December-the 'Merry Christmas' Babies!

[Calmriver]

Hi Guys, thought I wouldn't betray our months of being together...whats a week amoungst friends!!!

Hi guys, long time...
can't sit down coz of stitches still, am typing standing up! thought they might have got better by now...not expecting this much pain after an emergency section 1st time but I'm sure it will pass soon.
Castles, yes have had baby a week today! He's Elliot, 7lb 8oz, lots of dark hair. V.quiet most of the time, lovely. Sorry you're feeling so rubbish, don't beat yourself up about the bf, it IS bloody hard! I cried almost every time I fed ds1 for weeks on end, esp in middle of the night when I felt so alone. In the end I gave up for my sanity, tho tried mixed feeding for a while. And if Athina has reflux, the screaming just makes it a nightmare. Have you thought of osteopathy for her, seems to have helped a lot of babies?
Will try and catch up on everything else later, I just can't sit down!!

ds1 was very much nocturnal. Not sure how you switch them as he stayed that way for a while. With ds2 I'm trying to keep him awake and stimulated as much as possible in the day. That said he still sleeps an awful lot in the daytime but has seemed more alert the last several days. I guess since his actual due date is still not until Friday he's been trying to fake being in the womb, lol.

bfing, well, right side is better. Still pumping over there though. I decided, what the hell, I've got pain meds left over may as welll get the most out of them. So started back on a low dose and it does take the edge off!

wish me luck guys as going out for first time tomorrow morning. Erin will be 6 days old. Eek!

She has horrid sticy eye at the moment so hoping that clears up soon. She's also nocturnal....sleeping all day...

It's so nice to back with you all! My h/v said she thinks I'm just suffering from exhaustion at the moment but she's keeping an eye on me.

I'm going to persevere with the expressing and then hopefully go back to the breast. It's hard to find the time to actually express but at least she's getting breast milk that way! AQ, I can see myself giving up but I ain't going to beat myself up about it. I think I'm just one of those unfortunates who doesn't get on with it.

Athina slept from 11pm to 4am last night She was also a lot calmer in the evening though it is definitely her awake/crying time. I'm not really sure what happened but we have started to give her infacol. I'll let you know if it happens again!!!

An encouraging (or irritating) story for you all: my friend who has an 11 week old said that after 6 weeks of colic/no sleep, her DD suddenly started to sleep from 10pm to 6am every night at 6 weeks. PLEASE let that happen to us

Jabber, on the ADs - is it hard to come off them? That is the main thing that stops me going on them in the 1st place. That and not being able to drink

I drank while on Ad's not to excess but a couple of glasses evry so often
I weaned myself of them ove a period of 4 months when dd4 was 18 months old.
I won't hesitate to go on them again If I need to.
For sticky eye try breast milk in the eye every feed, leave for 2 minutes then dry gently with a tissue. Ds1 had awful sticky eye and it cleared within 3 days doing this.
I am doing 3 hourly feeds in the day but he still wants 2 hourly at night

Thanks Magnolia, I think I will do the same if I don't feel normal by 6 weeks.
My Doula (an enormous source of information) told me that babies feed every 2 hours or less during the night for the 1st 2/3 weeks because we produce prolactin in our milk at night and they find it particularly yummy. After 2/3 weeks it switches to daytime so hopefully that's when they are more awake in the day and less at night. We shall see ...

OOOH! Lets hope!!!

Castles - like the info about sleep. My DD has slept ALL day today and I'm not looking forward to tonight!!!

Castles, that is fascinating info....and as dd is 2 weeks and five days old today, makes me horribly hopeful. She's actually fed every couple of hours or so all day today, so who knows - maybe today was prolactin switch day?? Oh please let it be....

I drank in moderation while on AD's too. I think coming off is really an indovodual thing. I had PN PTSD following the birth of ds1 so will never really get past it as I suppose one can with PND. But I have a great therapist and am getting better at using other coping techniques, so have been off and doing well for about 6 weeks now.

Have been told that babies go through a growth spurt at 3 weeks. ds2 has been nursing like mad so I'm guessing we're there. Sticky eyes here too. The bm has almost completely cleared it up.

Oh and sti

I hate one handed typing! Just ignore last fragment...

I am amazed. 2 lots of breastmilk and DDs sticky eye has completely cleared up! That after a day and a half of cooled water doing nothing!

Have a hard lump in my breats with midwife says I have to pay attention to as could turn to mastitis. She has recommended massage, hot flannels and cabbage leaves! B/F itself is going well though.

one handed typing here too..

3 weeks tmw here too

Got up at 10 am this morning and hoping(high hopes) tp get DD1 to have an afternoon nap too as I am so tired. Was up between 3am and 6am,ooops got to run, be back later

The nurse at my dr's office also recommended warm tea bags. Haven't tried it yet though.

PS

Glad the bm worked. Dh looked at me like I was insane. I told him I know what I'm doing - I'm an optometrist, ffs!

Ds2 took a long time to settle in last night and each time he woke up so pretty tired here, too.

Another bad evening/night here. Seem to be alternate nights for us at the moment.

Does anyone else have headaches? It's particuarly bad in the morning & after b/feeding. I am also really hot & sweaty at night. My doula (again) said an epidural can cause post-natal headaches. But she's told me to go to the doctor as I could have an infection. Great!

poor castles, wonder if headaches lack of sleep? or, I've had a couple from neck tension holding shoulders hunched during painful bf'ing? hopre not infection.

hate 1 handed typing too, and am v bad at it

so much for prolactin shift, think M is having growth spurt....feeding non stop all night and again today. And she's 3 weeks tomorrow so Jabber you're spot on! I swear she weights more than she did last night...luckily, its keeping me losing weight in spite of endless sandwiches (twice during night), cakes, biscuits, chocolate....anyone else turned into a bottomless pit? Makes pregnancy eating look like nibbling

ps Castles (got both hands back, phew, can do CapitaLs!) I'm very hot and sweaty at night too - remember that with dd1 whilst bf'ing. Apparently oestrogen levels plummet whilst bf'ing, similar to menopause, hence hot flushes/night sweats AND, for that matter, headaches and emotional swings. Wonder if its ok to take phyto-oestrogens at this point?? Soya, etc?

Sweaty nights here, too. Am hoping ds2 goes thru a growth spurt. He's still under 6 lbs

Good news - he's taking right side again. Hopefully we're thru that problem.

Castles: my girlfriends little guy had such bad reflux that they thought he'd have to be hospitalized... he didn't because they got a big wedge of foam and put it under his mattress of his crib so that he was never lying completely flat. Maybe that would help little Athina.

With my son, I found out that his colic was actually allergies - to milk and soy. Once I eliminated them from my diet, he was MUCH better.

Sorry girls, lurking on the site, because I am of you!!
Hope to join you very soon!!

aaah. for the 3rd night in a row, DD was sick everywhere last night. She was sicky for the first few days but i thought she'd stop by day 5 - unrealistic? Its a real worry. DD1 was never sick at all so I'm hoping it is after affects of birth (she was v. mucousy) and not a trend

Ds1 had really wet lungs b/c of being a c-section baby. I think it went on about a week. He also had these projectile spit-ups for a while. I'm thinking that improved after I altered my diet.

Mischa was/is very very mucousy - not only a section baby, but almost transverse at birth so was pulled out by her feet and inhaled a load of fluid. She didnt' cry, and has hardly cried since- her poor little lungs are still soggy as a result!
Anyway: typing at top speed here so excuse if does'nt make much sense...but she has been sicky (first two weeks especially) and very snuffly/wheezy/snorey/squeaky/rattly. We have given her Colief drops (enzyme to help her digest milk) which has helped the sickiness a lot - and last night we took her to cranial osteopath. No idea if or how it works, my head says but both dds have benefitted so obviously I'm all in favour! M had a much better night - less gasping for breath after feeds, easier breathing. I really recommend it, if you can find a good one (I know one in SW London if that helps anyone just ask).

As for our night....growth spurt it is, still dead on 3 hours for feeding ie two hours sleep at a time. The world is beginning to blur - had forgotten how cumulative this is

Thanks jabber and Elibean. Erin wasnt a section baby but she was OP and I think her dodgy position made things tricky on the way out.

I know of a cranial sacral therapist so if it doesnt clear up might try that.