November 2010: Welcome to life on the other side

[bunnygirl80]

Pull up a chair and help yourself to a LARGE glass of wine

Welcome to the dark side the wonderful world of motherhood

mumcha good grief, I don't know how you're coping. How long's it been going on for now? When do they estimate the repairs will be finished? Can you claim back the extra cost of the ready-made formula from the water company?

smokey great to hear the twins are growing well but to privet on the birth weight regain :) We were where you are 4 weeks ago and I remember how stressful it was, especially hearing about all the others putting on weight so quickly. Hang in there, there's suddenly a click and the weight just starts coming.

bunny argh at your MIL, are they staying with you the whole time? No wonder you're turning to drink! My Mum is also making comments about feeding schedules but as she's about 1000 miles away I can ignore her a bit more easily Can you send them off to get swept away in the floods go sightseeing or are they only there to see their grand child?

comtessa I've also been irrationally irritated by my PIL, also ending in some rows with DH like hmm. I do feel some of my irritation is justified (such as complaining they're being 'left out' because we don't want to go to theirs for Sunday lunch every week and considering my father hasn't even met Norry yet as we had to cancel Christmas in the UK) but I've managed to tone down the irritation in the last couple of weeks. I think what mostly helped is a phrase I've seen used here a few times along the lines of 'how would you react if your own parents said it?' It's helped me pick my battles at least. They mean well, they just have a very smothering different parenting style to my parents.

Mibby what a horrible start to the week. Call outs are the worst, waking up to the phone with the adrenaline starting to pump before you even hear what the problem is. DH is also working today (after 3 weeks off) and I think it was sensed here. After being used to a routine of midnight to six he decided to sleep all day, feed til 2 then scream til 5. Poor DH :( And my job today is to keep the little monster noodle awake so there's no repeat tonight Although no poo explosions here (yet).

marking for catch up

Evening all, sorry to hear about everyone else's PIL woes, but glad to know it's not just me.

Mumcha hope the water starts working properly soon.

bunny at least my MIL is more the go-all-quiet sort as opposed to wrestling the baby from me.

Mibby I hope your week improves. Are you managing to sleep during the day to make up for it?

Well done on twins weight gain and your weight loss Smokey! You remember when we met up and I was about the same size as you despite only expecting one? Yep, I've lost two stone but have got another 2.5st to go. I blame the apple cake at Lee Rosy's.

Well, Anya's still asleep in her pram following an afternoon out and DH is watching TV so think I'll take this opportunity to get an early night. Anya's got horrible nappy rash at the moment (cross-hatch and bleeding slightly - aaargh!) so calling GP first thing tomorrow morning. I'm sure it's down to the ABs I was on as my scar wasn't healing but it's awful to see on her little bottom. Hoping it heals soon.

Hi Comtessa sorry to hear about Anyas nappy rash, hope you get something from the Dr to clear it up quickly.

Didnt manage a catch-up nap today, we took the xmas decorations down and had a major clean up instead. Not sure if that was wise or not but it looks better.

This mornings nappy disaster was followed by another one mid afternoon, with another change of clothes, so the washing machine will be busy tomorrow :)

He's just been called out again, I hope its the last one of the day!

Another call out!! Seriously fed up now, four in a day is taking the P*!

mibby what does your DH do? Being on call is a serious pisser. I have it in my job and its the thing I hate most about it. I -was- am a criminal solicitor and there is nothing more soul destroying than having to go to a police station in the middle of the night. So you and your DH have my sympathy! Hope he's not on call now for ages.

comtessa hope A's rash gets better soon. Once it clears up a bit, I recommend Avents Magic Cream. Its more of a healer than a barrier cream but it seems to clear up nappy rash (though perhaps not one that is bleeding a bit) really quick. I've used it with all mine now.

We will have to arrange a Nottingham meet up now all the babies are here. There is a pub in West Bridgford called the Larwood and Voce who do special mum and baby mornings on Tuesdays so you can take baby in with your buggy without worrying you are going to annoy anyone else and its only £2 for coffee AND CAKE. Any Nottingham ladies interested in meeting there one Tuesday soon??

smokey DH is a retained fire fighter. To be fair four calls in a day is unusual but I was really fed up with it yesterday. Slightly happier when I discovered it's all on double pay tho :)

A Nottingham meet up sounds good, as long as it's not too early :)

Happy New Year!

I haven't ready the thread for ages, but just wanted to say hello and mark my place. I will catch up soon.

DS2 is 5 weeks today. Wow, it has gone quickly. DH has only just gone back to work today as he was lucky to tag on holiday to his paternity leave. So, I'm on my own for the first time with the two of them. Yikes!

DS2 is a doll, and DS1 loves his little brother. So far so good!

Will come back when I get the scoop on everyone else.

(Waves to JFly)

Nottingham meet-up would be lovely, and the Larwood and Voce sounds good. That's an easy tram-and-bus ride for me and Anya sleeps well on public transport.

Thanks for the nappy rash suggestion Smokey, I didn't actually call GP today as I thought it looked better post-sudocrem, but my mum's visiting now and she thinks it could well need medical attention so will be onto GP first thing tomorrow.

Hope you and your DH get a few quiet nights this week Mibby.

Anya one month old tomorrow - where does the time go?!

Comtessa I have no idea where the time goes, can't believe Aiden is already 10 weeks old, it has flown by so quickly!

Also Comtessa Aiden had bad nappy rash about 4 weeks ago, which did lead to small abrasions which bled from time to time. I didn't take him to the doctors and just kept applying nappy cream and it cleared up, might be best to get it checked out if you are worried though! My MIL suggested letting him have his nappy off for a bit to get some air to it, I didn't try that in the end, but that also might be worth a try??

Helloooo

Hope everything is good and all colds d&v, heating systems are on the mend.
All ok here, am coming out of my cold-y fog. Finns cough has become worse and it's bothering him, gets really tickle mid feed and makes him cry when he can't shake it poor thing. He has been projectile vomiting a couple of times a day ( most recently yesterday all over me in Ikea lol) so decided enough was enough this morning and made docs appointment. He said he could hear some sounds he didn't like on his left side so prescribed anti biotics. Not sure about using them so early but he is really struggling to shake it off himself

One other 'fun' part of the appointment when the doc asked me how I was feeding, i explained we had moved to eff after problems etc. He asked if I was just to lazy to breastfeed I started to cry and he looked horrified and tried to back track and apologize I told him he should be more sensitive. Couldn't believe it, he was locum , maybe I should complain?

have you tried egg white?

lainey thats awful! Poor you :( Maybe talk to the practice manager? What a rotten thing to say

Happy New Year!
I saw in the year with a baby on my boob and a glass of champagne in my hand.
We are now back in the land of decent central heating which is good. Also a relief not tp have to fend off my mother's comments on the evening cluster feeds that Aino does - Mum interprests it as "not getting enough milk from you, maybe you should give her a bottle of formula". I know she only has our best interests at heart but it's not that helpful, especially when I'm feeling so tired.
Anyone else not losing weight by bf? I'm still a stone over my pre-preg weight with no changes at all in the last six weeks and I am vain enough that it bothers me (plus most of my clothes don't fit). I'm not even eating that much although the site of scales does make me want to seek refuge in the biscuit tin.

sight, d'oh. Can't even spell any more.

Quick query, we went to the weighing/ health visitor / surestart clinic today (12 lb 12 oz :) ) but I was a bit I got asked to demonstrate my breast feeding. I didn't ( still using pillows to support her and she'd just fed before we got there) and they were pretty grumpy about it. Anyone else had this?

cardi my weight loss seems to hv plateaud even tho am ebf

Lainey how awful!! Did u send in a complaint letter abt him?

K is 9wo n just had her jabs (5-in-1 and pneumococcal). Qn: is it normal for baby poo to turn really runny n watery after the jabs?
She's cranky n decided that now is a good time to start CHOMPING down on my nips when feeding. So very sore now n so regretting giving away the breast shells. Am wincing in pain w each feed! Soonest mothercare or boots delivery is nxt week!

Huge congratulations on all your babies! I've been reading the thread, so thought I'd say hello! It's so nice to read how others are getting on. It's all such a haze...some days I'm over the moon and others I feel all emotional and tearful. I burst into tears when Rofl Harris' "two little boys' played on the radio!?! My little one's 6 weeks now and after losing 15% of his weight and struggling with breastfeeding (bottle feeding now), he's gaining rapidly and is a hefty 9lbs 14oz. Unfortunately I had a traumatic labour. I was induced early as leaking fluid and baby distressed. The labour went on for 3 days,resulting in forceps, 3rd degree tear, pp haemorrage and a retained placenta. I keep getting flashbacks, but I'm hoping that these will ease with time.

I'd be interested to see how you have found your 6 week postnatal checks? I went today and have been referred to a bowel specialist because of complications and have been given antibiotics as I'm still bleeding and am sore. The Dr didn't do any examinations, apart from feeling my uterus. She didn't examine my tear, which worries me, as it's still painful. She also didn't say whether I can start exercising or test any of my pelvic floor, do blood tests/bp etc.. It'd be good to hear how others have got on? I'd like to start shifting some pounds and start exercising, but no sure if I should with an infection? My belly's still huge! Oh to be size 10 again :) xx

Frolie I haven't had my six week check yet - due in a week or two - but so far I've found the postnatal care fairly lacklustre. Every MW I've seen has told me that my scar looks fine, and yet I had a fever over Christmas and was prescribed ABs at an emergency GP appt as scar still hadn't closed properly three weeks post-partum. IKWYM re. huge belly - I was size 10 - 12 pre-pregnancy, now looking forward to the day I can fit into size 18 jeans! Is there a tummy check clinic or physio helpline where you are? I've just found a leaflet with details of a tummy check clinic which I'm going to try and get to in the next week or so.

Vix hope the nipple shields arrive soon!

Hi everyone, another one not losing weight through breast feeding. I've given up (for the moment) and gone out and bought some trousers that fit me (3 sizes bigger :( )

lainey that's really upsetting. At least he apologized but hardly supportive.

mumcha have you got heating and water back yet?

frolie it might be worth going back to the dr for a specific discussion of your concerns (although you would think that would have been part of the 6 week check really).

I have to say the post-natal care over here (France) is pretty good. We get 10 sessions of pelvic floor physio and 10 of stomach physio paid for by the state. I started the pelvic floor ones this week and so far I'm quite impressed. The midwife helps you identify all the different pelvic floor muscles and gives you exercises to practice while lifting, coughing, etc. I think there will be some electro-simulation of the muscles too once I've got the hang of the basic exercises.

Coming back to an old theme I think we need to rename this thread: Nov 2010 - bathroom nightmares. Our boiler has now given up the ghost. No hot water :( For the first time ever I'm happy we've got electric heating.

To Cardi re: weight loss, I've not lost any further weight since about 3 days post-partum (Skye is 7 weeks now). I found with my first dc the weight fell off in 12 weeks plus some, with dc2 it took 9 months to be at pre-preg weight, with dc3 it was nearly 2 years. I'm grateful that this time I only put on 1.5 stone and lost almost all of it on the day of the birth, so I'm only a couple pounds over pre-preg weight, but I don't anticipate the rest going anytime soon, certainly not before I start doing some exercise anyway! . Everyone is different, I know plenty of women who lost lots of weight ebfing and some who struggled to lose any, for me it's taken longer each time but after awhile it seems to start happening bit by bit. It's irritating bur it'll happen eventually!

Congratulations frolie, sorry you had a difficult birth. Our 6-8 week check is next week, I don't imagine they'll do much really. In my experience, you have to be a bit insistent about something to get it properly investigated unless you happen to have a really thorough doctor. If your tear is still sore I'd make sure someone checks it for you at some point soon.

mibby strange request from your clinic re BF. Never heard that at this stage before. They will check latch etc in the early days if you want them too, but I've never heard at 6 weeks plus being asked to demonstrate!!

frlie congratulations on your LO. Have you asked your GP/HV/MW for a post natal debrief? You may not want one, I guess but I've heard (mainly on MN) that if you have a traumatic delivery you can ask for a debrief to go through everything. I had a referral back to the ante natal clinic with DS2 when I had a third degree tear for it to be checked and also some physio to help the pelvic floor so am no one looked at it especially if you are still in discomfort.

fen wow what a fantastic post natal service for a pelvic floor and stomach clinic to be run. No wonder the french ladies always look so fab if they have this sort of service!

For the Nottingham ladies and babies, a la Comtessa, I will start a meet up thread and post a link in a bit.

Nottingham Meet up thread

Hi Frolie, My 6 week check was fairly basic too, just asked a few questions. Gp did take a swab to send off as I was still bleeding, but that was it. I had a pretty straight forward birth though so I guess from the questions she asked she knew there wasn't any need to check other things. Sounds like they should have done more for you though, your birth experience sounds very traumatic, smokeybacon's suggestion sounds good?

Re weight loss I seem to have levelled out at half a stone heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight, (11 weeks now) but then I do have the large breastfeeding breasts to consider. With my previous pregnancies I didn't lose all the weight until after I'd stopped breastfeeding, I think my body was holding on to some fat reserves for milk production!

mibby, Do you mean they wanted you to demonstrate to them to show you were doing it right, or did they want you to demonstrate to other new mothers? When I had Dd1 2 mums came to give a breastfeeding demonstration at one of the clinics, entirely voluntarily though!

Hope you get your water fixed soon Fen.

Breastfeeding isn't making me lose any weight either, but I'm not exactly the queen of willpower; the enormous quantity of chocolates and biscuits that we were given for Christmas is diminishing pretty rapidly! In fact, just thinking about this is making me want to go and raid the cupboard. Good job I'm fixed firmly in place by a baby!