November 2012 - babies are here at last

[StuntNun]

This is the post-natal club for graduates of the November 2012 intake.

Wow, people are back and getting back to their pre preg weight, my goodness!! I got on the scales today and I've got about a stone to go for pre preg weight and a stone and a half for where I would like to be. I would like it to happen before I get back to work in September which I'm sure it will, but I really do need to stop eating as many cakes and chocolates as I am. It's all about the sugar at the moment which is not good.

Horseylady I was advised 6 to 8 weeks for all three activities. Basically, when you feel you can.

I'm at pre preg weight too. But not figure. I'm wearing maternity clothes for comfort round the scar area.

My figure is no where near what it was, I have a complete jelly belly which is going to be a nightmare to do anything with, goin to keep going with my strech mark cream as they've come out loads since DD was born

I see no reason why a wrap would not work with a section. So long as baby is well above the scar. I would not carry my 2yo in it though. I would think it is better than pushing a pram tbh. Just depends how fat I look, and if I can get my jeans on. Weight is one thing, figure is another.

Yeah I don't know why I assumed that, maybe I thought it might put pressure on the scar. I have the Close Caboo stretchy sling.

My scar is ok but the tummy above is still very swollen and tender, mw said it was normal though. I didn't have much blood the first week but this week it has been decidedly unpleasant and I can feel it contracting when I bf.

I'd only put on a stone during pg but am still over pre pg weight probably all those night feed KitKats but I'm not that bothered at the mo - it wasn't an enviable figure to start with and plenty of time for getting fitter when I'm not so exhausted, in pain etc.

My tum is still sore. I figured it was due to the tubes being tied. I do not remember being sore this long last time.

Scar still raw in places. I just do not have the time to shower twice a day. Once is hard enough. I wish I had insisted the mw leave it longer. I knew this would happen. Any ideas what to put on it? Would witch hazel be good?

I wasn't told to shower 2ce a day, is that because it's raw? Has it been weeping? I've just kept it clean and tried to air dry it when possible but I realise it may not be that simple with 3 DCs to run round after.

I put witch hazel on my bits as they were so sore from the pessary and the blood loss was itching like crazy (sorry tmi but we're all past that right?!) and I had to have a cool shower straight after, it stung like hell! Maybe different on wound tho.

Tea tree, lavender, aloe Vera if you want essential oils. Tea tree and lavender both natural antiseptics (lavender also calms) aloe Vera encourages healing and cools skin. Witch Hazel is also good. But I've always used the first three as preference.

Thank you. I have tea tree oil. Yes, it is because it is raw so at risk of getting infected. It is because the staples were put in wrong I guess. Instead of raw edges together it had skin together so the skin got moist and raw. I guess she was right to take clips out, but she should have told me it was raw but instead told me it had healed lovely. Consequently when I looked I thought the wound was coming apart. The continuous stitch healed fine last time but was sore as hell. Dissolvable stitches do not dissolve well in me. I have them in the inner layers but wanted to avoid them in skin as they work their way out in time and get sore.

Only teeny weeping and not infected thankfully.

Am below pre-pregnancy weight but as that was much more than several stone overweight it really isn't as impressive as it sounds. Must try to use maternity leave as an opportunity to lose weight, not put more on.

Had half my stitches out yesterday and the bruising has flared up again. But the wound itself is ok.

Hello

What a lot of babies were born in the last couple of days - congrats to all!

I'm still in shock about how well the birth went on Thursday evening. Even though we'd left the birth pool up in the dining room (thank goodness) I never thought in my head that I'd actually get to use it. I'm so glad I called the delivery unit to warn them I thought I'd felt my waters pop as the midwife only made it with 25 mins to spare. She was amazing and told me I didn't need to be examined as she thought I was about to deliver, the only check I had was a quick foetal heartbeat monitor. It was officially recorded as under two hours although I've seen that others were even quicker!

It was so different to his big brother who was induced at T+20 when I finally gave in to the pressure (quick but lots of checks and stress and no pain relief as they thought he was in distress) so I always imagined this one would be incredibly late as well. However, I am so glad he didn't stay in longer being 9lb 10oz as it was! Freddie has been an incredibly sleepy newborn so far so I keep having to try and wake him to feed. So far (all fingers crossed) he seems to be getting the hang of it a bit better than his brother did but I'm not very good at getting a deep latch so I'm a bit sore.

I'm going to have to be doing the stomach muscle exercises at some point in the future as I've got separated muscles due to his size, me being 5'4 and the way I carried him all in front. I shall be looking for an outfit to hide my belly to my brother's wedding - on the 23rd Dec! Top tips appreciated - I'm thinking a wrap dress is probably the easiest option.

Congratulations jims glad you had a good birth experience

Lovely sounding birth jims I enjoyed being in a birthing pool too, don't think I was in there long though but would def recommend it.

I've been trying to sleep since 7 but this little lady has other ideas, she's been on the boob the whole time, if she comes off she gets v cross but surely she can't be feeding the whole time? It's been about 6 hours!

Mine is like that DH, he just feeds constantly all evening till around now. Thank goodness he has dropped off so I can hopefully get a couple of hrs now.

Congratulations on all the new babies! The ante-natal thread must be getting pretty quiet now?

I've had a rubbish couple of days as 'D'H and I fell out yesterday and have not spoken since. There's a dreadful atmosphere in the house that I can't see lifting and, to make matters worse, we have friends coming over tomorrow morning (actually this morning as just realised the time) then my my mum is up in the evening for the week to help with DS1. It is going to be so awkward with us not talking

blonder glad someone else is going through it too as draining as it is! I managed to get a few hours I think.

Babies cluster feed to increase supply for growth spurt etc. mine is doing that too. Evening time your milk is at its slowest, so babies will feed for longer and can get fretful. The milk is still there, but takes longer and more effort hence miffed babies. All perfectly normal.

Not really sure how my night was. All a bit of a blur, but I got some sleep. DS has a rotten cold, and that is with my feeding and antibodies.

rowing are you ok? I could row with DH but do not have the energy. He is not helping as much as he should. I will be glad when he is back at work.

J would feed forever if he could, pausing momentarily only to explode in his nappy! My goodness can this boy poop.
It's worth it though he only dropped 3oz on his birth weight.
I'm going to put him in his pram for the first time today and take a gentle stroll around the block to see if it helps my hips. I'm really worried about how I'll cope when DP goes back to work tomorrow especially with the older boys.
I keep having awful nightmares too about various people trying to take Johnathan away so I'm having quite fretful nights.
I made the mistake of weighing myself yesterday (seriously don't do it if you've spent the last several months immobile) I have a lot of work to do in the upcoming months although mainly after Xmas.

I have decided to wait until after Christmas for the healthy eating and exercise regime to commence. I am trying to choose wisely now, and going to loosely follow slimming world, with the extra calcium portions for feeding, plus a treat daily. So long as I do not gain loads before Christmas I will be happy. I do tend to put on weight when feeding, which is a bummer, but largely down to cake.

After having had two summer babies, I am worrying that J will be cold. When DD1 was born, summer 2006, it was over 30 at night, we had to have a fan on, and she slept in a vest and nothing else. What are your little scraps wearing in the day? J has a vest, gro and T, plus socks today as it is chilly.

I forgot about the cluster feeding! She been feeding for the past two hours aswell.

vq Q is wearing a short sleeved bodysuit and a sleepsuit. It's quite warm in here atm because we've had the heating on but when it gets colder ill wrap a blanket round her too.

Hi valium, not really!

We had an argument as FIL wants to meet up with him for dinner on Wed evening. I said ok but as he plans to arrive at worst possible time of day (DS1 bedtime and DS2 feeding frenzy) then could they either meet at a restaurant or could he guarantee he'd be back from work in time to meet him. Normally there is about an hour where I have to host FIL before DH gets home from work. I feel I can't cope with that right now as DS1 is ill with tonsillitis and DS2 is only 3 weeks old and I'm not getting any sleep and still recovering from CS.

I didn't think it was a big deal but he is insulted that his dad is not welcome in our home (not true) and basically ordered me to host him and be civil!

Since then no speaking other than when he said he was taking DS1 out and we would have to talk about our future when he got back (we didn't) then last night when I said it was his turn to do some night feeds and he said that I had been sitting on my backside all day being a crap mother and letting other people (his DM) look after my children. I haven't got a choice about needing help as I had a CS so can't pick DS1 up .

Morning!!

Vq he sleeps on vest and sleep suit is then swaddled in a flannel blanket and has blanket/duvet thing on top. Can't wait for him to be in a grow bag but he needs swaddling to get to sleep at night as he's so wriggly!!!

In the day at home he has vest, then usually a jumper and trousers. Plus socks. He has a blanket on if he's sleeping. When we go out he wears a jacket on top as his snow suit is too big. Then a couple of blankets if in the pram or he sits in my jacket if we've got the sling on. When I start regularly having him out at the farm he'll wear his snow suit. Someone bought him a sleep suit actually which I was planning on putting him in at the farm this week with a hat. He always feels warm, which is what they say to look for. I've always got extra clothes on me too!! I just wish he'd wear mittens but he pulls them off!!

He also has a sniffle but so many people have colds, he's not on breast milk so I'm not surprised. Shame he won't breast feed. I don't really get colds!!

My belly has 95% gone thanks I guess to the feeding. Whoop! No idea on the weight as haven't made it to the scales. Have total porn star boobs but they're like rocks this am as Jonas (after crazy feeding 24 hr growth spurt) has returned to 4 hrly feeding. Is this frequent enough to BF - my sis recommended 3 hrly - any tips?

Chick - fenugreek do you take that as a tablet?

VQ j is wearing vest and sleep suit, a cotton swaddle and a knitted blanket.

I'm also doing the 'is this normal ?' worrying. J's poohs are green again and vinegar smelling is this the jaundice back again ? Do I call the mw?