February 2007 Post Natal Club

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Hello

I know it's not even February yet, but here is the new thread. Even though Jacob was born in January, I feel he is an honorary Febster!!!

Looking forward to more new bubs coming this way!!!

I've never got on with bf tops! Some women I know wear a strappy vest under their usual top and pull it down and main top up iyswim.

Suis I never got on with bf tops either. The holes seemed too small and awkward. I've been sticking to the tshirt and cardigan approach - when you hoik up your shirt, the cardigan covers most of the gap.

fft, your DS is not alone. Mine also went through a phase of bfing his favourite toy (Snoopy!), even down to burping him and then trying to put breast pads up his top!! Bent my brain a bit the first time he did it but then I thought I wouldn't care if he was a girl and doing it, and he doesn't know any better, he's just trying to copy mummy and learn how to care for someone else.

snugglebum, go for the advertising. the stuff I've had from you is great.

bottle-wise, DS2 took one without a murmur at 8 and a bit weeks. I used the tommee tippee one that looks like a plastic boob and put in the 3mo plus teat as my flow is quite fast at the start. I'll aim to give him one once a week from now on. I want him to be able to take one so that I can try and get him through well into his fifth month (and up to six if poss) before weaning, so will try to express as much as I can from next month. The avent hand pump has done fine so far but will need to dig out the medela electric if I'm to express at the same time as feeding.

Morning all!!

DD had a reasonable night's sleep, so I can catch up on Mumsnet !!

Suis - I have one top from Bloom Marv and I find the slits too small and awkward. I agree with the other posters that a cardigan is a neat idea as is a pashmina or shawl. Have been to my gym for a few swims and if DD needs a topup, then I sling a sarong over my shoulder. Have bf DD in church whilst attending DS's confirmation service (2.5 hours!) and even the bishop did not bat an eyelid.

DD has been a bit hit and miss sleepwise. She is so farty (tmi, sorry) and finds it hard to settle most nights. DH can't help much as he's up for work by 4:30 in the morning. At least with the weather improving I can cope a bit better with her when she's having a bad day and cries most of the time. On a good day she is a little angel.

DH is having Saturday off so we might venture off to the coast for the day . It will be a bit of a trial run for our holiday in May.

Snugglebum - go and advertise on MN. If you need any endorsements from satisfied customers, I'm sure posters from the thread will help you as your service is excellent.

LOL at the breastpads, baby driver!

Hi everyone. Ds outside sleeping in the shade. Yesterday he slept for 3 hours in the morning out there so I managed to get all my jobs done - even some handwashing left from when I was about 7 months pregnant!! Bubblebell that is very dedicated of you. My radiators think they're doing well if they get dusted
I have a BF top but agree with all the others that it's just really awkward and DS ends up with a mouthful of material rather than boob. I like the idea of vest tops under normal tops Suzi2. I had heard it before but hadn't worked out that one top went up and one went down so was puzzled as to how it worked
Babydriver2 are you planning on expressing and storing ready for when LO wants more to eat? I'm quite keen to BF as long as poss and hadn't heard of that before. I know in theory that as they want more, you are supposed to produce more but lots of people struggle because LO is permanently attached.
We went out last night to the pub and left a friend from DH work to babysit. I'd expressed some milk a while ago and so she gave him a bottle and put him to bed. He slept from 8.30 until 4.45, fed and then slept again until 7 so I don't think I'll bother with waking him for a dream feed as it doesn't seem to make any difference. Hope you're all out enjoying the sunshine. Bienchen where are you going on holiday? I hope you have a lovely time at the coast this weekend. I need to persuade DH to not have too long a lie in so we can sort out the spare room and still have time to go out somewhere. Chances are minimal I have to say!!

Hi everyone. We ended up staying an extra day at my parents as my mum wasn't well but had alovely time. Maya was paraded around the neighbourhood and was a little over stimulated. One good thing that happened while we were there was that we seem to have dropped the 2am feed so we now go from 11pm ish to 4 or 5am ish.
The house saga continues.. we are now in the position that two potential buyers are racing to get a survey done one our house and we think we still have the other house but haven't heard anything for a while.
Snugglebum it's good to see you I was thinking of getting some trial packs from you as I would like to try to use resuables for a least some of the time. I'll do a bit of browsing.

I've been tucking a muslin in my bra when I'm out breastfeeding alfresco.

My friend throws a (largish)muslin over her shoulder and lets it fall over her baby and also therefore any exposed bits of her...so baby is kind of in a little muslin tent IYSWIM! It also seemed to work well when they get to that bobbing on and off to see whats going on stage.

Anyone else feel there brain is AWOL, I made a casserole (chick bacon leek and cider..yummy!) first thing today - felt very proud and organised - but then promptly forgot about it in the oven until 4hrs later when it was burnt to a crisp .

On a brighter note ds is much better although very paranoid about his chickenpox spots. We are ahving a family get together this w/end for my dads 60th. Including a family photograph session. Major dilemna as I have no nice clothes that fit...may need to try and hide behind other family members as much as possible!

Hairycat, re the tandem bf, I struggled to get my head round it also, my only experince of women bf two children had been twins, spoke to a fab bf supporter on La Leche helpline who said that by the time your baby is about 12 months the milk supply is dictated by demand not hormones, therefore pregnancy hormones take over as usual, milk supply decreases in pregnancy due to slightly increased oestrogen levels and towards the end of pregnancy your body produces colotrum (aparantly a lot of babies self wean at that point because of the change, no chance with DD!). Hope your DS is feeling better soon and you manage to get some sleep.

Andyrob, no more choccy ever?? Feeling very sorry for you if this is the case, it couldn't have been that Grren and Blacks egg that did it for you with the blood test could it??

Breastfeeding tops, hmmm, really no idea, they all seem a bit fiddly to me, I like the idea of a vest top, I'm not too bothered about showing a bit of boob, think it's the midwife in me that makes me blase about it, but do worry about exposing too much of my jelly belly these people sell belly huggers so I might invest in one and these very bizzare nursing covers, but the fabics are funky!

Babydriver, also had a big smile about your DS and the breastpads, I think that's lovely ;)

Thanks to all who have said nice things abot the service from the website, I try to provide the sort of service I would like to get from a retailer.

Peachy if you want to get in touch to discuss nappies just send me an email via the website, also if anyone does order the 10% discount is still available, DH is sooooooo slow at sorting out the code so do let me know if you are off the MN Feb 07 thread and I will refund you the 10% as I won't recognise your RL name! If anyone has ordered today (an area and name seemed familiar but the person didn't mention MN so I could be very wrong then let me know and I can send you back your discount!)

Snugglebum - Thanks for answering my query about tandem feeding it has always puzzled me!

I am loving the belly huggers...I have ordered one to try (although fear it may take more than a piece of fabric to hide my jelly belly!).The bebe lait nursing cover is kind of what my friend does with her muslin...although obviously less funky!

Well we had 3 children bathed and in bed by 7.10 tonight, which in this house is quite something! DH and I managed to eat dinner together and chat for what seemed like the first time in ages...well without a colicky/unsettled lo adding his tuppence worth!

snugglebumnappies - I dont think the choc did it - I was quite good at not eating anything too sweet for the full 24 hours before my blood test - and I have been testing my blood sugars in the morning for the past few days so I had an idea that it would be raised. The consultant was quite amusing (for him) - suggested that if I was planning another baby (no way !!) then I should contact them prior to conception or at least at the early stage to stabilise and control my levels. Not going there honestly!! In real terms all they are doing is reporting my results to my GP and suggested that I try to control my ;evels now with diet and monitor regularly. I will try to see the doc next month, giving them time to write to them, but I dont know if I am classed as borderline diabetic or not - but there is no harm in following the diet guidelines as I could do with shedding two stone!

DS is a sicky baby at the moment - bringing quite a lot of each feed back and generally not feeding too well. He sounds like he has a cold or maybe a sore throat (if babies get these), so will see what the HV / Doc say when he has is checkup next week. Went to baby massage today and they weighed him (not part of the class but they will do it to savbe you having to go to the clinic later that afternoon) and he has put on 14oz in 10 days - not sure how he can manage that when he only takes 2 - 3 oz a feed! Oh well - see what tomorrow brings!

You know they say when you go into hospital to give birth you leave your dignity at the door and pick it up again on your way out? Well me and Don'tCallMyMummyYummy (DCMMY) ended up being in so long - 11 days - that when I was leaving and went to collect the afore-mentioned dignity - it was nowhere to be found! I enquired at reception but nothing. They'd not even kept it on file for me. Bloody NHS!
As a result I have absolutely no qualms about whipping out my previously non-public nipples in such places as parks, cafes, church benches whenever DCMMY decides it's time for a Five Dollar Shake. Such fun.
DCMMY (Reuben for short) is doing very well now, having successfully dealt with the aftermath of his 34 hr journey to life - the hole in the lung, group b strep infection, pneumonia, suspected meningitis and prolonged jaundice in his early days. He even has a girlfriend - little Caidence who was the Girl Next Door in Intensive Care. Little being the operative word, she was born at 25 weeks and weighed a whopping 1lb 1oz. Her Mummy was in labour for 25 minutes! He still loves her even though since she was transferred nearer home she's let herself go and piled on the pounds - 2lb 7oz. Otherwise in DCMMY's world it's all about milk guzzling, Mummy snuggling, nappy filling, chattering to lightbulbs and walls, and being smooched to death by Grandma. He says life is good and could he have some more milk please so I shall bid you all goodbye, congratulations and enjoy!

Hi all, well Ruth did a super special 'munching through the night' on me last night. Think I got 4 lots of an hours sleep but it isn't enough for me! Must be a growth spurt although judging by her weight she's already had one! We went to my bf group today and she weighed 10lb9oz having put on 1lb 7 oz in 2 weeks!
Snugglebum, I ordered wraps and a nappy yesterday but don't worry about the discount, it's no more than I would have paid elsewhere, in fact with free p+p, it's less! That's fascinating about the tandem feeding. I'd often wondered what happened about the colostrum. Obviously your body does what is best for the newborn regardless of the older child feeding!
DCMY - you obviously didn't lose your sense of humour in the hospital which is remarkable given that list of newborn hurdles! We went to the park this evening and I had to bf lo three times while we were there. Funnily enough when I got to one bench to feed (chosen for its lonely location) another mum arrived at the same time, for exactly the same reason! Re the bf tops, I have a Boob one from the NCT catalogue which I like but it's a bit plain. Its very practical and easy to get your boob out there is an overlap of material at the bust that you just pull apart. the jojo one I have is more attractive with an underneath top with slits in to the side (which are a bit fiddly) and a tie top over this (a bit like a bolero cardi). I'm not normally coy about my bf but I have found that there are occasions when I want to be more discreet and dh can get a bit anxious about it if we are in a very formal or crowded place. That's why I fancied another bf top but think I may go for buying a low cut camisole and pulling it down. They have some on ebay but I have no experience of what the style are like or how easy it is to return them if not liked.
Love that site snugglebum with the nursing covers - might buy one of the changing bags, they look really nice. Oh well, time for bed, here's hoping for a good night for all....

The worst thing I have found about alfrsco feeding is if you are outside then it can be very chilly when your LO pulls off and the nip is exposed to the elements!
I met a friend from work today and as I was arranging Maya and the muslin got a bit of a look from a passer by.

What daytime TV is everyone hooked on??
We are currently enjoying
Homes under the hammer
Daily cooks
Flog it
and Ready steady cook

Come on you know you want to confess your guilty pleasure

smudgemum, yes, I plan to stick some expressed milk into the freezer to help get through the months before weaning. I've a friend with a DD just a few months older than DS2 and she's using formula for top ups and I'd rather not use formula if I can avoid it. I know the theory that your boobs just sort things out but don't know if that will work in practice so want the milk as insurance. In any case, the expressing might help to boost supply.

peachy, I'm a countdown girl as I like to pretend that it keeps my brain alive but really I like to see what shocking outfit Carol V has on each day. Otherwise, the home and garden makeovers are my thing. Making the most of it as I know DS2 will start to be distracted by the telly soon so won't have the option.

to change subject entirely, would anyone be interested in a London(ish) meet up? Some of you might be going back to work at six months and by the time we get ourselves sorted we might be getting towards that point.

TV wise I have to confess to Stargate SG1, Charmed and all varieties of Star Trek (sci-fi saddo). After my pregnancy insomnia I can confirm that with just these selections you can pretty much watch TV 24 hours a day, and sometimes even have a choice of viewing. Except for between 5-am and 6 am, when there really is nothing worth watching at all.

Thank you for the idea on bf tops. It's going to be a challenge to find something wedding suitable, but I've got a few ideas now.

Good to have you back DCMY

Daytime telly I can't remember what that is.... But when I just had baby DD1 it was Jeremy Kyle and anything on ABC1 - moonlighting and 8 simple rules mostly!

Andyrobo it arrived today - very nice thank you! Have been to an NCT sale this morning too and got some bargains and have finally managed to find myself some jeans, it's a good shopping day today!

Daytime TV...what's that!? if TV on during the day in our house afraid it's Tommy Zoom or equally enthralling cbeebies delight! Vaguely remember watching Loose Women while feeding DS1 and having my lunch too.

Wow all that shopping and mn before noon moosma you do work quickly! I'll confess to being a long term neighbours addict and I now follow this with doctors and that awful Dick van dyke show diagnosis murder. My excuse is that it coincides with ds nap and I just can't be arsed to get off the sofa whilst i have the chance to sleep/veg out. Had a nice day today just doing normal things, shopping, playing in garden, reading a book for the first time in ages. Funny how sometimes you don't have to do anything special isn't it? DH is away now for 6 days so I'm planning to see lots of friends next week to prevent me going spare with two kids!

MoosMa - glad you like it!

Took ds to pub today for his first pint (of milk of course!!). No not bad parents, but called in for a drink on way home from afternoon out in sun - strolled around the park, visited a model village and then strolled down the prom (no water to be seen but lots of scary white flesh!!). Was lovely to be out, but the bloomong parasol on the pram is a waste of space - continually have to bend it in a different direction when you change direction - there must be a better way! I remembered it was trouble last time, and tried the canopy style, but that was equally as bad (must get rid on Ebay to pay for new pram . Will have a scout around internet to see if there is anything better - heard of a shade-a-babe but not sure if it is what I need /want -anyone else come up with a solution - I reckon I could fashion something from the car sun blinds you get!

andyrob, I have a shade a babe, invaluable for DD but am going to have to get a double now aswell! Basically its a large black mesh thing that goes over the pram like a raincover would and has an excellent (but can't remember exactally what) SPF rating.

FFT of course you are getting the discount so don't argue about it!, have processed it now, if you are happy with everything then just let people know about me!

Morning all. DCMY, love your post - really made me giggle this morning. Glad I'm not the only one that emails/texts from their LO. I have to admit that I tend to whip em out anywhere. I tried the vest top under another top thing on Friday and it sort of worked. I found that pulling the vest top down meant that the shoulder strap sort of bit into my shoulder - perhaps I need to get some bigger vest tops. I would just like to say that I have the best cleavage in the world at the moment but that does mean that most of my tops are a bit tight across the top.
Peachygirl I like homes under the hammer too, also to buy or not to buy. Other friends with babies are hooked to deal or no deal but I just don't get it! Suis, can't say I'm a sci-fi fan but good to know there is a nearly 24 hour selection if I ever change my mind
FFT good luck for your home alone stint. Hope the weather stays nice and you can get out a lot.
Andyrobo we tend to drape a muslin over the pushchair as we haven't got a parasol yet. Not sure we'll bother with one though because they sound more trouble than they are worth. Also, DS quite likes to sleep with a muslin across his face anyway so he doesn't mind it. It might change as he gets older though.
Apologies for long post but just want to ask a nappy question. We got a totsbots and a bumble to try (got them about a month ago but only just braved it yesterday). The nappy didn't leak (although vest was a bit damp) but DS was absolutely soaking. Is that normal with cloth nappies - it doesn't draw the moisture off the skin? It had been on about 3.5 hours and I know that sometimes he wees a lot but not sure. DH not convinced at all because he thinks that DS skin is never that wet with disposables but he is willing to give it another go. Any advice?
Oh and just a quick gloat - DS has slept through the last 3 nights and I really mean slept through. 7.30/8 until 6/6.30 with no dream feed, nothing. [Smudgemum runs quickly for cover before all manner of things are thrown her way!!]

Smudgemum, are you using a liner with the nappies? A fleece or disposable liner will help to keep the skin a bit drier.

I have to gloat too, last night DD fed at 7.30pm, I got up to check she was still alive at 6.30am, then she finally woke up at 7.45!

andyrobo - I have a shade a babe - was great for DS last year. I did wonder that he couldn't see out but it's easier to see out than in and he was quite happy under it at a year old. huge advantage over canopy thingys was that I didn't have to worry about insects getting to him if we let him sleep in the buggy outside. It's a bit fiddly with lots of straps but in general is easy to use.

That's great news Moosma about the sleeping. Anyone else want to join our gloating club? I know it won't last though and I promise I'll let you know when he's a monster too
We did use a disposable liner but we have a fleece one to try too. We just put the bumble on him to try that out and he pooed about half an hour later! It contained it well but not a fair test with the totsbots because that was on for much longer. Also -very daft question alert. when you take the nappies off and you're not washing them straight away. Do you rinse the nappy? If yes, do you then have to dry it before you put it in your pail to be washed at a later date? If no, and it is soaked, do you have to leave it to dry before you put it in the pail. I've seen the stuff about soaking vs dry pailing but don't quite get how dry it has to be, to pail.
I think I might have to investigate the shade a babe as DS loves being outside so much.