MW no i didnt get a nipple shield. Ive noticed that she is still able to latch on (she breastfed for about 25 mins just this morning), but its like she cooperates when she wants to!!!! But i think it is something im doing wrong, and im just trying to figure out what it is!!! Maybe i have her positioned incorrectly or something.

MW - Our pediatrician said that as long as they are latching well consistently, you can introduce a pacifier at any time. I tried it last night as we had a VERY rough night, but she wants nothing to do with it. I even tried two different kinds, she wouldn't take either of them. I was starting to think she was using me as a pacifier because she is constantly sucking as well. I tried to put her down around 9:00 last night. Around 9:45 she woke, wide awake and ready to play! All she wanted to do was feed ALL NIGHT LONG! I was getting frustrated because I knew my supply was most likely diminished and she wasn't getting enough. She would latch on for a few minutes then pull away screaming. Around 2:30 I finally got up and pulled out the one and only bottle I had pumped, warmed it up under some warm water and gave it to her in a bottle. She HATED the bottle at first, but then finally got the hang of it and drank it all, pretty much confirming she wasn't getting anything from me. She finally fell asleep then and woke 2 hours later and fed just fine and we got back to the 2 hour schedule. I sure hope tonight goes better as I don't have anymore pumped to give her because of the pumping issues I am having. We have a weight check tomorrow and I left a message with the doctor asking if I could see the lactation specialist at that appointment so hopefully I will be able to get some advice from her. I think I need smaller breast shields for the pump, but do you think I can find them? Olivia and I took our first shopping trip today and I went to Target and BRU looking for the small shield for the Medela PIS and neither of them carry the small! Apparently I'm the only one with small nipples!

Whew-I meant to finish replying 2 days ago and look how much more I missed!

I will do my best to get to all the personals...but no garantees!

New Mommies-
-Small nipple shield-Amazon.com. I bought one there...not too expensive.
-Out in public with newborns-I did the same thing DG did-baby sling all the way! It really makes a nice barrier from everyone around you and your LO's will feel much more comfortable.
-Pumping/Nursing-LC's are a huge help. I really didn't think they could do that much for me, but they really did in the early days. As for dimished supply during marathon nursing-I am sure it will catch back up within a few days. That's the great part about your body-it responds to what baby is asking for! If you really do find you are having trouble with your supply, Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle and various lactation blends can help alot.

Most of all, just hang in there! You and your babies are both learning how to do something new...it takes time! My only advice from experience is: if you plan to BF for a while, keep working on the latch before giving up. I say this with a tremendous amount of love and sympathy for your struggles because it has been hard from DAY 1 for us and I remember wanting to give up EVERYDAY during the first month (screaming/frantic baby all the time!). I now exclusively pump and while I am still committed to my decision to make it through his first year, it is SOOO hard exclusively pumping. Your supply is never as good (because the stimulation is not nearly as good as from baby) and as hard as it is to get things done now, just think about planning an extra 8-10 pumping sessions in everyday on top of feeding, playing, sleeping, etc. I wish that I had seen an LC again when I finally decided to give up trying to actually nurse (about 2 1/2 mos). I miss the closeness and it is a real pain pumping non-stop (not to mention my supply is TERRIBLE unless I work really hard at pumping). I don't mean to sound like I am pressuring anyone, I just wanted to share what it's like if you decide to exclusively pump. Like I said-nothing but love and sympathy for you ladies with new babies! Hang in there!

Okay-here is my best effort to respond to everyone else.

DG-I totally understand your frustration with DH and the CIO. Sometimes it is best (though I haven't really ventured that far with CIO) but DH did that one day while I was at work and I was very mad, too! It's hard enough for these LO's to be without mommy (especially during routines that they usually do with you) let alone making them cry it out!! Maybe she has turned a corner with the night-sleeping thing though, and then at least you can be glad you didn't have to be there for the crying!?

Ash-LOVE Noah's teeth! So cute!!

Erin-I hear you on the getting bigger thing. I feel sad too just thinking about how big my little man is already! Everyday he becomes more like a big person and while I love all the new adventures, I already miss the tiny baby days (though not the sleeplessness!).

K...that was the best my tiny, overloaded brain can remember. Work is going to be NUTS for the next 2 months and the last few days have lived up to the expecation! I will keep up as much as possible, but I am sure I will be a little more scarce these days!

James is doing GREAT! He had his first date with a younger woman the other night (my mom's friend's granddaughter) and he was a typical man: he ignored her! Then, when she cried, he looked at her like she was crazy! Love it! His tummy is feeling better, but I haven't started foods again yet...I am scared!

Can't think of anything else to report right now and James is needing a nap.

Have a great afternoon ladies!

Byrony, Ash, HWG--thanks for your thoughts on cio. I do think I'm going to try the crib again...no cio, but the crib in her own room. 5 straight hours of sleep was amazing!

I came on to tell everyone that I had an almost freakout just now. I set Piper in her crib for just a minute while I moved her diapers from the washer to the dryer (the washer/dryer are right outsider her door) and when I peeked over my shoulder, Piper was standing up, falling into the corner of her crib (she bonked her head, but seemed to be too amazed to cry)! Thank god I had the side rail all the way up. I can't believe she can pull herself up, but I tried it again with me right there and she pulled herself up to standing again!!

I love that she's growing up, but at the same time, it is SO bittersweet.

HWG, glad little James's tummy is feeling better! Love the date story--my best friend's baby is a little boy and they've already had a couple of "dates" too. I love that they are going to grow up together!! (And really, we didn't plan on being preggo together, but it's been great!!!)

Labby, try to keep on breastfeeding. You're doing great! Your body is still trying to catch up. The first 6 weeks I was stuck on a couch with a constant nurser. Seriously, my butt was so sore from somuch sitting (I have the hardest, oldest couch ever)!

MW, I wish Piper would have taken a pacifier. She never did, but the aforementioned best friend' baby (exactly one month younger than P) would bliss out on the pacifier...I was so jealous!!

Piper with her best friend:





Piper, so proud of herself for pulling up and standing on her own (we had to move the mattress down to the middle level tonight):

Cute Desertgirl!

Jasper slept for 8 hours last nighht, but Audrey was up midway thru, WIIL I EVER GET 8 HOURS OF SLEEP EVER AGAIN???

Awwww! She is so cute!!! Look at her standing like such a big girl!! I love her big proud smile too! ( Think that was enough !!! ? )

How was sleep last night?
( Noah would LOVE Horton behind his crib, it is by FAR his favorite movies followed by Ice age! ) He will watch Horton like 5 times in a row as if he has never seen it before! The colors maybe?


HWG- LOVED your explanation for James's date, sounds so funny! Have you tried sticking to certain foods for a week or 2 to try and pin point the culprit? I hear orange foods ( sweet potatoes, carrots and such are bad about constipation ) Have you talked to the ped about it? ( Sorry if I asked that before, my mind is everywhere lately! )

Ladies trying to improve supply, I hear oatmeal does wonders for it! They even have a recipe for cookies! I will look for it in a little bit an post it on here. LOTS AND LOTS of fluids as well!


AFU: Noah went down at about 7:30 cried for maybe 5 minutes and was passed out! He slept untill 2:20!! Almost 7 hours! I fed him and he was back down untill 4:45! and just woke up at 7am! Awesome night, still quite a bit of waking but so so much better!! He is really getting the hang of cruising around on his hands and knees and if I leave the room he gives a pretty good attempt at following before getting distracted by something else close by! All 4 of his teeth are now through and quite funny as he still has no top front teeth just the lateral incisors and two bottoms!

Anyway hello to everyone else hope you are all having a good day!

omg piper is so cute!!!

noah, thats great that noah slept better!!

gutter, glad jasper slept so well, sorry audrey was up again hopefully she will be feeling better soon and you will get some good sleep again.

julie slept 8 hours last night, 10:30-6:30!!!! it was awesome! i finally got some good sleep. poor girls got a terrible cold though hope that goes away soon, thankfully shes eating well again, she didnt want to eat a whole lot yesterday morning/early afternoon.

ok, kaydee is pulling me away from the computer making it very hard to type! LOL! ttyl!

I am so jealous of all of your little ones sleeping for so long. I would kill right now for just 2 hours in a row! Last night was another rough night and almost worse than the night before. She is fine all day long and as soon as bed time rolls around she wants nothing to do with it. I tried putting her down around 9:30 while she was awake (one book said to lay them down while they are still awake so they learn to fall asleep on their own without being rocked or fed). Well it went well for a little as she just laid there and stared at the mobile, but when that shut off after 20 minutes all hell broke loose. I would feed her, rock her, she'd fall asleep and I would put her in her crib. As soon as I crawled under the covers and closed my eyes she would start screaming bloody murder. I would let her cry for 5 minutes or so, then I was back to feeding and rocking. This continued ALL NIGHT LONG!! Finally around 4:00 she finally got quiet, only to wake at 5:30 again. She's asleep now and I so want to join her but I need to get showered and get ready to take her to the dr for her weight check. It's going to be a long day I'm afraid....

Any pointers from you veterans or is this just a phase we need to get through?

labby, its REALLY REALLY rough in the beginning, when they are confused about their days and nights, really all you can do is try and keep her awake more during the day, but still let her have some naps, and then wait it out. usually by a couple of weeks they know the difference and will sleep their longer stretches at night, but its hell when they are figuring it out.

Labby - Life with a newborn is a huge shock to the system. It certainly made me wish I'd spent more of my pregnancy resting!

Like Goon said, it's just because newborns have no concept of the difference between day and night and also because their little tummies are so small they have to feed so often. I remember when DD was newborn and hit her 6-week growth spurt. I had a run of about 3 nights where she was awake every 1.5 hours all night. It was exhausting.

I'd say things start to improve from 6-8 weeks onwards when they get a little more robust and become more accustomed to life outside the womb.

However, in my experience trying to keep DD awake during the day made no difference. It was as if her body clock was on its own schedule that was not affected by anything I did. If I remember rightly, she would sleep for a long stretch (2-3 hours) either early morning or late afternoon. Nothing kept her awake. Then, she would be restless most of the night. You can't win. The best thing you can do is grin and bear it in the knowledge that it won't last. Sleep whenever you get the chance. Sometimes a catnap of 30 mins can be all you need to perk you up a bit.

Good luck

Labby- How are you putting her down? Are you swaddling her at all? Noah would wake himself with arm movements and swaddling REALLY helped keep him asleep! Another thing to remember is breast milk is HIGHLY digestible which in return means they feed and are hungry again in less time than a formula fed baby and as her needs grow she is going to feed more often to make you produce more milk.

Labby, just remember, it will get better! We swear! Those first weeks are hellish on the sleep...I remember I would hate lying down for bed, just absolutely dread the night as it got darker and the hours rolled closer to bedtime, because I knew I'd be up in no time and feeling miserable.

I agree with everything Bryony said above. Around 6-8 weeks everything seemed to become much easier, or perhaps we mommies are finally adjusted at that point. Plus the babes really start getting a personality at that point, so everything is just that much more rewarding.

The growth spurts are hard too...I already have forgotten, but I seem to think Piper had growth spurts at 2-3 weeks, 5-6 weeks, and 10-11 weeks old. And maybe some more inbetween!!

Ash mentioned swaddling--that helps a ton of babies. Best friend's baby HAD to be swaddled, and swaddled tightly, to fall asleep. Piper, however, hated being swaddled, she would work herself into a frenzy until her arms and legs were free, and then would sleep all sprawled out!

There have been plenty of nights where I'm STILL up every 1-2 hours with Piper, but honestly, I feel nowhere near as miserable as I did the first couple of weeks. It's amazing what we can adjust to. It seems like most babies sleep better than Piper (and Noah too), so don't despair at our stories!!

Speaking of sleep, we put Piper down in her crib again last night. She woke crying at 1am (and of course, hubby did not hear her, so I had to go get her even though the deal was he was going to get her if she's in her room, plus my stupid back is still out), she nursed, went right back to sleep with me, and then woke at 4am, nursed, and went back to sleep again till we had to wake her at 6am. Not bad, not bad at all. I like her starting out in her crib, and then ending up with us ( I just love watching her wake up between me and hubby, giving us both huge smiles as she does her wake up stretches (and her morning farts, lol)).

Ash, great that Noah's getting some sleep too. Did you post a video of Noah crawling...when I'm home I need to go back and check it out.

Gutter, lol, hope you'll get more sleep soon! I don't mean to lol you, but I think you were really lucky getting 8 hours with Audrey for so long!! Do you think she could be getting molars or something now? I wonder why she's waking up in the middle of the night??

Goon, glad you're getting sleep, hope you're feeling restored! Oh, and I hope Julie's cold get better asap!

DG- Those wake up baby farts are the best huh?? Noah always wakes up and lets a few escape, and we all laugh!

I know how you feel about waking up to a happy smiling baby and it feeling so nice to all be in bed as a family, it is something I love as well but sleep is really winning this battle and putting Noah back in his own bed after feeding is what I am having to choose to do as he just sleeps so much better and so do I ( knock on wood! ) His bed is still in our room though so it is a bit easier to adjust for me. But we did the same as you as we started him off in his own bed at his first wake up move him back into our bed and it really helped with transitioning him to his own bed.

The video is a page back or so now but he is really moving even better! They learn so fast it is just crazy!

My husband and I are so excited about our upcoming baby. We saw all your pictures her and the kids were so adorable.

Well we're back from our first weight check and supply is DEFINITELY not a problem. They look for a gain of 1/2 an ounce a day. Her last weight was 6 days ago so they wanted her to have a gain of 3 ounces by today. She gained 13 1/2!!! My little 6lb 10oz peanut at birth now weighs 7lbs 2.5oz!

The LC wasn't a huge help but agreed the shield is most likely too small, even though she didn't even look at it to see the fit. I'm going to order the small size and see if it makes a difference.

As for the night issues, we usually start off swaddling, then remove it, then put it back on. She isn't swaddled during the day and does just fine. I have a hard time telling if she likes it or not. When she is swaddled and screaming it looks like she's trying with all her might to break out of it, but other times it does seem to calm her down. The nurse said that normally between 3 and 4 weeks they get it figured out and to just try to keep her awake as much as possible during the day which seems damn near impossible. Hopefully one of these days the little switch will flip inside her that says ok, it's night time, now I sleep! If only I could get her to take a pacifier maybe that would help...but she wants nothing to do with it!

labby, i went through the same thing with both my kids, thinking you will never sleep again. its rough. but believe me, as hard as it is to imagine, one day you will get to sleep again! they do figure it out, it just takes time (forever it seems lol). and also, neither of my kids would take a pacifier, and it does suck now, but you will be thankful the next time you see a 3 year old at the grocery store with a plug in his/her mouth LOL! heh, kaydee found one of the pacifiers we tried to give julie (tried...) and NOW she wants to suck on it, NO WAY! lol, shes almost 2!! i threw them all out.

Labby, great news!

Regarding the pumping: My breast shields are also too large for me. I did buy the smaller shields and they did not help at all (I got less milk using the smaller size), nor were they even more comfortable. I finally realized after 3 weeks of pumping with the suction up ALL the way that I got just as much with teh suction turned less than halfway down and wow, it actually didn't hurt (not really sure what this story has to do with anything, but turning the suction down sure did help my pumping experience).

My advice to you is to take it easy with pumping in these first few weeks! Just enjoy Olivia without having to pump (beyond what you need to go out to dinner or whatnot). Pumping is such a hassle, for me at least. I started to pump when P was 6 weeks old, and now I amost wish I had waited until I started work at 12 weeks. I was just so worried about building a stash. But between nursing and pumping, that was about all I did. Nurse, pump, clean the damn pump, nurse, pump, clean the pump, over and over again. I can't even say that it was worth it now.

Since you're nursing fulltime and pumping, don't expect too much from the pump. 2oz from each breast will be a HUGE amount at this time!

I just re-read my post, sorry for coming across as such a know-it-all! Advice, take it or leave...I'm not meaning to offend and you gotta do whatever is right for you!

Great news Labby!!! Sounds like you are doing and awesome job!! Well done!

Desertgirl, that is exactly how I feel. And I also have to make sure and pump around the clock. I start to get really engorged and uncomfortable if I go too long. But cleaning bottles, cleaning the parts to the pump can get to be a hassle. Im still haveing a little trouble breastfeeding, so I feel I have no other choice but to pump in order for her to get breastmilk. Im not quite ready to give up on breastfeeding altogether!!!

So, last night was a breath of fresh air!! I think I got a total of like 6 hours of sleep (broken sleep). I had to wake up periodically to make sure she was okay. But I actually feel really refreshed!! I know this may be short lived, so Im trying not to get too excited! LOL