Some news...

[bunique]

Some women will contract for hours but not dilate very far. Try telling them they're not in labour Your midwife was lucky you didn't thump her!

[midnight]

Know i don't post here much anymore but just wanted to share the news that my daughter Zoe Isabella was born last Friday, weighing 8lb5oz. She's perfect and doing great. After a 53hrs labour Mum has had some complications with acute mamitis and we're all in hospital (I've been using a wooden chair as my bed the last 3 nights), but hopefully discharged tomorrow and heading back home, this time for good.

It's been an intense but incredible 10 days since contractions started. Child birth really is something else.

All the best to Mrs Ed209, that sounds like right ordeal. Hope she is well enough to enjoy her daughter now.

Congratulations & all - only about 5 weeks until your daughter will smile at you.

[midnight]

I don't know how women cope with long painful labours.

Well, your last one may not have been long, but it sounds grim enough!

Sometimes I'm scratching my head and wondering: I have been pregnant, I have a child, but I don't know at all what labour feels like. I had an operation instead. Weird.

Willow has discovered smiles

Fab. And it gets even better, soon she'll be giggling.....

[feral chile]

Well, your last one may not have been long, but it sounds grim enough!

Sometimes I'm scratching my head and wondering: I have been pregnant, I have a child, but I don't know at all what labour feels like. I had an operation instead. Weird.

Fab. And it gets even better, soon she'll be giggling.....

giggling is amazing

[Katster]

Established labour - that's the term I was looking for

Well, she's 6 weeks old tomorrow and we are still breast feeding. The women at the breast feeding support group assured me if I can make it to 6 weeks it gets easier after that. She's fab on one side but the other is still quite painful I got some lansinhoh

[Katster]

...lanolin. But is there anything else that can help? It hurts while she's feeding but it's definitely not positioning that's the issue.

[bunique]

Tried rugby ball hold? Has she been checked for tongue tie, and you for thrush on that side, or blocked ducts? Are there any noticeable differences in her latch on the "good" side versus the "bad"? If it was intermittently painful then I'd say to unlatch and relatch each time, ensuring she has a mouth as wide as possible. But if it's always painful there may be something more going on with her latch. A lactation consultant would be able to observe and advise better. Having said that I have a friend who fed exclusively from one side for many months, if it gets unbearable!

[Katster]

I use rugby ball hold on the side that hurts as I find her too heavy to cradle hold with my left arm. She seems to have to suck a bit harder on that side so it could be blocked ducts - I also struggled to get much out when I tried expressing on that side (having said that I struggled to get anything out of both sides). A woman at work fed using just one side so I'm not too concerned but worry if anything goes wrong with the good side it could cause us issue. If she was tongue tied would it not be painful on both sides?? What are the symptoms of thrush? I'm at breast feeding clinic on Monday so will ask there. It gets worse when she's on a cluster feeding/growth spurt mission which I'm pretty sure has been happening past couple of days. It's not unbearable but it's painful enough to take me back to toe curling almost to the point of lurching off the sofa (at times). Lansinoh is fabulous stuff though, it feels better today already after just one use.

[bunique]

Latch is a funny thing, so it could potentially affect one side but not the other. Thrush would feel like a burning pain, and skin would be very red and painful to touch. If the Lansinoh is helping it may be more run of the mill irritation although I would still get her latch checked over. I used Lansinoh after every feed, regardless of discomfort, for the first 1-2 months, it is great stuff! Don't worth about expressing - it's never a good indicator of supply

[bunique]

Worry*

[Katster]

It's really weird cos this morning it feels fine again. It only really hurts when she does her cluster feeding in an evening.

She's six weeks old today and we are attempting to establish some sort of routine. We are still letting her decide the times but we are trying to teach her the difference between day and night and creating a bedtime and wake up routine. Wake up gone ok this morning, I managed to keep her awake and lively for about two hours, she's having a kip now. Need to try my best to keep her as active as possible during the day so that she's zonked at night. Any advice welcomed

[bunique]

Rough guide ^ sleep breeds sleep, so usual advice is to watch for her sleep signs (thousand yard stare, averting gaze, eye rubbing...) and start a short nap routine early before the wailing over-tiredness starts. Bedtime routine usually a slightly longer version of naptime. It's massive trial and error though!

[Katster]

She doesn't seem to overtire with 2 hours awake, beyond that we'd be pushing it and we haven't forced her to stay awake just coaxed her with toys and silly faces/noises. She's asleep at the moment but her dad is under strict instruction to be as daft and funny as possible at her next wake up before we get her bathed and ready for bed. Fingers crossed it works...I'd like for her to be in bed for around 8/9 but we will see what happens!

[Katster]

Success! Even after she was sick, poo'd on one vest and peed on another. No cluster feeding and we are sat down chilled together eating chocolate (me and Dan, Willow fast asleep in bed).

[Ed209]

Thanks everyone for the kind messages. We've been at home a few days now and we're settling in nicely. Mum doing much better and Zoe has as good as gold - long may it continue!

[Wooderson]

Congrats Eddie! We're sympatico on names mate. You've a Zoe Isabella - we've a Zoe Gabriela! Give Mrs my best mate. Ten days of surges is no joke. Well done to her.

[bunique]

I've started going off the name we chose months ago. I can see this baby remaining nameless for a few days upon arrival!

[feral chile]

My daughter did that. She had intended to call her second child Ella, then realised they'd be Sam 'n Ella.

[bunique]

Ha! Oh dear! One of my brothers didn't have a name for almost a week, so I'd be following in a grand tradition!

[Katster]

Whilst we always liked willow and it was our only girls name she was nameless for at least two days and even when we decided on willow we still questioned it for about a week lol. She couldn't be anything else now.

[Katster]

Last night she slept through (11.30-6.30) for first time!! Couldn't believe it?! Fingers crossed she does the same again tonight!

[Katster]

Meanwhile our nine month slept for about 2 hours max Me and my wife where like the walking dead today

The longest Willow had done at night before last night was 4 hours. I felt so weird this morning, so not used to sleeping for so long all at once.

I hope your little one does better for you tonight.

[Katster]

She did quite well last night again when it was just me as dad went out wetting her head. She did 8.30-12 then 1-5.30.

I've been expressing today as its my friends Christmas party next weekend and I'm going to try to have the night off. It will be the first time I've been away from her for any longer than a couple of hours since she was born.

My friend only lives down the road and I am driving. I can soon get home if it all goes horribly wrong lol. I'm confident it won't though - daddy gave her a bottle earlier today and while she was confused and frustrated at first, she took it eventually. Clever girl.

[bunique]

I remember nipping across the road for the first time without baby (as in, you could see our flat from the front door of the pub) to watch a six nations game, so she was about 8 weeks old, my mum was minding her. I lasted about an hour! Someone said "you're missing baby aren't you?" and when I asked why they thought that, they said "You're swaying side to side!" Amazing how quickly you fall into the habit!

Edited December 7, 2014 by bunique

[Katster]

I think none breastfeeding couples find it hard to understand the extra pressure on breastfeeding couples. nights off for mum aren't quite as simple as just knocking up a bottle. both ours wouldn't take the bottle so it was very hard for my wife to have nights off and was hard for me as I wanted to do more but it was hard if they won't feed from you.

Even if they will take a bottle you worry about them getting used to it and them not wanting to keep breastfeeding lol

Indeed. I'd like her to accept the bottle with less fuss, but I don't want her to get too used to it and struggle with the breast. Basically, nights away from her will be few and far between for me but I don't mind, I take her most places with me and she's very little hassle.

Bunique that is such a cute story and whilst I'm looking forward to Saturday I know I will be exactly like that myself