Message for Kiwiswipers

Congratulations! Wow beautiful name! You did a Great job, Another successfull vbac!

yeeey, congratulations Kiwispiers! I hope both of you are doing fine. I wish you nice bonding days and loads of milk! ;) x LOL you got your wish, my milk came in last night big time, off to buy some cabbage leaves today :)!!! its a girl-KW, we called her Eva Jane, little Evie was born by VBAC with no epidural and I can certainly say that was a lot more intense than the scheduled CS I had with DS, poor DH is still traumatised just from watching! :).

Congratulations KW!!!

MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS kiwispiers! is it a boy-kiwi or a girl-kiwi? xxx

yeeey, congratulations Kiwispiers! I hope both of you are doing fine. I wish you nice bonding days and loads of milk! ;) x

oh wow congrats Kiwispiers!!! Hope u and baby r doing well!

Hi Kiwiswipers I wish I had seen your message earlier. My LO is a month and for the first two weeks was exclusively breast fed and was putting on weight but family decided as he was not sleeping for longer than an hour or two and was only feeding for a little while before falling asleep that he was being straved and because like you I didn't need breast pads it was decided I didn't have enough milk and I was pressured into supplimenting his feeds with formula (can't tell you how that felt). Anyway family departed last week and I have been cutting out his formula feeds as I have noticced he is getting confused with the nipple and bottle and spoke to the Pead yesterday who said baby is now just over 4kg and seems fine and that it shouldn't be a problem. Today is the first day that he is EBF again and my question is that he is only feeding for about 30mins before going to sleep and then waking up again, he does this a few times and then lets go of the nipple himself.Does this mean he is done? Also I have noticed that he crys and wriggles around when he is dirtying his nappy and will then howl even when i am changing him. Is this normal? Pead checked him yesterday and he doesn't have nappy rash, but could there be another reason? I would really appreciate any advice. TIA I just gave birth this morning, so probably won't be online much for a while, but just to say, they all hate nappy changes, not because it hurts but because they hate being naked and exposed (instinctively). If you keep the arms swaddled or pushed to the chest during the change it helps a lot. Get an LC to help with the breastfeeding, and keep an eye on the weight. Try not to discuss breastfeeding at all with he unsupportive family members, its easier to change the subject than argue about it.

Hello there, I have recently (1 week ago) moved to Dubai (Exec towers) and would love any advice on breastfeeding in public. I have been told that it is not accepted in public and can only be done in the mom and baby bathrooms. Does this include being covered? Would love to chat to anyone in the same area. Still new to EW so getting to know all the in's and out's :) Not sure who gave you that info but it is so far from the truth! I breastfed both my DD's in public, almost anywhere, and no one batted an eye-lid! Don't make an issue out of it and no one will even know ;)

Its really hard to say, because women have such variation in regards to breastfeeding and pumping. I bought a manual pump and found it next to useless but I have a slower letdown and don't respond well to any pump. I then bought a Medela swing and it was useful at times but in retrospect I would have bought a secondhand double pump, even though I rarely pumped anyway, because it would have been such a time saver and when you have a baby your time becomes a precious thing. It might turn out that you have a great letdown for the pump (basically letdown is when your breasts get the message that they need to give up the goods and your milk is ejected, before letdown you might get a small amount of milk dripping out into the pump but of you letdown properly then suddenly it comes out very quickly). I guess I would suggest that you maybe hold off on the pump purchase, so many things change after the birth. Its generally best not to give EBM by bottle until breastfeeding is well established (first 6 weeks or so) as it can be confusing for a newborn learning how to suckle vs feeding from a bottle. There are cases though when a baby is having such a hard time feeding that they are not taking enough and in order to keep up weight gain and stimulate supply a mum needs to pump, a hospital grade pump can often be rented for this purpose depending on where you are giving birth. As far as nightfeeding and when out and about, its personal choice but I know that a lot of mums-to-be feel very shy and nervous about breastfeeding in public and then find, once they actually have the baby, they disconnect somewhat from their breasts, and really just see them as tools to feed their baby, losing a lot of self consciousness in the process, I know it was like that for me although in the ned my baby was too easily distracted and i often popped into shop changing rooms etc in order to get him to feed. I think most societies are fairly accepting of breastfeeding publicly, and doing so also helps normalise public breastfeeding, making it so much easier for other mums to EBF without feeling like they have to shut themselves away. so its a great thing to do if you feel comfortable. I also personally found it far easier to nightfeed directly than to go to the effort to pump a bottle, but again that will depend on a lot of factors including how easy it is for you to pump, whether you are sleeping with your baby in your room (I kept my baby right beside my bed so all I had to do was lean over and pick him up, change his nappy on my lap and pop him straight back into his bed), in which case you probably will wake up anyway, and how easily you and your baby fall back to sleep after a feed. Sorry if thats more confusing than helpful, pumps are expensive but probably every breastfeeding mother would find it useful to either borrow one (you can buy your own new tubing and end attachments fairly cheaply) or buy one but just how useful will vary so much depending on each mother. You don't need to buy a bottle warmer, the easiest way to heat EBM is to put it in a bottle and then put that bottle in a bowl of hot water, swirling it from time to time to make sure its heated evenly. You can actually give it at room temp or even straight from the fridge but you might like to keep a thermos of hot water in your room at night as its useful not only for bottle warming but also for nappy changes if you are avoiding using wipes at the newborn stage. Some babies only want to take one breast per feed, others like to drain both, it will take a while to figure out what your baby needs and its best to offer both and see what your baby has to say about it. If it turns out one breast is enough then you can certainly pump from the other, otherwise you can pump leftovers at the end of each feed and stockpile them for when you need to to give a bottle. Generally your baby is better at getting the milk out than the pump, so you may not be able to pump enough for a feed in one sitting. It actually very unlikely that you will not be capable of making enough milk, but it is common to have latching issues (your baby sucks but not quite as effectively as they could, so they don't get enough milk out, or they do get enough milk, but it hurts your nipples in the process). I think you can be proactive about this by finding a well qualified LC (look for one that has the letters IBCLC, it means they are board certified and have clocked up a required number of hours of experience etc) before your baby is born, signing up for a lactation class (good to do this with either your husband or your mother/support person so that they can help you post birth by reminding you of things and providing encouragement. Major health organisations recommend feeding on-cue, which means watching your baby for signs of hunger/wanting to nurse and feeding them then, rather than deciding when their feds will be based on a clock. Some newborns can be a bit sleepy though, especially if you end up needing a medicated birth, or they have a bit of jaundice. So offering them the breast 8-10 times in a 24 hour period is a good way to help ensure they are getting enough to eat. Some key points to remember about breastfeeding are that the best way to build supply is to breastfeed exclusively, any formula you give will have a negative impact on your supply as your baby will be less hungry and will spend less time sucking on you, in return your body will assume they need less milk. Most new mums actually make more milk than their baby needs, and then over time, as they feed to demand, their body figures out the right amount to make. initially as your breasts become overfull they can feel hard and heavy before a ffed, even really uncomfortable at times but after the first 8-12 weeks things tend to settle down and they start to feel soft again, and if (like me) you are a tummy sleeper you can happily do so again some mums freak out that the softness means they don't have enough milk and some babies react to the often slower letdown that results by preferring the bottle, if they have been getting both, this is known as nipple preference, and can happen at any stage although a lot of babies are quite happy to take either. Other things I wish I'd known is that some women feel a tingly feeling when they letdown, but many others (like me) feel nothing at all, and that's quite normal, some women leak even squirt, many others (like me) never need use breastpads, and that's quite normal, some babies feed every 3 hours, other prefer to take frequent small snacks, and thats quite normal. Some women can pump a lot, others (like me) can pump for an hour and only get 10mL, and thats quite normal, pumping is not a good indicator of how much your baby is getting directly. Wet nappies and weight gain are the only ways to really tell. My baby gained a higher than average amount, and yet because I didn't know these things, I was anxious about my supply so its really good to do your research/do a class and get hands on help from a trained LC, who can physically show you how to do things and help dispell the many myths and wives tales that breastfeeding mums are faced with. I never formula-fed, but I would think you don't need to cart formula back home with you, chance are you won't need it at all and although some babies seem to suffer digestive upset temporarily when switching formulas there is no reason why switching brands should be harmful. An excellent website for any mother who wishes to breastfeed is http://kellymom.com/category/pregnancy/bf-prep/ there is pretty much no question you could have that hasn't been answered there, from breastfeeding safe medications to pumping and storing breastmilk to dealing with nursing strikes and supply issues. Its all really well researched and indexed. for tips on pumping and storing milk; http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/pumping_decrease/ http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/milkstorage/ HTH, breastfeeding was tough for me at the start, and there were times I really wanted to give up, I doubted my supply, dealt with painful nipples, engorgement, a nursing strike and even an abscess and yet ultimately it was such a positive experience overall, I'm so glad I had the support of friends, family an EW to get me through it and I wish the same for you. Hi Kiwiswipers I wish I had seen your message earlier. My LO is a month and for the first two weeks was exclusively breast fed and was putting on weight but family decided as he was not sleeping for longer than an hour or two and was only feeding for a little while before falling asleep that he was being straved and because like you I didn't need breast pads it was decided I didn't have enough milk and I was pressured into supplimenting his feeds with formula (can't tell you how that felt). Anyway family departed last week and I have been cutting out his formula feeds as I have noticced he is getting confused with the nipple and bottle and spoke to the Pead yesterday who said baby is now just over 4kg and seems fine and that it shouldn't be a problem. Today is the first day that he is EBF again and my question is that he is only feeding for about 30mins before going to sleep and then waking up again, he does this a few times and then lets go of the nipple himself.Does this mean he is done? Also I have noticed that he crys and wriggles around when he is dirtying his nappy and will then howl even when i am changing him. Is this normal? Pead checked him yesterday and he doesn't have nappy rash, but could there be another reason? I would really appreciate any advice. TIA

Hello there, I have recently (1 week ago) moved to Dubai (Exec towers) and would love any advice on breastfeeding in public. I have been told that it is not accepted in public and can only be done in the mom and baby bathrooms. Does this include being covered? Would love to chat to anyone in the same area. Still new to EW so getting to know all the in's and out's :) Hello there! I live in Executive Towers and have a 7 month old baby girl. I am also breastfeeding and have never had any issues here at all. How old is your LO? X

totally not true, I'm not in dubai but I know lots of people (including muslims) who breastfeed publicly there even without covers. There is a group "Breastfeeding Q&A dubai and UAE" which you can join on facebook and get lots of info on this, including a list of breastfeeding rooms if you'd prefer not to do it in public.

Hello there, I have recently (1 week ago) moved to Dubai (Exec towers) and would love any advice on breastfeeding in public. I have been told that it is not accepted in public and can only be done in the mom and baby bathrooms. Does this include being covered? Would love to chat to anyone in the same area. Still new to EW so getting to know all the in's and out's :)

I did it the other way, because my guy woke up hungry and would not have been impressed if I'd faffed around changing his nappy first, and also because as a newborn, he generally did a poo right after a feed. Once he stopped pooing at night I didn't change him at all, just fed and re-swaddled. I don't think a wet nappy ever bothered him. Your new arrival may not cry at night, my guy never did, (he was next to my bed and I always woke up and the "eh eh eh" stage, well before he got to the point of crying for a feed) am thinking statistically that probably means I'll get a howler this time! good luck for number two, I took my toddler on the trampolines at circusland today and I swear the staff looked petrified I was going to give birth then and there but hopefully she'll stay put until after my mum arrives on wednesday.

I did it the other way, because my guy woke up hungry and would not have been impressed if I'd faffed around changing his nappy first, and also because as a newborn, he generally did a poo right after a feed. Once he stopped pooing at night I didn't change him at all, just fed and re-swaddled. I don't think a wet nappy ever bothered him. Your new arrival may not cry at night, my guy never did, (he was next to my bed and I always woke up and the "eh eh eh" stage, well before he got to the point of crying for a feed) am thinking statistically that probably means I'll get a howler this time! good luck for number two, I took my toddler on the trampolines at circusland today and I swear the staff looked petrified I was going to give birth then and there but hopefully she'll stay put until after my mum arrives on wednesday.

Hi Kiwispiers, you've always been an absolute wealth of knowledge and our babes (both nos 1 and 2) have been/are just a few weeks apart. I hope that you don't mind me jumping on this thread but I wanted to ask you a question which sounds daft, considering that I am soon to be a second time Mum, but at what stage do you change babe's nappy? With no. 1 I always changed her nappy as soon as she woke (to much howling!) then bfed her and put her down to sleep. Do you do this any other way? DD#1 sleeps like a dream but is sensitive to noise and I'm concerned that once her little sister arrives she'll be woken up by all the howling at night and then I'll have two howlers on my hands to deal with. Any thoughts? I hope that your pregnancy is going well. TIA

Got them, thanks! :-)

ladies you should all now have mail :) room-sharing is recommended and if you take steps to ensure safety then co-sleeping isn't risky. I personally feel like its more natural for babies to sleep near their mothers, I stopped co-sleeping when my son hit 9/10 months as he was getting too restless in the night and he actually slept better in his own room but I still wake in the night even now (he's two) and miss him, and I worry about a fire or other emergency and not being able to get to him.

Thanks Kiwispiers. :-) With this description, it will definitely be easier to look for. Actually I thought it was a powder, but I prefer liquids as well. Yess.. sleeping solution. I remember now. I knew I'll have some issues with that. :-) I used to be so much against co-sleeping. In one hand because of missing hubby's cuddle before falling to sleep on the other hand I thought it is dangerous to sleep with babies. (risk of SIDS) As I was reading more and more about co-sleeping, it turned out that actually it reduces the risk of SIDS and I kind of like sleeping with my daughter now, although I do miss hubby's cuddle and the other part of me still believes that baby should be sleeping in her own bed. So I'm looking forward to reading that book. I haven't received it yet, but I guess it's just matter of time till it leaves your outbox. Thank you again! xx

Could you please also send me the info <em>edited by sadafs on 14/09/2012</em>

thanks ladies :) :) labrador the liquid I buy is Carrefour own brand, clear plastic 3L with a pale blue lid and label, there is no english on it, on the front it says [i'>"lessive liquide", "sans parfum-sans-colourant-sans enzymes" [/i'> which translated means "no perfumes, no colours, no enzymes (non bio)". They also sell it as a powder but the liquid should be less irritant. I have noticed it comes in sporadically, and I tend to stock up when I see it so it may just be out of stock at the moment, keep looking each week (look with the fabric conditioners as they sometimes mis-shelve it, but don't buy the fabric conditioner version) and hoard it when you see it, it would be really unusual (probably a first) to be able to get something in Doha and not in Dubai, usually its the other way around! I have sent you an email with a pdf of a book "the no cry sleep solution" which is basically an attachment parenting compatible approach to "sleep training", basically how to establish good sleep associations or gently break ones that have become problematic, without resorting to crying based techniques. I also sent you the WHO growth charts for boys and girls which is what your baby's weight SHOULD be charted on regardless of whether you breastfeed, formula feed or mix feed. Many UAE/Doha Drs still use the old CDC charts despite even the CDC advising otherwise and so many mothers are told their baby's weight gain is low when in fact its normal. I also attached info on introducing solids and latest advice on meat as a first food. That should keep you busy! (btw for some reason my email is down so its put the message in my outbox to try and send later, so you may not get it until tomorrow) xx

Absolutely "like" :-) Sorry to hijack this thread, but I would have some questions from Kiwispiers if you don't mind. What is the name of that Carrefour non-bio washing powder you're using? I looked everywhere and I couldn't find it. Maybe it is only available in Doha and not Dubai? Also, I remember you were sending some good material to other EW and as I was only pregnant then, I thought I will ask you to send me when I have my baby. I don't remember now what it was.. do you? :-) Would you please send it to me as well? eperjesyatyahoodotcom Thanks!!! The organic shop in Dubai mall has a good range of organic bio washing products

Absolutely "like" :-) Sorry to hijack this thread, but I would have some questions from Kiwispiers if you don't mind. What is the name of that Carrefour non-bio washing powder you're using? I looked everywhere and I couldn't find it. Maybe it is only available in Doha and not Dubai? Also, I remember you were sending some good material to other EW and as I was only pregnant then, I thought I will ask you to send me when I have my baby. I don't remember now what it was.. do you? :-) Would you please send it to me as well? Thanks!!! <em>edited by labrador on 14/09/2012</em>

"like" :) yes, thank u kiwispiers! God bless

I wish there was a "like" button on this forum. Kudos Kiwiswipers for some great advice.

take a nursing pillow on the plane, your baby will most likely just feed and sleep the whole way and the nursing pillow (or just a regular tri pillow) makes it really easy for your to support them without getting sore arms, There are inflatable travel versions but I just took a regular one. again I think breastfeeding rather than bottlefeeding EBM is usually easier, no issues with temperature, no wastage, no sterilising etc etc. I have never had anyone bat an eye when breastfeeding on a plane, just drape a scarf over one shoulder and sit next to the window. You absolutely need to sleep [b'>whenever[/b'> your baby sleeps which means napping throughout the day, easy to say, harder to do, as you feel obliged to socialise but its so important you get every scrap of sleep you can, both for your own mental state and also for your body to recover and make milk.

oh and there is a list of breastfeeding support in the UAE here http://www.expatwoman.com/dubai/monthly_pregnancy_babies_Breastfeeding_Support_In_Dubai_8935.aspx and a couple of facebook groups Breastfeeding Q&A Dubai UAE and Breastfeeding Mums in Dubai which are another great source of info/experiences from other breastfeeding mums.

Its really hard to say, because women have such variation in regards to breastfeeding and pumping. I bought a manual pump and found it next to useless but I have a slower letdown and don't respond well to any pump. I then bought a Medela swing and it was useful at times but in retrospect I would have bought a secondhand double pump, even though I rarely pumped anyway, because it would have been such a time saver and when you have a baby your time becomes a precious thing. It might turn out that you have a great letdown for the pump (basically letdown is when your breasts get the message that they need to give up the goods and your milk is ejected, before letdown you might get a small amount of milk dripping out into the pump but of you letdown properly then suddenly it comes out very quickly). I guess I would suggest that you maybe hold off on the pump purchase, so many things change after the birth. Its generally best not to give EBM by bottle until breastfeeding is well established (first 6 weeks or so) as it can be confusing for a newborn learning how to suckle vs feeding from a bottle. There are cases though when a baby is having such a hard time feeding that they are not taking enough and in order to keep up weight gain and stimulate supply a mum needs to pump, a hospital grade pump can often be rented for this purpose depending on where you are giving birth. As far as nightfeeding and when out and about, its personal choice but I know that a lot of mums-to-be feel very shy and nervous about breastfeeding in public and then find, once they actually have the baby, they disconnect somewhat from their breasts, and really just see them as tools to feed their baby, losing a lot of self consciousness in the process, I know it was like that for me although in the ned my baby was too easily distracted and i often popped into shop changing rooms etc in order to get him to feed. I think most societies are fairly accepting of breastfeeding publicly, and doing so also helps normalise public breastfeeding, making it so much easier for other mums to EBF without feeling like they have to shut themselves away. so its a great thing to do if you feel comfortable. I also personally found it far easier to nightfeed directly than to go to the effort to pump a bottle, but again that will depend on a lot of factors including how easy it is for you to pump, whether you are sleeping with your baby in your room (I kept my baby right beside my bed so all I had to do was lean over and pick him up, change his nappy on my lap and pop him straight back into his bed), in which case you probably will wake up anyway, and how easily you and your baby fall back to sleep after a feed. Sorry if thats more confusing than helpful, pumps are expensive but probably every breastfeeding mother would find it useful to either borrow one (you can buy your own new tubing and end attachments fairly cheaply) or buy one but just how useful will vary so much depending on each mother. You don't need to buy a bottle warmer, the easiest way to heat EBM is to put it in a bottle and then put that bottle in a bowl of hot water, swirling it from time to time to make sure its heated evenly. You can actually give it at room temp or even straight from the fridge but you might like to keep a thermos of hot water in your room at night as its useful not only for bottle warming but also for nappy changes if you are avoiding using wipes at the newborn stage. Some babies only want to take one breast per feed, others like to drain both, it will take a while to figure out what your baby needs and its best to offer both and see what your baby has to say about it. If it turns out one breast is enough then you can certainly pump from the other, otherwise you can pump leftovers at the end of each feed and stockpile them for when you need to to give a bottle. Generally your baby is better at getting the milk out than the pump, so you may not be able to pump enough for a feed in one sitting. It actually very unlikely that you will not be capable of making enough milk, but it is common to have latching issues (your baby sucks but not quite as effectively as they could, so they don't get enough milk out, or they do get enough milk, but it hurts your nipples in the process). I think you can be proactive about this by finding a well qualified LC (look for one that has the letters IBCLC, it means they are board certified and have clocked up a required number of hours of experience etc) before your baby is born, signing up for a lactation class (good to do this with either your husband or your mother/support person so that they can help you post birth by reminding you of things and providing encouragement. Major health organisations recommend feeding on-cue, which means watching your baby for signs of hunger/wanting to nurse and feeding them then, rather than deciding when their feds will be based on a clock. Some newborns can be a bit sleepy though, especially if you end up needing a medicated birth, or they have a bit of jaundice. So offering them the breast 8-10 times in a 24 hour period is a good way to help ensure they are getting enough to eat. Some key points to remember about breastfeeding are that the best way to build supply is to breastfeed exclusively, any formula you give will have a negative impact on your supply as your baby will be less hungry and will spend less time sucking on you, in return your body will assume they need less milk. Most new mums actually make more milk than their baby needs, and then over time, as they feed to demand, their body figures out the right amount to make. initially as your breasts become overfull they can feel hard and heavy before a ffed, even really uncomfortable at times but after the first 8-12 weeks things tend to settle down and they start to feel soft again, and if (like me) you are a tummy sleeper you can happily do so again some mums freak out that the softness means they don't have enough milk and some babies react to the often slower letdown that results by preferring the bottle, if they have been getting both, this is known as nipple preference, and can happen at any stage although a lot of babies are quite happy to take either. Other things I wish I'd known is that some women feel a tingly feeling when they letdown, but many others (like me) feel nothing at all, and that's quite normal, some women leak even squirt, many others (like me) never need use breastpads, and that's quite normal, some babies feed every 3 hours, other prefer to take frequent small snacks, and thats quite normal. Some women can pump a lot, others (like me) can pump for an hour and only get 10mL, and thats quite normal, pumping is not a good indicator of how much your baby is getting directly. Wet nappies and weight gain are the only ways to really tell. My baby gained a higher than average amount, and yet because I didn't know these things, I was anxious about my supply so its really good to do your research/do a class and get hands on help from a trained LC, who can physically show you how to do things and help dispell the many myths and wives tales that breastfeeding mums are faced with. I never formula-fed, but I would think you don't need to cart formula back home with you, chance are you won't need it at all and although some babies seem to suffer digestive upset temporarily when switching formulas there is no reason why switching brands should be harmful. An excellent website for any mother who wishes to breastfeed is http://kellymom.com/category/pregnancy/bf-prep/ there is pretty much no question you could have that hasn't been answered there, from breastfeeding safe medications to pumping and storing breastmilk to dealing with nursing strikes and supply issues. Its all really well researched and indexed. for tips on pumping and storing milk; http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/pumping_decrease/ http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/milkstorage/ HTH, breastfeeding was tough for me at the start, and there were times I really wanted to give up, I doubted my supply, dealt with painful nipples, engorgement, a nursing strike and even an abscess and yet ultimately it was such a positive experience overall, I'm so glad I had the support of friends, family an EW to get me through it and I wish the same for you.