December 2011: Scratching, squeezing, hatching and latching...

[LittleMissHumbuggery]

...and those of us left are doing a fair bit of bitching:o

I wonder if we could get a [pompoms] going on? Do we have the energy for a campaign?

Right, come on! We're a third of the way through the month and Nickelbabe needs new recruits for her advent thread. Get squeezing:o

Meant to say DH thinks FIL is classic narcissist but possibly also totally paranoid

tinsel glad you've agreed s eat forward but sorry you have this hanging over you in your first few weeks as a family.

Still no progress over here - am I the only one still pregnant? Tried all the tricks in the book but cervix still closed. Sex and curry tonight

Aww hawthers, hang in there - hopefully this evening's activities will at least make the waiting more enjoyable!

I convinced DH to sign up to MN and post in Relationships about how to deal with his F!! He says he found it impossible to put everything in one post but that it was therapeutic writing it down.

Afternoon ladies:)

First of all for everyone. I'm on my phone, but am cheering for ARCH Darcies figgy and I'm sure there was another but my brain fell out... More pompoms!

Tinsel You and your husband are fabulous, your son is thus fabulousness squared. Grandad needs a haddock. A big stinky one. I live in a city oozing with fishing heritage, let me know if you need help:o

Hawthers I'm still here:o

for sorelip I knew I'd remember:)

Aww LMH we love you too. Pop over to DH's thread and give him a haddock - he will no doubt be confused and terrified and think it's a MN tradition

PS was also going to say DH was emboldened to post himself because of all your good advice over here, particularly Aethel and Oi - nest of vipers indeed...

It's blowing an absolute gale here - the wind is actually howling!! Good thing I have a deeply slumbering DS lying on a bed pillow on my lap to keep me warm

I shall go stalk:o Then I must go put the meat hamper away as the cats are circling the bags like a flock of ginger vultures >_

A meat hamper? What glorious manner of thing is that!??

It's instant Christmas meat supplies from my butcher. A turkey, large chicken, old English sausage meat, bacon, gammon joint, pork joint, beef joint and a bloody enormous large pork pie. He's jointed the turkey for me too, so I've a lovely crown, the legs and a bag of bits to make stock with:o

I have delivered a haddock and pompoms, as promised:o

Wow, LMH, love the idea of a meat hamper! We have a turkey to pick up from butcher tomorrow and thanks to a very-near-by Aldi my freezer also has a stuffed duck (orange stuffing!) and a four-bird-roast thing for when I lose the will to live in the new year and decide it's hot meat sandwiches all round.

Was very surprised to open the door to a courier with an extremely large hamper yesterday evening: has tons of Xmas stuff from FIL (who lives abroad and rarely gets over). Rather usefully it has several things I'd forgotten to get/make like a Christmas cake and a set of posh looking crackers. Yay!

I am well and truly Still Here, but given my late due date and going to 41 weeks with dD2 this shouldn't really be a surprise... MIL texted
To ask if I'd had baby yet (sigh) and suggested taking blue cheese to the hospital for a celebratory snack. I really don't think she comprehends
Quite how much stinky cheese is currently in my fridge...

congrats on the further new arrivals. darcies hope sky is cleared to come home soon.

ahhh - my 3 yo ds, who has always been somewhat demanding but fairly well behaved has turned into a bit of a monster in the last 2 weeks. I know it is to be expected but despite trying hard to ensure he is getting attention he is beginning to drive dh and I to drink! Having said that, visited the dr today as have infection down below and been prescribed antibiotics that you can't drink at all with. A sober christmas for me then.

Bloody 'D'P turned off my laptop when I had just composed mammoth post yesterday, so sorry this is a little out of date.

TMI news round up-
I lost my mucus plug yesterday, which may be a leeeetle bit late
And night before last, an explosive poo covered the child, my leg and the bed that we were sleeping in- now I feel I am a parent...

Really pleased that LO had, after dropping to 7,1, has gone up to 7,11, so 10 oz in five days! Little piglet.

We've managed trips out four times now, and today we had lunch out, and it was good to feel comfortable BF in public...slightly spoilt by the fact that as LO latched I noticed that yet another poo had come through his onesie and dungarees, to be displayed to the world .

Kri5ty- just wanted to reiterate that after the experience you've been through, you've done magnificently to be where you are. Not only have you had a massively exhausting, agonising and traumatic experience physically, but I'm sure it will have been so emotionally. And also having your faith in the medical profession tested- they got it wrong (paracetemol drip ffs, why didn't they just give your stomach a good talking to?) and having people argue about the treatment you need in those circumstances is not good.
And to add to aethefleda's point- one bit of advice I had was never to judge your insides by others' outsides. You know exactly how you're feeling, but can only compare to the image other people are projecting.
Keep talking and posting as much as you need, and just to let you know I feel the same- I adore my LO, but do I have that rush? Nope. I can't get my head round the fact that I'm his Mum, but we know we love them.

tinsel- your DH's Dad is crazy. I think a post on relationships is a good idea for you, get a proper vent. I really feel for your OH, especially since he's obviously such a caring man and to 'lose' a parental relationship at the same time as becoming a father is awful.

By the way katekringle, we asked the same ref stump- we were told it was normal for it to look a bit gungy, but as long as it's not weeping it's fine. Our LO's dropped off the next day.

mmmm- I'm living in yoga pants, vest tops and cardies for bf post section. I asked for advice on the various boards, and this was the general consensus. It does work!

And congratulations to merrysorelip, darcies, ARCH, figgy. Really hope things are improving darcies.

Right, Friday night's glass of wine beckons!

Bugger, sorry jingle, my last line appears somewhat insensitive given your antibiotic issue- it had taken me that long to post that your's wasn't there when I did.
Hope your infection (and your LO's temperament) improves !

Anyone reassure me i'm not going loopy - I seem to be crying all over the place today and DH not being very sympathetic over unexplained tears which is making it worse and I haven't even had the baby yet so god only knows what day 3 will be like.

Is this normal or am I facing some pnd early? Just feel all over the shop. Ordered curry but sex looking increasingly unlikely at the mo

A quick breastfeeding question:

When Sky is on the breast and happily sucking away even tho half asleep is she always getting milk/colostrum?

Hawthers I've been prone to rivers of tears at any point while pregnant, all three times. Utterly normal:)

Darcies If she is latched properly and her ears are wiggling chances are she is still feeding. If it's a loose sucking motion with no ear wiggle I'd be suspicious. I'm sure msB will have better advice though:)

darcies yes she will be getting your colostrum and also stimulating your breats to make more milk. As far as I know, you really can't have them on the breast too much for the first few days.

My DD is now 2 weeks old and usually falls asleep while feeding but she still continues to get milk and will continue sucking strongly between pauses.

Breasts not breats! Sorry.

Thanks LMH

Hawthers I was like this the whole 11 days I was overdue and it continued until at least yesterday - no tears today (yet) so maybe by day 9 post birth it has settled down! It's hard to tell though because I cry at Christmas stuff even when not pregnant Tell DH he has to hug you each time you cry, whether or not there is a reason! Just let it out and don't feel bad about it.

Question: Pirran won't sleep unless one of us is actually touching him or he is on one of our chests (or in the moby wrap). I am feeding Pirran whenever he wants, and moving from the couch to bed around midnight and then co-sleeping. We have a moses basket and a sidecar cot, neither of which he will sleep in. This is normal right? He is still so tiny I can't imagine attempting some sort of routine.

Mmmm thanks. Sky Is on the breast but mainly formula due to her hypoglycaemia glitch, which her blood sugars have been normal all day so fingers crossed it stays that way. Next dose of IV anti-Bs is at 11pm and we won't be out of here until Christmas day afternoon at least.

tyel yes, totally normal and you can always look at changing it later if you want to. Some babies just have a higher need for touch than others, but even the cuddliest ones grow out of it.

I want Christmas over now, the big DDs are both grumping tiredly downstairs refusing to go to sleep still!

tyel, if you're happy co-sleeping for now then that's fine, as mrsb says he's still tiny. We had similar with DD1 and I found the only way to get her down in anything other than our laps/a baby sling was to swaddle her firmly: presumably that gave her a "being cuddled" feeling. So that may be an option for you. At about 10 weeks we stopped swaddling and moved her into 0-6 month Grobags. With DD2 I was more knackered so we co-slept more: very much horses for courses and what works for you.

And can I just say that Baked Camenbert is the food of the gods! Mr Co-op currently sells one ready to bake in its own little pot. It's almost like I've been let loose on the cheeseboard already...nom.