November 2011 - early birds, just in time and late to the party, all welcome!!

[TwoJackRussellsandapumpkin]

Hi all,

just starting up a post natal thread for all the due in November peeps on the antenatal forum and anyone else who would like to join in too, hoping to see my arrival by the end of the week, so officially an early bird I hope :)

If he was being overfed then you would see the entire contents of bottle immediately after feeding. They make a noise with it, it comes out of their nose as well and look so shocked. This was with DD who would over feed when growth spurting.

Ds is feeding a lot but not as regularly as your ds liamsmummy between 7-8 ozs every 3-4 hours 5 times a day. He is 16 lbs 15 ors, doesn't look overweight, he is just very long. Currently 98th percentile for length and weight. He's 11 weeks today.

tjuice yes ds has very bad cradle cap. Suddenly appeared when he was 10 weeks old. I massage in olive oil at night and in the morning 'bits' have come loose and gently remove them from his hair. I do use dentinox as well to wash his hair as well.

I'm really relived that people know what I'm talking about! We're having a cuddle on the sofa with my duvet and he's just been sick on the cat!! She was not best pleased!

Liams I think this thread is a reflux thread indeed!

Cradle cap We'd been given diprobase very early on for a rash and dry skin and then when Caitlin started with cradle cap the HV told us to use the diprobase as a sort of shampoo and to really massage it into her head. We've been doing that every couple of days since. It doesn't foam up like shampoo or rinse out at all so her hair is all greasy and horrible all the time! It does really help though but I'd love to hear other solutions so that I don't have a greasy haired child constantly! She's had no flaking at all for the last few days with it then we bathed her at my mum's yesterday and didn't have it with us. Her skin is now really dry again today and the cradle cap is back. It might be worth asking about diprobase next time you see the HV as long as you don't mind greasy hair!!

liams sounds pretty much like E... She's not eating as much as your LO but it's that watery sick (is it like flecked with milk bits?) an hour or so after bottle. I spoke to dr about it as I hated seeing her sick up, even though it doesn't seem to remotely bother her, and he said as long as its not upsetting her and her weight gain is good (she's always been great in that respect) then not to worry, she'll grow out of it. He didn't want to put her on anything for it. If you're worried or feel its upsetting your LO then maybe go see your dr for reassurance/advice?

Hiya all
cradlecap Willow had it pretty bad, think eyebrows and forehead and was prescribed a cream called either Timodine, or Fimodine. Anyway applied twice daily it went away within 4 or 5 days and has never come back apart from maybe a couple of flakes hidden in her hairline. Not sure what people think about using steroids, but it does contain a v mild one as well as an antifungal, but frankly given Willow's hefty prescription habit I'm squeamish anymore, and unlike anticradlecap shampoos which I used on DS, this hasn't burnt off DD's scalp!
Well I looked at the calendar and realised we've had 13 medical appts this month. Turns out Willow's acute zinc deficiency is likely to have a genetic cause and she'll need supplements for life. So not caused by my BFing her as suggested by one particularly charming paediatrician who said you only have to look at yourself to realise how zinc defiicent you are (I think after three nights of under three hours sleep (acute irritability is a symptom of zinc deficiency), following a fairly trying 13 weeks, I was indeed looking a little 'peaky'), I particularly appreciated her colleague telling me not to feel guilty for having decided to BF DD, just as well I didn't listen to them and quit.
It probably didnt help that one of the diuretics to stop her fluid build up in the nicu from turning into congestive heart failure has also been shown to wash away 60 per cent of zinc reserves in neonates. I guess we'll find out the answer after we're all tested, hopefully sometime this fortnight.
On the plus side our local hospital opened a new children's ward this month, with books and toys in every room, and Peppa Pig videos and computer games in the waiting area. DS wept when we had to go home.

Kate - yea it does sometimes have little white bits. He seemed better earlier but he's soaked 4 bibs in 2 hours just!! Pft! No it doesn't bother him one little bit. He is normally smiling when he's sick and giggles his little head off when you wipe his chin
That's what the HV at the clinic said.. That as long as his weight gain was good it wasn't worth putting him on anything. We tried him with gripe water but he wasn't much for that, he also had ifacol but that just didn't any difference at all. I just hope he settles when he starts sitting up! How old is your LO? x

Oh and to add to the unofficial reflux thread, I think doctors will act on it if it's either interfering with weight gain or causing severe distress and disrupting sleep. Even gaviscon can cause constipation and some of the other meds can have some fairly hefty side effects - think hallucinations are one of the ones listed on ompeprazole . I think most doctors reckon all babies puke quite a bit and some babies just love to puke lots. DS was one of those but we were ignored because he was so hefty. I was told at one of Willow's appts today that he likely had a dairy intolerance too, which two years too late, he's now totally grown out of. Maybe that's why he didn't sleep through for the first 16 months .

Somersaults you could try aqueous cream as it dissolves in water - my older LOs are prone to dry skin & we have diprobase for after baths & wash them using aqueous cream - it does make them super slippery though

liams she was 12 weeks yest...where has that time gone!!! E has infacol before every feed as she has always suffered with her wind although that's improved massively in last few weeks. I guess they just settle as their digestive system matures...hopefully same will happen with reflux...I think they do say it goes when they start to sit up. I guess until then it's just muslins on hand at all times and a lot more bib washing ! 4 bibs in 2 hours is good going...how much comes out?!! We found gripe water totally hideous...tried it twice and it immediately made her vom her whole bottle back up quite violently...needless to say it got sacked off pretty sharpish and reverted back to infacol and massage.

Thanks alicat, I think we'll try that.

Kate and liams Abi loves gripewater - I think it's because it takes the edge of stomach acid and freshens her mouth after vomming so much.

Well, I had a senior HV over last night for some results of Abi's NBAS assessment. Needless to say she found Abi to be a stressed baby, and prescribed lots of quiet time, even more so around immunisations. We identified some key triggers to her eating behaviour, mostly put down to her very early experiences with hospitals and medical interventions. I'm relieved to say that her eating has improved - she will now take up to 5oz over an hour, albeit fussing still.
I'm just hoping this is the end of the problems we've had, and that weaning will be a time of healing and re-discovering eating as something pleasurable and fun!

And this morning she pulled herself up to sitting holding my hands!

Quite a few people have told me to use Infacol - hv and other assorted well-wishers - I was wondering why I should? W is a complete fart bag - he hates being winded because he hates coming off the boob. He seems to pass all his wind without problems, His hour of fussy cryng always ends in a poo... My point is that I don't see how infacol would improve anything?

His farts I think come from his greedy fussing, when he is full still trying to latch but he is on/off taking in air. Though I ate louds of cabbage last night and we are both pretty noisy lol.

Pam I really wouldn't bother with infacol - most babies have a bit of colic or wind but it generally sorts itself out by 3 months with or without any intervention. We tried it a bit and TBH didn't see much difference and I am far too disorganised to give it every feed so it fell by the wayside with no noticable ill effects.

Luke is a complete windbag and does some almighty trumps which make everyone giggle.

LOL at the cabbage - I wouldn't dare, didn't even have sprouts with my Christmas dinner, now that WAS a sacrifice!

Hi Liamsmummy I'm another owner of a refluxy baby - is it something to do with November births do we think! I'm not bothering with any medicine, 2/3 of the way to the magic 3 months now and things are definitely improving. I'm persevering with baby massage but tbh I think it's just Blake getting older and his digestive sysem maturing that is helping. He is a real boy - his giant burps and farts are still always accompanied by a huge grin...

Hope you're OK hadak, your last post sounded really down and you're so lovely to everyone I don't like to see that! If giving up BF is the answer for you then go for it. Blake's days of exclusive BF are certainly numbered :)

Congrats on Abi's progress cali.

Uh oh the wee monster awakes.. Gotta go...

busy do you seriously like sprouts?!!

Ok major ructions here tonight. Does anyone think there is a connection between breastfeeding and feeling the cold?

I've never been one to complain about temperature but since W was born I'm cold all the time and even when I'm not waving me pendulous orbs about feeding I'm chilly. We are now fighting daily over the central heating and I'm getting increasingly upset by it.

Is it just me or does bf make you feel the cold more?

[sorry completely self absorbed as I'm upset]

Pam I'd have to say yes - I think it's the hormones - I'm pretty much either cold or sweating! I'm wearing cost pjs at night which I don't usually & it's not just for when I'm sat up in bed in the wee small hours.

Cosy even

pam I think bf has made me warmer. I always used to be cold but now I never am- but we also keep the house warmer so who knows. I'd guess the hormones could make if go either way.

Emily only takes 4 oz in her bottles. Hard to tell how much she gets when bf. I have a hard time pumping - I know I still have milk left but it won't come. I've tried thinking of baby and drinking water. Any other tips?

Mmm, sprouts - Hang on, didn't we have this conversation?

I love sprouts but they don't love me!!!

I am warmer at the mo but it might be cos of the stone and a half of insulating lard I am currently trying to shift!!

Eh? I must have missed the sprouts conversation, stinky things, although I do love cabbage if it's cooked properly, so they might be like sprouts-lite?!?

Not much going on here, life is a bit too much of a round of milk and dirty/wet nappies, love the boy to bits, but trying to save money so am a bit limited in what activities I can get into. I do know some people through antenatal classes etc but don't really have that much in common and there is only so much baby talk I can get into. The really sad thing is that I reckon that J will just be getting moving and doing more and more fun stuff by August when I have to go back to work, such is life though eh?

On the plus side, have just booked a mid week break at Centreparcs in Cumbria for three weeks time, its a holiday that we have had to change dates on three times, so by hook or crook I'm going to be there, whatever happens!!!! So looking forward to getting away from the house for a wee while :)

Anyway, moan over, how is everyone today?

Infacol Caitlin fusses and cries a lot before she poos and for a week or so was doing all the crying but it wasn't ending with a poo, she just cried all the time. The HV suggested that perhaps her immature digestive system was having weird peristalsis as her milk moved down which was making her uncomfortable. She suggested infacol as it sort of emulsIfies in the milk and helps ease it down the digestive tract. It has definitely helped her. She's more regular and the crying and fussing before the poo is less.

She had her 8 week jabs today. I felt so sorry for her. Her poor little face! The doc gave her the first and there were a couple of seconds of a sad, unsure look on her face before she realised it hurt and screamed! Poor baby. She's just not herself this afternoon. I'm just giving her lots of love, hugs and boob!

I bought some aqueous cream so we'll try that for her head and see how that goes.

Also, my downstairs area really isn't back to normal! I've seen the doc three times now for various downstairs issues and it just seems to be one thing after another which is just so irritating. Can't believe it's all not right after eight weeks. I knew with the episiotomy that there'd be recovery time but I really would like my bits back to normal now!

Someone posted a link a long time ago to a site with lots of wall stickers and such. Would whoever it was mind posting that link again. I'm ready to finish the nursery it would be greatly appreciatedas I haven't found another site that's anywhere as good