July 2016

[primarynoodle]

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So we can keep in touch and pass on words of wisdom!

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Hi ladies, checking into post natal thread. Apologies if I'm repeating from other thread! I'm struggling slightly being on the special care baby unit basically on a camp bed in a cubicle where the light doesn't go off. Baby Maurice is doing well after a rocky old start but don't think either of us will get much rest over the next week while we're here. Keep telling myself it's only a few days!
I'm also struggling to feed a bit - he latched on today which I'll celebrate but not taking much and topping up with formula. Hoping that'll get better....nurses are being lovely.

Also question to other c-section ladies - were your legs really swollen with water?! Mine are so swollen that they bled when I had to inject them with anti DVT stuff....eek?! Sorry if tmi.

Anyway hope everyone else ok in newborn baby land! Xx

P.s. Sure I've missed a shed load but last few days have been a blur...

cookies that's shit id be as well! Would SIL be on your side? My DH kept putting pressure on me to express so he could feed the baby.... yeah shes not a doll!
Agreed with elliz i wish other people would bugger off with their opinions - just spent a couple of days with my grandparents who tried to stop me picking her up or feeding her at 10 days old as i am apparently creating a spoilt child

cheery that sounds really hard :( it must be so difficult for you. Has your milk come in yet? Maybe maurice will want to feed mode then? Cant help with the swelling though - mine did the opposite. Pre-birth i thought id never see my ankles again!

Cheery - congrats on lovely Maurice. Do you pronounce 'Morris' or as in Chevalier?
no particular leg swelling here after csection - and I was told to inject my belly with dvt meds so discomfort there instead (& certainly that's still swollen/flabby!) but you'll find another delightful side effect post natally are the night sweats where you get boiling hot and shed shit loads of water.

Also topping up with formula here. Usually at end of day when boobs give up or middle of night. No harm and I like Claudia being comfortable with both boob and formula.

Would recommend 'your baby week by week' book - neutral, detailed, reassuring - I refer to it a lot. Relevant for first 6 months .

Anyone else used a dummy occasionally? I've found the mam ones a total lifesaver as calming transition between feeds.

Primary - I am evangelical about the sleepyhead..just so useful. Not sure if call it a co sleeper more like a portable bed!

Cookies that's awful especially when it's hard enough to feed as it is. The opposite here in the grumpy one snapping at DH as I feel like a milking machine. I almost gave up last night. I'm just so tired.

Indians hopefully that's the tongue tie sorted now. I'm using Infacol. Have been since I got home as struggling to get his wind up.

Cheery I didn't have a section but severely swollen legs here too. They are so swollen and tight that the front of my legs hurt. I get it every time. Usually goes down about two weeks in. It's all the excess fluid from pregnancy.

Primary goodness a spoilt child already that would be quite an achievement on your part. My MIL wants to be here all the time telling me what to do

Eliz I haven't tried a dummy yet but I have the mam ones in ready. Would love for him to take one so I can get 10 mins. When did you start using one?

I may have caved and decided to get a sleepyhead. We have a Moses basket but babies seem to settle so well in those sleepy heads.

More visitors today. Brother and SIL, SIL and DHs mate. Is it wrong that I'm feeling really anti social and I'd rather none of them came.

Cheery - no swelling this time but after first EMCS I couldn't get shoes on, you'll wee it all out in the next few days. It might depend on how much fluid you were given in the section.

Elizardo - that book is fab I used to read it on kindle during night feeds! Also yes use a mam dummy a lot when I was taking half an hour to latch DD it really saved both our sanity.

Beautician- I feel the same about visitors! It's so hard when you are trying to establish feeding. I can't feed in front of others so end up banished to my bedroom, Rush the feed as I feel under pressure from waiting guests downstairs who want to see the baby then have a hungry baby who cries when the visitors eventually see her. I'm better this time as I decided they just need to be patient and wait for me to finish feeding properly!!

Thanks ladies, you know when you worry you're just hormonal / tired/ irrational. But honestly could have killed him. Specifically told him not to say anything of the sort. SiL is never on my side

beautician totally get it on the visitor front! I'm sick of them! And similar with the feeding! It's really tough. You're right though - make them wait! Second you on being so tired! Ooo you have a sleepyhead! Do report back on its success!

Waves to cheery . Sorry to hear about your legs, no help I'm afraid. All I would think to do is keep your fluid intake up?
With regards to your feeding has your milk come in yet? The whole situation doesn't sound fun and hope you are both home very soon in the comfort of your own home.

elliz (despite advice against them) we also use a Mam dummy here. Used before alongside BF with DD2 and never a problem. This time has saved me when my nipples were severely cracked and G just wanted to suck on something for comfort. Glad I'm not alone!

primary what a stupid opinion at that! How ridiculous. Who has ever put their 10 day old baby into any sort of routine or deprived them of cuddles or milk?! angry on your behalf!

indians you're both looking fab I must say!

Thanks dolly, and agree with how frustrating the 'helpful' advice is. People seem to want to have a solution and in my situation I wasn't even moaning/asking for one! Grr.

Despite mammoth feeding we haven't reached birth weight yet which did make me a little sad. Mine have always had no problem. I have my first HV visit on Monday and praying we reach it then

eliz - it's Morris - but think my Grandad's parent's must have had romantic ideas in the spelling! He does have a French cousin due to be born in October so he may well be 'Maurice' to her.

Thanks for support ladies. primary - he's latched on a bit and he's getting some collostrum, topped up with formula - which does seem to be decreasing so hoping we're on the way....milk not come in yet but probs a bit behind because of shaky start.

Thanks for advice on c section too - one more question, I'm not getting much chance to air the scar - difficult to sit with your knickers off when people are coming into the cubicle all the time, and where the curtains don't meet! Is this a massive problem? In huuuge pants and wafty nighties mostly so hoping that helps.....
dolly and beaut glad it's not just me with the ridiculous cankles - my legs are basically sausages. I look forward to weeing it all out soon!

eliz this baby unit is boiling anyway so night sweats will be interesting......

Here's Claudia playing drums in her sleepyhead!

Cheery - my scar is mainly under pants too. I dry it well with a towel and try and air it for a few mins post shower but still using maternity pads due to the bleeding so kinda have a knicker rush going on too. Keeping it dry at this point most important I think.

Beautician - we started the dummy around day 6 or 7 I think. Glow in the dark ones excellent at night!

Hello! Just found this board. My LO arrived on the 7th by c-section.

Ps. I think my Dd qualifies for a place in the hairy baby club - what do the rest of you think?

Aww how sweet congrats Flossie! Gorgeous hair!!!

Cookies how old is your little one now? Is the weight going up even just slowly?

Airing of scars is hard but do try to if you can at least for the first week.

She has gorgeous hair Flossie my Dd1 had hair like that, DD2 has a fair amount but looks reasonably bald compared to what her sister looked like!!

I've been trying to air my section incision as well. It's helping now that DD is nine days old and my belly is shrinking down.

Congrats flossy!

Thank eliz and flossy - feels a bit more manageable x

Eliz thank you for the dummy suggestion. I used a dummy and I managed to get a four hour break between feeds instead of a two hour break.

elliz and cookies when do you know when to give a dummy/when to feed? Im thinking about introducing one as sometimes she does seem to be suckling for comfort on me and i could really do with the sleep/time but she whinges herself into a cry otherwise... still dont know what im doing!!!

beaut can you use infancol this early? Also my MIL is driving me insane - allowed baby to scream for 20 minutes because 'she wanted a go at calming her' rather than pass her back to me the other day. If it happens again i dont give a fig what dp says im just taking her back, why should i let a newborn baby get so upset just for mil's ego really upset with myself that i let it happen tbh
Visitors are also pissing me off immensley, again for the feeding issues! Cant wait for next week when dp goes back - i am BANNING anyone coming over

cheery im sure feeding will get easier when your milk comes in. I had similar issues but milk came in very quickly for me and made a big difference!

flossie what a lovely head of hair!!

Baby Jasper, born on Thursday. All well!

Looking forward to catching up on other people's news later - hope everyone is doing ok x

Primary - I tend to use a dummy if I've done multiple/cluster feeding in last hour or so (often at night) and can't believe she's still just hungry. Also if need to tend to Ted/have a shower etc and need ten min apart...

Welcome Jasper! Xx

Welcome and congratulations to the new ladies and babies!

Infacol is suitable from birth, I'm using it on Harry as he's prone to griping and extreme pumping after feeds, it seems to help.

Julfin Lovely pic, he looks very chilled.

I've got some mam dummies but Harry isn't particularly taken with them...did save me during the children's achievement assembly on Friday though!

Indians glad the tongue tie is sorted.

Beaut I'm so relived the visitors are thinning out here, I'm feeling very antisocial, I just want to relax in comfy clothes and no makeup with my baby - no visitors tomorrow!

Cookies good luck for the weigh in on Monday.

Cheery hope you're both home soon.

Well I survived the first week with DH back at work and successfully juggled school runs...can't wait for the other two DC's to break up from school though so we can have lazy morning cuddles in bed.

I really struggled with the expressing with DH back at work (and Harry still refused to latch on), I just didn't have the hours to express and feed and manage everything else home and DC wise so I'm now just formula feeding. I struggled guilt wise initially but I've accepted it now, Harry is happy and I can actually concentrate on enjoying him and also have more time for my older two.

Can't believe how much Harry has changed already, he's so alert and looking around taking everything in and lifting his head...I don't want him to grow up!

julfin - congratulations, Jasoer is beautiful. How are you all? He looks so chilled out.
cheeky - my legs were so swollen after the c-section. Walking and moving around helped me. Someone else mentioned this, but expect some really bad night sweats. I woke up during the night in a pool of water! I would definitely try and air your scar. Like you I will was in intensive care with Emmie and couldn't air it enough. Mine is now infected and on my second course of antibiotics (Emmie's poos are explosive!). How are you both doing? Hoping everything is ok. *
beautician* - how are you using the sleepyhead? It doesn't fit in the Moses basket so not sure how to use it in the night. Don't feel comfortable using it in the bed as I toss and turn a lot. Can you put it on the floor or is it better we get the cot bed now and put her in that in the sleepyhead?
cookies - sorry to hear about your DH being an arse publicly. My DH has been in a fool mood all day and then is telling me I am grumpy! I am walking on egg shells! It is not as if he gets up during the night like me. Argh, frustrating.
Finding all the advice on BF great. I am currently mix feeding but want to move towards mostly breast. I can't get Emmie to latch on one side. Not sure what is wrong with the nipple / breast. The one and only time she did latch was one I said to the MW she wouldn't and then demonstrated only for her to! Any thoughts????!??

thom when i was engorged DD couldn't latch on one side the midwife said change position so I managed to feed off that side when lying down and no other way. Even now I struggle on that side and find where I think DD should be lying to latch on is too far over to the left so if I shuffle her body right a bit she can get on. No idea why!