I've had an interesting week.... The queens birthday Monday public holiday took on a new meaning... I had a dramatic start to labour in childbirworthy of a Swan/ Eagle fic... lol... Cut a long story short... Tuesday 12th June at 1.54am number 5 in our family arrived into the world. My son Maxwell James was born. We are settling in as much you can with a newborn baby and busy household.

Congratulations and best wishes!

Congratulations Ebony! Number five, eh ? You now have your own Science Ninja Team!

Congratulations!!!! After coping with twins, a little boy will be a breeze in comparison.... Good luck and best wishes to you and your extended family.

That's wonderful Ebony! Congrats! All the best!

Congratulations! Wishing you all the rest and luck and pleasant quiet moments you can get! ^_^

Congratulations! Best wishes to you and your brood.

Congratulations. Now, how long do you think it'll be before you can have a full night's sleep again?

Hola Ebony, Congratulations!!!! Those are fantastic news. Hope by now you are fully recovered and enjoying the new member of the family. I'm glad everything turned up well.

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Many many congratulations ES!!!

Congrats on the new arrival! And lots of luck getting sleep... I remember those days not so fondly, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that he learns to sleep through the night FAST!! <3

I tried to breast feed my son, but I got that infection - can't remember the name of it. Poor kid would have starved to death if there was no formula available.

Originally posted by Becky Rock I tried to breast feed my son, but I got that infection - can't remember the name of it. Poor kid would have starved to death if there was no formula available.

Mastitis?

Yes! It's nasty.

Originally posted by Redbird

Originally posted by Becky Rock I tried to breast feed my son, but I got that infection - can't remember the name of it. Poor kid would have starved to death if there was no formula available.

Mastitis?

I've fended Mastitis off twice in the last two weeks, I had the start of it with blocked ducts and had to do the massaging etc to clear it out for 24 hours. (That hurts! Try massaging a bruise.) Yes it is nasty if you end up with it. I have probiotics that help keep infections at bay. Its getting better now and breastfeeding is becoming more established some of the pain easing. But I can see why many women give it up early and go for bottles!

Does the old cabbage leaf trick work for mastitis? Or is that for something else?

The OB/GYN didn't say anything about trying massage. Wish I'd known about that.

I don't know why women give up on breastfeeding so soon. I know 2 friends who tried but their babies just wanted nothing to do with it. I guess there isn't much you can do about that Me personally, I never wanted to try it. I know it's better for them, but I didn't feel comfortable with the idea... I had a friend who had a baby a few months before me and, as I watched her, I felt really uncomfortable. I didn't like the idea of just whipping my boob out whenever and wherever and I hated the idea of having my kid latched on to me all the time, the leakage, pumping so that my hubby could take over once in a while, not knowing how much he was getting because boobs aren't see through and graduated... In fact, soon after my first was born, there was a local woman who got arrested because her baby died from not getting enough to eat (she had some sort of issue I guess) and that was my argument, that boobs aren't see through and graduated, so how do you know? Besides, what the hell was wrong with the doc? They couldn't tell the baby wasn't thriving?! It was crazy... But that's just me... Some women want to breast feed, enjoy the closeness and are okay with doing it in public. I'm all for it if you can do it and you're comfortable with it because it is better for them. Besides, I wanted to go back to my coffee drinking and eating bad things, having the occasional drink, so... yeah, didn't need a drunk and hyper baby

I bet the mother whose baby died had mastitis. In my case, hardly nothing was coming out. After trying to pump for 30 minutes and getting maybe 1 ounce, I called the doc. I'd had a fever after delivery and he felt that was actually the start of it vice just a semi-normal reaction to giving birth. But as you said, she and her doctor should have noticed the baby wasn't thriving.

Originally posted by GrumpyGhostOwl Does the old cabbage leaf trick work for mastitis? Or is that for something else?

I've heard of it, but didn't do it. Nothing actually backs up that it does anything really. Though the coolness of the leaf could ease pain. A hot water bottle eases it, brings on the flow, and massaging the ducts. (Put the baby on the infected side even if its hurts, babies suckling is better than pumping machines, they have a different suction two way that drains it out better.) My DH was a dairy farmer in his youth, and had to deal with it all the time in livestock. He has a good knowledge in lactation. He taught me the best way deal with it before it becomes an infection. (That's what mastitis is. That's handy to have around!) He also pointed out to do that massaging regularly so it doesn't block up. He's in IT but a farm education comes in handy! lol DH has been helpful in my son's refusal in the first week. We worked out the problem, and he's learning how to latch properly. I supplemented with formula until my milk came in. Takes 4 days with me, and until it caught up to demand in the first week. Now I have some frozen as well. So he has a supply for lower milk days. I had concerns being in my late 40s that I would have less than younger mothers. Not so it appears. You can build up the milk, but it means feeding more often at first. Its what I did with twins, and mostly they got breastmilk for the first 7 months, and this time too with one baby. I'm almost past the hardest stage. He's 5 weeks old and learning how to latch on properly. Takes a baby a while to get it right every feed. DH will do a bottle with him at times for 5am feed to give me a break, but still have to express 2 hours later if I do that.

That is one handy hubby!