Hellobee Boards

@allison: so glad it didn't last too long ! Sounds like your hubby is a keeper. Don't beat yourself up over it ! You can't help it.

@Mrs Green Grass: Yay for Dylan, boo for termites! And your poor dog -what kind of surgery?

@coacheswife123: I typically block feed, too, so even though I pump both sides, I only get anything substantial out of one side (whatever side I didn't nurse from). But then do you feel like you're sheets giving LO the same breast? Like tonight, he ate exclusively from the left, so I pumped from the right. I drained the right, so now that he's up again, I'm giving him the left again. It's been two hours, so I'm sure the right's supply is back up, but for during the day when he doesn't go so long between feeds... Ugh, I really wish someone would write a start-up guide to breastfeeding!

@littlebug: yep I do exactly what you do and sometimes I feel like he is constantly on the same side !

I have found helpful info on kellymom.... But does anyone else think that site needs a makeover ?? I find it so difficult to navigate !

@jedeve: I know, they say you can't spoil a newborn, but in the back of my head all the time is my mom saying, "Either you raise them ior they raise you!" She has said it my whole life, so it's hard to turn that off!

@coacheswife123: I agree! I have used it, but it is definitely not user-friendly.

@Mrs Green Grass: so sorry about your god and the termites. You deserve some better luck lady. At least you won't have to worry about these things when Dylan comes home.

@coacheswife123: I totally agree with you on the kellymom site redesign. And the 2-3 hour increments, though it seems that just when we get into a routine she has a growth spurt and wants to eat every hour. Oh well, love her to pieces anyway.

As for pumping, Livy usually eats from both sides so I don't know that I'd have anything to pump after she nurses. I should probably put that to the greater HB readership.

And a vent....MIL is visiting for the weekend and hogs the baby. She hands over the baby as soon as she fusses and says she wants groceries. And then refers to me as groceries. I finished nursing her a while ago, let MIL hold her so I could take a shower and MIL starts bouncing her all around, LO spits up and MIL says its because I over fed her. How do you overfeed an EBF baby?! Ugh. She is driving me nuts!

@oliviaoblivia: Ugh, annoying. I had thought that living 1.5 hours from our family would prevent the unexpected drop-ins, but no. Our first weekend home, MIL called Hubs and said they were on their way, and were bringing our niece, who they were just having tested for mono! I was so furious. Especially because I wasn't feeling well and needed to take it easy. When they showed up and she asked how I was feeling, I told her not great and I needed to take it easy. She said, Oh, you overdid it, huh? See, you need to take care of yourself! it was all I could do not to say, then get out of my house! And then she got snitty with me when I wouldn't let our niece hold the baby!

I'm starting to feel frustrated. D has very few moments of happy awake time - if he's not attached to a nipple (either nursing or a paci), he's fussing, if not outright screaming. This usually is from about 7am till sometime around lunch, and then again in the evenings from about 7 until I put him down for bed (usually around 8:30 or so). In the hours between, he's only awake to nurse - he falls asleep between every feeding. It's incredibly frustrating, especially when I'm home with him during the day - I can't put him down at all. He doesn't really love his carrier (we have a Beco Gemini) yet, so I can't even babywear him to get stuff done. I just ordered a sling hoping that he'll like that more now while he's still tiny. But it really makes me feel like I am just not able to soothe him or understand his cues. I've tried giving him the gas drops, but I don't think that's the problem, cuz they don't really make a big difference in his mood/temperament. We're seeing the ped next week, so I'll definitely ask about it. Anyone else experiencing this? Have any suggestions?

@allison: D didn't cluster feed for quite that many hours, but it definitely got better this week (he was 3 weeks on Thurs). I just kept telling myself he's building my supply so that he won't need to do it soon. Hang in there!

@jedeve: Yeah, I don't necessarily think he's unhappy or in any pain. He just fusses, and if I let him go for a minute or two (like if I'm eating or peeing), he quickly escalates. I do agree that it's probably just that he doesn't know what to do with himself, but in the moment, sometimes it just makes me feel like a huge mom fail.

If any of you took a stool softener PP .... When did you stop ? I'll be 3 weeks pp tomorrow and still taking one daily and prob should stop but I'm scared !

@jedeve: oh honey I am so sorry. My first few days home I felt pretty underwhelmed about our new normal and really mourned the loss of our "old" life. I felt really selfish for doing that, too. But this is all just such a huge change. I think it's normal not to love these changes despite your love for LO. Things have gotten better for me and I know they will for you too. This newborn stage is something I am sure I will look back and miss but for now I'm kind of ready for the next stage. Just wanted to chime in and say you aren't alone and don't beat yourself up. I'm willing to bet we have all struggled to some degree with these feelings HUGS !

@coacheswife123: are you the one who's giving your LO probiotics? The pediatrician recommended we give them to L since he's on antibiotics. Do you just mix it in w a cold breastmilk bottle?

@jedeve: I'm sorry you're going through this. I hope your midwife is helpful.

I've been having mood swings too, and having those "trapped/tethered to the boob" moments as well. It is so hard.

@coacheswife123: the only ones they had at our pharmacy were a packet you mix w something cool. Where did you find drops?

@jedeve: I'm sorry you are having a rough go of it. It's totally normal. I've had a fairly easy transition, but still cry every few days at the enormity of this new responsibility. I'm sure your MW will help and you will feel happier soon. On the meantime, if you are feeling too stressed or overwhelmed we are all here to listen. My email is on our google group doc, if you'd like a more private ear. Hugs.

@jedeve: My LO is 6 weeks also and she still eats pretty much every 3 hours but we don't breastfeed so I am not sure it would be the same as your LO. I pretty much let her do what she wants the last couple days she naps for anywhere to 3 to 4.5 hours and then I let her eat what she wants, anywhere from 2 to 4 ounces. I was waking her during the day every 3 hours to eat. And if she falls back asleep I have been using her swing or carseat for her to nap in, she does not nap well in her crib. But who knows I fly by the seat of my pants on what works everyday! We just went to my parents house for 2 days and she slept in her pack n play in our room for the first time and she was only up twice at night, way better than what she was doing at home in her crib at night. So we are now letting her sleep in our room at home in the pack n play.

@coacheswife123: When LO's belly button thingy fell off the first time it had a little bump still underneath it that was wet looking and ivory yellowish in color. We swabbed it twice a day with alcohol per our Dr and it scabbed over. But the scab kept falling off and every time the lump under was just a bit smaller. No redness or oozing. At her last appointment they said it was an umbilical granuloma and they used silver nitrate to get rid of it and it was gone within a day or 2.

@jedeve: at 3 weeks J takes a 2.5 oz bottle each evening from his Daddy I pump another bottle when he takes his and pump a bag for the freezer each morning !

J has a clogged tear duct :(. Our pedi didn't seem concerned but it looks so yuck !

@dagret: do our babies have the same bday ??!!! Jan 21 ?