November 2016

[Kitten3]

Hello all!

My little person arrived on the 3rd November via c section.

Had the absolute worst night of my life last night. Agonising pain from c section and all the associated delights in recovering from surgery. Trapped wind, contracting uterus, pain from stitches, very sore back from anaesthetist unable to insert epidural.
Worst.night.of.my.life.

Baby on the other hand-a delight! Slept for a few hours at a time so I didn't have to get up too often.

Tonight on the sofa so hopefully able to get up without too much pain to feed baby!

[Violetskies123]

Congratulations!! Do you have any ideas for names?

[KitKat1985]

Hello Kitten. How are you doing?

I might hop on this thread if you don't mind. I originally was due on the 2nd Dec, then due date got put forward to 28th November, but baby girl was impatient and arrived yesterday on the 8th of November instead! Subsequently she's really diddy and not eating much, but otherwise seems okay. x

[wen4567]

Hi please can I join. DS1 born 4th November via elective C-section. Already have a 2 year old DD who apart from having the usual 2 year tantrums seems to love her baby brother. Just beginning to feel semi human again today, had the most terrible after pains for a couple of days, add on pain from scar and milk coming in! Thought i was going to have to call an ambulance the other night! Hope everyone else is doing ok?

[KitKat1985]

Hi Wen. I also have a 2 year old DD and just getting my head around being a family of 4 not 3! I find I'm getting afterpains a lot worse this time around and my nipples feel like someone has used a cheesegrater on them! DD2 was quite restless last night, wanting to suckle a lot etc so I'm shattered. I'm hoping once my milk comes in (which I'm hoping will be in the next 24 hours) I might be able to fill her tummy better and least go a couple of hours between feeds at night. xx

[Kitten3]

Welcome everyone! We don't have a name for baby yet, mainly because I have been pretty unwell on and off.
I've had the normal tissue pain from c section, contracting uterus whilst feeding and really sore nipples.
But aside from that, my back has been extremely sore from where anaesthetist tried to unsuccessfully insert epidural. She just couldn't and had to have someone else take over. I have had pretty awful headaches everyday which I think are linked to this. And then to top it all off, woke up last night with a temperature.
So not the greatest start! But baby has been wonderful, and him sleeping solidly for a few hours at a time has made such a difference.
We have a soon to be 3 year old and soon to be 5 year old who totally love him and he has had to put up with a sick mum and lots of kisses and cuddles from the big uns!

[wen4567]

Hi kitten, hope your feeling better? I've got a small numb patch at the bottom of back/top of bum cheek. Think it's one of the side effects of the spinal just hope it's not permanent nerve damage, was really strange when I first noticed it but think I'm use to it now.
DS is 1 week old today. Time goes far too quickly. He's still really sleepy, only waking to feed and then going straight back to sleep, completely different from DD1 who was awake and alert loads when she was born.
Do any off you with older children feel really guilty that they are just not getting the same attention as they are used to? With recovering from c section and having baby I just feel really guilty that DD1 is missing out on cuddles and me playing with her etc. It just makes me feel really upset, tbh every little thing is making me cry at the moment, think the baby blues have kicked in!!
Hope everyone else is ok? And enjoying all the newborn cuddles.

[KitKat1985]

Hi Kitten and Wen. Hope you are both feeling better.

Wen yes I'm also feeling guilty about spending less time with DD1. At the moment she seems fairly relaxed about it as she's still getting a lot of attention from DH, but I think she's going to notice it more when she's back at work.

Struggling here a bit with DD2 and feeding. Am really keen to breast-feed her as I did her sister but she's struggled with this, although did seem to be improving until my milk came in. My boobs are so engorged she just can't latch. Had a bloody awful night where I had been up trying to feed her from 3am and she just couldn't latch. She was clearly starving hungry and very distressed, which made me very tearful and upset too as I just felt like a shit Mum. I phoned maternity unit overnight who gave me some phone advice but to no avail. Eventually at 9am this morning I had to take her into the maternity unit and they couldn't get her to latch either. Eventually had to hand express and syringe feed her some milk as she was starving hungry. They think that where she was born early she hasn't got a fully developed latch reflex but after a while down the maternity unit (who were brilliant) we found that she can feed with nipple shields, so they have given us some of those. To top it all I've got a temperature this evening and not feeling great. Hoping it's just a cold. Plus we've had several visitors today some who over-stayed their welcome and I just want to go sleep!

[Kitten3]

Hi Wen and Kit Kat,

I'm much better thanks. I think
I have turned a corner in terms of recovery- the headaches have gone, back pain is minimal and now it's just my c section cut I really need to worry about, but that's to be expected.
I have a little one, and before baby arrived she was unwell due to a cold and now she cries over really small things and is just different in terms of her behaviour. As the baby is such a good feeder and sleeper, it hasn't been too difficult spending time with her. Quite often I read her a book whilst I feed baby.
We ventured into town today and went to John Lewis. Feel that maybe I overdid things as once we were home the c section cut was aching. I've forgotten how long recovery takes!
Can't believe how quickly time passes. Baby is over a week old already.

[Kitten3]

Kit Kat- hope you feel better soon! I think you should just sleep as much as possible at this stage to make sure you are not run down. That can have a real adverse affect on recovery.
I slept loads last week when I had symptoms similar to yours.
Is anyone taking lactulose? How long do you take it for??

[KitKat1985]

Hi all.

Glad you seem to be feeling better Kitten3. It is hard not to over-do things I know but try to take it easy so your scar can heal properly. I am trying to take my own advice and remembering to nap when I can.

I'm not taking lactulose but have done in the past and think you can take it for as long as you need to.

Had DD2's 6-day weight check yesterday. She had dropped to 5lb 5oz at her 3-day one and because of her feeding issues I was a bit concerned about her 6-day weight check but she has increased a bit to 5lb 7oz. They would like her to be back to her birth weight of 5lb 14oz by her 10-day weight check on Friday, so fingers crossed.

How are you doing Wen?

[wen4567]

Hi we are doing ok thanks, Had the health visitor out yesterday and DS has put on 6oz, well past his birth weight now. Fingers crossed for Friday kitkat that your DD is back to her birth weight.
Can't help with feeding issues sorry, formula feeding here. Hope things are getting better for you?
How old is your other child kitten? My DD has had a terrible cough the last week, been waking herself up coughing several times a night. I swear the two of them tag team each other throughout the night, with one of them always being awake lol.
I'm still trying to take things fairly easy, finding it really frustrating though as I like to be busy. Remember last time though feeling ok and doing to much which led to an infected scar so definitely don't want a repeat of that!

[KitKat1985]

I'm also struggling with the 'taking things easy' issue. Midwife has (nicely) told me off a couple of times for doing too much. I really struggle though as mess really annoys me, and living with a toddler there's a nearly constant stream of mess to tidy up.

DD wasn't quite up to her birth weight on Friday for her 10-day check as she was a couple of ounces short. Midwife doesn't want to discharge us just yet because DD still a bit small and also still has quite a bit of bruising from her rapid delivery, so is going to see us again in a week.

[Kitten3]

Hello all, I hear you on the taking it easy. I hate it when it's messy and have really had to bite my tongue to stop myself having a go at DH.
Last week I actually cried! He had gone through all the dishes and cutlery and just left the dirty dishes piling up to wash later. Arghhhhhh. Not my style! I eventually washed up because I couldn't bear it.
Everything is getting back to normal but baby decided to cluster feed from 4 in the morning to 6.30- which is when my 4 year old decided to wake up.
On the plus side, so lovely to not have to go into work. Yay!

[AyeAmarok]

Glad to have found you all here!

BabyAye and I have had a night at home. DP has taken on nappy duty so I can get some rest in between feeds.

Kitten I've got lactulose, but I haven't taken it since birth (because I'm too scared to poo, I haven't gone yet, worried about damaging my stitches). You can take it for as long as you want to or feel you need it.

[wen4567]

Congratulations Aye, how old is your DC? Presuming if you've only had one night at home then still tiny? My DS is 4 weeks old on Friday!! It's ridiculous how quickly the time is going. DS only likes to sleep on someone or snuggled right up close. Really struggle to sleep at night as I like my own space and not keen on co sleeping. We often end up 4 in bed though with me squashed between two children and DH balancing on the edge haha.
Hope you are both doing ok kitten and kitkat?

[AyeAmarok]

He was born on Sunday, wen!

[M8000]

Hi all, mind if I join? I hope everyone's doing really well and recovered from the births now? I had DS on Nov 10th, a day before my due date. My waters broke so I was induced on the drip (with an epi, I'd heard about the drip...) and he came out quite small despite me measuring big all the way through. We're mixed feeding which is taking so much time, day and night. I'm signed up to start some sensory classes with him in Jan but worried he'll sleep through them or scream the place down I feel like I should have made some progress on this as he's 6w but maybe I'm just deluded and this is normal?!

[ellaki]

Hi all, may I please join? Is it too old a thread now? DS was born 20 Nov, which means almost 3 months now! Recently though he has been pooping much less frequently. Is this normal?
Maybe this happens as their system matures? He goes 3-5 times a day but it used to be a lot more. He eats the same, consistency seems fine and gain weight is consistent etc
Sorry tmi