March 2007 - even though it hasn't actually arrived, some of us have (iyswim)

[CallieNewMum]

Here we go girls - Amie, Kiwi, Dixia, Flannelettepyjamas, we can start comparing motherhood notes on this one and wait for the others to arrive one by one. Although I suspect the other thread will be our home until there's critical mass. To those of you still waiting to join the post-natal people - get a move on!!

I've started an arrivals list in post-natal thread. Link to it is here for those who arrive on this thread subsequently. Arrivals thread

I gave Jordi a bath last night and he provided his own jacuzzi accompaniment when I put him in. Hilarious. When I was drying him he then proceded to pee on towel and through to my jeans - not hilarious. I have started calling him Mister Piss because of the number of times he pees when I change his nappy! Seriously, are all boys this bad? Have now wised up and am putting a face cloth under his bum so that the pee will get soaked up and not run back into his babygro if he does enough of it and I don't get there with cotton wool in time. Am going to go out today and buy a pile of face cloths tho because I will get through so many!

Also, do your LOs hate being changed? He always cries, or grizzles anyway, when he is. And when do you change them - before or after feeding? In hospital they used to do it before because they didn't want the babies to be sick and lose food by doing it after but I do it after now because he often goes while being fed and it seems to make more sense.

It was nice and sunny earlier and I optimistically put things out on the line rather than dry them in the house but the sky is starting to cloud over a bit ominously.... I was hoping to get a few hours breeze around them first. Hmm. God it's nearly feeding time again - how does the time go so fast???? Could it be because I'm on mumsnet ....

Ah the neighbour has started up with banging bass music. Great. Thank god it's not as loud as it sometimes is.

Hi - nice to at last be able to "graduate" to the "have popped" thread

We gave Monti his first bath this morning, which he initially hated but then relaxed and enjoyed it. My milk has come in so everytime I pick him up he starts rooting around and was pestering me all night for milk (had about 1 hour's sleep)

Anyone else BFing? My nips are getting a bit sore - specially the right one.

Is everyone else knackered too?

Its so lovely having a newborn though isn't it (or two! ) - will have a look at everyone's pics now. I'll try and organise some photos of Monti this weekend.

Awww - the babies are so beautifil!!

Leo - how is your older boy coping with having the twins around? I like the way he wore his emergency services outfit to the hossie in the pic!

Welcome Fox and Monti and Muppet and Samuel!!!!! !

I have to go and dig around in the ante-natal thread to find your birth stories!!!!

Callie, Toby and Leo quite often do projectile pee when they are being changed, I thought I would have learnt from DS1 that this happens, but somehow you forget these things! Usually they don't mind being changed, maybe Jordi doesn't like it because he gets cold?

Fox, I also have sore nipples, Toby doesn't open his mouth wide enough to latch on properly and adjusts himself once he is on, I think this is making my nipples sore. Also they are both unsettled at night so I end up feeding on and off constantly for hours which doesn't help. I remember having sore nipples with ds at the beginning, just remember it doesn't last!

Bethoo, my two also get a lot of hiccups, they did before they were born. Not much you can do I don't htink although I usually give them a bit of an extra feed as swallowing seems to calm them down a bit.

Fox, I am absolutely exhausted, I am getting almost no sleep at night (although last night was a bit better), I keep meaning to go to bed more during the day but there are always far more interesting things to do (eg MN !) and I hate sleeping during the day but I know I can't go on like this for many more days!

DS1 is obsessed with that helmet although now he has discovered dh's protective ear things his obsession has shifted slightly! People must think we are completely mad pushing our toddler around the village on his tricycle with the earphones on !
He is coping really well with the twins, although both dh and me are trying to carry on with his normal routine. At the moment he is absolutely mad about dh, which I understand but it also hurts me and I am disappointed that I know I have to accept that my relationship with him will change now i have 2 more babies to care for. Yesterday me & dh went to the nursery togetehr to pick him up, when he saw me he started shouting 'Papi, papi, papi!', he saw dh coming in behind me and flew past me without a second look and into dh's arms !

Leo - Monti is doing the same thing as your DS - not opening his mouth wide enough. My boobs are quite full too which doesn't help. Funny how some babies just know how to latch on and other need to learn it isn't it?

My DD is doing the same as your older DS too - she only wants daddy atm. I suppose its a kind of safety mechanism for them so they don't feel pushed out - we may have babies attached to us all the time now, but at least daddy is still available!

I remember it took DS1 a few weeks to adjust when DD was born.

Callie - my lo also cries when changing him but strangely when i star to fasten him up again he stops.he sems to know the differene between undressing and dressing! i have experienced the just got nappy off and then he produces a fountain and i am trying to catch it in his nappy!

foxcub - i am bf too, is he latching on ok?

leolady - i am the same, when he is asleep i ust read or mn! did not get out of bed til one today and i was sleeping as lo was up demanding food from 2 til 7! my dad came in and asked if i was getting up at all!obviously he has forgotten what it is like and also they obviously cant hear him screaming like i do! i swear he has gained a stone he is getting so heavy in my arms!

SNAP! Joseph likes the fountain trick too! I'm getting to grips with positioning the nappies in the best place to get one off and ensure not too much air gets to his jewels. He doesn't cry too much during a change untill you try and put his legs back in his baby grow, then he "kicks" up a right fuss!

Today we're already on his third change of clothes! either sick or another bodily fluid has soiled.

Luckily it seems Joesph likes bath time!

HV came today and Joseph put on 9 ounces over the past week and is now 6lbs! She's really pleased with his progress.

So many little boys on here. I can't get over it.. I don't know why, just thought it would be alittle more equal!

Welcome FOXY & MONTI!

amie - he cries as soon as he hears the poppers come off! such a dramaqueen like his mother! 9 ounces in a week, good going. i think my little one has gained too but will not find out til next week.

you will have to excuse the typos as hard to type with one finger as baby in other arm. mind you he seems fascinated by the screen!

Just after I did that post, I changed Jordi and he not only did not pee, he was perfectly calm, making me feel terrible for what I wrote! Bethoo, he's the same, goes quiet as soon as his babygro's back on. I guess he just doesn't like the air around him or the water sometimes. I do try to make sure he's not cold but I suppose it's not nice having half your clothes removed and bum exposed to air and wet cotton wool.

Fox, I'm still trying to feed a little bit from my left boob and that gets sore. Have you got any Lansinoh? That's quite good - I used it in hospital too when a nipple cracked.

amie - talking about b/f, the other day in the cfeeding room of mothercare whilst feeding lo he pulled away and my nipple squirted him all over his d\fave with milk! that answers my own question on how fast does the milk come out!! i thought it just dripped out! i prefer feeding on my left boob as my right feels kind of lumpy at the mo and he prefers the left too!
now silly question about the damp cotton wool, do we dry it off, i mean it is not soaking wet ust midly wet but he appears to have slight nappy rash round his little bottom and am concerned the water is drying his skin out. sudocreme appears to be working if you keep using it. i did try drying his bottom with cotton woolbut it tends to them stick to the skin and end up having clumps stuck to his nether regions. i know it seems silly but i am a first timer!!!

bethoo - I've experienced the clumping cotton wool, but have now opted to use the cotton wool pads, picked some up from tesco last shop, much easier, soft but non... clumping/sticky to his skin. Sudocrem is a god send!

Callie - Jordi sounds like a typical male!

Hiya - Bethoo/Callie - Monti started off struggling to latch on, then got the hang of it but since my milk came in yesterday my nips are so distended he can't get his little mouth on properley. Have bought the most brilliant bresat pump: Avent IQ Isis - it lets you hand pump for a few minutes then you press a magic button and it emulates your hand action. Its the best pump I've ever used and completely gentle and painless, but produces 2mls in about 10 minutes!

DH fed Monti this morning with his bottle of my milk. Am going to pump by day and then breast feed by night until the milk flow and nips settle down a bit. I can't remember how many days it takes for the new milk to settle down....

Bethoo - watch that lumpy right breast - have you tried massaging the lumps out before a feed, I always have to do that with my right one (specially the bit between the nip and the armpit, where I often get blocked ducts)?

Sorry, am a bit obsessed atm until I get feeding sorted.

Anyone else got stitches? Mine are still very swollen and am afraid to poo . I know I can, as I had stitches with DS1, but just can't bring myself to push down there atm ...

How are your babies sleeping and feeding then?

I rented the medela pump from the hospital, its so much more efficient than hand pumping! Don't know why I didn't try this with ds! I gave the DTs ebm last night when they wouldn't settle and miraculously they settled and slept for a coupld of hours ! I had more sleep last night than the last few nights.

Bethoo, ditto what fox said, get under a warm shower and massage the lumps out of the lumpy breast, it could turn into mastitis, it maybe that its just too full and the milk is flowing too fast for your lo to cope with it. Feed on it or pump it but don't ignore it!

And.... I use babywipes , i find them much more effective than cotton wool and water or anything else for cleaning pooey bottoms!

Fox, my stitches are in a different place to yours but still very sore ! I've read about doing a salt water bath and pressing on the stitches when you poo to help (no idea really as none of my babies seem to want to come out that way, so no experience!)! I hope it gets better fast.

I've come to join the sore nips club! Just the left one mind you but my god it makes my toes curl when he latches on! Don't remember my other 2 putting me through this torture... might ask the mw to check if he's in the right position...

What is this lanisoh stuff? Where can i get me some!!!???

Foxy - i refused a few stitches on a 2nd degree tear on an old episiotomy scar - mw said it was 50/50 whether i needed it stitched so i cowarded out! Now it is healing but still quite sore... i too am afraid to poo! in fact i'm too scared to even look down there to see what is going on!!!

Leo - god only knows how you are managing twins. The lady in my ward had some and she was really worried about going home as she was getting so much help and support at the hospital. Hat off to you girl!

leo and fox - i think it was just engorged as tend to favour the left boob. i am producing lots as i leak everywhere and sometimes he has to swallow so fast he has little coughs so he could just be a guzzler!

leo - i was told not to use baby wipes or any products as they can cause thrush at this stage. though wipes are alot easier i admit. have you hadany problems as i may revert to wipes!

muppet - i had 2 little stitches and managed a poo (sorry if tmi!)3 days later. mw says it is psychological.

my lo is feeding very well and gets more sleep than me!

Muppet - if you have a mothercare near you, they sell it, comes in a purple tube, tis good!

I have a medela pump, cheap, also from mother care, not the nicest of sounds but works well!

Leo - I use baby wipes too, the pat dry with the cotton pads, the wipes are very good, and quick, think I'm being too cautious maybe with drying too.. i dunno.. but very little rashing.

Joseph slept for 4 hours in a row last night!

Bethoo x post! why is there not like a standard book or something on do's and don'ts?

as we were never told about the possiibility of thrush if using wipes, even used them when Joe was in scbu and no one said anything....

this is confusing at times

Bethoo - i've been using the pampers sensitive wipes instead of cotton wool. Have to say it may all go pear shaped as i do remember using wipes at this stage with dd and ds1 and then them having a reaction to it so having to revert back to the cotton wool.

It's just so much handier using the wipes isn't it? I'm keeping my fingers crossed this lo has the bottom hide of a hippo!

Amie - thanks for that - will endeavour to get this lanisoh stuff when next out.

I'm using sensitive wipes too. I hate cotton wool balls, they're so fiddly.

Managed to produce 60mls milk with my super pump this morning, and Monti has slept all day in between his new feeds - made me realise he wasn't getting enough before due to problems latching.

Breast milk is good for sore nips; helps them heal, plus lots of air.

How much sleep are other people getting - I'm getting about 8, but of course interrupted by feeds, so prob about 6.

for those with sore nipples my mw said to rub vaseline on them between feeds.

for those who express, are you bf and feeding expressed milk from the bottle too/ how does lo respond as i heard that sometimes babies will not go back to the breast after bottle and i am hoping to perhps go out soon and leave lo with dp so need to supply breast milk!

my lo was up from 2 til 6 thi morning, i swear he is getting enough milk but his stomach seems to be bottomless! i am sure he is gaining at a steady rate but i appear to be suffering from sleep deprivation! anyone else in the same situation?

Bethoo -I'm doing BF and bottle top ups and Joseph has no trouble feeding from both, as long as he gets his feed he's not fussed

I am suffering serious sleep deprivation - foxy that you are getting 6 hours!!

I think i'm getting 3 to 4 at the moment - trouble is - even when he's asleep i can't stop looking at him! I've gone completely loopy over him - totally ga ga! Was never this bad about my other 2!

Might try the vaseline tip too before i can get to mothercare.

Fox, I had several nights were I was getting about 1 - 2 hours sleep but last night after feeding the EBM it was better. All is worryingly quiet here at the moment, I should go to bed now but I'm sure they will wake up any minute...!

I think feeding from the bottle once or twice a day should be fine and shouldn't cause laziness or confusion. I think I would always feed from the breast first and then give the bottle after (unless its a one off and you are going out).

I didn't know about thrush and baby wipes. I also use the pampers sensitive, no problems so far and also didn't have problems with ds1.

... oh, I spoke too soon, someone is crying!!!!

I remember with DD I expressed for a couple of days when the milk came in as my boobs and nips were sore, and also gave her formula top ups during the first week for her last feed at night, so she'd sleep for a 4 hour run as I was exhausted. She went back on the breast after a few days once my nips had recovered, as that's all I offered her and I then went on to BF her for 18 months! I think its fine to mix and match if that's what helps you in the long term (if that makes sense).

Monti atm is having a mixture of breast, expressed milk and dummy (plus a teeny formula top up tonight, so he'll sleep for a few hours) and he seems to know the difference when its breast, i.e. seems to be able to adapt his mouth.