Pred thread post-natal - our miracle babies are here!

[digitalgirl]

Wanted to continue our support group for those who had prednisolone treatment (or similar) for recurrent miscarriage and have thankfully made it onto the other side!

Great idea digi! I just hope the other new mums have the time to make it here too, in between lack of sleep and bleedin' nipples and whatever else you lot are contending with

Hope to see Stogan, iggi, Comedy and Coconut here soon.

Am marking my place now with the optimistic approach that I will soon be post-natal. 32 weeks and counting! Plus Charlie has the same due date so will hopefully start to lurk too xx

Hello . Good idea Digi. Will post again once I've finished expressing!

How did the expressing go igggi - is it improving?

free hopefully baby will turn in good time, but if you do need a cs you could be holding your little one in 6 weeks time!

Just set myself a reminder to book Franco's 8 week jabs for next week. How time flies! We had some friends over who 's eldest dc is the same age as ds1 and their youngest is 19 months. They were talking about hideous nights and awful teething reactions - and I look at my chubby little baby and think how lucky we are right now to have such a contented little soul. Obviously this could all change once we hit teething, but right now he is pretty chilled (as long as he's sleeping on his front!)

Expressing as I type (like you wanted to know that!). Def better in the morning. Have had 4 bowls of porridge since yesterday! And might try to get to health food shop for fenugreek etc. If crap gain at weigh-in tomorrow will need to look again at formula top-ups. Pah.
Jabs are just not nice are they, I hate offering up their tiny bodies to have pain inflicted! Though obv better than the diseases.
Free my LO turned breech/not b/breech again several times between 30 and 39 weeks.

Gosh can they really turn around that much towards the end!? Iggi do you mind me asking if why you had an ELCS? Did you have a CS first time round. Mr S reckoned there was a 70% chance at this stage that I would be having a CS. Something to do with both size and breech, but obviously, as you say, it can turn.

F Sounds gorgeous Digi - a lovely chilled, chubby little baby!

I handled one 6 week old and one 9 week old the other day - coffee date with my 'miscarriage friends'. They were all laughing at me as I was nervous to change position once I had a baby in my arms and it wasn't crying or anything. I think my arms went numb :)

I thought I would drag this bit of the list over.

Pred Thread Babies so far, may there be many more:

Thursday 31st May

Stogan - V high NKC - cycle#2, DC#1, Baby girl Ellyson (DC1) born Sunday (EMCS) 11/03/12 7lb13.5.
Digitalgirl - High NKC - BFP cycle#2, Baby boy Franco (DS2) born at 39+0 on Easter Monday, 9/04/12, 8 lbs 12
Coconutfeet - V High NKC, Factor II gene mutation, underactive thyroid - BFP pre-pred, started at 6 weeks, Baby boy Arthur born at 40+6 13/05/12 3.66kg
Comedy - V High NKC - BFP cycle#2, baby girl Matilda born DC#2 ? 39 weeks (ELCS) 14/5/12 7 lbs.
Iggi - High NKC & Hypothyroidism - BFP cycle#2, DC#2- Baby boy Thomas born (ELCS) at 38+6 16/5/12

I wouldn't know about the turning if I hadn't had such regular scans toward the end (due to my movement paranoia).
I had a ecs first time as well, due to a gynaecological condition but also by my request. This time, they said I could have a trial of labour but wouldn't get to have an induction or anything, it would be straight to cs. I knew I was in no state of mind to have a vaginal delivery, can't help if you are stressed and panicking before you even start! And so opted for repeat ecs. Also I know I won't have any more children so no issues with too many sections.

Have just been in tears as HV has cancelled tomorrow's visit when I was supposed to have him weighed again - aren't hormones great!

igggi do you have regular bathroom scales? I've been weighing F by holding him as I stand on the scales - taking note of our combined weight - then passing him to dh and subtracting my own weight. Am afraid knowing your own weight is a side effect of this method - so might not help with the blubby hormone situation. But glad expressing is going well.

I only saw the hv once and she signed me off saying no more appointments unless I wanted to see them. I think that's standard round here unless baby isn't gaining weight or has any other problems.

free thanks for dragging the list over. I look forward to seeing that grow. Btw you'll learn pretty quickly how to manouvre your own baby around. They're pretty sturdy things - just try not to drop it!
70% chance of a cs is quite high. Did you have an off the scale abdominal circumference? F's was measuring off the scale (everything else normal) and he is now on the 91st centile. I do wonder if the steroids help them grow quite big - I was told my placenta was also quite large. Glad to know all that food I was scoffing was helping to grow something and not just going on my hips!

Currently feeding on the sofa while dh and ds run an errand. Peace and quiet!

Hello I'm here too! Thanks for starting this Digi, great idea.

It's really good to see that you're optimistic enough to join us free! If you do end up having a cs, will Mr S do it?

Igggi - How much has T's weight dropped by?

I'm still waiting to get discharged by the midwife. Ds has still got a bit of jaundice so I have to feed him every 2 hours and keep him in the light, like a plant. I had my first full day on my own with both boys today (ds1 was at nursery Mon - Wed), and actually it was fine (had been quite nervous). We went to visit a friend and her ds this morning and ds1 had a good play, so I didn't feel too guilty about a quiet afternoon watching Cars 2 and doing a bit of baking. So much nicer than being at work!

Just to update on the weight, he was weighed today and in past 2 days has put on 80g. If he could maintain this level of gain he'd be at birth weight at 3 weeks. Must say I'm worn out with the expressing, and it seems to have made me start bleeding again which is weird!
Coconut I've to go for a jaundice test on Monday, did you have a blood test for that? Not enough sun here to make much difference!
We went out for a meal en famille last night which was really strange. Dh reminded me we had actually been to the same restaurant earlier in this pg, after my 6 week scan had gone well. Strange to have a happy memory for a change!
Hope you're all doing well and getting some sleep.
digi I have now stood on bathroom scales and am traumatised for ever!

igggi great news that he's gaining. As he gets bigger he'll be able to take more and more milk during the feed (so you won't need to express anymore) and will revert to his natural rate of weight gain so could speed up and jump up a few centiles. Ds1 did that after a slow. start.

Waves at coconut

F seems to have fallen asleep after only a 10min feed so will be back on later...

Morning! Amazingly F went till after 7am despite me worrying he hadn't had enough milk at 3. However I was sleeping lightly from about 4:45, aware of every grunt and snort! I am still amazed at how lucky we are that he sleeps - ds1 was and still is the worst sleeper.

coconut hope the jaundice clears soon. Are you loving maternity leave? I find I'm enjoying it a lot more this time round. I've had some bad days where all I've done is scream at ds1 for being naughty and text dh about what a stressful day I'm having - but I'm learning to work around F's routine to at least minimise his crying which helps a lot!

Anyway - it's a four day weekend, which means I have dh's full-time assistance for 4 whole days! Enjoy it everyone!

Great news on the sleeping!
Thanks for the weight advice, I do hope that happens as I don't enjoy expressing and feel very housebound by it - it's different if I was just doing it now and then in the hope of having some time away!

Hi all - thanks Digi for starting this - amazing that we are at the point of talking about actual babies!!
Had a BBQ today and a friend announced her pregnancy and for the first time in four years I was able to feel totally happy for someone and not like another small part of me had died. I just feel very lucky to be in ths position. M is also sleeping pretty well - am feeding at 10.30 / 2.30am / 7.00am so can't complain except that it would be even better if the feeding didn't take an hour each time! Hope you all have a good weekend x

Yay! comedy's here! Glad sleeping is relatively good for you too. Makes a huge difference I think.

I've been offered some freelance work to do at home. Not sure details yet but it's a lot earlier than I was planning to start asking around for work. Still, it should help pay for the week in Devon we've booked for August. The plan is to have either dh or my mum look after Franco and pass him to me for feeds. He can go up to 3 hours in the day. But am also thinking it might be a good idea to express for one of the feeds so they can go out with him and not have to rush home if he gets hungry. We'll see. He's 8 weeks on Monday, hopefully he won't decide to have a growth spurt on whatever day this work comes in.

Digi very impressed you are taking on some work already! And here was I feeling proud I'd managed to put some lipstick on! Hope it goes well for you.
Have just had lo weighed at bf clinic, he's gained lots since last week (when I started all the expressing) and is 2 oz under birthweight now which he should put on within 2 days. Feel a lot calmer about things despite being so sleep deprived

igggi great news he's nearly at birth weight. Are you going to keep expressing or do you think he's getting the hang of feeding now?

Did some shopping this morning and stopped for a coffee and a pastry with the two boys plus my two young db's. F had a lovely long afternoon nap while the older kids upstairs and I wrote two scripts today! Admittedly, they were only 10" scripts - but hey, did some actual work and brain didn't go into melt down. F now having an early-ish bedtime - wondering if he'll have an extra long feed to make up for only having 4.5 feeds today.

I hope you don't find that to be the case! Sometimes I think they have daily growth spurts. That does sound like a lovely (and productive) day

I'm hoping to stop the expressing (or at least bring it down greatly) but need to make sure he's at a decent weight first. HV coming tomorrow, hoping for a big gain!
Speaking of which I am enormous just now and growing daily due to vast hunger and biscuit consumption.

He did make up for it! Started the 'last' feed at 7.30, finished it at 9.45!!

He's just gone down for a nap about 20 minutes ago (after taking about half an hour to fall asleep) and now I have to put him in a pramsuit, crowbar him into the buggy and get to the gp's for his first set of jabs .

Fingers crossed for a good weight gain today for your lo iggi (I'm also still carrying a lot of pg weight - still in maternity clothes)

Hi Ladies! Great to see this thread and you all with actual babies. I look forward to joining you properly in the next couple of months. I think with free and me both being first timers we will be chewing your ears for some tips, I am sure :-)

Igggi - how did it go? Ds1 was really slow to get back to his birth weight and I remember being mighty pleased when he finally got there. He more than made up for it though and was a really rotund baby.
Very impressed that you've started working again digi. I'm going to try and take on some tutoring or something to make some money while I'm on mat leave, but need A to be able to sleep a bit more at night first. Ds1 was a shocker for sleeping so I'm hoping it'll be easier this time...

A has finally been discharged by midwife as they're happy that his jaundice has gone. They didn't do a blood test for it Igggi just held him in the light and checked his eyes to see how yellow they were. A very low-tech approach.

Very excited that free and Charlie will be joining us soon. I just wish that some of yhe others on the thread would have some luck and find themselves on this side too.

Waves at cheerful really excited for you!

coconut in the end I managed to do the work while F was napping so dh didn't have to lose any hours with his workload. There's no way I would have chased for the work though. Not planning on doing that till September when ds1 starts full-time school.
Excellent news on A being signed off! Hope he starts going longer between night wakings soon.

F was a bit more wakeful last night - possibly because he slept most of the day after having his first imms. Possibly feeling a bit off threw him out of sync. I did give him his first dose of the magic pink stuff too as I thought he was quite hot at one point. Hopefully tonight we'll be back to the usual routine - am knackered and we have guests for lunch. Could do with a bit more sleep, especially as I found out that my iron reserves are still v low. Am on spatone now to see if it helps.

Morning [giantyawnemoticon]
Anyone with 2 got ideas for how to cope with sleeping for about 5 mins in the night, and then being up and bouncy with older child all day?
I only have to do this 2 days a week, but I think it will kill me!
At the moment ds2 is rumbling about in his crib asleep, while ds1 is on sofa with toast and Scooby Doo. Can't do that all do though!
(Feel I should add that I am not of course complaining about this situation, still counting my blessings!)

igggi do you have any sahm friends? I often find meeting up with another mum in indoor play or their house means that there's a second pair of hands/eyes to help with baby or older child if one of them needs taking to the toilet or rescuing from a climbing frame etc. And at least indoor play is fairly self-contained.

I have braved the park on my own with both of them but it meant trusting DS1 to not fall off anything (not that he normally does - but sod's law...) - and sometimes the fresh air perks me up if I'm feeling knackered.

But, in all honesty, DS1 has watched a LOT of DVDs. He's on his third film this morning. We did pause it to make a birthday card and do some craft stuff but he got fed up of that after 20 minutes. I thought he'd be back at pre-school today but apparently it's a staff training day so he's back tomorrow. Thankfully DH is still working from home so is able to be that second pair of hands to help fetch things in between sending emails.

Does your older one have pre-school, playgroup or childminder you send him to? If not, might be worth looking up some classes he can do that you can sit on the side holding the lo and resting your eyes while someone else entertains him for a while.

Thanks Digi, your 3 dvd story makes me feel a lot better! I think ds really 'suffered' enough when I was pg and feeling like crap, I'd hoped to do better now. The not being able to drive post-cs really limits where I can get to. Good suggestions re other mums. It's been strange, compared to ds1 I've had hardly anyone visit this time, I guess a second dc isn't a big deal (obv is to me!)
I meant to say his weight has gone back up, was back at birthweight at 3 weeks. Another weigh in tomorrow -hoping they say I can stop expressing as I hate it

Can hear F's nose whistling as he sleeps on the baby monitor! So sweet!

igggi pleased ds2's weight is heading in the right direction, very good news!

F is a joy, just so so lovely . I feel guilty for cooing over him so much and then shouting at DS1 for being naughty. But then DS1 gets all my attention when F is napping. We're slowly making headway with the bad behaviour. Using more bribes to help him become self sufficient - a treat for every toilet trip he does all by himself! Pudding only if he finishes dinner quickly (rather than having one of us chase him round the house with a fork). Lots and lots of praise for dressing himself. This is all stuff he can already do, btw, just has regressed and refuses to do it without help.

Meanwhile am able to leave F for few more minutes at a time under the playgym or his cot mobile. We had some success with the buggy today where he actually drifted off to sleep as I was putting him in it rather than screaming blue murder till about halfway up the road. And twice today he self-settled in his moses basket! DS1 NEVER did that.