October 2007 - the golden piglets have landed

[Mumpbump]

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

Hi LES good to see you! You too Inzi - not that long to wait!

Congrats Apricott! Look forward to seeing you over here soon and hearing all the details!

Floria delighted to hear you loving being a mummy despite all that has gone with it! Have you tried infacol for Alex? It was great for Sam - thankfully not needed for Adam yet.

Ejt - what have you put in your breast milk?! 9oz is fab! I thought I was doing well that Adam had gained 1oz and not lost anything since he was born!!! Great to hear that the PIL's have taken on board what you said to them too.

We've been to toddler singing class this am. Sam loved it and spent most of the time running round and giggling! Just enjoying some me time now as both boys are sleeping....

Hi All

I'm afraid I haven't read any messages yet. Thought I would post first, catch up later .

OMG, what a shock a CS was after a VB. Would choose VB again any day, even a repeat of DD's 26 hour back-to-back labour!

Am finding recovery hard, especially with toddler to look after. Wasn't told that I wasn't supposed to lift anything heavier than baby (although, that seems obvious now it has been pointed out), so was lifting DD in and out of bath and highchair. Now have unsightly bulge above scar, which MW says is internal stitches splitting. Yuk.

Tried to go for a walk today, and didn't really get on. I'm not sure whether I should just be resting, or whether gradually doing stuff is best for recovery??

Anyway, chances of rest somewhat scuppered by DH, who insisted on going back to work yesterday (only 5 days after birth, leaving me with CS recovery and 2.5 year old to look after). I am livid . Then, my mumn says 'whenever you need me, I'll be there' only to also not take time off work when I really need it . Coping with baby and recovery fine, but difficult with DD who is climbing the walls at home. Thank god she is still at nursery 2 days a week (hence why I have some time to post now!!)

How is recovery going for you other CS girls? How are those with toddlers getting on.

While I am finding it hard, am really enjoying having a newborn again. And DD is being an absolute angel - loves her little brother and loves helping out with his care.

Off to catch up on a little housework while LO asleep. Promise to catch up on all your news later.

xxx

Orange sorry to hear you are struggling honey. I have found recovery incredibly straightforward from my section but then I have only an emergency section to compare it to and have never had a VB so no idea how it would compare to that.

I find it shocking though that they didn't tell you not to lift anything heavier than your baby - thats totally fundamental after any abdominal surgery. Basically now you need to listen to your body and not do anything that hurts. DOn't lift anything heavier than your baby (as much as poss as appreciating with no help at the mo thats not easy). And if your mw thinks that the internal stitches have burst you need to be referred back in to see your consultant asap as these will need to be repaired if so.

As far as excercise goes try and manage a short walk each day but you shouldn't ideally be pushing a pram unless you can do so without it hurting. Shouldn't be lifting it up steps/ kerbs anything like that. Go as slowly as you need to - at one point last time I'm sure I was so slow I was going backwards!!! Support your scar by pressing onto it until it starts to hurt before you cough / laugh / strian / move and this will stop anymore pressure on it. When getting out of bed bend up both your knees, slowly tip to the side and swing your legs over the edge then push your body up with your arms. Reverse to get in...

Think that covers most of the advice I've been given / what I know about abdominal surgery from my own job / what I have found helps. Give me a shout again if I can help you anymore.

Thanks so much, Alice. V useful advice, I'm not in any pain, just slow and knackered. Did really well in hospital (out after 2 days), but really used to being fit and able (was still doing loads when heavily pg).

I am a bit worried re the bulge. I have the usual baby bulge, which is gradually going down. But then a second bulge above the scar, which is what is feeling funny when i'm walking/ doing too much. The MW dismissed it, but i'm not feeling like it is normal?? Will see which mw turns up on mon and, if i'm not satisfied get another opinion.

And DH not only back at work, but working until 11pm tonight. GGrrrrrr

well its just took me an hour to read through everything, and now my friends popped round so i can have a bath so can't be on long!

i've been so tired i've not managed to get on for a few days, Shannon is feeding every hour, even through the night, she's put 5 1/2 pound on since Mon!

better go, will try and be back later, love to all x x x

Hi All!
Orange;so sorry you are struggling honey!I'm shocked that the hospital didnt give you strict no lifting instructions. I had vb so cant really relate to wound pain (the pains I have got are bad enough)but totally understand about DH returning to work (and I havent got the toddler problem either!)...mine was only going to go back after 5 days off too...but then I got the mastitis and was feeling so ill I had my first ever Diva strop on him...so guilt tripped him into taking this week off too, though he has spent it doing more diy than helping me with Alex he has definately bonded more with him more and I have felt a lot "safer" just having him nearby.I'm now a bit fitter and more confident of coping alone and my Mum is going to be stopping over next week on the nights that DH is working away. I do hope things get better for you quickly....but would phone your consultants secretary and inform him about the "bulge" today..he may want to see you asap.
Alice great to hear all is going so well for you...it sounds like your worries about managing 2 at a time were unfounded.
LES and Mrs Fish both mentioned what wonderful feeding /sleeping patterns their los have developed already;...all I can say is I hate you both!!!!...alex is gorgeous but can go from 4 hourly feeds to hourly feeds (on the hour every hour from 8pm-2am on Weds!!!)...and I'm supposed to be teaching (part time) again from next Weds !!!!

back quickly, agree with FT, LES i hate you too, like i say shannon feeding every hour and my nipples are peeling, also she had thrush in her mouth so had to get medication for that, roll on a 4 hour routine.

can't keep up with what everyone has said, but thinking of you all

my mw rung my docs today to get Shannon an appointment as she keeps turning blue which is a bit scarey, so he needs to listen to her heart and lungs she said.

sorry for the me me post again! am nodding again so going to put her ladyship in her pram in the garden and hopefully shelove to you all will fall asleep so i can grab a nap.

J20; [concerned emoticon]about Shannon turning blue!I do hope everything is alright. I believe a lot of babies do this (just to frighten their parents) but grow out of it quite quickly...but it is good that Shannon is being checked out so soon. hope the reversion to infanthood that DD1 was displaying goes soon too....we are having similar truble with our 3yr old nephew who doesn't like his position as baby of the family usurped, sulks in a corner when we are present and won't even look at Alex!
Our biggest worry with Alex is the weight loss...he dropped from birth weight of 7lb 13oz to 7 lb 0oz in the first three days!...He gained 5.5oz over the next week but on being weighed today it appears that he hasn't gained anything this week despite feeding like the year of the pig child that he is (having said that, she weighed him before a feed was due this time which if she had waited until after the feed like last time could have added 3-4oz)...and I have more than enough milk (enough for triplets it feels like!)...but the mw thinks that he has an immature bowel (took a long time to get rid of the meconium)that perhaps I should wake him and add an extra feed per day and that things should pick up once I'm off the antibiotics for the mastitis (they finish today)... Mws coming again on Monday to check again;here's hoping that he gains a lb over the weekend!

Orange - try to look after yourself as much as you can honey. Definately think its worth giving your consultant a shout if you're not happy with what the mw says. You do have a bit of a bulge above the scar often after a section due to the way its been stitched together so it may be nothing. On the other hand if its due to a problem with the scar better to get it sorted sooner rather than later...

don't know how you and Floria are managing with dh's working away!

Floria the weight thing is a worry isn't it? You just feel so responsible when you're bf and it really affects your confidence with that. Make sure you're eating well too. The antibiotics can make some babies a bit colicky too so once they stop it might well improve. Sure he will be fine though....

J20 - sending you big hugs honey. Hourly feeds are NOT funny - I remember it well as Sam did this for a while and its utterly exhausting. Make sure you are looking after yourself and eating and drinking plenty. Thinking of you... Fingers crossed too that Shannon is OK - like Floria I have heard that this can be normal but good to get it checked out.

Floria you're right too that I am finding being mum to 2 less of an upheaval than I thought. Sam is in nursery 3 days a week though plus I've not had to manage on my own yet and won't until Adam is about 7 weeks old. So I'll get back to you then!!! Plus I remember vividly Sam becoming much more wakeful at about 2 weeks old and then not sleeping so well which is when it became tricky! We'll see - the one thing that is easier the second time is that you know that however hard it is it does start to get easier pretty quickly...

Ejt - how was choir last night? Hope you're doing OK - I see you've not been on today which is unusual so hope you're OK.

Mump - you're not forgotten! Hope all your family are recovering and we'll see you soon.

Well we've had another lazy lunch out - its amazing how portable they are when small compared to Sam! Now chilling out while Adam feeds....

Orange, Floria, and J20 - sorry to hear you're finding it so tough!

Alice - The thing about the ABs making babies colicky is soooooo true ... don't know whay I didn't think of it before!! Thankfully I finish my second lot today ... hopefully Mairwen won't have as much stomach pain now!

Choir last night was great - I only stayed in the rehearsal for about 1/2 hour - Mairwen decided that she needed to feed!

PILs visit was ok - MIL did pounce without asking, but I was able to say, no, not yet, she needs to feed!

Then, when Mairwen was getting overtired and overwrought (MIL had been cuddling and boucning her for about an hour!), I announced that I was going to take us both to bed! Went upstairs, fed her, then slept for a couple of hours!

I haven't been on today as we went to register Mairwen's birth this morning, then went to show her off at DH's company - she was impeccably behaved, and stayed asleep of feeding the whole time we were out!
. Then we went for a very civilised lunch (they all go for lunch together every day where dh works) ... pity dh has to go back to work on Monday: we've lost this week really as he was still ill on Monday, and Tuesday - Thursday was taken up by sorting out the d@mnable kitchen tap!

I'll have to see if he fancies taking a couple of days off in half term ...

Have been out planting bulbs and window boxes this afternoon - Mairwen slept happily in her pram (which is where she still is now!) ... I'm going to pay for this tonight!

Glad you're OK ejt! Sounds like you've had a lovely day plus pil visit wasn't too stressful! Fingers crossed Mairwen's colic improves when you stop the antibiotics...

FT and J20 you can't hate me lol

Well hello all!

I'm a bit tired - had a 3 hour stint in the middle of the night where Adam would feed and go to sleep, go into moses basket, then wake just as I was getting to sleep. Very frustrating! Oh well - ended up with a reasonable amount in the end so not all bad.

This am we've been to Ikea to try and find a sofa bed - unfortunately either we don't like them or they're too big. Anyone know where you can get good sofa beds less than 180cm long with washable covers for not too much money?!

Not much on later - dh is going to watch footie and the rugby is on later - can't believe we've been spawny enough to get to the semi's and don't even have to face NZ! Not sure what I'll get up to - suspect it depends on the boys! Adam is sleeping at the mo and will prob wake soon so I'm off to chill for a bit before then... See you later x

Hi all,

Just checking in.

Got home yesterday at about 4pm. Shula loves her amby nest and settles beautifully in it.

DD1 (feels strange typing that) loves just standing watching her little sister sleep. and has helped get things ready for nappy changes.

Better go now as Shula will be awake soon wanting some more "mummy milk".

I hope everyone else is well.

Hi Winnie! Good to see you over here and glad all going well for you x

Glad to see you back Winnie, can't believe how good you looked in those pictures, so soon after the birth, I refused to have my photo taken as I look so bad. Still haven't had my pic taken with him, I suppose I should, I just feel too fat and horrible to have it recorded

Don't think I will suufer from pnd, but am already suffering from pbd (post belly depression)

Hi MrsF - saw your comment on the Sept thread about numbness around your section scar - this is totally normal. Had it with Sam and again this time. Took several months to return to normal though.

Well Adam has developed a rash on his chest. Wasn't unduly worried but thought I should get it checked out and the doc we saw was not worried either so all good. I have also had a lot more bleeding today having had none for several days although it seems to be settling. Hope it does as really don't want to go back in! When I called for advice they said as long as it settled and I continued to feel well I shouldn't worry so fingers crossed!!!

hi, haven't managed to post on this thread until now. Rory is 11 days and doing well. He is a much more settled baby than my other two, but there are definitely not enough hours in the day with 2 others and a baby who feeds 3 hourly! Alice I've just started bleeding again, having thought that I'd stopped. Thanks for doing the phoning the midwife - saves me needing to . Hope everyone is doing ok.

Anyone else feel rough a week in from having a c-section? My tummy feels really sore today and the right hand edge of my scar is a bit inflamed so dh says. I also have an extra bulge just over the scar before my belly overhang, is this normal? I don't think I have over done things that much, have only been out the house once, but I suppose its all the getting up and down off the sofa and in and out of bed for feeds that don;t help. I'm also feeling rather tearful at the moment, struggling to hold it in at the moment, I think if I have a fretful night I am going to burst

Sam has been a bit of a handful the past couple of days too, the disruption and all the visitors seem to have finally taken their toll. I just feel like I am telling him 'no' to everything and I don't want him to take it too negatively and take it out on Ben, because at the moment he is ok, apart from wanting to kiss him and stroke him all the time.

Katsch - you sound like you're doing great! Can't imagine how anyone manages with 3 children - 2 is hard enough work for me!!! No wonder you've not found time to get on here!!!! Reassuring to hear you've been bleeding again too as you had your section on the same day as me I think? 2nd Oct? Things have settled down today so I'm not worried - hope they have for you too.

MrsF - hope you had a good night and sorry to hear you're struggling honey. My recovery has been pretty good but then I only have an emergency section to compare to - I'm sure comparing your recovery with a vb its bound to feel much worse. I wrote some advice for orange about getting in and out of bed and stuff a bit further back on this thread if thats any help. As far as the bump over your scar goes this is normal and persists for a while I'm afraid - some people never shift it completely (including me!) - think its to do with how you are 'closed up'. I found a thread on here by someone about ways to shift it but have deleted the link - think the op swore by running so mine will have to stay put then! If I can give you anymore advice then please give me a shout either on here or at alicetownend at doctors dot org dot uk. Thinking of you x

Hope the rest of you are having lovely weekends. Adam has been quite colicky during the last couple of nights but still managing to feel fairly human as sleeping on in the am. Dh is being a total star which is great. Anyway Adam has just started grizzling so thats me off for a bit...

Just a quickie - anyone heard from Buffy? Hope Scarlette is recovering well and she is too.... Floria if you text her could you let her know I'm thinking of her?

Hello everyone else!

just a quick hello so i can find you all agian when i have time to post properly. off to bed now to try and get a bit of kip before my little baby marcy starts her nocturnal feeding frenzy!!!

speak soon and sleep well all!

hi all

tried to post on Sat but my internet went down.

had a bit of a nightmare fri, GP sent me straight to hospital with Shannon going blue, they can't find any problems so think she was just holding her breath.

she's having a growth spurt at the moment so is feeding constantly, my b00bs areen't filling up in time, so she's screamed all night, sorry to not reply to everyone personally, Again! will try and get on properly at some point, just not enough hours in the day, don't know how you're all managing!

love to all x x x

Hi All!!!
Glad Shannon is ok J20, hope she stops holding her breath and scaring you soon.
Busy weekend for us...great rugby (and footie) results...Alex feeding like a demon (almost continuously from 6pm -10pm sat. till I was too sore to go on, then we defrosted 4.5oz of expressed milk and he stuffed that down too!!!!) and just waiting for mw to come and weigh him now..I'll cry if he hasn't gained at least a stone!
I'll try to update you later

Hello ladies!

J20 - sorry to hear you've been having such a tough time honey. Glad though that they didn't think there was anything wrong with Shannon - that must be a weight off your mind.

Floria - I find the endless evening feeding pretty exhausting too. Adam seems to be a little better the last few days and at least gives me a break in the middle though so fingers crossed... I am still using nipple shields which makes it more bearable too. I used them for ages with Sam (he had a tongue tie so feeding was agony) and they were my saviour. Trouble is I know if I stop using them I'm going to have to put up with the discomfort wile my nipples toughen up and I'm kind of thinking why would I do that if this is working? Would be a lot easier though!!! We'll see!

Mw came today and has signed me off. Didn't get Adam weighed as he'd literally JUST gone to sleep when she arrived - Health visitor is coming tomorrow anyway so will get him weighed then. Not worried as he has been feeding well and was over his birth weight this time last week so sure all is well.

Well my parents come back today. Really looking forward to seeing them and think dh is looking forward to having a bit more help with Sam (although he has been having such a lot of fun with him I don't think he's looking forward to going back to work!). So might not get on quite as regularly as I have been for the next couple of weeks.... On the other hand with the extra help I may be here loads - we'll see !

Mump honey hope you're doing OK and your dh and ds have recovered...

woohoo managed to get back on, fed up of people coming round when i'm trying to get things sorted. Shannon has been awake ALL day feeding constantly, i'm not sure if she's got wind, but everytime i sit her up to wind her she is sick and then gets hiccups, any other bf-ers got this problem? i thought they where not meant to get wind and be sick when they are bf!?