October 2012 babies - we meet them at last!

[YompingJo]

Getting thread in place in readiness!

Angelico That does sound like a UTI, but worth going to GP if it gets any worse just in case it's a post-CS complication. I'm not speaking from much knowledge or experience, but sometimes an infection does develop. But I don't want to be alarmist and if you're getting stinging/ discomfort when you pee then it does sound like cystitis. Lots of water will do no harm!

PS Plus health visitor/ midwife should come and see you rather than having to go to GP! Give them a call first if it's not better tomorrow.

Is it possible for there not to be any milk left?! DD2 been feeding for 3 hours now- still wants more but if I squeeze myself there's def nothing there (unless her sucking is more efficient?).

Hi! Finally joining PN thread! Getting some normality, will catch up soon. All not quite to plan but coping! Am sure I've missed lots of new babies!!!

Hugs to all, miss your chat and advice! Xx xx

Yay huffle! Welcome!

angelico the classic sign of a UTI is burning pain when you wee - often at the end of the wee (starts ok, becomes horrific.) you can sometimes manage the symptoms with loads of water/over the counter meds, but to get rid of it, you'll need the antibiotics.

lizzietow is baby swallowing? Swallowing sounds like 'kef, kef, kef'. If not swallowing, I think that means no milk...?

elpis, could you step in with your LLL expertise on this one? I'd like to know too!

Squeezing's not as effective as a baby suckling because it doesn't usually prompt the letdown reflex... So I'd let her suckle if she wants and it isn't hurting you - it will in any case prompt your body to make more milk. Sometimes they're happy just getting a drop every minute or so. Hope that helps!

Morning peeps. Symptoms seem to have eased off, just going to drink loads today. Also I bled quite a bit overnight so might have just been more lochia trying to escape. Getting bored of it now! Still Bean slept like a champ last night and only swaddled her for one out of 3 sleeps so that was good. DH lept upstairs to get a full night and tbh things were calmer without him! Think I respond to her sooner when she wakes whereas he lets her lie until squealing begins, then it's hard to settle her again after feed.

Bean has also managed to painfully 'dent' in my left nipple. Ouch. Think it's when she is in one of her voracious feeding moods and almost sucks the nipple off in her desire to feed! Ruthlessly popped her off this morning and relatched her about 4 times... Breast pump sitting on table but haven't had a chance to clean it yet so still unused!

Friend calling in ten mins and sitting with towel round me drying after shower - eek! And huffle welcome to the madness!

elpis just saw it on catch up - you looked great and came across as very 'normal' and articulate, a great ambassador for BF! Well done for managing to do that so soon after birth.
The stats for bf in France are even worse, but I'm lucky in that the clinic im going to is fairly pro and the la leche league coordinator is based quite near where I live apparently. Still I've had comments from various French woman about my breasts being for my husband?!

Where can i watch Elpis on tv? sorry, am a tv incompetent.

If i don't feed jess for more than an hour my boobs go rock hard and painful. Will it always be like this or is this just initially?

having a bit of a day when i feel v sad about my body and that it's not mine.

I know i am not really giving myself time to recover but i feel a bit tearful about it. i can put most clothes on but they are tight and look crap. my legs are madly hairy and i haven;t had sex in weeks. i just want to go for a run and eat less or something, but I know i need to be gentler to myself and i doon't want to hurt my milk supply

have got through very hard last few years by being a bit self-punishy and self-critical when low, pull your socks up squid, basically when i\ve been depressed i did excessive exercise and work because things like meds never worked for me, and it's not a good habit and i don't want jess to ever be exposed to it either

ah i dunno, this probably makes no sense.

is everyone here feeling ok about their births? i know fjordmor sounded upset... in the first week i had lots of nightmares/flashbacks about labour and contractions. now i feel - this may make no sense - really useless/unfit/unhealthy for having such a long labour ... i know i got through it but i was so convinced it was a 'failure to progress' the whole way. i didn't expect to struggle so much with the pain. i don't understand how i feel like my body let me down when i did deliver a baby (at home as well)

HORMONES, innit.

If i don't feed jess for more than an hour my boobs go rock hard and painful.

I mean if i go more than an hour between feeds.

Hi squid,
The breast thing does get better, quite quickly too. Just a question of your body getting used to how much milk jess needs.
Is it worth getting an appt to get your legs waxed? I did this the week before I had Melissa, don't normally but feel ugly with hairy legs and its made a real difference. Just a thought.... Also if you can afford it might be worth going shopping even just for one set of clothes that fits nicely and makes you look fab now - you do look fab in your pictures, just need to feel it too.
You sound a bit low just now - be kind to yourself and keep talking to people.
I've been feelings bit rubbish that I didn't go for a vbac - would have been a bit bonkers to do so but feel weird about not having "given birth" - note to everyone else, I don't logically think this about sections just when it applies to me. Been having some nightmares about dd1s birth and feel guilty for her that this delivery was so much better. So I think it's probably fairly normal to have some mixed feelings about birth at this point. Hormones and tiredness don't help!
Just got to keep looking at these amazing little babies and reminding ourselves how clever we are to have made them!

Lizzie there is never 'no milk' so dont worry. Your baby is cluster feeding, it's what triggers your supply and it's really important to feed on demand during this. DD lasted 5 hours! Tis completely normal. It only lasts a short while, then will happen again each time your baby has a growth spurt, to increase your supply again. There is a website www.kellymom.com that is brilliant for everything to do with BF.

Squid Is there someone in RL you can talk to about the birth? I don't feel happy about mine either. In fact I found it traumatic, and I feel like, because it was my second and I was well prepared I should have coped better. Mine was way to fast and very frightening. FWIW, it sounds like you coped amazingly well.

Thanks smileyhappymummy and wntanorange
The wax is a good idea. i might do that. I think my bleeding has more or less stopped (only one pad showed anything at all last few days) so I'm sure i'll feel like my body is more mine again soon. i am just being impatient with the clothes, they mostly fit just not jeans. i just can't face wearing my maternity clothes any more which i know is stupid.
i know exactly what you mean about feeling rubbish about your section but you'd never think that logically or about someone else. i'm glad you had an easier time after last time but really empathise. we have such different rules for ourselves... and wantanorange i'm so sorry you found the length of your labour upsetting too! i guess it's just a pretty intense/emotional experience however it happens.
i will try and be gentler to myself. thanks xxx

i talked to my mum a bit about the birth, and jess senior, my mate who was there.

(I have been impressed with everyone who has given birth on our thread, however it happened.)

Angelico My guess is that your womb was shrinking back and that's what caused the pain. I had period-like pains in the first few days after the birth and that was despite being on meds for the section wound. For some women it happens later, but breastfeeding stimulates the uterus to contract.

squidkid Please be proud of your birth. Your body did brilliantly and you delivered with only a minor tear - isn't that right? Jess is healthy and happy and I promise the remaining weight will come off within a couple of months or so.

Evening :) Have left colicy bean with DH and made my escape She's actually not too bad, just occasional squawks rather than constant screams. We tend to let her stay awake in evening and squeal / get cuddles rather than swaddling her, in the hope that she sleeps better overnight.

Squid please go easy on yourself. You seem like a very driven person and it's really admirable that you've been able to kind of tough it out before when you felt down - but if ever there is a time to be gentle on yourself it's now. It is hard and frustrating I know - think we're all experiencing it in different ways. You want to get out running and get into your normal clothes; I want to do some writing and be able to get out with the buggy for a decent walk. It's like trying to get in touch with ourselves again I guess, instead of just being this feeding machine :) But people keep telling me, "It will get easier!!! This stage passes so quickly, you'll look back and it will be a blur." Be kind to yourself!

And as for the births - frankly I think every one of us is a fucking hero! We grew an entire new human being inside us, then either had a tough labour OR major abdominal surgery - and then just had to get on with things, including breastfeeding. Was talking to friend about it today (and think it is good to talk about the births however they happened) and although my CS was a good experience in theatre I've been angry about how unsupported I felt in hospital with pain, especially by the midwives. The doctors were much more my advocates than the MWs and it has left me feeling quite negative towards MWs if I'm honest. The obsession with breastfeeding meant that I was in a lot of pain because of crap tablets and if I was ever mad enough to do this again I would have second thoughts about BFing so I could have some decent pain relief. It was only going to acupuncture that helped turn the corner.

Anyway, we struggle on! Am getting a bit pissed off with breastfeeding even though I've been lucky with it in terms of milk, latching etc. It just seems to mean I won't get a full night of sleep until I stop. DH keeps saying about pumping milk so I can sleep through but how do you do that without getting horrendously engorged? Any advice Smiley / Elpis / orange / Crazy / any other second timers? I mean if I decided to stop BFing tomorrow - how do I do it without boobs exploding?! I'm not going to btw but it suddenly hit me last night that even if I wanted to I would be in agony for days!!!

Thanks wantan-it's amazing what you forget! angelico last time, I literally just stopped after 5 weeks and it was painful for two days and then just normal again.
What was your acupuncture for?
Only day 3 of bf for me- its hard work and midwives give such differing advice! Persevering for now.
DD2 won't go in the Moses basket either for more than ten-15 mins. Obviously she needs to get used to it but any tips?

Quick pop on before trying to catch some shut eye.. Little baby bear born at 5:44pm. 7lb 10oz. Not sure how long. Started after 9am walkathon . And jalapeno toast for breakfast. Laboured at mil house until contractions were 1min long and 2 apartIn triage, by time I was assessed I was 9cm. Wheeled me into l&d and dh RANto admitting and I had to pant through contractions to stall, and 30 min of pushing they had to suck baby out due to dropping heart rate from things happening so fast. No time for pain killers. Did get a local before venetouse but didn't have time to kick in really. And now for the gory details, those faint of heart overt Thu eyes.2ND degree year, numerous stitches including to anus, and one massive hemmeroid. OmgStill working on the name. Hope to post again soon.Hugs to everyone!

After another night of 3 hours sleep, I'm thinking sod this! Heading towards bottledom!

Angelico when I stopped BF DS I didn't suffer to badly at all with engorgement. I dropped one feed at a time, rather than all at once. You could also express a bit off without express enough to increase demand, just enough to make you comfortable.

WRT sleep, I'm afraid you're right BUT it does get much easier to manage as they grow and settle into a routine at night, and go a little longer between feeds. I remember DS used to to feed every 3 hours and I found that manageable as long as it was the same time each night. The amount of time spent feeding doesn't take as long either. ATM DD takes an hour for each feed!

Lizzie It won't last! I promise! Your only on day 3? or 4? The constant feeding stops after a few days, a week tops. I think you need to give yourself a break. No one sleeps more than a few hours a night at first, even bottle fed babies.

Beeblebear Congratulations! So many of us had quuick labours, what's going on?! My eyes are watering at 2nd degree tear, hope you are not in too much pain.

beeblebear congratulations! That was quick!
You reminded me I never shared my birth story. Mine was also unexpectedly quick. I went to hospital thinking they would send me home. I thought my waters were trickling out but wasn't sure. Turns out they had broken, but I still had no pains. After a while I was getting mild pains and they said I was 2cm and suggested I had a bath, which I did.
Got out of bath and felt this weird 'pop' in my pelvis and suddenly the pain was so bad I was screaming. My partner had to insist they check me again as they didn't believe anything could have changed- and I was 8cm! This caused a mad dash on the bed to the delivery ward, and little Imogen was born 17 minutes later!
You reminded me though that I also have a second degree tear! Compared to the pain of the birth though it's nothing! Seems to be healing fine.
Thanks for your reassurance angelico!

Hello Can we join? I was meant to have a September baby, but my chilled-out boy came waaaaay after his due date (+19!!!) He's 12 days old today.

I'm feeling a bit blue because DH's 2 week paternity leave finishes and he returns to work on Monday He's really spoiled me - I've spent A LOT of time in bed being brought food and treats.

I've also got to do the school run with DS1 im next week

Just a quick pop in after a speed read - I will go back. I have rationed my MN visits right down as toddler goes bananas...

Angelico glad things have eased with your mum.

Smorgs Breasts are for husbands!!!!!!!!!! WTF!! My boobs were never sensitive before I BF and were SOO sensitive during my second pregnancy.

Squid I recognise that sensation. Boobs feel like boulders.
I have not expressed at all yet as I feel the advice you got was correct - the body is figuring out how much is needed. Having had mastitis in the past, I get nervous at that engorgement, but I think it has settled for me now (almost 4 weeks).

I'll go now and read properly - well done Elpis on the BF, but my wont is to talk first. I'll read later.
Taking said toddler for haircut!!

Badgerina my bean was 11 days early, Sept 24 from Oct 5 - lets all visit here, when we can.