December-the 'Merry Christmas' Babies!

[Calmriver]

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

What has happened to Weirdbird??????Is she still pregnant?

Jabber thanks Sorry I missed your bit about DS possibly having reflux too. From my experience (which is pretty enormous ) it is not diet related as reflux is mechanical (an immature valve development that is meant to prevent regurgitation of milk from stomach - sure you know this but just in case ...). I tried eliminating practically everything from my diet with DD1 & the only thing that worked was when she was put on gaviscon & ranitadine (zantac). Good luck I really hope your LO doesn't have it too. It's a nightmare but I can tell you that once you get it treated it is MARVELLOUS. The problem in this country is getting them to do anything for you ... I shall let you know how I get on.

I hope they get it sorted out quickly for you. Since your dd1 had it you can go in with guns blazing and perhaps get her started on meds right away. It sounds like you both need a break. Crying for that long is hard on everyone

Hey jabber - seems like we are all living the same life at the moment, wouldn't it be strange if someone posted saying how in control things were and how the're baby is sleeping through the night ..

Thanks for the advice of PND - to be honest I really am trying to monitor myself closely on that one - the seriousness of what happened at the birth didn't really hit me and still hasn't in lots of ways (DH decribes it as The Texas Chainsaw massacre but with more blood). I couldn't hold my baby directly after as I was passed out and all of a sudden as I came too she was plonked in my arms and I was being wheeled to my room; I think that has definately affected the way I have bonded with her. Plus getting mastitis completely cocked up the BF - a complete disaster TBH!
Please feel free to CAT me Jabber it would be great to talk further on that one...

Last night felt as s* as the other ones altough somewhere in there I may have stole some sleep but it all blurs into one big drama. I did witmess my mother feed and wind LO last night - she took 1 whole hour and I have never seen such a look of contentment on her face as she drifted off for 3 1/2 hours. I think the secret may be taking loads of time to wind properly - at least with my little windy bundle anyway.
Totally decided to screw the HV advice about making every bottle fresh and sticking with making up 2 bottles of ready made and popping in the fridge as usual. She was like a parrot - when we asked why this completely contradicted what was said on the packet she just kept repeating over and over - "this is what they say in the leaflet - they are new guidelines.." She was a bit weird really....

lubella, if someone posted how in control things were I would besure they were lying!!!

ds1 was incredibly difficult to wind. I can remember sitting at dh's aunt's house with him and I guess I was getting a bit desperate. Evidently I had started patting his back rather vigerously when she said "Should you do it quite so hard dear?" I was so

I know what you mean about the bonding thing. With ds1 when they handed him to me I almost dropped him I was so weak. I remember being completely shocked that they could even think that I would have the strength to hold him.

Glad you decided to make your life easier with the formula mixing. I mixed fed ds1 from 7 months on and we never worried about the fresh bottle thing. It seemed so much easier to have one already made up in the fridge.

Lubella - some HVs are good the rest aren't. Ask her if she has any children of her own. My DH did this to a particularly unpleasant MW and guess what the answer was?! I would listen to the manufacturers recommendations not the HVs! I always made up 6 bottles and put them in the fridge. What happened before all this sterilization equipment and government "guidelines". My mum had me on carnation milk at 2 weeks & I managed to live to tell the tale.

I'm a fellow PND sufferer so feel free to off-load. There are a few of us around. I do think it will do you good to talk about your traumatic birth and don't beat yourself up about mastitis etc. Look at me ... 38 years old and still going strong after all that carnation milk

Agree Jabber, always highly suspicious of those who say everything is going fantastically

PS just tried to CAT you and it wouldn't go through. Go to your registration page and click that you will accept emails and let me know.

x-post castles. Another carnation milk surviver here

How funny Jabber! Pleased to hear it wasn't just me. I wonder what all that was about then?!

According to my mother:

"Well, dear, breast feeding just simply wasn't done in those days."

Oh, and also:

"We just had to make do with home-made formula."

will do jabber - thought i did already x

have changed details to accept now jabber hopefully it has worked...

Castles - the carnation milk thing is hilarious - wow when you think of how many babies thrived over the years without all this stupid advice. I wonder out of interest if the incidence of SIDS has fallen or not..

Mum just told me that is anything happened to me she would happily bring LO up for me do I take that as a hint that i am obviously unravelling before everyone's eyes? God this is challenging...baby just not settling today, is it bad to have handed her over to my mum for a few hours peace?

Hi Everyone - nice to see you back Jabber

Lubella, my little chap is feeding every 2 hours so you can imagine our routine if we had to sterilise and prepare before each feed. Not to mention sometimes he changes his mind and demands it within 90 minutes My HV advised to make ups 4 bottles of regular formula and 2 of hungry baby formula and give these when we need him to sleep longer (i.e. my bedtime )- so she has no idea what your HV is on about for fresh feeds each time.

Also we struck lucky with HV as with MW as I got the one I had for DD and she came in and remembered all about our troubles with herand even what DH does for a living. She is so lovelly and friendly and very kind, patiently talking to DD about wht her Christmas presents do etc.

hi everyone just to le yu know that I am fully in control and everything is really easy!

NOT!!!!!!!!!! hahahahaha

Hello everyone- hope you're all well. I can now officially join in with my new arrival Digby George, born on 21st December (two weeks overdue!)
It's all very crazy here with not enough hours in the day for the little one and also for my 17 month old dd, but we're settling in slowly. I'm going to try and catch up with everyone's news soon but just wanted to wish everyone a belated merry Christmas and a fabulous new year ahead with all of our gorgeous Christmas babies!
x

Congratulations!!!!!!!!

Congrats DAF.

DH and I are enjoying a lovely 5 mnutes peace ATM.

DD has taken herself up to bed for a nap (she has'nt had an afternoon sleep for about 6 months) I think a combination of her cold, her brother crying in the night and the general excitement of Christmas has taken it's toll on her.

DS is asleep in his chair and DH is watching his fav Back to the Future while I get some peace on here.

Gonna wake DD in 5 mins though otherwise bedtime will never come tonight!

lol @ lucy5

well, we had a terrible night. DD was awake from 10-2am. very hungry. eek.

but....she was weighed today and has put on 6oz in 7 days so i'm happy. HV said she doesnt need to see her for 3 weeks (she is 19days today) and i dont need to worry about taking her to be weighed before then if i'm not worried which is great. DD1 was smaller and had to be weighed weekly for ages so this is a relief.

Keep going everyone , you're all doing great.

Congrats and welcome, diamonds!!!

lubella, my mother was a lifesaver with ds1. Take full advantage and don't think twice about it. Will re-CAT you.

Forgot to mention earlier that ds2 has finally gained up to 6 1/2 lbs at his checkup last week. Dr. said "And you are still giving only breast milk?" err YES! grrrr. So she's finally backed off of the supplement thing.

Had a slightly better night last night. Ds2 still woke up every 2 hours or so, but at least he wasn't staying awake screaming for an hour or two each time. He would feed, burp, go back down. So I got up tired, but at least not exhausted

very of those of you at pre-pg weight. I've lost quite a bit, but I think I still have a few pounds to go...

Looks like the CAT is going through this time, lubella.

I'm off to make my tea concoction. I have no idea if that is what made the difference last night but I am willing to keep on doing it just in case.

Congrats DAF!

Eli, still thinking of you & DD2.

Lucy, glad to hear I am not alone in my superwoman-motherhood-dom. ha ha!!

Lubella, echo Jabber, take all the help you can. My DM (who is pretty useless) is coming to stay for 2 days/nights next week: I'll accept any help I can at the moment.

Am absolutely gob-smacked: I took DD2 to the GP and explained her symptoms and she wrote out a prescription there and then With DD1 we spent 2 nights in hospital having tests & seeing if meds worked. So pleased not to have to go to hospital but a bit sad that it does look like gastric reflux again. She's asleep in her chair now, hopefully not revving up for another evening of screaming.

Hope everyone has a good night DH has just texted to say he's coming home so I better get off here and start looking frazzled ... wouldn't want him to think I wasn't rushed off my feet.

Well.. DD wont be having another afternoon nap she is up in her room calling each of us every 5 minutes. I think we're just going to leave the landing light on and let her play till she drops off - on the condition she stops calling us.

DS is fast asleep. The saline drops have worked wonders for his snuffles and he now just has a bit of a cough - which could hbe more to do with his larynx than the cold.

The tooth ache i had when PG turned in to a cracked tooth and I had the small piece removed last week. Am going back on Jan 2nd to have exisiting filling removed and have the whole thing rebuilt with a filling. Am currently suffering sensitivity in the tooth though so am calming it with paracetamol and a glass of Dooley's. Can't bringmyself to break in to my baileys a a) it's only a little bottle, and b) I want to be left in peace to enjoy it so will wait till right afte a DS feed.

Well, this isn't what I was expecting to be posting today after yesterday's midwife appointment........

Benjamin James arrived at 1.33am today after a 2 and a half hour labour weighing

10 lbs 2.5 oz

with nothing but gas and air. Am slightly shellshocked at the speed, and suddeness of his arrival but running on adrenaline at the moment. Ds and dd are besotted and Ben has done nothing but sleep and feed so far today so it's been a good intro to having 3 dcs.

Congratulations DAF, Eli, hope Mischa is getting better.