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 ...

@DryHeave ohh you have my sympathy. The day before I had Bea I found myself scrubbing the bathroom floor on my hands and knees. It was really bothering me! I think this may have caused me to go into labour. I'm not suggesting you have to scrub your floors but it could trigger something? Have you tried anything else?

@DuRezidal iv been wondering the same today at 3.5 wks

@AGnu I literally feel your pain it’s horrible :(

@Hazandduck I know what you mean about all the pain - no one prepares you for how bad your boobs will feel!!

@DryHeave 40+1 here and feel exactly the same!! 🙈🙈🙈😤

Well, DS is four weeks tomorrow. Today we had three full feeds from the breast, no too up required. Fourth feed required top up but given we have only had two full feeds ever before today I feel like we have achieved a not so minor miracle.

Bought a woven wrap today so looking forward to trying it out tomorrow. Baby wearing here I come!

@dryheave @mrsjb1987 Hope that you're not too uncomfortable. Have your midwives suggested inductions yet?

Operation Sleep in place for tonight ... I have caved and bought a Dream Sheep ... Snugglesafe Heatpad ordered from Amazon but will use a hot water bottle to warm the crib tonight ... Midwife also said to tilt the crib so small towel is going under the mattress at the head end ...

Little sausage is currently sound asleep on my lap but we know it'll be a different matter as soon as I get into bed!

@Zampa very uncomfortable, SPD and no sleep 😳😳 just ready to meet baby! I've got midwife appointment on Tuesday so I'm hoping they'll do a sweep and they said will set an induction date! Wud love to go naturally!

Good luck @mrsjb1987. You never know, baby may arrive before Tuesday!

I was 10 days late arriving so a planned section before 40 weeks probably saved me some hanging around!

At 40+3 I was getting concerned that I was going to be pregnant forever but DD came at 40+4! It really can't be too much longer for you now! Fx it happens before any inducing is needed!

Well done Hanna! It's really encouraging to be reminded that early feeding difficulties can be overcome. I'm in the hormonal "if I can't get it right now it's all doomed" phase. I'm so engorged it's agony but one of my nipples was literally dripping blood earlier. I'm going to try hand expressing a bit just to ease the pressure & have been pumping from the other side. Luckily DD doesn't seem to mind whether she has a breast or bottle, so long as she can guzzle it! We had problems with both previous DC but I'd hoped that this time would be easier. I stupidly feel like I'm extra failing because this is my 3rd child & I should know how to do this by now! Need to give my head a wobble & get my hormones under control!

I also need to stop overdoing it. I've had quite a full on day & feel at least as bad as I did right after giving birth! We're out tomorrow morning but after that I'm planning to spend as much time as possible in bed with DD just trying to get feeding sorted & let my body heal while DH is on pat leave.

Totally crap day today... we tried to get some Christmas shopping done but my daughter is full of a cold and feeling poorly. It is literally my only weekend day off until Christmas and we got nothing done because she needed to go home!

We have no Christmas shopping at all, nothing for our daughter and now no days to go and get anything together! I officially hate Christmas at the moment!

That's what the internet is for @durezidal!

Ah @Durez I think having a newborn baby is actually the best time to have the excuse of not going all out for Christmas! I warned my family I wouldn’t be as on it this year...I usually have everything bought, wrapped and ready by October!

I don’t know if any of you are doing thank you cards for baby’s gifts etc, but we’ve decided to kill 3 birds with one stone...send out our wedding, baby-thank you and Christmas cards in one with a little pic of her! It’s one advantage of having a baby this near to Christmas 😄

Oh @AGnu I am sorry to hear you are having a hard time of it. Dripping blood is really no good. Are you treating it? Lanolish saves me in the early days when my nipples were shredded.

Apparently the first six weeks are the hardest and if we can just get through that time then the rest is relatively plain sailing. Ish!

Apparently the first six weeks are the hardest and if we can just get through that time then the rest is relatively plain sailing. Ish!

I'm holding you to that @gingerhanna! Thank you everyone for sharing tales of early life with baby. It's reassuring.

Think we might be moving closer to having a name for our lo. Will be great to not have to refer to her as baby any more!

Definitely agree that this Christmas is all about low expectations and online shopping. We're giving lots of vouchers this year.

Freddie is becoming more of a Velcro baby every day. DH is back at work on Tuesday and I'm pretty worried about doing the school run and how I'll manage to put F down long enough to express several times a day

I just feel so stressed by Christmas, as I'm trying to fit work in around having J which is hard enough in itself as trying to work 5 horses in 4 hours is just not doable! But I don't want to have my daughter miss out because how busy i am around having a new baby.

I think it's all suddenly got on top of me. I have been so positive and calm up until now but last night I had a massive panic about everything and it transferred to J as he wouldn't settle in his cot until 11.30pm.

I'm sure that your daughter will have an amazing Christmas @durezidal. Your work ethic will no doubt ensure that. Do use all the resources available to you and make sure you have a rest when you get chance!

Operation Sleep in Your Own Bed failed last night but have a Snugglesafe Heatpad ready to warm LO's cot and Ewan on standby for this evening!

@Zampa have you tried a sleepyhead?

I was looking at them online yesterday @durezidal!

I think I've made a rod for my own back. Lo sleeps on me all day as c-section recovery has led me to be sofa bound this week. So when we get to night-time and I put her in a crib, she's very much WTF!

Ended up with both DDs in our bed last night. Toddler emotions all over the place and DD1 is currently downstairs screaming at Daddy.

We have a sleepyhead and it's fab, I think they must add some sort of magical baby sleep pixie dust during the manufacturing process. I struggle to put F down in the day but he sleeps well in the sleepyhead at night. He's just going to have to spend a lot of time in the caboo in the day so I can get things done.

@durezidal it sounds like you have a lot on, it's no wonder you feel a bit overwhelmed! I think our DDs are similar ages - mine is 5 - and they really just love Christmas however it is, so don't feel under too much pressure. I've promised mine she can open Freddie's presents because he'll be too little so she's mostly excited about opening double the amount of presents! Remember most of us are lounging about on maternity leave and you're already back at work so be kind to yourself, you can't do everything.

@Zampa DD sleeps happily in the Moses basket during the day, try to put her in it at night and it's like you're torturing her. Babies are perverse little creatures.

It's our first day on our own as DH is back to work. Not too bad so far, I managed a hot cup of coffee. May regret this optimism later.

Ah @accrual my DH went back to work today and by 11 he phoned and asked me to bring Matilda in to town to meet him for lunch because he missed her haha. It was actually really nice to get out on my own for the first time, I was so scared of using the car seat and pram etc, but once I got the hang of it I felt like I was winning at life lol. DH is self employed so only had last week off and even then he was working from home half the time. It was so nice having someone bring me tea and toast in bed, reality check today! X

Hi all... congratulations on all the new arrivals... they are all so beautiful. I have 4 friends that have had babies this year and they (the parents) all survived and are now settled through all the colic and sleepless nights and cracked nipples so there is Hope! I'm 39+4 here and am getting bored now. Dh is off of work now until Jan so we can et things done before baby is here. Have constant back ache so have been on the yoga ball all day. Just really don't want to have a sweep or get induced! Much love to all

We had our 6 week check today, Bea is doing well. The only thing the doctor mentioned was that she favours putting her head on one side. We have been told to prop the mattress up on one side to encourage her to move her neck around.

I'm allowed to drive again - woohoo. I salute you @Hazandduck for getting to grip with the car seat/ pram. On all my trials of getting the car seat out the car I've ended up huffing and puffing. I don't seem to have the knack 😳

I thought Bea would have her jabs today, I was told they do these at 8 weeks not 6. I have booked her in.

The doctor also gave me a prescription for the pill. I hate hormonal contraceptives, but definitely don't want to give Bea a little friend yet ever.