December 2007: It's all worth it for the smiles.

[claraquitetirednow]

I've never started a new thread before - has this worked?

Loving all the pics of everyone's LOs, you can definitely tell which are boys and which are girls, they are all gorgeous though!

Have put a couple of new ones of DD on my profile and some of my DSs too x

Beautiful children beckle Oh dear dare I admit that I am terribly broody no good at all as me and H are seperated and am finding 2 on my own quite hard - am too old to find or want a new man and the thought of 3 by myself with dick of H coming and going not good ...but how I would love just one more (maybe a boy)

Hey Macdoodle, yr not that old!!! Could always take a note out of Neuro's book in a couple of years time?!! I would say mine but this was less actively planned

Know what you mean tho. I feel so so lucky, really sooooo glad my happy accident happened, even thru some of the hard stuff. And really looking forwards to the next few months as she grows and learns.

Hi all,

macdoodle -that is heartbreaking what your MIL went through, I can't even think about it for too long because the thought is so horrendous

beckle - what a great monster post! what you lack in frequency you make up for in quantity - v. impressive! your dd is gorgeous (as are your DSs) she looks much darker than them in the photos or is that just the light? Have you seen the weight charts for BF babies? I think you can download them fromthe WHO website - anyway it is completely normal for BF babies to plateau from about 10-12 weeks until they start solids so Evie's weight sounds fine

clara - like the idea of us being your substitute DH!! Not sure what your actual DH would think though. Wow that is really soon that you are going to pakistan - how are you feeling about it? Knowing one person out there is probably enough as they will surely introduce to lots of others. is the person pakistani? And don't worry about your 40th - you can just combine your leaving party with your birthday party and have a whale of a time

sushistar - love the idea of using conception to calculate their age - i used to do that with dd but everyone got so confused i toed the line and did it the conventional way!

caz10 - just been reading your threads on BF - your poor thing. It seems to be one thing after another and your HV sounds awful. Has the pain gone now at least? You are a star for persevering through all this. I was going to say your DD will thank you for it but shes probably more likely to say something like ' i never asked to be born, give me some money to go out with my friends'

Reassuring to know it is very common for fathers (and mothers) to take a while to bond with their babies. I have talked to people about it in RL as well and think this is just my 'time' and DH's time will come later on. he is really making an efort and making lots of enthusiastic noises about DS although it does sound a bit false but bless him for trying! It's just strange because I am so unbelievably in love with DS that I find it hard to accept that DH doesn't feel the same yet

OK my question of the day is... and I am quite about this one... has anyone else STILL not done the deed with their DH/DP? I am now TEN WEEKS post-partum and just have no desire whatsoever. DH is being really good about it but I'm going to have to deliver soon! Please tell me I'm not the only one

hello everybody. [waves vaguely]
just checking in while dd naps and before i get my lunch, which is usually her cue to wake up.

Skid, you are not alone, i've not done the deed either... no urge to atm!

I have done the deed and H and I are not even together ....was terrified was gonna get pregnant though

oooh no, no urge at all! just an urge to sleep!

bouncing, well done to your dad, that's amazing (and terrifying!) how old were you?

loucee - 8 weeks - eek - i wondered about early teething actually as dd has really started to dribble and is also chomping on her hand a lot...i thought it was just cos she had "found" her hand...oh man, teeth, that might tip me over the edge as far as bf is concerned!

i don't watch emmerdale but saw a little clip amd that upset me enough - isn't it terrifying? your poor MIL macdoodle, how sad. a friend of a friend had a wee one who she lost to SIDS, she was 6mths...I always think that it is a newborn thing but it really isn't. So scary. I keep trying to give dd a dummy as that is being advised now, but she won't take it!!

clairey my boobs are like that too, i always go for a "pull down" top. they are so small that even dd's tiny head really covers them!

skid thanks so much for your kind words re bf-ing - total nightmare!! if it wasn't for dd being so tiny i would just tell them to stuff it, but there is always that nagging doubt in my mind. we should hopefully see the paed soon, maybe then we'll be able to relax a bit!

re dh's - mine was so besotted with dd at 1st, but i think maybe the novelty is wearing off now a bit. i think he is a bit out of sorts with her still being a newborn, iyswim, i think he thought iwas going to give birth to a fully fledged toddler who he could take places and have fun with!

glad everyone is doing well though...i'm sure we must all have our I'M NOT COPING! moments but posting on here really helps!

Caz - I hear you re: the not coping days. And I've been following your threads, and got some useful info too. I think you are doint fantastically well
My dad was 6 weeks old when it happened.
A friend of dh's had a little son who died only 9 days old He and his gf did go on to have a wonderful little girl who is 4yo now. But when I had ds, I couldn't help but think of little William.

I frequently have my not coping moments and get really cross at the dds...today I had all 3 children crying - ahhhhhh. I still want at least 1 more though (please god let me have that winning lottery ticket sometime soon - I would share it out with guys too...)

Evie is sitting in her chair - complanning as she has no-one to "talk" too mind yoiiu sher is thinking of milk. I can see her lips going.

I think her eyes are starting to change colour already (I am sure the dds chnaged later) - they look green in some light.

We went to baby massage on Fri which was fine - I think she liked it. She had 1 and a half hours of me to herself! But I couldnot do the tummy ones - Evie has an "outie" and erghhhh I cannot touch it. It is all freaky. I love her very much, but not that belly button. Which causes me to wonder - what makes it an innie or an outie. How it is cut? Genetics? Is it because she was a c-section?

Hi everyone, can't believe its the end of the weekend already

Bouncing I use the Nuby teats and I don't think they fit the closer to nature bottles as they aren't as wide. DS couldn't latch on properly to the CTN teats so I had some old avent bottles that also fit the TT nuby teats. {whispers, for the past 5 nights DS has accepted the bottle with EBM in again so hopefully he will continue to take it after 4 nights of refusing it} . What a story that your Dad saved you from SIDS, I got a chill when I read that. I haven't watched Emmerdale for a couple of weeks so I'm glad I didn't see it as I'd find it too upsetting.

Skidaddle only 1 unsuccessful attempt at DTD in this household I have no urge at all . I am sure I read that when you're BF the hormones keep you drier downstairs and also kill off your desire for such things.
Macdoodle - go girl!

Cazzy DS was cs but has an "inni" button.

Hello dundeemarmalade how are you?
Hi to Sushi and Jo as well

Beckle he hee, I also find all sorts of things in DS's neck or in the crease of his blankets but what really worried me today was when I changed his nappy and on my baby wipe was a pink sequin.... no idea how it was on the baby wipe as fresh out of the packet that went straight onto his bum ...... I am hoping it just pinged there somehow

Oh fab, got a glass of red and getting comfy for Lost at 9pm. My parents left yesterday and I've been a bit teary today, I enjoyed their company so much and it was great to have someone else to help out with DD and DS during the day.

skid we did it, but not cos i wanted to. I figure that the first few goes will not be particularly enjoyable for me- always have one ear out.

beckle relaxin is a placental hormone, therefore you don't have it any more. The increased oestrogen is what will still be making your joints a bit floppy. I would see a women's health physio myself, but then i'm biased . Chiro/osteo is generally much more manipulative (except mctimony/ craniosacral) and you do not want to have floppy joints clicked.

Suey sorry to always bombard you with physio questions but since you are the expert can I take advantage? If my stomach muscles are still separated would I need to see a physio to help them back together or is there nothing I can do to help them (still doing the one where you pull tummy button into spine but find planks too sore)? Can I ask my Doc to refer me do you think?

cazzy - ds1 was a cs too and has an inni. Samuel was a vbac and loks like an outie. Also lol at evies lips going as thinking of milk..

Not dtd yet waiting to see how it goes at hosp on tuesday (yikes).

Been on Jan thread a bit today, sorry i havce been so crap with keeping up and everything.

Samuel doing well - was 13lb4 on thursday ( 8 weeks) has now gone into 3-6 month vests. Seems to be sleeping for upto 5 and half hours at night. My bobs ben rock hard tho as he is spacing feeds out more through the night and not taking so much then, more of a snack.

Skid, DD does have quite dark skin compared to the boys although I don't think the lighting in the photos helps! Mind you I have dark hair and oliveish skin (due to Italian father) so she might take after me (or him)! DH is very fair skinned and DS1 is like him, DS2 is not dark but tans very well! We DTD the other night and it was a bit ouch around episiotal (sp?) tear scar. Don't have much urge though TBH but probably as I have been worrying about the scar, didn't have stitches there with the boys. Like Suey said, the first few times are more for him than you!

Suey, thanks for advice, will look into a Women's Health Physio, although might give it a little more time to settle down first, it is getting better but just a bit slowly for my liking! I love walking and hate that it gets sore!

Bouncing, how scary for your parents, thank heavens your Dad found you in time. I find the whole thing terrifying and the Emmerdale storyline has really brought it to the front of my mind at the moment. Am a worryer anyway and things like that don't help, at times it is an all consuming fear.

Caz, I think Evie is teething too, she has been a bit dribbly for a week or so and today it has just been running out of her mouth, also making lots of bubbles which she loves to blow! She won't let me take a good look though but I am sure her gums feel sharp when she is sucking my finger and I know she has been making my nipples sore while sucking lately. Time will tell I guess. I also worry about her not having a dummy at night, she will take it in the pram but rarely any other time, if she does fall asleep with it she spits it out once she is snoozing properly.

Cazzy, not sure about belly buttons but I would guess it was genetics as the DSs ones both look very similar to mine. Not innies but also not quite outies. Evie's is a bit inny I think although that might change, DS2's did.

Awen, Samuel sounds like he is doing really well! Evie was 11 lbs 12.5 oz last week (6 weeks old) although she went into 3-6 month clothing at 3 weeks old, more to do with her length than weight though!

DD has a tooth coming through! She has been dribbling quite a bit recently so had a feel and sure enough felt a hard bump. On looking closer can actually see a little white bump has broken through. In a rather odd place though - to the right not in the middle. I lost my first baby tooth when I was 3 so guess she takes after me - DD1 is almost 6 and no sign of wiggly teeth. Just as well I'm not BF!

I thought ds was teething - a little white bump and lots of dribble - but it also was in a odd place. Turned out to be an bohn's nodule which came off after a few days.

Hey everyone I got almost 8 hours sleep last night Unfortunately not because dd2 has learnt to sleep through the night but because DH did the 3 am feed with some EBM so that I could try and catch up. Even though she generally only wakes once between 10 and 6/7am these days, I have found that 11 weeks of interupted nights (not to mention all the crap sleep of late pregnancy) had really caught up with me and I was just exhausted.

I did hear him get up to feed her at 3 but was able to go straight back to sleep - and feel like a New Woman this morning!

teething - I have thought Martha has been teething since she was born, she constantly has her hand in her mouth, she dribbles like a pro-footballer and her gums feel hard as a rock. But I guess it could be a while before something actually comes through...

doing the deed - we've done it but I didn't enjoy it much. Glad to hear others feel the same. I keep trying to muster up some enthusiasm but when it gets to bedtime I am so tired I just want to sleep. And as the baby tends still to be downstairs with us in the evenings (asleep usually now), no chance of getting up to anything on the sofas!

Bouncing Turtle - what a scary story (abut you being revived) - good for your dad. Your mum must have been terrified. Btw I suggested trying Mam teats on your other threads, they were what eventually worked for us with dd1.

Loucee at pink sequin. Nothing would suprise me in this house, dd1's STUFF just gets EVERYWHERE. How old do your kids have to be do you think before you can have a tidy house again? Btw did you enjoy Lost? I love it but get more confused every time I watch it!

Cazzy - nope even winning the lottery would not make me have any more babies. Much as I love them, I can still remember the pain from breastfeeding, the nights where they did nothing but scream, the recovery from the c/s.... I do think a lot of women get broody at this point, but my theory is it's just hormones! And also things feel a bit flat now after all the excitement of the birth and having a new baby.

Skid I am petty excited about going to Pakistan now, perhaps something to do with things feeling a little flat as per my comment above. But I am also veyr scared in case I hate it and am very miserable - especially as I love living here, we have a fab house, great neighbours, loads to do with the children, a fantastic childminder etc. So I will be throwing all that away for what i don't yet know!

Well we are off on our first family "holiday" with the two dd's this week - three nights in a cottage in Devon. Could be heaven, could be hell. Only time will tell!

Wow Beckle, amazing post! Am always impressed by how you remember who said what!

DS has also been very dribbley and chewing on fist the last couple of weeks. Don't think it is teething though, particularly as dd was exactly the same at this age and didn't get her first tooth until the week of her 1st birthday!

Skid, we haven't done it yet (no surprise). I do wonder if I'll ever get my drive back though especially as it didn't properly come back after having dd and went compleely during pregnancy. Am hoping that if I ever get a full nights sleep again that will make a difference! I think also I maybe need to start doing something for me when ds stops feeding so frequently...at the moment everything I do is for the house or the children and it makes it hard to feel sexy!

RE DH, he is loads better with ds than he was with dd (as in he did absolutely nothing for/with dd until she was quite old) but it's nothing compared to the bond he has with dd now. I don't think he has a bond with ds as such, but is at least making an effort to do stuff for him, I think more for my benefit but it will hopfully mean he bonds with him quicker than he did with dd.

DS is really settling down now, had another good night last night, he slept just before 10 and stayed asleep until nearly 4am. Unfortunately I ddn't sleep as dd had me up twice (teething and horrible cold) and ds also has the cold so was snorfling all over the place! This morning I fed and changed him then we 'chatted' for 15 mins before coming downstairs, I put him on his playmat and he stayed there happily for long enough for me to get breakfast, make and drink a cup of tea and get dd up! I couldn't even imagine that less than a week ago. Even now he was on my lap awake but quiet, I put him on mat and went upstairs to change dd and he has settled himself nearly to sleep! It's taken him a while (11 weeks) but he is finally getting there!

Cazzy when we had dd dh asked the midwife how he should cut the cord to ensure an innie and she said it had no bearing at all. Hers is a perfect innie but ds's is quite wierd!

ps I'll have more babies....but can I get a placid one next time please?!

yeh - evie slept in her cot last night for about 7 hours!!!!!

DH did manage to get ds to take a bottle the other night, we used the original size 1 teat, but struggled a little bit.
Am feeling quite down at the moment, we had a bad night with 2 leak nappies which necessitated two changes of ds and moses basket and I lost my rag a bit when after the second one he vomited on the bed as well.
Feel really bad as I kept DH up as well because I was so stressed and knackered, ds was wide awake after his 5am feed so he took him downstairs to let me have a bit more kip. Still he is away tonight and tomorrow night (been dreading this) and so will hopefully be able to catch up on some sleep! I'm going to put ds in bed with me I think to see if I can sleep better that way.

Bouncing we have had ds in our bed since night one and tho i never intended to cosleep it's the best thing ever. He sleeps ALL NIGHT, and if he is hungry ever he jusat grumbles a bit, I latch him on, and we both doze off again. I do it almost in my sleep now! The most disturbance we ever have to deal with is me rolling him over me (iyswim) so he can have the other boob. He never cries at night cos he always has food on tap as it were. I know it doesn't work for everyone but it's wonderful for us!

hi everyone
not been on for a while due to family, visitors and DH had some time off work so been out and about.

DD WAKING ONLY ONCE AT NIGHT NIGHT!! So please I feel like shouting it from the roof-tops as I am sleeping properly and feeling much better during the day. Put her to sleep at 9pm, dream feed at 11pm, then she wakes around 4.30am - ish then awake for the day at 8:30am.

My porker is 13lbs 13oz today at 8 and half weeks also had jabs bless her but was good as gold and has slep all afternoon
Mine too only one night waking cluster feed in eve down about 8am and then quick snack feed at about 3 am then up for day about 6:30am (DD1 is early waker so no bones there).....