Graduated Elderberries

[HazleNutt]

It's time to move to Post-Natal clubs.

[BlearyeyedLol]

Brave what did you say to manage to get a blood test? I've an appointment tomorrow as I've also been feeling pretty run down not to mention the bloody lack of bf weight loss

[BraveLilBear]

Just that I'm exhausted - more so now than when he was newborn. Worried about coping with return to work this tired etc.

He very quickly suggested a blood test to check thyroid and other bits. If he hadn't I probably would have raised it by saying something like 'I've not felt as bad as this since I was anaemic'.

Good luck - it sucks being a run down mama!

[BlearyeyedLol]

Thanks I've been feeling the same and was putting it down to a 6 month stint of no sleeping- but after reading your post I thought it best to get checked out. Plus I have not been eating any sweets and hardly any alcohol and I somehow managed to put on 2lb last week
Cav once again I think you've struck genius. You obviously use your time much more wisely than me. Googling over candy crush has it's advantages!!

[Purplemonster]

Ooh ooh, I feel shit too, and I've put weight on breastfeeding, does that mean I have to go and let them stable with needles too? although the amount of blood tests I had done while I was pregnant (every two bleedin weeks!) did wonders for my needle phobia.

I did kind of wonder if this utterly drained crappy feeling was a breast feeding thing and if I'd feel better as she cut down but she still seems to be feeding quite a lot and I still feel crap. I would quite like my body back now but seeing as she screamed when I tried her with formula, I guess I've got to stick with it.

[Purplemonster]

I meant stab me. Stupid phone.

[HazleNutt]

purple thyroid problems after pregnancy are common, yes go get checked. But ask for T4 and T3 to be tested as well, not just TSH.

[BlearyeyedLol]

What's t4 and t3???? What if the doctor says I don't need a test?????
Is it common in us oldies or in anyone?

[Purplemonster]

Ok thanks, I think I was a bit oblivious to it, just thought 'of course you feel shit, you've got a baby' but when I thought about it she doesn't wake me up enough for me to be feeling as bad as I do.

[CatsCantFlyFast]

Sorry to hear of people feeling crappy - hopefully the docs can pinpoint and fix.

Quick q - for those of you with the angelcare monitor, does it only work with a certain type of mattress? Mine is packed in a box somewhere so I cant easily get to it to check

[MotherOfCleo]

Sorry you guys are feeling rubbish, hope the doc can sort you out!!

I'm after some help please - my section scar had healed really well and I've not had a problem with it. But today its been a bit sore on one side, I didnt think anything of it until changing for bed but when I felt it the right end almost looks like a welt, its warmer to the touch than the rest of the scar, is raised up and is red. Any ideas? Should I be worried? Surely it should be ok after 3 months?

Sorry merk we just have a normal baby monitor, I know a few of the others do have the angelcare one though so hopefully they can help.

[MotherOfCleo]

an we are back to being up every 2 an a half hours

[janey1234]

Merk - mine works fine with a quality pocket sprung mattress, but lol's doesn't... So in short I don't know I'm afraid...

Mother I'm sorry Hope you're not too whacked.

M still asleep. 11 hours and counting

[HazleNutt]

lol if you have also other symptoms besides tiredness, like feeling cold and gaining weight, there's no reason not to test - it's a very simple blood test.

T3 and T4 are the actual thyroid hormones that should be checked. What happens though that doctors often only test TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and declare you fine if that is under 5. First of all, most specialists nowadays recommend TSH under 3. Second, it does not always give an accurate picture - the recommended range is 0,5-5 (or 3,5, as said), but mine needs to be below that for me to feel good and have t3-4 in normal range.

it's common in everybody, not just oldies thyroid.about.com/cs/pregnancy/a/postpartum.htm

[HazleNutt]

mother no personal experiences, but can you go get it checked, just in case? You don't have a fever or any other complaints?

Wish me luck, I have performance assesment at work today, and I also want to ask for more money.

[janey1234]

Ooh good luck hazle. Gosh, that just gave me the fear about going back to work. I feel a million miles (ha) from my old career driven, ambitious self, and am going to have to get back to the old me at sone point!

Did you find it ok slotting back into work? I don't mean in terms of leaving V, but in terms of, I don't know, really caring about it all again? Feeling motivated, driven - and what I can't imagine being again - competent?!

[janey1234]

Oh mother I missed your point about your scar! Sorry!

Weirdly my scar is also different on the right to the left. The whole scar is practically invisible now, just a bit pink. But the bit furthest on the right is a bit pinker and wider than the rest. However, that was the part of the scar that had the knots at the end of the dissolvable stitches in it, and i used antibiotic cream on. Basically the knot dug in and was somehow stopping it healing as well as the rest, and I was worried about it getting infected as it got a bit weepy (sorry tmi). As it took longer to heal it doesn't surprise me that it isn't as neat as the rest. But by 3 months on it had definitely stopped playing up.

I would def def get it checked out - not worth putting it off.

It does take a long time for the scar to heal - mine still feels weirdly itchy occasionally - I guess it makes you realise that it was major abdominal surgery after all! Guess that's why you have to wait 12 months before ttc again, to let all the layers they've cut through heal properly.

Let me know how you get on with the docs...

[HazleNutt]

I think it was easier for me, as the maternity leave was so short, so not much had changed. And I was checking my emails during the leave as well. I don't think the brain has suffered too much

It's different as I am of course thinking about V all the time. But I'm more driven if anything - have a family to support now.

[Alexandra6]

I genuinely can't imagine being back at work, my brain is def not as sharp as it used to be (no sarcasm please janey ) and I'm sure a large part of that is sleep deprivation. So unless S becomes a great sleeper by 1 year, I'll really struggle! Again I've buried my head in the sand as I've been concentrating on adjusting to being a mum and taking each day at a time but guess I should be thinking about child care options. With my job, they're all working remotely now so, if they can afford to have me back (they rely on clients and this can really go up and down), it could work well going back, maybe part time. However that's a big if, as they may make my role redundant, in which case I'll be looking at trying for a new job which of course would be difficult to find and it would need to make good sense financially once the cost of child care has been taken off. The spanner in the works is that we might bite the bullet and ttc again so a challenging job, a baby/toddler and pregnancy sounds pretty full on!! It isn't a desperate crisis if I'm out of work for longer so we're lucky in that sense but I just don't want to put all the financial pressure on DH for years if I can help it.

Anyway great night janey! Hope your scar is ok mother. S had such a weird day yesterday - barely slept from 8am to midnight?!

[Cavort]

Work?

Wow Janey that's bloody great sleeping! I am massively . E likes to keep us on our toes and treated up to the earliest ever 2 hour wake up last night of 9-11pm, but this then meant she slept 11-8 with only 2 brief feeds. Not a patch on M though!

Apologies in advance for Daily Fail link, but this genuinely worries me. At only 7 months, E already constantly reaches for smartphones and tablets in preference to her own toys even though (to my knowledge) she has never been allowed to play/use one. It's just something about the bright screens which draws them in or something.

[Purplemonster]

Oh don't get me started on bloody work, as predicted they're dicking me about re: flexible working so I'm just waiting to hear if I'm going to actually have a job to go back to. I'm having to go back in April

[HazleNutt]

We had a reasonable night, a few feeding breaks. But I manage them half asleep, so couldn't even tell you how many times and when exactly he woke up.

cav have you seen this yet?
www.amazon.co.uk/CTA-Digital-iPotty-Activity-Seat/dp/B00B3G8UGQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1391079163&sr=8-4&keywords=ipad%20holder%20babies&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[CatsCantFlyFast]

Cavort I read that article. However I have a slightly opposite view... Perhaps because I work in IT. Who says traditional toys are better than digital games and learning apps? Obviously I do not agree with a child 'addicted' to and screaming for any toy. However it is/was widely acknowledged that a child taught to read/write at home before school would have a 'head start'. Why is that not the same with technology? Today's world revolves around technology and all children will require the skills to use it effectively in all day to day tasks. The likelihood is that your child will learn using a computer or tablet at school. They will research using the Internet and submit homework online. So why is it a 'bad thing' to be learning to use it at a young age? You wouldn't want any child to play with any toy to the point of being addicted or antisocial, so I personally don't see why technology is any different

[Purplemonster]

Cavort - L is very interested in my iPhone as well, though she mostly tries to chew it! I suppose they see us using them all the time as well so they're interested.

[Alexandra6]

Probably the same with game boys back in my day! And with tv if they're allowed to watch loads. I have a friend who gave iPads to hers aged 1.5 and 4! Keeps them occupied in restaurants! Another friend wouldn't even let hers watch tv until she was 2 and then it was limited. She's read a study that says toddlers are brighter if they play more interactively than staring at the tv, makes sense. It's interesting, I guess the time on them needs to be capped if they are allowed them. I'm ashamed to say the lights on the tv entertain S so I put her facing the tv sometimes! Just for a bit! Terrible mum

When she's a bit older, S will be allowed to watch films and play with the iPad with me but only set times. Before bed will be reading for example. DH is also really keen to get her into sports and I want her to do outdoor play as much as poss.

[Alexandra6]

Oh and I really like the idea of meal time where we sit and chat as a family rather than meals in front of the tv, teaching S to socialise and think about things. Hope we can do this in reality as at the moment DH and I are eating of trays in front of the tv!