August Babies

[Katherine]

Wills, Marina, Musica etc I miss us all chatting together. Time to pass on the mum2be moving on thread - so shall we start up again, and anyone else of course.

Still in cloud9 after last night. Poor DH had to spend the morning getting the holiday cottage ready and then I had to go and help him!!!!! But its OK because I feel great. Not even a little bit sore down there. Just these dratted afterpains to contend with - always think this bit is so unfair! You go through all that and get the reward of a lovely baby but the afterpains don't really give you anything do they. Oh well mustn't complain. MW said I'm back to a third already so thats why it hurts so much.

Wills how are those stitches doing? Hope you are not too uncomfy.

Well just changed 3 merconium nappies so no problems with Bea's bowels at all! And the cloth nappies are doing great - just ordered some more girly ones. Even my cloth sanpro is bearing up - much admired by the MWs.

Oh well better go and get the tea ready. Packed DH off to the park with the kids for half and hour for some peace and quiet so just been wallowing in a lovely bath. Time to return to domesticity now

Katherine you sound amazingly well considering you just had a baby! Glad you're not too sore. I had really bad afterpains, and complained a lot to dh! Didn't have them with ds, so was a bit of a surprise really.

Did you get any sleep last night? Dd is sleeping really well at night - usually about 12 - 5 which is fantastic! But she is awake for the WHOLE day - today she has been awake since 10 this morning, and still is showing no signs of sleeping. She's also a 'snacker' - always feeding, then stopping, then 20 minutes later feeding again.

Thanks for starting this thread!

HI Musica - I didn't really have afterpains with my first. Aparently they are worst for your 2nd but have to say they are pretty bad for 3rd too. Although maybe its just all the RLT! At least my uterus is contracting back quickly so although it hurts will hopefully be over soon.

Didn't sleep at all last night. The afterpains were pretty bad and every time I got one I went really hot. But I didn't sleep after DD either - they both slept right through but I suppose I was just on a high, raging hormones and all that. Early night tonight though I think.

Bea has been awake loads of the day as well. She is so dinky I'm afraid I just don't want to put her down so in the end I popped her in the sling so I could get on with things and she just disappears inside it. Shes very undemanding so far though - shouldn't say that. She's got plenty of time to get into it all

Bet your boobs are getting a bit sore aren't they?

Hi you lot - just to say the June/July babies are on a thread too, if you want a glimpse into the abyss that awaits you...

...oh, and Marina, I'm in SE London as well, if you fancy meeting up at some time!

Hi All.
Well the milkman came last night Quite relieved actually as DD2 has been feeding non-stop, especially at night and my nipples are raw! Hoping the increased milk now will keep her fuller for a little longer but my other two always fed every 2 hours so we'll see.

Well we've got the bulk of the visiting family dealt with now. Just my parents to see but that will involve a camping trip so I'm hoping we can put them off for a couple of weeks at least.

Otherwise all going well at this end. How is everyone else?

Dd's feeding seems to be settling down a bit - I was really really sore for a bit, but not too bad now. She still wants to feed all evening, but then sleeps pretty well in the night, so I'm not complaining!

I had a horrid scare about a week ago though - don't know if you've ever heard of this but she suddenly (typically just after the mw left!), was sick, but instead of white baby sick, it was chocolatey, with streaks of blood!!! I was SO worried - but turns out dd was a little vampire, and it was as a result of cracked nipples, so was MY blood!!!

I was also a bit worried she was putting on weight really slowly, but she was so big to start with, this is ok!

Hope you've had nice weekends! How are the afterpains Katherine?

Hi Muscia - they are much better now thanks. I fact my bleeding is really dying off too so I'm starting to feel a bit more normal although DS keeps asking me why I've still got a fat tummy!

Bea is still feeding for England, especially at night but it was a bit better last night and I managed not to disturb DH too much who is back to work today. Actually he drove me mad yesterday. Having spent all weekend trying to get me out here there and everywhere and looking after his family, he spent yesterday morning taking the kids swimming (which was wonderful of him) but then spent the afternoon mowing the communal lawns whilst I was left inside vaccumming, mopping, hanging washing etc. Just don't understand how he works out how to be helpful! And then when I collapsed on the sofa he got all cross with me cos he wanted to take the kids out somewhere. I'm sure if I retired to my bed and was all weak and feeble he would be great but because still do try to get on with things he seems to think I'm superwomen and can cope with everything!

Oh well I've got 7 days now to master some sort of routine before school starts again. Help! We've just got dressed and had breakfast so I've only got to shave 3 hours of our start time to make it in time for the bell!

I think having the baby at home makes the men believe you're less affected than if you were in hospital. Certainly, with ds, dh was much more 'nurturing' - with dd, born at home, the first day or two he was really sweet, but then we got back to normal, whereas with ds, we only came home from the hospital on day3, so it prolonged the period of being looked after by dh! (Still prefer the homebirth though!).

Dd slept fantastically last night - 12:30 till 7:30 this morning. And she's still asleep now! She's tending to sleep in the mornings, which is really good for ds - it means he still gets some attention!

How exciting - dd has just smiled her first proper smile - definitely not wind - we had a whole string of smiles in response to our proud parental faces beaming down at her!

Awwwwwwwwww

Bought myself an alarm clock this morning in preparation for next week. Don't think DS's ogre of a teacher will take kindly to us appearing at 10.30 every morning.

My little angel only fed once last night. Coupled with scab-free nipples (sorry) and lack of afterpains I feel almost human tody

Looks like we'll be getting 3 more babes on this thread soon.

Wills: Where are you?

Dd was a horror yesterday evening - of course, my mum has come to visit, so she decided to cry from 7:00 till about midnight, only distracted by being fed, at which point she would fall asleep, I'd put her down, and she'd instantly start crying again....

But, the health visitor has just been, and she's put on 5oz this week, so I'm relaxing more about her feeding.

Well done last night! Hope you get another good one tonight.

Gosh - Hadn't seen this thread - Katherine, you had very similar thoughts to mine but once again you've beaten me to it. Musica - thanks for pointing out this thread to me on the the "dry newbaby" one.

Short post cos now reading full thread!

Short post cos now reading full thread!

OK, lets fill you in on life in the wills house hold. Basically in a nutshell I'm still floating on air. This despite having afterpains, a bladder infection, v. low iron count, soaring blood pressure (still!) and the thing that had me crying - a very slight case of piles. Funny that it was the piles that eventually reduced me to tears - mw thought I was hilarious. BF is going okish. One breast has settled completely and Lotty feeds for approx 15 mins comes off, smacks her lips and falls asleep. The other one is a nightmare! Suspect I'm having serious problems with position because it still hurts like hell, is red raw and bleeds from time to time. She hangs on it for over 40 minutes by which time I'm normally caving in and swapping her to the other breast. I can see the milk coming out so I'm really not sure what the problem is other than position - its getting me down a little but only a little - it would be nice for both to have settled down.

DD1 is a complete angel - yep she's a little stroppy towards us but thats fine. Towards dd2 she's fantastic - talking of which she's demanding yet another feed - she's spent the last two days hanging off of me virtually permanently - I'd worry that I wasn't feeding her properly but given the number of nappies and their state I'm fairly confident that food is going in!

Hi Wills - I was getting worried about you, although it sounds like you've had plenty to deal with. Got to be quick as meant to be putting kids to bed but get some Calendula ointment from Boots or health food shop. Its magic stuff. My nipples have been agony the first few days with all of mine but calendula sorts them out overnight. Give it a go.

Anyway better dash sounds very heated in there. Oh and DD2 () has gained 2.5oz in her first week (is it a week already!) which is great as so many babies loose weight. Oh crumbs got to go....

Quick post to finish off my synopsis. Apart from issues with bf life is actually WONDERFUL. I can't believe I've been blessed with 2 wonderful daughters and I'm still completely bowled over. DH goes back to work next week so reality will probably hit then when I have to contend with nursery starting as well as needing to get up. So far he's been fabulous - dd1 gets up at 7.0 and dh takes her and dd2 (still get a kick out of typing that) downstairs giving me some very much needed peace (unless of course Lotty wants another feed).

Just one thing - is it me... When Lotty was born they delivered her onto my tummy. This didn't happen for dd1 but it was electric - I can still remember it as though it had happened a few seconds ago. Yep she was covered in goo - but none of that mattered - it was incredible - did either of you find that or am I being increadibly "romantic" about the whole thing?

Hi Wills, nice to see you! I've been using Lansinoh (sp?) cream, which you can get from Mothercare - the mw recommended it to me, and it's basically a lanolin based cream, but it is really good - I had really sore nipples to start with, but I've just realised the last couple of days that feeding has stopped hurting.

I didn't have dd delivered onto my tummy - I was kneeling against the bed, and actually when she came out I just felt really tired, and didn't even look to see her for what felt like ages, but was probably only 30 seconds or so - I just buried my head in the bed! With ds I had an epidural, and remember being quite overwhelmed by him, as he was passed up to me. But I can't remember his birth so clearly - with dd emotions are still memorable!

Yeah Lansinoh is MUCH MUCH better than anything else... including Kamillosan. I didn't know Mothercare stocked it... thanks for that I'll check in my local branch as it is by far the best product to buy but I found it very hard to find.

Also had my 2 on my tummy.... absolutely fab. I have my DD's water birth (not the expulsion but JUST after that) on tape.... lovely tape !

Wills - having DS2 delivered on to my tummy was probably my no. one experience so far, especially after DS1 being a c-section. It put me on cloud nine and I still feel it everytime I look at his round smiling face..

OK having not spotted this thread for days I'm now out to ask loads of questions. I'll admit that bf last time for dd1 was pretty much a disaster! After twelve weeks of pain I pretty much settled down to only feeding her on one breast. At 14 weeks, 2 weeks later I was back at work at which point both breasts dried up completely. The 2 intervening weeks were enough to make me fairly keen to want to do it again and be more successful, so I hope you wont mind if I keep asking everyone questions its just that both Katherine and Musica sound like things are settling down and I still feel very much like a novice. DD2 has spent the last two days pretty much permanently on the breast. At first she was having a feeding frenzy however lately I feel she's using the nipple to comfort and go to sleep. Have you experienced this? What did you do? I'm loathe to leave her to cry etc and have tried various other things, sometimes they work sometimes they don't. Do you just give her the breast and put up with the pain? She's only 13 days only and it just seems a little harsh to be letting her cry already. HELP!

Hi Wills - it's only in the last day or two that feeding has 'come right' - in that before that she was feeding ok, but it was really painful. I think it's a common problem to find one side easier than the other - for me, I'm always happy when it is the right one's turn, because it just 'works'! Have you tried putting her as if she were on your good side, then just shunting her along to the other breast - that's supposed to help with positioning, as you are holding them the same as you would on the good side.

Dd spent the first 2 weeks feeding constantly, and in the evenings she pretty much feeds non-stop - I think she's just snacking, but she could also be building up the milk supply, because the milk is definitely increasing! It's just a bit tiring for you isn't it, because it means no-one can take the baby off you for half an hour to give you a rest. If she's immediately going off to sleep, could you put her in her bed and give her a finger to suck - if it's just the sucking she needs to send her off, then this might work, and give you a bit of a rest.

Good luck with the feeding - I think it is a lot easier second time around, and you sound like you're doing well, even if you feel like it's a nightmare!

Thanks Musica - its nice to know that I have company! The MW is helpful but the HV simply states things like - "she has her feed in the first 10 minutes so take her off". I strongly suspect that is not true as dd2 is wide awake and gulping like mad for at least 15/20 minutes. I'm waiting for the mw to visit today and then off to find those creams!

Opps pressed enter. Also you're right overall I'm doing ok. dd2 is gaining weight and one breast is there so yep things are ok.