January 2013 - New year arrivals welcomed into the world.

[PricklyPickleInAPearTree]

As a few of us have popped early I thought I'd start us a post-natal thread.

[salt1]

i am looking for a bit of advice from the new mommies, i am not due for 2 weeks but having back ache and period type pains, did any of you get this, and if so how long did it last?

[mrsbugsywugsy]

salt I didn't have a clue I was going into labour until my waters broke, but I think others have said their labours started like that. Good luck!

Apple I get an ache in my lower abdomen after I try to do too much physically. I had it badly after I tried to carry the pushchair up the stairs on my own a couple of days ago, but I have it mildly after I walk up the hill to my house. Saying that please call the MW if you are worried!

[happyhow]

Marking place and will update tomorrow

[Berniebennett]

Has/is anyone else having a problem with their adorable little munchkins only sleeping at night on you? Little Bennett will sleep well during the day, and will sleep in his Moses basket then but come night he hates being put Down me and DH are taking it in shifts having him in us!

We are trying to change his sleep pattern as I hear they can get confused with day and night, but this is not happening!

[Lora1982]

Mine wouldnt sttle in the basket but i think in hindsight it was just cos it was first night home as he was fine when i decamped to the sofa and he went in the pram

[Pascha]

Hi Bernie, Daniel is also preferring to sleep nights on mummy or daddy This is resulting on neither of us getting a full nights sleep but it can't go on because DH goes back to work at 6am tomorrow. Not sure how to cure it yet though.

He also sleeps well in the carrycot during the day but he cant have it overnight, its not suitable. Im persevering with the waking to feed during the day as my MW suggested and hopefully soon he will start getting the hang of day and night a bit better.

[MamaMary]

Bernie, same situation here where DD sleeps peacefully all day long in her Moses basket, but at nighttime only daddy's chest will do! (Or mummy's but I'm trying to get some sleep in between feeding!)

Pascha I'm also waking to feed during the day. To be fair, it does work - DD is already doing longer stretches at night, but I just wish she'd wake up herself lazy

Salt1, has anything happened yet? I got period-type pains in my back during early labour and they were contractions, but can't help you with the time-scale as my waters were then manually broken and I was induced.

[MamaMary]

That is, I'm lazy, not DD...(though she may well be too)

[Birdies]

If you haven't tried this already, put a hot water bottle in the cot before you want them to settle. Then obv remove in time for mattress not to be boiling - just nice and warm. Also get your DH to put baby's blanket down his top for a bit so baby is then wrapped in something that smells of him (if its something of yours the milk smell may be too distracting!). Anyway, worth a try if you haven't already.

[Lostbobbles]

Hello ladies with babies, hope you are bubs are all doing well.

Well looks like we have another nocturnal warrior on our hands. Day/night 2 was another very unsettled one. She's being a right little cuddle/suckle monster.
Hoping milk comes so she can have a good feed and hopefully will settle her a bit.

Will write birth story at some point just trying not to think too much about it at mo.

[PricklyPickleInAPearTree]

Its good to hear lots of us ladies are in the same sleep deprived boat, it makes me feel slightly better. We got about 20 minutes sleep last night, DD just would not sleep and would only stop crying when I fed her, I could have cried myself at several points.

I keep telling myself it will get better.

[salt1]

nothing seems to be happening so i think a false alarm, back to the waiting game, hope yu are all having a lovely sunday with your babies x

[Lora1982]

Aww the sleep.. I miss it so much i got 3 hrs at 9 this morning first since yesterday at 5am :'( im giving him a week or so then il figure out how to train him into timings i think

[BuntyCollocks]

WE HAVE YELLOW POO!!!

Hoping for weight gain (for Dd obv ;) ) tomorrow!

[Meringue33]

So excited to find this thread! LO arrived 17 days early on 09/01/13 we hadn't packed the hospital bag or written bloody birth plan! Sounds like I have been relatively lucky with labour - it came on like a freight train and was four hours from waters breaking to delivery. There were some awful moments: I was on the floor on all fours for much of it, and was not allowed into the delivery suite for planned water birth as MW did not believe I could be in advanced labour (despite the fact I looked like a textbook case of transitioning woman, screaming in pain and writhing round on floor covered in bodily fluids). Next thing I was crowning and it was all over.

Anyway the forgetting thing seems to have already happened and now I can't believe I was so worried about childbirth since what happens next is so much harder! Baby not a v demanding feeder right away, and I was too punch drunk to learn how to get him to latch on so MWs did not want us to leave hosp... Insisted on discharge on Fri as was going mad on crowded ward, under pressure and felt being undermined by some.

Now much happier at home under care of community midwifery team, baby lost 8.4% so extra weighing tomorrow. Did a good poo tonight source of much happiness did not realise changing nappies could be so welcome! Hope good news at the weigh in tomorrow if not the MW has promised to support with expressing to supplement BF.

It is so damn hard and I had no idea how many preconceptions I had... Always thought I would bf easily due to big boobs, cannot believe I thought it would be so simple! Found I was really upset to be labelled as someone having problems, which is totally daft I realise! Anyway feeling much more positive today and determined to work on this with LO and MW team and do best I can!

He is just so fragile looking and gorgeous its hard not to worry every second of every day... Guess this is something i just have to get used to!

Hugs and congrats to all - so glad someone invented MN! X

[AppleCrumples]

Hi and welcome meringue. Agree totally that we all worry far too much about birth but the bit that comes after is much harder! please don't worry about being labelled ad having probs, it took ages to get ds1 to feed properly and i was absolutely shredded by him and shattered till hv suggested we try him on a bottle just 1 night so dh could have him and i coukd sleep. It worked ds never had bottle again.

Worrying is all you wikk do from now on. Ds1 is 9 and im always worrying!

Told dh i woukd try to get back on morning school run tomorrow and wondering now how i can get up and dressed and out with them all. Up til now dh has left me and ivy in bed while he deals with everyone else. The rest has been wonderful.

Bunty really hope weigh in goes well and yay on the yellow poo!

Think i can actually feel ivy getting bigger whikst i get smaller (one day i may turn inside out)! :)

[Hormonalhell]

After pains are hell on earth aren't they

Well my birth story started on Friday after my appt where doctor said I could be allowed to go two weeks over... Went home pretty deflated but had also been having the odd sharp n crampy pains so after tea I went to bed with a hot water bottle. Took some painkillers about 8 but I still had the pains niggling away which I thought was strange. Suddenly at around 11.00 I had a sharp pain n then went to loo and emptied my bowels (suffer with constipation so was Deffo strange) then went back to bed and another sharp pain again so I called my mum where she said time them n then I had another 2 (all 3mins apart) so I then phoned my ex to come n have the kids as felt quite bad. He told me to ring ambulance so I did as they were hurting each more with every one. By the time we got to hosp they rushed me straight to delivery suite and an hour of pushing (cos he was back to back but then managed to turn him) later he was here. So from start of sharp pain to birth was two hours

[Hormonalhell]

I know what u mean about fragile Meringue, have not slept for 3 days now with delivery early hours, then in hosp last night, was very noisy n just watched DS2 in cot all night as he was mucousy n wouldn't feed. Tonight at home on my own with him apart from kids n very nervous but happy to be home with my little baby

[preggofabulous]

Ah, the worrying. I know it well. Had issues sleeping as constantly terrified LO would stop breathing/choke etc. Now always thinking is he too hot/too cold/not eating enough/has a temperature.....its almost too much to bear! Any tips on how to worry less and enjoy more??

[theboutiquemummy]

So the baby is currently attached to right boob I'm knackered DH is asleep and the night hasn't even started yet

Any ideas on how to settle little one ?

[Berniebennett]

I have a snug as a bug little one who is sound asleep.......but on me!!!! So no sleep for mummy and DH is snoring away next to me! I have tried the T shirt in his Cot and a hot water bottle, putting him down before deep sleep and while deep sleep, nothing works! But it's only at night feeds which is bizzare!

On other news ollie is doing well he has lost a little weight but only 6oz! Which considering he was 8lb 11oz when born, is good! We had the heel prick test today and bless it's the first time we have had actual tears (both me and him) it was heart breaking!

We have also had yellow poos over here - although none today (but there is still time for him to give us a treat!

Hope everyone else is well and ticked up fast asleep?!

[BuntyCollocks]

boutique -swaddle wraps. They are magical.

[ConfusedKiwi]

Hope it's okay to join this thread since DS2 managed to arrive on 1st January (was due 25th December).

Am also struggling with baby who wants to sleep at night on me and not in bedside crib... seems to go down okay for first sleep of the night (and during the day) but after feeding I cannot get him down again in crib.

Gotta go, sounds like a nappy explosion just occurred!

[BuntyCollocks]

Welcome, confused!

Oh, also for settling them into bed - flannelette sheets on the mattress. They're much cosier and my little lady baby seems to love them.

[Pascha]

Morning everyone. We had a good night last night, luckily as DH was back to work at the crack of dawn this morning. I agree swaddling seems to be the way to go, it means I can feed him and put him down without him kicking off a fuss. I think he just likes to be all a warm and snuggly (don't we all!). This was a rarity though, usually we are tag-teaming with Dan asleep on our chests.

First day alone just me and the boys today. We've had breakfast and now watching car racing on the sofa. So glad nursery run doesn't start til Wednesday, I can't quite face getting everyone up for 7.30am today.