Jan 2012 - Higgs Boson Gang pt1

[Oeisha]

Link to antenatal thread for convenience

Not a very good title, but it will suffice 'til we fill this one in record time!

Congratulations to all that have popped so far!

[MissRee]

Congrats emmy

[ghosteditor]

Emmy my DD has almost exactly the same feeding pattern as your boy and she lost 20g at her first weigh in. And she has a lot of wet and dirty nappies!

[SlightlyScrambled]

ghost i think the lasinoh could be better as it's lanolin and not petroleum jelly. Lanolin comes from sheeps wool rather than oil. I would be worried about the baby ingesting. But then, I'm a bit of overly cautious anyway.

sho had a wee giggle here about the lady asking you if you were sure, not the kind of thing one forgets!

[shonnomanom]

Congrats emmy

[SlightlyScrambled]

Congrats Emmy. Sounded like a great birth. Scary about the cord though.

[ParsleyLion1]

Yes missree I pulled her off. I thought she would loosen her grip.

I know the finger hook technique now!

Is there such a thing as milk bliss? Now the milk has come in she's just blissed out all day

[MissRee]

I always think Freya looks drunk after a feed

[emmyjj]

Rafey does that too! He sort of lies back looking all zonked out and every now and then he has a little windy face that could pass as a smile (if i didnt know better!) after he finishes feeding!

ghost good to know Juliet has a similar pattern - I keep getting worried during the day that he hadn't had enough and then he'll guzzle all evening to make up for it! His ten day weigh-in is on Thursday so I'm hoping he is back up to his birth weight.

Newborn poo - is it always runny? Rafey's is mustard yellow, pretty liquid but with grainy/curd like bits in. I think it's normal but not sure if it is too loose?

[Moobee]

Congratulations Emmy and welcome Ayearoverdue!

parsley another one wincing slightly.

My baby has a wide mouth but then narrows once she actually is on the nipple the crafty thing. Still, she gained 7oz in 4 days so she's obviously getting milk.

Sho at the old lady

Uterus - does anyone else have slight sensitivity where their uterus is if they press? I had really bad stomach cramps yesterday in that region. I'm fairly sure that was only constipation but doc and midwife suggested uterus. I was told I could wait 24hrs to see if pain went. Intense cramps have passed but the uterus is still achy if the area is pressed. I don't know if that's normal...

[FrillyMilly]

Moobee is it your first baby? After pains are normal as your uterus needs to contract back to normal. Can be worse when you are feeding. I had some cramping after DD but this time it's a lot stronger. Midwife told me after your second everything goes back a bit quicker. I've just been taking paracetamol to ease it.

[Moobee]

Thanks Frilly, it is my first and I thought there might be some sensitivity. Doc and midwife thought cramping might be an infection though and want me on more antibiotics. I'm trying to resist as I've only just cone off the last lot!

[abeautifulbutterfly]

Hi you guys, good to join you on the other side.
I announced our DD3's birth on the FB group but haven't been back on MN since so a quick update:
Ruta Franciszka (Ruth Frances/Francesca if you "translate"it) was born at 4.20 am on Thurs 19th, weighing 3.54kg (Ithink that's about 7lb 12 ish), 56 cm long. Lots of lovely dark hair like her sisters when they were born.
LAbour was fast - first cx at 11.30 pm, immediately every 6min, so we sent the very excited girls off wrapped in dressing gowns and coats and went in, shortly afterwards they upped to every 2 mins, and I really only had about half an hour of difficult cx before a 20-min 2nd stage.
NOt particularly happy about how the birth was managed but at least it was over quickly and I just have a few stitches. We are both well, came home Sat and are in baby bliss land...
DH isn't working atm so we are all cocooned in a little domestic oasis. The girls are over the moon, and completely devoted slaves, fetching, carrying, choosing outfits, helping to bath, and even change nappies. WHen we carry her from one place to another, one of them marches in front announcing that Princess Rucia is coming!
BF is going well, she is a non-nonsense but enthusiastic feeder and in between times just looks about for a while before dropping off for another 3 hrs.
Emmy if your LO is exclusively BF that sound like perfect poo and the more of it the better.
COngratulations to all those who have given birth in the meantime and managed to get back on the comp quicker than me - I have lost all interest in it and am having to force myself to send people emails and photos - I'd far rather be crib gazing!

[fishandlilacs]

how are the post c sectioners feeling? i am still a bloody train wreck tbh. My mental health is very wibbly, I have wound infection and I keep dry wretching like i'm going to be sick. I am aware i need food to keep up the old breast milk but I have no appetite. I am also struggling to sleep and then I start to panic about how i'll feel. but babes did 6 hours then 2 hours straight last night-trouble is didn't sleep til gone 1 what with getting up and being ill. i am feeling so guilty about my 4 yr old, who is turning into a cling on.

I am terrified this is going to be a carbon copy of last time mentally-it appears to be so far. But there is one crucial differenence in that i'm aware of it this time.

[SlightlyScrambled]

congrats Butterfly. She sounds like she is very tall/long. Lovely that your other girls are doting on her.
My DD fell in love at first sight too. I was worried about jealousy needlessly. She's only 2 though so can't help with the nappy changing, poor me!

Emmy that's textbook breastfed baby poo and will stay that way until other food is introduced. That's why they say it's very rare for a bf baby to get constipated.

[ayearoverdue]

fishandlilacs when was your CS? Sorry I've not read the whole thread. I had an EMCS under a GA after 2 days of induction and forceps. It was 3 weeks tomorrow since DS was born and physically I feel fine. I had a long stay in hospital though and was treated for infection whilst in there so I was pretty well when I was let out. Mentally I feel a bit crappy about the whole thing, if I think about the birth I just want to cry, I felt ok about it at the time. I always feel worse on days where I've had nearly no sleep though. Have you spoken to your MW or HV about how you feel?

[ParsleyLion1]

Hey fish I ended up with an EMCS in the end but to be honest it was well managed and somewhat inevitable with hindsight. I've not hit the baby blues yet. I seem to be healing ok but am worried about infection and ripping my stitches as I'm quite sore.

I'm a bit worried how I'll cope when OH goes back to work but hopefully I'll be a bit more mobile by then. I keep feeling faint but they think it's not eating properly rather than an infection or anaemia. I keep forgetting.

It must be very difficult with infections and also with your DD. I'm restricted but at least it's just me. If I felt worse or had other people to look after I'd find it ain't overwhelming tbh xx

[ParsleyLion1]

Ain't? That was supposed to read a bit overwhelming damn you autocorrect.

[emmyjj]

Thanks butterfly and scrambled, there is just so much of it I wasn't sure if it was normal! We are exclusively breast feeding.

I'm in awe of you girls doing all this post c-section, it's a major operation and it must be so tough with a wound to care for and be restricted by along with looking after a new born. fish knowledge is power with all things mental health, if you can recognise the signs that is half the battle, as it puts you in control. One of my closest friends is a doctor with a history of depression that also runs in her family and she always says that it is because she is able to spot the signs and grapple with the beast early on that means she is able to stay well.

Hmmm had boob out ready to feed and spent a few mins cooing and talking to Rafey before popping him on to feed, and top an cushion completely soaked with milk! I guess that's the famous let down reflex! X

[Spagbolagain]

Hi everyone. DS2 is 2weeks tomorrow, cant believe how the time has flown. He has days and nit very much the wrong way at the moment, so doesn't settle till 5in the morning. As DS1 gets up shortly after 6, I am getting pretty much no sleep. Feeding was awful at first due to tongue tie, painful scabby nipples were agony. We had it clipped last week which has made a huge difference. He is feeding about every 90 mins, but put on a pound in 7days so I guess it means all is ok, if only I could get some sleep!!!!

Yes, copious runny yellow poo is ideal for bf babies. Especially the kind that shoots up the back of the nappy and makes it all the way to their neck :o

[Mum2be79]

Brilliant to see lots of people joining us at last!

William has 4 feeds a day and 3 feeds between 7pm and 7am. Going relatively well. We are combination feeding but managing to express only about 3/4 times a day - each time between 4oz and 8oz. I've dropped the night time express and so far my body is managing but when I miss my afternoon express, God my boobs tell me! I've read the advice and decided mastitis is NOT for me and therefore will drop an express every so many days so that by 8 weeks (thereabouts) I will be totally on formula.

William is on SMA Gold. He didn't have a poop in 30 hours but then today he did 3 explosions in 2 hours and another straight after his bath - typical male! I think he was getting used to combination feeding as we've only totally started it on Saturday.

Hiccups - William gets them ALL the time. Even a couple of hours after a feed and certainly when he is on his back. We have a special 'anti-reflux' mattress which is raised at the head end and this does nothing. The only thing we find that works is lying on his front, upright on my chest or lying on his side. Knowing the SIDS risk, we have resorted to lying him on his side during the DAY but somehow we manage to lie him on his back at night?!?

His 'tiny baby' clothes and 'new baby' PJs from NEXT no longer fit him. The gannet eats/drinks so much that he's growing at an alarming speed. We think he's now 7lb 5oz - a big step from 6lbs 6oz at birth to 5lbs 13oz 5 days after birth then back up to 6lbs 4oz 11 days after birth, 6lbs 2 oz 3 days after that and then 6lbs 10oz 2 weeks and 3 days after birth.

My mum leaves on Monday. How the hell will I cope? We're having an extension built at the moment and in grand 'man fashion' DH has taken more of an interest in that than his son. [bangry]He gives the 7pm feed at the moment and THAT IS IT! (He will steer the pram when we go out to the shop - all 2 times since birth!) I must be Domestic Goddess, mother and career woman all at the same time! Mum is doing the housework and gave me a night off on Sunday (bliss!) but after she is gone, I won't have time to do everything!

[SlightlyScrambled]

M2b, In this country they reccomend sleeping on the side. It differs in every country, i guess. It is because if the baby vomits during sleep, they wouldn't choke on it. Or at least that's the reasoning I was given.

Sounds like William is doing great.
Have you talked to your husband about taking over all the duties your mum has been doing?

[abeautifulbutterfly]

Scrambled I also put Ruta to sleep on her side for the same reason, just can't be happy about laying her on her back until she can turn by herself...

Fish how much help are you getting with things, esp. with DD? When I had DD2 DH had to step up to the plate with DD1, who was onlz 20 mths, and it proved a superb bonding time for them, so I found I didn't have to feel guilty about not giving her much attention. The Complan or similar sounds a great idea for getting calories inside you. You've had a hell of a birth, be easy on yourself. These are for you

Can any of you natural types help me? We have really hard water and LO's skin gets really dry after a bath. I massage her with olive oil after a bath, but is there anything I can put in the water to soften it a bit? Is it porridge oats? If so, how, practically speaking? Tie them up in gauze? And how much?

[MissRee]

Just added a couple of pics of Freya to my profile

[mrsrvc]

Can I join please? Dd born on the 20th Jan by ELCS. All good so far other than a touch of jaundice.
Disappointingly I'm going to have to start waking to feed at night as she's doing 6hrs between breast feeds... Feeding 2hrly during the day though.

[mrsrvc]

Just read that post and realised it was a bit of a crappy introduction! I'm on phone if that's any excuse! So here is another go!!
Dd is called Thea and was born by ELCS at 38 due to a complicated history. She still weighed in at 8lb 3 though. She's had a good if sleepy first week and I'm doing pretty well after the ELCS, it's my second section so I was worried I'd feel worse. O have got cellulitis in the skin though so on some pretty hardcore antibiotics...
Her big brother who is 20months seems to be adapting well and asks for cuddles with baby all the time , so far so good!!
Looking forward to getting to know you all!
Rx