Due Feb '06 but they couldn't wait that long!!

[TicTac]

Come on Feb '06 girls....

Teuch - I hope you find me here. Really short stats list but here you go

TicTac - due 3rd Feb '06, Peyia was born 23rd Jan '06

Morning girls,

I hated the first day DH went back to work Frizbe, don't know if your dh is the same but I realised how much help he was when I had him with me all day. Is quite nice now I am a little bit more settled being on my own from time to time though.

Cuffy - REST, REST, REST - major operation and all that!!! (Do I sound like your family? )

I always find putting ds down at night much more difficult than I do through the day. He is in a crib next to our bed but I don't think he likes that either - he seems to like his pram for suring the day though. He decided to stay awake and cry all through the footie last night - DH and his friends were not amused

Have decided to start changing from breast milk to formula for a number of reasons:

• I have hated every minute of breast feeding and it has caused tears on numerous occassions.

• I just feel like I have no freedom, particularly when ds has cluster feeds which seem to be every couple of days.

• I can share the load with DH

• The mastitis is kicking my ass!

Ha ha, after writing that it seems I am having to convince myself that I am ok about the change. Still getting a bit upset about it but I know it's for the best for me - at the end of the day I have done it for nearly a month so he has had the best of it.

Hope everyone else had a good night.

Hi girls glad to see we are all here at last with our tinies!!!

I could do with a bit of advice re spots spots and more spots - i like things nice and boy looks more like 14 year old than baby with his spots.

I know they are best left - i do bathe them in cooled boiled water - but how long will they last????

Idont want to show him off with skin condition from hell!

First proper chiropractor session yesterday... and the first feed after it he latched on to the bad side properly . I was so excited that I phoned my mum to tell her . Not quite such a good latch this morning, but it usually takes a couple of sessions to sort of take properly, so hopefully another couple of appointmets and we should be fixed.

Night from hell last night - I was exhausted from the night before, so DH spent most of the night trying to sooth howling child while I drifted in and out of sleep. It definately is wind with him rather than colic - you can see it all round his chin :(

My cloth are now leaking too! The small popper wraps are too big, and the nappy is just hanging out... I only have one velcro wrap, so looks like I'm shopping! (Oooh the hardship .. found a welsh rugby stuffable that is very tempting )

Hope all those in pain are feeling a bit better today.

Last day with DH home today :( Off to register Emrys, and then possibly pizza hut!

Oh I forgot to add about the baskets etc... these little guys have spent 40 weeks (or more) scrunched up inside a warm tummy next to a heartbeat - its not surprising that they aren't all that keen on being put to sleep in an empty basket. I've been putting him in the carrycot during the day (but not often), but when it comes to main sleeping, he still wants to be cuddled, and for the next few weeks at least, I'm just going with co-sleeping.

Chloe - It is the right decision for you. You have tried hard, and making yourself miserable isn't going to help either of you. It doesn't help that there is so much bad feeling about bottle feeding, and although we're not meant to make decisions based on what others think - we all do. I am still torn with the whole dummy issue right now, I feel it would help settle him, but I just keep thinking "But I didn't want him to have one" and when I try and ask myself why I didn't want him to have one, it is purely because of how it looks!

I remember it took a while to find the right teat for DD - she had problems sucking a few of them (but I'm now thinking that you've already been mixing for a while?)

Congrats on the successful feeding Flame.

4b1p - ds had a bout of spots for about 5 days - I was embarrassed to show him to visitors too Spoke to the HV about them, she said they are as a result of becoming too hot and/or stressed (ds had them at the time I just cried and cried whilst feeding so he was probably stressed through me) not a lot you can do apparantly. They have cleared up now though.

I was expressing for dh to give a bottle in the mornng, these past few days we have been giving him one bottle of formula in the morning as I was finding expressing quite painful, we were just going to continue like this until we felt it was time to stop/wean but I think I was just continuing for the sake of others and like you said, that shouldn't be the case. I am a bit happier now I have made my decision but I am still a bit worried I might look back and regret it.

As for dummies - when ds was really unsettled I wanted to try him with one and dh was a bit like you in the sense he HATES how they look. Anyway, after many sleepless nights we gave in and tried him - he spat it out! I know you have to try different teats before one suits but after that we just decided not to bother, sometimes I still think about getting one just in case but so far we haven't.

Hi guys - can't believe the timing on your messages!! The last few nights Sally has kept me up almost constantly because she never seemed to be finished feeding - she'd fall asleep at the breast, then scream when I tried to put her in her basket - she seemed to hate it. DH and I were getting pretty upset, as these screaming fits were sneaking into the daytime too. Co-sleeping was lovely, but DH is settling to sleep better and is getting too close to squashing her for my liking, so an end to that too.

There does seem to have been a simple explanation though - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'm right,...
I switched breasts during the feed last night, and the poor little mite gulped hungrily at it!! I didn't think she was reaching the end of the first breast, as she seemed to be sucking at it contentedly, but it looks like she was. After a little while asleep in the bed she settled in her basket too, so we're going to plan bedtimes a bit better - a feed followed by cuddle time to help her fall fast asleep, before we are too sleepy to manage it!
I'm also going to put her down in the basket during the day a bit more so she can get used to it. She's only a week old, so there's no way I'm going to leave her screaming on her own.

Much sympathy to those with partners returning to work I'm dreading it. 1 and a half weeks left.

Hi,
1-handed bf typing here, so apologies if it's rubbish.
Antibiotics seem to be working, starting to feel better I can walk without looking like a cowboy now.
Ds has decided that he wants feeding every 1-2 hours, day and night, and would like me to hold him upright to sleep at night, so not getting much rest
He also is not keen on basket, but will tlerate it for an houror so. Co-sleeping gets me longer between feeds though. DPis a very heavy sleeper and I worry he wiil crush the boy, so I sleep with the baby on the outside of the bed ( we have a matress on the floor, so not worried about him falling out)I do have to sleep upside down in the bed to feed on the other side thiough.

Hi all,
Sorry ladies ut I have not been on for days so can't really catch up with everything but I think I have picked up a dummy conversation, co-sleeping and Chloes fixed the feeding...

Chloe - I am glad you have gone with what is right for you and not what others think. There is so much preassure on us new mums without other pocking their noses in over feeding!

I am still co-sleeping with DD (6 weeks old!!!) she settles really well. She was waking herself up by hitting the side of the basket and that's why I put her in our bed. I am going to start to put her in the big cot soon though...

She is still just getting up for 1 night feed (around 3am) so I am getting a good 3 or 4 hours in a block now....feel more tired for it though.

Hope all the colic is clearing up and you are all still happy in motherhood....I will come back on and catch up properly really soon.
XX

Wondered where you'd gone TicTac

I co-slept with ds last night after one of his feeds, I am still doing the night feeds on the breast and we both just fell asleep, when I woke up he looked so cute I couldn't move him. DH isn't really for co-sleeping though as he worries about squashing him and also he worries that there might be problems getting him to kip in his own bed - I see his point but as I have no experience either way I won't argue. I also found myself sleeping in a fairly uncomfortable position so I didn't wake him, I am a figiter!

I alternated feeding during the day yesterday between bottle and breast, boobs felt fine all day, not engorged or anything but they seemed to make up for it last night and this mornig, I am leaking all over the place

First day all alone

Been up since 6.45am, and so far the shortest one is dressed, the next one naked, and I have made the grand achievement of wash, bra and knickers (he announced a need for food before I could get clothes, so I decided to come on and feed ). Aiming to make it to my friend's house within the next hour... will be interesting to see if it happens

She's having DD for the afternoon because I have hearing test and chiropractor. Feel a bit like I'm cheating... my first day alone is only really half a day

Much better night last night - he even slept in his cot for a whole hour (Its sad when an hour in bed alone is a good thing ), the wind was much better and apart from waking for feeds, and a nappy change (this child wees for England!), we had a nice quiet night, and I woke vaguely human!!!

Hope your boobs are ok Chloe - I remember sitting in a hot bath and just pouring milk everywhere when I was changing DD to bottle... a hot flannel made it feel sooo much better!

LOL at your boobs Chloe...I woke to a damp..well wet bed the other night! I don't even know why as DD is feeding well on both boobs.

Oh, she weighs 8 pound 2 ounces now :-)

Wow, she's put some weight on hasn't she! Oscar now weighs 11lbs 3oz so something was obviously going right with the breast feeding . I was thinking this morning when I woke up to a drenched bed that I bet I have ruined my mattress now - I do sleep on a towel but it soaks through, any suggestions on how to get sour milk out of a mattress?

Afternoon girls!

Just like Flame this is the first day with just me looking after the dd's. Flame - well done for posting so early!

It is going better than I thought, had visions of me still being in my dressing gown when dp came home! In fact, myself and the dd's were all washed/dressed and fed by 10.30 - quite good for the first day!

Dd's have now been fed again and dd1 is sleeping so I will have some lunch and a chill!

Think myself and dd2 have thrush - she has a yellowish coating on her tongue, and my breasts sting a bit after feeding - you girls got any advice?

Made an appt with the GP but has been cancelled as he is ill - so may have to wait until next week!

BF is going better than last time apart from the stinging - just need to crack the cradle hold and then will bf in public. At the moment, I do the clutch hold during the day - boobs would be a bit too much on public display.

La Leche lady came out again and I now can feed lying down in bed - just needed to trust dd2 that she knew what she was doing and let her latch herself on - was afraid that it would kill my nips - but didn't - hurrah!

Hope everyone is doing O.K - will read the posts properly to catch up.

Leaking boobs here aswell - all over our new mattress
Have been co-sleeping with dd1 - she settles so much easier and we got four hours sleep last night.
Co-slept with both ds and both transfered to their own cot and then bed well at 1 year so no problems from our perspective. I always sleep wih her on my left so dh can not squash her and we all have far less disturbed sleep as a result. Not everyones choice I know but it works for us.

HM - Please try and get another appointment with another doctor - if its thrush then the best thing is to get it treated straight away. I know that there is the live yoghurt route for normal thrush, so I guess that would soothe your nipples, but while it is still in the mouth, it will just keep coming back :(

Think I'm scaring DH with how much more bloshy I am with this baby... last time I would hide away to feed, and he was all worried about DS needing feeding while we were out yesterday - he seemed surprised at how "Its my baby and i'll feed him where I feel like it" I was - the fact that he never woke might be why I was so confident though . That, and me getting stroppy with the HV has made him see just how much more confident I am about being a mummy now. After 2 days in a row of sitting round waiting to see if a m/w would turn up, I got sick of it, so when the HV called to arrange a day to come do the hearing test, I told her that I had appointments at x,y & z, and she'd have to give me a time she was coming so that I could be sure I wasn't booked. She seemed a tad annoyed, but I am now past caring....

Oh, and I was at my friend's before 11am!!! All proud of myself... the weight will be falling off me at this rate though - I was worn out after getting sorted to leave!!!

Flame - There is only the one GP at my surgery - I assume they must be sorting out a locum for tomorrow so will try then. I have started up a new thread asking for advice. Am I mad to consider waiting until next week, dd2 seems O.K and I can live with the stabbing pain at the moment - will it get worse?

Re weight loss - I have lost 2 and a half stone and can wear some of my prematernity clothes - only got 1 and a half stone to pre-pregnancy weight - yay.

This afternoon am meeting up with antenatal friends from when I had dd1 - so hopefully they will amuse dd1 whilst dd2 sleeps and I have a coffee. (Wishful thinking methinks!)

I think it might be a case of the longer you take to get it sorted, the longer it will take to clear up... I think the pain might get worse too, which could go on to reluctant to feed/blocked ducts/mastitis etc. That isn't medical fact though, more vague recollections of something I might have read

HV been - sooo much nicer than she was last time... maybe she was just having a bad day! DS now weighing 9lb 1oz ... he is under on his length apparantly (hence being in diddy clothes still). Hearing all fine.

Afternoon all. We had a fab night . Friends (who have a 'textbook' 9 week old) came over last night with dinner and a fresh pair of eyes to observe Pippa, and it looks like some of our problems were due to me misreading her 'overtired' signals. We managed to get her down for a nap, and then at bedtime she was her usual difficult self, but we soothed her with a mixture of baby whisperers advice for touchy babies, and swaddling . We had thought that she hated this, but was trying her in blanket instead of sleeping bag, and as tight cuddles helped calm her rage, we tried combining the ideas. She ended up sleeping for a while in cot, then from 11-4 in basket, and again from 5:30-7:45 in basket, after calming another middle of night tantrum. Hopefully we can keep it up and I can teach DH the techniques when he's back.

On the weight front I am back to pre-pregnancy weight, and Pippa was up to 10lb 5oz on Tues, so had gained 12oz in a week. :)

Sounds like we're all starting to feel a little brighter now, though sympathies to hotmama with the thrush.

Tabs - checkout you back to prepregnanacy weight. Well done.

Rang NHS Direct and they advised to contact my HV - doh didn't think of that! Obviously, they are all out but a message has been left to ring me back - just want someone to say if it is thrush or not and if so to give me and dd2 some drugs.

Apart from this I am fine.

Am trying to be strong and not weigh myself when I am at my mums (her scales are better than mine) - think I'm better off not knowing my weight

I thought of calling your HV just now HM (which is why I came back on!!!)

We've got the sling sussed... he was in it while I got DD sorted this morning, and even put make up on , and has fallen asleep in it again now . In just a few hours I think it has already been worth what I spent on it!!!

Rang my HV - she doesn't think it is thrush as my nips don't sound 'thrushy'. She thinks the pain in my boobs may be becuase dd2 is getting to be a more efficient and stronger feeder - does this sound plausible? Her feeds do seem to be shorter etc.

I'm seeing my HV on Monday anyway so hopefully things will be O.K. until then.

Re Slings - which one have you got?

I suppose the HV does make some sense... if the jaw muscles are suddenly stronger and she's sucking harder, it would make them feel different.

I've got a ring sling - goddessmums (don't think they still make them though)

Hi Ladies,

Have not had a chance to come on here much over past few days but DH now feeding baby so I have some spare time!!

Tabs - hope you are feeling a lot better and you too Cuffy. Having a c-section is painful enough without getting an infection so lots of sympathy to you.

DS has been really sick this week with a diarroah and sickness bug caught from my 3 year old niece at the weekend (I'm not impressed they brought her round like that) He has been sick after every feed and bringing the whole lot up and then yesterday afternoon the diarroah started. He is still poorly now, saw doc yesterday and he said he was ok and not dehydrated and to try water which we have but literally everything is coming out the other end now and he was just sick with his whole feed again. Think I will call HV tomorrow and see what she suggests if he is no better. Literally every nappy I've changed today has been pooey and there have been more than normal too.

He also has an infection in his belly button and has cream for that but on Tuesday he has to have it quarterised (kind of frozen like warts etc) as a section didnt come away after the other bit fell off. Apparantly it is common but poor little man as he has gone through everything this week.

As for me I have post natal depression and now on medication. Not sure why I have it as the baby is great, really good and lets me sleep for 3 - 4 hours at night sometimes more. I am a nightmare in the evenings, lots of crying, snapping at DH and getting racing heart and nervous feeling in my belly. HV is coming on Monday to do the PND questionnaire thingy and hopefully I will feel better in a few weeks on the tablets anyway. Dont think having a poorly dog helps either and as there is a lot going on I think it has all got on top of me.

Glad everyone is over on this thread now, congrats to ladies who have recently come over (sorry cant remember who that was but Alfred's mum is one). Hope everyone gets a peaceful nights sleep tonight - fingers crossed eh!!!!