Sloths, slugs and heffalump bumps-july13

[princessllama]

Hope this works

paolo I think the first thing- I might be wrong is the gestation they are born at, I don't think they develop a sucking reflex to feed until around 34 weeks- I'm happy to be corrected. Then I think it depends on the facilities the hospital has, DD (not a twin btw) born at 31 weeks, I was discharged after a week and expressed at home for tube feeds at first and then for bottle feeds when I wasn't there, when I was there I was encouraged to breastfeed if able then top-up with tube/bottle depending. I roomed in for I think 2 or 3 nights before discharge to try to establish bf but still found DD needed topping up with a bottle as she didn't seem to be able to bf for long enough. Others I know who's babies were born older at our hospital but still needing scbu/nicu have managed to delay the mothers discharge as they were trying to ebf, and other hospitals I believe may have places for parents to stay, but I guess with specific criteria they need to fit to get a room, ours has a few Ronald McDonald rooms but these are almost exclusively used for parents of children in itu, not neonates.
Sorry that doesn't sound particularly positive does it, I guess it all depends on the hospital is what I'm trying to say!

Paolocee - glad to hear you're being cared for so well and that Donna and the girls are doing well (am sure Caitlin is just trying to ensure she keeps you on your toes). I'm sad to say that unless its a situation like Shiv has encountered, they do tend to discharge mum before baby in the UK if they are premature and encourage expressing at home (as Ellie is having to do). And the postnatal care for twins in the UK is nothing like you're experiencing in Sweden - my friend had twins at 39 weeks when I had ds1, was discharged 3 days later and left to it at home. It is possible to establish breastfeeding if they are tube fed/bottle fed but involves a fair bit of hard work on both sides. If I was your brother, I'd be looking into getting a postnatal doula (with bf/twins experience) to help him and his partner after the arrival of the twins - the care in the NHS does vary from PCT to PCT so he may find he has a much more supportive one than the one in London my friend gave birth in, but best to prepare himself in advance.

Photographer - hugs. You ARE going to have a baby and very beloved she will be too.

npk - what an awful week! Hope things get better for you & no labour just yet.....

princess - hope Humphrey has a better day today.

paolo - glad the girls are doing well.

Sunday at whopping cough!

Slouching - DH agrees re: Becks Blue. (For some reason he has felt the need at some point to find a palatable alcohol free beer. It's not a regular thing)

Slouching - not beer, but my tipple of choice has been the alc. free pear Kopparberg.

good gracious the 4am club is alive and kicking. in fact the whole thread is ... I'm struggling to keep up lets all move to sweden, what do you think?? glad to read that your three ladies are well p

happy start to mat leave to slouching dinky and cheese. hope you get plenty of rest and see less of 4am

npk what a rubbish week you've had. glad it was just the car rather than you that was hurt though, and hope you find a new buyer quickly. I don't know which part of the uk youre in but here houses and flats have been going quickly because theres a little rush of people with deposits who are hurrying to get a property before the help to buy scheme inflates the prices, so you might be lucky finding a new buyer soon.

photographer that shouldn't be a sad day, youre in a lovely new location with a baby on the way and everything to look forward to. don't look back

I had a 36 week appt today. good news is.baby is no longer breech singing the "turn around" verses from total eclipse of the heart mustve done the trick I'm still big foot and the hendersons though..dr wasnt worried as calf felt soft but then did my blood pressure and was a little concerned it's got higher so back to gp next week..

Hurrah for no longer breech baby Cheek - I treated my roommates to the gender predictor krispy kremes (for my baby, rather than the royal one) and so far its 2 blues vs 1 pink... Its good they're keeping your foot/bp under review as a precaution.

Hi all. I'm back. Baby still breech but growing along its line ok. Also have very high blood pressure today (not surprised) and reduced amniotic fluid and so have to have repeat scan to see if it further reduces by next week and how baby is doing. Going to end up with another section at some point soon as it's very unlikely baby will turn now. I'm really scared. For lots of reasons.

Also visited the new post natal ward which is bloody awful and not the improvement on old ward I was hoping for. Cramped and busy do not even begin to cover it. And they are expecting me to stay at least two days . They implied that the baby will most likely have breathing / feeding problems due to being delivered by section so we would have to stay .

Feeling very down this afternoon. Tiredness and being left all morning in ante natal clinic with nothing to eat or drink hasn't helped. oh and because we were kept so long we got a parking ticket too. off for a rest now. Not having the best day!

Shelley - first, big hugs. Dont worry - it will all work out one way or another. If you know you will be having an elcs, then you can enlist help with the kids for during and after the birth.if you want to try for a vbac, first thing to do is see if that nipper can be turned (Guavas and Cheeks have successfully turned recently)- check out the spinning babies website for things you can do (beyond feasting on ice cream and singing turn around bright eyes) to help turn breach babies. Some csec babies have breathing/feeding difficulties but lots don't - its not a given so you may be able to be discharged earlier. I think all post natal wards are much of a muchness - you've survived it before and you can get through it again. It will all be worth it to have your little one in your arms. Get some food and drink in you, have a rest and hopefully things will seem brighter.

shelley - I prescribe chocolate or cake - it will help. Sounds like you've had a rough morning. Try not to be scared. Your baby is growing & doing ok. Be glad you're being closely monitored & don't let it freak you out. Sorry the post-natal ward seems to be a miserable place. I found 4 days on a nice ward difficult enough.

dinky - I'm sure you need more than one donut for a proper gender prediction test. It's got to be at least best out of three

Oh and appeal that parking ticket too if you feel up to it Shelley

cheese lucky you enjoyjng the hiccups. I've become a bit of a grouch as babbers seems to get them at least twice a day and they drive me nuts

vinegar sorry you're suffering so badly at night, but well done on the cycling! I agree with dinky's advice, I feel refreshed after a midday nap, when I can fit them in.

npk at the whale moment! I hope baby holds on a bit longer so the house can be sorted (or at least be on its way). What a horror of a week.

princess I hope Humphrey has a better day today. It sounds promising if they're talking about him coming home on Tuesday.

I had my mw appointment this morning and completely forgot to ask whether baby's head was engaged yet. When is normal? It took me ages to walk / waddle home after, but I managed to build the cot this afternoon so I'm feeling pretty relaxed. Still no bag packed though! Thanks for the recommendation slouching I'm on the kopparberg at the moment, but will check out the Becks

shelley, take it easy on yourself.

Ignore my question - just read my notes properly and baby's head is 'free' still. Great!

Thanks Dinky.

Oh Shelley, sorry to hear that your having a tough day. I send you hugs.

NPK hope you get another buyer soon.

Princess glad to hear all is well with Humphery. I love the name. It reminds me of a boy I went to school with. He was so hot, clever and very well mannered. All the girls were chasing after him.

Glad I finished a very important report at work today. I can now look forward to the weekend.

Sorry for not namechecking, I'm on my phone.

Lots of people seem to be having a tough time at the moment. for all of you are in order I think. Plus tea and chocolate!

Happy last day at work to those of you finishing today. I have to say I've lived this first week of maternity leave just powering around the house etc.

Had my midwife appointment today. I will have another one at 39 weeks, before a sweep at 40 weeks if she's still in there. Apparently the head is only 2/5 palpable, so hopefully with lots of ball bouncing she'll be engaged soon and ready to go!

Loved not lived, and pottering not powering. I really should read my posts back before sending them

Persuasion I loved the thought of you powering round the house.

Photographer big hugs to you. They sound like a great team and you'll be a mum before you know it. Enjoy your nap.

Paolo sorry no experience, but lovely to hear how you're all doing.

Shelly What a day! Hopefully some rest and a drink will help things seem better. Postnatal wards aren't always the best but remembering its not forever may help. Sorry you're feeling scared too. Big hugs.

Yay to Sliver for finishing the report and to Cheek for a non breech baby.

Dinky I love the doughnut idea. Am now craving doughnuts. We have Krespy Kreme drive through nearby so may have to take a detour next time I'm in the car!

MrsRoss my bag isn't packed yet either, though I do have random piles all over the house of things I need to pack!

I am very glad to only just find out that Krispy creme do such a thing as a drive through and even gladder that there is not one anywhere near me, it is bad enough walking past the display at tesco,........... goes off to google nearest Krispy creme drive through.

Another advocate of the becks blue here, might have to look out the koppaberg too now that mat leave has started.

Thanks to bad miss m and others for suggesting the migraine thing, I've been hoping that's what it was and turns out you're probably right. No nasties on scan which is great news so back to normal for me thank goodness.

Sounds like a completely normal reaction to such a long wait for a baby photographer, have these to help though

I brought a krispy kreme baby predictor home for the boys to have and it was pink - ds2 was v pleased but had to explain to him it wasn't a guarantee that the baby is definitely a girl!

Slouching - not me. Oh no. can't find a drive thru though.

I've finished work - hip hip hooray! Git a little bit teary when my colleagues gathered round with presents but recovered my composure soon enough, wish I'd thought to put the waterproof mascara on though!

Have read through today's post-athon but too tired to respond to any of it. Expect I'll be more responsive next week, when first job is sorting my hospital bag. But might have to detour via Krispy Kreme

36+1

Evening everyone

Paolo It varies from area to area but I had my section on the Monday and stayed on the postnatal ward until the Thursday. Ezekiel was in the neonatal unit and I had to get down 2 corridors and through the labour ward to get to him. The first day I got taken in a wheelchair but after that I had to walk, or rather shuffle there and back. I think I could have stayed a day or 2 longer if I'd wanted to but not the whole time. When he is nearly ready to come home there are rooms in the parent accommodation where I can stay for 48 hours with Ezekiel in the room with me at night and in the neonatal unit in the day. Not sure how far away the rooms are from the neonatal unit but a lot closer than the postnatal ward I think.

Hope all the last days at work are going well.

Hope Oliver and Humphrey are improving

Ezekiel is doing pretty much the same. Still very floppy and sleepy. They tried him on demand feeding on Wednesday night but he didn't cope so it's back to feeding him every 3 hours. By bottle if he's awake and by tube if not. We're waiting to hear if he is able to go home with the tube still in or not. He is still on the sats monitor and he definitely can't go home or even room in with that still on. He has a habit of stopping breathing when his head flops around, a combination of the cleft and low muscle tone causing the problem. He has a discharge meeting on Wednesday next week but we don't know if we can take him home after that or not. I have a cold which adds to the complications as I can't visit Ezekiel until I'm better. It's only been a day but I miss him so much.

Hang in there elliej, you are having a rough time.
We havent had a good 48 hours either. Everytime the dr comes to see us they seem to say something negative. Now looking at friday possibly to come home althougg tonight's dr told me to stop focusing on that and concentrate on the next 48 hours- grr, silly man, it is pretty hard when i have to think about other 2 kids as well and sh going back to work. He also said humphrey was' on the edge' when i said i thought that he was unwell but stable. It has left me v on edge. The other dr said they wouldn't mess with his oxygen or pressures because he was so unwell and bow they are trying to bring his oxygen down again- i hate it when they change dr. Hecnow has pulmonary hypertension and respiratory distress syndrome. Intubated, ventilated, sedated and on morphine and something for blood pressure. He also had a blood transfusion today. My milk is starting to come in and i am feeling sad sad.

No krispy kreme cravings here.

Today I jinxed DH. He went out for a cycle and I warned him that I didn't want to have to come and rescue him for a mechanical. I ended up driving 20 miles to get him after his rear derailleur broke off. I had to have a nap when we got home, seems I can't drive very far anymore.