July 2007 - yet starting in June!

[Jamantha]

Well, I can't see a post natal July 2007 thread, so will start this, even though Charlotte, my DD was born 4.5 weeks early in June. I'm sure the other July ladies will be along soon enough.

Have had 2 nights at home now. Yesterday afternoon was fairly distressing as Charlotte wouldn't latch on, and if she did she wouldn't suck. But have got loan of electric pump from hospital, and support from midwives and now managing with comination of breast, expressed and formula milk, sometimes all three in the same feed. Finding it quite emotional, with all the issues associated with feeding one's baby, but trying to stay calm as found out yesterday that getting self into a state doesn't help anyone.

Dh has just gone out to get some things we're still missing, and I'm putting my feet up for a bit. Phil & Ted has just arrived so we might try a stroll down to the ante natal class tonight!

Any how, hope there are lots of lovely birth stories to come from July ladies, and that we can swap advice, give each other moral support etc over the coming weeks and months.

Cakehead - how old is your DD? Mine is 5 weeks now and it is getting a bit easier to put her down in the day. If I rock her to sleep (or pace around with her), I try and wwait 15-20 mins before I put ehr down so she is in a really deep sleep. Sometimes she stays crashed out, other times she wakes after 5/10 mins - but usually that's cos she has a possett coming up! Also, I usually have a muslin tucked under her head, so that when I put her down she doesn't feel the cold change of surface on her cheek. HTH

Myfairone - hope you're ok. Could just be low blood sugar making you feel a bit like that - are you eating plenty of cakes ?

MFO - Perhaps just really really tired to the point of exhaustion?

MFO I think youve got to tell yourself that three weeks is no time at all, your hormones are probably still all over the place, your body has gone through a major trauma. I think we feel under pressure to feel normal again too soon, and if we dont we start to think that there is something wrong. It takes a long time to get over the shock of the birth etc. I think you are doing very well as well as everyone else on here. Keep your chin up and tell yourself it is normal feelings and it will get better it just takes time. Everyone just imagines that us new mums should be all happiness and joy but it just isnt like that when you dont get enough sleep and your lo are pinching all your calories.

I think if you cry solidly for a couple of days and really dont want to communoicate with anybody and dont want to do anything then try to talk to someone.

Hope you feel better soon xxx

thanks ladies...think it was a combination of everything. as soon as i got home i ate and sat down and felt better. think its hormones and expecting too much of myself, lack of sleep and food!

thank you for the kind words....going to try again tomorrow!

kyte- you made a very good point about the crowds...while i was out it was rather busy and people were cooing over him so maybe it was partly that too!

feel quite pathetic as its not like me at all...better go LO just deposited his milk on my shoulder

Cakehead,

My secret to naps in the day is a dummy and a swaddle! Stops any crying and helps LO fall asleep...

But basically we work on the baby whisperer wind-down (4s's)- set the scene, swaddle, sit, and shush. We wait for LO to start yawning, then take him to the bedroom, close the curtains, change his nappy etc. We sit with him on our shoulder for a few minutes, maybe saying a few words/singing. Then we put him in his basket, and if he starts to fuss, we stick his dummy in. If he's calm, we make a quick exit, but sometimes we have to go back in if his dummy falls out and he wants it. Sometimes we have to stay until he falls asleep, just keeping a hand on his chest, or shushing him. It's difficult, as sometimes we take him up too soon and he's not quite ready to sleep, and sometimes we leave it too late and he gets over-tired, but when we've timed it right, it works like a dream. Or if he's fallen asleep feeding, and is too tired to rouse him, I just do the swaddling and sitting, and usually he'll go in his basket- sometimes I just need to hold his legs/arms still to stop him waking himself up.

We've been doing this since day 1, and he's now 7 weeks old so we've been trying this for some time...

Well sadly it turns out that Mairi has got cystic fibrosis We are still in shock but the team at the Regional hospital seem brilliant and were very positive. So going to start learning more about it...probably a whole new forum to join! We have to take Mairi in for 2-3 days for more tests and to be taught physiotherapy techniques for help keep her chest clear and get all the meds she'll need. It's strange as she seems so healthy and 'normal' (for want of a better word)- no probs feeding, gaining weight steadily albeit on the 9th centile, no wheezing etc. But apparently lots of CF babies are the same. She does poo a lot, but I thought that was pretty normal for a breastfed baby anyhow!

Right better get DS ready for bed... then I think I will have a glass of wine and DP & I can mull over everything. Hugs to you all xxx

Oh Madmum - what a shock. Big big hugs to all of you. You probably have too much to think about already, but I saw recently that they are making big advances all the time in treating CF. They said they were understanding more and had made big steps in the way they treated people with it. There was a very glam young woman on TV with it and you'd never have known she had it.
Anyway, will be thinking of you and send you every best wish.

MMN - sorry about your bad news - lots of hugs to you!!

Madmum soryy to hear of the news, its good that they have found out so early it is so important that you get the help and medication so soon. There are new medicines/genetherapy etc coming forward all the time for CF Im sure you will all be cared for very well. xx

Madmumnika, Sorry to hear your lo has CF. My lo is a carrier for the most common CF mutation (D 508 from memory). I did a lot of reading up about it as a consequence. I gather the prognosis is increasingly good.

Madmum what a shock. Hope you and your family get all the support you need. You will make friends with your local pharmacist.

went on my first expedition today with the 3 lo's!! Went to the local supermarket and then the playpark. V successful adventure and pleased with myself.

My lo cries everytime the car stops moving. Thank God we live in the sticks as a traffic jam would be a nightmare! Anyone else experience that?

mmn- hope you get all the support you need hunnie big hugs...

starting to feel real sorry for myself.. not obe member of either mine or dh famlies have seen the baby yet..
\H is still pv but not all the time.. twice today.. but there is no settling him.. he too doesnt like parting with his wind bless him..

hope everyone is ok .xx

Madmum, so sorry to hear your news. Must have been a terrible shock. You sound so brave and positive though. Sometimes I think that these special little ones are "chosen" to be with the very best of parents.
Just a quick note to those of you who have lo's with trapped wind....I have been using the special MAM bottles which have been fantastic. My dd always does a huge burp straight after every feed and has so far had no trouble with trapped wind. They have a little air valve at the bottom, and as she sucks you can actually hear the air going into it. The teat never collapses either. I bought Infacol and used it as standard from the start with dd2 as my dd1 had terrible wind when she was born, but I actually stopped using it a fortnight ago as with these bottles there is no need. Hope this helps.

Have just had quick skim read of messages to catch up a bit - Madmum, so sorry about the CF, am thinking of you.

Feeling a glimmer of hope - this is the 2nd morning in a row I've got DD to sleep in the basket during the day. Both times I've managed it by putting her in the basket awake and letting her suck my finger until she's asleep. Just hope that in time I'll be able to let her suck the finger a bit less each time until she can fall asleep by herself. And then we've got a new challenge on the horizon - she's going to be too big for the basket soon, so we need to get the proper cot assembled, and then hope that she'll sleep in there. And that'll have to be in her own room, as it'd be a bit of a squeezt getting the cot in our room. Oh my, how quick she's growing [can't believe I'm saying corny things like that smiley]

My lo is smiling..... no kidding.... big, full on, gummy beamers..... enough to make me just melt and almost forget that he had me up seven times last night . Is anyone else's baby smiling or is he just terribly advanced and ready for baby Mensa {hates competitive mothering emoticon]?

Firstly Madmum, I am so sorry to hear your little one has CF. Once you get a chance try and read all you can and I hope that will help you to be more positive. Big hugs.

Caroline, I thought my LO had wind but the HV told me he is smiling because she spoke to him and he gave her a huge smile! Dont you just love their little faces!

There really is no love like the love for a child is there...I have heard that before and never really understood it!

Well I seem to have gone a whole morning without crying! But last night had a huge lose it session. I seem to be petrified I'm going to get depression (never suffered in my life so no idea why this has popped into my head!) I think I need to calm down and just relax...

Big hugs to all and I hope you got some sleep last night.

What a shock for you all madmumNika - but I'm glad it's been identified early and you have confidence in the hospital. And the main thing is that your LO is well and doesn't even know there's anything wrong! I'm sure there will be plenty of support for you both here and from those around you.

MFO Glad you are feeling a bit brighter. I really think tiredness accounts for much of the postnatal low feelings. A new baby and your new life with a baby is a whole new learning curve. So together with the lack of sleep comes learning a new job (I always found the first month or two in a new job really exhausting because you are trying to take in so much new information) well I think it is like that with a new baby, even if it's not your first.
I am glad you raised the issue of what is everyone wearing. I am still not into my old clothes after 4 weeks and still have a tummy like blancmange. The trouble is I still have some ligament pain in the hip and groin (the hv thinks to with the c-section or perhaps some form of SPD) so exercising is not yet possible. It really hurts if I walk for longer than half an hour. So the blancmange is lingering. I have an extremely limited wardrobe but am determined not to buy things that I will surely only wear for a few short weeks although it might make me feel much better. How is everyone else feeling about this?

Caroline - What a great way to look at it and yes you are so right. A new job is exhausting and I never really thought about it like that. Thank you my friend!

Well, I too have a huge blancmange tummy (like that analogy too). I hate it! It feels really weird and I hate how it just wobbles there. I too have some muscle strain in my right groin and when I walk for any length of time I feel like I want to drag my leg. Im hoping it goes soon so I can walk a bit more because the tummy has to go!

I refuse to buy more clothes and am determined to make do with what I have. Im sticking to joggin bottoms at home (nice!) and I have one pair of maternity jeans that I can belt when I go out.

Big hugs to all (esp Madmum)

We've got a smiley one here too. Particularly when you get her up in the mornings, you get a big beam. Then there are moments in the day when she seems to be really playful and full of smiles, but then they turn to tears just as quickly - almost as if she gets frustrated. But they're such cute grins, they're worth waiting for...

MMN - I'm really sorry to hear about Mairi's CF. I don't know a huge amount about it but the husband of one of my friends has CF. He does have to have a lot of treatment but aside from that he has a very normal life - he's married with a successful professional career and an active social life. He's in his mid 30s. From talking to him, the treatment and prognosis for CF has been getting better and better all the time.

I have just worked out that we have only had 3 days since Oscar was born when we have not had any visitors to the house. I now get quite excited at the prospect of a day with my children and no visitors.... I feel guilty as they are brilliant individuals and I love them all. But I just want some space.