March 06 The Arrivals!

[Frizbe]

Hi ladies, have created this to start our postnatal thread, so fire away!

the porker is 9lb 9 at 5 weeks so has gained just over 2lbs!! I don't know how to cope with a fat baby!
Friz, glad the teeth are better.
sarah, love the booby smiles
Cad, my dad has room on the farm for a prime milker like you!! The rest of us will have to pump harder to catch you up! do you think your abundance may have been why Charlie wouldn't latch well? Kiah used to struggle with my left boob as it's faster than the right but it's settled down now.
on my second load of washing as the sun is out....

LL - lol at you and your washing, i know what you mean tho, its a shame not to use a good drying day isn't it.

ll: My milk took longer to come in this time than with the other three and Charlotte seemed unimpressed with the colostrum. I think that what made her mad was that with the bottle the milk is there instantly and with breast feeding it takes a moment (or it does for me especially when stressed).

Mostly, I am just relieved that she is now breast fed and thriving. Guess I just have to deal with the leaking and try my best not to drown her when I feed her in bed!

The Drs office called and cancelled her appt for this afternoon so I won't know what she weighs until next week. ARGH! I wish there was a clinic we could pop into. At the hotel, when I held her on the scales with me and then passed her to DH it suggested that she weighed 12 lbs. I doubted it so I asked dh to step on the scales and when he held her it added 12 lbs so it might be right! Little piggy!

Cadmum, why not buy some spring scales like the MWs use? you could easily calibrate it with a sling and then weigh her yourself. Mind you sounds like lack of weight isn't going to be an issue!!

She is massive. I am just curious... I like the suggestion. I will google now.

Cadmum, I stood Ed on the bathroom scales, holding him round the chest for balance not taking his weight. That gave me 5kg, when he was properly weighed 2 days later (HV at sure start just happened to have scales with her) he was 5kg exactly.
Admittedly this method only worked because he likes standing upright and having his weight on his feet.Its his party piece, I keep expecting him to out grow it coz its surpose dto be a newborn reflex, but hes showing no signs. Helps exercise those little legs while he does.
The little flirt won over a dept shop full of shop assistants ( ladies of a certain age, it was a rather dull dept store) when I went to buy a new sports bra today. How come I have to get my tits out to get a smile, they just sell bras and he was grining all round while I was being measured and trying on. Hes turning into a real ladies man already!
Wish me luck, I'm about to read Gina Ford, I feel I'm confident enough in my own parentling of my own child to risk reading her. I may end up throwing the book across the room tho...

Some good weights on these babies you've just reminded me that no one weigh'd dd2 at her 8 week check today, pants I'm going to have to go to the HV soon then.....
So we got checked and jabbed today, which went ok considering a quick feed sorted out the screaming, hurrah! hoping I get a better nights sleep tonight, as madam, cluster fed 2.45am-8am last night, with poo's and the odd small nap inbetween, on the grow me thinks!
So what did you all do today as it was lovely!
I took the crew to the park for a picnic and a play

UniSarah: DO NOT read that book!!!! OK, do read it but then let us know what you think... Am feeling sorry for Ed just thinking about you reading it. I am sure that you are doing such a wonderful job and this book will fill your head with doubts and strange ideas. If I may be so bold: I would highly recommend Dr. Sears or Alfie Kohn. Sorry. Just ignore me. I am off my high horse now.

Thanks for the scales suggestion. We don't have any though. Perhaps I should just buy us some but then again I might cry if I weigh myself. I am sure that I am putting on weight instead of losing some...

The weather here is lovely and we are just back from a day in the park and are now waiting for our Fresh Direct (online groceries) order.

DH has to work this week-end and I am feeling mighty about it. What a wimp I have become!

I decided to treat myself to some breast feeding clothes since I feel really self-conscious feeding dd here. Have never owned such a thing before. Will let you all know what I think when the package arrives.

Cadmum you can relax, I'm NOT about to sign Ed up for baby boot camp a la Ms Ford's book. I havn;t thrown it across the room but only because I respect libaray books! I have LOL at some of the stuff she says. Quite how one is surposed to put baby to sleep in their own room from 7pm-10pm then take them to sleep in your room over night I do not know, esp as she advocates babies sleeping in cots not moses baskets. How exactly am I surposed to move a cot between floors of my house every night?
I'm quite happy that Ed has a predictable pattern of hunger and sleepyness already, I feel no need to tie myself to someone elses idea of a routine. Seemed V obvious to me that shes not a parent and her routines don't seem to allow for the day to day stuff of keeping a family runnning like shopping, washing etc never mind a mum wanting to get out of the house for some social contact with other mums.
Poor little sauseage is out of sorts tonight, he had his first set of jabs this afternoon :( not running a temp but rather grumpy and wasn't intersted in feeding late afternoon like he normally is. Looks like hes hungrey now tho, so we are going toput him to bed a bit earlier than normal and hope the rituals of bedtime work even tho hes a feeling a bit grotty.
Just heard on TV news that SW water have had another contamiation incident and have delt with it just as poorly as they did when it was our estate back in Feb. they learnt nothing.

Ooh Caddy - I have just ordered a couple of breastfeeding tops off ebay - will let you know if it makes it easier.
Well, went to hospital for heart murmur check yesterday and it is still there but at least dd has not got any of the other connected symptoms (sweating. blueness etc.) Have got to go back in 8 weeks to see cardiologist so fingers crossed.
Friz - good news re dentist and glad jabs went ok!

Good to hear of all the little porkers growing! dd now 9lb 1oz
Going to give dh a massage now as he has been gardening all day

ds is 11ib 4oz now and has survuived my first 4 days back- bf at bed time feed and forula the rest of the time seems to be working and it was lovely to hear him gurgle down the phone but not as nice as dh saying it was harder to look after house and kids than it looked

Jackstini: Our dd1 (now 7) also has a murmur. We found it quite worrisome when she was a baby/toddler because she had mottled skin and would tire easily but she is really healthy and active now. I hope your dd is the same. Try not to worry too much.

Dd's 6wk check went well. The HV is pleased with her progress and dd now weighs just over 10lbs. All her growing seems to be lengthways because she's still as slim as when she was born. Obviously doesn't take after me then!

LOL at all the farting babies! Dh calls dd "Slitheen" (aliens from Dr Who) because she has the same huge eyes and is forever farting.Poor child. :o

:( about the heart murmur still being there, Jackstini.

Hi Cadmum, I posted a message to you on my breastfeeding thread...check it iut 'cos I've given you tips on shopping in Australia for kids clothes! But I wont post to you there again as I know its a pain to keep checking. How is you dd feeding now?

Hi Unisarah, I hope your little Ed is sleeping a bit better now, I remember you were having a hard time a couple of weeks back. I can secon Cadmum's recommendation of Dr Sears books - I am currently loving his Discipline Book for help with my very strong willed 2 year old (I got it off Amazon). Its so useful and practical and a very gentle and relationship focused philosphy.

I haven't read any of his baby stuff though, and I have a feeling it might make me feel a tad guilty as he is really into carrying baby all the time etc, which sounds like a good but unacheivable idea to me! What did you think of the baby stuff Cadmum? Did you do it? I'd love to meet someone who has.

Thanks all for the good wishes. dd seems a very happy baby so we are trying to just enjoy her and not worry too much.
Gothicmama - glad to hear your first few days back were ok and lol at your dh finding it harder than he thought! I am back at work in 16 days and although I am not particularly looking forward to it I can't wait for the first day dh has to cope on his own...!

had lucy weighed for the first time in 4 weeks (can't you tell shes my third:o) and she now weighs 11lb 3oz so she is 1lb heavier than her birth weight, she lost quite a bit afterwards with me not being able to feed properly because of my kidney failure and the cracked rib! so she has put on almost 2lb in nearly 8 weeks so no worries about not getting enough milk down her.

the hv said she should gain wieght slower than most babies anyway because she was so big to start with, if she put on weight at the same rate as other babies she would wither be a giant or morbidly obese by the time she was 2

glad everyone is doing well, most of these babies seem to get themselves into a routine by about 12 weeks. Lucy certainly has she feeds five hourly at the moment 8a.m, 1p.m, 6 pm, 11 pm and then she sleeps through until 4a.m and then awake at 8 for next feed, so can't really complain.

she is having a bit of a sicky day today and we had been through 4 outfits by lunchtime so she is now in sleepsuits, much easier to wash and don't require ironing!LOL!

found a plac eto get a bit of a bargain today, we went to our local sunday market, normally walk round laughing at the rubbish it sells, get a bacon sandwich and then come home, but noticed a baby stall that sells all branded baby buggies really cheaply. they had the quinny buzz for £150 brand new in box and an inglesina zippy for £80 (£240 in mothercare) was thinking of buying some and trading them on ebay but dh wouldn't let me.but will def go back and get a maclaren techno for when lucy is older as they were £70!!!!!

Astrophe- thanks for asking. yes Ed is sleeping in locks of about 3.5 hours now occasionally 4 which is so much easier to deal with than the days of 2 hour blocks. We have got bedtime working too which makes life easier as well. Even when hes wound up bedtime seems to work- Hurrah. Next weekend will be the real test as we shall be away from home for 4 days.. will it still work in strange surounding, we shall see.

Today was his first day at a cricket match, he was fairly good about it. Just like a grown up cricketer he had a drink before the match and was desperate for a drink again after 40 overs at Tea. Unike a grown up tho he had to miss most of the second innings so I could take him home and put him to bed after a bit of active playtime.He enjoyed meeting lots of new faces and as ever was a ladies man with those smiles.
As both Ed and another little boy have "sponsered" bits of the new changeing rooms we are going to do a height chart on the wall for them in the home changeing room:)

Coppertop at your dh hope you've sorted him out calling your lovely dd after aliens!
Unisarah, glad to see ds is enjoying a spot of sport!
Vyy glad all is ok with you, and you to Astrophe, are you going to the Nottm Castle meet up, I can't make it, but you could meet Jackstini (who can surely get the time off work?!)
Dd2 has been feeding every two hours here today since 6am, so now hoping she'll sleep thru a bit, guess we're on the grow still, although she's got a bit of snot as well....

Friz i can't find a thread about that meet up...

here you go! \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1368&threadid=132609#3559390\nottsmeet}

Thanks Friz.

Unisarah, my ds has just started sleeping for more than 2-3 hours too, so I know how you feel!

Cadmum, thanks for tips on the other thread...we DO let him suck our fingers all the time!!! He prefers DHs to mine :o ! Today has been a bit better than yesterday...I was very sad last night as I remembered how nice it was feeding DD when she was little, and how I am missing that :(
DS is still sleeping a lot better than he was though, so thats really positive, even though the screaming is back on.

Did you see my post re. the Drs Sears? I'm really interested to know if you did all the baby wearing etc?

Astrophe: I parent by feel more than by the book but I am currently wearing dd2. I love the convenience of the sling.

we too are parenting by feel altho ds sleeps alot netter than dd ever did (I can't help wondering if thsi is due to bf dd constantly and her getting used to being held or if it is because of their personalities)Work is ok altho I m knackered but glad we had a trial week before hand so any probs and a routine were sorted before hand.
Take care all of you