October '04 babies

[Toots]

Wow. Can't believe it's me starting this thread. Eyelash, where are you? Get any sleep last night?

florenceuk have you tried a hot bath. It was the best remedy for engorgment. Just kneel with your breats in the water and the milk will leak out.

Yesterday I looked like the mad mother from hell - my breats had leaked through the pads and left wet marks on my top and dd2 had thrown up an entire feed down my trousers and so it looked like I had wet myself...and we were out so I had to walk back through the busy streets of cambridge to get changed!

I can spell breasts btw. My typing is as bad as Coddys!

I was feeling sorry for myself, but I feel so much better after reading your posts Cazzybabs and Florence! Cazzybabs, bless you, and bless your top and trousers

Florence, dd2, in contrast to your dd, has hardly been awake today, and when she has she has wailed in such a miserable way. Dummy here too, I'm afraid. We might have rather a wakeful night and with any luck you'll get some kip. Tomorrow the health visitor with her scales. Not so worried now - looking back at dd1s red book, she wasn't back up til 4 and a half weeks.

I have just consumed one of those large boxes of chocolate biscuits from M&S over the course of two days - I think my stomach is telling me something. BTW my whole nether regions feel like they're gone numb/in a vice - does this sound normal? Not painful, just sort of stiff. Midwife not checking my stitches till tomorrow.

Florence - with a labour of 5 and a half hours, I imagine your nether regions are in profound shock! Hope you start to feel better soon. The weirdest thing I had going on, was a bubbling sensation, like farts through my cervix, it's stopped now, thank goodness, most disconcerting. Please someone say they know what I mean, or I shall feel like a freak

Flo, you and me both with the chocolate biscuits, brownies in my case. If we're still on them at three months we'll have to go cold turkey together, we could wean our dd's off their dummies at the same time!

dd2 still no weight gain, but chilled out hv, so feeling ok.

Wow I can join this one properly now!
DS2 currently downstairs with daddy asleep, think I could be in for a long night. Seem to be going OK so far except DS2 appears to have been lieing on his wrist for the last 9 months so is going to need physio to uncurl it.

Glad you're home Geogteach. Take it really easy won't you. Poor old ds2 more hospital appointments Geogteach, just what you need.

Had a nice bit of sleep last night so have written a long To Do list. Nothing urgent though, and the make wholesome casserole will probably be the first to go!

Hi there - back again, I just went back into our local birthing centre for 24 hours to see if I could sort out feeding, as had got so painful Monday that I just wanted to give up as couldn't face putting ds back on to the painful side. Turns out I did have problems with positioning, but at the moment still not sure if have sorted things. Next 24 hours at home on my own again will see if can manage. Have to say am beginning to hate feeding though

Eyelash glad to hear your baby is slotting in nicely with your family, not sure I can say the same yet, but it's encouraging to hear someone else getting on well. I am still in the first 2 weeks as well, so early days.

Florence - think that numb feeling is pretty normal - ie. you try to squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and it's like they're not there. Does soon come back though.

Toots & Florence, with me it's the boxes of chocolates I've been given. Will join you both on the dummy weaning and giving up chocolates

Did my usual thing and started typing last night only to have to stop to feed ds, so only just posted it and slightly out of date now.

Geogteach - welcome to the babies thread. Sorry about your son's wrist, poor old thing. Hope you had a good night.

Think this morning I have pretty much made the decision to switch to bottle feeding, although I look at ds and do feel just so guilty Think I will be the first on this thread not to breast feed.

Distracted big hugs. Don't feel guilty about moving to bottle feeding if its right for you. Although, what about doing just 1 bf a day to give your breasts chance to heal and then you could take it up again later..but if bf is making you miserable don't do it you have to enjoy your baby not resent them every feed.

Distracted - sending you a big hug. So sorry things are difficult. DB will love you with all his heart whatever you do. Please do what makes you comfortable.

Toots why can you write what I was trying to say better and in less words....note to self think before typing!

Thanks Toots and Cazzybabs - your kind words are much appreciated, that's really sweet. I'm trying not to feel too guilty, as like you say, it's better than dreading and hating each feed.

Hugs to you Distracted - it's hard work isn't it? Do what works for you and your baby.

I'm feeling better today despite very sore nipples, as DD had huge sleep in the pm (for her - 3hrs!) and I got to rest - I'll probably make up for it tonight though. I've also expressed off a bit to give tonight to give one nipple a rest for a feed, as just can't seem to get the latch right - she just slides off and ends on the nipple and I am not strict enough about taking her off. Toots how are you finding your pump?

Now starting on the icecream delivered today...

Ooooh ice creeeeaam....
Hope you and dbs are all ok today

(waddles back to pregnancy strand)

Distracted - just to add you have managed to feed for two weeks which is great and means your baby has benifited from the important antibodies in the first couple of days. Do what feels right for you.

ds3 has had a feeding frenzy for the last 24 hours - must be a growth spurt. On my own today so will hopefully catch a nap later.

Hi all. Pretty low today. First day with both girls and I don't feel like I'm getting it right for either of them. Just want to have a big hug and a cry . Let myself off going down to tidy and wash up last night, thinking I was giving myself a break, but it was a mistake. DD2 took hugely long time to settle for a nap this morning, until the dummy came out. Fear that I've been giving mixed messages about dummy. But that dd2 is already well used to it, and I'm just going to have to stop pretending it's something we're doing only some of the time. DD1 still in pjs and night nappy (yuk) DD1 crying again now after half an hour sleep and I've spent NO time with dd1. Not a good day. Florence I've got an electric pump Ameda lactaline personal. It's pretty good, but I only manage an ounce three times a day. Maybe more later on.

At last I´ve found some time to catch up with you all at last. Things here are going pretty well at the moment. Luckily the baby is spending loads of time sleeping - which I don´t remember dd ever doing. It means I´ve been able to spend a reasonable amount of time with her and she seems to be accepting her new brother quite well - although hugs him a bit too enthusiastically sometimes.
My nipples are also a bit sore. I´ve got some brilliant cream called Lanisnoh which really seems to help. I´m trying not to make the mistake I made with dd, where I assumed everytime she cried she was hungry and ended up with really painful, cracked nipples.
Toots sorry you´re feeling so low. I must admit I´m dreading being left on my own with my two as I´m sure everything will go pear shaped. I think we just have to accept that it can´t be perfect all the time and we have to make compromises sometimes.
Distracted - I agree with the others and you have to do what feels right for you and there really is no need to feel guilty

Toots, just go with the dummy for now. Later you may regret it. Or perhaps not, as dd2 may grow out of it. You have your sanity to preserve for the moment. Regress to slobbery in front of a video if need be. It WILL all get better. Horrible how one feels thrown back to square one having painstaking learned competence, isn't it?

Thanks again to all of you for being so supportive. I am feeling a bit better about it today.

Motherinferior you put it exactly right when you talked about being thrown back to square one, having learned competence with one child. Big hugs Toots, I'm also dreading the first day when I have to look after both of them on my own, so can well imagine how you feel. I think we just have to really lower our expectations to begin with and not expect to acheive much in a day. I haven't even vaguely worked out any routine yet. First 3 days next week dd1 will be at nursery, which will make life easier, but will still have to work out an evening routine to pick her up, bath her & make sure she doesn't miss out on her bedtime books etc.

Huppa welcome to the thread - glad you're not suffering too much with the feeding and your dd has taken well to her new brother.

Just popping in for a cuppa and some chocolate icecream Flo!!!

Hmm this whole sore/cracked nipples thing seems a bit more common than I thought. Isn't it funny how you think everyone else is getting on really well until you can be completely honest.

I keep looking out the windows longingly at what a beautiful day it is and looking at my empty pram wishing I could have DB in there and getting out for a walk. Don't know about the rest of you but the weather in West London is gorgeous.

hope to join you all soon

Oh poor Turtle you really will be joining us all soon - DB really will have to come out one way or another.

Are all of you still bleeding?

I seem to have suddenly stopped yesterday and it seems a bit weird as it's only day 12. Last time I bled for 5 weeks (and then immediately had a period). Wonder if this is normal?

Will try to search for previous threads as I know there have been some, but not sure under which topic.

toots - I can really empathise and please don't feel too bad though. This time around I have decided to go with the flow and have done no housework at all during the day and dh has to cook in the evenings and put ds1 and 2 to bed (luckily willingly). If the dummy buys you some time then don't feel guilty. your dd1 will be more concerned if you're not happy than whether she is still in her nighttime nappy. I have had periods of absolute chaos where I have ended up shouting at everybody etc and the only thing that has calmed things are telly and snacks. I beat myself up about it with ds2 but refuse to do it this time as hopefully it is for a relatively short period and you have to use whatever coping mechanisms at your disposal.

Distracted - my bleeding eased off last week about day 10 but back quite heavily in the last couple of days.

Hope everybody else is well.

DS2 is having a mamouth sleep having been up lots in the night and awake all morning (his longest awake in the daytime so far)and the others are out with DH so I've finally made it back here. Will definately be joining all those of you planning to give up your future choclate addiction, funny how 3rd time round all the presents seem to be treats for me and DS1 and DD. Yestadaya friend made me choclate and bananna muffins and i'm the only person in this family who eats bananna's and I seem to have managed to eat them all already! Haven't succumed to the dummy yet this time round but DS1 has only just got rid of his and DD still has one to sleep with so i'm sure i'll be joining that campaign too!