JULY 2014 - WE HAVE BABIES

[justhayley]

Well it's only mid June but I hear we have our first July 2014 baby - congratulations MrsC, also hear there is one going to be joining us very very soon so thought it was time to start a postnatal thread! Wow can you believe it's that time already!!!

I hope to be joining you on this thread in the next few weeks - have no desire to get to 40 /42 weeks in this heat thank you.

For now congratulations new mummies xxx

Nancy I'd better not let DH see that. We're also 3 weeks post-partum and my gales of laughter at the thought of sex would probably upset him.

Ha 6 weeks here and no chance!

Ds just fed and got to sleep screaming since 5pm...I've been awake since 5am. Shattered doesn't even begin to describe it!

Fox I didn't go out on my own for several weeks with DD1. Partly because we had family visiting for about 5 weeks after she was born so I didn't need to. I've been out a lot earlier this time around (although only with the baby not both of them yet) but that's because I'm more confident now (although managed to go out with no nappies today!!). Do whatever you feel comfortable with.
Definitely talk to your MW if you're worried about PND.

I actually think I'm more interested in sex than DH (although entirely academically, as clingy baby is a very effective contraceptive). It helps that DH looks like an Athena poster when he's with DS. Whereas even if I wasn't looking a right state most of the time, alas motherhood is not inherently sexy. Men with babies generally have women swooning, but women with babies don't seem to have the same effect on men. Very unfair!

I do think DH has a new-found appreciation of me on an entirely new level, but I don't think 'sexy' comes into it!

Oh my god, sex after three weeks??? I don't think I'll even want to do it after 3 months!!!
I haven't been out on my own yet Nancy, dd is 15 days old, and I still have a blub most days. Sometimes it's the overwhelming love, sometimes I am wondering how I will cope, sometimes it's lack of sleep and I'm crying because the bananas have all gone brown!!!

Thanks Ellie, Nancy and Flymo. The health visitor is coming on Tuesday, so I'll see how I'm feeling then and talk to her if I still don't feel too good. I don't think it helps that one of my nipples is practically falling off, so I get myself all worked up when it's almost time to feed from that side! It's doing a lot better now after changing positions for the last 24 hours though.

Wow sex after 3 weeks! ! I think we'll be more like 3 months!

Fox, I've had similar nipple trauma, have used nipple shields for the past 24hrs and it's really helped, I recommend!

Thanks flymo! I bought nipple shields yesterday but not used them yet so maybe I'll give them a go today

Fox I did have PND (probably also depressed while pregnant) with DS and for months I carried on and hoped it would get better and convinced myself that I just needed to keep going.
Well, in the end (after a lot of tears) I managed to get some therapy. It has been amazing! I can't wait for my next appointment next week. So if you feel at all worried speak to the HV or your GP and even if nothing is wrong it might feel good just to get whatever you need to off your chest.

Don't suffer in silence and don't be fobbed off by anyone who says "you're fine, just get out more and keep yourself busy".

I'm really struggling and I get really upset for DS and that we can't go out and easily do stuff because DD is shouting for more boob again. I am wondering why I feel so compelled to BF when let's be honest she'll be fine if I don't. I'll just feel terribly guilty.

nutella what would I be experiencing? Have been to doctors and she didn't seem concerned. On nights when I've had not much sleep- less common (but last night only managed 4h) I am awful the following day in tears very easily and just feel like I don't know what I'm doing/best way to help ds. He sleeps well and feeds plenty at the moment but has short alert and content times then rest of it crying. Think colic at night pushes me over the egde- made it to 6 weeks so hopefully will start to get better. ..

ickle ds is the same and the alert/content times are increasing and crying is decreasing. I bought him the fisher price play mat with the piano bit for him to kick which keeps him amused for about 10 mins. I think crying due to sleep deprivation is normal. The gp that did my 6 week check did an Edinburgh test (?) to assess my depression level but my answers to some of the questions were related to sleep deprivation or grief so not balanced imo but she let my HV know who sent me info for pnd groups. I saw my normal gp this morning and had a cry about how hard it is trying to support dp and cope with a demanding baby and she asked if I wanted anti depressants but I said no. I was on them before for anxiety but I don't feel they would help my current situation - I just need things to improve and we have good days but after not much sleep and an unsettled ds this morning today isn't that great. I love him so much I just wish he were happier.

Welcome to the newcomers!

DD is having a clingy day today. She really needs a proper sleep and hasn't managed that since she woke up at 6am - she's just had little snoozes. DS doesn't help with her falling asleep either. Even a walk in the pushchair to the boulangerie to get bread only resulted in a little snooze. And I have so much to do today.

My next panic is I haven't got around to requesting a prescription for a breast pump yet. DD is 8 weeks old and hasn't had a bottle yet. I'm worried that if I leave it too long she will refuse the bottle. Which could be problem when I go back to work in November.

By some small mirical we might have both DS and DD asleep at the same time. About to try and move DD from me. Wish me luck!

Thank you all so much for all the advice. I've managed to get Arthur back on the breast (yay!) but he has been feeding almost every hour and screaming for between 20-40 minutes before each feed. I think the antibiotics could be the cause and I have temporarily decided to stop taking them as I would much rather breastfeed, sleep and the baby be happier than try to struggle on. I know I shouldn't stop taking them but I'm at my wits end, also my swab came back as have an infection in my stitches and they have given me another antibiotic to take on top which they said will upset his tummy, isn't recommended with breastfeeding and will give me sickness and diahorrea, I have decided not to take this as I think using salt water and nstural yoghurt might work. My symptoms are some itching but there isn't any puss or other symptoms. I think they are too keen to give antibiotics but worried that I don't want to end up with a gaping wound from a horror film down there...

I will catch up on the thread later as I need to feed again now,,, need more sleep! X

auntie I love him so much I just wish he were happier THIS! Sums up exactly how I feel! Thank you

emily please go and see gp about alternatives rather than just stopping antibiotics half way through. As someone who 6 weeks on is still in pain from stitches and I took the antibiotics etc I can totally empathise but please make decisions alongside health care professionals.

Ickle I think it's important that if you feel something is not right then make that heard. I was lucky, DH could see it and pushed me to get help as well in the end. Yes sleep deprivation does not help and I think tears are a normal part of hormonal early motherhood. I also really struggled to connect with DS. I remember having dreams that his real parents came to collect him, because he wasn't really my baby. I should have gone to the dr much sooner.

I am looking forward to DD getting bigger and being able to interact with her. I find the newborn part very hard and draining. A crying baby is also very stressful to listen to. It will pass and she will be a toddler in the blink of an eye, driving me nuts and possibly drawing on the walls but I can't wait.

ickle I sometimes think nothing I do makes him happy :(

ds has been a bit sick again today (can't remember if I mentioned this before) about half hour after feed and earlier pulled off my nipple and promptly started chewing his fist! He's since been chewing on his clothes, dummy and my finger and turned down my boob!

Ha I just remembered something from when I went into hospital to be induced... I hadn't removed the ring from my clitoral piercing and so not being able to do it myself and the mw not being able to either dp bought in my small jewellery making pliers to do it (the ring was too stiff to pull apart by hand!)

Auntie I would have been nervous having pliers so near my bits!

Haha auntie that made me smile (and wince a little).

auntie yes yes yes- the worst is when I know he is hungry yet screaming when I try and feed him. He just works himself into such a state that nothing can do to help but keep trying to calm him!

We got 6h straight sleep at 6 weeks feels amazing after less than 4h in total the night before!

Hi fox I'm 2 weeks in and also feeling very emotional and crying at silly things! I just try to tell myself it's the hormones and focus on something positive to get myself through those blues moments.

ickle stitches are getting much better - no pain, puss or itching. But if I get any symptoms coming back or getting worse will definitely get a second opinion from gp.

DS is now feeding much better (except when grouchy from nappy rash) since I stopped the antibiotics for mastis (I think it was more severe nipple pain than mastis even the doctor said he wasn't absolutely convinced and the antibiotics were a precaution) any tips for overcoming the nipple pain which happens during The first minute of each feed just on one side?

I thought nipple pain for first few sucks was normal? I just wince for a minute until it passes. Might be wrong though.

ickle I've found that singing the wheels on the bus or hush little baby sometimes calms ds and sometimes sends him to sleep when shushing /patting/etc don't work... However it does get embarrassing doing this in public, I've ended up singing for 3 hours straight one early morning as every time I stopped he would get upset again, you end up with these tunes in your head constantly and I'm sure I'm starting bad habits.

I don't normally get pain in my nipple when feeding though I think ds is doing a chew and suck motion thing sometimes which I don't know is normal but feels weird and sometimes tender. And I always need a wee and a drink after he's started feeding.

Got home after midnight after going to St's wedding. Shattered but feeding Baby right now. Wedding plus ceilidh with a toddler and a 3 week old is exhausting. Think I'll take a week to recover. And I seem to have hurt my bits somehow, and the rash from sanitary pads is bad enough that I'm considering using some Sudocrem.

Had a wonderful day, though.