November 2017 #5. You wait ages for a baby, then 3 come along at once. Ante/post-natal chat ...

[Zampa]

No specific post-natal category so I've added it to the normal ante-natal category ...

Oh @stepupandgo it must be horrible for you, hope the little one is feeling much better soon.

@stepupandgo for you xx

@GingerHanna I have that app too, and I’ve ordered the book. If Bea is 5 weeks behind, she must be acting like a new born now? So confusing lol!

I got it because of your recommendation! Joseph was three weeks early so according to them he will be one week of old on Sunday. Weird!

@GingerHanna Bea is one week today by the corrected age, so ours are only 2 days apart! We can compare notes :)

@theotherendofthesockportal Haha! Sounds like a plan!

@gingerhanna and @theotherendofthesockportal

I'm a bit sceptical about that comment in the Wonder Weeks app (we have the book and app too!). When DD was born prematurely, we were told by her medical team that physical development should be assessed from adjusted age. However, neurological development should be from actual age. The latter is because their senses are exposes to stimulus from birth rather than still being tucked away in the womb. No adjustments were suggested for an early baby (37 weeks +).

I'm guessing that the leaps described in the book are different from stages of development which vary so wildly from child to child.

Due date today!!! No sign of bubba arriving! 😔😔😔

My little one is doing really well and they’re bringing him in to see me every day...just missing out on so much. He’s a week tomorrow already

If anyone is looking to buy a carrier, close caboo have 30% off everything today on their website, offer code is BF30. I've ordered a weatherproof cover for my caboo. F is currently fast asleep in the caboo :)

Hi everyone, and congratulations on the new arrivals!

Gorgeous pics too! Sorry I fell off thread after Matilda arrived - can’t believe this time a week ago she was 30 minutes old!

Reading your comments is like receiving a massive cuddle of reassurance - I have struggled to feed so much!
The first few days home I told DH I hate him, couldn’t sit down because of my stitches, and my nipples were just bleeding and raw and burning. Spent it crying in bed :(

Tilly’s tongue tie is booked to be cut next Monday. A midwife came round today and said I had thrush on my nipples and Tilly has it in her mouth so that is another reason my boobs have been on fire. Every 3 hours crying trying to feed her I was just crying the first 3 days, until I decided to just express my milk and give it in bottles. Well it made a world of difference! Our routine feels so much better. Yesterday I didn’t give her my boob at all and just gave her bottles of my expressed milk which is nice for DH too!

I actually managed to whiz the hoover round today and felt so good lol. Went out for our first walk to the doctors too to get the thrush cream. And could finally put my wedding ring back on! Small victories.

The Midwife today showed me the rugby ball position and I put Tilly back on my breast for the first time in 30 odd hours, I was dreading it...and it didn’t hurt! I don’t know if anyone has tried this position? You pop Baby under your armpit, I just managed to feed her again on my other boob and I’m so happy it didn’t hurt! Maybe I’ve found a found a position that works for us at last!

Also totally feel the ‘not feeling yourself’ or even like a person...I have just sat with my pump attached to my boob with my big old boobs hanging out..! But she does sleep a lot between feeds so I do feel lucky. I am thinking of moving her on a dummy because she suckles her fingers constantly though, has anyone else used one yet?

Hope everyone is ok!! Again, I completely feel what all of you are saying! Having a newborn is a total spade to the face! I was not prepared - I thought giving birth was hard enough then you get home and can’t sit down on your stitches and your boobs are two balls of raging fire 🙈 Xxx

I do have to say this little face makes it all worth it though...this was after she had her heel prick test at the five day check up...broke my heart!

I’m home and completely overwhelmed, in a lot of pain and struggling to even lift my little man never mind do anything for him. I have an amazing support network in my family and my husband has taken to everything so quickly but I’ve lost the first week with him. He’s in a great routine and I don’t want to mess it up because I’m not confident the tears have hit

I hate dummies but sent DH out for one today! DD has such a strong suck that if I don't get the latch perfect it's agony & I was bleeding earlier. She wasn't even 48 hours & I was almost at the point of giving up & switching to formula! I'm so glad I expressed lots before she arrived - she's used it all up now but it did mean I could have a little break. My milk is coming in & we're working on improving the latch so hopefully things will improve in the next few days. I may well get her checked for TT though - DS2 had one & I suspect DS1 did too. DD took to her dummy really quickly & it let DH see what my nipples go through at every feed when she ripped the dummy out of his hand! I'm not planning on using it long-term but hopefully it'll give her something else to suck on when I need a minute before feeds! I've ordered a new breast pump too - I have a manual one but I'm getting an electric one that will hopefully be more efficient. It's out of stock at the moment though so I've got to wait until mid Dec.

Other than my painful nipples, DD is doing really well. She's v enthusiastic about feeding & certainly not shy about letting me know when she's hungry! She doesn't like to be put down & will only tolerate sleeping next to me if my arm is half underneath her. I'm still in quite a lot of pain with my stitches & general achiness. I'm also doing far more than is sensible at this stage. I've got a few commitments over the weekend but by Sunday afternoon I should be done & able to rest for the week while DH is off work. By "rest" I mostly mean sit on the sofa doing my pelvic floor exercises, since I seem to have lost pretty much all control of my bladder! My blood loss has slowed sufficiently that I probably don't need proper mat pads anymore, but I'm wearing them because every time I cough/stand up I wee a bit! Am trying to do the exercises but I can't feel much happening. I remember this from last time too - they say you can start doing the exercises pretty much straight away but I can't feel anything other than a bruised feeling down there atm!

Can't believe she's 2 days old now. It feels like she's always been here, but I also keep forgetting about her... Not to the extent that I'll leave the house without her, more just that if she's with DH in another room I'll feel surprised when I hear her cry. It's surreal having this new person suddenly here!

@Hazandduck I love the nickname Tilly! In the unlikely event that I have another baby and she is a girl I going to push for the name Matilda. Sounds like you have had an eventful first week.

@stepupandgo I just wanted to offer a hand hold. I’m on the verge of tears as Bea has started to scream during feeds. Doctor Google says this could be silent reflux, which fills me with dread. I’ve given her some infacol and seeing if it will help during the next feed. I also have the 6 week check in Monday and will raise it with the GP.

Ah thanks @sock, we must have similar taste in names as Beatrice and Bea were on our list too! My niece calls her Tildey lol.

Ah @Agnu did you have DD at home? I know what you mean hearing the cry from another room..it’s so weird hearing it and knowing it’s a cry out just for you!

So sorry you are having problems @stepup. It’s so overwhelming, I burst out crying at our 5 day check because I was so frustrated having to leave the house, DH got a stress nosebleed trying to get the pram in the car, DD was screaming! You are doing brilliantly. If you don’t cry at some point then I think that is probably more worrying than anything else! Xx

Haz I love the description of having a newborn as being a spade to the face. When DD was born I felt like my life had been fit by a freight train and scattered off into hundreds of peices. It's not so bad second time around because my life is already screwed (or 'enhanced' as my DH puts it - obviously these little people enhance my life but newborns are bloody hard work).

I'm managing to avoid being too teary but I'm obsessively googling everything and fretting about wind, reflux etc.

@Agnu my bleeding has calmed down but each time I pump my milk or feed, it starts up again!
To anyone struggling to BF, worrying about it or feeling bad about formula, my Midwife told me something yesterday that made me feel so much better...I said I didn’t understand how women just got on with breastfeeding in the old days, before you had nipple creams and things, and she said that it happened all the time and that’s why so many babies didn’t survive, and if it wasn’t for formula today many still wouldn’t, so there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving it to your baby! I totally never thought of it like that before. As long as you and Baby are happy and healthy, nothing else matters. X

Ah @buttery it’s so strange isn’t it you go from googling everything in pregnancy, to labour and then newborns! I keep worrying about her temperature in bed, I hardly slept last night because our room felt cold but she kicks off her blankets and had pooped over the only appropriate tog grobag we have! Cue 4am ordering of another from John Lewis 🙈 x

@Hazandduck I'm constantly worrying about the temperature of the house. I take the remote thermostat up to bed with me every night so I can make sure we are kept warm. DH is a very hot blooded creature and complains that he is over heating, this means we are constantly arguing over the "right temperature."

Our HV also gave us a couple of little room thermometers to make sure the baby sleeps at the correct temperature.

We have had snow today, anyone else?

My bleeding had more or less gone and I'm now having period type bleeding that started yesterday... I am only 3 1/2 weeks PP so could this just be the bleeding starting up again?

@durezidal mine stopped almost completely and then started up again - I'm 2.5 weeks pp. Midwife said it's normal.

Thanks @butterybollocks ... this is like what I would say my periods are like, flow etc all the same. I just didn't know whether you could have your first one before 4 weeks. I can't remember from the last time.

@DuRezidal I'm 6 weeks in and still get the odd bit of spotting

Still. No. Baby. Worried that at 40+3 there could be a lot more waiting to do.