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.

well I think someone has swapped my baby during the night.
Gone is the constant crying, forever hungry little nipper. Now is a smiling calm little individual who is giving my nipples at least 2 hours between feeds (yes 2 hours is a long time for this one!!)

I defo think he has had a virus and has now come through the worst. I was beginning to wonder tho if it was never going to end. He has smiled more today than the last week put together so Im really pleased.

My Lo also has spots but they are coming and going its normal isnt it?

Going for 6 week check tomorrow. i cant remember what happens with them I think they just ask lots of questions.

weve not had any probs with LO taking a bottle, hell suck anything that comes into contact with his mouth, he gave himself a love bite the other week!! But I do think the Dr Brown bottles are good.

2+1 - glad lo's op went well. Hope he makes a speedy recovery and that you are all doing well. Thanks Mr 2+1 for letting us know.

Kyte - I am glad your local church is standing by you on the rent issue. As I understand it, whilst on maternity leave (including extended leave) you are legally entitled to any benefits you would normally receive from your employer. I therefore believe that they can't charge you rent.

JAM sorry to hear about your dad. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Hi everyone, my LO had her 8 week jabs today - two, one in each leg, for six different things. She seems OK at the moment, but the nurse gave us a baby oral syringe, incase we need to give her calpol later. Trust this to be when DH is working nights! Poor little thing absolutely howled - completely heartbreaking - and has two little plasters on each chubby little thigh. Still, all for the best, I guess. Next batch in just four weeks - seems so soon. Glad everyone's doing OK.

Kyte - hope that all gets sorted out in your favour.

Emmyb- whatever the reason I am glad to hear that your LO is happier. Its so much easier when they are smiley isnt it!

Cakehead - I am dreading taking DS for those. It must be awful to hear them so upset. All that said though, they are necessary and hopefully your LO won't need the syringe!

I had a pretty good day today. LO has fed pretty much at 3 hour intervals all day and not been too unhappy inbetween....maybe we are both learning

So, the infernal carpal tunnel of pregnancy has gone, to be replaced by tendonitis in my wrists.

Curse the world and all those in it who deal with my hands

Agnes

To those with spotty babies, yes it's perfectly normal, and they come and go a lot. My LO has had them since she was a few days old, being overly concious of skin problems I've quizzed all the knowledgeable people about them (and found out in the process that one of my mums best mates is a consultant on a maternity ward... useful person to know.)
It is classed as baby acne and it to do with their hormones being all over the place too. I've been told to keep them clean and if any look like they might be infected talk to the doctors about getting an antibiotic cream. We haven't needed to yet.

How much does everyones LO's sleep during the day?
For about 3 days now DD been falling asleep after a feed, I put her in the carrycot and she's woken again within about 15 minutes. She's usually okay at night thankfully, but she's obviously exhausted during the day but she won't stay asleep.

So much for her being okay at night... she's been down for 15 minutes and now she's awake again...

My little one tends to catnap - she falls asleep in the pram and the car for as long as they're moving. She'll nod off for twenty minutes in her bouncy chair but then startle herself awake. In the afternoons I can get her to have a really good nap by lying next to her on the bed - I doze for an hour or so; she can go for three hours! - but then she's pretty much awake until 9.00pm or so...

Much as I hate Tesco, they are selling the best breast pads for half price.

Tommee Tippee breast pads (identical to the REALLY expensive Lansinoh) 50 packs for £2.49!

I'm actually really ashamed. I use real nappies on lo, but CAN'T get by with washable pads. Maybe when my supply settles down in a few months I will try again, but I just end up with soaking wet bra and t-shirt. Any body tried lillypads?

FOR MADMUMNIKA - I was on the due July thread and I remember seeing you on there. I've not posted much and nothing since the birth as we've been in hospital with problems (2 hour op and slow recovery) which unltimately resulted in a diagnosis of CF. But we're home now and adapting to life with the physio and meds, if you need any one to talk to I'm here I probably won't know anymore than you do but if nothing else I'm in the same boat.

So sorry to hear of the diagnosis madmumnika and dorisofdevon - Hopefully you'll be getting fully informed soon of what it all means.

I hope you get your issues sorted out soon re: the rent Kyte - its so bad you dont have the same employment rights as people employed by other organisations. Hope your DS is doing well.

Here Theo is good - putting on weight and feeding well - but we've been battling against thrush for a few weeks. It goes and then comes back so I guess its never properly gone. I hope its not too bad for DS but sore for me. Also, I must share with you that we've got Theo sleeping in his amby natures nest hammock - and its FAB!!! Its a bit pricey but he seems to really settle in it well, he just swings himself to sleep - at least he has today anyway . For those with babies struggling with sleep it may be worth a look. Like I say it costs a lot but if someone asked me to pay £100 for some good sleep I'd hand the cash over in a flash .

Am preparing myself for a bad night!

Went to town to get DD's school uniform this afternoon and DS slept all the way thru the trip. We got home in time for his bottle but instead of sleeping or casually looking round the room after his feed he got all fidgety and restless. He did this on Friday night from 5pm to 2am.
So from 5pm this evening till 9.30pm he has been awake. When DP had gone up to bed(He is on a crane course and has to be 45 metres in the air and you need to be alert then.)DS did an earth moving fart and was asleep in five minutes.Snoring like his father. He is still asleep now. He's due a bottle in twenty minutes hopefully he'll sleep after that but i'm not holding out any hope.
Am getting annoyed with DP. Yes I understand that he has to go to work and drive long distances. I also know that he has this crane course to do and he can't control a 45 metre crane on a building site on 2 hours sleep and i volunteered to sleep downstairs while he is on the three day course but he didn't have to agree so easily. It is easier to manage downstairs as I'm nearer the bottles in the fridge and the kettle to warm them but I MISS MY BED! I WANT TO SLEEP TOO.
Expressing Question
Since expressing breast milk I've noticed that it looks very watery. Quite like skimmed milk. I have been topping up with formula milk and DS seems to take that much better than the expressed breast milk. Is this normal?

Am I abnormal then in not needing breast pads? I bought a box before having LO, and it is unopened. I hardly ever leak so haven't bothered - and to be honest I rarely wear a bra (even though probably should with these bigger breasts I've developed since delivery) and don't fancy stick on pads, so not sure how I would use pads anyway.

I leak! and its so embarrassing. When Lo cries its even worse.

Thanks Kyte will look into them.

hello all, it's my birthday today, dh got me a Sophie Harley necklace - I love her stuff - love it.

Another vote for the amby hammock - ds sleeps well in his.

I expressed for the first time yesterday - worked well but I did feel like a cow - moo!

and ds has started smiling - he's so cute!

At six weeks he's suddenly a lot more alert. Are people "playing" more with their LOs? Do you think they need tiring out to sleep better?

My DD has acne too. It's much better now but was ALL over her face, head and neck. It has now spread to her chest and back, but still looks a lot better than it did and there is much less on her face. It will clear up and is nothing to worry about apparently.

Sorry I haven;t managed to catch up with all the posts yet. We've had our first weekend/night away. We went to a wedding on Saturday afternoon and stayed in a hotel close to the reception venue. I was very stressed about it and didn't want to go at all on Saturday morning. I think I was worried about feeding DD in church and people frowning upon it. DD fed well before we left home (and for longer than I had hoped as I couldn't wake her properly at first!) then when I changed her nappy tried to wee on me (I luckily had covered my outfit with a muslin before removing her nappy so that caught the worst!). After screaming when we put her in her car seat, she fell asleep and woke when we arrived at our hotel to check in. DH tried to change her nappy while I went to the loo and she managed to wee all over her new dress and poo all over the changing mat. I ended up having to bath her in the sink while DH rinsed her dress and dried it with the hair drier! Obviously she then wanted feeding but we didn't have time for her to have a full feed so ended up giving her part then and feeding her most of the way through the service! Afterwards the two ladies sat behind us said how good she was that feeding her in the church was perfect. Lots of people also congratulated us on making it to the wedding with DD only being 6 wks. Everyone seemed to think it was a really big deal getting there and staying away from home, so it made me feel much better about not wanting to go!

Whoever asked the question about lilypads - I use them. I think they are good but would recommend two pairs so you have one drying naturally while you are wearing the other pair unless you don't leak at night

Sou - sounds like we are a mixed bunch, some of us just getting used to things and some of us having no choice but to get on with things.... Also very sorry to hear your news, madmum and dorisofdevon, hope you get good advice from the professionals.

Life here is going so so. Grace is still up till 11 or 12 most evenings, sucking on my breasts and then napping and varies in her sleep time throughout the rest of the night - usually going 3-4 hours. She also naps well in the day , although not always happily in her moses basket (often she prefers to slepp on me / in her pram/ in the car / in her bouncy chair etc. Have to take full advantage of doing things when she sleeps as dd1 can also be time consuming!!! It really is amazing how little slepp you can survive on when you have to isn't it?! Also for all those first timers, make the most of only having one, life is definitely harder second time around when you have to maintain a toddlers routine and interests (and without their afternoon nap) as well as your baby's!

DH is off work next week, so we're planning on a couple of days out with the girls. We've also booked a week away to Weymouth mid September - could be a disaster in terms of taking a 5 or 6 week old, but we figured it's a home from home, just different scenery. Am now hoping for a warm, sunny September!

TMI alert:

Small cause for celebration... I appear to have stopped being all messy in the pants department. Which is a relief, as I wasn't looking forward to an entire six weeks of post-partum bleeding like I had with my daughter... Having a birth with no intervention has a lot to be said for it, it's quicker and takes less of a toll on the body it would seem. Three cheers for two hour labours

Right, I'm away of to my bed, after the obligatory hour and a half of feeding that is:/

Take care everyone

Agnes

DD screamed for 6 hours non stop last night. She then slept for 5 hours but then woke up every hour from then. Don't know whats wrong with her. My boobs feel so sore where she was trying to feed every half hour in those 6 hours she was screaming. So frustrating.
Not really getting used to things at all. When she does finally sleep in the day I can't motivate myself to do anything. I guess shes making up for her first month of being really good.

Sorry- just needed to get it out x

I have a hangover - looking after a baby with a hangover turns out not to be much fun so far.

PPS DS seems to be the opposite. He'll scream all day and then at about half nine at night he'll go to sleep and stay there waking every 3-4 hours for a feed and then go straight back to sleep. During the day I am exhausted with him tho. Even walks in the pram doesn't settle him.

You sound a bit low. Is this your first child. When DS starts to create havoc I look at DD and remember that it is just a small portion of their lives where they are so dependant. Before long they'll be getting embarassed as you give them kisses at the school gates. Tho at the moment you feel that it will never end. By the time they are about 4 months most babies should have an established routine. 4 months isn't THAT long in the scheme of her whole life. If I sound condescending please tell me.

MY LO is still waking several times a night. After over 5 weeks I am completely used to it. I can't believe it will go on much longer so have decided to just relax.... and wait for him to sort himself out. Luckily I have help around the house and my OH is brilliant when he is around.
I am waiting for a break in the rain to take LO to the baby clinic to be weighed, it is much easier to put them both in the Phil & Teds and walk into town, do what I need then walk back. If I drive I have to put them both in a car seat then take pushchair out of car, DD out of car seat and into pushchair, LO out of car seat and into cocoon then cocoon into pushchair, then reverse of this when time to come back - what a pfaff. Much nicer to walk but it is bucketing down, they will be nice and cosy under their raincover but I will get drenched!
If anyone's little ones have a sore botski, Metanium cream is just brilliant. I always raved about sudocrem but I think Metanium is even better.