Due June 08: less of the hens hatching, more of the cows milking?

[bitofadramaqueen]

Lets hope it's not too long before everyone is hatched and milking season is in full swing!

Quick boast: Charlotte slept from 11 til 6 last night and went back down at 7 and is still asleep! I keep telling myself not to expect this every day and we're bound to hit an end to this babymoon period, but it's a great start to our family life!

laura not to be a poop or to worry you and i know you're a dr so you probably know this but i was told with both dc's to wake them at least every 4 hours to eat (if not 3 hours) for the first couple weeks at least until you see that they're gaining weight well etc. esp. if she has any jaundice at all because that makes them really sleepy. ds had jaundice and getting him to feed was a nightmare as he just wanted to sleep and that makes the jaundice worse because the fluid helps clear it up.

sorry i'm sure you know this already and it must have been lovely to get some good sleep for both of you!

allnew congratulations on the arrival of Alexander. Sorry Alexander had to go in ITU. He might be unsettled because he was used to the environment and noise of the hospital or might be due to the not very gentle delivery or his broken clavicle. My only piece of advice (since you requested) would be to see a cranial osteopath. I am sure he can only benefit from it especially after a difficult delivery

Essie glad to know I am not the only "mad" one with job interview. I hope your presentation preparation is going well. Re cranial osteopath it worked well for DD. Apparently SJ cried throughout treatment and was very upset (DH took him) but afterwards he felt better and you could see the difference already (but he had about four hours of being unsettled). I would stick with it though, sometimes the first few treatment are painful for them but after a few (say 3) you should really see the difference. I hope he slept better though

Debs how is the pain today?

I tried to feed SJ lying down last night, but as previously, the milk came it through his nose at the same time. Anyone had that problem? I think I need to call a BF counsellor as I am only getting 4 hours sleep at night and am a bit worn and I too was crying this morning and very crossed with insensitive DH.

sorry allnew forgot to say congrats to you! hope you're enjoying being home.

needahand when you feed lying down have you tried resting his head in the crook of your arm so he's slightly elevated? that's how i feed anwyn it might seem a bit awkward at first but once you do it a few times it's really comfy.

Afternoon all, Can I ask a question for all of those of you who feed lying down.
Do you do it on your back or on your side.

I have tried both and on my side Isaac did not seem to be feeding properly.
When I was on my back he almost has to mountain climb up my large norks (38G-H) and it doesn't seem to be very successful.

Any tips?

I am also quite well endowed and we feed with me on my side. I have noticed that if the mattress is slightly lower, she dribbles milk out of one corner of her mouth (the waste!!!!!). I have tried feeding on my back but am with you on the huge norks.

Off to have a nap

Congrats Laura, alipalli, allnew, and anyone else I've missed!

Debs I love the idea of you being sent home with a cabbage ... hope your boob is settling down now.

Caitlin screamed for 3 hours solid last night - I'm sure it was tummy ache - she only stopped when she was feeding but I think that was making it worse. Dp calmed her down in the end and we managed to get her off to sleep eventually by swaddling her then feeding in bed and co-sleeping. So have just booked her in to see cranial osteo Monday; don't know if it'll work but it's the only thing I've seen recommended for colic, beyond Infacol which we are on already. She's so settled otherwise but the evenings are miserable for her. Won't tell dp though - we took ds to see the same osteo for his recurrent ear infections, dp was massively unconvinced and now calls the osteo 'mad as a box of frogs woman' . To be fair, ds has had his worst ever ear infection since the treatment, but that doesn't mean it won't work for colic ...

laurat -edie was like this too for first 5/6 days... she still goes for relatively long spells comparatively sleeping (4 hrs or so) but has definitely woken up (esp in evenings.. last night about midnight being a particularly good example!!). I know its not a good sign if they sleep too long but midwife wasn't overly concerned when I told her about this sleeping habit and sure enough we've not had another 11 - 6 night (i wish ).

Went to docs this morning about mastitis which wont clear up (not getting worse but felt feverish and am sweating all the time esp at night)... doc put me on stronger antibiotics but reckons it might be an abscess or cyst as its very localised and in which case I'll need to go to specialist.. bit about this as want it cleared up adn also any lump on my breast freaks me out even though know its feeding related as appeared about a day after my milk came in.

allnew congrats on alexander and glad he and you are home ok. sympathy with stitches although must say the waddling/ache has gone in last few days so hopefully will do same for you. Think it wasrolf who recommended teatree oil in bath and really helped... until our bath broke that is (but that is anotehr story...)

essie i really feel for you - hope today is better . can see how soul destroying things are with oestepath being your hope then iestyn screaming still. Agree with deb that there is something so primitive in your reaction when they cry adn your sleep deprived.. i am fine til about 8pm then if edie kicks off I just can't cope... keep wondering how on earth anyone has two (and yesterday dh came home and was chatting to me about new work opportuity for when I go back... all I could think was I can't bloody cope now so christ knows what I'll do if have to work as well). How is your GP - have you thought about speaking to them or your HV? or is your hv of the useless muffin top variety like mine?

DLM that is the first useful piece of advice I have been given on that matter. Thanks a lot, will try and let U know how it goes

re feeding on your back the MW said this was a good position if your milk normally spurts out and baby guzzles too fast taking in too much air. It's not gravity driven this way! I haven't tried it

I am feeling quite a lot better, boob is still sore but not as much and I don't cry during the feeds now!

Poppy - you have my sympathies - mastitis is dreadful and does make you paranoid about every lump and bump.

thanks deb- didnt realise how yuck it was making me feel tilpenny dropped I dont normally sweat like an old man and have bad headaches .. just done a post on one of the other groups I subscribe to giving birth news (its related to the baby I lost) so now in floods of tears but watned to do it as know how stories of hope got me through losing the baby..think some restorative chocolate biscuits called for before my boss wakes up...

Thanks all for the congrats

poppy sympathies on the mastitis, really hope it starts to clear up soon

josey I think you're probably right about the hospital environment. Alexander seems to like the security of knowing there are people around, so the lights and noise probably did help!

needahand thanks for the advice re. cranial osteopathy. A few of you have mentioned you're doing this - what does it actually involve?

alipalli your comments about the ladygarden made me laugh. Know completely what you mean - I never thought I'd lose my modesty so easily as I did during childbirth. I actually found the stirrups in theatre quite comfortable bizarrely and wasn't bothered about the awful view they must be getting at the other end!

Notice a few of you are also co-sleeping. I too have resorted to this quite quickly. Last night I slept with lo in the spare room and he was out like a light for 4 hours until 4pm, and then 5 hours until 9ish! It's amazing they're so aware that they can tell instantly when they're alone in the moses basket compared to sleeping alongside you!

grrr - just a mini-rant about phonecalls. Why do people call constantly to ask how we're getting on and if we're managing with the lack of sleep etc. Don't they think that we're busy enough in between baby waking/crying/nappies/feeding etc without constantly having to answer the phone!!

Forgot to say essie I can really empathise with your comments. Sometimes when Alexander is crying and won't stop I end up in floods of tears myself. It really is hard. Fingers crossed it will start to get a little bit easier each week and that in time we'll all be able to settle into some sort of routine

Sorry haven't posted in ages as had rough couple of days.

GF, it was a couple of days ago but I am having very similar experience re baby being sick on changing mat and then getting hiccups, will try to find your thread as interested in the advice you got.

Makecakes, (I think it was you) my dd also put on 4 oz a week and did so religiously for her first year. She was perfectly healthy, crawled at 6 months, walked at 9 months and is now a perfect 4 yr old. Trust your instincts, if she is well and happy don't worry too much.

Right, off to try and find antenatal thread, see you there!

allnew my mum called at half 9 last night 'for a chat' . So with you. And DH has to have hour long convos with family when they call - really bugs me for some reason...

My DH does too - was on for an hour with his brother yesterday so I ended up interrupting and asking him to get me something just cos it was annoying me (v petty I know!).

And FIL just called DH to ask him to go onto the internet to look up some flights for him to Spain Isn't there someone without a 1 week old baby he could ask to do this?

Thank god for this thread - it really helps to know others are going through the same thing. Been absent today because the connection was down all day.

Sorry about my madness yesterday, but glad (well, glad is the wrong word) that others struggle with crying babies too. So, we went to the Osteopath - Allnew, it's quite odd, sort of laying on of hands, and no manipulation or anything - and Iestyn screamed for most of the afternoon...which is when I posted...and he carried on, and on, and on...DH took him out in the car at 2am and he finally went to sleep. I'm really, really hoping that it's a sign that the osteopathy is working .

Today, MIL came and I got extremely (but secretly seething rather than telling her) because she went on and on about how Iestyn had smiled. DH and I said it was wind, but she argued that it was a real smile, and mentioned it again, and again, and again. I was really annoyed because Iestyn has never smiled at me. He hasn't done it since either. Was then upset, but DH told me that he thought it was a windy smile too, and that she was just trying to convince herself. Then she insisted on sitting in the back of the car, which made me feel like a taxi driver, and 'played' with Iestyn so that I could 'get on with things' (fab - pass the laundry!). I do know I'm a bit mental really, because I'm also annoyed that she was speaking English, and also that he smells of her perfume now. So yeah, all rational...(and I'm lucky compared to some people - Sponge?!)

Iestyn has been ok today, kicked off at 6ish, but I took him for a walk and he's slept since.

I feed lying down, but on my side. He does leak onto the bed though. I'm not huge, but I am leaky. (He leaks from everywhere - I totally covered a Wimbledon pub toilet with urine today.) I really like the lying down feeds - we're both more relaxed. And I love the way he bends his little leg up like an old man!! So, so cute!

Oh, big post. Sorry all!

thanks DLM we haven't been given that advice here, she's not jaundiced and MW was happy with her sleeping patterns not sure if the have different protocols in different areas, she's feeding loads in the evenings and has gained loads of weight since discharge already! think we're about to hit her hungry spell any second!

Essie, sympathies about your mil and the "smile", but you made me laugh about covering the toilet in urine - on reading it , it sounds like it was your urine!!!

Allnew - I never intended to co-sleep but at this stage it is so much easier, I do wonder how long we'll do it for and if it will be hard to stop. Tonight Ethan has gone down in his cot at about 8.30 and when he wakes for the next feed then he'll come in with us, so I do feel that he's getting used to the cot but in the middle of the night when I fall asleep feeding and don't wake up until the next one, putting him back into the cot in the night is pretty hard

hi laura i think alarm bells just go off for me about them eating every few hours because of ds' jaundice (we were in hosp for 5 days). they did tell me that with anwyn too but maybe that was because of the home birth because she isn't monitored there for as long?? anyway hope the long sleeps last for you!!! i've noticed that anwyn has days where she just seems more tired and doesn't have nearly as much awake/alert time for no apparent reason.

had to take ds to a&e because we thought he might have UTI and couldn't get in to gp. he was grabbing his winkie through his nappy and when i tried to change him he was crossing his legs and wouldn't let me wipe him and said, be careful mummy. so turns out he has a scratch inside his foreskin. . poor boy! but glad he doesn't have infection as i think once you start to get them they tend to recur.

hope everyone has a lovely weekend. needahand let me know how it goes with the arm lying feed. if you have trouble with the positioning i can explain it a bit better - it is def a bit fiddly at first while you suss it!

Congratulations Allnew

Essie I also thought you meant your urine nad was thinking "that's one bit of information too much"!

Had a lovely day with my girls (still getting used to saying that!).

Oh, dear, I re-read that. Things have been a bit slack down there since I gave birth and all....
No, I really need to clear my name here - it was definitely Iestyn, who peed three (THREE!) times during the pub toilet nappy change. And so much...pints of the stuff! I needed a 'wet floor' sign afterwards.
I walked out anyhow. But don't go to the Slug and Lettuce in Wimbledon tonight. (Sigh, a pub after dark...)

Going to post on here and ante natal - not sure which one to use! Not been on for the whole week. Had an emerency trip to my DH's mum's in Norfolk on monday night after my suicidal post. DH was really worried about me as i had not had any sleep and doing a week of night shifts nearly killed me. It's mad how rubbish i've been at being a mum so far but I have been reading here that a lot of you have similar experiences with crying (babies and self!), wind, lonliness etc etc so I don't feel like I'm the only one (thank god for MN!). Had an extra32 hours sleep each day at DH's mum;'s as she took him from 8-11am and there was an extra pair of hands when he screamed and generally I wasn't stuck in the house on my own. Having mare with my C section - really hurting so went to docs today who said it was strain from holding baby (he's nearly 11 lb now and not 4 weeks). I should rest completely - like how!!! Take Paracetemol (works for mild headaches not major abdominal surgery).

Anyway - have hired a night nanny 2 nights a week strting from Monday so will get two whole nights of sleep each week for the next few weeks (till we run out of money to pay for it). She seems nice and hopefully not a nutter - has anyone else hired help before and if so is there anything I should be looking out for?

Congrats to new hatchings. Talking of hatching - The pigeon nest on our balcony has the ugliest chick ever.

amber / essie / sybil It's just occured to me this evening to mention something which could help you guys with the difficult nights - having seemed to be a cheery soul storm had a few nights where she seemed almost colicky - definitely windy and unhappy.

I'd read that if you eat lots of dairy then your milk can have too much lactose in it and that can disagree with LO. So, I've had a pretty much dairy free few days since and, hey presto, no wind!

It's really hard for me as I'm a dairy fiend, but it really seems to have helped - just thought it was something you could try.

amber re the c section, I found it so hard carting storm around in the first couple of weeks. Don't forget that ibuprofen is fine while BF (or are you FF, can't remember?). I'm almost six weeks post op and still taking arnica daily, rubbing in arnica cream, scoffing paracetomol when it hurts and also applying ibuprofen gel around the wound area. Maybe these could help?

And don't feel like you're a bad mum. The first few weeks are so damn hard. Storm will be six weeks on Sunday and, while we still have bad days/ nights, it's nothing like as hard as those first couple of weeks, really. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Glad you've been able to get some extra sleep, Amber. Please don't think you're a crap mother. It's a huge, huge adjustment and terribly hard work - just becuase a baby is wanted and loved doesn't make them easy.

TGF glad Storm's hip scan was ok. How old was she when she had it? I'm still waiting for a date for Thea.