December 2010 - Merry Christmas new babies!

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Hi, I couldn't see a post-natal thread but as we grow in numbers we'll need a place to chat!

All good here... Jude is now 5 days old and such a wonderful good baby. Mind you he must think he's been born in the Arctic as it was -16 outside this morning in Edinburgh. Brrrrrrr - Its not always this cold Jude .

How's everyone else getting on?

rudbekia We're getting Kira christened even though we're not religious. It's more for our families really as it's just something that's always done and it's a way for extended family to see Kira.

I changed Kira onto hungry baby milk on friday and the last two nights she's gone to sleep between 9-10pm and slept til 3-4am so even though it's been at least 11pm when I've got to sleep I've managed to get a decent bit of sleep.

DD and DS's joint birthday party yesterday and I'm so glad I've had a coup;e of decent nights sleep. I spent all of saturday in the kitchen making a fairytale castle cake and a thomas the tank cake (plus three meals) I'm never doing it again! It was nice to have a break from baby duty for a while though (DH took over while I was baking), much as I love being a mum a little break is good. DH doesn't work weekends but even when he's here all day I always end up seeing to Kira automatically and DH doesn't get a chance as I'm just used to doing it.

I thought my hormones would have been settled by now but they're still all over the place at times and I start crying over something stupid or getting angry for no reason and then feeling really down.

WWSB you could try starting a routine of bathing LO then then bed at the same time every night, then when she wakes after this keep the room as dark as possible and try not to talk to her (hard I know). IME after a week or two she'll start to be awake more in the day and sleep longer at night, it seems to have worked with Kira and now she has a feed every 2-3 hours in the afternoon/evening and then sleeps for 5-6 hours when she first goes down and then every 3-4 hours after that.

FWIW DD has been in a 'routine' of sorts in the evenings since she was approx 3wks old. i decided to do this on the recommendation of my mum. was also keen to get some sort of timetable in place before DH went back to work. he knows bath time is between 5.30-6pm on week nights and does his best to get home to do this before i feed DD. these days she is often pretty unsettled from about 7pm, but after a feed at 10/10.30pm she tends to fall asleep for a good four hours - although as she's getting older the time between this feed and the middle of the night one is getting longer (she managed 6hrs one night - from 10pm to 4am...but don't throttle me yet! its only happened the once...and my boobs were ready to explode )

the thing i've noticed is no 24hrs are the same; she's pretty much on 4hr feeds but these can vary depending on when she wakes at night, and she can also cluster feed in the evenings. i suppose the routine helps me esp. if we've got to be somewhere during the day and its nice to have the whole bath and bed thing in the evening. i think what i'm trying to say is: a flexible routine of sorts really suits me and my baby; its not for everyone but i would say its defo worth a try.

thanks for the responses re. christenings etc lots of think about there

Thanks for your support everyone. I'm feeling slightly less sore today and DS' latch is a touch less chompy. I do have nipple shields, but thank you for the offer DF. I think I'm reluctant to try them as it was such a struggle getting him off the bottles onto the breast - ditto with a dummy although I suspect he'd get on well with one.

franken not sure how I'm still going other than that I'm stupid stubborn! I think having been through it with DD I know we should turn the corner any time now really. Fingers crossed.

We'vehad a few all-nighters here too although last night he did go 9.30-1.30 as longest stretch of sleep, but was then up for an hour and a half! DD was the same. I am hoping he will soon start to lengthen his night sleeps a bit more and be awake more in the day. I don't think it being winter helps as the amount of daylight they get is limited.

WLL sorry you're still having problems, fingers crossed it gets easier

re christenings, I'm not christened and have always taken the view that I wouldn't get any DC of mine christened. IMHO, I would prefer them to have the freedom to choose their own religion if they want to when they are older (rather than feel if they want to practice a religion they have to follow whatever denomination they've been christened iyswim). I know that it upsets my MIL that I won't be getting DD or DS christened, but she'd never say anything to me about it as she respects the fact that it's up to DH and I. I did like the idea of a naming ceremony for DD but tbh I was just too damn disorganised and had such trouble recovering from the birth that I didn't get round to it Having said all that, I was delighted to be asked to be a godmother to one of my DNephews.

crazy I'm impressed at your cooking marathon - I've taken to making something with DD every weekend as she really enjoys it and it's a nice way for us to spend time together. It's a bit trickier for me though as my DH often works weekends so we have to time our cooking to coincide with Matthew sleeping. DH has been at home for the last 12 days or so as he's studying for exams and I've actually found it hard not to expect him to help out with DS while he's here during the day.

I took Matthew to the GP about his belly button today. He's got an umbilical granuloma so she prescribed some meds that she can give him at his 8 week baby check appt if it hasn't sorted itself out by then.

I know it's still relatively early days but I hate my jelly belly and just want it gone. That's not to say I was svelt before I had DS but things were certainly a little firmer than they are now! I know that after DD was born, it was about six months before I really tackled the problem and by the time I went back to work, I was smaller than I had been pre-pg so I'm hoping the same will happen this time round.

DH has got his gateway exams and assessment tomorrow - keep your fingers crossed for him. Hopefully he'll sail through and then he gets 10 days or so just to spend time with the DCs and I.

I'm the same as you Maxpower and won't be having a christening, nor a naming ceremony. I don't think there are any expectations that I will from my side of the family but it will be interesting to see what the other side might say. I have already been offered a christening gown (when I was still pregnant) and should have said then that we wouldn't be having a christening.

Hope Matthew's bellybutton gets better.

I am still feeding Bob as and when he seems to want it, so it can be hourly. I am mnot sure if I should be trying to space his feeds out a bit?

Hi all, had our 6wk check today, all well.

DD went straight into her cot and it hasn't affected her at all. Don't be too of me getting some good sleep with her as it's long overdue. ds1 didn't sleep through until he was 3 1/2 and ds2 woke up hourly from 12.30am until he was about 14mths when I made him go cold turkey on the boob. That 1t night he slept through was heaven although once I split up from xp I spent the next 2 years going to bed on my own and waking up with him next to me. Hence why there is no way I will co-sleep with Caitlin at any point, it made life far too difficult for me with the boys.

Smiles are just so lovely aren't they. We're getting really big grins here which are just so gorgeous.

We won't be getting Caitlin christened, neither boys were either. DP and I both agree it would be a very hypocritical thing to do. XMIL used to get really angry with me because I refused to get the boys christened. I can't stand up and say that I believe god will look after my children and keep them safe when I don't believe in god. She could never understand that and we had several arguments over it.

I'm feeling quite isolated for breastfeeding and almost being made to feel like a bit of a freak for doing so. Portsmouth has a low rate of BF and the area I live particularly so. I don't know a single person who has BF any of their children. DPs family all FF too so it's making me almost embarrassed to admit that I do. I know several people who are pg and all are going to FF, would never consider BF. I've also had comments of "That'll be because 'Cheryl's' breastfeeding" when DP has told people of DDs colickyness when she was younger and when she had a cold a few weeks ago (DP, ds2 had more tonsilitis at the time and I had a chest infection).

We have HV doing a home visit on Thurs so will maybe find out about the best BF support group to go to so that I don't feel quite so alone in doing it.

Hi all just back from our 6 week check up, Bea is a little underweight, i have got to go back next week and get her reweighed. All okay otherwise.

We aren't having Bea christened, family aren't too bothered. I was worried my mum would have an opinion but she only went to church as a child and made us go to Sunday School, i was allowed to stop when I got a Sunday job at 14. I am agnostic, and don't want to force a religion on Bea.

CAT sympathy on the BF, at our PN group I am the only one BF, found a good BF support group which is good and makes me feel less weird. Bath does have a high BF rate so do think it's odd. Such a variety of ages you'd think there would be more.

My left nipple is flaming agony trying all sorts at tge moment to get through the pain, still feeding off it, but I have to distract myself.

Bea is good at night and seems to understand the night/day thing, but she is a terror during the day and likes to play or sleep on me. She set the routine rather than us and demands every three hours daytime and four in the night. Curry made Bea really windy and she didn't sleep til 2 am.

I have a nasty bout of tonsilitus but Bea seems fine.

hope you feel better soon kellestar

i know lots of couples who get their offsrping christened although they never go to church either before or after the event and agree it is hypocritical. i used to go to church regularly but haven't much in the past few years as i'm not overly keen on our village rector or his style of worship - hence why i'm slightly torn over the whole thing. on the one hand it is a lovely way of getting family and friends together, but if you're not religious? i suppose its the same as weddings - lots of people with no religious leanings whatsoever get married in church through some kind of misguided sense of tradition.

anyway, DD still snotty but fine other than that. her skin is still a problem; milk spots on the way out but i've noticed what look like patches of eczema...seeing HV next wk so will pick her brains about it.

kellestar my sympathies. currently sick as a dog with bronchitis and sinusitis. absolutely grim all round. expressed for the first time today as hoping DH can do a feed tonight so I can get a bit more sleep. DD is 5 1/2 wks old, will take water from a bottle but i'm worried if she gets milk from one she'll not bother with the boob anymore...anyone have any advice or experience of this?!

hope everyone else is doing ok

If she's having a bottle already and not getting confused then I guess it will be ok.

Out of interest, why are you giving her water?
I might start expressing again as my boobs are getting really full and I might try to introduce the odd bottle in a few weeks so I can potentially be freed up a bit.

get well soon rudbekia

DH had his gateway assessment today and he failed the written paper he's absolutely gutted. He holds himself to the highest standards imaginable so is massively disappointed in himself. He has to resit it in a month's time. I feel so sorry for him; he's worked so hard and has had to contend with a new baby arriving in the middle of his revision. He had to decorate half the house in readiness for LO's arrival as well which ate into his study time. He was ready to give up this afternoon, but I think he's regaining some perspective on the whole thing now.

On a more positive note, Matthew and I made it round Tesco's without him screaming for for the first time today

Rudbekia I express for the 2 am feed, it's handy and she's really quick to settle after as well. No problem with Confusion so far. Though i don't offer her boob for another 4 hours, when I have offered her boob straight after bottle she has issues latching, but typically she is full and doesn't want more, at the moment she takes 3oz.

It has got v quiet on here hope some find the time to come back on.

Well, I was going to come and have a moan about being diagnosed with thrush along with the baby (hence my still sore nips and severe nappy rash on Madam). BUt 'tis nothing compared to bronchitis/tonsillitis etc. HOpe everyone feels better soon.

Miss Bright Eyes has rediscovered her in-womb personality now her growth us back on track (put on 14oz last week!). She was always a wriggly, kicky, active bump and she is now often awake, waving her arms and kicking her legs and getting excited about new things. She is going to be fun and cheeky I think!

max good luck to your DH on his resits- he shouldn't feel too bad, he's had a lot on his plate and I'm sure he will know how to ace them next time.

I have been getting very spoiled whilst recovering from the birth and establishing breastfeeding - but have to get back to reality of running a busy household shortly. So I have been re-reading the sleep routine suggestions on here nad in my Tracey Hogg book as even a 4 hour stretch makes a difference. Quite envious of those of you who have more settled babes and routines established already!

DF and those thinking of using bottles- if they are around 6 weeks and established at BF I believe they are supposed to be Ok with hte occasional bottle. I mixed fed (Formula in the bottle as I couldn't express) with DS1 as I had to go back to work when he was 11 weeks - he had 2 bottles a day and still eagerly BF evenings, during the night and mornings until he was 8m.

I have had a sneaky peek at some of the baby pics a few of you have put up- they are all sooo gorgeous. I must try to do some of Madam here, but she is not the most photogenic, bless her.

Hello,
Hope everyone is getting on ok and all the poorly ones are feeling better. Isadora is still very snuffly and coughing and sneezing but seems to be in a better mood today and smiled as soon as she opened her eyes - normally I am greeted with the loudest cry so it was a lovely change! Still sleeping on me am trying to put her in moses basket early evening although still not staying there, did manage a two hour sleep in her chair in the living room yesterday which was very exciting actually didn't know what to do with myself!
Cheryl Ann - I am in Portsmouth also and have to say how suprized I was when I went to the ante natal classes that I was only one of two who were going to breast feed. I am very nervous about feeding outside of the house and generally make sure I am back for feeding times which with feeding every two hours is very restrictive. I am going to try to make it to the breast feeding support group here on Friday hopefully will make me feel more confident about it.
Max Good luck to your DH he should not feel at all bad such a lot to contend with, hopefully some beautiful baby smiles will make him feel better they seem to work miracles for me.

thanks for the get well wishes - am feeling slightly less grim today, breathing doesn't hurt anymore but have developed a mighty fine cough! eyes and nose still streaming but also less painful so am thankful for small mercies.

DF i've been giving DD cooled boiled water between feeds while she's been unwell - she has been quite thirsty and drunk a good 2floz at a time. can't remember where i read it, but some book made this suggestion for ill babies. i figured it made sense.

kellestar thanks for the input re. feeding. have noticed DD is sleeping for longer after the 10pm feed (up to 6hrs), but this morning she woke up at 3am wanting boob and fed for about 5mins before dropping off. was a struggle to get her to have anymore. she then slept until 6am, grizzling for boob again and did the same thing! i think, because she's had this cold, it was more for comfort than food, and maybe having the bottle as an alternative might encourage her to feed and settle better between these night feeds.

ff hope the thrush clears up soon!

max fingers crossed for your DH and his resit.

ah rudbekia I think I have read that too, about giving water.

max sorry to hear about your husband's exam, he must be really frustrated.

frenchfrie Bob only seems to want to sleep on me. At around 10pm he will sleep on my bed for a few hours but if we try to put him in the moses basket or crib in the evening he just wakes up. Ideally I'd like to be able to put him down about 7 and then give him a feed at 11 and hopefully have him sleep until about 4am, maybe even 5 as he goes from 10pm to 2am, or even 3am, most nights. I guess it's far to early to be hoping for this kind of routine and it will all change again anyway when he has a growth spurt. I just crave some time to myself in the evenings.

My boobs are rock solid a lot of the time and I am not sure why that's suddenly happening now!

frankenfanny put some photos up, I'd love to see some.

Went to my NCT meet up yesterday and they were all talking about how old they were (early 30s) and saying stuff like 'I'm only 5 years away from 40'! I should have said something but I just kept quiet and now I feel even more old Ah well, I suppose I must look younger.

DH is downstairs with Bob so I am going to try to have a small sleep as I am absolutely shattered today.

I spoke too soon re sleeping, the past few night have been a nightmare between Kira waking every 2-3 hours and DD1 waking at least twice. Now DD1 and DS have started with a cold again so I'm sure Kira and I will have it within a few days.

I've pretty much given up trying to get a nice photo of DD1, DS, DSD and Kira when they're looking at the camra and Kira isn't screaming. I think I'll have to settle for two seperate ones instead.

DF tiredness aint fun. DH has had it lucky this time round as I've done all the night feeds (last time he did friday night and got up early sunday morning to give me a break). Hope you got a sleep and feel better.

I love seeing baby pics, only problem is it usually makes me really broody even if I've got a baby myself. I've put the best pic of DD1, Ds and Kira on my profile, hopefully it's worked.

thanks all for your kind words about DH - he went to see one of his tutors this morning and found out that he came top of the class in one of his other assesments, so I think that's made him feel better

franken hope the thrush clears up soon

DF hope Bob settles down with his sleep soon - I sympathise as Matthew's had the odd night when he's only slept if he's on me and to then have to be up and about looking after DD during the day is a killer. FWIW I wouldn't guess you were 40 from your pics on here.

crazy hope your DS and DD get well soon and that Kira avoids catching their cold

I got to bed before 10pm last night (a miracle in this house ) and Matthew slept soundly until 2.30am. DH fed him but didn't wind him very well so I had to get up to settle him. Matthew decided that was the perfect time to be wide awake, 'talking' to me and giving me gorgeous smiles. He's cheeky!

Anyone suffering with left over pg symptoms? My hands are really dry and my nails are so weak - both of which I developed while expecting Matthew.

DF I imagine the constant attention from Bob is what has got your boobs expanding again! I am somewhat jealous of everyones fab mummy cleavage as mine did not change at all until about 2 weeks before the birth and even when my milk came in I only went from about a B to a D cup. Don't worry this stage will pass pretty soon you will be less on call and tired. Also,remember how at 30, 40 seems reeaally scary but once you pass 40 you feel exactly the same as you did at 30! I remember being in the hospital ward with baby#1 (I was 25), next to the bed with an older woman with 3 other kids, one a teenager, and thinking - I would never be that old with that many kids so far apart! Hahahahaha- serves me right for judginess!

I recently had the baby out and this lady was admiring her, then turned to me and said "Oh, and you're expecting again!" Wouldn't mind being 40 if I didn't look pregnant all the time....

I don't really have any pg symtoms left over except my joints feel very weak and floppy which I guess is the effects of relaxin.

The thrush cream has already made a big difference to Madam's wee bum. I hope we can come off the medication soon as the mouth stuff for her is vile and I feel wicked giving it to her.

crazy your kids are gorgeous I hope they all get better soon. I have put up a couple of pics of Nancy on my profile -when she is asleep not red-faced and grumpy!

hi all

lovely pics crazykat and ff what beautiful babies/children :)

ff - me and Isabel have thrush too :( what meds where you given? I have drops for her mouth, cream for the nappy rash and oral gel which I put on my nipples (!). I thought the cream was working on her bum - do you use it at every nappy change? Mine says 3 times a day but that doesn't seem enough. Also the drops haven't shifted her white tongue (also meant to be 3 times a day), how is Nancy's tongue looking?
at the expecting again comment! Though I could probably pass for about 4/5 months pg!

df (or anyone with any tips!) when you say Bob sleeps from 10 - 2, does he sleep on you for that long? I'm cosleeping too but we don't go longer than about 2.5hrs without waking up and recently a bit less. I'm not sure if its the growth spurt or if we are just waking each other up. Do you sit up and do a 'proper' feed or feed lying down? We tend to feed lying down and one feed just runs into another and I'd rather get out of this if possible and try and give her a long feed to see how long she can go. I'm just not sure how to change things :(

max glad mrmax got some better news, it makes me shudder just thinking about exams, hope he gets it next time x

wll hope things are getting better with BF, I know you've done it before but I really think there should be more preparation for mums on how hard it is, I know they don't want to put people off but I'd rather have been told it was going to be relentless and difficult! I think you're right about the stubborness - that's the only reason I'm still going!

rudbekia and kellestar hope you're both feeling better now and ff22 hope Isadora is recovering from her cold, my DD has been snuffly forever!!

Kitty I have Clotrimazole cream (basically Canestan) for me nips and her bum, and Nystatin which is a vile yellow Calpol-like sticky syrup -for her mouth. I am just doing 3x a day of the cream and it is 4x a day in the mouth. They can have a white tongue just from milk, I think, the Doc said she could tell it was thrush because it was sticky, so Idon't know how you tell it is gone! I have to wash me boobs before feeding - sounds like you have Daktarin gel which is ok for her mouth too. How long were you told to keep using the meds?

frankenfanny don't be kealous of my boobs! After a feed if I bend over they knock together which is the oddest thing as I was only a 36b before I got pregnant and I was always pleased that I couldn't hold any [[http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3622/3652816086_3c1c6bb202_z.jpg pencils) under them. Sadly I think those days are over and when I stop breastfeeding I recon they will look like Spaniel's ears

thank you for the compliment about my age :)

maxpower my hands are really dry and I am using handcream a lot.

kittybump my mum scared me shitless by telling me not to let Bob sleep on me if I am asleep, so now I have him on the bed beside me with a blanket over him. when he wakes at 2 or 3 I usually manage to settle him back down in the same place quite quickly after a feed but then if he wakes again at 6 or 7 he won't settle so I have him on me but try not to doze off. I get up about 8/9 and feed him but then settle him on the bed again for a snooze if I can. I feed sitting up but have done it lying down sometimes. I usually end up getting up at some point because he needs a nappy change so I sit myself up with a load of pillows and feed him that way.

Hope all those with thrush are getting better.

thanks for quick response ff yes I have the daktarin stuff, the nurse did say i could use normal thrush cream for my nipples but my DD feeds so often i don't think it'd be on long enough to do anything!
I've read that you keep using the meds for up to 2 weeks after the symptoms go, i'll have run out of nystan by then so I'm not sure
did you have pain from the thrush? I haven't really which is lucky - just itchyness so far. Anyway.. keep me posted with how you get on :)
I've also started drinking actimel as that's meant to help (also meant to cut out white sugar but I haven't managed that!)

sorry that should be pencils

df thanks for the reply - god i don't know how you don't doze off in the morning, i'm forever waking up and not realising i've been asleep till i look at the clock! I usually have Isabel next to me as we're side lying feeding - I think i'm going to try sitting up for feeds tonight and see how we get on, she just seems in such a light sleep that even moving her off the breast is enough to wake her (she does all of her deep sleeping in the afternoon)