April 2006 Babies - Spring has finally Sprung!

[Ponka]

Anyone want to join me here? Mrs. Q, Pachinofan, Spots, Anyone else?

My name is Ponka and I had a little boy (Luke Elliott) on the 7th April. We are doing well. I also have another DS age 22 months.

Please excuse me if I don't get back here very regularly for the moment, it's very busy here, as I'm sure it is with you, too! I thought there should be a thread though.

I will join Ponka. I promise.

It's just a matter of when....

Keep popping back to the ante-natal thread for the latest crap news from the allyco household!

how are you doing BTW?

Oh Allyco, I'm willing this baby out for you now. It does sound like things are moving for you though. Can't be long now...

I am pretty ill at the moment but I've got lots of help, thank god. I look like a ghost. I'm eating as much spinach and iron rich stuff as I can. However, I don't really care that much that I'm ill. Just happy that DS2 is lovely.

I'm here! - though I have to go and make DS1's tea now...
Freddie was born 11th April, DS1 is 23 months - so nearly the same Ponka.
I'm sure allyco will be here any minute now she's finally popped!

I'm here too, suffering with awful mastitis! Have been prescribed anitbiotics and am determined to continue breastfeeding. Verity doing very well, she has gained 12 oz since her birth (04 April) and is settling well into family life.

Thanks Ponka for starting this thread, I haven't been able to get on Mumsnet for a while but it's good to talk!

Hi everyone. Also have sore hard boobs - baby very sleepy and nods of after about 2 mins on the boob! I try tickling her, taking off her clothes....I should really have had twin boys - I've got enough milk!

I'm now thinking about routines - the Gina ford and Baby Whisperers book arrived from amazon today.

Hurrah! Thanks for joining me guys. Sorry to hear all 3 of you have mastitis/sore boobs! Childbirth is unkind, isn't it? You expect all the pain etc. to be over with at the birth but quite often it continues for a while in some form or other.

Hope you are all doing well on the sleep front (as well as can be expected, anyway).

I'd be interested to know how your DS1 is coping with the new arrival, Pepper. We're having a few little problems with jealousy but nothing huge. It's probably all made worse because he is ill. I really hope DS2 doesn't get it!

Hi, I'm Sarah & had a little girl (Sophie Olivia) on 13th April. I have another little girl who is 3 in June & although doesn't seem too jealous at the moment is really misbehaving - I had to have a c section & she is really playing me up as she knows I can't just pick her up & make her get dressed etc. It is really getting to me at the moment as she was v good until baby arrived - would love to hear how other people are managing with siblings.

Also having problems with cracked nipples, can only feed off one side at the moment & have to express off the other side which isn't helping.

I'm here. I'm finally here!!

Not sure who I am or what day it is yet though. You would think with this being my 5th I would be fine and dandy, but, er, no.

Will pop back as and when until I am in something of a routine (when he's about six probably)

Hope everyone else is doing as well as can be expected and trying to enjoy these early days..

Welcome Sarahlou (Sophie Olivia, how lovely) and welcome Allyco.... finally!

Going to bed now! x

helloall, the space bar is stillknackered but it seems rather appropriate since space certainly seems like one thing I won't be getting for a little while... yes the space bar inmylife is just as knackered. Am here... sleep and feeding are bad, butwhoever said it would be any different with a newborn? not enjoying it verymuch at the moment but we are healthy and fine Thea and I. Missing DD1 a lot as she isspending so much time with her daddy while Ibreastfeedincessantly. He goes back to work on Tuesday which ismaking mesweat

Lovely sunny day outside, DD2 asleeponmydhoulder with bar of sunlight across her crown. DH and DD1 'watering' plants ingarden.

Great to see all the new arrivals clocking in here. See, Ponka, we weree alwaysgoing to give birth onthe same day weren't we?

PS... DD1 doesn't appear jealous, thankfully. She isquite gooey about the baby. Croons 'Theeeeee' when we enter the room, pokes fingers ineyes lovingly etc. She finds it tough that I am not spending as muchtime with her,but doesn't seem to blame thebaby.

hello all, we've had a (computer) virus so been off line for a few days...
Ponka - DS1 has been fine so far - BUT he's been at nursery for the last few days while DH has been back at work. It's monday and tuesday that'll be our test with just me and the two boys.... I've already decided that the only way to get my day started and be dressed etc is to have my shower at night and try to get a head start on the pair of them!
We're off to dig up a flowerbed to make our drive wider now... have discovered that the drive is not wide enough to get a child out of each side of the back of the car - have to keep climbing through undergrowth to get them out!

Sounds like Monday/Tuesday is a bit of a test for a few of us then. DH is back to work Monday here, too. I'm really worried about how it's going to go, even though DS was lovely today.

I feel very lucky as dh is self-employed and currently has no work on so is completely around for the moment. Of course he's depressed about having no work....Poor man he's almost had a harder time than me. Missed the birth as I sent him home when he started having his first ever panic attack after the first 36 hours of my labour! Still, he cooks me lovely food and has kept dd1 entertained. She's back to school tomorrow thank god.
10 days and I'm still bleeding and my behind still hurts like hell. How much longer?! It's my first vaginal birth and I had dd1 nearly 6 years ago so really can't remember.
dd2 slept from 9pm to 1am then from 2am until 6am this morning! Not bad eh?

tonton re the sleep!
DS2 spends day asleep despite incessant noise of DS1 hurtling around like a mad thing, then gets all perky at night!
Why go 4 hours between feeds during daylight and then only 2, maybe 2 1/2 after dark?
I've spawned a gremlin.....

Well, after a week of Caroline being asleep all day and awake all night despite my best efforts to rouse and feed her during the day - she last night out of the blue slept from 11.45pm until 6.15!!!! I know you're not really supposed to leave them that long without a feed at this point, but I couldn't help it as I just didn't wake up myself! Feel better for the sleep though, I felt terrible yesterday and was running a temp of 101 for some unknown reason.

She has also taken to feeding really well, which is great as DD1 refused entirely and I had to pump every feed for 41/2 months! So this is essentially my first time breastfeeding "properly" - but dear God it hurts!!! Have ridiculously sore boobs and cracked/bleeding nipples - how long does all that go on for???!!

Mrs evs I did exactly the same the other day - left dd2 to sleep for hours in the middle of the night!
I'm trying to get the expressing going so dh can give a feed at night. WE did last night but I had a=ony managed a measly 2 oz which she gulped down and it wasn't enough to keep her asleep for long.
I have the sleepy problem - very hard to keep her awake during feeds so keep putting her down when she hasbn't really had enough and then she wakes up crying for more 10 mins later. I dress/undress her, change her, tickle her feet, lay her on a mat... oh well at least she's gaining weight well despite my flat chest and sore nipples!

Hi everyone, just popped on to see how we are all doing. Things are gradually falling into some sort of pattern at home now, glad to say mastitis has almost cleared up now and v.proud to say I have managed to continue feeding through it - ouch! Anti-biotics have done the trick, and so has 'Lansinoh' cream for cracked and sore nipples, fantastic stuff. Have also started expressing milk as it really helped to relieve the pain, and that's going well. Love watching dh giving Verity her bottle at night, don't feel quite so guilty having a small glass of wine once in while now!

I have to confess I have been feeling pretty weepy this last week. Not even sure what triggers it, it just happens. On Saturday for example, Mum offered to have both girls while dh and I sped to John Lewis to buy a couple of items. When Mum took Verity, I promptly burst into tears, even though I know my Mum is well capable of looking after her. Even the news is making me weep! Think it must just be post-natal hormones running wild.

Hope everyone is ok, just off to feed for a while x

That is totally normal pacinofan, I'm exactly the same - anything sets me off at the moment, the hormones are definately running wild at this point! It would only be a worry if it was all day and you couldn't stop.

DH went back to work today, although my Mum is still here thank God, dd1 was a bit upset as her main source of attention over the last week has now disappeared. Poor little thing, I feel so sorry for her, but she's holding up pretty well I think.

I'm defo up for expressing and having dh do some feeds, but having done only that last time due to dd's failure to latch, I'm terrified that once I give this one the bottle that's all she'll want too. How long do you think it would be best to wait? 2-3 weeks into feeding maybe??

Hi everyone, sorry to hear of all the breastfeeding pains, hope everything settles down soon - you're doing better than me - we went straight for bottles after my experience with DS1 and while I'd never wish to go through that again (I'd rather give birth than breastfeed if that's a clue!) I do miss the closeness as they guzzle away against your skin
Anyway, handily for DH's first full week back at work and DS1 not at nursery, DS1 chose this weekend to throw up constantly, so my house smells of bleach (or school dining rooms?) and I'm surrounded by rows of teddies on radiators patiently waiting to dry and go back into the danger zone.
DS2 has thrown up spectactularly today twice resulting in a complete change of everything both times and DS1 has just wet through his nappy and soaked his clothes.
If I weren't laughing, I'd be crying.
Is it too early to crack open a bottle of wine?

I don't think so pepper - my sister said when she had 2 small ones she would have to have a glass of wine at 3pm, just to take the edge off

God, it's bedlam at our house too, if it's not one screaming it's the other. It will settle down sometime soon, right?????

I have 8 Mums with toddlers 18mnths - 2yrs coming over tomorrow for playgroup at my house, I must be out of my mind!! They are just going to have to take the place as they find it..

Apparently the first 3 months with 2 tiny ones is a nightmare blur.....
On the bright side - if DS2 is 2 weeks old then I'm one sixth of the way through!
I'm not even going to begin to recount what happened to the bathmat when I tried to get them both in the bath last night. sigh.

I am also expressing a bit so dh can give a feed at 10-11pm or so. I actually managed to get out 2 oz in a sitting this morning - felt very chuffed. I don't find it easy...

Find myself obsessing that I'm already getting her into bad habits..nursing her to sleep etc...and no sign of a routine. Keep feeling Gina Ford frowning at me..
Ah well. Another 5 months to sort it out before I have to go back to work!
Oh, have lost ability to sleep in last 24 hours. Is it possible to be TOO tired?!

Tonton, I'm expressing about the same amount, 2oz, in each sitting. What pump are you using? I have the Avent pump which does the job but was considering buying an electric one. They are expensive though so not sure if I will bother.

Re the Gina Ford routine - I followed it (well, as much as I could) with dd1 and it worked for us. Much to my surprise, I am not inclined to do so for dd2. When I read the routine for dd2 she just doesn't feed like the routine - no way does she do 25+ minute feeds. So like you, it's sitting on my coffee table unread but can't say I'm too fussed, had Verity weighed yesterday and she is now 6lb 11 oz (was born at 5lb 5 oz) so we are well chuffed!

DD1 adjusting well to things, my mil has visited for a few days and that has really helped, she is really very 'hands on' and has more patience than I will ever have!

Hope everyone all ok,

pacinofan I have been using the electric avent. It is more comfortable to use than the hand version (it does both) but you're right it costs a packet.
I'm going to ebay mine in a month or two.
Actually I've decided to give pumping a rest for the mo. Am, going to let dh give dd2 formula at late feed. My back is killing ,me from bending over the pump and to be honest it all seems a bit much for me at the mo. Won't rule out going back to it..
Interesting you've decided not to 'GF' this time. Don't think it will work for us either but we'll see. For one thing with a school-age child I have my own routine already and if I'm ever to see friends...well it may just have to be made up a bit!
Do you have a replacement plan or will you wing-it?

Morning ladies,

Tonton, I actually decided over the weekend to try the GF routine - well, as much as possible anyway. Guess what? We still haven't managed it, just can't face the 'you shall be up by 0645' regime and I usually stagger into the kitchen, bleary eyed, at 0830. By then, I should have pumped off 3oz of milk, breastfed for an incredible 30 minutes and had breakfast. Oops! Plan to make my own sort of 'routine' as at the moment the days just seem to whizz by in a kind of blur with no 'pattern' to them. Have also made a promise to myself to cut out biscuits/chcocolate as have a wedding in 6 weeks which will be attended by all my slim, trim friends. I know I won't be back to normal by then but can happily live with buying one size larger for the event.

DH currently on leave from work which is great, am absolutely dreading it when he goes back. Even the simple task of getting two children into carseats, in time for dd1's nursery sessions, is throwing me into panic.

Off to have a nice cup of tea and try to relax. We have a house move on the go as well, sure this isn't helping!

Hope everyone had a good weekend,