Late Jan 2011 (some very, very late!) - here we go!!!

[ThreeBubbasAndManyBumps]

Graduated
JJKM - Twin Girls
Stars - Baby Boy
FloraPost - 6th Jan - Baby Boy
Mimou - 14th Jan - Baby Boy - 7.3lb
Zippy - 14th Jan - Baby Boy - 7lb
LadyBuzz - 18th Jan - Kali Margaret Briany 6lb 1oz
Scuba - 22nd Jan - Baby Girl - 6lb 13oz
AmIGoingMad - 25th Jan - Baby Boy - 7lb 5oz
Gallicgirl - 26th Jan - Alys May - 7lb 2.5oz
BubbaAndBumps - 27th Jan - Lachlan Robert - 12lb 3oz
Travispickles - 27th Jan - Saskia Faye
Fuzzy - 28th Jan - Evan James - 8lb 8.5oz
*Saltnvinigar - 28th Jan - Henry David
Ryuk - 28th Jan - Ezra - 7lb 4oz
TheBreastMilksOnMe - 30th Jan - Amelia Rose - 8lbs 9.5ozs
SaraL77 - 31st Jan - Reuben Mark - 7lb 2
Pootle - 2nd Feb - Jacob - 8lb 9oz
cyberfairy - 4th Feb - Rowan - 7lbs 7oz
RockLover - 5th Feb - George Christopher - 8lbs 4oz
RunningKatie - 5th Feb - Isobel Millie
CupcakesHay - 5th Feb - Jesse William - 7lbs 1oz
Crystylline - 8th Feb - Xavier Louis - 8lbs 11oz

Count: 8 girls, 15 boys

Still Huffing and a Puffing..?
Shanster: 30/01 Boy (1DD)
Faraway Trees: 22/01
RobynLou: 24/01 ?? (1DD)
Loopylu: due 31/01 (1st?)

Here we go, down the slippery slope of parenthood. Slippery thanks to the poos, wees, leaky boobs and goodness knows what else :o :o

We'll be here to hold each other's virtual hands through the tough nights and delightful days, and to laugh at each other's stories of comedy nappy changes , and the fear (or not?) of getting back in the saddle, and coating some cervixes just for the fun of it again!! :o

George is doing well and I am feeling much better, although very sore still.

Because I was very poorly for 3 days or so after I came home (couldn't sleep because of back spasming) DP has done soooo much for me and George and his sis came to stay to look after my DD as I was totally not with it and unable to do anything. I am eternally grateful to them both for making sure everything was sorted and for helping me to feel better.

Thing is though, I am feeling extremely guilty that I can't do housework/cooking etc and have to keep asking DP/DD to pick things up off the floor for me etc. DP is getting very stressed about not being able to keep the house clean, even though I said it doesn't really matter that much in the scheme of things.

I had to ask him to make me a snadwich earlier as George had fallen asleep on me and I can't get up whilst holding the baby because of scar pain. I felt sooo guilty as he kind of does this sigh when I ask something as if to say "god not something else". Anyway, he forgot the sandwich because he wanted to do cleaning instead, so I had to ask him to move George off me so that I could move and sort myself out and I felt guilty for that too.

I know I made this week very stressful for DP by being so poorly to start off with so how can I make it up to him given that the mw said I am not to do any type of housework for at least 6 weeks? He has to go back to work next Thursday and I don't know how he'll cope with that and housework. Is anyone else having problems?

Hello all - caught up a little. Pics of Jacob are lovely pootle - particularly love the scrunched firts one

Lot less sleep here and have had visitors today and yesterday and a bit tomorrow....

And i've been really really really tearful! Pulled a muscle in the night and feel a bit exhausted - plus DH was in bad books as slept all mornign so i entertained the visitors - but he's making up for it now.

Advice is killing me between mum and MIL - thank god my dad is just up for cuddles with Jesse, and that's it. m/w coming tomorrow - and she's sooooo nice! Got a huge list of questions - dying to start expressing so that Dh can do a night feed.

Have had loads of wrong nappy fitting incidences which meant that we changed outfits literally every couple of hours - and that didn't help the sleeping....

crytsy - ooooh you are so brave. please Xavi is ok.

pootle i wouldn't worry about the whole formula/breast thing - as long as he is being fed he'll be happy. And my mum's finally cottoned on to changing into a brand new clean top to cuddle Jesse with - so that sorted the whole smoking issue.

rock i sooooo sypathise with you over the scar pain and asking DH to do stuff. I feel so bloody useless - especially with this stupid pulled muscle. I have spent most of today crying - and trying to hide it from everyone - spose it's kind of baby blues - he was born a week ago, literally just about right now. hting is i'm not depressed, just frustrated - right rock? i hate having to rely on Dh to put gauze between my bum cheeks for my stupid sore or having to get him to help me piloe pillows up for breast feeding.... and i;m secretly trying not to think about what i'm goign to do without DH for 3 weeks....

pootle - Babymoon wise - i thin that'll be when i finally get home - can't wait to see my cats and just get into a routine.

Did i tell you that i have an appt with a team on the 26th May for the cleft lip? - so impressed I got it so quickly.

And a BIG favour - can you all keep an eye out for an aqua outfit/babygrow/t-shirt? We're going to have some photos taken professionally, and i have a new aqua top to wear, Dh has aqua shirt and so need matching for jesse.

Damn - jesse crying .... hello everyone i've missed... won't it be lovely to all catch up on here in a few months time when everything's settled!

rock you are far too hard on yourself - you have undergone major surgery and are also feeding/looking after your little George - STOP beating yourself up (and I say that as nicely as I can for the stern order that it is!) :). Your DP won't mind doing more than his fair share for a bit (as long as you tell him how grateful you are and have a proper talk about what the next few weeks will bring).

You can't do a great deal to reduce housework, but the one thing that helped us when we had an 18month old, me with a c-section and a very big and hungry baby, (and DH at a full-time exhausting job) was to get ourselves a weekly family menu thingamy, so that shopping (done online) was done as infrequently as possible with little waste, no time/thoughts were wasted deciding what to eat, we made some things in advance and had other easy meals for days when we knew he would be working late etc.

Also made sure that before he went to work he would set me up with a jug of water, all the remotes/ohines/computers I needed during the day and nappies etc nearby. A few peanut butter sarnie lunches and; Bob's your uncle!

It is and will be hard but you'll get through it. Honest!! :)

Another C section, another put upon OH here! On the whole has been brilliant, altho he also has a little sigh and occasional comment "can't you think of all the things you need at one time?" etc. Thing is, I felt a bit better today after a reasonable sleep so did some tidying etc an now scar is killing me. Really hope I haven't done anything serious...
I have had some tearful days but put it down to hormones. HOwever, I am high risk for PND due to birth horrors (also being a teacher apparently!!) so keeping an eye on my emotional landscaspe... My GP turned up at home two days ago and she is lovely, has a really kind and sympathetic nature so had me bawling in a self pitying manner after 10 seconds. But I wouldn't think twice about going to her if I felt like PND was kicking in, she is so helpful. In spite of shit hospital, the after care has been amazingh. Hope you are all coping OK.

Thanks for all your lovely reassuring words ladies, it's just so hard being bloody helpless.

DP is being fab and also does much of the feeding and changing of George as we have had to formula feed due to my stubborn boy's refusal to latch on...ever! DP loves being a dad, but I think he is trying to spread himself too thin, he's far too obsessed with the housework.

Anyway, I feel a bit better now, I know that the more I rest, the quicker I will heal. DP is back at work next Thursday, so I need to be ready for that.

On another topic (a yucky TMI topic), my bowels have been going mental! Started with constipation and now you can't get me off the loo and I have a lovely tummy ache to boot. Anyone else suffering?

rock glad you are feeling a little better, I felt the same too, poor DH was doing everything.
When I finally started to feel better I found that I was up and about quite quickly, I did venture out for the first time this week but that was 3 1/2 weeks after the section!

Also C section ladies (TMI) don't be surprised if your bleeding seems to have stopped and then starts again quite suuddenly when you are more active, Mine stopped completely for over a week then came back really heavy (I panicked and phoned MW)but it was just because I was up and about.

pootle & rock love the photos

Quick question - what should a baby wear to sleep in a room at 20 degrees? Had conflicting advice from m/w's - she is currently in a vest, babygro and a swaddling blanket. Is that too much?

I think it depends on the baby travis. We usually have George in a bodysuit (vest), sleepsuit and then put a blanket over him in his moses basket.

As long as baby isn't sweating or shivering and just feels warm to the touch, I would presume they are ok (that's what I do). I find that George's hands are always a tad cooler than the rest of him, but then he detests having them under a blanket/mits on, so I am assuming that is ok too.

This is all just guesswork on my part, I suppose I take my cue from George. Sorry I can't be more help.

We're having the wole debate about what baby hould wear in bed too travis - currently, on advice of m/w we have him swaddled in a knitted blanket my mum made - but it had lots of holes in it - but i worry it's too much - although i keep checking on him.

buzz agree about the blood - def more now i'm active.

THANKFULLY my pulled muscle is subsiding - so maybe i just twinged it and thought worse after my nightmare at Xmas time.

Like oyu advice bubba on having everything to hand when DH goes. Same with me adn breast feeding - can only manage it in 1 position at moment, so before DH wanders off to do something else i make sure i have book and water to hand. Makes life easier.

Had an okay day in the end - MIL and Mum didn't do head in too mch - and my mum came in whilst b-feeding (a first!) and had a chat with me - which was really nice.

Jesse's hiccups seem to be sorted with some infacol. M/w coming tomorrow, so have a long list of questions for her.

rock i have same on poo front! was constipated and then feel like constantly running to loo which is not too clever as my bedsore on my bum needs constant re-gauzing! Sorry TMI

Question - planning to take Jesse for outing next week - is it too soon? Only planning 15 min walk by river and then home...

On the clothes for bed question we have Evan in a vest/ bodysuit, a baby gro and sleeping bag. Trying to keep mits on him too as his hands are always cold. Just remember if you're checking whether they're warm enough feel the back of their necks or their tummies rather than say their hands.
Cupcakes in my opinion it's not too early at all for an outing, just make sure Jesse is warm enough and I'm sure he'll be fine. Fresh air will do you both good though make sure you don't over do it [sound like your mother emoticon].
Rock hope you're feeling a bit better. I'm sure your DP is fine about doing the house work etc. Sounds like fair pay back for you making a new person for your family. Maybe a chat with him about what needs doing like Bubba suggests would be a good idea.
Blimey, I appear to have gone all bossy so will shut up now and finish feeding the little man who appears to be back with if on the breast feeding front (phew).

cupcake I second what fuzzy said, As long as Jesse is warm enough he will be fine. You just need to be sure that you can handle it.
Just take it easy and i'm sure you will enjoy it, It made me feel great!

Right re the bedding question, I have the FSIDS leaflet here and it says that the guidleines for babies in a sleepsuit and a vest and covered by a sheet at 20 degrees should have 1 blanket, so travis I guess that would be about right.
Don't worry about cold hands my HV said they don't feel it!
Kali hates her hands being covered too!

Cupcakes I have a similar problem on my bottom. I have dry, peeling streaks of skin all over both cheeks from being immobile in bed for 2 days, luckily I got away without them turning into actual bedsores, but by god they're grim.

I also have a numb bum from being in one position whilst I had the epidural (had this with DD too), makes it bloody murder to sit down for any length of time without it hurting. If I remember rightly it took about 4 weeks for it to go away with DD...lucky me, 3 more weeks to go.

I'd LOVE to take George out for a walk, but I have a problem in that I have NO clothes to wear. I bought a load of size 18 bottoms and although they fit, the waist bands are just a bit too uncomfy on my tender tummy. Also I can't fit shoes on my stupid swollen feet..GRRRRRRRR!

However, I have a "big" trip coming up next week as I am off up to the parents (Dad is coming to collect us bless him) so Mum can actually see George in the flesh and DD can visit her Dad for a few days. I'm really looking forward to it :).

Oooh and forgot to mention, I am celebrating today as yesterday was my LAST blood thinning injection, woohoo! I don't mind needles, but I find it minging having to inject myself...bleugh!!

Think DP may have to buy me a lovely big cake to nosh because I have been such a brave girl stabbing myself in the tummy every day for 5 days.

God yeah those injections are killers aren't they rock so congrats ! Although my midwife did mine, and it was in arm - yours def sound more grim!

M/w just been and answered a million questions, and apparently my scar's looking ok. Jesse weighed in at 3120 - so almost back to brith weigh

Yeah fuzzy i think baby's hands are almost meant to be cod - but if Evan doesn't mind the gloves, go with it! We call Jesse, "Jesse Jazz Hands" as he's always waving his hans around how style (must be all that Glee I made him liten to!)

buzz how's Kali getting on?

DH is getting a cold... so have a feeling i'll have to deal with his man flu... and my sore bum will get ignored! oh well!

Goodness I feel for all you ladies who have had c-sections. It sounds truly awful!! I can't believe some celebs opt to have one .
Well I am in a really good mood on account of the fact my mil has finally left after over a week. She is lovely but all the 'what is mummy doing to you?' questions really started to grate. 'Ooh dear you have a bad tummy, what is mummy's milk doing to you?' ...'you're not happy are you!' I swear I deserve a medal for not saying something really rude. Anyway, he is lovely and a really healthy weight but at least hv and mw gave my bf the credit there. He is now over 8 ounces from his birth weight and is double chins are coming on a real treat Love the whole double chin thing on babies. I'm aiming for him to have at least 2 lol.

With respect to how warm baby should be I just remember someone told me babies will cry and let you know if they are cold but won't if they are too warm so I tend to air on the side of caution on the blanket front. Usually sleeps in vest and sometimes sleepsuit with 2 thin blankets.

As for DH/OH doing too much I wouldn't feel guilty. My DH is back to work already and it would now appear that the status quo has returned with me doing pretty much everything so enjoy it and milk it for as long as possible!!

rock they are horrible! I made DH do mine - I just couldn't face it myself!

I have lost my baby monitors, I took them to a festival in August for my niece and now they have vanished, I thought they were in the spare room but I have turned it upside down today and nada!

I don't need them just yet but I don't want to buy new when I know I have some, the plugs and wires are there but no mintors .

Kali is doing well, she is a little guzzler and seems to be filling out nicely - she is almost fitting into newborn clothes now
I'm still in awe how tiny she is, the boys were bruisers!
She is good at night though and is happy to go back in her basket after a feed, Still hates to be put down through the day though!

My DP is scared of needles so he wouldn't have been able to help me out at all! I have no fear of them at all anymore (except when I am doing the injection).

I have to say I have never bled so much in my life! I had to have a second drip put in my hand when I had the c-section as the first one stopped working, but they didn't have time to take the old one out so I had 2 cannulars in my hand for a couple of days.

Then I complained because the stupid plastic bits hanging off them kept hitting George in the face when I was trying to feed him, so lovely midwife came to remove them and that was it a huge explosion of blood that just wouldn't stop. Her words were "oh dear we have a gusher, can I have some gauze over here?"...bleugh.

Another incident was after I first tried injecting myself in the leg. All was well and then suddenly at lunch time my leg started spurting blood everywhere, managed to stop it, then it did the same thing in the evening!

I swear if anyone looked in my hospital bag when I got home they'd have thought I'd murdered someone or something. I'm still covered in needle brusies all over, hands, thighs and stomach. I look like a flipping junkie!

Tell me about it Rock - only I had the opposite problem. They couldn't get a vein and I ended up having had canulas in both hands and spghetti junction inside one arm. They tried both my wrists, one was a 'roller' (the vein rolled out of the way ) the other side the canula tissued while I had antibiotics going in, so my wrist swelled up full of metronidozole.
I overdid it yesterday and now my stomach really hurts. I am a bit worried that I have done something serious inside- anyone else found that if they overdo it it causes their stomach (well, inside the hip really) to hurt loads? Really sick of it now tbh, just want to be able to be up and about with the baby...

My tummy is hurting in the middle, still feel like I have a bowling ball in there travis. I have cut down on my painkillers quite a bit though due to my dodgy bowels. I am only taking paracetamol and I do still feel fairly sore.

I suppose every woman feels her pain differently as all operations are different, for example I can only sleep on my left side as the surgeon cut me more to the right to follow my old scar. If you are worried I would phone a midwife and have a quick chat, I did that the other night when I was suffering from severe trapped wind and they were really lovely and helpful to me.

oh god the cannulas (didn't know they had a technical name) were awful weren't they. I remember begging them to take it out and they refused - even though i had the saem prob with it hitting Jesse - and i kept knocking it - i swear it was more painful than the actual c-section!

Just had a shower and DH flapped a leaflet over my scar (bless) - I said to him - you won;t ever want nookie with me again after this - and he said "how about tonight?" THANK GOD he was joking. too sore to contemplate it for a year i think!

And yes travis know what you mean about overdoing it - but mine hurts more above the c-section scar. And yes sick of it - but my bum-sores are more sore as i can't even scoot off bed withot feeling like i'm ripping at my skin. Dh keeps saying they are getting better - but it doesn't feel like it.

Oh and spoke to my best friend earlier adn was discussing the whole belly button thingy and how gross i found it - and i was wondering - anyone else finding it gross???

Anyone else having hiccupping problems with the babies?

George's cord just dropped off today cupcakes . I'm making DP clean it as it makes me feel wobbly just looking at it. Urghhh!

Yes cupcakes the bellybutton thing was gross but we left it well alone and it dropped off. Don't get any of the gunk on your fingers as it stinks was the advice given by my community midwife.

DS suffers from hiccups all the time and we were a bit concerned but absolutely nothing to worry about and it's not wind so you can put them down. Very cute when he gets them but to be expected as he got them all the time when i was pregnant too. Does anyone miss being pregnant yet? I have to say I do when I'm in the bath as feel a bit lonely :( Still, much better to be able to hold him in my arms :)