Fab Feb Thread: 22 on show........33 to go.......!!!!

[spottyshoes]

Ooo I feel all important now.

Good luck for tomorrow Calico - tis a great day to have a birthday!

Good luck Calico ....looking forward to hearing your good news

Don't know about gripe water Herb....I've only used infacol and seems to be successful here. I also have to put DS in another room for sleeping as DD is not to be trusted with her little fingers and trips over everything! She is a bit better today thankfully.....I even made it out to the swings for half an hour today. The new double buggy was a bit heavy going on my scar, but DD had a great time....first time she's been out since the weekend...so it was worth it.

Blimey, I'd forgotten how knackering this newborn lark is......no getting off the treadmill is there? DD was 16 weeks before she slept through....wonder how long I've got to wait this time?

THOM - great that things are starting to happen for you; if you're at 2 cm already, chances are that when things do ramp up, you'll get to fully dilated in good time. Am hoping that your waters do go with a bang soon and those contractions step up a notch to get your little one out.

Calico - good luck for tomorrow.

Having abit of an odd day here - DS is better as no cramps and diarrhoea (so fingers crossed it is just a 24 hour thing) but is being really clingy and wanting to be baby (including going so far as to crawl into baby's carrycot on the floor when I'm feeding his brother); its just making me feel really blue, as he is still my baby but is clearly worried about being supplanted. He's still going to activities with his nanny but keeps saying he wants mummy to take him or wants to stay home with me, which is also making me really sad as he's normally a really happy independent little soul who will happily ignore mummy if there is something or someone more interesting on offer. I'm trying to make sure I do something with him at home each day while DS2 is sleeping so we get quality time, but its clearly not quite enough for him - Am hoping its just the baby blues talking and will feel better about things tomorrow.

herb I got some infacol today, so will see what happens after a few days, let it kick in.
PT That's fantastic news about Aaron being given all clear, you must be soooo relieved.
littlesez You are completely right, no matter how low you think your pain threshold is, we all suprise ourselves at what we can actually do when it's crunch time.
LMN Sorry to hear everyone's a bit poorly, hope they get better soon.
This is also our last baby, so know what you mean about enjoying every second with a newborn.
dinky I'm agreeing with you and now think that if your baby isn't here yet, there's a reason......IF I ever had another one (which I won't) I would try everything else possible before agreeing to be induced, it was ok in the terms that the care was good and delivery was pretty smooth, no complications or anything and was not at all traumatic in any way, but I do think it was more intense than if I'd just waited.
We're all fine today, still taking long to wind, am doing the swaying from side to side and back to front, rubbing, pating, laying down and it's taking forever but you have to get it out.......I'm really tired! Was hoping for a lay in this morning, maybe tomorrow....
herb I switched to gripe water with ds1 as infacol was a bit strong for him and he was really sick on it, although looking back that could have been the reflux and he was gonna be sick anyway, but at the time I didn't know that .
I personally might give inf before the feed, try to wind for a bit and if still unsuccessful, give a bit of gripe water after, but if lo isn't winding, then infacol isn't working so I'd just switch and use gripe water exclusively. The leaflet in infacol says if no improvemnet after 3/4 days speak to your gp or hv so I'd just knock it on the head tbh.
thom thought that was it for you......sorry it's going slowly. Hopefully it'll kickoff tonight.
dinky sorry to hear you're a bit down at the moment, but that's ok. I'm sure it is baby blues and will pass in a day or two. Your ds will be ok, it must be tough on them, but sounds like you're doing really well making sure you do an activity with him when ds2 is asleep and it's not that that isn't enough for him, he's probably just a bit unsure of everything at the moment, I mean aren't most of us adults feeling a bit OMG! too? In a few days, he'd have readjusted and everything will settle down.

We got Luke registered today, so he is now in the system and officially exsists and dinky maybe ytou're right and I'll start to feel better about the name now that it's official......
Anyone know who's presenting the Brits tonight? I've only just realised it's tonight. I must try to crawl out from beneath this baby rock I'm living under
Also this morning, I got both of the little people dressed and out to Tesco all on my own while dp was in bed, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, have been putting it off going out on my own with them as thought it'd be awful! And I know it was only about half an hour, but I did it. Today tescos, tomorrow the whole town centre!

I have to share this quickly, ds1 is watching ITNG, and the Har-hoos (sp?) just came on the screen and he ran away from the telly looking over his shoulder making sure they couldn't get him! The look on his face. Hahahahahahahahaha. he's gone back to pressing his nose to the screen now they've gone.
Oh, he's doing it again, they've just come back. Funniest thing I've seen in ages [ages]

As always, thank you all for your fab positive messages to my slightly 'blue' post the other day. I was feeling really down in the dumps about breast feeding and full of new mother guilt about whether or not I was doing a good job of looking after my gorgeous boy. You'll be pleased to hear, I'm feeling better and I haven't cried for about 24 hours!!

I've made a very difficult and guilt-ridden decision to ease off the breast feeding. Despite offers from the CMW to get me in touch with the breast feeding counsellor, I felt that there was too much going on to try and make it work. Not only am I dealing with pre-eclampsia still (it was confirmed at the point of delivery that I did in fact have it) and BP that isn't coming down significantly despite being on medication, but I'm processing the slightly out of the ordinary delivery we had (!), plus looking after a newborn. Perhaps selfishly, I felt I had enough on my plate. I'm expressing pretty successfully so Alexander is getting at least one bottle of breastmilk a day so I don't feel like I'm completely letting him down. Since we stopped the breast feeding things seem to be much more settled, I'm happier and Alex is content, sleeping well and putting on weight so at the moment I feel like it was a good decision. I hope I don't regret it, we shall see.

Someone posted about sweeps and whether they hurt - the one I had didn't hurt as such, it was just uncomfortable. I squeezed my DH's hand pretty hard, but it only lasted about 20 seconds and I wasn't in any pain afterwards. Unfortunately it didn't work, but I'm pretty sure the entire pineapple I ate a few days later did help!!

Just been reading thru adn it's taken me ages!

will be back later but wanted to say to Rani

please don't panic about the sweep- it's not as painful as it sounds and they will be able to give you a good idea of how 'ready' you are down there.

RE: induction. I was induced with my DS. Would recommend Raspberry leaf tea to tone up your uterus before hand.
Went in at 8pm, given the pessary at 10pm, about an hour later got really bad period pains.
they didn't hink it was real labour so was sent for a walk.
they got really bad pain in my back- like period pain so got a bath adn by the end of the bath i was having contractions lasting about a minute every 2mins. the MW checked me and I had gone from 3cm to 8cm in about 40mins!!
straight to delivery suite, had a very low dose epidural which just took the pain out of my back- i was able to cope with the others.
DS was born at 04:48am. so about 7hrs since the pessaary.
it was not as painful as i thought it was going to be.
speaking to friends would defo recommend have the epidural first if they want to put you on the drip as that makes things happen so much quicker and more intense.
hope yr feeling less nervous today.

i dreaded mine last time, cried all the journey in but it was no wayas bad as i expected.
HTH.

QK So pleased you're feeling better now, these early days are so hard aren't they?
Don't feel guilty about easing up on bf, you don't need to justify your decision to us and tbh it sounds like you thought it through long and hard and have come to a decision you feel is best for both of you. You've had a really rough time and I personally don't blame you for feeling how you are.
I've said before that I tried to bf ds1 and gave up on day 3 because I couldn't latch him on properly and I thought he must be soooo hungry so switched to formula. I don't regret my decision because I did what I thought was best for my baby at the time and don't think anyone can do more than that, sometimes I think maybe I should have stuck it out, but that thought quickly gets replaced with something else. My ds1 is a happy, healthy 18 month old and the lack of breast milk doesn't seem to have done him any harm. As long as Alexander gets fed whether that be bf or ff, as long as he gets something, he'll be just fine.

Aw dinky - hang on in there. This going from one to two is so hard for them DS is being really oversensitive wanting mummy even when we have others to help ie granny, daddy, climbing in the babygym when I've told him not to, shouting at me, wanting milk all the time, crying very quickly at things and when Dh suggested they go for little outing on his scooter (which he loves) he said he wanted to stay home with Mummy and baby.....I'm to say that I've shouted at him a few times for his awful behaviour (not his fault really) but also because I'm tired....He just has that little soulful look in his face and it makes me all sad that he might be feeling sidelined by DD...I think they must all be going through it but I cry most days about something !...and usually to do with him.

This afternoon, DS wouldn't sit with me, we went for a walk and he would only go on his scooter for 5 mins and then wanted to go in the buggy so I had to carry scooter whilst pushing both in the buggy, my favourite bracelet then broke, he said he wanted his Daddy not me, we then got home and the TV volume button seems to not work so we can't watch any of his TV, the DVD player wouldn't play any hof DS's DVD's, DD has horrible wind and kept screaming every time I put her down - I took her nappy off to change it and she pooed all down me. All I could do in the end was laugh slightly too hysterically.........

Tomorrow is another day. I hope your blues pass but honestly,it was as if my independent funny cute DS changed overnight.... I'm sure he'll come back It's just hard to handle when you're tired and hormonal to boot ! I'm sure your DS will come back - it's early days so give it time.

Sorry a ramble. Must go and do bath and aaaah bed.

QK don't feel guilty, you have to make the right decisions for you at the time. you really have had a horrendous catalogue of things to deal with so it's completely understandable. unfortunately guilt is definitely part of life as a parent!

LBB it's james corden and matt horne from gavin and stacey with kylie presenting tonight.

i've just got back from dd's swimming lesson, she'd started to get into it a lot more but something freaked her out today and about 10 mins in she started screaming and crying. managed to get her back in and she enjoys herself off and on but the lesson (and whole pool area) is punctuated by a lot of screaming and whinging.

herb What a day you've had! I have to admit, when I read the bit about dd pooing all down you, I let out a little giggle, and then when read about you laughing slightly too hysterically, I'm really laughing! (that's not at you or at your expense or anything, the mental image is just quite ammusing). It's laugh or cry though isn't it?!
Like you say, tomorrow is another day, hope it's a better one.

thanx katie re brits presenters. should be quite funny then, won't take much to be an improvement on last year will it?

Thanks swampster
BTW your kiddies are GORGEOUS!!!

QUESTION
Right, I am now 14 days post delivery. The bleeding stopped the day before yesterday. I have finished AB's now and stopped taking the painkillers too as I am no longer in pain and I feel fine. The cmw said uterus was still too high but they will see what hapens on monday as should be back to normal size, but I have just started bleeding again. Surely this can't be period 14 days after delivery? Or can it? I'm not in any pain so I don't need to call labour ward again and tell them do I? They did say to call if I started bleeding but am sure they meant if it was alongside pain, which it isn't so what do you think I should do?

Good luck - THOM, Fruit.. thinking of you..

congratulations- America and WMMC !! Very well done

QT - I am very glad to hear you are feeling better. Don't feel guilty about ff.. you must do what is right for you and that will
make you a happier mum.. which is always better all round. Been thinking of you today, am so glad to hear you are feeling better...

Dinky & Herbgarden - my DS.. has also been very clingy.. I cant even take a shower without tears and tantrums at the door
as he begs to be let in.. Dinky as with your DS is normally a very independent soul.. so it is somehow a bit heartbreaking to see.

We have also taken him out of nursery as they will be looked after together when I go back to work.. which I feel has
messed with his routine as well..

I have also had a blue day.. woke up this morning with a splitting headache and shooting pains down one very engorged breast ...

I then wept quite a lot which did not make me feel better and ended up with me throwing up.. think my migraines are back..I know
now why I love being pregnant, I am not subjected to these awful headaches !!

Feeding and hot flannel massages appear to be working on my breast, but I will keep an eye on it.. as I really dont want something
bad to develop.. Flying solo tomorrow as DH is back to work.. feel quite nervous..

Dinky.. hope you don't feel so blue tomorrow..

sorry I am whining.. am going to lie down and rest...

lbb.. just seen your last post.. I am still bleeding a bit, but have not had pain (there) for quite a while.. is it normal period style bleeding or are there clots ? If there are clots.. definately give someone a call... but you could call anyway, just to make sure....

No clots atm, will obv keep an eye on it......just a bit concerned because of all this infection talk and left over placenta.....

LBB my bleeding comes and goes too. It seems to get worse if I have been out walking a lot and not lounging on the sofa

We managed a day out today after a hidous night of very little sleep. Have bought DS some Infacol too as he seems to be gulping down quite a lot of air when feeding. He also emits a high pitched sqeaking noise with each suck, something the midwife said is obviously just a characteristic of him but it seems to make him gulp down more air.

I asked my Health Visitor about it and she looked scared and handed me a leaflet on breastfeeding with a shakey hand.

I hate Health Visitors. I have never met a good one yet. Arseholes, the lot of them.

QK I am virtually cuddling you, lots. Please don't beat yourself up about it. Yours and A's happiness is paramount.

Hey swampy, you're looking slick...

Thanks LBB, Herb and Nkweto - is miserable to go through feeling this way about your precious firstborn feeling so sad and out of the loop, but is good to know am not the only one feeling this way if you know what I mean. Am hoping it is part baby blues and part adjustment period for DS and things will be better tomorrow...

LBB - I was told by the midwives that the bleeding could come and go for a few weeks post birth. As long as its not clots, hopefully its nothing to worry about - if its really heavy though I'd call just to reassure yourself its nothing to worry about.

Herb - god, that sounds like the kind of day that would have me hysterically laughing too! Actually I ended up in hysterics last night as DH was changing Daniel's pooey nappy and Danny proceeded to do poo after poo for about an hour with an increasingly exasperated DH trying (and failing) to contain it - and then when he finally stopped pooing managed to wee all over himself while DH was finding a fresh nappy for him.

QK - glad you're feeling better. Given what you've gone through you'll probably go through good days and bad days for a little while longer (I know I did with DS1) - so if you still have weepy days, its normal - just take each day as it comes. As Nkweto said, re deciding to feed Alexander - its entirely your choice (your baby, your choice) and you have to do what is right for you and your family. Please dont feel guilty about it - Alexander wont hold it against you and by the sounds of it he sounds quite contented with life at the moment which is great going considering what you've all been through.

MS On bleeding, I'll calm the hell down then, I also posted on childbirth about it and the replies I've had are saying pretty much the same.

Sounds like our boys are pretty much the same, Luke does that weirdo high pitched squeak when feeding too and seems to gulp loads of air. I'm wondering whether it's worth trying a bigger teat size already....?
Agree on the hv, all the one's I've met are a huge waste of space.
I had a note in my letterbox this morning from the hv saying she knocked but assumed there was no one in (well no, or else I would have answered the door wouldn't I? fucker!) so she'll come back tomorrow at 11`am. Why don't they just ring first and announce they're coming round?

dinky You sound like you're feeling a bit better already (that's how it comes across).
Think we're all getting a bit frustrated with the toddlers, I think with me it's an outburst against struggling to find enough time in the day to do all the things I want to. Ds doiesn't want to do with me the things I want at the times I want iykwim, and I know if we don't do whatever when I try to, we won't do it because of time with Luke, washing up, everyone eating (constantly!) and I am still upset about his lack of love forme, but although I am a bit jealous, it's lovely to see him becoming so close to dp as been waiting for this for a long time. Dp even took him out for a kick about with a small football without me asking him to and I spied out the window and a huge part of my heart just melted watching them kicking leaves and laughing together.
I'm dreading dp going back to work as don't know what ds will be like.........

Just checking in briefly while Al sleeps resting on my left arm and I have managed to snatch the laptop off DS1. Those waiting for elective caesars - it was absolutely fine. I can't really believe Al's weight - we knew he was going to big - but what a whopper! He's breast feeding really well (unsurprisingly) but very picky in the evenings when he tends to snack a lot. He has lots and lots of black hair and is very long - the few newborn bits I had have gone straight into a bag for the loft / friends with smaller newborns.

Just one question...he's delivering plenty of wet nappies but only about one pooey one each day. He is also very windy. Do you think the two are related? CMW has 2 days off now. I should have asked her if she thought he was pooing enough but will just assume it's OK and check with her on Saturday.

Good luck to those of you still waiting and congrats to everyone with fresh deliveries - I've read all the posts but I just want to sign off by saying I'm thinking of you all

pluto As you're bf, think it's pretty normal for 1/2 poo's a day because there is less waste product in breast milk.
Glad to hear Al's doing well

lbb and ms - dd does that gulping high pitched squealing thing when she takes her bottle too. It's almost then as if it runs away with her, her eyes fill with water and she has to pull off whilst she draws breath. Poor little thing - the wind is horrible. Lbb - i tried a slightly bigger teat (no 2) and she took the feed so quickly she chucked it all up within seconds of draining the bottle.....just to warn you !

QK - sorry I hadn't quite read your post through but with DS, I went through a few very emotional weeks of feeling that I'd failed when I had an emergency c-section rather than a natural birth - no choice in that one but somehow felt I was less of a woman for not pushing him out then I really couldn't get on with the breastfeeding and after getting the NCT counsellor in who was a really lovely woman, I managed a couple more days before giving in defeated by the whole thing. It took me a while to get over the guilt I felt about it all which, coupled with the delivery, made it all quite a draining experience. This time, I decided to put all that behind me and although I know it could have been different with DD and breastfeeding might have "worked" I am much happier knowing that I've just made my choice and got on with it. I did the guilt thing before, I'm not doing it again. Don't feel guilty if the b/f doesn't work out for you both - your baby will be just fine......(you know that I'm sure but it's hard this time you're going through - I just wanted to add my support)

PS pluto - dd does one or two pooey nappies - she's ff, usually one small one and one massive explosion...per day (see earlier post - sometimes she's not even stopped by the time the nappy comes off and it's like a Mr Whippy machine delivering the final present for me......?!). The others are just wet...
TMI, sorry, but hope that helps.