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.

Kits you have had a rough time, I definitely find combing towards the nipple works well for me when I have an engorged boob in the night. I'm lucky that I've not had breast thrush or mastitis though. I would have thought if you are on a fairly broad spectrum antibiotic for your wound infection that it would also cover you against mastitis.

I still have a baby that won't nap in day unless being held or out in pram, hard work, but fortunately he will sleep at night for 4+ hour stretches. Last few nights I have actually had to wake him to feed in the middle of the night because my boobs feel like they will explode if I don't. I wake up with rock hard boob and soaked through breast pads, I think because he feeds ++ in evenings so my supply is constantly being stimulated to increase.

Dd thinks G is learning to speak as she told me he said Gulp to her yesterday. We are getting lots of gurgles and smiles, which more than make up for the evening squawkathon.

I've just booked myself and G onto a postnatal yoga course which starts next week which I am really looking forward to.

Whoops just realised time, need to pick up dd from nursery!

I'm back! Phew, that took a while!

Kits do you have a veiny looking rash on your boob where the swelling is? Dr said to me rash=mastitis no rash just a blockage. I had the rash.

Combing in the shower use shower gel to lubricate, much gentler on the ole boob.

Can I ask any Moby wrap users, how the hell do you get your child in it on your own without a major incident? And how do you position their legs?

Oh kits big hugs. You have been through it.

I haven't posted for a while but am keeping up on you all.

S is 3 weeks now. When should I start tummy time? And do I simply lay him on his tum?

Hi all, haven't posted for a while as I am useless at one handed typing.

Lis I put the wrap on (in the newborn hold - C is still under 9lbs so that works for us), I then put him over the shoulder of the shoulder I want his head nearest and then sort of jiggle him into it, putting his feet and knees under the boob opposite the shoulder he's on. Once he's half in I pull up the front bit of the wrap so that he's held securely and then make sure that the two cross over bits are around him snugly. I hope that helps, it's quite hard to describe but I don't find it too difficult to get him in and it feels safe.

Kits I have no advice but hope you feel better soon.

I haven't really started doing any tummy time yet and feel I should but whenever I put C down on his tummy he just screams. He's corrected age is nearly seven weeks so I feel I ought to be doing it! He's really not interested in the playmat or any toys yet. He just likes looking at mum and dad, lights and trees.

C also goes mental if he gets overtired. I sometimes put him down for a nap during the day and he does go off. If he doesn't or I've been out I take him out for a walk in the wrap (guaranteed sleep) or he will sleep in the vibrating chair too. I'm still working on him being awake for an hour in every three. That's a lot of sleep but he seems to need it. Then I worry that he's not alert/awake enough - worrying about whether you are doing it right seems to be the default setting for motherhood!

Baby massage was good, though I had a crying baby at first as she got too hot on the way there as I'd stupidly left her overdressed in a sleepsuit. Once she calmed down after abit of a feed she seemed to enjoy it. We did legs and a belly massage for evening colic. We repeated the massage last night and did seem to have a quieter evening - the massage is meant to bring on farts, so what did M do? - burp! She then slept on my knee from about 9pm, had a tiny feed at 10 then slept til 3, feed and change, slept til 7, feed and change again and slept til 10am! Not sure whether that's due to the massage, the heat or just a lazy baby but will try the massage again tonight.

Well ladies, wish us luck as we areoff to the hospital to see about Bs tongue tie. I'm a wreck, but B seems fine!

Will report back later!

Oh Lis good luck!!

Good luck, lis. Remember you've both got to learn breastfeeding over again, so don't put too much pressure on yourself to get everything right straight away. If B gets fussy at the breast try LOTS of skin to skin and let him find his way rather than you latching him on.

I'm typing this on my new I pad. Dh bought it as a surprise, a sort of push present i guess. I got rings for the other boys but really didn't need anymore jewellery. I am a lucky girl.

Phew it is hot here today, I has a short legged romper on as he was over heating in a long legged one.

Whilst I's sleep at night still isn't great, a loose routine/pattern is emerging, so hurrah for that. It gives me something to work with

Oh god what a terrible day :( am currently typing from hospital...

Casually mentioned to HV this morning about Js projectile vomiting and HV thought that combined with lack of weight gain, constipation and slightly decreased appetite that J may have pyloric stenosis. So saw GP straight after who referred us straight to hospital. I have been absolutely beside myself with worry.

Good news is doctor thinks unlikely to be pyloric stenosis (which requires surgery) as she thought J would be vomiting after every feed rather than just evening. Blood tests were taken (poor J screamed so much as they struggled to get vein)- now waiting for results to check for infection. Doctor thinks reflux likely diagnosis so will start on meds tonight. Need to monitor vomiting as if increases need to come back.

Keeping everything crossed the bloods come back fine and meds for reflux help. Also hoping J goes for poo soon- hasn't been since 10am yesterday and she normally goes 2-6 times a day. Anyone elses LO have sporadic bowl movements? I feel physically and mentally shattered.

I also have to add I can't believe I've been worrying about routines and whether I should be holding J to sleep. This has really put everything into perspective

Thinking of you daisy

Good luck lis

Oooh, daisylulu hope everything is ok - how old is J? Megan suddenly stopped poo-ing everyday at about 5 weeks I think and now generally goes 2-3 days but when she goes she really goes! Then she surprised me this week with going 2 days in a row.
M has been a bit more vomity the last day or so - I'm thinking maybe it's the heat? How are other babies coping with the weather?

daisy that sounds awful :( At least action is being taken though rather than you struggling on with the vomiting etc. ((hugs))

Lis T has been in his own room from about 2 weeks and is fine, DS1 was in his room from just a few days....they just wouldn't settle at all in our room. T actually didn't sleep much in his crib even in those first 2 weeks as I ended up having to go and sleep in the lounge with him in his bouncy chair lol.
It's a personal decision and you have to weigh it up but I think it is quite common for people to have problems with space and you then have to decide between co-sleeping and their own room. I have a monitor and our door open so I can hear and I have found it works fine.
chilli T hates tummy time but he does the leg thing aswell and is getting there with his head.
kits Savoy cabbage leaves, cooled in fridge, bashed a bit then put in bra is very soothing.

Daisy - hope things are ok asap.

Lis - best of luck, wish we'd had DS1's TT snipped, they don't do it here (grr). But it eventually stretched on its own so feeding got easier.

Feeding still sore here, 2 days left of thrush pills. Not convinced they're working.

Well, TT has gone! It was probably more traumatic for me than B. He was more upset because they had to wake him to do it. Fell back to sleep right away. Tomorrow we are going to have a skin to skin fest and get BFing going again. I just hope it works.

Daisy - Hope everything is ok?

Glad to hear it's all over Lis. Hope everything's ok Daisy.

Hey all

Just wanted to check in, have been trying to keep up but as you all know, it's bloody difficult. I never got round to posting birth story and it all seems a bit too late and to much of a distant, traumatic memory now to bother, suffice to say it was long, I had everything (amr, drip, epidural, episitomy, forceps etc) and afterwards infection in open stitches, and now a severe reaction to the anti biotics - cue bright red lumpy insanely itchy rash all over body - particularly massive boobs - and poor little rubbish anti histamines for breast feeding ladies.....grrrrr!

Other than that we're doing pretty good, Thomas is gorgeous, and massive, on the 99th chart thing for everything, he is v tall!

Am thinking of you Daisy must have been v scary, and of you poor Lis hope all is ok now. We're doing fine with BF, except that T likes to cluster feed all evening, which I find horribly constricting, however, I realise it's a small price to pay for a relatively easy baby who is clearly thriving.

I'm also trying not to worry about routines and holding to sleep, but I agree, its the way it is for us new mums

xx

Hi everyone - thanks so much for all your well wishes.

Joy's bloods came back normal so doctors think it's reflux. Started meds last night and, it might be coincidence, but she didn't have her usual evening projectile vomit and she went for the biggest poo ever :) feel v relieved but taking each day as it comes. She is grizzly and windy this morning but having to remind myself that a certain amount of that is normal in most babies.

J is 6 weeks on Monday so is reassuring to hear that a slow down in bowel habits at that time can be normal.

Hope everyone had a good weekend planned

I've missed the forum, been having a rotten time.

Rose ended up in hospital being treated for severe jaundice half way through first week and now it turns out she didn't need all the traumatic treatment or me being told the "worst case scenario" because the original nurse had used the wrong chart (you might remember Rose kept me waiting for her birth to the extreme) and did not take into consideration the huge blood count she received from the placenta still being attached to her when it was delivered.

Then we started living under the shadow of threatened redundancy for my husband..so he's not easy to live with and I'm walking on eggshells.

Then this week Rose rapidly developed projectile vomiting, a temp of 38.5, small red quickly spreading spots all over, sticky eye, snotters and then I couldn't wake her and she was breathing very quickly then stopping then starting again as it was the evening I thought I should get some advice from NHS24. They sent a paramedic within 20minutes and then an ambulance blue lighted us to hospital where after a battery of tests involving many tears (it's awful when your child's blood clots very quickly as they just keep going with trying to harvest blood and she's now covered in bruses..it's heartbreaking because you know that you have to let them do their job but your screaming baby and them saying "don't worry they won't remember all this" really doesn't help). We're home now and it turned out that she has a virus which will go on it's own. Thank God.

I've got tonnes of catching up to do so I'll go back and catch up with the April ladies news over the next day or two.
I've missed the forum.

Oh Arch it sounds like you've had a terrible time. I hope you've got good friends and family to help you. I also hope your husband keeps his job, not what you need at the moment.

It sounds like some of you are having a rough time of it.

Arch I'm glad Rose is getting better, I can't imagine watching all those tests I had a bad enough time with the 8wk injections. I also hope you husband gets some good news about work. Oh and the forum has missed you too!

Kits I hope the boob is feeling better. I haven't anything to add to the advice the others have already given except that I found a cushioned handbag sized hair brush very useful for boob combing when in the shower! Helped to reach the awkward underneath and armpit bits.

Daisyloo I'm glad to hear that it's reflux rather than anything worse (though having read on here I see reflux isn't exactly easy to deal with). And yes, poo'ing often gets less frequent in BF babies, S has gone 4 days between poo'splosions this week and boy did they explode!

Lis great stuff that the TT is sorted, my fingers are crossed that BF gets going quickly for you both.

We're having a BBQ today so in order to avoid an over stimulated baby from lots of well meaning cuddles I'm going to have him in the sling mostly I think. DH says it's meant to not let people cuddle but they're all strangers to S and I'll be the one that gets left with the grumpy baby other wise!

Anyway, hope you're all able to enjoy the sun and have a (well deserved for many from the sounds of things)

It just occurred to me to ask if anyone knew if there was something I could eat to put a more anti-viral attribute to my breastmilk?

Arch so good to hear from you. Was getting worried. Although I'm glad to hear that all is ok now. I was a mess yesterday when Blair got his TT snipped and that was nothing compared to what you've been through.

Currently sitting with B on my chest happily snoozing. He'snot showing much interestin boob though. But i have patience!

Morning ladies.

arch what a horrendous time you have had! I don't think the composition of breastmilk changes, I think it is what it is - ie. an amazing superfood with stem cells and everything!
Although I highly recommend the Rachel's coconut greek yoghurt that kits said about, as dairy and coconut are both good for milk production. I am eating a bowl now!
Fingers crossed for your DH's job.

Lis glad the TT is gone, can imagine it must have been awful :( You have a fabulous excuse now to sit about and do nothing all weekend

We still can't persuade T to go to sleep before 1am, it doesn't seem to matter when he has napped in the day or what we've done.
But last night he slept all night from 1am until 7.15am, had a quick feed and then straight back to sleep again until 9am. So I am feeling pretty human today.