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

btw, anyone notice the time i got to myself to snooze before DH came BACK with the kids? :( . Apparently DD1 fell off the roundabout and then weed in her knickers. So no snooze for me!

btw#2 she didn't hurt herself falling off the roundabout before my reactions seems utterly selfish to you all!! :o

salt I will get DP to take a pic of my humungous feet on his Iphone and post it on my profile page later for all and sundry to snigger at see.

DP has taken DD out as she is being a bit hyper at the mo. I don't think I told you the saga of DD's school did I? I wanted a VBAC so that I could still drive dd to school (it's in a village and DP doesn't drive), so having a c-section was a bit of a disaster.

Friends took her to school last week, but this week we haven't been able to find anyone free to help so we asked the council if there were any transport schemes (like taxis) that could get her to school for us just until I am fit drive.

Guess what, they said no and offered her a place at the school in our catchment area, so within walking distance... I mean wtf kind of logic is that?? A permanent solution to a temporary problem!

However, in a stroke of luck this was my first choice school when I moved last year and it has an outstanding ofsted report and great reputation, so we decided to go for it. DD is quite excited as she never really took to the school she's at now, she can't wait to start after half term. :)

George has been a good baby today after a few days being tetchy, windy baby. He has already gone up to 120ml bottles as the 90ml are just not doing the job. He's such a little guzzler!

rock I hope your DD loves her new school and settles there.
I was just thinking re your pain question and I most definately found the second and third sections more painful then the first, or at least different so it is probably just that. Hope it eases soon along with your feet!

bubba yes we have loads of pink stuff as pressies this time round, much more then DS2 - I suppose people think you have loads if its the same flavour. I love having a change

I'm off to the docs tomorrow for my 3 week post natal check and I am very much hoping he OKs me to drive again I feel a bit stuck without the car!

Kali feels like she is putting on weight, the HV is back next week to weigh her again but she is really filling out!

Ok ? taken notes today!

salt agree completely about drinking water ? it def helps with water retention.

pootle not sure if it helps, but i listen for a kind of ?cliking? noise when Jesse is suckling, and I know he?s gulping down milk rather than just using my nipple as a dummy ? IYSWIM.

Rock - love the pic of George and agree we need a pic of your feet.

crysty I was sleeping in puddles, but now wear my bra every night to bed which i hate, but it stops the mess. And Jesse is def a 2 boobs boy at night which is a bit exhausting. And yes when i?m feeding from one boobs the other leaks ? v.

Annoying... plus if i forget to put something under it, or hoist it into bra with a pad, I get soaking wet trousers . And seems such a waste of milk!

The hiccups are KILLING me ? I manage to get Jesse to sleep, and then he gets the hiccups and wakes up so we have to soothe him and then feed him again! So whole process can take 1.5 hours! Nothing works - tried winding, infacol, cuddling, rocking, feeding, changing nappy... nothing!

Pleased the laptop is back bubba and love Lachlan having a little play at night ? bless his little cotton ?naughty?socks! As for sleepsuits ? I thought OK but asked DH if he?s dress Jesse in them, and he said NO WAY! Good to know it?s not just my DS who has super-sonic boob smelling radar. I go into the room and his eyes just POP open like something out of a horror film!

I am loving getting pressies ? is that a bad thing to say . We?ve got some absolutely fab pressies ? one of my good friends got Jesse a LOVELY cowboy sleepsuit for when he?s 6-9months, and some little leather shoes.

And yes i?ve been wondering about running too.

crysty I still haven?t gone out with baby! It?s been raining and then it?s not been the right time cos of feeds etc. I?d feel so much better if i was more confident about feeding.

Those who are breast feeding - how do you do it? Rugby ball style? Across the lap? I?m still having problems doing it comfortably ? I got my pillow today from mothercare which is helping but how am i ever going to cope doing it in public ? well not in public, but god even in a toilet or breast feeding area! I?m panicking already. And we?re going to a restaurant for lunch when my brother comes down on the 5th march ? so I KNOW i need to get something sorted by then.... aaarrrgh!

rock fab news about the school ? you must be dead pleased! And pleased George is feeding so well. And if it cheers you up i?m still getting pain from the scar.
I went to nurse yesterday and got dressings for my bed sore ? YAY! Honestly, the things i get excited about but TBH have made such a difference already ? I can scoot along the bed without being in bloody agony!

And yes very excited about the whole weekend! Def def def going to take the baby out.

I?m going to start using the flip reusaeble nappies tomorrow ? so wish me luck!

Can i also ask advice.... DH and I rowed this morning.... Jesse was crying ? he wasn?t hiccupping, had been fed and had nappies changed... and still crying. I said he wanted a cuddle and a play ? DH said we were being too precious and if we pick him up all the time, he?d get use to it... advice please?

buzz how?s your new buggy?

Also bubba whatever happened about next door?s builders?

@jjkm leaking boobs is the way ahead for all of us!

I?ve been a good girl and almost finished all my thank you cards.... god it?s exhausting!

I promise to try and log in more often!

I never take my bra off and always have pads in, otherwise I'd be soaking too. I do find that the other boob only leaks a little amount if pad and bra are in place, but like jjkm says, showers aren't good if I haven't fed him beforehand . Lachlan also likes to pull off the mental right boob just as the let down comes, and squirts himself in the face and then struggles to latch on as my boob's so slippery!!! :o :o

I'm not surprised you haven't been out yet crysty, I hadn't with DD1 by your stage, and was very anaemic and wobbly which didn't help! - it's also very surreal going out with a pram for the first time, I remember feeling like everyone would laugh and point!

I made my own thank you cards cupcakes which took yonks so was slightly annoyed to get another pressie today cos I thought I'd done them all! How bad am I?!!

lol @ all the milk showers! jjkm i felt like Cleopatra in the bath earlier! but, grr @ wearing bras in bed - it's bloody uncomfy. my only solution and it's quite a silly one, has been to wear my tankini tops with breast pads in as they are soft enough to not cause discomfort. changing sheets daily tho...

cupcakes yup... i have the BF in public fear too. not because I don't want negative comments from tossers, but because I don't want to get spotted "doing it wrong" by some expert super-mum.

i'm EBF in various positions - rugby ball if he's having problems latching on, but otherwise, lying him across my lap and urling round him or side by side in bed. he prefers side by side, but have to get the angle right, or milk just ends up in the bed and not in him

on the unexplained crying thing... doula and MW told me that babies, especially v. little ones, don't have the nerve pathways to know how to manipulate parents. they are either: hungry, need changing, tired or needing comfort because being out of the womb is a little traumatic to say the very least!

i wouldn't deny my LO anything until much later when/if i'd worked out there was any game playing. right now, i can see by his expressions and movements what he needs and he gets it.

appreciate everyone parents differently, but this was the approach I thought I'd try first and so far seems to be working.

rock that's brilliant news about the school and nearly perfect timing.

and bubba not insensitive on either count. DD story wtas funny - bless her.
s
on the not so funny count...i think i have mastitis. MW coming out tomorrow, but feeling a bit fluey and crap and have one sore boob. couldn't face driving to hospital tonight, so decided to see how it goes until the morning and dosed up on paracetemol and ibruprofen upside is i've had 3 naps today!!!

Cupcakes I'd agree that you won't spoil him by picking him up when he's crying. They aren't manipulative at this age, my 2 year old DD on the other hand.....
Bubba that's pants about your nap, better luck for tomorrow.
As for the breast feeding in public you will honestly be fine once you get a bit more used to it. I always take a pashmina or something like that out with me as a cover up for moments when they decide to pull off and expose you to the world . Could you try a safe public place first, somewhere like a baby group, with your NCT class if you have one? This worked for me the first time as I was nervous about feeding in public. Once I'd cracked it when meeting with my nct friends it became much easier. I generally feed across the front, not sure how easy it would be if doing it rugby ball way.
Thought we'd got over the evil left boob thing but Evan has decided he does in fact hate it again grrr

Hi ladies . I feel a bit left out with all these breastfeeding convos, George was very naughty not to want to even try my boobs . Ah well, c'est la vie and all that.

My Dad is coming down tomorrow to drive DD, George and me up to stay with him and Mum for a week in Oxfordshire for the week, although DD will be seeing her dad for most of that time.

It's a good 4 hour journey normally, but the hv said I have to get out of the car at least once an hour and we'll have to stop for George no doubt, so God knows how long it will take under these circumstances.

I am bricking it about going really; being on my own with George (DP is so good with him), not being able to fit into shoes and having no clothes to wear. I'd rather stay at home, but I need to get DD to her Dad. It's a bit pants really, but at least Mum & sis will get to meet George at last.

Haven't managed to photograph my feet yet, will get round to it when DP and I have a spare minute at the same time lol!

Hi all

Just a quick post to check in. I've tried to read what's been going on but there's so much. However, can I admit that I also have a lazy left boob?

After our lovely home birth, DD lost 13% of her birth weight so we were admitted to hospital for a couple of days when she was a week old. I was really upset over it and had to start FF as I wasn't producing enough breast milk. We syringe fed for a few days but it was too hard and taking too long so we're now bottle feeding. I'm still trying to BF but DD just won't stay latched on. Lazy girl doesn't like to suck! However she has out on loads of weight and is looking very chubby

oops, I can hear DD crying so I'll have a proper catch up tomorrow I hope.

*put on loads of weight. Sorry.

False alarm but we're now having cuddles which means one-handed typing. I've also managed to upload a photo of Alys.

Hi gallic. Glad all is well. Beautiful pic too. Sounds like you've had your hands full on the feeding front. One handrd typing/ tea making/ everything has become my norm too!

Gallic she's lovely, glad to hear she's putting on weight now. Boo to the lazy left boob syndrome (or lazy right boob).
Rock I bet your mum is really excited, lovely that her and your sister are going to get to see George for a week.

Aww Gallic, sorry to hear about the feeding problems. If it's any consolation George completely refused to latch on to the breast at all, he wouldn't even attempt it. There was a point that he was hardly drinking any formula in hospital either, so we thought we might have to stay in longer than anticipated.

However, at the 11th hour before the mw had to make a decision about discharging us he started demanding food. Unfortunately he still wouldn't take the breast, so we gave in and started him on FF proper and he's been a little guzzler ever since. :)

I love your DD's hair btw, it's just gorgeous and a rather trendy style if I may say :)!

cupcakes I feel your fear about breastfeeding in public but I'm off to a wedding tomorrow so will have to let you know how it goes. Henry's been fine in the pram round about town and good as gold. He just sleeps and didn't make a noise. It's nice just walking around as if he does cry you can just rush home to feed? Anyway I got loads done today: Bought myself a lovely outfit for wedding: dress, shoes and scarf, tights plus I also got my eyebrows threaded which was fun as everyone was gushing over how handsome and cute lo is. I've also hoovered and washed up, going to finish thank you cards (well done bubba) and then make scones and then sleep.

also cupcakes while breastfeeding itself is fine I don't think I ever get in a comfortable position for very long before I start slouching or something.

Great news about the school rock and looking forward to your feet photo.

I hate sleeping in bras so often go without and just leak all over myself and sheets. I figure I can get breast surgery in a few years anyhoo and I'm a bit of a nudist at heart so hate feeling so restricted. I generally only get dressed if i'm going out or people are coming round :)I definitely think it must reduce potential to get blocked ducts.

btw has anyone had sex yet? It's been 3 weeks today and want to have sex but still a bit nervous. Midwife said to wait 6 weeks as although stitches healed she said it is still delicate. This seems a bit over cautious to me though. Previous mums advice on first time sex after vaginal birth please (episiotomy)...

No sex here please, we're British!! :o :o Have banished DH to the spare room anyway, and with my belly looking like it is and my exhaustion reaching new heights, sex is not at the forefront of my mind - but hadn't done it before six weeks with DD1 either (also episiotomy). Not heard of a time limit on it though...

gallic she is simply gorgeous, and I agree with rock her hair is fab!!

rock what a result with DD's school!! Something good had to come out of your pain in walking!

salt btw, how are you planning to breastfeed wearing a dress?! Lifting it from the toes?? :o :o

cupcakes the builders have built up a fucking monstrosity of a wall next to our patio outside (3m x 3m ), but on their land so nothing I can do about it, but we're making them paint in white and put a trellis up so we can re-train our honeysuckle up it so we can get some light reflected back in.

crystyll how's the sore boob? I hope, hope, hope for your sake that it doesn't develop into mastitis - had it three times with DD2 and it's HARD!!

ILs here atm, knackering to be nice! MIL loves to come and peer while I breastfeed . With DD1 I kind of shifted uncomfotably, now I just tell her to bog off until I've finished.

Hi all,

Just lost my post (grrr...) and Saskia sat here gnawing at her hand with an aggressive look so will be quick. Hope you are all OK and you have a lovely weekend (especially Cupcakes without childish mum etc). Bad news yesterday, looks likely that OH will be made redundant in September. Althogh it means he can do childcare so is a silver lining. Trying to be posititve :)

Oh travis that's crap beyond belief - what timing :( Glad you're looking at the silver lining though.

Anyone else's baby make LOADS of noise when trying to poo??

Thanks for the lovely comments about DD. It amazes me how fabulous she is but I admit I'm biased :) Everyone comments on her hair. I shall be so sad if it all falls out.

Bubba I'm fairly sure planning permission is needed for walls over 2m so check your neighbour's wall with the local council's planning department. If they've breached the rules and it inhibits your light, they will have to take it down.

Travis sorry to hear about your partner's redundancy. At least you have lots of notice and can perhaps turn it into an opportunity.

Rock Thanks for sharing the info about George, it makes me feel a lot better. Although some of the issue is DDs refusal to suck and stay on the breast, I can't help but feel like a bad mum. I'm going to post a huge whinge on the BF thread and have a chat with DP when he gets home.

Salt I can't believe you're even contemplating sex!! I had a normal delivery with only a very small skin tear which didn't require stitches and I'm nowhere near thinking about having sex. I'm too knackered for one thing! The DP on the other hand, probably thinks about it whenever I remove top to feed DD

Travis DD does grimace a bit sometimes. perhaps your baby has a bit of constipation?

travis sorry to hear about OH. Yes, lo makes loads of poopy noises like explosions and he curls his lip up when straining like Elvis and goes a bit red in the face. Clearly still hormonal as I think it's adorable lol .

bubba the dress is low cut and so I should be able to lop boob out and cover with the scarf :)

God, I'm just watching 'Come Dine with me' and I can't believe how rude some people are

oh boo salt - had visions of you rolling the dress up from your feet and lifting it over your head, glamorous-styleeee!!

I think rules have changed gallic but will check. Was a bit busy when the building work started (the day I went into labour!!).

travis - Lachlan not only makes a helluva lot of noise when pooing, but he turns scarlet too!!