December-the 'Merry Christmas' Babies!

[Calmriver]

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

Forgot to ask - anyone had a babe with a granuloma on their bellybutton?? HV said M might have one, which would need cauterizing with silver nitrate if doesn't heal on its own. Apparently its when the cord thinks its still there and tries to grow back

Am taking her to gp this pm anyway, as its red and a bit weepy today...plus she's been gripey/colicky all day today, not just evening...wonder if she's caught dd1's bug.

Speaking of which, Milkshake - yes, though 'little saint' wouldn't quite describe my 3 yr old monkey, but dd1 is being utterly loveable atm. Having got her confidence back (and her mother, I suppose) she is proudly presenting her lickle sister to all visitors, explaining they have to be gentle with her 'because she's very very SMALL and FRAGILE' and making her Xmas cards every five minutes. Call me hormonal, but it makes me all weepy - am so glad we took the risk now!

Nice to see Eli and BM back online... hooray for you girls and just keep at it!!

It's amazing how you just have more love in you than you thought, and I bet that about 1 minute after your babe was born, you couldn't imagine not having them both!!!!

That's how I felt when DS was born in 2004 and am very hopeful that's how I'll feel when this little critter finally makes his/her appearance!! Yup, still pg this morning (it's only 9:15 am here at home).

Tomorrow I see my OBS and hoping to have membranes stripped and baby out by tomorrow night... I wonder if babe will cooperate?

Hi All.

Another night feeder here

And yes, DD1 is being exceptionally good. Probably just glad to have 'fun mummy' back...

Forgot to say, DD2 got weighed yesterday and is exactly 7 lb on day 9. She started at 6 lb 15, dropped to 6 lb 10 and has now put it all on again so even though I feel like a milk machine at the mo it is obviously doing some good

Good luck Northernmama! Babes that cooperate...now isn't that a nice thought

Castles, am fantasizing about a night nanny...did bookmark an agency some months ago during itchy sleep deprived night, just wondering which one you used? Just in case...your night does sound blissful...

GP said to keep swabbing dd's bellybutton with sterile water, and turn her nappy down, and see what happens. And as I nearly fainted today from - mad as it sounds - LOW blood pressure, due to the fact that I'm still on massive doses of betablockers and its coming back down now: I get to drop the 5am dose!! Yipee!! And hopefully feel just a tad less knackered in time for Xmas.

Which I haven't sorted either [panic emoticon] and am blanking until after dd's birthday on Friday [double panic emoticon]

Um obviously, am fantasizing about the sleep I could get, not the actual nanny.

And Satinshoes, well done you

We have to take DS back to paediatric unit tomorrow as initial MW visit from a newbie to community who did'nt like the fact he has a distnctive grunt to his cough and referred us. he had some gunk on his wind pip which they removed and he was a bit icky for a couple of days, but is now feeding fine etc, but still has grunt. Dreading revisit as am paranoid, like with DD they will want to take him in. Saw my MW who rolled her eyes at newbie for causing this, so I asked my MW to make sure newbie did'nt come again!

Also while at hopsital DS has his hearing retest and we're going back to maternity ward for him to have his picture taken for the the local paper - and our first professional picture of him. 3 apts in less than 2 hrs - hands up if you think we'll do it!

Ds1 had a floppy larynx and grunted a lot at first. It went away though.

Ds2 is sleeping beautifully as long as he is in the sling. It's getting harder and harder to get him settled in his bed at night. But I really, really don't want to co-sleep even though he does...

hurrah - the cord fell off yesterday! And the gunky bits just came of in the bath - which she LOVES

Ds1 grunts a bit too and forgets to breath evry so often HV said i's nomal and dd4 was the same but it's still a bit scary.

I can't do co sleeping, 5th baby and thought I would try but I just can't. I don't sleep and have nightmares about it even when he's not in my bed so going to perservere with his bed

I am considering a dummy coz he likes to suck constantly, Last night he was on my boob for 4 hours!!!!!!! Am really worried about nipple confusion though??

Anyone else using a dummy this early? He is 3 weeks tomorrow.

Magnolia, DD1 and 2 were on dummys from a few days old and it's fine! You have to when all they want is something to suck and you're running out of milk! I find, and found it helped lots with teaching them to suck in the beginning!

Have been trying to get ds2 to take a dummy as he wants to nurse all the time also.

I have had some success with keeping my hands on him for a minute or two when I am putting him down to ease the transition, so to speak.

And finally, Happy Holidays, everyone! I will talk with you all next week. It's been nice coming on in the night when ds2 is nursing but I have really gotten fed up w/ the nastiness that can happen on some other threads. For the last several months I have stayed mostly w/ you lot. Having ventured out a bit I can say that, although MN always had/has the capacity to turn mean, it now does so faster and with less provocation. I have just been talked to most unkindly b/c I use a wipe warmer and dared to own up to it when someone asked about them

Anyway, will be back after a brief cooling off period and hope to see lots more lovely babies

Magnolia, dd1 used a dummy from about 4 weeks till 6 months, seemed fine and unconfused. And this one is having expressed milk in bottles at least twice a day if not more, and is absolutely happy switching from breast to bottle and back - maybe there's a lot of luck involved, but I'd say if you have a 'sucky' baby its definitely worth trying a dummy. I tried it once with Mischa, as she was so colicky I thought it might help soothe her, but nothing doing - came back out like a guided missile .

We nearly, very nearly, got a smile this morning.....not a grimacey one, more sort of in the eyes and her face working hard trying to copy mine. Sooo sweet! Can't believe she'll be a month old in two days...and dd1 will be three the same day....

Eli, I am using Night Nannies. I can give you the number if you want. The lady we are using lives in Hampton and is lovely so I can recommend her too. Let me know!

Jabber, sorry you have been upset on other threads. It can get a bit hormonal at times. I avoid any heated discussions though I enjoy reading them. Or did when I had time

I've tried to get DD2 to use a dummy but she ain't having it. She still sleeps for a 5 hour chunk each night but is up every evening from 5pm to about 1am crying and feeding so I don't know which is worse. I don't co-sleep as we have a very full bed with DS & DD1 too most nights. I really would not get a wink then!!!

Our wedding anniversary today and DH sweetly asked me if I wanted to go out ... can you imagine - boobs leaking everywhere, suitcases under eyes, whole evening spent worrying and wondering how many times I'd have to get up in the night ...

Thanks for sharing your experiences o grunting. DS was checked by the doctor and diagnosed as Jabber mentioned with a floppy larynx. He also had his hearing test which was fine. The only thing we missed was having his picture done as the stupid photographers did;nt show again!

Magnolia DS has been given a dummy to help him ssettle as although mostly bottle fed, and all my milk is expressed he likes to suck for ages. Once he's asleep he's spitting it out though.

Jabber - sorry about wipe warmer story, who on earth could find something wrong with that - where's the thread and I'll go and sort them out for you! I wish I had one, DS hates a cold wipe on his little bits, and TBH if he gets one down there DH or I are usually in for a shower too! .

We are so not used to chaging little boys - what a range, he got DH from about half a metre away yesterday
Have to say I find warm water and cotton wool easier for cleaning his bottom as he has all the nooks and crannys

Am finding myself quite tearful at the moment and have the feeling that things are about to get on top of me. I will mention this to the MW at her next visit as I never experienced PND with DD and having read al of your experiences want to keep an eye on myself if you know what I mean. It's probably a mixture of lack of sleep, hormones and overwhelming adoration for my babies.

another night feeder here!

Eli we also had that granuloma thing - but it came off by itself a couple of days after the h/v came while i was just gently cleaning with cotton wool & water.

persevering with the b/f though still painful. got into vicious circle - Ivy wasn't latching on very well so I tried expressing and she drank well from a bottle, she was eating lots & my nipples got better, but of course when i tried to go back to b/f we have the same problem! maybe worse now. When I can get her latched on she feeds ok. but she doesn't do that thing where she opens her mouth wide. she just sucks the nipple and falls off again. ouch!

been v weepy & hormonal today though on the whole have been ok. shouted at ds too much today, feel v guilty.

so frustrated that it's so bloody cold as we are pretty much housebound. wish we could get out and about more. if it was just me and Ivy I would wrap her up and walk the streets but taking the two of them out is a whole other kettle of fish. anyway, only a couple of days till dp is at home with me again for christmas. finding it quite hard looking after two of them by myself - though i know millions of women do it every day etc etc etc. i will get better at it. just a bit frazzled at the moment.

love to all! indiemummy xxx

Dear All
Jabber, don't go away just coz of stupid people on other thread. I vaguely considered wipe warmer last night as ds2 screamed his head off when wipe touched his lovely warm bottom! I'm only visiting this thread & antenatal one at mo' no time to even post lately.
Castles, how're you doing? Night nanny sounds like a good idea for you, great that your dh is taking things seriously. Hope you are able to seek help and accept it if needed, it's no weakness on your part - PND just hormones isn't it? Did you try that book by Katharina Dalton I mentioned about progesterone therapy for PND? Depression After Childbirth: How to Recognize, Treat, and Prevent Postnatal Depression, also recommends 3 hourly starch to help balance blood sugar. I find the food thing makes huge diff to me esp bfeeding.
Must go!

Glanuloma here too! In fact it fell off and another one has come back..

Jabber tell me where you get wipe warmers from. I will use them with you.
DD cant stand cold wipes on her bum...cant say I blame her!I would go off too if someone stuck one on my bum

Thanks for the granuloma stories! Looks far less weepy today, and I've learnt to fold nappy down so it can air a bit more.

Castles, think those are the ones I bookmarked - is the lady in Hampton the only one there, or should I get her name from you? It would be lovely to have a personal recommendation, just in case
Also, we no longer have a spare room...just a sofa bed in the sitting room...do you think that would do? Still fantasising really, but as I'm so knackered by beta blockers am thinking of letting myself have a night or two to rebuild some energy after Xmas...

Indiemum, if its any consolation - I'm constantly telling myself 'women do far more than this every day' but it doesn't make any difference to the struggles I have! The thing I find hardest is that dd1 knows I'm helpless when feeding dd2/holding her up so she doesn't throw up or choke. And although she's easy when well and not too tired, she plays up when knackered and viral - which she was this evening. And I feel totally de-skilled as a mother then - not having yet figured out how to manage two of 'em

Will I ever?!

Hope all you fellow Mums of night feeders get some rest tonight, and me too - and Castles, hope the evening wasn't too rough.

Ah, and Jabber - people being mean about wipe warmers?!! Dear oh dear, must be Christmas then

FWIW, I too had the 'ah now, if only I had a wipe warmer' moment at 3am last night when poor dd flinched and woke up big time after a cold wet one. Especially in this weather...

Two 'ahs' in one post

Definitely time for bed. I'm meant to be expressing milk but have sneaked online...

Jabber - dont go. I only post here and on one other thread.

Signed off from midwives yesterday and health visitor due this afternoon. Unfortunately the m/w took all of my antenatal scan pictures when she took my book. Aaaargh. Have phoned the hospital and i HOPE they dont lose them

Not a bad night for me. A killer between 9pm and 12.30 but then DD slept from 12.30 am until now with only 2 wakes for 30 min feeds.

I only had mild PND with DD1 but the best thing to be is 'aware' so you can you deal with it.

Have a good day all.

DS cord came away this morning, just a little bit of dried blood. have bathed it and applied some organic talc - feels very much like cornflower. Hope this is okay but is was begining to smell. He seems happier without it. Will now attempt a proper bath for him this weekend as opposed to a top and tale

As for me, I am so achy underneath - forgot to take my arnica for a bout a day and I really felt it 24 hours later. So am heavily dosed with paracetamol and more arnica and DH has let me have an hour in bed to take weight off my undercarriage

Jabber, are you back yet. I went and straightened them out on the wipes thread!

Hello to all this fine day... no baby yet I'm afraid, but showing lots, very uncomfortable and membranes stripped yesterday, there's hope for me yet!!!

Have a Merry Christmas all!! Will try to keep up in the next few days, but my family is beginning to arrive for the holidays and my children are still sick.

will post when I have news!!