Just a quick note to say... she's completely weaned! Last weekend I stopped giving her a bedtime feed and instead she had a cup of cow's milk. And we haven't really had any tears, I think it helped that our bedtime routine was always: breastfeed, bath/wash, story, sleep so we just took out the breastfeed and added a cup of milk to her story time.
On Saturday she had a tummy bug, (which I then got on Tuesday!) I almost gave her a feed again as I was worried she'd get dehydrated, but we stood our ground, it had to happen sometime and we'd already done Friday night. So that's it, no more Mummy milk. I feel a bit sad about it, she doesn't need me anymore! But at the same time it's quite nice knowing I don't necessarily have to be there every bedtime, I can go out earlier :)
Also in the development news... Riley's walking round the furniture now pretty quickly and walking holding onto one of our hands! I'm not too fussed about the walking, I can keep up with her while she's crawling when she's walking it'll be a bit more difficult! I just want her to be able to go where she wants which is why I was so desperate for her to crawl, I know she'll walk in her own time.
As for communication, I think in the last 2 weeks she has really moved forward, although she doesn't say many clear words, her understanding has really improved, she follows a lot more instructions. She's also started using sounds consistantly. Like she say "di di" and waves when people go. I really feel like she can communicate more with us and that is a huge step in my books :)
Showing posts with label Breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Breastfeeding. Show all posts
Friday, 6 September 2013
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Breastfeeding ~ time to stop
Well the time is coming to stop breastfeeding completely... I am currently only giving her a feed before she goes to bed and then I give her one when we go to bed... (mainly because she was such a bad sleeper and it means we get 7 hours sleep, but really she probably doesn't need it!)
The plan will be just to give her a cup of warm milk before bed and then hopefully she will sleep all the way through to morning. It will be very strange not breastfeeding anymore, on the one hand it will be nice to be able to just go out for the evening without worrying. But on the other hand I feel a bit sad, feeding is always quite a special time, we won't have that anymore.
But thinking about stoppping breastfeeding has got me thinking about breastfeeding generally. I have to say I feel quite proud that I am still breastfeeding, it hasn't been all easy but on the whole I think I have been quite lucky with it. I would say the first 3 months are the biggest challenge, they were hard, it felt like I was constantly feeding her, mastitis, feeling I wasn't giving her enough milk or producing too much... but I continued through it and after 3 months it became so easy, no sterlilising, supply and demand kicked in and I have loved it.
I know that many women with epilepsy are told they can't breastfeed as on most medication so make sure it is something you discuss well before the birth so you feel confident to advocate it after labour. Here's some information from Epilepsy Action:
The plan will be just to give her a cup of warm milk before bed and then hopefully she will sleep all the way through to morning. It will be very strange not breastfeeding anymore, on the one hand it will be nice to be able to just go out for the evening without worrying. But on the other hand I feel a bit sad, feeding is always quite a special time, we won't have that anymore.
But thinking about stoppping breastfeeding has got me thinking about breastfeeding generally. I have to say I feel quite proud that I am still breastfeeding, it hasn't been all easy but on the whole I think I have been quite lucky with it. I would say the first 3 months are the biggest challenge, they were hard, it felt like I was constantly feeding her, mastitis, feeling I wasn't giving her enough milk or producing too much... but I continued through it and after 3 months it became so easy, no sterlilising, supply and demand kicked in and I have loved it.
I know that many women with epilepsy are told they can't breastfeed as on most medication so make sure it is something you discuss well before the birth so you feel confident to advocate it after labour. Here's some information from Epilepsy Action:
http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/women/having-baby/after-the-birth
Here are a couple of websites I found helpful when it came to breastfeeding generally (click on icons):
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Cutting Out Night Feeds
We are cutting out Riley's night time feed... it was getting to the point where I was feeding her every 3-4 hours at night, we figure she is old enough to go longer than that and sometimes she does on her own accord so we figured we should make it more consistant especially with me going back to work, if I stand any chance of still breastfeeding it needs to be a bit more consistant.
So the plan is she has dinner between 5.30 and 6ish, then a feed at 7 before her bedtime routine. I then wake her up (or she quite often wakes up of her own accord) at 10.30 - 11pm when we go to bed to give her a feed. Then she doesn't have another feed until 6ish when we wake her for me to go to work if I am on an early or whenever she wakes herself if I don't have to go to work...
Well Saturday and Sunday night she did this herself, she didn't wake at all but last night she woke up at 2.30am, we did controlled crying and she didn't really scream, she just kept stirring and having sort of 10 minutes of crying then going quite until about 4.30am when she fell asleep until 8am... but she wasn't ravenously hungry then, we had a little play and then went down for breakfast... so it was sort of successful, think we just need to stick with it.
So the plan is she has dinner between 5.30 and 6ish, then a feed at 7 before her bedtime routine. I then wake her up (or she quite often wakes up of her own accord) at 10.30 - 11pm when we go to bed to give her a feed. Then she doesn't have another feed until 6ish when we wake her for me to go to work if I am on an early or whenever she wakes herself if I don't have to go to work...
Well Saturday and Sunday night she did this herself, she didn't wake at all but last night she woke up at 2.30am, we did controlled crying and she didn't really scream, she just kept stirring and having sort of 10 minutes of crying then going quite until about 4.30am when she fell asleep until 8am... but she wasn't ravenously hungry then, we had a little play and then went down for breakfast... so it was sort of successful, think we just need to stick with it.
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Breastfeeding ~ epilepsy shouldn't effect it
Just wanted to write a bit about Breastfeeding as don't think I really ever blogged much about it. I've read a few people's comments that health professionals told mum's after giving birth they couldn't due to the meds.
FACT: most mum's can breastfeed when taking epilepsy meds.
There are a couple of meds that are an exception, but always talk to your specialist or epilepsy nurse before the birth so you know the score and can stick to it whatever anyone else says. It's so unfair to be told you can't straight after the birth only to be told a few days later you can by which time it can be very hard or impossible to start.
If you think about it they've been taking a small dose throughout your pregnancy, the small amount in your milk is negligible when they are growing so fast.
Epilepsy Actions Info:
I knew I could so have solely breastfeed and I am still now, more because it's so easy. Was a bit worried about night feeds and seizures because I was tired so we always said if I'm too tired Rich would help at night either with expressed milk or formula.
Breastfeeding not for everyone, it can be hard. I found the first few months a challenge, not due to my epilepsy, just normal mum things, but after 3months it became easy. The main thing is you have the same choice as everyone else, having epilepsy doesn't change that. But never think just because you don't breastfeed you don't develop such a strong bond, people who say that are very unfair, it's not for everyone but don't let your epilepsy effect that decision.
Some info on breastfeeding from the nhs:
I have found breastfeeding overall a very positive experience, there is something amazing that for the first few months everything she does and all her growing is from what I'm eating! It's also so easy no sterilising bottles etc and it has built an emotional tie, starting to stop now as she eats more is quite hard, I have never been away from her for more than a few hours as she always needed me for milk.
Saturday will be my first full day away from her. Volunteering for an Epilepsy Action study day. But the fantastic thing is she gets a daddy daughter day :) when I'm back at work there will be a lot more of them so need to start letting go a bit more, just very strange leaving her behind!
FACT: most mum's can breastfeed when taking epilepsy meds.
There are a couple of meds that are an exception, but always talk to your specialist or epilepsy nurse before the birth so you know the score and can stick to it whatever anyone else says. It's so unfair to be told you can't straight after the birth only to be told a few days later you can by which time it can be very hard or impossible to start.
If you think about it they've been taking a small dose throughout your pregnancy, the small amount in your milk is negligible when they are growing so fast.
Epilepsy Actions Info:
I knew I could so have solely breastfeed and I am still now, more because it's so easy. Was a bit worried about night feeds and seizures because I was tired so we always said if I'm too tired Rich would help at night either with expressed milk or formula.
Breastfeeding not for everyone, it can be hard. I found the first few months a challenge, not due to my epilepsy, just normal mum things, but after 3months it became easy. The main thing is you have the same choice as everyone else, having epilepsy doesn't change that. But never think just because you don't breastfeed you don't develop such a strong bond, people who say that are very unfair, it's not for everyone but don't let your epilepsy effect that decision.
Some info on breastfeeding from the nhs:
I have found breastfeeding overall a very positive experience, there is something amazing that for the first few months everything she does and all her growing is from what I'm eating! It's also so easy no sterilising bottles etc and it has built an emotional tie, starting to stop now as she eats more is quite hard, I have never been away from her for more than a few hours as she always needed me for milk.
Saturday will be my first full day away from her. Volunteering for an Epilepsy Action study day. But the fantastic thing is she gets a daddy daughter day :) when I'm back at work there will be a lot more of them so need to start letting go a bit more, just very strange leaving her behind!
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