April 2009 Episode 14 "Operation Kill is standing down."

[AuldAlliance]

Voici FWs!

Are you looking elsewhere or going to take a sabbatical?

I have an engorgement question. Does anyone have experience of sage tea. I read that it dries up your milk but not sure how to prepare. Also, do the fabled cabbage leaves work?

Hi Puzz It's been about a year since I stopped bf-ing and I can still get milk out. Not sure if uit ever dries up completely. I'm not engorged though, and can't help with sage tea. Weren't the cabbage leaves for mastitis?

Thanks B52s. I went 14 hours yesterday and I swear I made Jordan look modest. It was agony. I let her have a feed in the night just to relieve the pain. DH is taking a week off soon so we can knock the night wakings on the head and I can stop completely. It has been 50 months of continuous breastfeeding. To say I AM DONE is an understatement.

Engorgement: I hand expressed a little every night and found that eased the pressure/pain.

MIL has gone again

Everything back to normal here with me getting yelled at by neighbors because Meg's pool leaked off the balcony :( Not that it will make a difference because we'll not be able to use it any longer anyhow because the balcony we were using because of the glorious sun is going to be covered with scaffolding and plastic and they're going to be making a tremendous noise which means we won't be able to be home during the days soon because it'll be just too loud.
I have no idea what I'm going to do with Meg or how I'm going to handle it yet... however after MIL visit I'm back to feeling miserable abt everything again. Will try to shake myself out of it.
8 week until home and 10ish weeks until the baby is due..

Thanks Bebe.

What are they doing to the balcony?

I have no idea what they're doing to the balconies to be honest, resurfacing perhaps? They started down the way and around the corner. It sounds like a jack hammer (not sure if they call them that in UK) and a sandblaster and the noise has been too much to have the windows open (and they're not even on the same building). Moo slams the doors and windows shut and complains about the noise...so I know when they get to actually working on our building we'll not be able to stay in the house. We won't be able to use the TV or radio except on their lunch break 12-1, we certainly won't get to take naps...
Going to need to figure out how to be out and doing things in hot weather with a toddler and being pregnant and sore; any ideas? I'm feeling at quite a loss as driving is near impossible, and the walk to the train and dealing with Moo on it is very difficult and tires me out before we even 'start' our outing. I will be very honest and say I cannot deal with Moo very well lately if she puts up the least bit of resistance...I just try to be patient and wait her out which is also very tiring in many cases. Any thoughts would be appreciated as I'm feeling very incapable again.

So I'm sure you guys won't care but I've got this intense need to put a baby on the breast...
My breasts feel full and tingly like when you know a feed is needed...I've got 10ish weeks to go...
DH just looked at me like I was insane when I told him and suggested hand expressing.
Which made me wonder how does the body know how much colostrum to make? Is it hormonal? Just a 'set' amt you make? Or does the baby's sucking cause the switch over to real milk? I'm going to have to google...

How you're all well xxx

Puzzle is the engorgement easing?

I have no idea. I was feeding throughout my second pregnancy. Sounds like a natural reaction to me though.

It eased off the very next day. She is still having one feed in the night which I will stop over the next few weeks.

How is Moo today? I do think it's a lot easier having an older one to keep them entertained. My two disappear off to play for hours.
I do find that if Holly is having a "moment" it is best to just zone out. She stops a lot quicker if she isn't getting a reaction. Distraction works a lot of the time. I will talk to myself and get involved in something whilst not directly engaging her. She soon stops being grumpy and wanders over to take a look.

Glad the engorgement has eased.

Moo is full of cold today :( And had a rough night. Luckily it was Friday and since dh doesn't work on the weekends it meant he could take over. (Thank God, I couldn't handle another sleepless night this week). Sleeping next to her in our bed was also making me leak...
Moo is pretty good otherwise. She's suddenly bounded forward with her confidence levels again and she approaches and tries to play with the German kids we see at the parks and while walking. :) She chatters away to them and shakes her head when she doesn't understand. She tries to play with kids older than her tho (I think because she thinks they're the same age as they're basically the same size). I do notice that they're a little sassy with her sometimes, taking her stuff and bullying a little. Most of the time she just thinks it's part of the 'game' and chases after them for her stuff. Or tells them no no no. As long as she's not distressed I try to let her handle it. Tho I've had to step in a few times when things got physical with the other kids. My stormy English voice seems to get across my point even tho they don't understand the words. Sometimes if I'm lucky the parent (mother) will step in.

Oh bless her. I hope she's better soon.

She sounds a lot like Ellen was at that age. She is quite big for her age. The first time I wsaw some girls being mean it was awful. It was so hard to watch but I sat back because it's a tough but important lesson for them to learn. I can't be there when she is at school so she needs to know how to handle things herself.

When are you coming back?

Hellooooo

Seems we have survived the trip to Germany

Bicnod, DH's sister's baby (due similar time as yours) is measuring small too. I know two other mums who were told they were having tiny babies and they came out weighing over 8lb. Ignore. And yes MUST meet!

Puzzle, no advice on the stopping bf front I am afraid, I did it gradually, hope it goes well.

Am about to go to bed... too much wine at tea time!

PS I might be growing out of MN... I just looked at the 'last 15 minutes' list and I didn't feel the need to post on a single thread. This is unheard of

Good to hear you are alive and well. I would have insisted on a diet of cake and gin to be on the safe side.

Cutting down is going really well. I anticipate we will have stopped altogether before July.

I don't have much love for MN anymore either.

Morning all, hope you're well. Welcome home Schulte. Hope you had a wonderful time.

Moo's stuffy nose is now a cough, but that means it's on it's way out so we should be good in a couple of days.

Home at the end of July/1st week of August. Trying to get my parents to come and visit at that time as they want to come anyway and suggested it as a good time, but are dragging their feet now...I don;t think they like travelling together...

I'm so very nesty and struggling being away from my proper nest...

Another rough night last night made worse by dh's pushover nature with Moo. He keeps complaining abt the way she does things, but then enables her to do them/continue them...will need to have a talk with him when I'm not tired and irritated so I can be reasonable.

DH would happily always leave the discipline to me. It's generally "fun Daddy" "strict Mummy". The downside for him is that they push their luck with him whereas it only takes a peer over the top of my glasses for them to behave.

[[http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childrens_health/1236925-slightly-embarrassing-bits-question-abt-dd-27m so umm, is this right??]

well that post wasn't obviously... how abt this...
so umm, is this right??

yeah dh keeps saying things like: she's a little bratty and demanding and doesn't want to walk much...
I say: around you; around me she knows I won't pick her up and I won't respond to bratty-ness or whining like you do...

I think of that quote from Honey I blew up the Kid: Dad's mean fun, Mommies mean business...

really cannot wait until this adventure is over; it's just all a little more stressful than I care to have on a weekly basis.

hopefully some other job comes thru... I really want to be home and in my own bed and amongst my familiar things and where things are easier because language and culture are not an issue. And I want a custard slice and some ginger biscuits with a hot cup of tea.

Yep, that sound about right. He has been it taking on board recently. I have told him all about my teenage years so he knows he needs to assert a little authority now because if they are anything like me they sure as hell won't listen later on.

Puzzle peering over the top of her glasses

My parents are coming to visit end of July, early August. Likely to just miss the baby... but they're still coming! :) I've not seen them in nearly 8 months so it'll be nice having them around. :)

That's cool. Will they stay for long?

2ish weeks in Germany then helping us get back to the UK :) and about a week in the UK... Maybe the baby will come early...

My sister is in the delivery room... waiting for further news; hopefully a baby by the end of the day :) :o

Oh exciting. So how many grandchildren do you parents have? My Mum has 9.