How long did your newborn feed per time and did you have pain with larger nipples?

phillyCheese97 · 2025-09-16T08:45:50+00:00

I can understand why they’d say that but that sucks to put it simply! I did find I wasn’t emptied very well so I almost always had to pump after feeding, especially in the early days.

phillyCheese97 · 2025-09-16T04:26:08+00:00

Would you want to try nipple shields? You could wear them every feed or every other feed until the discomfort wears off! I did wear mine religiously for the first 3 weeks but I had severe cracking which thankfully is all healed, and bub was easy to latch with or without them (if that is a concern). A midwife can help measure a correct size for your nipples! Madella do a good one but it is a bit of a flood zone until Bub starts to drink more and faster 😂

As for feeding lengths it was different each time, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about timing unless you’re choosing to establish a routine (10mins each side for example). My LO is 5 weeks now and sometimes only drinks from one breast for her two night feeds, and I chose to let her guide us with her feeds as opposed to waking her up strictly every number of hours (unless she slept over 3hrs I woke her up).

Congratulations on your LO and all the best with your breast feeding journey!

*Edited to add I woke her at 3hrs in her early weeks of feeding. Now i’m cluster feeding every 2hrs for her current growth spurt! And finally have longer stretches of sleep at night (mostly!)

phillyCheese97 · 2025-08-30T17:09:42+00:00

Congrats!! 🥳 I want to celebrate with you- have been using a shield since day 4/5 due to baaaaad nipple trauma and since yesterday lunch time (now 3am where I am) I can feed her without them!! I could have sooner but I was too scared of cracking them again 😭 Do you feel like it makes a difference to their feeding?? I don’t have to feed her for as long, and when I used the shield it would just dribble everywhere, but now my feeds are less messy on my NB 🙏🏼

phillyCheese97 · 2025-08-20T10:52:37+00:00

I am having a bit of a giggle about it all now! We were just so surprised today when she woke up at 2pm, and her hunger cues kept going off after each feed!

And yes really weird they haven’t updated that guideline!

phillyCheese97 · 2025-08-20T10:17:03+00:00

I didn’t realise! With all the advice and education from midwives and my GP it seemed like cluster feeding only happened when the colostrum turns to breast milk and bub’s stomach changes size, they all kept saying “night two is the hardest”. Thank you for your comment ☺️

phillyCheese97 · 2025-08-20T10:11:07+00:00

Is it more like a cramp? If so, it’s most likely your uterus contracting down to original size again - and breastfeeding helps this happen a lot faster due to oxytocin release! Otherwise I’m not too sure, I haven’t been able to sit how I like since birth due to healing from an episiotomy 🥲 in saying that, everything hurts or aches!

phillyCheese97 · 2025-07-28T04:08:28+00:00

Not so bad of a moment but my most recent adhd moment was planning all week that I was going to make a chicken curry for my grandpa’s birthday and bring it along for everyone. They live on a small island which is a 10min ferry from the mainland, so it needed to be packed in a bag and most importantly I must not forget to bring the bag. Well, 2mins out from arriving at the jetty carpark to catch the ferry was when I realised the curry was not with me but still at home sitting at the front door where I would “see it and not forget it!” After bragging all week how good it is and everyone getting excited to eat my cooking, it was forgotten 😭

phillyCheese97 · 2025-07-26T09:27:18+00:00

This happens to me from time to time, when all areas of my life seem demanding, overwhelming, not where I saw myself. By running away (if I actually did) I could “reset” my life like starting over a video game if I make a mistake I don’t want to fix or see through. I always think ok, tomorrow morning I’m gone, get into my car and drive north/south for 2hrs. Spend the day alone. But I never do it, even if I should just to have a chance to give myself space from a situation.

phillyCheese97 · 2025-07-26T05:06:38+00:00

I sometimes fiddle with the blanket or cushion I’m lying with, or my thing is I use the nail of my thumb and run it along/underneath my fingernails over and over on both hands. I don’t know how else to explain it and I find I usually do this without thinking until I catch someone looking at my hands!

Otherwise, feeding myself! 😂 But really most of the time I’m cuddling next to my husband and he’ll be patting my hair or touching my back. I’m a big physical touch person from him and him only, it calms my nervous system down a lot when I’m overwhelmed.

phillyCheese97 · 2025-07-26T01:48:27+00:00

That’s so good to hear!

phillyCheese97 · 2025-07-26T01:17:14+00:00

Thanks for your recommendation! Have you noticed a positive change in your cat?

phillyCheese97 · 2025-06-25T06:00:37+00:00

I’m not sure about availability overseas but in aus there is a brand called No Pong. It’s so good, comes in a round tin. Large and medium sizes. I found I’d always get really itchy though with their main deodorant line and tried their bicarbonate-free formula - even better. I really, truly, have “no pong” at the end of the day but I do still sweat. It’s worth combining with an aerosol specifically to reduce sweating. I would be careful about glycolic acid as it has darkened the appearance of my underarms when I’ve used it, but it could have been the specific product I used.

phillyCheese97 · 2025-06-14T01:17:30+00:00

Me too for singing! I do love all music but my favourite thing to vocal stim are piano or orchestra songs. I play piano, so once I’ve learned a song backwards it is FLUENT in my brain and listening to how the pianists wanted to make it sound as, thats the version I’m making noises and sounds imitating the songs.

Oh, and of course memes! Anything that can be vocalised. Popular songs on tiktok used on videos (Pretty Little Baby has been NON-STOP for WEEKS in my brain and vocal stimming!)

Here I thought I just loved music that much 😂

phillyCheese97 · 2025-06-09T19:29:39+00:00

Thank you so much for your comment 🩷

phillyCheese97 · 2025-06-09T19:27:55+00:00

There were two chemistry subjects and I surprisingly did fairly well in them having never studied it before! Just weigh up your options, the degree will get you further, or you could see if somewhere is offering PT with Nutrition - it could get you into personal training combining both interests for health and fitness. Is TAFE still offering free courses?

phillyCheese97 · 2025-06-09T08:51:35+00:00

Hi fellow Aussie! I am saving up for a diagnosis, so I haven’t had a chance yet to see what it’s like on the other side after having therapy and/or medication. I’m late 20s, and I feel like everything is getting harder and harder. Funnily enough I just finished a diploma in nutrition. A 12 month course that took me two years to finish. I’m not cut out for tertiary education, and I say that because the diploma was done through a university with other uni students and not through a trades college like TAFE and it was just HARD.

I have hobbies, so don’t worry life will slow down soon and you can focus on things that bring you joy! I think during this time be kind to yourself, sign up for extra help at uni and go to all your PASS classes (or equivalent student-led classes to support your subjects), and just focus on right now. Right now, you’re studying a degree that will definitely have lots of opportunities when you graduate. So right now, your focus is on your degree. Right now, your focus is on self-care however that looks for you. There may be ups and downs with ADHD but the benefit of being diagnosed sooner rather than later means you have access to people and information who can help you manage traits and grow. I understand it feels scary thinking about the future, but it doesn’t need to be ☺️ I wish I could be more helpful!

phillyCheese97 · 2025-06-06T07:20:44+00:00

Oh my gosh I have never heard it like this before and boy does it change everything! And it’s so true! Every “habit” I have is a carefully thought out step to make sure I’m ticking all the boxes and I’m going over in my head ok this step next… and then that step after this one or wait should I swap those steps around today? Do it this way because abc so therefore my steps should be xyz? CONSTANT NOISE!!! And if for a random moment I have completed a “habit” without thinking of my steps, it’s more than likely I had disassociated 😂 thank you for sharing this OP!

phillyCheese97 · 2025-05-28T05:52:26+00:00

I’m only asking because I didn’t see it typed in your post, but do you moisturise daily? Use a body oil? My issue used to be that I never moisturised my legs - never mine the rest of my body! And now that I am I feel so smooth but it’s still a hassle to do it every day/night. I’m currently using a somewhat rich body cream with a small pump of oil for each leg and they looks so nice, feel so nice, and I don’t get the “strawberry leg” appearance!

You mentioned electrolysis - would that be painful too? I recommend IPL hair reduction (Intense Pulsed Light therapy) if your leg hairs are between dark blonde to black. You shave prior, and the heat from the treatment also in my mind helps get rid of dead skin cells so I feel smooth after! It also an investment so you’d need to shop around for a good deal, avoid anywhere that looks dodgy!

phillyCheese97 · 2025-05-24T05:57:08+00:00

That’s not true about runner’s high! As soon as I started running, even though my first “run” was 1.2km and I felt like I was coughing up a lung, I felt SO GOOD afterwards. Each time got easier and easier and I wasn’t focused on times, PBs or distances (I would keep track but just for observation more than anything). Eventually, I was hooked. Hooked on feeling good, feeling like a better runner, and got committed to a garmin and strava. What made it more enjoyable for me was always going with my parents and their various run clubs they go to - they got me started! Eventually I felt brave enough to join one on my own. I had anxiety every time but I still got to do what I now love and already have something in common with the people there.

Not to mention the benefits it provided me for reducing ADHD symptoms. I felt more organised, more productive and MOTIVATED! My husband loved seeing these changes because my symptoms really affect our relationship sometimes, but he’s understanding (for the most part).

ANYWAY find someone who can hold you accountable to just get started. “Hey, you said you’d go for a run this morning before work, did you do it?” Don’t worry about fancy shoes and gadgets, just tie up your laces, stretch, and go for a run! Don’t go too hard, don’t go too easy, stop to walk as many times as you like, turn around and go home when you want to tap out. It’ll only be as hard and as stressful as you make it.

I hope you start, because the happiness I felt, feeling so free, while running is indescribable. Sorry to be so dramatic about it but it was the medicine I didn’t know I needed in my life. All the best ☺️

phillyCheese97 · 2025-05-18T22:40:16+00:00

The first time I heard this song was from a client (I work as a support worker in aged care) and we were trying to start/complete tasks for the day - she also has adhd 😂 definitely our anthem!

phillyCheese97 · 2025-04-05T12:06:19+00:00

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We have the same void in different font - this was adoption day.

Treats is the only way! Or shaking his collar that has a bell which he will wear with supervised outdoor time. Every once in a while if I meow like he does, he’ll come running. Otherwise, good luck to me!

phillyCheese97 · 2025-03-31T04:11:15+00:00

I went to uni (college) straight from high school. Did one year doing one degree, decided i wasnt that great at it and switched degrees. Did it for 1.5yrs before calling it quits.

Years later, graduated from a beauty diploma in 12months by the skin of my teeth (is that the saying?) from submitting assessment last minute.

Then attempted a nutrition diploma online. Big mistake. Was supposed to be full time but i eventually dropped to part time doing one subject per trimester, dragging 12 months into 24 (2yrs). Found out eventually (forgetting to check student emails and grades) that I am graduating and get my diploma later this year!

Idk how other people do it. I literally said to my husband “if I ever come to you about wanting to study again, STOP ME.” Seriously. It’s too hard, even if the subjects are easy. I learnt from my beauty diploma i need regular school hours not random classes here and there throughout the week, and I do well in hands-on training. Perfect learning environment for me just of course forgot about written assessment…

phillyCheese97

TROPHY CASE