October 2007 - the golden piglets have landed

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I couldn't find a postnatal thread - not sure if I am just missing it with post-childbirth brain! Anyone else around??

missbumpy sorry to hear you've had a shit night honey. understand you wanting dd to sleep in her cot if it means you sleep better but don't worry about those words that should never be uttered to a new mum - rod own and back. ds1 slept in bed with us for the first 6 weeks after we had intended him to be in his own room! Gave up after we had no sleep at all the first night home. After 6 weeks he was in his cot though and he found his own routine by 12 weeks which was easier to stick to as it was right for him. my advice wouldbe to do whatever you have to to survive at the mo and worry about routines later. It does get easier and sooner than you think.

Inzi - welcome honey!!! congrats. the section pain does get easier. try to take your pain killers regelarly rather than waiting for it to get sore - that works better.

can't remember what everyone else saiud. ejt good to hear from you and sounds like all is gping well!

dh and i are heading out for a nice lunch shortly as Sam is at nursery so we only have Adam to contend with - who has just gone to sleep on me in the baby bjorn...

chat later xxx

Just read back through posts - big waves also to dalrymps and stefka!

Dareh is in the bed with us too - don't worry about it too much I am sure things will settle down in time. He's very unsettled at the moment. I have thrush so it is upsetting his tummy and he won't tolerate being put down for more than half an hour at a time. The only thing I really care about now though is getting rid of the pain I am in when feeding. Had some good feeds before bed yesterday then two awful ones in the night. Had some half decent ones this morning but I am still pretty fearful when I put him on the breast.

I can't believe all you people who go out - how do you do it. I am scared to leave the house!

Hi all

Sympathy to those who are feeling low, I have also had some awful times the last week. MissB and Setfka we have the same issue Edith won't go down in her moses basket will only sleep on us. My midwife and health visitor have been very supportive but it does mean that DH and me are getting such little sleep as we are taking it in turns to stay up on the sofa with her. We are going have another crack at the moses basket tonight but so far it has made her wail like a banshee and then she is in such a state she takes ages to calm down. Someone has suggested to me putting in a hot water bottle to warm it up first so am going to try that.

Stefka sorry BF is so painfuL at the moment
I have found a midwife has helped me loads with BF and have also found the NCT helpline useful when I was worried about Edith wanting to feed frantically all the time They suggested that she might just be very sucky and that if I was sure she had enough to try offering her my upturned little finger for a few minutes this does seem to work - well sometimes . They did say about using a dummy if I wanted but not sure about this and whether it might confuse her. Breastfeeding is blardy hard work I am determined to keep going if I can but had her weighed today and she has not put on very much in the last 5 days so will have to see how it goes I think.

Hi everyone else Inzi I had un-expected C-section too also very positive experience and now 9 days on feeling much less sore which is reat as my painkillers are running out now.

We had the problem of Rhydian not wanting to sleep in his crib - it was an absolute killer: a friend recommended I get a lambskin - like this- we bought one this time as we didn't have to buy much of the big stuff - and it's been fantastic ... Mairwen snuggles into it - not so good if you're veggie, I know, but it's been a godsend for us ... I also take it out of her crib, and she'll happily lie on wherever she is ...

Can recommend using a hot water bottle to warm the moses basket first - we do this and most times it works a treat!

Glad I'm not the only one with the baby in the bed problem. I actually managed to get DD to sleep in the cot for the first time ever this morning so feeling v proud of myself . That's a major achievement for me today. AND I managed to get the cot (with sleeping baby in it) down 3 flights of stairs and onto pram wheels thingy and down to the baby clinic to see midwives all on my own. So today has been a good day. Well, it could only get better after yesterday's meltdown!
I've only managed to get her to sleep in the cot once so I'm no expert but I'd say that the trick was a) to put her in when she's tired but still awake (before I was doing it after she'd gone to sleep on me but of course she'd wake up immediately and start screaming) b) to stay in the room and let her know I was nearby if she started stirring/whimpering c) to pick her up and comfort her if she really started screaming but then to put her back down again once she'd calmed down d) to give her a dummy (don't know how other people feel about this and I never thought I'd want to use a dummy on my child but she seems to really love sucking even when she's not hungry and she quite likes the dummy so who am I to argue?!) and e) to persevere!

I'm not expecting it to work again tonight but the fact that she's managed to do it once gives me hope that it's do-able.

I've heard about the hot water bottle trick too but I haven't tried it myself. Maybe I'll try tonight.

Stefka, sorry to hear about your thrush. I've got a friend who had it with her baby recently and she's told me all about how painful it is. I haven't had it but I'm still struggling with b/f anyway so I can relate to feeling fearful about each feed. Would expressing milk make it easier? Or nipple shields?

BTW, I've been really scared about going out too but I've started to do it bit by bit (usually with a friend or DP). Doing it on my own is scary but I just go on small trips after she's fed and I know I can get to my destination and back before she wakes up for the next feed. I recommend trying to get out even if it's just round the block with baby in a sling...the days when I don't leave the house at all are definitely the darkest days for me. I do feel better after a bit of fresh air.

Right, sorry for long post, just excited to have both hands to type (mum's holding DD)! I'm off to give next feed.

Hope you all get some sleep tonight!
x

PS. oh and midwives said DD is 8lb 4oz which is loads bigger than last time she was weighed which has made me feel much better about the feeding situation...at least now I know that she's getting enough milk and thriving (even if it is painful for me!).

Hey everyone, hows it going? we've been to the docs today cause the hospital took a urine sample when dylan was 2 days old and it came back showing possible signs of infection but they couldn't be sure cause the bacteria that grew from the sample is the same that is found in poo so they think the sample may have been contaminated. Dylan showing no signs of infection at all and midwife agrees it was probably just contaminated but doc wanted a 2nd sample to double check anyway then he can have some antibiotics to clear any infection up if he does have one, so anyway we had to put this pad in his nappy and collect wee without getting poo on it, once he'd wee'd on it i had to get a sringe and suck the wee off and put in in a sample pot, a very complicated procedure but we managed! Dylan doing well, his feeding occasionally goes a bit irratic and instead of feeding every2-4 hrs he starts feeding every hour then goes back to normal again, the midwife says it might just be him instictively getting me to produce more milk, yesterday when he did it i think he was just a bit hot cuase we opened the door and he fell asleep for quite a few hours. my boobs are starting to get quite achey and sore once he's due a feed, am a bit scared about them becoming engorged , have considered expressing some if he's not ready to feed to ease the discomfort but then wouldn't this just make me produce more milk and be a vicious circle?? any advice on this gratefully recieved . Other than that he has a bit of a sniffly nose but veryone i know has got a cold at the moment so it's hardly surpising... I have been out of the house quite a few times but am scared of doing it by myself, only ok with dh, also a bit scared of taking him out in his buggy rather than in the car incase he gets cold but at the same time i really fancy a nice walk with the buggy, guess i'll have to make my mind up! Anyway hipe you're all doing ok, sorry to hear some of you are having probs, helps to know we're all in the same boat though

Do you know the cause of the pain MissB? I would try to get to the bottom of it asap. Have you been tested for thrush? If you even slightly suspect you might have it make them test you - they waited ages to test me. Tell then you are prone to it or something. Or do you think it is a latch issue? Do get obsessed with getting people to check it. I kept thinking it was right when it wasn't. I am having someone else out tomorrow to have another look until I am confident it is good. Are your nipples damaged at all? I have the worst cracks - you don't want to go there. Hope your day has been better.

My DS is suffering from the thrush too and has been crying all day.

Dalry - I used to savoy cabbage in my bra when I became engorged and it did help with the swelling. Also I think you should empty the breast but perhaps post about it on the feeding part of the site as there are some really knowledgeable people over there who can give you advice or call the NCT or BFN helplines. Don't let it get engorged - it's not nice and a pain to get rid of.

hello all!!!
my little marcy is a superstar!!!! (tempting fate a bit just before bedtime though..what do you think!!)

just wanted to ask if anyone else is still bleeding? she was 4 wks yesterday and i am still bleeding.......is that right?!!

Hi all,

Greedy, Shula is 4 weeks old today and I have only just stopped bleeding.

Hi all,

Greedy, Shula is 4 weeks old today and I have only just stopped bleeding.

Hi,

Stefka, don't think it's thrush. I think it's just a positioning/latch issue. Sometimes she's fine but sometimes it really hurts and it feels like she's just latched on wrong. She's got a really strong suck so it really hurts if she gets it wrong. I had a badly cracked nipple to start with but it's healed now. I got these crazy silver nipple cup things (as recommended on MN!). They really seemed to do the trick. If you're suffering with cracked nipples I can find the link to the website where I bought them if you want.

Greedyguzzler, my DD will be 4 weeks on Saturday and I'm still bleeding. I asked the midwives today and they said that some people carry on for 6 weeks but usually it will start getting lighter and tailing off around now.

Managed to get DD to sleep in the cot again this evening so feeling very happy

Off to get some kip before her next feed...

good night

I got the sileverette things but as I have thrush I can't use them. I leak in them and breast milk breeds thrush like crazy apparently. I have to keep my breasts dry.

I am feeling really low - the breast feeding worker was out again today. Checked my latch and it was fine but he opens up the cracks on my nipples every time he feeds and it is agony

HI all!

Wnt out for a walk yesterday with Dh, dogs and Henry. Only went down the feild at the bottom of the road but the achievement felt like climbing everest! Today we did a dry run of getting out in the morning for Nursery as I am on my own from next Tues. I think it's going to be a tight schedule in the morning but hopefully things should be okay.

Having the same problem myself with the baby in the bed thing. Henry sleeps when others put him down but not when he's been on me. Am going to try the hot water bottle thing but I am also going to do the breast pad thing -wear them in your bra irrispective of wether you are breast feeding and then tuck them either side of lo's head in between the matress and side of carrycot/moses basket. They pick up on your smell which makes them feel more secure apparently.

Am b/f mainly but topping up during the day with formula as I'm trying to save my nips as he's quite hungry and I need to be doing the school run twice a day which is an hours round trip and I don't want him hungry then.

got to go as need the loo
emma
x

Ouch Stefka! I feel your pain My cracked nipple was agony too. The way I dealt with it was to give that nipple a break for 2 days (easier said than done if both your nipples are cracked), using an electric pump to keep the supply going (it still hurt but less than DD's ferocious suck), lots of lanisoh, silverette thingies, and then using nipple shields when I started feeding on that nipple again. The nipple shields have been a god send. Not sure if any of that's any use to you because of the thrush. Big hugs anyway. Things can only get better That's what I tell myself when I hit rock bottom anyway.

Muppetgirl, that's a great tip about the breast pads in the cot. I haven't heard that one before. I might try that later. Well done on getting out for a walk. It's amazing how such small things become such major achievements isn't it?!

I had a bad night with DD (went to sleep in her cot for a few hours but then woke up cranky at 1am and seemed to pretty much feed and cry all night and most of this morning). I'm totally shattered today so I've scrapped all of my plans to go out to a breastfeeding support group. Just taking it easy instead.

Hello all

Sorry tis been so long since i posted. Had a bit of a rough time of late and have missed out on all those that popped in oct rather than early birds

Jasmine is doing well and now weighs 9lb 6oz at 7 weeks old She finally in newborn clothes.

I have been in hospital for 2 and half weeks and came home on sunday.
I developed gall stones which then caused jaudince and pancretitis (sp??) been very unwell and have losts a stone in weight as well as having my gall bladder taken out. I am home now but still not allowed to life little one so having someone in everyday to help.
Im really hoping this will be the last of my bad luck spell

Loving being a mummy though, and hoping life is well for all you girls. Is there a list of what everyone had??

Thanks

Blimey Lisa that is incredible bad luck hopefully all that is behind you now and you can enjoy jasmine good to see you back x

I'll apologise now for not catching up with everyone else individually, there seems to have been such a lot going on, its a bit daunting to try and catch up. Hope all those having problems with bf get sorted soon, it DOES get easier eventually

Well Ben is doing incredibly well, I had him weighed yesterday and he has put a pound on this week he is five weeks old today and weighs 11 pound 10 ounces and is on the 91st percentile, so as well as looking the spitting image of Sam he is following in his footsteps too. Here are two pictures of them, wearing the same babygro and approx the same age, I am amazed how alike they look, I wonder if they will stay this way??

picture one

picture two

His feeding is going well, we are down to 5 sometimes 6 feeds in 24 hours and 5-6 ounce bottles each feed. He is generally only waking once during the night at about 1-2am then again about 6am ish. I have had a week of the nursery runs and all seems to be working out well so far, so glad I didn't wait the full six weeks to drive, I would have gone out of my head Sam is still really good with him which is great. All in all I am having a generally positive experience this time round, although he doesn't settle very easily in the day between feeds, he won't just lie quietly when awake, he cries a fair bit, but the nights are pretty good so I can deal with it

Oh btw Ben is the one in the left of the pictures

Hi ladies

Coming a bit late to this thread as my Oct bump became a Nov baby...

Baby Izaak Brough arrived last Friday 2nd Nov at 6.44am UK time, 1.44pm Bangkok time. He was 8lbs14 and 54cms long.

After an easy pregnancy he had a dramatic entry into the world. Last Friday I waddled into the hospital for my routine non-stress test. They hooked me up to the monitors and lo & behold I was having contractions every 10mins (but didn't feel a thing). The hospital staff got worried about my blood pressure though and it kept rising every time they took it...

My obstetrician came up to the birth unit (where they perform the non-stress test) and she too was really concerned about my BP and reccomended a c-section immedietly. I refused to sign the consent forms and called hubby saying 'I need you at the hospital - NOW'. My BP continued to rise and I was given second opinion by 2 more docs (by this time they'd confirmed it was hypertension/pre-eclampsia bought on by the annoying rash - PUPPP). Izaak was fine though - nothing wrong with my little boy.

Hubby arrived, and told me that he couldn't face losing me which bought me to my senses so I signed the consent forms. I'd already been prepped for theatre as they were so worried. So, a few hours after I'd happily waddled into the hospital I was rushed off to theatre so he could be whipped out the sunroof.

We came home yesterday - I had the option to come home on Wednesday but wanted another night (private medical care is superb but no midwives to follow up on home visits). I knew I was ready to come home on Thursday as Wednesday evening I complained about the food and forced them to bring me a second meal as the first was so disgusting!

We're now getting to grips with parenthood. He's feeding OK and we've had to employ a full-time nanny as without one I'd be housebound for the next 6 weeks - hubby only had 3 days paternity leave and everyone else who could help is 6000 miles away in the UK (we go to the UK for Christmas). I only have a car seat and baby carrier (which I can't use for 6 weeks due to c-section and car seat too heavy for me to lift with baby strapped in) so the nanny will have to carry him when we venture out to Tescos for shopping (no such thing as internet shopping here in Bangkok!).

Hope you're all doing OK

Jo
x

Hi all, and welcome Mrs Jojo.

Been doing ok generally here, up until about 10pm when lo gets the screaming habdabs, and doesn't settle for a couple of hours.
Colic I guess.

It seems he is in real discomfort not sure whether it's because he has been feeding too much (he is little and often at the moment)or because it is harder to get the milk out at this time, and he is hungry...

I don't know how to relieve his pain - any suggestions? (have used infacol so far - gripe water is my next try out but can't be used til he is 1 month)

other than this, we are doing fine. Dh has been really good with the other kids, and left me to look after baby, so stress levels haven't been too high... now if we could just sort out the nighttime......

Lisa great to hear from you again - sorry you've had such a rough time. Hopefully it can only get better from here on in...

Welcome mrsjojo. I had a section too - 6 weeks ago on tues. I was told i can carry my baby but nothing heavier for the first 6 weeks so you might be ok with him in a sling?

Hello everyone else!

Well changing to formula and introducng a dummy (which adam loves!) has made a massive differernce for us. Last night he settled in his moses basket at 8 giving dh and i an evening together for the first time which was lovely. Then he woke at 4 and 7.30 which is great. A couple of times i had to replace his dummy to keep him asleep but i can live with that! He still snacks a bit during the day but again i can cope with that if this is the payoff!

Hope you're all doing ok xxx

MrsF can't believe how similar your boys are!!! Gorgeous too.

Unicorn i haven't tried anything other than infacol. Have heard colief is great but it has to be mixed with mik to give it so if you're breast feeding you'd need to express a bit to mix it with each feed which is a bit of a pita. Not tried it myself but have heard people swear by it! Think ejt used it?