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Post-natal clubs

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Original poster

It's April 2013, the time is now & HERE ARE OUR BABIES!

999 replies

toobreathless · 15/04/2013 22:10

Our first post natal thread!

Cooking & Cleaning can wait till tomorrow
for children grow up we've learnt to our sorrow
So wipe away cobwebs and dust go to sleep
I'm cuddling my baby cause babies don't keep!

A thread to celebrate the highs of life with a gorgeous newborn and the lows of sleepless nights, stitches, feeding traumas & Baby blues.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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bunnygirl80 · 26/04/2013 08:03

empress sorry to hear Sam is still so poorly. Thinking of you x

birdbrain17 · 26/04/2013 09:55

faith my baby also won't lie on her back I put her down and she rolls straight onto her side!!!
num I tried swaddling but she's such a wriggler she escaped, the mw managed it in hospital so I guess you have to do it quite tight. I wanted to try a dummy as the only way she'll sleep without being held is sucking on my finger but everyone says don't give before 4-6 weeks, how old is your baby?

Giddypants · 26/04/2013 10:48

empress sending sam positive vibes and virtual hugs you are often in my thoughts x

we have been using a dummy from the start in the hope that it helps the settling on a night. he seems to repond well to it bit wont take it through the dayConfused
and it is said that it reduces SIDS so I feel better about giving it to him.

is anyone else suffering with the colic? infacol sometimes works but not always have been giving gripe water but again it doesn't always work

num3onway · 26/04/2013 11:01

My dd is 3 weeks 3 days, like the previous poster I introduced a dummy from the start also due to sids but she drops it a lot!

Mama1980 · 26/04/2013 11:37

Morning all, just its been a bit chaotic here!
Candy- I'm using tomee tippee ones they have the gel stuff as well will try the others you mentioned thanks. Its getting silly milk is just everywhere.
Alex is still cluster feeding massively, he did not sleep for more than maybe 2 hours last night. He was happy just awake! Of course he is sleeping right now. Grin

Mama1980 · 26/04/2013 11:38

Thinking of you and sam empress, sending much love and strength. X

Mama1980 · 26/04/2013 11:40

Birdbrain they give dummy's in nicu to help with the suck reflex, Alex doesn't use it anymore he didnt like it but the nurse when I asked said it was safe you just have to sometimes get a smaller teat one if you give to from birth and be ore alert abut sterilising. X

birdbrain17 · 26/04/2013 11:56

I was worried about nipple confusion but baby bird seems to feed really nicely so maybe I will just chance it and give her one, thanks for the advice Smile
mw just been for 10 day check up, on day 5 she was back at birth weight of 6lb 8oz already and now she's 6lb 11oz, makes all the feeding worth it even though it's so tiring I'm so proud I'm managing to get her to gain weight Grin

empress please update when you can, thinking of you x

angeltattoo · 26/04/2013 12:34

Empress, you and Sam are in my thoughts x

We a still taking each day as it comes here, 8 days old today!

She is starting to cluster feed in the evenings, but this seems to help her sleep, we have had 2 good nights in a row - she only woke up once last night!!! Now that I can deal with, but I'm sure it will be variable!

My nipples are shredded, cracked, blistered and bleeding Sad

been to see support worker today, who showed me correct latch. Trouble is, I know it in theory but in practice, at home, obviously something is going wrong! I'm going to try sitting up straight, bring baby to boob etc...so the key is to perseverve through the pain!

Has anyone had any joy with nipple shields? I am loathe to use them due to nipple confusion, but I am in pain!!

And the two times I have attempted to leave the house and feed in public have been disasters, which in't great. Felt like a terrible mother yesterday, when I didn't have anything to shield her from the sun. I need to buy some giant muslins...

I also think my stitches and wound have come apart, the midwife will check these on Monday.

But the little peanut is gorgeous. We are off on a visit to the grandparents this weekend, a bit nervous about the journey, but looking forward to showing her off.

pebspop · 26/04/2013 12:50

hi ladies

i didn't join the ante natal thread as i had suffered recurrent miscarriage before my successful pregnancy resulted in ds two weeks ago. it was far too nerve wracking for me.

i hope i will be welcome to join in now though.

my ds is a little delight i love him!!

he is generally waking up every three hours for feeds and mainly sleeping in between.

how do you ladies cope with the lack of sleep? do we just plough though and hope it gets better soon? i am not feeling too bad at the moment but i know it's going to catch up with me soon. my dh is taking over this evening to let me get some sleep so hope fully i can get a six hour sleep in.

do you all take your babies out? i took my ds to my mums and tesco in his car seat and he was fine. i took him out in the pram to the register at the doctors a couple of days ago and he just screamed all the way there and back. i was thinking of taking him out this afternoon in to town but not sure if it's a good idea if he screams. might take him for a quick trial run in the pram after the next feed and see how we go.

i am starting to worry that going out will become a big deal and i am not usually one for staying in the house all the time. i am not minding staying in at the moment as i am tired and busy and getting visitors but i will need to get out at some point.

also i had a c-section so can't drive anyway so that is a good excuse to stay in!

sorry to hear your baby is ill empress. will be thinking about you.

Trishstar · 26/04/2013 12:51

Angel can you get your wound checked before you go away at doctors or a walk in? Just so it doesn't get any worse before you go away xxx

Trishstar · 26/04/2013 12:53

Pebspop welcome xxx I can understand your hesitance to join but welcome now! Pleased to meet you xx we have a fb group too! I can't post the link as I'm on my phone x someone will post it soon for you I'm sure xx

Mama1980 · 26/04/2013 13:10

Hi pebspop and welcome, glad to have you join us. I totally understand why you didn't want to join sooner. My ds Alex was born in December at 24 weeks.
As for going out we have been going out since we got home three weeks ago pretty much. I have the most awake baby ever it seems Grin have you tried a sling if your baby isn't keen on the pushchair?
I can't fb link either but we have loads of lovely cute baby pics on there! X

HadALittleFaithBaby · 26/04/2013 13:15

angel we've used nipple shields for the last week because Faithlet's latch wasn't brilliant - this was recommended by the hospital which surprised me! But as a stop gap it's worked well. She now latched herself 90% of the time. Just had to persevere trying without them then using them if needs be. Hasn't caused nipple confusion. In fact I'm pretty sure I'd have had to stop BF if we hasn't used them. Don't get the Boots ones though - they collapse on themselves and are a bit crap! I'm using one I got from the hospital like this

Welcome to pebspop. With your history I understand why you were nervous. Congratulations on becoming a mummy!

Re sleep - I am going for 2-3 hour power naps in the day, DH usually gets one but he's slept in the spare room the last two nights so that he gets a full night's sleep and I can turn the light on to change her/feed her in peace without worrying about disturbing him. Only a short term thing but working for us.

birdbrain17 · 26/04/2013 13:34

welcome pebspop so happy your little one is here safely and your able to join us Smile x

AmberLav · 26/04/2013 15:32

Hello ladies,

Can I join in too? I didn't discover the AN thread till quite late, and then ended up lurking accidentally, as you all seemed so close by then! But figure I can't lurk for ever!

My little girl (DC2) was born on Wednesday, but we are still in the hospital, as she's got a respiratory infection of some type, so she's on 5 days of antibiotics... At least we're in the right place, even if I'd much rather we were all at home...

I really feel for all of you that have had to stay in hospital a long time either for yourselves or your little ones, especially Empress and little Sam at this time...

Anyway, hopefully now I can join in the chat! Second one round, breastfeeding is a lot easier, but that may be because I've managed to have one that has read the book this time, rather than DS who worked it out finally when he was 17 days old!

Axx

Emmie10 · 26/04/2013 18:41

angel I had to use nipple shields due to the pain of cracked and bleeding nipples and would have given up breastfeeding if I hadn't used them. I used them for 2 /3 days solid which was enough time for some healing to take place, then every second feed. I am now trying to stop using them altogether. I got Avent ones from Boots.

wishfulthinking1 · 26/04/2013 19:39

Welcome to everyone new- and huge congratulations on becoming mummies!

Peter's just had a bath- and his belly button thing came off- DH said we should keep it- not sure if he's joking or not!

Anyway, am trying to stuff him full before a story and bed- we'll see how it goes!! See you all in the wee small hours!! Xx

KelleStar · 26/04/2013 20:01

Hallo! Waves to all the regulars and new faces. Well excited I can join you over here now little boy has arrived. DD has been really lovely and tugged on my heart strings.

This one also seems to have read the book too, he has been straight on each time, amazing. But, oh my, the after pains. Ooch!

Having to think of names now, our boy list was very short in the first place and it appears they don't suit him.

DD is off for a sleepover at MIL's while we have some sleep and a first night with baby.

Trishstar · 26/04/2013 20:12

Wishful we kept Hunter's cord and clamp xx

LikeCandy · 26/04/2013 21:51

Welcome pebspop and amber, and hi to kelle - good to see you all over here on the sleep deprived / sore nippled / baby snuggly side

wishful we've kept the cord, tho I had a panic last week that dog had found / eaten it, he hadn't it was packed away!!

feeding in public I'm doing ok with the two top method. Stretchy m&s vest underneath which gets pulled below boob and baggy top over which gets pulled up over boob. Loving my Elle McPherson nursing bras too. I am spraying milk everywhere still so cardigan needed to cover wet patches after!!

going out of the house I haven't been out alone yet, Monday will be my first day without DH or my Mum around - we'll just do a short jaunt into town and see how we go!

sleeping BabyCandy sleeps for 3 hrs at a time at the most, usually early morning we get a good stretch but she cluster feeds afternoon/ evening averaging a 20m feed every hour and a half, so with burping and changing we get about 45mins 'free' at a time where she sleeps or is awake/cuddling!

We're up visiting family for the weekend - she's going to meet her 2 uncles, great grandma, and my best friend for the first time. So exciting!

bunnygirl80 · 26/04/2013 21:59

angel I used nipple shields for two weeks with dd and slightly longer with DS. I have flat nipples and without the shields they couldn't latch at all, so it was either use the shields or bottle feed. I had the medela ones which are really soft thin plastic, so as close to bfing as you can get. You do still need to be careful with the latch though, dd managed to crack my nipple through a shield! Both of them switched back to feeding shield free without a problem when the time was right.

pepsbop welcome. I think pram hatred is pretty common amongst newborns. You could try a sling, they mostly love those. I had a cs too, and I found slings quite sore over my scar for the first three weeks though, but now dd lives in it when we're out and about. Keeps my hands free for wrangling my toddler DS too

Mama1980 · 26/04/2013 22:26

Welcome amber and hi kellestar, good to see you this side of things Smile
This is my first whole night totally alone, I sent my family home I am confident that I can drag/crawl to the bathroom. I've been alone everyday but usually someone has been staying overnight. Super organised I have nappies, Muslins, clothes...everything to hand. Ds1 and dd are asleep, dog is asleep, even the cat is asleep and Alex having been fed, burped, changed and cuddled is lying next to me gurgling up at the ceiling! Grin so I'm putting on pride and prejudice and seeing how it goes. Me and my babies snuggled up under my own roof- I can't stop grinning, every time I relax I feel this little bubble of happy in my stomach and grin again. Sure Alex has started smiling back at me Grin he probably thinks I'm going crazy!

LikeCandy · 26/04/2013 23:40

mama how lovely, have a great evening!

Baby asleep on her Daddies chest - when she wakes we'll change, feed and cross fingers she sleeps better than last night!
She's eaten sooo much today and not slept for as long as usual - not sure if this means we are more/ less likely to settle well tonight, we'll see!

Mama1980 · 27/04/2013 07:36

Thanks - well very little sleep but otherwise everything went smoothly Grin even dd came in for a cuddle in the end. My mum is coming to take us all shopping today, I'm excited to do something 'normal' plan to get new clothes for everyone. Alex is still in tiny baby sizes, his arms and legs are really long ibut his body Is still tiny I plan to get some bigger sizes though, hopefully he'll be in newborn soon!
I hope everyone got some sleep? X