Totally's postgrads - you know who you are.

[Meita]

Totally's original thread was for TTC after MC. It continued long after Totally herself graduated, and is still going strong. Totally's grads was set up as a thread for pregnancy post MC - i.e. anyone who graduated from Totally's thread and anyone else who had experienced MC and was now pregnant. It, too, is still going strong.

Now, more and more of us have graduated from Totally's grads - including LouiseSH, whose Georgie was born asleep. I suppose that makes us postgrads. We have travelled together for a long time and would like to stay in touch, but the pregnancy post MC thread is starting to get very big, and I think it should be allowed to keep its focus on pregnancy post MC. May it be as wonderful a place for support for current "members" as it was for us.

So this thread is a place for us to keep in touch, share experiences, and provide support.

(This is the first time ever I'm starting a thread - hope it works out...)

Thanks Meita Yes , Georgie's book is truely lovely.....Have you seen it on FB?

Hi all...

Thanks for the hug Alba need it today.

Oh belated happy birthday Meita

Congrats Clare and Dorcas XXXX

Hi all

Apols for AWOLness, have been mega busy (often all night...)

J has decided that sleep only happens now and again at night, and daytime starts at 4.30ish, and evenings are for screaming non-stop, and am therefore a miserable snivelling wreck and not worth knowing. Hence reading but not posting! On the plus side he has put on sooooo much weight i reckon my s must be producing lard, so no worries there (he's 13lb9 now, dd was that weight at 6 months. He's 11 weeks, nearly. Ouch). Shame it's doing nothing to my weight!!

Colds / snot - try squirting boobyjuice up the nose (baby's!!) - works like saline solution and seems to be effective. Just before bed is best i reckon. Warning - can be messy!

BoObies - cabbage and hot baths, but not at the same time or you'll end up bathing in cabbage soup. Have periodic monoboobs and have just sorted ooochy blocked duct with massage, frozen peas down bra (in a bag not loose ) and hot baths. No cabbage left!

Clare take it EASY lady, take all the rest you can or you'll take a lot longer to heal.

Meita best of luck on the nursery issues - i have no advice on the subject so can be no help! It sounds a real toughy.

TMT throw. the. books. AWAY. You'll work out your own routine as and when you feel you need it. Yes, routine is helpful for both of you as they get bigger but there's no need yet. The only routine i would highly reccommend from early on is bathtime/bedtime (or just getting into pjs etc if not going down well. Like us!) - it settles everybody down and gets you ready for the next part of the day, is fun, and as you do develop routine around mealtimes etc it provides another useful stage-point for the day apart from eating. Is also a good way for dp to bond with dc and give you a bit of a break!

Dorcas hope it's getting easier for you. THINGS THEY NEVER TELL YOU 3048: Breastfeeding can be really really HARD. I had a horrible time with dd, neither of us could get the hang of it, i got cracks, chaps, bleeding sores, also in crying agony at feeding time. i really feel for you. Nipple shields and lansinoh saved us and allowed us to continue breastfeeding, used them on the worse side for about a week to allow it to heal. But it is not instant and not always easy. The best advice i ever heard was an overhear in hospital with dd (they were useless wth me, no help at all, grr): It is hard and you sometimes have to work at it. Neither of you have done this before, you are both learning. You will have a good feed, and think it's all sorted, and the next one will be awful and drag you right down again. And the next one will be better, and over time there will be more good ones than bad ones. It will be okay in the end sweety xx

I know i've missed out loads of people, hi everyone, will try to keep up but as you know sleep deprivation is literally torture and makes everything except desire for sleep go byebye! Love to all in the meantime, must go try to organise stuff...

Louise xp while writing essay post. More ((())) and and anything else that might help you in this appalling waiting time for you. We are all deaperate to hear good news from you, you deserve it after all you've been through. I am glad you have such a wonderful way of remembering Georgie by though, and that she is able to help others still.

Yes Louise I did see it on Facebook, it's lovely. I find it amazing how you manage to make some good come out of such desperate sadness. You are one strong woman. I bow to you in respect and hope you will find some well deserved happiness soon.

Hi all - just a quickie - have developed a hard sore spot on left boob, which I think is a blocked duct. I'm also a bit shiverly so just praying it doesn't turn into mastitis
It's going to be a painful night!!!

Thanks Louise. I think of you often and, like everyone else, am looking forward to the day when you announce your BFP. It is a nightmare what you have had to endure and I hope and pray that there will be some happiness for you very soon.
Unbuffy thanks for the advice, things are getting better so I am hanging on in there. It is helpful to hear that other people have struggled too as I was feeling like a bit of a failure that it has been such hard work. It certainly hasn't been the easy, natural experience that I envisioned or that the NCT class led me to believe!
Hi to everyone else x x

clareanna, fx that it doesn't become mastitis- you have my great sympathy, from another sore boob sufferer x x x

Ouch Clareanna, I think you probably know how to deal with it better than I do, but if you reckon it is mastitis, call the out of hours Dr and get anti b's as soon as possible... I still have that advice ringing in my ears from two instances of blocked ducts. Hope it isn't and the hot and cold flannels and warm baths and ibuprofen and lots of feeding in weird positions does the trick for you.

Hello all.

We're still snuffle-tastic. The saline squirting does seem to help a bit (can't imagine for the life of me how I would aim squirting my boob up her nose... how dexterous are you unbuff!?!) but she's cutting her feeds short and struggling to drop off, which means she was up a lot in the night and there's been plenty of green poo. Fingers crossed she'll recover soon.

I've always been a little bit Oo, and the difference is more pronounced now, probably by a cup size... the bigger one was the first to leak during pregnancy too. I'm trying really hard to favour the o side, but I think I just have slightly lopsided boobs... it's not enough of a difference to make me worry. I hope yours are starting to even up RHG and Gi1da! I asked my HV about it and she seemed genuinely perplexed that it could even happen, truly not a clue.

I have stepped away from the book. And had chats with more normal people. So I'm feeling better. Thank you so much everyone for saving me from myself!

Louise you are doing so well, keeping my fingers crossed for you every day.

Clare sit down and put your feet up. You're not supposed to do any more than pick your baby up so take it easy!

Good plan on the nursery front Meita.

Wishing you all lovely quiet evenings.

Oooh muchos cross posting. Hope it gets sorted quickly clare.

got hot water bottle on boob (hot flannel seemed too messy and wet [confused} just waiting for his nibs to wake up
MW due tomorrow so can easily get meds if necessary...

Thanks All XXXXX

Ugh had awful night- temp of 38.4 even with my arsenal of pain meds shivering uncontrollably etc. Toby was very obliging and fed lots from bad boob and rugby hold seemed to do the trick to get to blocked duct. Temp broke at about 5am so feeling better today, slightly tender boob still, but have mw coming so will get checked over.

Think a possible cause might be slightly too tight nursing bras- didn't get remeasured this time round, tried on my old ones and they seemed ok, but now milk is in they are a bit tight. Looks like my first outing will have to be the obligatory post partum waddle in mothercare!

Hope the rest of you had better nights?!
Clare

Hi all

Have been absent for a while though have been lurking a bit.... everytime I think 'ooh, should post/reply' something happens, nappy explosion, sudden waking up and immediate screaming, vomit etc!

Anyway, we're doing well, Alex now 12lb though now has his second cold and is currently snuffling and snorting into my neck. Sam, think it was your tips I read, thanks, we're trying some later! First jabs next week, am dreading it :(

Have had a funny week, anniversary of my mc and on the same day BiL announced his wife's 12w pg. Should be happy for them especially as she had an ectopic last year and was told she only had 33% chance of conceiving naturally, AND now have baby in my arms but it's still odd. Also bit about how it will affect A as DH's parents favour BiL over DH so hope it doesn't extend to offspring. Hmmm, just all a bit too much this week I think.

Hope evryone's breastfeeding niggles get sorted: I won't pretend to understand as we switched to formula on day 2 which looking back was the best thing for us for various reasons :) but glad to hear babies are thriving and about Louise's Georgie spreading happiness. Looking forward to when you announce the good news Louise... hopefully very soon :)

waves to all x

Thanks Sparkley Hope things are better soon XXX

Ugh mastitis confirmed and got a bumper dose of penicillin. Feel shite!

Nuts Clarea sorry to hear it's mastitis, hope the ABs get it knocked on the head asap and that you're not too sore in the meantime.

Sparkly comradely arm punch, I also had mc anniversary this week, with Alba too I think last Feb must have been quite a disaster. Still, here we are, very very grateful but pretty knackered!

Have had a busy week, will read back and catch up over the weekend. Hope everyone is doing well, 'oo's behaving and little ones sleeping ok.

Ps though, still impressed by mental image of Buffs managing to direct norkmilk spray up LOs nostril ~ or did I dream that up in a haze of messed up sleep?

Pss Toomt chuck the books and Do Not Believe what the NCTers say - either they are spooky Stepford wives or are caving under peer pressure and too proud to admit that they are also having problems. You are doing just fine!

oh nasty! Clare - you poor thing. Hope the ABs clear it up for you. Look after yourself and try to take things easier!

Big hugs for Sparkly, Gilda and Alba

Boobs are back and looking somewhat even again, although leftie is still a little larger, but then we have another feed coming up so it may even out. DIdn't need to resort to cabbage but favouring the right really helped.

The latest problem is sleeping patterns. C likes to go to sleep late - usually no earlier than 1am and thankfully then sleeps really well. My DSD likes to wake up really early (made worse today because she misread her alarm clock and thought it was an hour later than it was). So I'm going to show the 9 yo DSD where the glasses, OJ and bread lives and how to turn on the telly and toaster. But what do I do about the 5 week old? Any tips on how to re-programme her body clock? I thought of attempting to institute a 'bedtime ritual' of bath, feed, darkened room (I think Meita gave me the idea some posts back) - but C is 5 weeks - is it too early to start? Obviously doing all this at 7pm is not going to work, so should I begin say at 11.30pm and gradually bring it forward?

Big waves to everyone else!

RHG we started J's bathtime/bedtime routine at birth (!!) as it continued dd's routine and was v comforting and reassuring for her, basically. it was about j working around her for once rather than the other way around. so no, not too early imo but it IS up to you!

Yes, booby nasal spraying is very messy!! I read about in on mn in desperation and gave it a go as had no saline spray. best done when baby finished feed and sleepy and still!!

oooo, Clare, hope you are feeling better today, nastyness for you.

hi all else, j wingeing must dash xx

Clare hope you're feeling better soon, sounds horrible.

Still having a difficult time with J's cold, it's just so hard to get her back to sleep. Not sure when I should start worrying about ongoing green poo either.

Sorry for crap post, I'm utterly exhausted.

Just thought I'd share...

3 vests before 11.30am. And what IS it about that particular pair of trousers - is being pooed all over EVERY TIME he wears them a sign of rejection or affection?

Ah, happy weekends...

Hello! Thought I better pop in and see you all. Hope everyone is doing well. It's day 6 here and I have a milk monster. I have gone from having a baby I couldn't latch on, who was jaundiced and sleeping constantly, and me with awful nipples, to a little milk monster who has been feeding constantly this morning and latching on nearly first time. I can't believe the transformation. And despite the constant feeding my nipples are looking much more normal.

I owe it all to the lovely feeding expert midwife at my local hospital. She spent 2 hours with me helping me get latched on, despite the fact I'd already been discharged, and got us all sorted out.

Went to the post-natal clinic today and the midwife said LO is doing brilliantly and her weight loss is well within the 10%. I did not like the heel prick test at all, and neither did she. Oh the screams. Not helped by the fact that she had decided she wanted feeding again, despite having only just drained a boob for the millionth time!

She is finally asleep, I'm hoping she stays that way for a little while as we're expecting the in-laws and I want them to get some time with her before they have to go back home.

Sorry, megapost! But it's lovely to be here.

Yay Muser! Fantastic to 'see' you!

Welcome Muser! and well done getting feeding established so well so soon... My little chap was a slow starter, only now is my supply high enough to start to relate to everyone's oO issues! Only mild but I sure can tell now which side I fed from last, and finally seeing lots of burping and sicking up. It's all good!!
We had 6 wk check with Dr and weight gain this week was amazing (for us...). 160g in 4 days. I think we're hitting a growth spurt. I'd had a while of decent gaps between feeds, no evening cluster feeds and a decent number of long sleep nuggets. But back to newborn schedule. Feed feed feed feed. But a few incredibly gorgeous smiles keeping me going and some front to back rolling, he's growing up fast! Reminds me this newborn phase doesn't last long and as hard as the sleep deprivation is, I must cherish the time with him so tiny.

Clareanna I hope the antibiotics have worked. That and getting over CS, that's tough. I hope you're getting looked after well so you can rest up. The mastitis cure suggestions on the other thread are quite .

I took the plunge and joined FB at long last... Discovered my dad beat me to it! Now I really do feel like I was a dinosaur... How do I friend you guys? I'd love to see all your baby photos.

Sparkly I really felt down on the anniversary of finding out about MMC and ERPC. No matter how wonderful it is now to have my beautiful DS2, it doesn't take away the pain of loss.

Unbuffy how on earth do you manage that cold cure???! We're all a bit snuffly but thankfully it's not too bad. It makes DS2 snore a bit so at least I easily hear him breathing at night...

I know there's other things I meant to say but am phone typing with one hand, baby asleep on other arm, and this is taking aaaages... So waves and comradely arm punches to all, I'm off to try a few minutes kip if he'll let me move him... Will be that or another feed, sadly I know which is more likely...

Hi muser lovely to see you here!! Glad to hear your dd is making up for lost time and that your boobs are surviving

alba have pm'ed you re bookface

I am feeling lots better and actually ventured out of the house today to the gym (to sit in the cafe while dh took ds1 swimming that is) and to my mums for lunch. But am taking it very very easy- am still anaemic and that can make you more prone to infections and I certainly don't want mastitis back ever!!