Babes in Scotland this year - shall we have our own thread?

[whinegums]

Hi, I can't see any up to date antenatal threads for mums to be in Scotland, anyone want to join in this one? I think there are a few Scottish mums on the due in June thread, so I wondered if we should have our very own for all of this year's Scottish crop?

Paranoid, sudocreme worked ok for ds but didn't for dd, we tried metanium and it was fab!! Also we stuck to cotton wool and water for ages, I'd suggest using Simple wipes (my preferred wipes) to get worst off and then finish off with water and cotton wool. And change a pooey nappy the minute he's finished. It's the ammonia caused by pee and poo mixing that causes the sore botties

As a BF peer Sopporter in my local hospital I would stress to you the importance of getting some outside friendly support. Call the national BF helplines, phone the local support groups and arrange to go to their post natal groups.

As a survivor of PND I'd say to get out to the post natal groups and to tell your HV how you feel so that she can tell you what support is out there in your community.

It can suddenly feel very isolating to be a new mum, you have to get out there and go to the baby groups and make new friends. The friends you make as a mother are likely to last you a lifetime. It's true!

Enjoy your wee man, before you know it he'll be starting school

Sudacrem and metanium are fab but also I found good old fashioned drapoline to be very good. A great thing to use as a barrier is egg white but you have to put it on and keep nappy off till it drys. Also check with hv cause if there is any egg allergy in family this is not advised.

I am also and ongoing PND - actually just depression sufferer and I know that getting out is great to help especially if you can join a mums group....it gets you out of yourself for a few hours.

You're doing great paraniod - well done!! And klaw is right enjoy the wee man....my first ds is 16 soon and here I am waiting for baby 6

xxLOL

Hi KLAW - how you doing? You need to give me some details of the new group you're setting up xx

anyone want to meet up at this years baby show? apparently there is already a gang going Sunday I can do either link here

baby show

paranoid - i am just popping in to see how you are. if i am just up the oad from you in glasgow - why dont we meet up for a coffee and chat? it'll give me the chance to ooh and aah over dillon! have you contcated the NCT branch about their post natal groups. mine was great - we met every friday for ages and it made me see that we were alll in teh same boat - only some were better able to put brave faces on it!

MiniPink, it was something I wanted to do but got pipped to the post. Apparently as there was already a mum/midwife team involved I am not required to run group, even though willing to put in leg work. I was initially disappointed but hey I get all the fun of going to the meetings without responsibility of any work

I went to a Glasgow meet last week and so have met the Glasgow group organisers as well as the Dundee organiser. At the moment there's a June start date, exact date to be confirmed and venue should be around the Hawkhill area, so fairly easy for people to get to.

Don't worry, I shall post details as soon as they are confirmed!

Hi paranoid, Id swear by sudocreme, I put it on my DS at every nappy change even when no nappy rash and I kept a pile of old facecloths for cleaning stubborn poo with water (then just rinse them and put them in with ur wash) they get a better grip IYSWIM, just dont get them mixed up with ur own
I think some babies are just more prone to nappy rash than others.
Im glad u feelin a bit better, remember to speak to ur health visitor if you still feelin bad, dont suffer in silence x

Hey Paranoid!

So glad that things are looking up. Sounds like you are doing a great job. I remember changing my niece one time and being really frightened at her bad case of nappy rash. I'd never seen it before, but it can go as quickly as it arrived. She was so happy when I changed her that she let out a little "ahhh".

I'm sure I'll be right where you are in July, trying to do my best and fighting off know-it-all in laws and stubborn poo. (I know what I would prefer)

Paranoid - DS had bad nappy rash when we started using wipes too. The Nature Baby ones seem to be the best for his skin, but they aren't as 'wet' as most so I would dip them in water for really stuck on poo and then dry his bits with a soft towel.

Also, the best solution we found was to turn up the heat and let your DS lie around naked for 20 minutes. While they're this young they're pee fountains though so have towels handy if you try it!

Finally, the first few months of motherhood are really really hard. Everytime I took DS out I'd have old ladies telling me I was so lucky and this was the best stage of my life and all I could think of was that we'd made a horrible mistake. Those ladies were wrong. Every month with my son has been better than the last (he's now 22 months) and I promise you that you and your OH will start loving being parents (different from loving your DS) as time goes on.

oh paranoid you poor thing what you are going through is completely natural,

First thing on the nappy rash - I second what someone else said ditch the pampers wipes and use a facecloth and water. You can get special washable wipes with one side terry towelling and one fleece but get some cheap facecloths from Asda/Tescos they work just as well. Agree metanium is fab but very sticky and icky. Good old sudocreme is fab too. DD1 had awful nappy rash and have big red weeping sores on her bum. I think we tried everything and ended up with some antifungal cream. I think using cream each change, no wipes and giving her bum some air did the trick.

BFing is bloody hard the first few weeks. You will feed, feed and feed. I think you just have to accept that you will get nothing else done, lie on sofa/bed, get some good telly on and feed. Honestly it doesn't last forever. 3 or 4 weeks from now you will be a pro.

Want me to come and punch SIL for you ?
Of course it take a while for your skin to pop back, it's taken months for it to stretch out can't pop back in a night. Don't even think about weight just now you have just had a baby, your body is healing and you are coping with all the emotional stuff too.

We have all been where you are right now, try to just do nothing but feed and rest, and rant on here as much as you want x

paranoid - a quick hello to you (and the rest of the gang as well of course!)

i just thought - has your wee one been looked at for thrush? we couldnt get rid of nappy rash for dd and when i was diagnosed with breast thrush - she got some cream for it as well. it cleared it up within a couple of days so whilst i dont want to add to your stress with that - it might be worth considering if all the other ideas here fail.

i agree that the early days / weeks are tough. there is some much to deal with all at one go but as aberdeenhiker says - it really does get getter. you will find your way of getting things done and now dd is just about to turn a year - i can honestly say i enjoy her so much. she makes me belly laugh quite a few times a day.

rest up and as for all the crud that other poeple say - smile at them and let it all drift right over your head. you are him mum and you will do things your way.

i am also more than happy to go round and kick ass of any in-laws that need sorting !

Come on over and kick some ass!!! Yes please! Wish I could get away with that

LO's nappy rash is actually bleeding. Nearly cried along with him when I changed his nappy there. I was wondering about the whole Thrush thing - I might just have to take him to the doctors if the metanium doesnt make any difference. I have been using water and cotton wool but OH seems to have moved onto Simple Wipes(although I asked him to use just water and a cloth but he doesnt like being told what to do) but they are meant to be the most like water I suppose so better than pampers...

I tried leaving him nappy free but he was peeing and projectile pooping yellow mustard so I gave up after about 15 mins...

Is it normal for a newborn to be doing basically nappies full of English Mustard? I dont know how often he poos but it seems to be a LOT. Should I check his nappy every half an hour to see how often he is pooping so that I make sure he is not lying in it for any length of time?

Thanks for your help guys - you are great

Yes the English mustard is completely normal, chicken korma I called it and loads and loads of it (luckily it doesn't smell bad) and watch out for it coming out the nappy nad up the back too.

I have had the bleeding too, luckily just now the yellow stuff comes off easy, I remember the DDs howling when you have to scrub a bit to get it off as you can't leave it on there but theres blood coming too, heartbreaking I know.

Might be worth going to the GP, I got Canestan cream for DD1 and it cleared up. I was also checking her bum every 10 mins for poo. She wasn't that bad until she started solids though.

I used Metanium once a day at night as it's horrid stuff and Bepanthen at every other change. Seemed to keep it at bay.

How's the breastfeeding going today?

BF going well. He seems constantly hungry just now so its given him a chance to get used to it again. Chicken korma - perfect description!!!
Metanium seems to have healed the bleeding bits. Its just red raw and raised skin for now. Had his nappy off all day and that seemed to help a lot.

hey paranoid - glad the bf going well.

I LOVE the smell of BF baby poo!

Imagine my delight when I get to change other people's babies!

Have not been to postnatal wards for fortnight as it's been school holidays but I have missed my stints as BF Peer Supporter...

Hi everyone, Paranoid, good to hear that things are going better - long may it continue!

Klaw - you are welcome to come round anytime to inhale the scent of baby poo when my monster arrives. I am thinking about getting one of those grabber on a stick things (for the less agile) for disposal of stinky nappies. Yak!

Hope everyone else is doing well. I have my first (and it could well be my last!) 'Parentcraft' class tomorrow afternoon....

Let me know how you get on whinegums - Mine start next week.

Will do DQ - I sort of got bullied into doing them - I called the hospital to sort out a time to go and look around the maternity unit, and then had the bossy wumman asking why I wasn't signed up for Parentcraft and she did it for me! If they are awful/patronising/boring/useless I won't be going back (I only want to know what drugs they have available, get a definite answer on waterbirth, and - well, that's it really).

Move over a bit so I can put my head in the sand next to yours.....

I'm not looking forward to mine either. You might have read me moaning about them on our other ante-natal thread. They're at 12 - 1.30. So I have to go all the way into town, come all the way home, go all the way back to work and then come all the way home. By public transport that's 4 hours in total. Grrrrrrr. I live in a really residential area so its not like I work far away but lots of other people might work locally. I'll see how they go. I'm doing NCT classes so really I'm only interested in what the mw has to say about the hospital. No tours of our hospital unfortunately.

Plenty of room here in the sand though .

DQ - have just posted a ranty angry post on the due in June thread - I think I have just been to the worst antenatal class in the world ever!!!!!!!!

Tell us more Whinegums...

Imho, NHS classes are generally as much use as a chocolate fireguard. They have only served to help me to make friends with people having children at the same time as me.

Hence the need for Birth Choices groups!

Are you serious? I just read your post there whinegums..is this over at the antenatal clinic? I have a six week parentcraft class with them that starts in June. WTF good that is when I am due in July??..couldn't tell you.

Is it the parentcraft class that you are talking about? We're in the same hood. We should meet for coffee and have a chat.

I signed up for one of those intense weekend NCT courses in June as well. I heard that's where the really good stuff comes from. What a horrible precedent to set for new mums to be.

I did my parentcraft/antenatal classes in London and they were totally useless learned nothing I hadn't known from mumsnet or books. With DD2 the MW asked if I wanted a refresher course or a breastfeeding class I said "can I bring DD1 as I'm still BFing her?" she said "oh perhaps you don't need them then"

I agree the best thing about them is the hospital tour and meeting other Mums-to-be in your area.

So how is everyone else? It might be cold but the sun is shining. We are off down the park in a bit, been getting a bit agrophobic recently so need to get out and about.

Hey SK..doing ok here. I keep somersaulting out of nights on no sleep due to heartburn and really bad emotional days, to today where it feels like I might actually wash my hair and go out. looks like it might be a nice day

I'm going out to get some cheap mat clothes that fit. I've actually outgrown all but two pairs of bottoms. Not fat, just bump...ok maybe a little fat.

Baby is kicking really low, just over my bladder, but am going to see the midwife tomorrow and check my bloods.

How's you?

I'm ok thanks somersaulting between as you said feeling OK and quite emotional. Yesterday was a bad day hopefully today will be a bit better. Pelvic pain seems to have stabilised into quite bad at night only, during the day I have twinges and aches but am still mobile (probably as I don't actually sit down much).

I agree clothes are a bit of a nightmare right now too. New Look in Buchanan Street could for cheap maternity clothes, maternity section downstairs.