December 2008 Once you pop you can't stop

[Veggiemummy]

surely most of us will go on this one

Bother - put my in the wrong place. (Am allowed. Am bit tired.) You can all print out my message now though and play pin the tail on the donkey to put them back in their rightful spot.

Just a quickie: 8pm last night contractions started. I have been up all night with varying intensity of contractions. Sometimes every 6 mins and terribly painful, sometimes every 12 mins and manageable. At 3am I was crying in pain and sure baby would be here by now. However, for the last 2.5 hours things have been diminishing rather than building . I am gutted and exhausted and do not understand why things are stopping (have posted another thread asking for tips).

Verso, bloody doctors! What are your symptoms? My boobs have been really itchy since yesterday and if dd touches anywhere outside of the aureole (sp?) it feels like needles are being stuck in them. Was wondering what it might be and am hoping that I haven't got what you have.
Tuesday night was obviously a one-off, dd was back to sucking/puking all night again last night. I have tried a dummy but she is not having any of it so far. Am going to try expressing a bit today (if I can work out how to work the machine I've been lent) so that DH can give her at least one feed tonight. She is still not back up to her birth weight, so it will also put my mind at rest that she is at least getting something from me.
Congratulations on all the new babies, finding it difficult to keep up now, and good luck to all of those playing the waiting game. x

verso please give us your GP's address so we can all go round there and stick hot needles in her breasts (whilst keeping her awake for 24 hours). What a cow. But you shouldn't be having to go into battle with someone. I am incensed. Oh - and I had duct thrush with DD 5 years ago before it was "invented"...Do I win a prize?!

Arti hugs to you my love. It could still have done a lot of work and may be a lull that will kick back off. Try a bath and a sleep and it could be all systems go again.

Katie sorry you had another tough night. You are doing so well, but it's hard I am sure.

Morning girls how is everyone. Honestly Verso you would have thought GP's would have their acts pulled together where breastfeeding is concerned ver on your behalf.

Katie am sorry lovey hope you have a better feeding day today.

Arti I second the bath go have a swoosh about in the water and try go back to bed for a bit take a couple of paracetamol and then rest a bit. Hopefully it will all kick off again for oyu soon.

Well we survived the first night in the jam household. DS2 blimey thats weird saying that. was ok he decided to wake just before we went to bed but I tried to feed him a bit and he eventually settled he is still sicking up lots of mucos and not latching very well. But the midwife is coming today so will get her to check my latch. I do think I just have forgotten what the first few days are like especially before the milk comes in. Also I have quite inverted nipples so the poor sausage has to work doubly hard to get things started. Right best go slosh my nether regions in a salty bath.

Morning girls how is everyone. Honestly Verso you would have thought GP's would have their acts pulled together where breastfeeding is concerned ver on your behalf.

Katie am sorry lovey hope you have a better feeding day today.

Arti I second the bath go have a swoosh about in the water and try go back to bed for a bit take a couple of paracetamol and then rest a bit. Hopefully it will all kick off again for oyu soon.

Well we survived the first night in the jam household. DS2 blimey thats weird saying that. was ok he decided to wake just before we went to bed but I tried to feed him a bit and he eventually settled he is still sicking up lots of mucos and not latching very well. But the midwife is coming today so will get her to check my latch. I do think I just have forgotten what the first few days are like especially before the milk comes in. Also I have quite inverted nipples so the poor sausage has to work doubly hard to get things started. Right best go slosh my nether regions in a salty bath.

Ooops

Hi again!
Finally able to sit on my 'puter chair for long enough to write a decent message! .

Congratulations on all the latest arrivals .

I've put pics of Lucy (and her sisters) on my profile if anyone's interested-give it another 2 weeks & I might get round to writing my birth story too! .

Morning,

I had a much better night last night. He latched on well and fed well. He also slept in his moses basket, which was wierd actually after 5 nights of him in our bed. We both woke and had to check him.

Katie Sorry you had a bad night last night.

Snorris Your girls are beautiful.

Arti Hope things get moving for you soon.

Hope everyone else is ok.

Helloooo everyone. Been off for a bit as DP's laptop broke on Monday night (not good) and then Tuesday I was in London dashing round seeing friends and stayed over, then yesterday I popped to the office and then DP and LO came to London to register her with a very humourless Registrar at Marylebone office, then met a dear friend for lunch who is over from Tanzania then dashed back to country as friends were coming over. Done too much, I feel a bit rough...Lunch was at hotel where DP and I had first date. We haven't been back since so funny to return there with a baby

Right, so: hope things are progressing, Arti! Been willing something to happen for you. Really hope this is it. Crossing everything crossable. Hang in there, you can do it!

Congrats Cat! Look forward to hearing more. GBB, I am in serious awe. Over 14lbs worth of babies? Incredible. And Jam, I really enjoyed reading your exciting sounding birth story. Many congratulations to you all.

Going back a bit: sorry you had such a crap weekend, Reban...

Trace, your stitches sound agonising. You poor girl. Fwiw I was told to eat lots of protein to accelerate the healing process. Hope you can do the same and feel better soon. I think you have been very brave.

Bisou, the wheely washing basket sounds very enterprising! The mattress in my moses basket looks like a covered piece of foam to me so don't see why you couldn't make your own. Hoping you aren't too mis about going over your due date but you sound very chipper.

ZJ - I have the "Easy Fix" Maxi Cosi car seat. I haven't tried getting it in yet but whenever DP does it he huffs and puffs and swears so I am guessing the '"Easy" is a bit of a misnomer and they are just trying to convince us As to being a Yummy Mummy, Ivy or no Ivy, I am glancing at my glasses, milk stained t shirt and no bra, fat bare legs and general air of neglect and smiling at you in disbelief. Being a farmer's wife sounds so nice, though. There are farmers in this village (I should start saying 'my' village) and the main one is called Farmer Pat. That's what everyone calls him!

Rosmerta, hope you are feeling better about the ff. I feel a bit guilty about ff my DD, but only a bit - mainly because I know how much my Mum adored me but I was ff and have straight teeth, no allergies, decent brain etc. I know that's hardly the point and I am probably being crass and saying the wrong thing, but my main point is that I hope you can enjoy your DS2 without beating yourself up - what Reban said about her friend was food for thought. You've done brilliantly however you feed him - and that goes for everybody. We have! It's all *ucking difficult, let's face it, however ultimately fab it is.

Interesting thing on Woman's Hour bout how women who diet during pregnancy can end up ruining their babies' metabolism, and hard wiring it to be used to only a frw calories, which can lead to obesity in later life. So I have put on all this weight so DD won't have to Tell you what though, I am being so teenage about this weight and I am getting on my own nerves. Looked at photos of a thin me ladt night, from a few years ago, and got myself into a real funk, there seems a mountain to climb...Anyway, will STOP now

Will be off for another couple of days as going up to Mum's later for a day or two, then off to my party on Saturday night. We aren't staying up in London after the Ivy, but coming back to Oxfordshire to collect baby so she is not with babysitter overnight.

Love to all...

oh the joy joy joy of the mighty magic dummy!!!!!!!
Phoebe slept for lovely 2 hour stints last night with the aid of her plastic stopper, so fed lots still but got some sleep in between

feeling more human today as a result. Have got GP and 4 medical students coming this afternoon to see the impact of a newborn on the family!
Thank you for the arnica advice - what do I buy? is it something oral or topical or what? do you know where I get it from?
Had a bit of a wobble last night because Phoebe has been very jittery - more than normal newborn stuff - and I spoke to the GP who said it is because of my antidepressants, and that she is basically withdrawing from Prozac, but that it should be out of her system in a few weeks. I felt so bad that i'd caused her to be so shaky, but GP reassured me that it's better for her that I'm well.
Anyway, had better go - am venturing in to the outside world this afternoon to watch Lucy's nativity in a few hours and feel I may need to start preparing already!
Hope you're having good days xxx

Ooooowwwwwww. Bloody painful contractions but they only come once every 12 minutes. This has been going on for hours. How can I speed them up??? There is no sign of them getting closer together and I can't do this all day and all night again.

Sorry, no personals, love to you all.

hi lovely ladies.

Big hugs to all those struggling with feeding... I can't begin to imagine how hard it must be. xxx

Congrats Jam, CatDean and NotQuiteSoBigBird... and Jolly!! For those of you not on the email group list, Jolly had her baby girl on Monday too. I'll try to do a new updated arrivals list for everyone on this thread.

Well we went and bought a washing basket & trolley yesterday, but we'll have to secure the basket to the trolley with cable ties, as they don't make the old oval ones anymore and I want to make sure the basket doesn't come off. The trolley itself is very sturdy though, so that is good. I also need to buy another piece of custom cut dunlop mattress foam and cover it, just as well the mattress factory is local to where I live! Having said all this, I'm now thinking I might just whack the LO in his pram as it goes flat too and would probably be easier than faffing around having a mattress cut for the washing basket...

Today I had my 41wk MW appointment and she did an internal to see if there was any 'action' down there. Unfortunately he's still not engaged and the cervix is still long, 1cm open at the bottom but closed at the top. So nothing much happening here really except me being a bit sad that I'm still waiting. Not helped by family ringing wanting to know what we're going to do for Christmas I probably won't be induced till after the 25th either, oh joy (I should add - this is partly me telling the hospital that no, I don't want to be induced on the 24th of December!)

Really glad to hear things are happening finally for you Arti - GOOD LUCK! After 3 sweeps + accupuncture, I should hope it was your turn! And how are you today majormoo and OrangeCrush? You're the only other (regular) dec 08-ers due before me still waiting too. It's a bugger ain't it?

Hello! What fantastic birth stories ..except the excrutiating retained placenta bit of course!
Dreamy That is such lovely advice, thank you for keeping an eye on us.
Arti Hope things have picked up again but not that you are in agony.

DS was really poorly last night, feverish, crying, just generally very sick. DH and I took it in turns sitting up with him but it was really scary.
DH has taken the day off work today and DS is now sleeping so hopefully we are through the worst of it. He's been on mega doses of calpol and ibuprophen as doubling up is the only way to bring the fever down. He also coughs like a sealion.
Daddy rang father christmas this morning and guess what, he came early and dropped off a present! (We're such soft touches!). Seemed to help for a little while!

Oh Arti I wish I knew what advice to offer. Are you using lots of gravity assisting type positions when you get your contractions? Don't know if it will be of any use but I've read that those are more effective to help labour along?

LadyT you amaze me, truly! If I can muster the energy to even do half the things you have managed since having O, I'll be mighty impressed with myself. You are truly an inspiration

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS

14/11/08 - MrsMattie - Baby Girl "Bella", 7lb, C/S (due 28/11)
18/11/08 - DonnyLass - Baby Boy, (due 03/12)
19/11/08 - Flumpybumpy - Baby Girl "Niamh Lily", 6lb 13oz, C/S (due 02/12)
20/11/08 - pixsix - Baby Boy, (due 01/12)
24/11/08 - daisydora - Baby Boy "Harry", 8lb 8oz (due 03/12)
24/11/08 - Amy123 Baby Boy "Robbie Lewis", 7lb 13.5oz (due 3/12)
25/11/08 - Verso - Baby Girl "Frieda Harriet", 8lbs 13oz, C/S (due 04/12)
25/11/08 - LadyThompson - Baby Girl "Octavia Poppy Alice", 6lb 9oz, C/S (due 03/12)
28/11/08 - theyoungvisiter - Baby Boy, 7lb 2oz, HB (due 09/12)
29/11/08 - lal07 - Baby Girl "Nancy Elizabeth", 6lb 11oz (due 08/12)
01/12/08 - ChutneyMary - Baby Boy "Matthew", 8lb 6oz, C/S (due 10/12)
01/12/08 - jumpjockey - Baby Girl "Sarah Kirstin", HB (due 08/12)
03/12/08 - mibbes - Baby Boy "Evan", 6lb 5oz, EmC/S (due 06/12)
03/12/08 - katie3677 - Baby Girl "Liliana (Lily) Alice Grace", 11lb 2oz, C/S (due 14/12)
04/12/08 - feb - Baby Boy "Thomas George", 6lb 11oz (due 28/12)
05/12/08 - penny99 - Baby Boy "Xavier Jake" (due 3/12)
05/12/08 - Alliebongo - Baby Boy, 7lb 11oz (due 12/12)
05/12/08 - modernlove - Baby Boy, 7lb 6oz (due 03/12)
06/12/08 - poisondwarf - Baby Girl "Nina Camille", 6lb 15oz (due 08/12)
06/12/08 - Beans33 - Baby Girl "Isabella Sarah", 6lb 13oz (due 07/12)
07/12/08 - snorris - Baby Girl "Lucy Grace", 10lb (due 18/12)
10/12/08 - rosmerta - Baby Boy "Sean James" 9lb 7oz (due 02/12)
10/12/08 - Kmp1 - Baby Boy "Benjamin", 7lb 12oz, C/S (due 17/12)
11/12/08 - traceface - Baby Girl "Phoebe Martha", 7lb 3oz (due 13/12)
11/12/08 - babblington - Baby Boy, 6lb 16oz (due 29/12)
11/12/08 - hiccymapops - Baby Boy "Luke Stephen Edward", 8lb 9oz (due 07/12)
12/12/08 - kayzisexpecting - Baby Boy "Dylan George", 10lb 5oz (due 12/12)
13/12/08 - Veggiemummy - Baby Boy, 8lb 1oz HB (due 15/12)
14/12/08 - GettingBiggerBird - Baby Twins, 'Hope Elizabeth' 7lb, 'Victor George' 7lb 11oz (due 25/12)
15/12/08 - Jollybear - Baby Girl, 'Lucy', C/S (due 26/12)
16/12/08 - JamInMyWellies - Baby Boy, Lachlan, 9.5lb (due 09/12)
17/12/08 - CatDean - Baby Boy (?), 7lb 8oz, HB (due 27/12)

I really hope I've got all that right. Does it look like I've missed anyone? Have been a bit tired lately so I'm hoping my list keeping is not suffering for it . Looking forward to adding hotmama and abbymeg soon too as they've (hopefully!) both had their C/S's by now.

I'm off to bed, have a great day everyone

Afternoon ladies has taken me some time to catch up and also chatting to friends back home on Skype this morning.

DS2 woke a few time during the night for feeds but weird thing happened one of the times he cried for a feed I was dreaming and I heard his cry in my dream buy instead of interpreting it as a hungry cry, in my dream I thought he was crying because he was having a party and no one wanted to come. So when I actually woke up I still for a couple seconds had that thought in my head and picked up to comfort him rather than put him on the boob. I really thought he was sad about his party.

Milk has definately landed my boozies are ho-uge today Dh looked at them with a combination of lust and fear this morning. With all the lovely filling fatty milk on board ds2 is going longer between feeds so I feel like I have 2 large rocks under the skin on my chest. Also his liitle mouth is finding it harder to latch so will have to get the hot clothes out.

Verso I'll join the wailing mob with my pitchfork as we go after your GP. When I had ds1 over 3 years ago the midwives checked me out for it so it apparently existed then.

Girls with sore boobs if you can find some belladonna and phytallaca in as high a dose as possible am finding it helps a bit and Trace Arnica and calendula are great for sore bits as well as some lavender in a bath if you are allowed. The arnica & calendula doses I have are 200c each once a day for 5 days. I was taking it leading up to and during labour but I didn't tear so maybe you could take it twice a day. I think at boots it comes in 30 c doses so just take enough to bring you up to 200c. Also if you are having resentment I'd issues with the birth Ignatia is supposed to be good for that. Also Trace don't feel guilty about the side effects of the AD's on DD remember what it was like last time not to be on them.

LadyT I haven't listened to womens hour for ages I used to get the podcast. I was on it a couple of years ago after ds1 was born, they were doing a thing on sex after pregnancy and birth because some women has written a book on it.

I am also very impressed by your stamina, I bet you missed DD though. How is your suture line now. Oh does you HV know you are going to the ivy has she ok'd it then

Yes, thanks Veggie - you have reminded me to say to Verso that the GP is a dickhead. It never ceases to amaze me that health professionals, particularly docs (in my experience anyway) are either terrible or fantastic. Few average ones. I wonder what KMP thinks (I hardly need add that I am sure your DH is one of the fantastic ones!) or what Mr KMP thinks!

Veggie, loving your knowledge on the homeopathic remedies. I may well be picking your brains about this in the future.

Bisou, cross posted - I love your lists. Just been gazing at our pristine and now very long baby list. Isn't it so perfectly brilliant, to see all those names and new people? In the same way, I keep looking at LO's brand new birth certificate, thinking...wow...I can make my own people

Oooh, and congrats Jolly, I haven't seen my emails yet because this laptop is not letting me see them. So frustrating.

Turnip, haven't spoken to you for a while. Sorry you are having trouble with the you-know-whats, they sound so painful All sorted for Christmas? I went shopping on Oxford Street on Tuesday, all in a huge rush. It made me feel so ill - truly, I am my own worst enemy. I am still stressing about not having finished everything. But from Christmas Eve on it will just be me, DP and Little O for three days - eating, drinking, telly, listening to music, country walks, Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve...'twill be lovely...so I will just focus on that.

Oh, and JJ and all those with relatives staying at the moment, esp with new babes...you have nerves of steel

Hello all,
Decided to do sod all today and relax as it is my due date but am now bored!!! Nothing much happening apart from a few BHs, think I am going to be waiting a while.
Congrats to everyone JollyBear GettingBiggerButNowSmallerBird and Jam. GBB I cannot believe you managed to carry around 2 7lbers for so long!! And that you managed to have them naturally! You are a legend. Sorry about the placenta bit though, that sounds nasty.

Jam I was on tenterhooks at your birth story to see if you were going to give birth in the layby! Glad you got to the hospital in time and it was all ok!!

arti seems to have gone quiet so I hope things are kicking off properly, good luck arti!!

God I am bored. I think I shall do my yoga DVD. There is loads of stuff I could be doing but I have been running around doing loads of stuff for the last few days and I think I have just run out of motivation!!

I expect I am going to get fed up when I am officially "overdue" as well. Will have to do the sex and curry thing to try and get stuff moving.

I have to confess, Veggie, I didn't actually listen to Woman's Hour myself, DP phoned me up to tell me all about it In fact, he could well have made it all up in an attempt to curb my whinging about excessive weight gain. Interesting idea though, if it's true.

As to Health Vis, she came on Tues before I dashed off to London. We were more organised this time and she had a basically respectable Penguin Books 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' mug I tried not to tell her anything about anything, just plastered a rictus grin on my face said everything was splendiferous. Patronising old bat. LO has stacked on a pound in a week and my scar looks pretty darn good now, thanks, so that's also had a good week. It's just the flab above it that's the downer, but hey...

Oh and I did miss DD. I found that I kept getting my photos of her out to show people and then I found it hard to put them away again and when I saw her again in the Registry Office the nest day it was so wonderful to smell her smell (which I think is actually Fairy fabric conditioner, but still)

Ladyt thanks for the reassurance. Rationally I know I've made the right decision, my hormones just need to catch up! Have I missed something about your HV? I'm guessing she's not one of the better ones

verso another one here joining the angry mob! I read a report a while ago which said that how drs fed their own children had a big impact on how they treated women, and they were likely to be less sympathetic if they hadn't had children at all. I'm guessing your gp falls into that category.

oli hope ds is feeling better. Sounds very similar to what ds1 went through the other weekend. The fever cleared up in a couple of days though he still wasn't himself for a while afterwards.

arti poor you! The best advice I can give is to be upright, forward & open! So kneeling on all fours, standing up, squatting etc are all good positions for contractions. Also, walking up the stairs sideways is meant to help. Fingers crossed it all speeds up soon!

Eventually getting around to post! Then will catch up with all your posts - you have been busy ladies!

Had my planned cs on Monday 15th - Harry was born at 10.27 a.m. and weighed 7lbs and half an ounce - teeny compared to my dd's at 8.10 and 9lbs - mind you they were 9 days and 12 days late respectively.

Came home yesterday morning and things going O.K. although dd2 is not particularly impressed initially - she is only little herself (is 3 in Feb) and is used to being the baby.

Girls are at nursery today and dp is out food shopping - I should be doing the Christmas cards - but am doing some crafty mnetting instead!

Hope everyone is well - I will now try to catch up with your posts.

Hotmama XX