Just mumming (viroids 1)

[fraktious]

So we don't scare the viroids on the antenatal thread with horror stories of no sleep, chomped boobs and endless laundry or make them envious with tales of cuteness....

Great idea!

I do like to keep in touch with the group but still hard to think what to say!
How's it going?

I am just starting to feel really tired and yesterday was the first day I could have cried at anything but today the deamon of yesterday is now my little angel again

I think we are definitely past the worst now. 2 months old and consistently sleeping 6 hours at night, last night was nearly 8. Nappies are down to a reasonable amount so we wash once every couple of days. Feeding beautifully and gaining at an amazing rate although DS and I are both being ravaged by persistent thrush. Smiles all round and DS is just so happy and interested in everything.

We've even shagged once...

Oceans of sick though!

I hope you're recovering well. You had a tough time IIRC!

That's reasuring that the sleep gets better, about 4 hour max gaps at the moment so can't complain really but 8 sounds bliss.

Thrush is such a bugger to shift and think we have shaken it but keeping a close eye now. Have you had the nipple cream as well?

She's feeding really well and still growing on the 91st centile so consistant from my 16 week scan onwards.
I'm enjoying BF but not many do around here and not much support from the HVs so disappointing after my great MV.

I'm healing well, feeling good and I can't believe that horribleness was a month ago now.

Good going on the shagging- do I remember you saying you had a bad tear?
I am enjoying pouncing on DH again without a huge belly in the way

2nd degree tear. I was quite scared about shagging again tbh but it wasn't painful. It felt different but not in a bad way. Boobs are totally off limits though! DS gets very proprietorial when feeding and it would feel a bit weird if they were dual purpose!

8 hours is a good night after an evening cluster feeding. Last night was only 5 but his evening was totally disrupted because we went out for dinner.

Time to admit I belong here now.

Helloooo!! Found you!

Well viroids, it's been quite a fecking jouney hasn't it! And in the grand scheme of things it's only just beginning. If I had time to think about it, I'd say the prospect was quite daunting

As my babies should really still be inside me for another 3 weeks, they are sleeping quite a lot. It's literally wake (or be woken) feed, change and back to sleep! Although we had a crazy moment last night (second night out of hospital) where they cried for "no reason". I think they both just wanted cuddling.

I love the fact that my body is my own again. I think I'm going to have a ceremonial burning of the nasty silk PJs I had to wear cos of itchy skin while pg. I'm back in some of my non-maternity clothes (jeans a way off yet!!). I've only got 6lbs to lose and DH and are are going to JS any moment day now!

Crying baby....back later

Hello! More groupies-Love it!

BB Where they in Neonatal? My DD was as well and it was such a strange experience I would be good to 'speak' to someone else who has experienced it.

I am loving throwing away the big nickers but I am hating the nursing bras that I really need to find some nicer replacements for and would love not to be leaking for a while!

COOAF Welcome!

Yes cowboy the babies were in the NNU for 9 days. They started with CPAP (air blown into their lungs) and then needed phototherapy for jaundice and were in an incubator. They also had problems maintaining their temperature and feeding/sucking and so were tube fed for over a week. It's been a strange experience. Oddly at no point was I ever really worried for them. It was more that they had "routine" problems rather than nasty or dangerous ones. They were born at 35+5 weeks.

I also found the Speciall Care experience quite helpful personally/mentally...I never felt quite connected to this pregnancy (never being the maternal type), then I went ahead and had a CS meaning the babies were taken out of me from behind a screen (all great for me and exactly what I wanted), but again there was no real connection there. So 9 days in SC helped me get to know the babies gradually. Strange but true

Nasty silk PJs gone, big knickers gone, bleeding stopped, ready for a good shag I'd say!! (Note to self: phone docs and contraception appointment!!)

Good work already being ready for a shag BB! I know your fanjo was 'spared', but still . That said though my fanjo is feeling a bit confused and despite the stitches is feeling a little randy. I think it's the feeling of healing (tender itchiness) confusing things. DH ain't coming near me for sometime!

Hi ladies and welcome to the other side. Believe it or not but I now have a bouncing, rolling, dribbling, purée eating 5 month old. Where did the time go. You all sound like you're coping really well.
Any other early shaggers with new people yet?

I've dragged this out from the old graduate thread (with updates), please correct me if anything is wrong!

Fuzzywood - Evan James, 28 Jan 2011
Gormers - Eva Rose, 10 Jan 2011 (at 27 +4wks!)
Frak - Marc
Cowboy - Felicity, 28 May 2011
Brassicababe - Meredith Rose 5.7lb at 212am}
Barnaby William 5.8lb at 213 am} 23 June 2011
ConfessionsOfAnAchingFanjo - Alba Elspeth Anne, 01 July 2011
Takethatlady - Isobel Edith, 03 July 2011

BB That was the same as my DD but she was overdue. I understand what you mean about being able to bond with the babies more slowly as the way I felt after the section I dont know if I could have mentally coped with the responcibility of looking after her.

Looking at all the stuff especially the CPAP it was hard to remind myself that it was all considered routine to them, but the staff where amazing and such a culture shock when we had to go back to the maternity ward.

I do recommend getting the contraception sorted sooner rather than later as it was a little embarassing to have to call our Practice Nurse and ask for a quick appointment as I had aready jumped on my husband once and I didnt want to risk it again. And even 3 weeks post section JS'in so so much better than pregnant

What a lovely list!

Yep, cowboy good point on the contraception, jumped DH's bones last night between feeds (Between feeds?! There's a concept...at that time of night it seems to be about 30 mims, but that's a whole other post) Surely I can't be fertile 12 days after giving birth

But, O-H M-Y G-O-D it was good to JS in missionary position again!!

So is everyone too sleep deprived to post or are they haning on to their past lives?!

Twins are tag teaming at night?! Grr! During the day they are on 3 hour feeds waking one after the other. At night one seems to wake one hour after the other! We had been waking one when the other awoke, but then they would only feed a little bit and wake later anyway

Sleep is just a dream, or would be....!

I'm no longer too sleep deprived but the other thread is still busier

JSing with twins! Wow! We've managed it, um, twice in 2 weeks....

Everything I think of to say would be random and out of context here. Esp as I can't join in the JSing talk.

I am exceedingly impressed that I am only 4 kgs off pre-pregnancy weight though. Not quite ready to try the pre-preg jeans yet though...

Awww coaaf How's your DH doing? And how are you coping?

Pre-preg clothes are the best feeling in the world. I optimistically put a skirt into my hospital bag and was in it the day we left. Tummy still a bit wobbly but definitely getting there, which is amazing given the amount of refined sugar I'm eating....

I can't keep up with the other thread but I try!

Keep thinking about you with the twins as I have said so many times in the last 6 weeks that I wish I had more hands just with one so I don't know how I would be able to look after 2!!

Well done COAAF, great on the weight. How's it been going?

I'm smaller now (except the boobs) but in-between sizes on jeans so am going to start trying with some exercise and eating better once I have finished this last pack of choco digestives. I really want a new tattoo so be better once I can shift some more back fat

I'm currently wondering if I can park DS in front of Cbeebies and sneak back to bed for an hour with DD (I sleep while she feeds and sleeps). I know I'm kidding myself though.

All going well DH will be home on Friday and he'll be back to normal, so able to help me look after DS. All things considered I'm doing pretty good. DD is still sleeping a lot so I am managing to get some sleep at night and spend a little time with DS during the day. Mostly though I've learnt I just don't have any energy reserves and have no shame in plonking DS and myself in front of the TV much more than usual. I also have a slight MN addiction as it allows me some adult interaction.

BB there is a twins Mum on the June thread and she said she's glad that they are her first children as she doesn't know any different other than to do everything in double.

Am I supposed to be doing something with these babies at the moment? They wake, I feed and change them and put them back to bed. Am I missing something? I tried putting them on the mat/baby gym thing yesterday, but they just slept there instead of the moses basket.

Twins are waking every 3 hours at the moment and it takes an hour to feed/change them. So that leaves 2 hours in the day for "stuff" and 2 hours at night for sleep! Although at night they seem much less settled than the day time! Suddenly their nice sleep patterns go out the window, they wake at random intervals and won't settle themselves.

Glad DH is doing well and coming home coaaf

Now the weight has come off on it's own, the hard work begins....boredom and tiredness dicate that I must eat highly calorific rubbish!

Not really BB. In the beginning we just sat or lay and snuggled, fed, changed and dozed. It's only really in the last month DS has got into playing. He smiled and interacted from 5 or 6 weeks and I've always carried him a lot (difficult with twins but not impossible!) but toys/mobiles have been that popular until recently.

So my view is attend to their immediate needs, cuddle and talk!

Thanks I'm trying to make sure I carry/cuddle in equal quantities! But I've not just mastered carrying them both at the same time!

Can I ask another question frak? How long can I keep made up forumla before chucking it?

In SCBU we were using ready made forumla and were able to keep using an open carton for 4 hours before throwing it away. At home we're using powder which I add to cooled boiled water just when I need it. But the twins sometimes only have a little bit then want more a short while later. Clearly I can use the same bottle if we just pause to change a nappy for example. But how long can I keep that bottle on the go? I've been throwing it away after about an hour, but then got to thinking it's hardly different from the ready made stuff which we kept for 4 hours. (We've been only FF so everything is done at room temperature. There is no heating up/cooling down going on)

Firstly no no no cooled boiled and add powder. The powder absolutely has to go into hot water as it isn't sterile and could contaminated with salmonella or enterobacter.

Frak's quick guide to FF:

Making fresh is best. A bottle will keep for around an hour at room temp and if you need to stop to change baby recap the bottle to prevent nasties from around and about settling on the teat.

Use 70C water to make up formula to kill the nasties.

Method 1 for immediate use or storing in the fridge for approx 12 hours

Boil 1 litre of fresh water and leave to cool for 30 mins
Measure out desired quantity of hot water
Add formula powder
Shake
Chill either using a tray of cold water with ice cubes/freezer packs or under running cold tap
Serve immediately or refrigerate for 12 hours (24 max)

Method 2 for screaming baby

Boil kettle with fresh water
Pour half desired amount into sterilised bottle
Wait 5 mins per 100ml so water reaches approx 70C
Add full amount of formula
Shake until fully dissolved
Add half required amount of pre-boiled cooled water so you've added the full amount of water and shake. The bottle will appear more full but that's because powder adds volume. It should now be room temp.

Method 3 for out and about

Pour 1l water into thermos flask
Pre-measure formula into little pot
Prepare as many bottles of half the amount of boiled/cooled water as you think you need with storage caps
Prepare as many sterile bottles with teats as you think you need
Follow method 2 above using water from the flask and topping up with water from the storage capped bottles as bottles are needed. If in doubt err on the hot side.
Beg a bowl of ice cubes if in a cafe or similar, otherwise have a flexible gel filled ice pack for rapid cooling

Alternatively if it's a short trip take premade bottles but use or discard within 3 hours if stored in a coolbag with freezer blocks, 1 hour if at room temp.

Tandem carrying is definitely possible or wrap one and have one in arms

Oh and powder isn't the same as ready made because ready made is pasteurised so it's only environmental nasties you need to worry about, not stuff that was in the powder and has started reproducing, hence being able to keep it open longer.

Bloody hell, how did I miss that one?!

How does this work for needing to feed at room temp? We've never BF.