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

[toobreathless]

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.

Flying out to soft play as the weather here is terrible, thanks for all the support yesterday, feeling a bit better :) it really helps to know I'm not the only one feeling the same way,

likecandy absorbency does improve with washing as the fluff up it tends to improve over the first 10 washes. You can add a booster (insert) to improve absorbency.

motilium about £3.99 fom the chemist but you only get 10 tableys and need to take about 8 a day! much better to get your gp to provide them

Giddy already asked the GP and they don't give them here! I begged and pleaded!! How long would you need to take them? Can they not be used a boost for a couple weeks then you stop? Xx

Wooo we somehow managed to get up, dressed, fed and put on "in control" masks at baby massage this morning, that's 2 days in a row we left house, yey!

She slept through the whole thing, though I'm paying for it now she appears to be a bit constipated (over 24 hrs for a bf baby?) and is crying, thrashing and generally being awkward. She is trying to roll over to her side now too, which I didn't expect yet (23 days) so I guess it's the end of the road for leaving her on edge of bed!

I use 2 pillows to bf... I doubt I can ever do it in public, I'm not discreet in the slightest, boobs and milk shooting everywhere, baby screaming and trying to latch on to my elbow, just going to express with any trips longer than an hour.

I really wanted a dream sheep, but they weren't in stock at amazon and I got a bit "if I can't have it tomorrow morning I don't want" will be interested to hear how it goes.

We got a bouncer chair a few days ago, it's a fisher price one and it vibrates. I really recommend it, it looks really snug and bounces really easily, in the right mood she will sit quietly for ages in it watching us cook etc.

Trish I have no idea about baby nipples am afraid, but would be interested to know what HV says.

Congratulations thereis! I was wondering about you... Lovely to hear from you.

Argh my child will only sleep on my chest in the sling today. I want a nap too!

user how often does she usually poo? Faithlet hasn't pooed since Saturday but we've got used to long gaps between poos! I think we're due a huge one in the next day or so!

I've just won an electric breast pump on eBay. Really looking forward to getting it, my hand is sore from 3 weeks of manual pumping!

Too I've felt exactly the same about poor DD - the Disney DVDs have been well and truly abused recently! Today we've had 'DD Day' and done all of her favourite things. We had her friend over to play, then we went to Starbucks for hot chocolate and then finally we spent a couple of hours at the soft play area with her cousin. I know it can't happen every day but I'm aiming for something similar once a week to ease the guilts! Luckily H BFs well so it's easy to do out and about. We are lucky that, now she's 3, she gets 15 hours at nursery, so that's also three afternoons where she plays and is stimulated.

I use a pillow when BF at home (and did with DD who I BFed for 13 months). I can do without when out and about, but it is definitely harder!

Empress my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Hello everyone! Finally getting to posting I had my first dd on 15th April, easy labour ( water birth) finding breastfeeding difficult but perserveering reading this thread is fab support! Congratulations on all the new arrivals!

likecandy my appointment is on Friday as well but will only be 5 weeks and 1 day! Good luck with the vaccinations, I am not looking forward to that day! Ava had a blood test at 14 days and I was a wreck!

username I am impressed 2 days in a row getting out and about! I have thought about it so many times but so far only managed twice a week max...beginning to get cabin fever, although I have to say that I am much much less tired when I do stay at home all day.

I also have the same thing happening with dd re. Attempting to roll over - she's 24 days old. I don't leave her anywhere she could fall off but really I think they won't roll properly for another couple of months yet.

Today was tough work as dd wouldn't settle at all. Think she was/ is having stomach issues- had the most giant poop this morning and then vomit this afternoon and lots of and faces and didn't sleep much at all. Lets see what the night brings!

Am ebf at the moment, don't think i could do it while out and about especially as dd has hands flying everywhere and generally getting in the way, pushing me away with those tiny arms, scratches me sometimes when really excited, then getting annoyed with me for not bringing the boob to her quick enough. It's a real circus.

Congrats yummy, and well done on the easy labour! I've heard so many people having a hard time including myself (72 hours, vomiting about 50 times, on a drip almost passed out, general unpleasantness) so it's nice to hear someone having a labour go to plan . I also have ups and downs with bf. have you tried going to baby cafes? Don't know if they are everywhere but they are pretty good for a little push in the right direction.

Yeah I think you could do that trish, from memory I think it took about 3 days to take effect. I. Did stop and start a lot with no ill effects, I think oats and fenugreek are supposed to help with supply also

Oh and trish the hard lump under H nipple is probably a blocked milk duct. I know what your thinking, but I can remember from the neonatal wards that babies can produce milk from they're mums hormones! So don't worry about it, it will resolve itself!

Is anyone else having sessions when baby is so hungry that you finish one boob, swap to the next ad in finitum? Dd has barely slept today ( max1.5 hours since 830) and been feeding loads...guess a growth spurt at 25 days, but wondered just how back-to-back others feedings are on these occasions? Do you literally swap boobs for hours? She's being quite tuggy as though she's frustrated and barely getting any milk!

Yes looby! It's exhausting! After each feed she nods off but move her and she demands more! Sometimes a change of scene settles her like going for a drive in the car but sometimes nothing will deter her! I think it's just a sign of a hungry baby - I've heard it described as 'cluster feeding'.

Congratulations yummy, birth sounds good!

We actually do something/get out most days. Today we had a day at home (speedy trip to local co-op) which was lovely - I need to plan to do that more I think! With bf in public, the more I do it the better I get at it. I think most people don't even notice. I have a waterfall cardigan which is particularly helpful to be discreet!

Thank goodness for this page! So relieved to read we are not the only ones dealing with a restless baby. She just won't settle well today, can't put her down and we have been feeding constantly since 4pm. It makes you a bit crazy after a while. I hate too see her restless.

On the plus side we had a lovely walk this afternoon and a cup of tea. However we have only got 5 nappies to last the night (where have 148 gone in 12 days??). I am going to have to get the reusables out and hope my Amazon order comes!

Total respect for anyone doing this with additional children!

I say all the restless babies are having growth spurts!!

5 nappies should ok. I don't tend to change overnight unless it's dirty (not just wet ) or DS is clearly unhappy about it. Otherwise I just end up waking him! We're using the pampers overnight nappies as think they do keep him drier longer.

Trying a dream feed for the first time tonight. Plan is I go to sleep in spare room, DH gives DS a bottle of ebm when he goes to bed at around 11. He'll sleep in with DS in our room til he wakes for a feed at which point we'll swap. Hope that DS will go a bit longer this way... Will report back!

Thanks giddy xx am taking fenugreek already!

angel Bfing without a cushion will get easier as your baby gets bigger.

DD a delight atm, smiling lots. DS much trickier, he is 2 and refuses to go to bed. He has stayed up to see Chelsea win Europa League.

Am losing track, am I the only one not to have dtd? DD six weeks today. Sleep takes priority, sorry DH!

We've not DTD either, but DD is only 3 weeks today, and I did have a second degree tear! And to be fair, we seem to be working in shifts at the moment with the 2 kids, so when we'd find the time, I do not know!

We also don't change Evan at night unless he has leaked - although it can take us a while to realise that is the problem as he is now in a sleeping bag at night.

With reusables, make sure you are folding any boosters according to whether you have a boy or a girl. Although we are having such poo issues that we are still using quite a few disposables. Evan only does a poo every other day, usually, but it is HUGE and really watery so unless we can catch him doing it, it soaks through everything he is wearing. Luckily he is pretty regular - likes to time it for when I am about to go on the school run and I tend to chuck him in the sink for a quick rinse off!

Have spoken to the HV about it - it tends to be very usual for the milk he is on (Pepti 1) as it is so refined there is very little waste for his body to get rid of. Today I bought a box of regular Aptimil milk and am adding a scoop to every other feed to see if that improves his poo and how he copes with it. He doesn't seem too bothered most of the time about his poo situation.

Haven't read in detail anyone's posts apart from seeing a common theme.

Wilf has been feeding like a starved thing my boobs might reach my knees soon quite well drained, he has been feeding pretty much constantly since 4pm. Wolfed down dinner while DH did a lap of the garden and then back to it. He's finally fallen asleep. Time for me to join him.

Oh, have a feeling of a blocked duct in my right boob, whole boob is flaming agony and can't bear anything touching it, hell when he latches. But can't feel a lump anywhere, I can't feel too well as it's so much agony. Had a hot compress on it all PM while feeding off and on. Ibuprofen being taken on cycle with paracetamol. Feel feverish and shivery. Have made him feed off that boob at each feed today. Any other thoughts?

Trish... It's a swollen breast bud, Wilf had magnificent moobs, but they've come down really well, at the peak of enforcement they were red hot and leaked milk. Perfectly normal and should fade away easily.

Thanks Kelly! I thought that would be the case just wasn't expecting it at 6+ weeks xxx

Empress I think of you and Sam often and hope that he is soon able to stay off everything and begins to get stronger. You and he seem to be real fighters and I love his middle name.

In order to cope with 3DC, DP and I tend to work in shifts in the evening. We alternate so that one of us takes care of Evan and the other one sorts the girls out for bed. Every few days or so they all climb into the bath together.

If the girls wake in the night - rarely a night goes by when one of them doesn't need something in the night - then whoever is on 'girl-duty' sorts that one.

Whoever is on Evan-duty basically sorts Evan all night although when that is DP then I generally end up waking up and then have to wake DP to sort Evan I then doze when DP is feeding Evan but have to check that he makes it back into his basket before DP falls asleep again

Evan is a bit refluxy but we are coping with it by keeping him upright for (ages) a while after each feed and we are using Infacol (although are cutting it down) and Dr Brown bottles. At night, if he struggles to settle then DP gets to go back to sleep and I stay up and hold Evan - I can manage better on less sleep and if DP was trying to stay awake, I would also have to stay awake to check he didn't drop Evan into the duvet!!!

And we are lucky that in the mornings, DP leaves home before 6.30am and the mornings are very structured so that I can get the girls to school.pre-school (nearly) on time!

Hi faith

Impressed with all babies who are already trying to roll over. DS2 is doing no such thing but he does laugh. I can barely stop myself from whooping and jumping up and down when he laughs at me. You'd think by DC3 I would be less giddy.

Glad I'm not the only one not 'getting any'

About getting out with baby, I have school run to do every day so have to be up and out by 8.40am. It's a bit hectic but DS1 and DD are old enough to do a lot of things independently.

Actually getting out and chatting to the other mums at the school gates is a real tonic. When DS1 was newborn I could be holed up indoors for days.

Anyone started going to baby groups yet?

By the way, can I make a suggestion for any of the colicky babies? I give DS2 about 2ml of fennel water (made by soaking a few fennel seeds in freshly boiled water for 5 mins) every night and it seems to help.

He comes up with nice big burps shortly after and then settles.

Worth a try if you've lost faith in Infacol.

I think I will try that fennel water, Thereisamum... and yes, the school run is a definite motivation for getting up and out. We try to leave by 8.20 but is usually closer to 8.30 (or later if we have a poo-plosion!)