December 2012 - so, do we all know what we're doing yet?

[MaMaPo]

:)

Oh eggs and spotty the maternal guilt! eggs - you took action as soon as you knew there was a problem - that makes you a good un. spotty - take it from me - running yourself into the ground is not in the best interests if anyone, least of all your lo. I stubbornly avoided all formula for 3 months with dd1 because I wanted only the best for her - it was a crap decision and given the chance, I'd give her a top up earlier here and there to give me some rest in order to keep my milk going (exhaustion is no good for supply) and enable me to be a happier/healthier mummy. Happy and healthy mummy is essential for baby so please don't feel bad.

Minipie I know people who've had prem babies and gone overdue with subsequent ones. Plus they would keep a closer eye on you next time. The dr in SCBU said there's no rhyme or reason to it really (unless there was an obvious reason for it ).

Thanks everyone dd was ff I don't know why I feel like this this time!

Seconds next baby will be born super quick too I reckon you'll only need to sneeze!

Bit worried about dp he was 20 mins away 45 minutes ago and there's a fair bit of snow again on main roads and our roads are 2 inches thick with ice

Secondsop I intend to get pregnant as quickly as possible with number 2 as I am 37 (will definitely be 38 if we have another), but I still feel really tender down below so I am not sure I want to get on with the shagging for another few weeks at least!

It took us ages to get pregnant with Edward though so I am hoping this one will be quicker!

spotty any news on your dp?

Waited in for bt to come to the rental house so our tenants could go to work while internet gets sorted. Guy finally turned up.at 12.45 then told me the pole had 'the wrong sticker' on it and he needed to make a new appointment to come back with ladders! Had a mammoth walk around town after though with O happily snoozing in his sling.

As dh is an only child and my bro and I have a 20 month gap we've always planned on trying to have a few quite close together. Think I've already forgotten labour details and was lucky with pregnancy so planning to start trying again when I stop ebf at 6 months.. Also from a selfish point of view I want to get the no-sleep stage out of the way in one major (painful) few years' stint!

minipie we're having the same worries about future babies being prem. the consultant said they would keep a close eye and be very vigilant for any infections (not that that was why it happened) but like spotty said if there wasn't a specific reason for them coming early there's no reason for it to happen again.

Part of me wants another one straight away so they'd be close in age but part of me wants to wait a little while and fully enjoy D as a baby. I'm 7 years younger than my DS and 5 younger than DB and always found that gap hard.

Am anxiously checking D's mouth. His tongue is quite pale but I think that's normal for him but am second guessing self as he's been quite fussy on the boob lately.

We were planning to ttc once R hits 2 but not sure now. I'm early 30s though so no huge rush

fod bleeding finally stopped after 3.5 weeks so dh and I have managed to get back 'in the saddle' as it were, sorry if over sharing! Was very gentle and slow (plus lots of lube, tmi) and actually rather nice, if not super comfy to start with. I normally really enjoy the physical side of things between us but was frankly terrified it would hurt as had an episiotomy and it wasn't anything like I feared.

Yes he's home! It was slow as there's lots of hills and everyone was queuing at the bottom so they could get a good run up.

I would say either have a super close age gap so they both still sleep or a 3+ age gap so biggest is in nursery.

I'm worried about thrush too. Ds is often fussy and pulling away and although he doesn't have a white tongue he has a couple of white lumps on his gum and sometimes gets white in the corner of his mouth

I think I an just worried because I had a second degree tear and lots of stitches. Also the vulval variscosity has made my pelvis ache.

I am basically scared of pain!

Secondsop, H is definately making more noises while shes awake. Shes even making one which sounds like the beginnings of a giggle . I've always said i would love 4 children but after that pregnancy and birth i don't want anymore. And wow what a birth story, just goes to show that babies really do come when their ready.

Spotty hope your DP is ok. Hopefully he's just taking the drive easy.

I have 5 so I guess I should stop now, is it bad that it makes me just a little sad?

COD

I've been avoiding OBEM, not because of bad experience (N's birth really couldn't have been any better - am v lucky) but because of sadness that I prob won't do it again. We'd always planned to have two and I could provide a whole list of practical, boring reasons why we shouldn't have another so this feeling has thrown me a bit. I've packed the clothes N has outgrown away rather than selling/charity shopping them yet if he was DC3 fairly certain that's what I'd be doing. Makes me feel that instinct's telling me our family isn't complete yet, even though I'm incredibly grateful for our two lovely DC.

Had always been wary of having two close together (scared of too much hard work ) but also not sure about a big gap between DS1 and the potential third. Probably massively over-thinking it atm and given I'm still in my early thirties there's no mad rush to decide. Will see if the little voice is still nagging in a year or so, or whether I've ebayed the baby stuff instead.

COD will we be seeing you on 16 kids and counting in the future?

We've agreed that I'll go back to work for 3 months and then we'll start trying. But I've got a year off so quite a long time really. I was very lucky with birth and would do it all again straight away if finances allowed. Still bleeding at 5 weeks though so no bedroom action yet.

We've no boudoir action because of co-sleeping which looks like it will go on for some time. Co-sleeping would not be my first choice but through it I'm managing a decent amount of sleep which quite frankly is my top priority. spotty I wondered if you co-sleep or had considered it? I sit up for some of the feeds but if I'm struggling I just latch her on lying down and doze while she feeds, sometimes I fall fast asleep and have no idea when she finished! I guess this when she has little feeds and dozes after 3/4/5ish. Lots if suckling is helpful for her reflux but sitting up through it all would not bf helpful for me!

I've half thought about it but dp wouldn't want to, our bed is pretty small, I like the duvet up round my neck and being diabetic it's dangerous if I have a hypo

Ah, I see. I like the duvet up too but have got used to wearing 3 tops to bed instead! I wouldn't have been brave enough to do it with dd1, but am a bit more relaxed now with dd3. Boo to the diabetes.

willyou yes I'm only 25 so plenty of time yet. This has taken me by surprise I guess as before Ethan was born I was adamant he was my last, to the point of researching getting my tubes tied so I didn't have to worry about contraception. Yet a few short weeks later I know that is the furthest thing from my mind (tube tying not contraception ). Definately never say never, just have to hope one day the finances look brighter.

Ethan has had a lot of tummy pain today and been a Velcro baby.

He's got into a great routine for school run times though so he wakes at 6am feeds, sleeps while I get breakfast done them wakes to get dressed and finish his feed then we leave for school at 8.30. Then in the afternoon he wakes between 2.15 and 2.30 and feeds before the school run. Tbh I really don't care about the rest of the day/night as long as I can get to the school when needed!

No! I always said once I felt everyone couldn't have some of my time I'd stop. It's important to me that although we have a big family none of the dcs miss out on time with dh or I too much. Not sure I'd manage that with 16. I am very lucky though that dd is a very content and easy baby and very aware if i did have another that could not be the case!

I do have a thing about even numbers though

COD a friend's mum wanted just one more after having 4, and got ... Twins. And do we all remember the salutary lesson of the woman with 4 children on OBEM who wanted just one more and got triplets?

Okay people talk to me about bedtime routines. How and when? I love our evenings at the minute - bottle at 8pm then sleep on me or DP til we go to bed. Last bottle in the dark in our bed then into the Moses basket. Am I setting myself up for a terrible sleeper? He's still only 5 weeks.

willyou that's similar to what we were doing but we've started bath and pjs (change of sleepsuit) about 7.30, bottle of ebm and into his basket upstairs in our room about 8, sit with him till he drops off then creep away. He'd got to a point where he refused to be in his basket before midnight or after 5 am for the whole day so we decided that if he wouldn't go down in his basket for naps then we needed to get him down in the evening.

willyou we don't have an enforced regime as only coming up to four weeks but sound similar to you ib terms of regime he naturally follows.. Feed around late aft/early evening, followed by kip on daddy then nappy and bouncing and into bed for late feed at 11ish.

Meant to try expressing today but ended up walking about town so will try tomorrow. Feeling daunted by the faff, but it would help so much to be able to give a bottle to others to feed.

What classes is everyone doing? More to keep me interested than anything at this early age. Have found swim, baby sensory and baby signing so far, plus a dance based keep fit + LO one, but not sure i can justify paying for all ..