BF. I'm trying to figure out if DS' tongue-tiedness is causing me the constant soreness as he's "gnawing" more then the average baby, or if it's just something that's normal. Feeding is going well on the right (minus the soreness) but I've just put him back on the left after several weeks off and 2 infections. It's harder, and again not sure if it is me or if things still aren't healed.

I'm going to call the lactation consultant I worked with tomorrow to ask her, but thought I'd ask here too....

Hope everyone is doing well....

[tholbrook]

I'm here ... we're out in California right now visiting my dad. We flew out on Christmas Day - Maya's first big trip, and she did great. Since we've been here, she's been full of smiles for everyone, and has just been so cute! But being away from her familiar surroundings, we've had a heck of a time getting her to take her naps. She'll fall asleep but unless I'm laying down next to her, she'll only sleep for about 30 minutes a couple times a day. She is, however, sleeping for long stretches (4 hours) at night... I'm sure that's due to the lack of sleep during the day.
But we're having a good time. Tomorrow we head down the coast, with some stops to visit more family. I'm nervous about this part of the trip because Maya hasn't done so well in her car seat. We'll see... she might surprise us!

helious - no answers on the soreness, other than I know I was sore for a LONG time (or at least it certainly seemed that way) since Maya was tugging on me all the time. A visit to the lactation consultant definitely seems in order.

Hope everyone has been enjoying the holidays with your little ones!

Here's a few pictures of Maya - the first one was on the plane and the others here in CA (I think we must be up to 200+ pictures in just the 3 days we've been here!).

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/081225MommyHelpMe.jpghttp://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/081226PrettyGirl.jpghttp://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee70/turtlehouse/081226Cutie.jpg

[helios7]

tholbrook-

Thanks for the input. It's just so hard to know what's normal. I don't know that I can afford another LC visit, but I'm hoping a phone call (plus a discussion with DS's ped tomorrow about his tongue) will maybe help us out. I really want to BF, but I confess the thought of months and months feeling like this is depressing. But I'm taking it one day at a time.

Maya is adorable! Glad the trip went so well... 200 pictures sounds about right to me. :p

[Delanl]

I'm here! Its been a busy week. Kylie's 1st Christmas was really good, but unfortunately the cold that she and my MIL had made its way to me and I was pretty miserable on Christmas Eve and Day. I am starting to feel better though, just in time for work! :rolleyes:

Helios-I can't offer much advice, I was so lucky that Kylie had a great latch, so I only had the initial soreness, probably only lasted about a week. We had plenty of other issues though, reflux, etc. So I totally understand what your saying about the months ahead. I hope things get better for you. Hang in there!

Tholbrook--Maya is such a cutie! Glad your traveling is going well.

The kitchen we got for Kylie was a hit! She loves it and we sent pics to everyone, saying the she is the new cook in the house. :p My MIL is going to have a blast playing with her and the all the new toys this week. Hope everyone had a nice holiday!

Here is a pic of Kylie and her kitchen!

[SusanPC]

Glad to hear everyone is having a nice holiday!

Delanl--Adorable pic! Remind me how old Kylie is? One of my Dh's co-workers got Maddie a kitchen when she was born and I am wondering when she will be old enough for it.

Helios--If you haven't already, try posting to kellymom.com. They are really helpful for all sorts of BF questions.

tholbrook--Glad the plane flight went well. Maya is too cute! I hear you on the pics. And, I got DH a Flip video thingy for our anniversary in Dec so we've taken some videos too.

We had a nice Christmas. Maddie "made" ceramic mugs for daddy, and nanny and grandpa. They were a big hit. My DH got a wii so he's been in the depths of the basement since Christmas :o Maddie cut her first two teeth just before Christmas and is looking like crawling is in her near future. Her thing now is lying on the wood floor and pushing herself down the hallway. Here is a pic of her on Christmas day down at the park. First time in a swing...

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa43/Susie22312/18.jpg

[2HUNGRY!]

Susan -- We went to the park and tried the swing for the first time this weekend too. Ryan loved it! I saw your post about your mother -- my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Heather -- Sorry you're having a rough time. Four weeks does sound like a long time. Hopefully the pediatrician can help you. I know mine has a LC/nurse on staff. Hang in there.

Ryan's first Christmas was a lot of fun. I'm not sure he had any idea what was going on, but we had fun. The weather here was great all weekend and we took a lot of long walks and trips to the park.

[Couperine]

Helios - it sounds like your right side has adjusted fine; my guess is since you have had multiple infections in the left breast that it hasn't has the chance to toughen up a bit more. At your pedi visit, be sure to ask about it - it's fairly normal in DH's practice for moms to get help with bf'ing issues.

I'm glad so many people had a nice Christmas - David was as sick as I've ever seen one of my kids. He ran horrible fevers all day, and he was throwing up as well. We spent most of the day holding him inbetween baths to take his temperature down. His oxygenation level was a bit low, so we wound up needing to give him breathing treatments through the weekend. Overall a rough Christmas for him and the adults, but he's doing better now. To add insult to injury, I think he's cutting another tooth through the end of his illness.

He's starting to pull up now, and I think he might pass crawling on his knees in favor of walking - he can get anywhere he wants with commando crawling, and he spends alot of time doing straight leg moves. He's been sitting up unassisted for a couple of weeks now - it's been cool seeing these changes!

[Kerri]

Helios - I would say no, being that sore after this long is not normal, but I like Couperine's thoughts. I think a phone call with your LC and a discussion with your pediatrician should help answer your question.

We have been sick as well. Andy had a high fever, took him in and they couldn't find anything. Then my older son was sick. We took Andy in for his "well baby" visit and he had an ear infection. Older son still sick. The next week, Andy had another high fever and had an ear infection in the other ear. We just finished his round of antibiotibs, and I swear he is rubbing his ear again. Oh, and now I am sick. Yuck.

Christmas was pretty good though. I went against my earlier post and ended up getting Andy one of those ball poppers.

Andy rolls over pretty well in one direction, and I have seen him do it in other directions, but he doesn't do it all that often. It seems like he really wants to crawl or walk or anything, he just wants to get into it. He is pretty serious most of the time, so any smiles we get are a true gift. He saves his biggest laughs for his big brother though...which is cute.

Andy will be 7 months old next month and I will start weaning him. I don't really want to, but I just feel like he isn't getting enough from me. Plus, I really feel it messes with my hormones, and my husband is ready for that part of it to be over.

Susan - my thoughts are with your family.

[mabvt]

Glad to hear about everyone's holiday!
Also so much fun to see the photos.

I will have to post more later...Neal is in bed screaming right now. Lately going to bed has been a 2-3 hour ordeal. Basically we do the stories, rocking, bottle thing (and tonight a bath) and he goes to sleep. I put him in his crib. He sleeps for 10-20 minutes and wakes up crying. This process happens at least three times. Lately it's been 7-10. Any ideas what to do? Or book recommendations on sleep? Once he's down he sleeps for 8 hours or so. Which is fabulous.

Off to rock!

Melissa

[Megan James]

((((Helios)))) I feel for you! I went through something very similar with my daughter. We actually finally ended up doing occupational therapy (I guess her occupation was nursing!) and that helped some. I think at about 8 weeks we finally got her to use her tongue better but it took me a bit longer to heal after that. My ped. wrote a prescription for the occupational therapy, so insurance covered a lot of it but I still had to pay some.
I'd also recommend LaLeche League, sometime a leader can really help with the latch. They didn't really help me that much with the mechanics but the emotional support was great! I did nurse my daughter for well over a year and eventually it didn't hurt.

We had a great Christmas. Will was a good traveler, for the 600 miles each way trip. He was being very smiley and bubbly for most of the visit with my parents which was really nice. We had his 4 month appt yesterday, all is well but the shots nailed him again. He had a fever and was just cranky for 24 hours. The Dr said it's time for him to start sleeping better and I agree. So we are doing a little sleep training around here. Tonight he got put in his crib, crying of course, in the middle of dinner. It took about 10 minutes for him to fall asleep and then he slept for 2 hours. I felt surprisingly little guilt. We are also working on a "lovie" for him. I have both a really soft stuffed ape and a blanket that I try to have with us while he nurses and cuddles, then they go in the crib with him. Hopefully some of this works b/c I seriously have not slept more than 3 hours in a row (and that's a good stretch) since August.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kWtse7KkC6ZPiHpo2PXZhw?authkey=j_-qIDPN25M&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_vSbJg4pNmuM/SVp8Qau3LuI/AAAAAAAABCI/0gFI5QztvCw/s288/IMG_1550.JPG

[helios7]

Thanks for the support ladies.

Today was actually a better day in terms of BF, so hopefully we're on the upswing. I agree with Couperine's thought that perhaps it just needed to toughen up a bit more as today feeding on it felt better. The ped said his tongue was fine (if the LC leaned towards tongue-tied then the ped leaned away). I can't say I've gotten much "support" from her, but at least things seem to be on the upswing on their own. I actually find myself starting to enjoy feeding him now it's not hugely painful. Things are still a bit raw and sensitive but maybe that's just the way it is. :confused:

mabvt - when did you start a bedtime routine? I don't think DS is ready yet (one month) but am starting to think about it for the future.

Delanl - love the pic with the kitchen.

Susan - Maddie is so cute... love the swing picture. Can't believe she's so big already!

2Hungry - can't believe Ryan's on the swing too! How did these babies get so big so fast?

Megan, Kerri and Couperine - sorry to hear about the sick kids. I dread Quinn's first illness.... but it'll happen eventually and I'll get through just like you all have.

[oskie]

Delurking to second (third?) the recommendation for some lanolin for you, helios. I used Lansinoh after every feeding and any time I felt like I was getting chapped for at least the first few months.

It can be so hard to BF in the beginning, but it's so good for you and the baby and then one day you realize you've become a pro and all the early problems have disappeared!

Continuing my butting in :), some kids thrive on a bedtime routine from an early age, others (mine, grrr) thrive on doing everything they can to outsmart you and your ideas of a routine. Do whatever it takes to get the most amount of sleep for the greatest number of people in your family.