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

[spottyshoes]

Ooo I feel all important now.

Sorry to hear about the various toilet woes - bizarrely enough, despite being on iron tablets and occasionally taking co-codamol, I have not had a problem in that area. The first one was scary, but other than that the issue I have had is (way TMI ) trying not disturbing my stitches when I wipe and ending up with a bit of nappy rash!!!!

Had new car seat fitted and car passed MOT today, but it meant a lot of driving around and now I'm shattered. Madam had her first daddy bath today, and so far seems cosy and snug in her sleeping bag. Fingers crossed it will last...

G'night xxx

dinky, I'm loving the image of your DS finally getting his pressie after 4 months .

The tummy tub looks fab. Really cannot justify yet more money on baby kit though, unfortunately. We've not given R a bath yet, but I know he will hate the bath support we have - I remember with DD2 that it leaves baby too much in the cold air and also makes them feel all "startly".

Hope you get a decent night's sleep, MrsY - and everyone else too. LBB - your last two nights sound awful, hope they improve for you.

Morning. Thanx Coco. Last night wasn't too bad, I kept Luke with me in living room and have put the bedtime routine on hold for a while. Dp left for work at 9:30 so I had a nap on sofa, fed baby at 11, went to bed, he was settled by midnight, ds1 woke at 1:30, I didn't even bother trying to settle him, just put him straight in my bed, have really got to stop doing that. Luke woke at 3am for a feed which woke ds1 but he fell asleep pretty quickly, Luke was serttled by 3:45, dp got in at 4 and transferred ds1 to his cot and we got up at 6:30, so not too bad, but I am in the foulest mood today, I am so f**ked off! Not sure why, must be the lack of sleep, the lack of money, the lack of enough hours in the day and so on..........I need to go and pound the pavements, a good old march always does trhe trick doesn't it?

LBB - yep, you need a good bout of fresh air and a long walk (and maybe a couple of hours of dc free time) and a nap .....You sound like you're knackered. Dealing with a newborn is bad enough but the two of them together is not great....remember, it's a phase it'll pass, it's a phase it'll pass....PS - I use the gripe water after the feed having given infacol before the feed.

Have taken a bit of a step back on my CS wound - the area above it - I suppose the base of the "overhang" - is now inflamed in "blotches" above the scar, is tender to the touch and is red and warm where the blotches are. Anyone else have this? DH thinks it's the infection coming out but I'm now worried. I'll get to the doctors on Monday again to see if he has any better advice than just anti-b's ! It's so boring - none of my clothes fit me anyway but those that do are uncomfortable agains the inflammation.

My friend suggested the t tree lavender oil in the bath ....anyone else think this might be a good idea?

coco.... i found that with the bath support too when i used it for dd so with both the boys i've just floated them in the bath when doing the nighttime bath..... it sounds awkward but it's honestly no more fiddly than the bath support and they absolutely love floating in the deeper water with me holding them steady at the neck and shoulders with one hand and sponging with the other. then i take baby out and leave the older 2 to splash around while i get him dried and dressed. much easier just having to do the one bath between 3 of them too!

herb, sorry your scar is still causing you grief... it doesn't sound pleasant... is thre no way you could see and out of hours doc before monday? red and blotchy and hot sounds like infection and the last thing you need is for it to get out of control. i'm a big fan of natural remedies but if it is infected i'm not sre how wise it would be to get anything in it that could aggravate things..... best to leave it be until the doc sees it.

was quite ill last night, bad cramps in my abdomen and really shaky and feverish with a pounding head.... no idea what it was but seem ok since about 5am... shattered though as i didn't sleep well at all. have to go to our friends sons birthday party now... an hour there and back and several hours in soft play with screaming 4 year olds while dealing with a newborn.... help!

Hurrah - I love sleep! and also fish and chips, and thanks to my darling husband, managed to get some of both last night!!

herby I was recommended t-tree oil in the bath (for stitches) as it is a natural antiseptic. Can't hurt to try. Don't know what the lavender does, though? I just used the stuff I bung in the nappy pail...

lbb Glad your night was better well. Have a nice walk - preferably via a coffee shop for a large hot chocolate and pastry!!!

re: baths - Do people use any products? And how often do you bath them at 3-ish weeks? As usual, have been given conflicting advice from the plethora of midwives I have seen...

morning all - little man decided 3 hours between feeds was a good idea last night! I woke up at 8.15 to find DH and DS3 gone, both downstairs watching TV and had been there since 5am! I think he's having a week old growth spurt since he taking 3oz of either expressed breast or formula at each feed.

My sister due up today so I have done a little spring clean and feel loads better for it, everything clean and tidy - but has highlighted the fact we really need to sort little man's bedroom out, get something to put his clothes in for starters! I have decided a trip into town today would be good for the soul since I have £55 of John Lewis vouchers to spend and my Farmer Giles seem to be shrinking (NOTE TO ALL FELLOW SUFFERERS - GERMALOIDS rock! Anusol is rubbish!).

Those of you who have successfully established Breast Feeding - did you have an easy run of it? How long did it take to settle down and for you to have the confidence that your little one was getting enough? I been trying for a week now and yes i know thats not long but in the middle of the night at 2am when he's waving his head about like mad, supposidly rooting and not latching, and crying on and off for 2 hours, how do you get through that? Dh lying next to me desperate to help but not able to, my clothes getting soaked cos everytime he cries I squirt - he falls asleep, I assume he's had enough, up an hour later for more? what am I doing wrong? I have started expressing as I have that much milk and he is taking it from the bottle and sleeping much much better when he does....I need some success stories of how you didn't go mad in the early days and managed to get to the 2 - 3 week mark with a baby who latches with no encouragement and feeds properly for 20 or so minutes......

Anyway enough whinging, the expressing seems to be a successful alternative for now, but just thought I'd see if there was anything else I could be doing.

MrsY - re the bath, we use johnsons bubble bath but literally a dribble (the one with lavender in) and dunk him every other day so far. With the DT's it was daily from day dot but they were 8 weeks old when they came home from hosp and in a semi routine from being in there and we just started bath bottle bed straight away.

changed my chat name too....

Hi everyone, Hope your all well & congratulations to all of you with new babies
I dont seem to have a second to get on the net recently to catch up with everything going on on here.

Had a badnight with Poppy last night ( despite DP doing the night shifts??) she was up & down all night, not really crying just making very weird & loud noises - Some of it wind I think?
Someone suggested to me, putting her basket at a slight angle - as she is as quiet as a mouse when sleeping on a slight slant, but in her moses basket she sounds like she is really struggling with the mucus

Anyway, better go, weve got more visitors coming today & again tomorrow - really could do without it tbh, but once its done, next weekend is ours to chill...Roll on!

PT Maybe you should get yourself checked out even though you feel better now, sounds horrible. Enjoy the party, I do not envy you!

MrsY Glad you got some of your favourite things last night.
About bathing, I did ds1 twice a week up until we weaned when I did every other day and when he started crawling so was actually getting dirty we did everyday.
Luke has a bath on a sunday and sometimes a wednesday if I can be arsed. We top and tail wash everyday though, there's no need for anything more if you don't want to. I'm putting olive oil in Luke's bath for his dry skin but as a general rule, I don't use products like bubble bath or shampoo til between 3 and 6 months.

How the F* am I supposed to be dealing with an uncomfortable windy baby and an 18 month old. I have spent all morning just yelling things like no, stop that, put that down, don't hit him, etc etc and I mean yelling. ds1 is throwing toys, knocking things off tables, hitting Luke, shouting and Luke is having trouble taking milk because he can't get all the wind out, so he is crying and everytime he gets settled and starts to fall asleep ds1 throws something across the room which wakes L up so he screams, ds1 comes over to the basket to see what's going on and hits him whilst I pick him up so then I'm shouting and ds1 starts crying then I want tro cry.....................

Anyway, might post on parenting, but what is an acceptable way to tell of an 18mo without shouting at him (I like firm but hate shouting)

neerly, what you describe during the night sounds like how aaron behaves when he's windy.... he still roots and seem to be hungry but won't latch and when he does cries when he gets milk. it can take aaaagggeeeeessss to get him to burp though and sometimes i'm really starting to wonder if i'm wrong and he's not windy by the time he actually does.

as for the frequency of feeds, you produce more milk at night and babies sense this so it's perfectly normal for them to feed alot during the night.... aaron often feeds for and hour at a time with only very short gaps between feeds during the night. this is why i co-sleep.... i wouldn't get any sleep at all otherwise! i also find having the baby downstairs with me in the evening and letting them cluster feed all evening knocks them out for a while and means they're not as hungry through the night, i let aaron sleep in my arms latching on and off as he wants and he's usually so full of milk and dozy by bedtime then that he sleeps for a while at the beginning of the night.... if i'm really lucky he even lets me put him in the crib for an little while so i can lie on my tummy.... bliss!

try and avoid topping up with formula as it's a vicious cycle and will only make everything more stressed and anxious.... if pumping is working for you that's great but i do find pumping makes my breasts extremely painful and engorged so that may be what's causing some of the oversupply you mention.

they do settle down as they get bigger and can go longer between feeds, try to go with the flow for the time being... don't overanalyse how much or little he's feeding just try and make yourself as comfortable as possible and let him lead the show. if he's having trouble latching try flattening your nipple between two fingers and offering it to him like that, all of mine needed me to do that for a few weeks at least, aaron is only just getting the hang of latching himself on now at almost 3 weeks and even now when i don't help him it's hit or miss what part of my boob he'll attach himself to (or even whther it's boob rather than his hands or clothes )

try stripping charlie down to his nappy and yourself down to the waist and seeing if the skin to skin contact destresses him enough to latch well for you.

HTH

Oh my god there is no time!Where does it go and without sleeping too there are more hours in the day! Well my afterpains have finally died down THANK GOD! That was sore, thanks as always for advise.

MY NIPPLES ARE RAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[SHOCK] [SHOCK] [SHOCK] [SHOCK] [SHOCK]

Love to all youlovely ladies and babies do we have any bumps left?

xxxx

hope the smilies worked this time

New Arrivals

TinkerBellesMumandFifi2 - DD Sîan Anne Denise, 4lbs 8.5oz, 02.01.09
Dinkymum - DS Isaac Christopher, 5lbs 8oz, 19.01.09
Ooogs - DS Luke Daniel, 8lbs 6oz, 20.01.09
Herbgarden - DD Amy Hannah, 5lbs 14oz 23.01.09
idontbelieveit - DD Freya Rose, 6lbs 8oz, 26.01.09
laidbackinengland - DD Mabel Lucy, 8lbs 14oz, 29.01.09
tinasan - DS Enrico Marco, 6lbs 10oz, 29.01.09
onwardandupward - DC2 [I'll put name on fb], 8lb exactly, 30.01.09
stacysmom - DD Tabitha Rose, 6lbs 15oz, 31.01.09
MsLucy - DS Stanley William, 8lb 7 oz, 02.02.09
LittleMissNorty - DS Ewan Scott, 6lbs 13ozs, 02.02.09
swampster - DS Jacob, 7lb, 02.02.09
Jelliebaby - DD Olivia, 7lb 3oz, 02.02.09
MarkStretch - DS Frankie, 7lb 15oz, 03.02.09
Pempe ? DS Harry, 03.02.09
Nkweto - DD Alexandra, 8llbs 11oz, 04.02.09
MamaGoose - DD Indigo Norah Rose, 4.15kg/9lb 1oz, 04.02.09
littleboysblue - DS Luke Alan, 7 lb 13 oz, 04.02.09
fgpl - DD Phoebe, 8lb 9 oz, 05.02.09
McDreamy - DD Abigail Louise, 7lb 1/2oz, 06.02.09
Rosieposey - DS Milo John William, 8lb 10oz, 06.02.09
mumoverseas - DS Harrison William, 3.1k, 08.02.09
Questionkid ? DS Alexander George, 08.02.09
PinkTulips ? DS Aaron Matthew, 8lbs 2oz 09.02.09
Dinkystinky - DS Daniel Nikhil, 8lbs 6oz, 10.02.09
MrsY ? DD Meredith Lilian Faith, 7lb 7oz, 10.02.09
Givethedogahomebirth - DD, 8lbs 15oz, 11.02.09
KT1983 - DD Poppy Louise, 6lb 80z, 13.02.09
Pluto - DS Albert David Magnus, 10lbs 10oz, 13.02.09
JenniferTurkington, DD Harriet, 9lb, 15.02.09
America - DS Leo, 3.3kg, 15.02.09
KazzaL - DS Benjamin Hector Douglas, 8lbs3oz, 16.02.09
Astarte - details to follow.
winemakesmummyclever - DS Issac Alexander, 7lb 4oz, 17.02.09
TheHouseofMirth - DS Tarran James, 7lb 2oz, 18.02.09
Fruitstick - DS, Arthur, 8lb 13oz, 18.02.09
Calico1 - DD Lilian Helena, 7lb 4oz, 19.02.09
Mentalpup - DS Harry, 7lb 10oz, 20.02.09
Neerly3 - DS Charlie, 7lb 8oz, 20.02.09
Cocodrillo - DS Rufus, 8 lb 8 oz, 20.02.09
pinkbabybump - DD Eleanor Catherine, 6lb 14oz, 20.02.09
lardybump - DS Owen Francis, 8lb 12oz, 21.02.09
Catstar - DS Samuel James, 9lb 1oz, 22.02.09
chilledmama - DD, 8lb 5oz, 23.02.09
Littlesez ? DD, Isobella Rose, 8lbs 23.02.09
katieblirdsnest - DS Ivor, 8lb 4oz, 24.02.09
ihavenewsockson - DS Viktor Jake, 8lb 15 oz, 24.02.09

WHO'S NEXT.....

Munteria - DC2, due: 11.02.09 (age 37, Putney)
Ranirani - DC1, due: 13.02.09 (age 35, Herts)
Justme84 - due 14.02.09
Bunsen - DC2 (girl) due 21.02.09 CS booked for 16.02.09 (age 32, Leeds)
Scubagroover - DC1 (a boy), due: 17.02.09 (age 31, London/ Kent)
fruitstick - (a suprise), due: 18.02.09
DizzyBrummie - DC2, due: 20.02.09 (age 36, Berkshire)
Spottyshoes - DC2, due: 24.02.09 (age 28)
eejaykay - DC1 (a boy), due: 24.02.09 (age 34, London)

Hello all

congrats to the new arrivals - have skimmed the last 6 or so pages trying to catch up.

Knackered here as usual DH back to work on Monday its going to be weird without him around like he has been for nearly 4 weeks now.

Will pop back in later but Milo has just woken up and hes not a happy bunny so will just feed him and get posting a bit later!

Hello all. Took Danny (and DS1) over to our neighbours today - where Danny decided to do his first milk chunder over himself and me. Thank god it was only next door and could come home easily to clean up and get changed! Thank god even more it was all caught by Danny and me - they'd just had their carpets cleaned

Herbgarden - that sounds like a nasty infection; hope your doctor gets it sorted out. Lavendar baths promote healing - though I agree with someone else where they said get it checked out first before bathing it.

LittleSez - use Lanisoh and air those nipples as much as you can (I used to pop breast shells inside my bras when at home - lets air get to the nipples which helps toughen them up).

Neerly/Meerly - you're doing a great job with Charlie. He sounds windy - Danny can be like that. Make sure you sit him up and wind him really well mid feed. Danny also dozes off ater feeding for abit (10-15 minutes); during the day I just burp him and he wakes up and then feeds for another few minutes. At nights, I lie him down next to me - if he is windy he will wake up complaining so I will burp him; otherwise he normally wakes up after about 5 minutes ready to finish his feed. When your boobs are really full it is hard for them to latch on; shaping the boob with your hand (so nipple is pointing into the top of their mouth) can help, also hand expressing some off (have warms shower or use hot flannel on boob first) can help. It does get easier - Danny is now at nearly three weeks latching on better and not choking so much (he's learned how to moderate the let down - its messy but effective) and is getting much more efficient with his feeds.

MrsY - we bathed DS1 nightly from around 3 weeks (he loved it so much). Will probably aim to do the same with Danny once I've figured out how to deal with him during DS1's bedtime hour (think sling may be the way forward). And we just use warm water in baby bath (they dont need any products at this age) and natural oils (olive oil) to massage him at this age - from around 2 or 3 months on we used products (I'd advise organic ones as their skin is still really sensitive) but not every day.

LBB - sorry you're in a bad mood but glad you had a better night. There's plenty of time to establish Luke's routine and sort out DS1's night sleeps; at the moment you just need to do whatever you need to do in order to get through this phase. Hope you get a good walk in and feel happier soon.

littlesez my nipples are really sore, and the rhand side one is bleeding even when i express so not letting baby near it.

I am bfing on left side and bottle feeding expressed milk from the right but MW has warned me this could interfere with his latch blah blah.

really want to bf, as much to help lose weight and uterus to contract down as much as anything. also so he gets all that immunity from infection.

PT and other successful breast feeders, don't you find it hurts if baby is allowed to just get themself on and off the boob? I would be pouring blood out of both nipples.

Hello everybody, hope you're all ok
Has anybody else suspected that their baby is going through a bit of a growth spurt? I had a look on the internet and apparently 3 weeks is normal for this - Harry has suddenly started demanding food every one and a half hours or so, starting the night before last (god I hope this is a spurt and not a new feeding routine... ). He feeds really well for about 15 mins on each side, I wind him, then he feeds some more, then he drops off to sleep, I settle him either in his crib or next to me, he grunts and moans for a while (wind, I reckon) then he wakes and wants more food. He's not getting much sleep (or me).

Also, anyone else think their baby is struggling to 'process' their food? Harry seems to have to strain to pass wind or poo but his nappies are fine (runny, yellow etc).

And a question about massage - those of you doing it with olive oil, I'd like to try this, but does the oil not stay on the skin and stain the clothes afterwards when you dress him? Do you just wipe the excess off?

Neerly - I subscrobe to the Pinktulips school of breastfeeding, cluster feed in the evening and then co-sleep at night. It has worked well so far. And as for getting enough, as long as you are having lots of wet and dirty nappies then, I think they are getting enough. Some babies are snackers and don't feed for 20 minutes. Mabel feeds for about 5 or 6 minutes and then comes back a bit later for more. Sometimes I think it's about surrendering to the fact that you are a milk bar for a while.

DH has taken ALL the kids out to the park adn I have an hour or two time to myself. I have listed some things on ebay and am enjoying a cup of tea and browse on t'interweb without having to multitask. Pure bliss !

Out of interest, how do people keep their baby awake? Meredith has started to be a bit more alert after feeds (staying awake for 40-60 minutes) and I'm keen to encourage this during the day. I sort of hold her upright and talk to her, but is there a more effective way of stimulating them? I sat her in front of the visualiser on iTunes earlier, but worried I was gonna give her a headache!!!

MrsY I've taken the liberty of putting dd in a jiffy bag and mailing her to you just for this purpose.

She is adept in screeching, singing, dancing, pulling faces, reading stories, winding and kissing babies. Keeps them awake and staring in awe for....minutes.

We went to the park. I got my boobies out in front of teenage boys on rollerblades. To feed the baby obviously...

MrsY I've been trying to encourage ds2 to stay awake a bit longer too, but not too much as the wind makes him uncomfortable so I'd rather he be asleep for his own good iyswim.
With ds1, I bought some bright coloured ribbon, you know, black (not bright I know), white, red, yellow, blue all strong colours and tied them to a wooden spoon and waved it above his face, as he got older, he'd reach out for it.

I'm going to name change. Not sure to what yet, but you ladies will be the first to know.

Name changed, Lbb is now SomeMightSay, but you can call me SMS or continue here with lbb. It might take me a while to realise sms is me!

mrsY- I tend to cart DD around in her chair - into the kitchen for a few jobs,into the lounge, nappy changes, under the playgym (although this is not a popular option unlike DS who'd sit happily under it for half an hour or so staring around). I basically don't leave her anywhere for too long. Have you also come across the "whoozit" ranges of toys. They are brightly coloured and were really popular amongst my ante natal friends. They have things that dangle on them. DD has started to stare more at things and seems to like the two whoozit toys we have.

Do you have a babygym? They seem to like these a bit more later but it's quite nice to plonk them on it - brightly coloured etc - now so they get used to it. DD won't last long - they get very over stimulated very quickly. DD just likes sitting on me most of the time. I am wearing my baby pretty constantly when she's awake at the moment and she really seems to have woken up today.

We've been out to town today on the bus (DS thinks this is great)- had a pizza together bought DS new shoes and then walked home....Am waiting for the on call doctor to phone back tonight as the wound swelling has got worse during the day. I'm a bit tearful about it as it just seems to go on and on. Also started reading stuff on the internet which is always a biiiig mistake. I suspect I'll be back at the doctors again next week.

DH is cooking dinner and then I'm off to bed - I'm knackered today.

Hope the rest of you are ok.

Nice new name SMS Hope you're feeling better/happier with life now.

Pempe - I dont use tonnes of oil - just a little bit rubbed between my hands then rub it on Danny's legs and then massage them. Then do same on torso, arms, and then flip him over to do his back (some babies dont like this; Danny doesnt seem to mind being on his front). I massage him in his nappy or naked in a towel (again most babies dont like being naked so wrapping them in a towel is a good idea) - if you use a towel it will absorb the excess oil before you dress them. I find Danny's skin drinks up the olive oil though so doesnt end up with much of it on his clothes (which lets face it get wee, poo and/or chunder on them within a few hours so doesnt matter if they get some oil on them). And yes, Danny's digestive system is still maturing like Harry's - he is pooing for england today.

Cocodrillo - you're doing a brilliant job with the breastfeeding. I've never used them but have you thought about maybe using nipple shields on your right nipple when feeding your little man (will stop it getting more damaged) - I know some MWs say not to use them as they interfere with latch but a couple of mates of mine swore by them when they had shredded boobs due to poor initial latch. Definitely use lanisoh and try and air the nipple as much as poss to help it heal. And as for babies latching themselves on - once they learn a good latch (.i.e. to take in more than just the nipple - you can see if they've latched properly as when they feed their whole jaw line is moving) its pretty unlikely they'll do a bad latch on (maybe if they're tired/full they'll slip to just sucking the nipple for comfort - but it'll feel wrong for you and you unlatch them by sticking your little finger in the corner of their mouth to break the suction). Once your sore nipples heal, breastfeeding shouldnt hurt - if it does, generally the baby is latching on wrong so unlatch them and get them on again.

herb, yes big mistake to look anything up on the web, too much knowledge is dangerous and you'll find too much stuff to frighten the hell out of you. When I told my friends about the GBS, they all asked what it was and what it meant and I was just saying I don't really know because I couldn't hack reading too much.
Hope your wound gets sorted and you start to feel better.

Am feeling a bit better, but think that might be because ds1 is in bed!
It's just hard isn't it?
We're all going to have our bad days, but when you have a bad day, everybody has a bad day so we've all been clashing rather than bouncing iykwim.
It's just been one of those days where I've been thinking am I really cut out for this parenting stuff? And earlier, the answer to that question was no. Spent most of today feeling like I'm not a very good mum, but deep down I know that I am, and I know I do a good job and will continue to do a good job until the day I die, but it's hard to realise you're a good parent when you have a toddler that's obviously very frustrated and a newborn that needs feeding.
Oh well, tomorrow is another day.