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.

I feel the same about dd3. My other children are much older - 12 and 14 - so she has been really showered with love and attention. Overnight I've become dilapidated, grumpy and busy. It is only day 3 for me so I'm hoping to work out coping strategies before dh goes back to work. There are many slings to choose from, and I think sling lovers will be able to tell you more. I found the Kari-me fairly cheap and easy to use once I got used to tying it !

Hey birdies i promise it does get better! How old is dd1? Theres just 2 years between ds1 and 2 and you have just described days i had forgotten about. It just takes time for everyone to adjust.

My dd1 has turnee into an over sensitive tantrumming nigtmare! But yesterday she took her little friend into school after he got upset (he also very recently got a little sister). its nice to think of them supporting each other with these huge changes! :) and it showed that maybe she will b ok!

After my husband rocked him till 5am my baby finally slept for 8 hours with only one wake up for a feed! We switched from the Moses basket to a bednest last night and it seems to have helped. Good luck to all us mums for tonight!

I'm just wondering and by reading posts, my MW said I have to wake LO every 3 hours cos of his weight (gone down to 5lb 14 from 6lb 4) I am setting my alarm but it takes an hour to feed/change etc so am awake most of night

Does everyone else actively 'wake' their babies for feeds? Can't remember doing this with others

Massive sympathy/respect to those of you with older dc, I am struggling with just the baby. I've also been feeling guilty for neglecting the cat

I have a close sling which a friend lent to me. Sometimes dd likes it but other times she screams when I try to put her in it and I'm worried if it is hurting her legs. But she settles after a minute so I guess it can't.

I've taken her out in it a few times and it's so much easier for me than lugging the pushchair up and down the stairs to my flat. One of dp's coats will fit over both of us and I guess she is also kept warm by my body heat.

apples DD1 is 18 months. I thought she'd be too little to mind about a new baby but I think I was wrong!

I got our baby bjorn carrier out and baby fits in it so had 2 hours to wander round and do things other than sit on the sofa! So the sling/carrier idea was perfect. I do have DH to look after DD1 today though so it's been much easier anyway.

hormonal that's the advice I got when my baby dropped from 6lb 8oz to 5lb 13oz. I did do it as it was a big drop and it worked a treat. But generally I'm not a fan of waking them to feed once back at birth weight and above.

hormonal I had to with DS as he lost a LOT (8lb4 to 7lb1 bless him :( ), and I was waking Cameron until her weight gain this week. Midwife said she's healthy, happy, alert and to let her feed on demand rather than waking her. I feel more sane for it.

hormonal I had to actively wake for the first few days as LO just wouldn't wake (or in fact eat), but then he got used to it and started waking in his own.

Bugsy I also feel guilty for neglecting my furry baby. My cat seems quite traumatised by baby's arrival.

hormonal I missed your post before. That was the advice I was given, to wake dd for feeds. However that was based on her being premature and therefore tiny. I wake her every three hours in the day and every four at night. Over the last couple of weeks she has become less sleepy and usually wakes herself before I do it. I hate waking her in the night, knowing that I will struggle to get her back to sleep again.

preggo my poor cat was practically abandoned for a week while I was in hospital, then I returned with a small screaming thing, and the cat gets shut out of the bedroom at night and shouted at when she jumps in her new bed the moses basket. No wonder she's cross. She is holding me entirely to blame and is majorly sucking up to dp.

Mrsbugsy, although I was 3 days off term Charlie only weighed 6lb 4oz, he now gone down to 5lb 14 at last weigh in so that might be why then. Might let him go 4 hours thro night n see if he is more alert, takes half hour to rouse him anyway

He still very sleepy tho and he's a week today. God I'd forgot how much worry a newborn gives you

So relieved to hear that sleepy babies are common. I guess I need to feel assured that he will not die of starvation if I sleep through and he has 4-5 hrs without a feed. Has anyone else had experience of diarrhoea this young? Seems odd and slightly disconcerting. MW appt on Mon so would rather hold off til then but should we be taking him to hospital??

Is anyone else having issues with reflux? Bailey has decided in the last 2 days to become more sicky and unsettled after his feeds. It's just taken 2.5hrs to get him fed and settled he's now started up again. (had been sound asleep on hubby and put him in his basket)

Or is in fact it a good thing that will help flush jaundice out?

hormonal dd was a relative fatty at 5lb 5oz at 35 weeks. She had a bit of jaundice though which I think makes them sleepy. I was given lots of tips on how to wake her up for feeds, for example changing her nappy at the start of a feed, or halfway through if she drops off.

Happy, My DD1 had silent reflux, took us weeks to get diagnosed as she never dropped any weight. I would take him to the docs. Baby gaviscon helped for a little while but then had to use stronger medication. Also have you tried feeding in more upright position and keep him upright after feed for 20-30 mins. Could also try elevating one end of crib.

Meringue, my bubs has really watery stools today but still bright mustard. As long as still having wet nappies, is alert and feeding well I think it's fairly common.

I panicked yest as she had green ones and I thought oversupply imbalance was happening again as with DD1 but touch wood back to mustard today.

Tinkle my MW said its nighttime when the hormones get active with some babies and they are hard to settle. My bubs has settled better last few days, I put the top i wear each day over the mattress. She also seems to like the slumber bear but who knows unfortunately no miracle solution DD1 was a nightmare sleeper.

I have been feeding for what feels like forever. Thank god for nipple shields which have rescued my poor boobs. I'll get some sleep in a bit maybe. I have not yet produced a child who will sleep in a crib / Moses basket / anything other than on a person in the evening and night. I haven't even tried this time. When dh goes back to work I will put ds in the sling while I need to do stuff in the early evening. We have a bed nest so at night he just sleeps on my side of the bed in the crook of my arm. The bed best sort of makes our bed bigger to accommodate him and keep him safe. I sleep with the duvet angled over me but away from him and the same with my pillow. We have co-slept with all the children and it can be done very safely if you are mindful of the risks

I hope everyone is having a good night ....

My boob is still engorged i need some help i think! I had the pump on it for an hour and only got 1 ounce out that was with hot bath and a constant hot flannel massage thing going on.

I lost my temper with my boyfriend at 5 this morning. Id been feeding and dexter was still crying. Basically i was mad cos th bf had earplugs in and he stunk of beer theres not been one night he hasnt had beer

Morning all, hope you're all doing ok. Sympathies with everyone with sore nipples, I swear Nancy has teeth!

I think we're heading home this afternoon. I'm pleased, but terrified at the same time.

I'll write up my birth story when I can get my head around it. Everything happened so quickly, I think I need DH to fill me in on some of it. Every time I think about it, I well up. Not necessarily the part where she was out and ok, but the whole thing makes me feel a bit sad. Sad is the wrong word though, I don't know. I don't feel like I failed or anything, I just don't know.

Anyway, I'm rambling. I hope everyone is enjoying lovely cuddles with beautiful squishy babies :)

Lora - you could have a blocked duct.. If you feel you need help call a lactation consultant, I did with DD1 to help with oversupply/reflux issues. Also could be worth trying some lecithin granules. Hope it gets better quickly so painful. Big hug

Just marking place, Aurora was born Wednesday but I managed to get tonsillitis on Thursday so we have been holed up in bed ever since. Hopefully will rejoin the world soon but it has been lovely just having endless baby snuggles. I hope everyone is doing ok.

Congrats chutes and creepy

spring are you lying down when you sleep or sat up? I'm tempted to go for the sleeping on me as otherwise I just get one hour each time before she wakes again. Just can't work out how to do it safely. I also have a bednest.

Does anyone properly wake baby to feed in the night? Xanthe stays half asleep with her eyes shut but then only feeds for 5 mins and even then keeps slipping off and swallowing air. Maybe I should wake her (though then I don't know when she'll go back to sleep).

Thanks lost. Ordered some curtesy of amazon, what do i do with them?! Put them in juice etc?

Well I think the reflux/grumpiness may have been caused by the fajitas we had for tea the other night... Took til nearly 2am to get him settled but he then slept right through til half 7, fed him and he settled instantly. Fed again at half 10 and settled instantly. He's not really brought up any milk today either.

I'm slightly engorged today too as Bailey was constantly on my boobs yesterday. Hoping a few good feeds today will it sort out.

Going to build the pram just now so that we can go for a walk and have dinner at the in-laws. Will be nice to actually get out the house...

Congrats Chutes and Creepy!!

Going for a carvery dinner... Wish me luck i dont have to get my boobs out at the table!!!

Birdies I always change ivy first just so she is alert enough not to take 1 suck and pass out! It's a pain but she feeds better and then sleeps longer [selfish need to sleep emoticon]

congrats chutes what a lovely name.

Creepy I felt a bit like that and still can't really think about ivy birth. It was such a shock, even lovely hv said she wanted to come out extra as it had all clearly been a shock!