April 2011-kicking back drinking lactulose cocktails and riding the maternity surfboards

[Petalouda]

Post-natal thread for all the antenatal April 2011 Family!

Share the birth stories, the baby blues and everything else.

Gosh that sounds all quite frightening kitty. Glad you and Samuel are both safe :) Congratulations!

lucie I know the feeling. We're getting back to normal, although we have little relapses (like today, I feel like a zombie already).

JKS I am most envious of your decent night.

caramello we have daily poos here, up to 4/5 times a day! And little wet farts all the time..typical boy!

Congratulations Kitty and a brilliant name choice (not that I'm in any way bias, obviously ). Hope you're both recovering well, I'm thinking boys called Samuel like to make things a little awkward as my Sam was back to back as well!

We're still having fun (ha) and games with feeding but I do manage some painless latches and feeds which are keeping me going. S also seems a lot happier since the poo'splosion of yesterday, I'm guessing it was the result of the curry I had the other night! Though hopefully he's settling back to his every other day poo routine rather than the antibiotics induced twice a day.

DH has been great this weekend in letting me snooze a little by doing the night time changes so I feel a little more human, and can actual smile again without feeling like my face will crack! DH did try to bottle feed S some expressed milk but he's now flat out refusing the bottle, so I think we're going to have to work on re-introducing them otherwise it'll be interesting when I go back to work and S is in nursery.

Yesterday's great adventure (for me) was to go get fitted for a bra...I'm now a 32E I know this pales into insignificance compared with the huge boobs some of you are battling with but I only just filled an A cup pre-pregnancy so to me my ladies seem huge!

Hehe we are going to have our hands full Beatle

I just had my first post op shower and my cut bled where the start of the stitch was. Is this normal. Dh had to put a plaster on it. I'm terrified of getting an infection. I was in tears in the shower. I have a phobia of it.

Sp beetle

Oh my god Alibaba I just about cried when I read your post......after tipping 3 ounces down the sink this morning!! :(

I was always going to get rid of the milk I expressed when I got home last night - which DP helpfully drank!! Yes he was a little inebriated! But I was swithering about the batch I pumped this morning, even as I was tipping it out I was thinking "maybe it would be ok??" totally gutted now as I should have went on my instincts! I only had 5 drinks last night so there would have been absolutely nothing wrong with it!

Gone are the days of going out and getting plastered, I really didn't have any inclination to drink and just kind of had a few to be polite, strange since I used to be a right lush!! Remarkably they had a pretty limited effect and I came home only a teeny bit merry!!

Robyn was very well behaved for grandma and grandad as was DSS. He went to bed at 7pm and she slept from midnight til 5am and then again until 9am!! Hope she keeps that up for tonight!!

kitty hugs for you after your first shower - I was scared too and didn't look at the scar for at least a week. I think it was Ali that give all the top c-section scar advice. No. 1 keep it clean and dry so after your shower or when you clean it with water dry it off with kitchen roll - this doesn't leave any fluff like a towel might. I'm now 7 weeks on and patches of mine bled on and off (just spots really) really up to last week. I worried about infection too, not sure whether i got a bit of one but did take some antibiotics and it's well on the way to recovery now - it's like someone flicked a switch after 6 weeks and I feel virtually normal (though still being careful with it and drying with kitchen roll - I just carefully press it dry).
Also air it when you can - if you get a chance lie on the bed and push your pants down so it can air off. Unless it's bleeding lots it's probably best to do without the plaster if you can, though I worried that my knicker elastic irritated mine and made it bleed (hence I kept with the big pants for ages as they went no where near it :) )
I think i also had problems as i kept using my lower half to wriggle in and out of bed whilst holding baby and I think this stretched or pulled it a bit and didn't help - try to get your DH to take baby off you so you can carefully get yourself out of bed or off the sofa.
Good luck with it and congrats on baby Samuel.

Thanks chilli will take the plaster off and roll
My big pants down later. I am the same re bed. Hard isn't it. It feels really tender today since she took the stitch out and final dressing off. Like I've gone backwards.

I think the fear of getting an infection is the worst part of a cs. The swab the MW took from me on day 5 came back postive for an infection and I've just finished a course of antiBs. However, I had a reaction to the metal of the staples, like cheap earrings, so the infection was local to the staple sights and not in the wound itself. Two weeks from the op and my scar isn't weeping anymore, DH has a look every night for my piece of mind, but I haven't looked at it yet. It's logistically difficult as my flabby belly hangs over it (yuk). I'm still quite swollen and that's the most painful part of me.

DH back to work tomorrow so it's me B and my mum. Mum has said she will leave me to deal with B mostly, as long as she gets some cuddles. Really all I need her for is if I need to go anywhere in the car. But it's nice she's staying :).

Still plugging away with the pumping, I've got some nipple shields now, so I'm going to try to get him on the boob tomorrow. Wish me luck!!

kitty - just go slowly for another week if you can. Keep moving so that you get lots of good circulation to the area, but don't try and do anything too quickly. Keep your scar as clean as you can, have a look and you'll realise it isn't that scary :) If there is any moistness or oozing then clean that away (I used Dermol which is an antimicrobial lotion/cream), as that is what will cause an infection.

Lis - good luck with the feeding! At least you have your Mum there for some moral support and to bring you cups of tea :)

MrsW - oh no! I was so hoping you would see my post before you went out. Never mind, PITA as it is to pump, at least there is more where it came from

Lol at people not looking at their csection scar. I remember not daring to either and I always got dh to check it for me.

I used to have a bath with lavender oil in, pat the area dry (not rub), then lay naked on the bed for about 30 mins so the area had a good chance to dry.

I can't believe the surgeon used staples Lis or that people had their stitch removed, I thought dissolvable stitches were used pretty much all the time now. The idea of someone fiddling about on the wound site post op makes my knees go weak.

I finally got the bouncy chair out today within 15 minutes it had lived up to its name of the poo chair. That's 3 out of 3 who have poo'd as soon as they go in it

DS had a growth spurt Thurs night - Sat morning then spent most of yesterday sleeping it off. I've now got huge knockers and I has been going longer between feeds - hurrah.

On the downside, ds's behaviour has been pretty appalling this weekend. I know I's arrival has been a huge change for him, but my God our patience has been tested. Even DH has got cross a couple of times and that is not like him at all. Hopefully things will improve tomorrow as he seems to be better when DH isn;t about (he's a Daddy's boy).

I've got I's hearing test tomorrow - the only downside of a hb. We have to go and get him tested rather than being done in the post natal ward.

Right I'm off to bed soon - I'm reading The Handmaid's Tale as recommended by a few people on here I've just finished Room (very good, can recommend) and The Red Queen by Phillipa Gregory (ok, not as good as her others).

I used a magnifying mirror to look at my scar. Propped up on the side of the bath to see it to clean.

ILike - I specifically requested staples this time, because it allows for excess fluid to drain out and reduces the risk of infection. I was really nervous about having them removed, but the midwife was incredibly careful and only one of them pinched a little.
I also insisted on them being left in for 8 days rather than 5 so that the risk of it pulling apart was less.

I am amazed that you are getting time to read! I am trying to read Stone's Fall by Ian Pears on my Kindle, I've managed 2 chapters in a month

chilli - me too.

Go on kitty - be brave and take a peek!!

ILTMIMI I am impressed too by the fact you are reading! I am just too tired to concentrate on a book at the moment and i can't really hold a book open with one hand whilst breastfeeding. I have mastered one handed typing on our netbook though!

I think we are heading into colic stage with G. Evenings are pretty hellish. Crying constantly from about 5-11 unless he is sucking on boob. I think sometimes he may have wind ,sometimes be tired and actually needs to be put down rather than picked up and cuddled, it is really hard though working out what the problem is! going to try putting him down in bouncy chair in quiet dark room tonight and just leaving him to see if he will settle but only for max 5-10mins.

Other news is I have a job interview tomorrow! have been self employed for past 12 months. I don't have any clothes that fit as still wearing my maternity trousers and can't get into my smart work clothes. I feel totally unprepared too. My mil is going to come with me in car to interview ,then I can feed G, hand him to her to be pushed around in pram ,then peg it into the interview. I'm not holding out much hope for getting the job as I won't be looking or performing my best but hey ho ,hopefully they will be slightly impressed by the fact I am keen enough to want the job and turn up to an interview with only just having had a baby. The job was advertised to start in oct but I hope if they want me I could persuade them to let me start in Nov instead when I will have been able to get G weaned and I have a place for him at dd's nursery. Wish me luck!

Oooh Jen good luck with your interview!! You're mad to be thinking about work already though!

When is everyone else returning to work if they are?? I start back on 29th January next year which doesn't seem like far enough away!!

Not much new to report here, had HV this am but she didn't weigh R as it was done on Friday at breast feeding group. At 3 weeks she is 10 ozs heavier than her birth weight so I'm happy enough with that! Can't believe in another week she'll be a month old already, where has the time gone??

Good luck Jen

mrsw I go back nov 14th. When is baby first weighed?

kitty, Megan got weighed by the midwife each visit and usually weed on the scales too. Since being signed off by the midwife I need take her to the baby health clinic at the Childrens Centre,she also got weighed by the nurse from the health visitor centre last week.

Good luck tomorrow Jen

I think I provisionally go back to work next March as I applied for the full year, didn't realise the last bit was completely unpaid but we'll see how we go.

I'm theoretically back August 23rd, which is better than if I'd not had the summer as well. Standard postnatal mat leave here is 10 weeks.

I just ordered more BumGenius nappies and might have accidentally added a couple of flips. Anyone got any experience of them?

So a third night of good sleep! Am in shock. DP is due home in the next hour or so but H and I leave for France in the morning

Had a bit of a meltdown yesterday. My family are very supportive but they want to hold H all the time and sometimes I have to ask repeatedly for him back just to feed/change him. He starts to cry and I say 'He needs a change/he's due a feed' and I just get ignored until he goes supernova. I feel like a mega cow after being very bitchy and snapping at everyone. Being the first to provide a grandchild/nephew is just a lot of pressure, sometimes I want to cuddle him but I have to join the queue.

Perhaps H sensed my upset and decided to be extra good He's also been doing some comedy farts and making mummy giggle.

Sorry Frak cross posted. I use BumGenius v4s too and I love them! Even a very sceptical DP will use them. No experience of Flips though.

Cycle I feel your pain. We have MIL visiting and all she wants to do is hold M. If he cries she just cuddles him even when I say he needs a feed/changing because he "can't" be hungry... That said she did do all the washing up and dealt with the ironing backlog this morning. But there are times that you just want your baby for a cuddle.

I have totally converted DH to cloth Preference is for Bumgenius then terry squares because he thinks nappy nippas are the neatest invention ever.

Glad it's nit just me Frak. I'm probably being a bit PFB too but there seems to be an expectation that I can't cope. Plus the first suggestion is always 'I'll take him for a walk so you can have a rest', I'm not entirely ready for him to be far away from me for long yet (he's only six weeks) and when I know for a fact he's hungry and have said so that's not terribly helpful.

Oooooh yes that winds me up too. Friday MIL swept in and said she was taking him out in his pram for an hour so DH and I could have a rest. Then left with him. I was in tears after 10mins and DH had to text to ask them to bring him back.

I don't mind leaving him with DH but I do mind him going out without me. The world is a scary place!

I'm also getting the feeling that I'm not expected to be coping - my mum said something about not feeling anxious anymore when I spoke to her - I don't recall saying I was. MIL was constantly offering meals in the first few weeks even though I'd stocked up the freezer and most of the time felt fine and was happily cooking meals from scratch as normal. It was good to have the offer but I like to be able to choose what to have, now if she'd been offering cake....
I think she was disappointed I didn't want to go with DH to a gig last week and let her babysit, that said it was a poonami night it would have been nice for someone else to deal with that - I cut the vest off

We got home Friday and sat mil popped in with flowers and champagne which was nice. Put sam in his Moses basket because 'he doesn't need holding all the time'!!! So I had to listen to my son cry til she left a few mins later. I had my plan on his routine bit we had only been home 24 hours ffs. And actually that pm he slept in it for three hours so ner. I sympathise ladies! I too know what u mean about just wanting to hold him yourself. :-)

Spooky. Nurse just came to do the heel prick test and she weighed sam. He was 8.6 and is now 8.1 which she said is perfect and praised my feeding. Yay.

I remember being in tears when MIL took ds out for the first time - and he was perfectly fine as he had been changed and fed. It's something that's visceral I think. I was a complete state and ds didn't leave my side (unless with dh) again for months when I was totally ready to let go. It's still the same 3rd time around tbh.

And why people insist on keeping hold of a hungry baby and not giving them back to their mum is a complete mystery to me. Why? WHY?

Well done on the feeding Sam and Kitty