April 2013 Part 8: Welcoming our Easter Chicks & as Alex & Evan hopefully go home!

[toobreathless]

Over here Ladies!

I hope you don't mind me starting this thread too.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1689714-April-2013-Part-7-As-our-miracle-Alex-continues-to-grow-the-one-that-sees-us-reach-TERM

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1560543-April-2013-stats-thread

Wonderful news for today as we welcome babycandy and little Charlotte and hoping that this thread sees little Alex and Evan home very soon.

How many more babies will this thread see?

Hi all! We are getting on ok, still working on feeding which apparently is to be expected given baby's size. She's getting the hang of latching but filling up on top ups with success. Currently snuggling with Daddy :)

It's funny, I am sore with the stitches - one thing I would say is after you've had your babies don't be afraid to ask for pain relief. I finally feel like I'm getting on top of it now but I am very sore from the stitches - the better my pain control, the more I can mobilise and stop from stiffening up!

I have to say its nice not to be pregnant any more! Not bragging but just encouraging those of you who are frustrated. I slept on my back last night, it was amazing! The relief is immediate. Hang in there ladies.

Congratulations to all of you who just had their babies!! So many beautiful babies...I'm thinking of Trish and Empress and I hope you'll be out of hospital very soon. How is Samuel and Hunter doing today??

As my placenta hasn't moved I'm having a c-section this Thursday and getting pretty anxious. Sneezy, a stupid question but may I ask if you are taking the fishtank with you every time you go to the toilet?:) I hope your recovery is not so bad after the crash c-section & GA and you are taking care of yourself!

Sorry for not name checking all of you, this thread is amazing and it's always a pleasure to read. The only downside is that there will be no phone reception in my hospital ward and I'll be having whitdrawal symptoms...

Good luck to all the ladies! Xx

Congratulations milktray, and all the other new mothers I may have missed. Spend most of days sleeping, eating and feeding Arthur at the moment, so have been a bit behind with the thread.

I agree, a jug of water with a bit of salt dissolved in is such a blessing for the stitches. The witch hazel in the pad trick was a great tip too - thanks for whoever suggested that. I'm also finding cabbage leaves in the bra lovely and soothing for sore nipples.

Feeling much better today as my energy levels slowly come back, hopefully my iron count will be back to normal in a week or two. Also managed a short walk up the road in the sunshine which should help with the baby blues I hope.

Sorry for the me me me. Hang on in there those who are waiting impatiently for their babies. Faith is right it is amazing to be able to sleep on your back!

Hi all-
Sorry for being such a whiner lately- it's really not like me. Anyway- whatever happens, this time next week we'll have our little baby.

It's so exciting reading about the new arrivals and all of your baby news.
birdbrain - what did the midwife say?
mrssimkin - are you still with us?

Didn't sleep very well last night, but I made up with my mum today so I feel a whole world better- off for an early night whilst I still can!

Xxxx 41+1 xxxx

p.s. tonight could be the night!! Eeeeeeeek!!!!

Xxxx

kitkatsz I'm leaving the tank when I go to the loo. I do wait until he's settled though and hope he doesn't wake when I'm out! The recovery has been surprisingly fast. Day 1 I couldn't get up, day 2 I was hobbling about slowly and now on day 3 I feel very little discomfort and can move easily. It might be even easier with an ELCS or EMCS without a general.

Henry has turned out to be a fantastic eater and my milk has come in despite the traumatic way he entered the world. Today he has fed fully from both sides each time and then had a good sleep. He managed a good 4+ hour stretch last night. The MW has commented on how alert he is, which is a comfort as I can't help but feel guilty about his birth.

Hunter will be weighed tomorrow (he needs to gain after his loss the other day) and birmingham children's have advised Warwick to remonitor his blood sugars for next 24-48 hours. So with any luck he will be out tomorrow or Wednesday as long as everything is ok!!!

Apparently no one has stayed on the post natal ward this long before!! Lol!

We have a Postnatal thread after a couple of people asked but were unable to start one themselves.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1733362-Its-April-2013-the-time-is-now-HERE-ARE-OUR-BABIES

Clearly we won't all be heading over there babies or not as we need to cheer on everyone still expecting their babies here

But hopefully it means anyone struggling with life with a newborn has a space to go into a bit more detail.

Hope this is OK with everyone.

Thanks too just don't leave us yet (I may have another 3 weeks to go yet...)
First day of proper mat leave and first 2 lots of batch cooking done. I've been getting period pains for 2 weeks and bean has been 3/5 engaged for 4 weeks so I doubt I'll get any warning before bean arrives and fully expect to go the full 2 weeks over .
Latest lovely pregnancy symptom has been (and excuse TMI) lips swelling so much they have become unbearably itchy. After a few sleepless nights I contacted the doctor this morning and after just talking to me on the phone for 2 mins she prescribed hydrocortisone cream. Picked up prescription but it says on it "not suitable for use on ano-genital area" so I goggled it and Everingham recommends not using it anywhere moist or under clothing as the effects increase exponentially. Also can cause birth defects and transfer across placenta or if breastfeeding... makes me lose all confidence in if this is correct solution. Facing another itchy sleepless night :-( anyone else got any experience of this or using hydrocortisone cream "down there"?

Fingers crossed Trish that Hunter's weigh-in goes really well and that you will be making plans to take him home. I know what you mean about what to dress them in and how many layers. It was lovely and sunny here this morning but DP and I were still discussing what to dress Evan in when we should have been leaving on the school run!

Mama I hope all went well at the hospital. DD1 had chicken pox when she was about 6 months old (so 4 months corrected) and even though she turned into one big spot there were no long-term problems. We did panic a bit and she was sent back to the hospital and the consultant did warn us that it could add to her potential health problems. TBH we were still in a daze and just going day-by-day to see how she coped with everything she had to deal with... anyway, she barely seemed to notice that she was so poxy and we just kept bathing her in water with porridge oats! Fingers crossed that Alex is okay and that DS1 is okay too. It is such a balancing act when more than one needs you at the same time. Hope you are okay too - have you had CP yourself? (I had it when I was 26 and it was awful)

Empress wishing Samuel a short NICU stay. Each day with a baby in there seems to last an eternity and the uncertainty is so hard. However, you will be bringing your baby home soon and then it all starts to fade and NICU becomes just a memory. All 3 of mine have been in NICU and it never got any easier to cope with but now that Evan has been home for 2 weeks it is hard to remember all of the struggles he and we went through when he was there. I hope you are managing to look after yourself too as that can kind of go out of the window when you are so focused on everything else.

Faith congratulations on your DD. She may be tiny but she looks gorgeous over on FB. Before you know it you will find it hard to recall just how tiny she was when she arrived - have you kept the first thing she wore? My DD loves to dress her toys in her first sleepsuit - and finds it really funny when I tell her she had to grow into it!

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone else too - it has been so busy here over the weekend and lots more babies will be arriving in the coming days too. We are just about half way through the month now.

We went away for the night on Friday - first trip on the ferry for Evan and a stay in a hotel too (well - Holiday Inn!) He was really good and the DDs slept through the whole night even though we were all sharing one room. At one stage I had a glimpse into the future when DDs were asleep and there was a perfect Evan-sized gap between them. This time next year I could have just popped him in with them...

And today we did the school run as a family of 5 for the first time. Following the discussion about how much he needed to wear (on top of his Kermit sleepsuit chosen for the occasion by DD1 ), we had a lovely walk to school, stopping frequently for Evan to be admired! Then we had to do it all again at the end of the day as DD1's class had already gone in when we got there so we had to introduce her teacher to Evan after school! Tomorrow we have a school event so I will just pop him into my wrap and he should sleep through the afternoon.

Off to look for the post-natal thread now...

JH I really feel for you. I know you are not overdue yet but I appreciate how it must feel like you are when you have never been this pregnant before. I joked that DC3 would be late but was probably slightly comforted by the fact that all the medical people said it was very unlikely. Not saying that to have them so premature is a good thing - but if I still had up to another 3.5 weeks to go now, I think I would really be struggling with it all. Also with the other DC, it is not like you can just rest, even if you could find a comfortable position.

I know this doesn't help but I am thinking of you and hoping your baby puts in a safe, easy appearance soon ((((((HUGS))))))

Anybody about??? I think I may be in labour!!!

Have been having strong pains at the bottom of my bump every 8-10 minutes since about 10pm. Am almost afraid to get my hopes up after thinking it might be "it" so many times in the last couple of weeks but this feels different and there's a definite pattern to the pains. You'd think after having given birth before I would recognise the signs, but DS1 was induced at 39+2 so I never had any doubts about what was happening. Can't get to sleep so going to keep moving about and see what happens!

39+5

I'm about! Baby will only sleep attached to me . I'd call the labour ward Danny. Keep moving to move things along. Time the length of the confections as well as the intervals. Good lucb!

Thanks Faith. And congratulations on the birth of your daughter. I saw the photo on FB, she's absolutely gorgeous! Hope you manage to get some sleep!

Ooh Good luck Danny hope this is it, sounds exciting xx

Have had a bath and contractions now approx. 5 mins apart. Have got TENS machine on and PILs coming to collect DS. Hope this is really it!

Good luck Danny sounds like this is it

Good luck Danny! Def sounds like it.

I'm 41+5 today, no continuous signs and the wait is getting really difficult to deal with. Booked in for induction on Wed which is not what I want at all. Tried everything!! Went for a walk for nearly 2 hours yesterday...come on baby! I got some contractions yesterday at this time, around 4a.m, and just had 1 or 2 twinges same time this morning...sorry to go on, and not post for so so long...it's been a stressful and difficult pregnancy at times and there has been a hell of a lot going on for family too, stressful physical and mental illnesses on both sides of families. Like many people I'm sure.

Was in car accident yesterday, someone went into back of ours going down hill when their brakes failed, but baby was monitored at mat ward and we were given all clear 4 hours later ( just had mild shock with headache) Not even that will shift baby! so sorry for moan, really just letting off steam.

Good luck danny - keep us posted!

olympic - hoping things really kick off for you today - glad everything was ok in the end but car accident sounds v. scary.

I'm fine over here but still no baby!!

Xxxx
41+2!!!!
Xxx

Good luck danny sounds like things are happening for you! Congrats to all the new arrivals and fx for all those still waiting!

Still nothing here with me had a show last Thursday and been having niggles and strong bh, esp yday but still no baby! Trying to stay busy or I will go mad! Well done to all those overdue, it must be so frustrating. I'm only 39+4 and getting very impatient! Jst keep saying tht it won't be much longer for any of us! Xx

Good luck Danny!
Trish- I hope hunters weigh in goes well and u can make plans to go home ASAP. Finally took a good look at the fb photos, oh my goodness hunter is gorgeous! So handsome he looks like he's thinking some very important thoughts
Dysgu- thanks for the reassurance, I'm so glad Evan is doing so well I have had chicken pox luckily but they are still concerned apparently it is possible to get it again.
Empress-any news? Still honking of you x

I had the night from hell, they have kept Alex in, for observation we can go this morning if his bloods come back with no elevated white count. He hated the needle, then I had to go back to see ds1 so I left expressed milk and a bottle for one feed as I was never gonna make it back in less than two hours- well Alex went mad, he's never had a bottle before but the nurses were all he will be fine if he's hungry he'll eat- not my son, he screamed, he howled, he was sick, he wouldn't be touched just mad him worse... I got back to find him in a real state straight onto the boob, fed, sighed and fell fast asleep. He's been fine since, I feel terrible but I can't be in two places as once. Desperately hoping we can go home today, though obviously still very worried it hoping that if he was going to get sick he would have done so by now.

Hi all, my waters broke at 3 am this morning but no contractions yet. Was sent home and told if nothing happens I will need to come in tomorrow to be induced and given antibiotics. Baby not engaged so may be waiting a while for bubs to work his or her way down.

Although am pleased something has started - I do sympathise with those overdue and in discomfort- Im concerned that I am not going to have the home/water birth I planned and will have to be induced which I understand will be more painful.

Dont feel ready for baby at all, only finished work yesterday and was planning to put my feet up for the next few weeks! Haven't even unpacked the birth pool yet and tried it out...

Am 38 wks today and I hold birth ball responsible as was bouncing up and down on it last night!

Olympic the car accident sounds scary, glad that you and baby are ok.

danny good luck! Looking forward to your baby news.

wishful I hope you don't have too much longer to wait.

jo it sounds like things are moving along. I know what you mesn about induction, I'm hoping for a waterbirth but as baby isn't engaged it's looking like induction may be needed.

I'm booked in for a sweep next week and they would book my induction for the 29th or 30th - I really don't want it to drag on that long and am very fearful of induction.

Does anyone have any positive induction stories I can cling on to?

Off to bounce on my ball like a mad woman.

No!! JoRich you're my due date buddy so you have have your LO this early! I'm bouncing on my ball as I type to try and join you.

I hope things start naturally today for you and you get the home birth (being induced is my least preferred scenario).

Congrats to all the other arrivals and fingers crossed Mama that Alex avoids the CP. my nephew had it at 5 months and looked absolutely horrendous (he was just one big spot) but he seemed fairly oblivious to it.

38w today

Hi all

Still hanging around - getting bored now 40+5.

I have been induced with both my previous babies and it wasn't a big problem at all. Ds1 was - full 14 days late and I had a Syntocin drip which was much more pleasant than any sweep I have ever had and ds2 my waters broke and then nothing happened and due to the risk of infection I was admitted later in the day and again on Syntocin to bring on labour and again it was a straight forward situation - it didn't complicate my labour of make it more painful. I would rather have that any day rather than a sweep - I have had 3 and could've gone through the roof with the pain - even had Entonox to help!!

The good thing about induction is that you at least know things are going to finally get going!! And it isn't going to make things any more or less painful - my biggest problem was ds2 was back to back - the Syntocin was honestly not a problem.

Had a really naff nights sleep again last night - ds1 had a nightmare and then I woke up at 5am again for a trip to the loo then struggle to get back to sleep and have to be up by 7 for the school run!! Been bouncing on my ball like mad and had an hour round trip this morning walking to school and shops and carrying the shopping back - still no signs of anything happening!!