March 06 The Arrivals!

[Frizbe]

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

[Cadmum]

Sounds like we are all in a similar state. DD2 did not sleep well last night because she has a cold. I feel as though it is my fault for having her out of the house and in New York City from such a young age...She is miserable and finding it impossible to feed.

Friz: I sure know what you mean about feeling like a bad mummy. My fuse is really short as well and I hate to take it out on little people. So unfair. Hope your day looks up.

Uni-Sarah: Sure hope you and Ed slept better last night.

[Munz]

hiya guys just snatching 10 mins whilst Joeys asleep.

rosie - u have my sympathies honney Joey was the exact same with feeding every 2 hours at night, (well 2 hours taking an hour to feed then wanting to pla night mare) the good news is thou he's now 4.5 weeks and this last week he's dropped a night feed and is now going 5 hours between feeding so we're getting there - he also seems to sleep loads at day as well (well 2 hours ish then wants a feed and a play) hope things improve soon.

anyhow the dudes awake again, we're up to 9lb 7 now doing v well, feeding's good - althou got an infection, and Joey has colic, nothin mega really he's still content just a bit grumbly at the 3am feed. hope everyone's doin ok and feeding well.

cads - we do the bed sleeping thing sometimes - mainly when Joey has had a bad ngiht the night b4 or in the mornings after DH has gone to work. he seems to like the big bed effect! lol - and it's nice to have extra special cuddles with him as well! lol.

[Frizbe]

Munz, why do they always do that when you log on eh!!

Caddy thanks nice to know I'm not the only one with a short fuse on little sleep....

Feeling bit better now, dd is home from nursery and we're all getting on well, although not sure if dd2 has slept too well again this afternoon, she's had some good awake time as well on her playmat, so hopefully will do me a nice 4-5 hr sleep tonight??

[UniSarah]

thanks for the best wishes guys. last night was sh*t so i guess ispoke to soon. of course today Eds slept most of the day... at the mo hes in my arms, dh is pratiseing trumpet 3m away and the boy is STILL asleep! we are really tring as hes been aleep for the last 3 hours and I don't want him asleep til 10 then wide awake again over night. harsh, but I need him to compromise a bit towards our routine.

dh back at work today, so was first day of just me and boy. strange. dozed when the boy had morning and afternoon nap, managed to get out to corner shop for loaf of bread, washing on line etc. acheivements that are small but significant.
Tomorrow is mums and babes in morning so I'll try and get up and out to that.
hershoping for some sleep over night. I'm off to wave a boob in the boys face and se if that has more effect than dodgy brass playing is having. May be wew have done too well at getting him used to sleeping with noise going on around him, maybe its too quiet at night.
unisarah

[RosiePosie]

Damn it! He slept for 5 hours straight last night, and I was lying awake wondering when he was going to wake up!

[poppyh]

RP, i do that!Last night Esme decided to wake up every 2 hours!! Am now so tired and have already shouted at dd for spilling her drink.Its not even 9am yet!

[Frizbe]

Poppyh have sympathies after my rant at dd1 yesterday.....we woke every 3hrslast nite? oh where has my 5hrs sleep gone?? seems I've loaned it to you RP!

Hope everyone else ok, Munz, UniSarah r u gettin sleep?

[Munz]

well guys after being so smug that our little guy had dropped a night feed - only having one between 9pm and 6.30 am at 3am he decided last night to wake up at 2am 4am 6.30 am and then 8am althou I think it was mainly due to his colic as DH didn't give him the drops with his milk so was v v unsettled again :( anyhow he's down now for an hour so i've managed to tidy around.

I'm like u guys with no sleep = v short fuse, and I admit to getting short with Joey as well even thou I know it's not his fault :( - bad mummy, althou then he smiles and my heart melts and I feel even worse bout shouting at him.

anyhow best go get ready for the next feed! lol.

hope everyone's ok.

[Cadmum]

We actually had a fairly good night... (Perhaps they are taking it in turns?!?) Charlie was up at midnight 3:30 and 7:00. Each time I fed her and she went straight back to sleep after being winded! I wish she wasn't feeling and looking so poorly though.

Hope you are all well today.

[UniSarah]

I could and did kiss the boy this morning. He slept from about 12.30 til 5am . Wow, I woke up in a panic at 4.30 wondering where he was and why it was so quiet. then couldn't get back to sleep. But I felt so good for having had a solid 4 hours kip.

This afternoon we had a good long "play time" so hopefully he will be tired again tonight.. but I'm not holding our much hope for a repeat performance imediatly. Right now hes being fracy in the living room with dh, he was asleep 10 mins ago when I put him down in his basket.. ho hum.
New greenhouse ges in tomorrrow, so I'll be home all day, maybe can get some napping done during the day.

[UniSarah]

New greenhouse is taking shape nicely, looks much better than the old one. ed didn't quite manage the 4 hours he did the other night, but he did manage 3 hours asleep, 2 hours awake and fretting then back to sleep for another 2 hours. I am feeling so much better for getting some blocks of sleep.Much less weepy.
Hes got a gunky eye again, blocked tear duct, looks grotty, but doesn't seem to bother him, just needs lots of washing out.
Anyone else got a hairy eared baby? I hadn't expected his ears to be SOOO hairy.
Unisarah

[RosiePosie]

Unisarah, if you are breastfeeding - put a few drops of breastmilk on his gunky eye - it really works!

[Astrophe]

Yay for your Boy UniSarah! So glad you are getting a bit more rest - your nights of 30 min sleeps sound awful.

I'd love some tips on settling a cranky boy anyone? Eli is so unsettled in the evenings - last two nights he was either screaming or on the boob from 8pm until about midnight. He can't be that hungry surely? I am SO exhausted by his constant feeding...is this colic? He seems to like being upright and loves to lie on his tummy.

[Frizbe]

Astrophe, sounds like wind/colic to me, when madam wants to get on the boob, but then screams at it, I now know its wind/colic, so its lots of holding upright and rubbing backs until we get that lovely burp/lovely amt of sick depending on which comes 1st, I've learn't I can't put her flat after a feed, like I could with dd1.....she has to be kept upright for 15 mins or so, or else its too much for her poor tummy......they tend to try and feed the pain away if you let them, until they start screaming at your boob, that's when its gotten too much.......

Unisarah, excellent stuff re sleep

I love dd2 today, she did me a 5hr stint again last night, and dd1 has been good all day (after being in her own words mardy! yesterday) They're both asleep at the mo, although no2 is starting to stir for food so better dash!

[UniSarah]

RP-i ntersting about the B-milk on eye idea. He giot sprayed in the face by acciendent earlier to day and the eye is looking clearer at prestent. I'll continue to spray him every now and again, its very easily done! Normally the challenge is NOT spraying milk everywhere.

The notion of baby being uncomfy if put flat too soon after a feed rings true here. The boy seems less cranky if hes had a good up-right spell post feed. often means he falls asleep uprigt, then wakes when i lie him down.

On the question of calming- something I'm finding works some of the time with Ed when he wakes aftre being asleep a few minutes and starts yelling, but I'm sure its not hunger as hes recently fed is- Placing One or both of my hands on his chest, trapping ( gently hopefully) his hands so he can't flail them around combined with making a shushing noise repetively. If hes not tooooo wound up this works and helps him calm himself down and fall asleep again with out having been picked up. YMMV

I'm using a dummy ( think I prefer the US term pacifier) with him at night only, he spits it out or it drops out or he pulls it out when he doesn't want it so hes not sucking for hours at a time. i was concerned initally, but as hes breast feeding really well and has always been able to remove it himslef I'm reassured that its not going to cause more problems than it solved. Sometims he just wants to suck something and it was rather limiting if that something was always me (boob or finger). In time he will be able to control his own hands better and use his fingers reliably to suck. For now, although he likes sucking his fingers he also likes flailing his hands and doesn't know the two are conected.

Wow, long post, only had to go and re calm him once in the middle. This is his evening nap, folowing the morning, early afternnon, and late afternoon ones. We do seem to be getting to a stage where he is more definatly asleep OR awake, less of the drifting between the two states as he did in his first two weeks. I'm trying to limit his day time naps to only 2 or 3 hours at a stretch so the night time ones happen as well. and I can let those be the long ones.

Oops- batter running low on lap top. gotta go.
Unisarah

[catj]

Hello all. I'm afraid I'm going to put a real downer on things but we have found out in the last 2 days that Seren has a congenital heart defect. I don't want to go into too much detail at the mo but she is currently in hospital having tests and will have an operation in the next few days and will require more surgery in the near future. She is in one of the best units in the country for dealing with this-fortunately its not too far from home and I'm able to stay with her.

[Cadmum]

catj: I am so sad for you! How heartbreaking. I really hope that Seren makes a full recovery ASAP.

I am glad that you are able to stay with her and that she is in good hands. You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers. Try to remain positive.

[Munz]

friz - help honney! with the wind thing, we're giving Joey colief for his but last night he was a nightmare - up form 2am and then wouldn't bring up his wind/poop - he's really straining so I know he needsx ot poop as he'll poop then be fine, any ideas on whta I can do? apparently BF babies don't get constipated, and his nappies are v wet it's just he' really stains and i'm worried he'll hurt himself. infacol didn't work at all.

anyhow just quick gonna pop to town then go back to bed with the little dude!

[UniSarah]

Sympathy Catj, thinking of you both. Hope it works out that you can stay with her as much as possible. Hope she goes into surgury as strong as possible.
UniSarah

[Marne]

catj, thinking of you, hope all goes well for your LO.

Hav'nt posted for a while, dont seem to have much time as saff is feeding all the time, had a realy bad night last night, tried to put her in her cot as she refuses to sleep in her moses basket ( she only sleeps in her chair), did'nt manage to get her too sleep until 5am after trying evrything she finaly went to sleep on her front (slap my wrist), she does'nt like it on her back so i dont know what else to try. DD1 was also up at 4am as she was woken by saffron crying. Now saff is still asleep but now in her chair.

Waiting for the midwife to phone me as saffrons cord still has'nt fallen off and has started to bleed a little, not sure how long it should take to drop of but i'm sure dd1's fell off in the first week.

[Marne]

Munz, infacol takes up to a week to start working, i have been giving it to saff for over a week and it has only just started to take effect.

[poppyh]

Catj, hope you are ok.Thinking of you and seren.Hope it all goes ok.
Munz,Infacol doesnt always work, it didnt for me.Am now bottle feeding and am using playtex bottles with liners so they have no air in them.Dr Brown bottles are supposed to be good although they have lots of bits to clean.But if you are BF, this is no help!So sorry!!
Bloomin colic.

[chjlly]

Just to let you know I have been passing your messages on to Catj and she said to say thanks to everyone and that she will try to get on later (I have been dragging her out of the hsopital for a break back to mine so that she can look on here!)
If not I will keep you updated!

[RosiePosie]

Thinking of you Catj, how terrifying for you. Everything crossed for a positive outcome.

[Cadmum]

chjlly: How kind of you to be helping catj! I don't imagine that it is easy for her to pull herself away from Seren in the hospital... Having your company and your place close at hand must be a big relief. Please tell her that I am thinking of her and her family. How worrying and stressful.