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??

j20 - that's why I'm not using my washables yet! ... however, the stash of nappies we bought before Mairwen was born are going to run out in the next couple of days, so we'll be back to the washables again!
What sort of nappies have you got?

Fair enough on the Homestart thing ... could you get them to help out at the weekend perhaps instead?

tLES ... am - this'll come back to haunt you later (she hopes ....)

right, Mairwen is squeaking - I put her in her cot for the first time just now for a nap ... which has lasted all of 40 minutes ... she's having another big feeding day today!

Thanks everyone for your advice...

Have tried a dummy but he won't take it and when it falls out of his mouth it just makes him really cross. Had similar experience with Sam... Have tried to settle him sucking my fingers with varying success - seems to be better if its someone else as I guess he can't smell the milk.

Bouncy chair - have tried this but not recently - will try again!

Katsch - you speak a lot of sense! I think I just really like having a plan - I am perfectly accepting when the plan needs to change (clearly this is often the case with children!!) but like being able to look ahead and know how I am going to manage. But I guess I don't need to stop bf now - I can start to wind it down if I can't manage by introducing ff at the times when Adam is most demanding and Sam is awake. I agree too that I'm much more relaxed about leaving Adam to cry than I was with Sam - don't desperately like it but more accepting this time of the fact that babies do cry and its ok sometimes!

ejt - fab news about Mairwen's sleep and also that it gives you time in the evening. I remember being really pleased when we got to this stage with Sam. Fingers crossed now the antibiotics have stopped it won't be too long... And yes there is a Rhydian in the X-factor. Thought he was a tosser to be honest although he is growing on me a bit. Perhaps underneath all the arrogance there is a decent bloke but the jury is def still out!

Nellie - Madeleine's poo sounds perfectly normal - exactly as Adams was at the same stage so don't worry.

Agree with the rest of you about bf poo - Adam needs changing at least once for every feed and although I too have heard the myth of bf babies only having 1 or 2 poos a week I have never met anyone who has a baby that actually does this!!!!! Urban myth methinks?

Well today everything up in the air - Adam is a bit under the weather - he has a cold and has been sick a couple of times. So having to do the feeding little and often thing as he can't suck for long with his bunged up nose. Fun and games! So I guess we'll be a bit unsettled for a while longer but all your helpful comments about bf have made me feel better about it anyway!

See you later....

ejt - I agree totally with alicet about the bloke from x-factor, I too thought him a tosser, etc etc but I started to see another side to him on saturday when the judges spoke to him, it seems there may be a decent side to him after all

Nellie - Ben's poos went greeny black and runny on about day three, by day 5 they were bright yellow and grainy

I bf Sam for 5 months his poos were far runnier and messier than Ben's have been so far

Hi all,

I will be using washable nappies on Shula when I have used up my stock of disposables (still got 1 pack left).

As for bf babies only poooing once or twice a week, me thinks that is an urban myth. Shula seems to like waiting until she is in a clean nappy and pooing 10 minutes after it went on. Another favourite thing with her is waiting until daddy has got her nappy off and weeing on the mat.

How do those of you that are bfing get your LO's to empty each breast? When Shuila comes off she appears top be asleep. I do try to get her to take more, but am usually unsuccessful. Any tips would be gratefully received.

I hope everyone is well.

Hiya WTP! I wait to do a nappy change until Mairwen has fallen asleep at the boob she's on - then change her nappy - it usually wakes her up enough for her to finish her feed.

Oh dear, hope the X-factor bloke doesn't do too well - don't want people thinking I named my Rhydian for him ... my Rhydian is a poppet!

Just need a quick AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHH moment ... PILs came over this afternoon - I had said to dh that I couldn't cope with them on my own, so he worked from home ... anyway, we had:

-MIL jigging Mairwen up and down on her lap, then complaining that she seemed unsettled.

-MIL clapping in Mairwen's face when she was crying - I could have slapped her!

-MIL making picky comments about the number of poos Mairwen did (yes, she does lots too!) - and asking "Do you think you ought to get her checked out?"

-MIL making picky comments about the number of times Rhydian had a wee ...

-MIL standing about 18" away from me when I was latching Mairwen on for a feed!

FIL didn't do much ...

oh well, she did some of the ironing for us - well, she did all of dh's and ds's shirts that she found in the basket - and left everything of mine until dh brought her up on it!

DH has just said "Thank you" to me for putting up with them ... he has also promised to say something about the jigging and the clapping ... Mairwen just doesn't take kindly to people fussing her ...

Thanks for that ... feel better now!

Am going to go to the post-natal exercise class tomorrow ... is anybody else doing those?

Hi

ejt- your mil, what was she thinking!? silly woman.

alice-can sympathise with lo being sick and having cold.

i was up all night with Shannon, wanting feeding ten being sick then wanting feeding again, went through a lot of nappies, bibs and pj's (mine and hers) in the night and she hasn't been no better today, i just don't know what to do with her, not helps that i'm so tired and she's still got thrush in her mouth and its on my nipples again, she seems really chesty too. well mw here tommorrow so will see what she says, sorry for the me post, oh there she goes again, hope your all ok x

Just popping by to say hello to you all! Enjoying reading about the babies... and intimidated too!

Can't offer baby advice, but can agree that Rhydian on the X factor seemed like a total tosser till this week and I liked him this Sat in fact. At least he doesn't cry nonstop and go on about being on a journey, and wanting it so badly...

Hugs to all of you and your los!

Oh and Ejt - your inlaws!!! Mine would be so similar. Really infuriating. At least it was a shortish visit...

Ejt - I sympathise with you about your in-laws, I am pretty lucky, although MiL has her moments, she is a big help most of the time, well apart from making me feel inadequate sometimes, but me and dh just have a laugh about that, its just her way and most of the time I am laid back enough to let it wash over me

J20 - hope Shannon is better soon and that you can get some sleep, I can only imagine what such hard work it is for you having to cope on your own

Hi everyone

ejt - can't believe your mil and the selective ironing, to say nothing of all the rest, but that really took the biscuit for me.

j20 - I'm having particular problems with the left breast too. I just can't get him to latch on properly on that side. I can't imagine how you're coping on your own - do take any help that's offered. Thinking of you

I'm beginning to find bf'ing really irritating - anyone else finding this? I just find myself getting annoyed by the sensation and I think it's inhibiting my let-down. I'm hoping it's a passing phase. Didn't get this at all with DD.

FT - sympathise re being on your own with DH away - I'd be tearful too. Glad to hear Alex is doing well.

Baby Huw so far has absolutely hated his Amby Nature Nest - so much so that we're thinking of selling it. Though it may be too early for that, perhaps we should give it another go. Huw seems to prefer a firm mattress! So far he's been sleeping in his pram - our lovely Stokke, which has been worth its weight in gold, just as well really considering it cost pretty much its weight in gold! DH insisted on getting it and I'm glad he did now that we actually have it.

Am green with envy at the amount of sleep some of you people (pointed look at tLES) seem to be getting already. I've had one 4 hour stretch in two weeks. Last night wasn't great - Huw just seemed to need constant feeds - I then get full of self-doubt that i'm not feeding him 'well enough' - also feeling the pressure of being his only food resource. He's asleep now though, and has been for a while so must be doing something right.

Best get myself showered and dressed while I have the chance.

Love to all, and congratulations to new arrivals. Nellie - was it you? apolgies if not - I too love the name Madeline. Do you know the Madeline books about the 12 little girls and their governess - In a house in Paris all covered in vines, live 12 little girls in two straight lines, and the youngest of them was Madeline - they're great.

Right - shower - clothes - it is, after all, the afternoon already!

A x

Have been to the post-natal exercise class today: the yoga I did before I had Mairwen, and the hydrotherapy have definitely meant that I am in better shape than I thought ... if I can't move tomoroow, I may have to eat my words!

j20 - am sending you big {{{{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}}} - I know full well you won't accpet anything else! Am really hoping that Shannon settles down a bit, and gives you a break.

apricott - lovely to hear from you! I'm finding that I seem to feel my let-down reflex a lot more this time around than I did with ds - which is very bizarre! that Huw doesn't like his baby nest ... I toyed with the idea of getting one, then decided that we really couldn't justify the expense ... Mairwen is in the family crib (dh's uncle who is now 80 was the first baby to use it!) - it's a canvas bodied one - I remade the canvas bitas it was looking a tad old ... and we've wrapped a lambskin around the mattress - Mairwen looks very comfortable in it!

FT - hoping you're coping with dh being away.

at everybody else - am about to take Mairwen to baby clinic - HV was going to come tomorrow, but I've phoned and cancelled, as the local version of the NCT have a coffee morning tomorrow, and a lady I know from church is organising it ... so am going to meet some local mums.

I can't get over how different and confident I am this time compared to last: with ds, I didn't leave the house apart from going to see friends I'd met through the NCT until just before I went back to work when ds was 5 months old ... I was definitely suffering with PND!

Long may this confidence continue ...

Hello all!

Ejt - glad you're feeling super confident despite pil's best efforts! I'm going to try postnatal excercise classes too but because of my section will have to wait till after 6 week check.

J20 - big hugs honey. Sound like you're having a tough time. Thinking of you...

Apricott - I know EXACTLY how you feel about bf. A lot of the time I love it but at times feel completely overwhelmed by the responsibility and also stressed when he has his bouts of relentless feeding. I am now giving him a bottle of formula last thing at night as it seems to settle him well and also means someone else can do it if I need a break. We did the same with Sam too and it worked really well.

Winnie - I think it was you who asked about keeping your lo awake to finish a feed - I do the same as ejt and change Adam's nappy

Well with Adam's cold I thought I would have an awful night but he was great. Was advised to put a few drops of water up each nostril before he fed to clear his nose and it worked like a deam - he woke at 11.30, 3.30 and 6! Nice one.

Meant to say too tha thad Adam weighed today and he is 8lb 15oz so has put on 1lb in just over a fortnight so pleased with that!

woo hoo! Mairwen now weighs in at 8lb 14oz! ... another 10oz in a week!

HV doesn't want to see me for 2 weeks now, as everything is going well!

But she's very spotty (on her face), and they're very red ... any tips anybody?

Hi all

quickie as i struggle to type with one hand, thanks for your kind words

this morning i noticed Shannon had a red raw bum, the thrush has gone right through her, i could have cried, no wonder she's not very happy poor thing! bf lady came today, gave me a few tips but said latching on is fine and that she seems to be a greedy baby, so just give her one breast each feed if possible or if she hasn't settled after 20 min, offer her the other one. also try to get other people to give her a cuddle to sleep because as soon as she smells me she wants my milk. she's coming back next week to see me, think its my hv sneaky way of giving me support, and mw came, rung the battleaxe at docs to get her a prescription from the thrush, ha, love it when they use their authority on the receptionists

can't remember who said but i'm finding bf irratating a bit too, every bit of it, the nipping feeling, the leaking all over, the having to stop what i'm doing all the time, may introduce a formulae feed before long.

oh and she now weighs 8lb 9oz which is 10 and a half oz in 7 days!

right need to go get sorted out, was going to say try to be back later but its getting late, so will try to get on tommorrow if i get 5 mins, bloody half term.

love to all

Hi everyone - glad to hear that mostly we're all well. Interesting comments on the b/f.I also feel far more responsible about it this time, in an only I can do this type of way...but it is easier this time round, less engorgement and latching pain etc. so six of one and half a dozen etc.

we're ok - Madeleine is doing really well; has lost 8 oz but am sure will be catching up with the rest of your LO's soon. J20, I hope you're getting some help and rest - it's true about them smelling the milk esp at night.

anywya, better go cause waiting for a dr to come - my section wound ruptured this morning, blood gushing everywhere. extremely frightening but I think that is just a human reaction to red blood everywhere - the hospital told me to stay put and for a dr to come and see me at home. Alice, I'm presuming they'll re-dress it but do you think I should stay resting in bed for a day or two??? My main concern is that DH goes back to work on Mon and I;ll be on my own. God knows what I'd do if this happened then -anyway - I'll let you know what they say/do. have a good aftrnoon everyone.

Afternoon all ... a crapola day today - we've got thrush (ouch), and I'm trying to cope with Mairwen's real fussiness caused by this ... we've been to the doc, and got the stuff for me and her, it's just waiting for it to start working now ...

and I went to this coffee morning at the appointed time, and there was nobody in at the house where it was ... am a bit baffled!

Am very tired, and M is not sleeping during the day for more than 30 minutes at a time because of constantly needing little feeds because her mouth is sore - poor mite!

Am going to try to go for another nap now - I've been trying for a nap since 8am though, so I don't really ho,d out much hope!

Just a quickie for nellie....

Hope your wound is OK. Probably there was a collection of blood under the skin from after the operation that has found its way out rather than there being actual bleeding if you see what I mean? Pretty common time for it to happen and if there is a collection like this (called a haematoma) then its better that it does come out like this. Depending on what your wound looks like they may just put a dressing over it or pack it which means putting a gauzy substance within the opened area which means it heals from the bottom up and prevents infection forming. Looks scary while it heals but will eventually look like it had been closed up as it tends to heal pretty well. As for whether you will have to rest it depends on how much has opened - if the muscle underneath is fine (which I suspect it will be) then you should be OK. Will be back on later if you have any questions....

Hi all

poor you nellie! hope you get it sorted.

ejt-with you on the thrush, its horrible, i got Shannon's pescription today but i was putting canesten cream on her sore bottom from last night and it seems to have helped with the fussiness a bit, and made my own stuff to wipe her with, camomile tea, a little baby oil and a drop of baby wash, its a bit cold but not so harsh on her skin as wipes, also she's been going about 2 and a half hours between feeds, fabulous!

not been getting naps with dd1 on half term, so went out today, had quite a nice time, fed Shannon in Tesco cafe and sat in chemist waiting for prescription, feel like i'm getting used to it now and my mum has taken dd1 for the night so me and Shannon are just chilling tonight, the things i appreciate now!

hope everyone is good

Hiya all

ohhh please don't be of my Zachary he is such a good boy, I have to poke n prod him to check he is ok as he sleeps so soundly lol.

can't remember who was saying about bf babies poo can i just add Zachary only goes once or twice a week i did worry about this until i spoke to mw who said it ok for bf babies to be like this!

Also have an even more content baby since I introduced Aptamil formula, as a top up to bf.

oh fgs LES, that is so not fair!! Shannon poo's evey nappy change, even on a night, grr!

right, i'm not talking to you now! {unless you want to come do some housework}

glad he's healthy and your both doing well

{[J20 runs off to change another mucky bum, tripping over the dirty washing strewn all over the house, whilst trying to brush the dried sick out of her hair with her boobs hanging out cos she doesn't have the energy to put them away before another feed is demanded}}

Hi everyone - thanks alice. They have done exactly what you suggested and put me on amoxycillin (which I am presuming is ok for b/feeding??) it feels a lot better now as well, less painful but my god there was a lot of blood! everything else is ok - hope it is for everyone else.

another aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh moment ... Mairwen will not take a bottle ... we've tried every night now for the past week, and she either spits the teat out, or lets the milk dribble into her mouth, then spits that out!!

Won't be able to try again for a few days - I've been warned not to try to store milk until the thrush has gone - although (if I ever get a big enough gap to express), I may try expressing in the morning for feeding in the evening.

Any tips? We're using Avent bottles with a newborn teat ...

oh ejt-poor you, different teats? Shannon's been ok on the boots wide neck ones and she has only had a few bottles, so maybe try one of them?

EJT, Have you tried Tommee Tippee closer to nature range, I have found Zach loves taking his milk from these. RE: Storing breast milk and thrush. Zachary had oral thrush and it kept recurring until I stopped storing bm. Now I bf him through the day (main feeds) and top up with aptamil and his thrush has all gone now. But i do express and have found it is ok if i only store it for the day i.e morning till evening. hope this helps. Now i must go and wake the munchkin up.