January 2014 Thread 16 - More babies arrive or we make delicious lasagnes whilst we wait

[enormouse]

Here you go - New thread! (Procrastinating wildly)

Hi everyone - big hugs to everyone who needs them

nature - very pleased to hear you're home. I'm still expressing away. Good news is that Eva has now regained her birth weight minus 90 grams in 5 days. Midwife pleased as she had lost well over 10%

DH is back to work tomorrow so I will be on my own for the first time ! Fortunately he has the next few Tuesdays off and my parents are coming back on Tuesday too to stay but feeling a bit daunted

Last night was quite horrid. A total blur of feeding and going to sleep for 10 mins and Eva waking again with expressing in between it all!

Tonight I've tried to make sure I gave Eva a feed every two hours and hoping it might help a bit. I now can't bloody get to sleep though!

Glad to hear you are both home and well nature and good luck to all those whose partners are returning to work.

I'm still here, things were starting last night but seemed to stop at 4 with my show. No idea what's next on their induction plan but will hopefully find out after 9 am when the next shift starts.

Good luck, fly!

You'll have a baby soon fly!

DH back to work today here too gobbo. I am having a massive panic. DD still isn't back up to birth weight in spite of hourly feeding . There is already tslk of colic and reflux, but she's only 2 weeks so it seems a bit early to diagnose that to me. Have bought all the colic stuff just in case!

Who is still waiting? Contractiony vibes to you :)

fly good luck! See you on the other side

Book still waiting here - DD is tomorrow. Something has changed in last few days... Grumpiness through the roof and more period pain things... Am getting my hopes up that DC1 might arrive right on schedule!

Good luck fly

gobbo sorry you have had a tough night. I seem to have 1 good night followed by 2 awful ones.

book am sure the weight gain will come. Sometimes it takes time for it to happen. I was feeding aurelia like crazy and she had a day or 2 when she didnt put on anything and then all of a sudden she put on loads even though i wasnt doing anything different.

So aurelia slept quite a bit last night and had short feeds (more 5 and 10 mins, although she only feeds for about 15 mins normally - should she be feeding for longer?) Its just another thing to worry about, have also noticed she has white on her tongue (like her tastebuds or something) Going to mention to HV tomorrow in case its sonething to worry about.

Does anyone know if HV can prescribe meds? It all seems silly talking to the HV about some things if they are just going to tell me to go to the gp. I dont have a car until March and its quite a trek to the doctors unless I get a taxi or can figure out the bus. Would be so much easier if they couldprescribe things if required.

Dh was really nice overnight. When aurelia woke up crying and i was getting stressed as she kept wriggling whilst trying to latch, he held my hand and told me i was doing a good job. I told him that that is all i need sometimes during the night shift. Just some support and comfort.

Good luck everyone still waiting. Am sure it wont be too long now!

Morning everyone, another one flying solo for the first time today as DH has gone back to work today. Good luck to others in the same situation...

A little scary but we are planning on taking it easy today, with just a little trip to the HV to get Emily weighed.she also has been losing weight since birth but not huge amounts (not yet 10%). She has a tongue tie so the weight loss was enough to trigger a hospital referral to get that assessed, but still hoping it has gone up. We've been feeding her 2 expressed bottles of 100ml a day to try and bulk her up, but she still gets quite sleepy during regular boob feeding and I'm worried she isn't getting enough in. I wish I had taken feeding a bit more seriously in terms of preparing before she was born, honestly I find it harder and more stressful than being pregnant and it's so bloody emotive. I've been lucky that a lot of my tearyness has worn off the more sleep I get but nothing makes me cry like feeling crippling nipple pain, bad latch, and just generally feeling like I can't feed my baby properly....

Thanks to those who have shared their post birth experiences. I think hormones were the toughest part of being pregnant and didn't realise it would get worse. It really helps to know that others are going through the same.

Can I just ask about nights....are you sleeping in the same room as OHs? Mine has been sleeping in the spare room, partly because we started doing shifts of 2hrs each when LO wouldn't settle, and now I have been feeding in the bed at night and use all the pillows and available space. But now he is back at work I feel like I'll never see him and am worried separate bedrooms can't be good for relationship in the longer term. But can't see he will want to move back in as he needs sleep for work.

I can't remember who mentioned sore baby bums when changing a few posts ago, but we have had that problem and if you put a thin layer of Vaseline over the top of the mecanium cream then it warweproofs it and stops it rubbing off so works more effectively apparently. Hasn't totally fixed it for us but things have improved.

Keeping fingers crossed and sending contractory vibes to those still waiting, and hope you get your newborn cuddles soon.

Good luck fly

I'm still waiting too. Got my first sweep today and not looking forward to it or the unknown of what it might do

Hi everyone
Good luck fly. Fx you have a lovely newborn with you soon.

angel I'm with you on the grumpiness and frustration. I'm getting so fed up.

Hugs to all with refluxy/colicky/fussy newborns.

Currently stuck at home with DS, who has been bribed into (momentary) stillness with dps kindle. It has dr who on it. I'm a little worried as I'm currently alone with DS (dp at work, dfil at a funeral and DMil at the dentists and dfriend who offered to keep me company at work). Think I'll get dressed soon and find something to do to keep busy.

Good luck to all pre-labour-ites, sending positive calm contraction vibes

I am feeling a good deal better, now day three on antibiotics for the mastitis. Flipping heck it knocks you for six doesn't it. Managed to bf through and Lucy is steadily gaining weight so everyone is happy. She is incredibly chilled normally and in fact the me day she kicked off and we assumed it was the antibiotics, I think it was more likely to have been the two oranges I ate that day, trying to ward off constipation. She is v fussy from about 8pm to 11pm but settles well after, last night waking just once at 4.30am and then at half eight this morning. Wold be lovely to get her to sleep earlier in the evening but I am coping so I am not going to stress about it.

Dh is also back at work today, the boys are at nursery so just Lucy and me at home and it feels so calm! (Here I go jinxing things). Heading out of a coffee with a friend now, then plan to take it easy at home after.

Ref breast feeding, have anyone's boobs settled down to a vaguely normal size? I am normally tiny but have Pamela Anderson sized bazookas which make me look ridiculous and are v uncomfortable. Does it take more than a week? I really can't remember from last time.

Sultana and choco, thinking of you two in particular. Hugs all round.

So I never did get a chance to catch up with the thread on Friday night. Had a really mucky show and lost my pessary, so was taken through to delivery suite in case my waters had gone but had meconyum in them. Turned out not but they broke my waters anyway. Labour had been going well with an epidural, but my back to back baby decided to turn, just not far enough, and we ended up with a forceps delivery.

Reuben James arrived at 22.15 on Saturday night weighing 8lb 2.5oz. Both doing well and should be home this afternoon - just having an uncomfortable time recovering from my episiotomy.

Will put a photo up on the FB group once we're home.

Congratulations hobby hope you are both home and feeling less sore soon.

Well ctx weren't doing anything so back on another 24 hour propess. Would't mind so much if I hadn't had 12 hours in between doing nothing.

hobby - congratulations! Lovely name too :)

sunshine we are sleeping in separate rooms and I have exactly the same worries as you about it. I've told DH how lonely it is, and he comes in to say goodnight and good morning, but I really wish he'd be a bit more hands on and supportive at night. He does say that I can wake him if I need to, but I don't want to because he has to get up early to go to work. It is my biggest worry so far really.

That sounds boring fly. I've got everything crossed for you that it all kicks off soon :)

Congratulations hobby, lovely name. And I'd try a few drops of witch hazel in your bath for the soreness.

Oh fly that's crap but it's bringing you closer to holding your baby.

Good luck book & mythree and anyone else on their own today.

mythree, you are a legend, BFing through mastitis. It's so hard. I'm paranoid I'll get it again.

It was me talking about sore baby bums, sunshine. Meredith's seems to be getting worse. We saw the mw this morning and she said we're doing all the right things (reusable wipes with just water, reusable nappies, Metanium/Sudocrem, no chemicals in the bath etc). She suggested trying just cotton wool instead of the wipes, even though she couldn't see how it would make a difference, just because it's the only thing we hadn't tried. I'll get some Vaseline too, thanks :)

Congratulations, hobbyist!

Good luck, fly!

I'm feeling lucky that DH doesn't go back to work til next week.

Congrats hobby. I love the name Reuben.

Still hanging on here. I had what I think was my first contraction last night, followed by another around 10 mins later, and that was it, boo. I'll need a new pair of trainers soon if I do much more walking.

Sounds like all those with babies are thankfully getting over a tough first couple of weeks, its been helpful reading as being a first timer I had no idea what to expect and DH is really blasé about it like we're going to have a little angel, I am a bit more sceptical!

Take care everyone and hope all the remaining babies make an appearance soon.

Congrats hobbyist The soreness will go away soon enough just keep looking after it.

I feel lucky that dh hasn't said about sleeping in the spare room yet. It is very lonely at night especially as he doesn't wake up when she stirs like i do. Often if he does wake up he just turns over to get away from the noise and my lamp light.
Have jaundice clinic again this afternoon and really hoping that the blood tests go well (and it doesn't take several attempts like last time) also hope this is the last one as I really think she is improving. MIL is taking us as I am carless. Cant wait until i get the car in march and i can go to some baby groups and have some freedom back. I didn't think it would matter getting rid of my car but i think with the tear it would have been good to have one. Oh well.

That was really sweet of your DH last night, frizz :)
I don't think HVs can prescribe, so it would have to be the GP, I'm afraid. It could be thrush?

Congratulations hobby lovely name!

toby i wondered if thats what it could be. Hoping that the HV will be able to get an idea as i cant tell if its just milk on her tongue as she wont open her mouth for me to look and i dont want to bother the gp for milk on her tongue!

Congratulations hobby

Just had midwife appointment -
She said cervix still at the back of baby's head. 1-2cm dilated. Did gentle sweep as my pelvis went again so didn't do much but she said the way baby's head is it could be tonight but still could muck about for a few days as third baby's like to apparently. Was LOL position last week now it's slightly ROP

Congratulations hobby

Good luck little I'm just waiting for my sweep now eek! What are rop and lol?

little sounds promising. From my own mapping I think baby tends to favour ROA but he seems so mobile fx once labour kicks in I can encourage him round to LOA in the early stages... I hope! Sounds like your little one is fairly free and easy too...

Congratulations hobby!

Glad you are home nature!

Another one flying solo today.

Well after continuing to express mastitis boob and not being able to bear the latch on the good boob this morning and ending up giving formula and expressing from the good boob, I have made the tough decision to stop breastfeeding in the near future. I have a painful blocked duct I can't shift in the good boob and still on antibiotics and thrush meds for nipple thrush. I am really upset about making the decision, but me crying in agony during every feed can't continue and it can't be good for little Henry.

Going to express for another couple of days and give two formula feeds daily to make sure he is ok with the formula and then aim to switch by the weekend.

Quick question. As it is, I wake up with engorged lumpy boobs since Henry started sleeping for 6 hours straight at night. I really don't want mastitis again, but realise when I stop expressing, the boobs are gonna be engorged and lumpy until it finally dries up. Should I be concerned about lumps when I am trying to quit? All advice appreciated....

Hi there, could it join in? Could someone add me to the Facebook group too please?
I had a fabulous little boy Thomas on jan 8th and I am finding it comforting to see everyone is as tired as me and lots of babies are grizzly!! Xx