October 2013: The Fourth Trimester - the bit no one warns you about!

[roxvox]

Stats sheet here

New arrivals here

Key:
SC - still cooking (pre EDD)
SFW - still f*ing waiting (post EDD)
OWT - on way to theatre (CS)
IP - induction in progress
SWIL - somewhere in labour
LIT - lost in transition

Anyone ese being ridiculously clumsy? This morning I've broken my hair-drier and the washing-airer. What next...?

Milk in the eye definitely works. Really quickly too.

Has anyone ever had a baby with reflux? What did he/she do that made you realise it was reflux?

Smittem....our king Charles has been really good with Joe....but dh is at hand to give her lap...otherwise she sits on my feet looking forlorn without her lap occupied by baby....

roxvox DS had silent reflux - its difficult to diagnose as symptons are the same as colic etc. A BF counsellor suggested to me that he may have it due to his feeding and sleeping behaviour - he used to 'feed' for up to 15 hours in 24 hours, would scream when placed on his back etc. We basically only knew it was reflux once the symptons eased with baby gaviscon.

Weigh in for emilia this morning - she has put on just under a kilo at 3 weeks, and tracking the 75 percentile, so all good here. HV useless though - 'how often is she feeding', 'er, on demand, varies', 'but every 3 hours yes?', 'no, on demand', 'well she should be feeding abput every 3 hours', ' er no, she feeds when she tells me she is hungry'. They honestly know sod all about bf, and it makes me so cross to see all the crap advice you guys are being given. orange, suggesting your baby needs a massive 90ml top up when 4g under their target, but then suggesting you extend to 4 hours between feeds - how does that make any sense? Graa, makes me

I've braved the elements and made it out to the retail park near us for our first big trip out just the two of us.we even had our first bus journey! (H's first, not mine!) we're now in the cafe in kiddicare having a drink. not been too stressful so far, apart from the sudden big shower we got caught in!!!

Huge congratulations on the new arrivals!!!!!!!

Flyer ... She is gaining, not still losing, that's the main thing. My closest friend has a six month old. Her DD (no 2, and she bf no 1, so she had confidence) lost 11% of birthweight and took over three weeks to get back to birthweight. My friend just ignored the MWs and fed on demand.... I really hope the referral is useful. Any chance you can get yourself a private lactation consultant? You have done so well to get this far.

I so agree with Bowlfull and GT. I am so about some of your MWs. Orange, for hourly feeding and increasing formula top ups given the circs is CRAZY! Is there any way you can contact LLL of a proper bf counsellor to give you an alternative strategy. That MW honestly has no idea how bf works...

Well done Roofio and on your successful days so far!

Clapham - I know how you feel. I went the full 12 days over, was induced and DD arrived at 40+14. Like you (I think?!?) being induced was ok. I was mobile, in control and needed gas and air only.... And DD was so well and good at feeding and alert... That extra two weeks inside was wonderful for her. Huge diff between the twins and DD in terms of "maturity" as a newborn...

Orange *four hourly feeding...

roofio- well done for getting out. Especially today!

Anyone else got a flakey baby?
Some of you have mentioned dry skin. It's like Thea is shedding her top layer- is that what your babies are like?
I'm using baby oil when i change her on hands/feet. I felt a bit weird at mw olive/sunflower oil suggestion (I'm not cooking her!) But has anyone else found that more successful?

MrsH John Lewis do a good matress protector. About £40 so more than the plastic ones but not sweaty/ crinkly. We bought for my waters but it has been good for the unexpected poo, wee and milk this week!

Olive oil better. I used it with dh and he had really dry flaky skin. Using it now with M. You can try health stores or pharmacy if you want really high grade organic stuff. I'm just using regular organic evoo. And she doesn't smell like pasta :)

Hello -

I posted a few weeks ago but following the birth of baby Samuel I disappeared into a baby bubble!

Sam is my first baby, he was born on 12th October (41 weeks exactly), and weighed 7 lbs 4 oz.

I had an unexpectedly fast delivery, my waters broke at 1030am, contractions started at 1130, by 0130 they were almost two minutes apart and lasting for one minute so we went into hospital.

When we arrived I was "looked after" by an incredibly grumpy, and pretty useless midwife: she practically never spoke to us; monitor kept showing my heartbeat not the baby's; when my DH asked about gas and air she just told him how to switch it on and off, nothing about when to use it during contraction etc).

The MW also said I was 3cm when she checked me at 0215 (at which point contractions were 2 mins apart lasting for nearly 90 secs), but when doctor checked at 0315 I was 10cm and ready to push!

My beautiful little boy was then born at 0345 - bewildered and shocked, like me! I definitely hadn't expected it all to go so fast, or for the experience to be quite so "intense".

All my Hypnobirthing preparation led to be believe I would be giving birth in a trance-like state of calm, not bellowing on all fours telling DH that if we ever did this again I wanted to have an ELCS...

However the pain of labour is starting to fade. The sleep deprivation is much worse than I expected, but for the last two night he has fed every 4 hours, rather than every 3, so today I feel positively well-rested (who knew that six hours of broken sleep could feel so good??)

Congratulations for all the other new babies I have missed. And really good luck for those still waiting.

Smitten and Clapham if it is any consolation my waters broke 6 hours after my first sweep (which they did three days before the induction was booked). Really hope same happens for you.

Pink Sam is a bit flakey, and my HV also recommended olive oil, but if feels too weird! I got given an organic "Baby Balm" from Neal's Yard, which has worked brilliantly on his feet and arms. You can get it on Amazon, but it is definitely a more expensive option...

I agree re mw/hv etc and bf advice. Like the others more confident doing mu own thing 2nd time around. With ds I also ignored them to a degree. It is easy to say this of course if things are going well so I do feel for you orange, flyer. Like legally suggested any chance of getting a lactation consultant that would come out to you and provide a bit of consistent support??

Ooh thanks Georgie, that's good news on the sweep. Clapham, if they both work on Wednesday we might have the babies at the same time!

Mum and dad just came round to walk the dog and brought her back with poo all over her bum. God knows what happened but just had to give her a bath. Good preparation for baby poo incidents I guess.

clapham and smitten really hope things kick off for you soon. I know what it's like as ds was born 13 days over. I was so down and didn't want to talk to or meet anyone. I think you do forget it all once they're here. Also as legally said they are much more mature esp with feeding. and and some chocolate for you both and all others SFW xx

sanji that is an amazing birth story considering all you went through beforehand. Congrats and well done xxx

Congrats georgiejo

Fergus arrived yesterday very suddenly at just before midnight. 3 to 10 cm in two hours!

Congrats imp! Great name! Seems French dating system works xx

Ok M asleep need to get off mn and either sleep myself or sort out mountain of laundry!!

Hi all.
I really don't know what to do with myself, I'm having horrendous contractions which properly started on the 24th. I mentioned in an earlier post I went to the hospital to confirm whether my waters were leaking, at this point my contractions were 6mins apart. The midwife said it was just discharge (loads and loads of clear liquid, have to keep changing) I had a complete breakdown today because of the pain and the fact that it really isn't progressing anywhere. I'm in agony when I go for a wee but I know I have to keep hydrated, I'm constantly needing to do loose poos. My back kills. The contractions ramp up at night so sleep is awkward and then I'm woken up to it all again. I just don't have a clue what to do, it's been going on so long

slippy have you had a sweep since they started? That nmight help kick things off properly xx

I had a sweep on the 23rd, which seemed to kick it all off. My next appointment is on the 30th, I asked to have one tomorrow but they had none :(

Maybe say more waters have gone, go in, get them to examine you and give you a sweep then? If you are soaking through pads its not unreasonable to get checked again.

You must be truly fed up after 4 days, I'd had enough after 20 hours of painful contractions but no active labour, but with a couple if vigourous sweeps I got there in the end

Slippy - have you called the hospital again? They might have you in to take another look at you and give you some pain relief.

I'm still with you ladies on that back seat & also getting fed up. Not helped by the fact that 2-yr old DS has a tummy upset - it's been 3 days now & is truly vile. Good job I don't feel like going anywhere there is no way I can risk having to do a nappy change away from a bath & clean clothes!

I've been looking at acupressure points to encourage labour- if you are interested try searching for Debra Betts labour induction- a bit awkward to try & post the link on my phone. It's got to be worth a try! The main points are on hands & ankles so easy to do yourself. Let's hope it works - I wont see mw again till Monday. by which time I'll be 41+5 Good luck fx