u/jxzxoxo

I feel like such a failure and the community health nurses don’t help! They’re so anti formula, everything done by the book, my baby has to be X weight etc. and it makes me feel guilty.

For context my LO was born at 3.4kg, dropped birth weight to 3.1kg, was 3.7 at 3.5 weeks now at 7 weeks old is 3.9. He’s long and slender at 23 inches. Now, he is growing on his curve. He is breastfed with 1 formula bottle a day. He’s probably around the 5th ish percentile for weight. He is only in 0000, size 1 nappies. He does pee poo fine and all that good stuff.

But still, according to the books he’s not putting on enough weekly, he’s too small and he needs be feeding more. He just eats what he needs though, I can’t get him to take more. I know my supply is fine. Does anyone else have small babies? Will he fill out? Any tips?? My mental health isn’t great over this and I find myself beating myself up about it all day every day. I loved breastfeeding but because he’s so small, I’m starting to dislike it because it feels like he’s small because of me.

for context baby is 5 weeks old and currently weight 3.9kg from birth weight of 3.4kg (around 7lb and half) dropping 3.1kg on discharge. IUGR diagnosed at 37 weeks, he’s just long and lean. as it stands no midwives or doctors are concerned about his weight, the IUGR hasn’t been mentioned since being pregnant. he’s having sufficient wet nappies etc. he’s BF with EBM bottles on occasion.

because of his weight and him still being smaller, i am extremely anxious about what he’s getting from me & i feel like i can’t read his cues. he’ll feed every 2 hours, i usually have to wake him. he’ll spend 15-20 minutes on the breast and i’ll swap halfway usually after a change. lately he seems unsatisfied after, i could offer again and he’ll take it slowly, fall asleep but, when i take him off and he wakes up he’ll whinge and suck his fists, stick his tongue out. i’ll offer again and this feels like a whole cycle. whenever he’s woken up, if that’s just to adjust him on my chest or whatever, instantly showing hunger cues, i put him on, take him off, hungry again. i seem to not be pumping a lot (i don’t think they work well on me) so i offer a bottle of BM where i can. when he takes it as a top up i feel so defeated. one week i feel like he’s getting enough, im understanding him and the next i feel like he isn’t and i can’t read him and constantly wondering what he wants. he takes a dummy after feeds when he’s fussy but, i can’t help but think hes still taking it if he’s hungry… i really don’t want to introduce formula.

sincerely, an extremely stressed, sad and frustrated mum.

edit: i know he’s drinking when he’s on. he’s visibly and audibly gulping, sometimes so fast to the point he chokes, he’s burping, spiting up. so he’s getting milk!

Does anyone still feel strange when peeing (after catheter)? I have the slightest little ache when peeing. It was definitely worse the first week. Just feels like it’ll never be the same now. I don’t really know how to explain the ache either; just a little irritating. I don’t have burning or anything, no UTI. I also feel like it takes me so long to feel the urge to pee as well!

and yes my son’s name is Dallas. For context we’re not American and it’s of Scottish origin. But, that’s beside the point.. I’m looking for a classic but uncommon, timeless boy name that would suit perfectly for a sibling! Suggestions please (not asking for opinions on Dallas, we already get enough of those as it is) 🫶🏻🫶🏻 I’ll even be happy with suggestions for girl names; that’s also tricky for us.

Do you have sour cream and sweet chilli with your wedges? Just plain tomato sauce?

If you have sour cream and sweet chilli, what do you dip it in first? Do you just mix the two?

I am 5 years older than my younger sister. Despite the slight age gap, we’d still play with each other a lot. I was probably around the ages of 8-12 when we’d hang out most playing games in the backyard, dolls and all those fun things you’d do in the early 2000s with your siblings and an imagination. But I was such a brat. I took advantage of that age gap knowing she’d do and listen to whatever I said.

There is a moment in particular that I remember like it was yesterday. We were outside playing on our bikes and the neighbours were in their backyard at the same time having a BBQ. We had these palm trees that would drop orange fruits a little bigger than grapes and they were as hard as rocks. I thought it was an amazing idea to start throwing them over the fence… right where the neighbours were all eating. I’m talking handfuls, it’s absolutely raining orange balls. So many of the fruits ended up on their plates, their food, a few hit people in the head. The neighbours came storming over and told our Dad. He came outside RAGING and asked who did it. SOMEHOW I convinced my Dad that it was my sister… she didn’t even argue her case. Dad dragged her over there by the ear and made her apologise in front of everyone and clean up the fruits.

And then there’s that time I opened a window into her and she spilt her head open but that’s a story for a different day.

Tell me your stories about when you were mean to your younger sibling/s to make me feel a little better.

Do you know what the Sunflower Lanyard means?

I’ve just come across a video on Facebook of an individual with a sunflower lanyard in distress on public transport as they’ve lost their support dog. A stranger filmed this and captioned it “Welcome to Australia” and hinting at the fact this individual’s behaviour was caused by drugs. Some people were trying to educate OP and other commenters on the individual’s lanyard and their behaviour possibly being linked to their disability. Others were awarding the OP for filming it and it being hilarious and the individual deserved it. It makes me wonder how many people do understand what the lanyard means.

I am 37 weeks and baby has been measuring very average but with his AC in the low teens every time. My last scan (32 weeks) he was 38th percentile with AC 16, today he’s dropped overall to 21st percentile with AC 6. I had a doctor call and tell me the results but, blood flow and fluid remain good, he’s also weighing 2.8kg which is also okay. I am booked for a c-section already for the 13th due to a heart arrhythmia I have and have the pre admission on Thursday. I am also booked now for a CTG and another scan that day, with the possibility of now having an earlier c-section. I am very very nervous about baby now. About how small he will be and if he’ll need extra help when he arrives and about the time between now and my Thursday appointment. The waiting and the uncertainty is scary.

I would love to hear similar stories, if you have a small 6lb baby, similar measurements etc. 🫶🏻

I’m 25f and I’m 37 weeks pregnant. I have a history of SVT that was only diagnosed during the start of this pregnancy. I have never before had PVCs until I was 9 weeks. They coincidentally started in hospital after a couple days of taking metoprolol for the first time.

I now get them mostly everyday. At the start I could feel a few when my medication wore off, now it’s throughout the day. Not a lot but, enough to make me uncomfortable. I can go a week or two with none and then get stuck in a flare for a week. I’ve seen a cardiologist throughout the pregnancy but it’s been just usual standard appointments, nothing ever changes. I had an iron infusion and cardiologist told me to take mag, nothing has helped. I have even opted for a c-section because of this, I couldn’t imagine have to labour with these. Even the thought of PVCs during my c-section scare the hell out of me as I know they flare with anxiety. I’ve spoken about this anxiety with midwives but there’s never much they can do. I had to finish up work early because of these flares. I feel like I can’t do anything when I have them. I am absolutely miserable and I feel defeated. There’s nothing anyone can seem to do about it. I am praying they go away when I give birth, I am worried about the lack of sleep and having to look after a newborn in this state.

Thanks for listening 🙃