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

[claraquitetirednow]

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

OH Awen

(must go to bed else dh will be cross)

thanks Cazzy!

Pecka - do you think she has trapped wind? DS does that when he has it, I find lying him down then push his feet towards his chest so his knees bend then rub his tummy in a clockwise direction helps.

Awen, sorry your PN was crap - although I'm impressed they checked your episiotomy as they just took my BP after DD. Did they say what to do about it not healing properly? Well done on your DS finding his thumb

Loucee - gorgeous pic, what beautiful children you have! Did you know it says "For Sale" at the top though?! As beautiful as they are, I don't think I want to buy two more children at the moment....

Awen my PN visit was shite as well - was not impressed especially as I am GP myself so expected slightly more as colleague - also as have history of PND she didn't even ask me any screening questions AT ALL .....HV seems scared of me so lucky am feeling ok this time though early days ....having a good baby helps and not having to go back to work till June and then only part time helps even more
Buzzy our lives seem so similar we must be secret halves - me too just had first weekend away and both my girls have been STARS
Weight not good eating loads (hungry all the time) no exercise yet only 6 weeks after section but gonna start walking after half term with my giant baby so that should help and despite BF exclusively and frequently not losing any and still nearly 2 stone over pre preg weight
Baby good as gold getting good blocks of sleep and she feeds winds and goes back down in less than half hour BF going well and she is gaining loads was 12lb6oz at 5 and half weeks has crossed 2 centiles UP

morning all.
dd has her week check this pm - finally we may get an answer to the green poo question as gp took a sample last week to be sent for testing. of course, since then we've had more normal ones...
bf counsellor came round yesterday to check all was okay - I was a bit concerned that bf wasn't quite right as dd has spent the past few days crying, eating, crying, sleeping for 5 minutes, then crying. she still seems to spend most of the time trying to poo, which makes her face go beetroot red and eventually makes her scream like somebody's stuck her with a poker. have tried colic holds, infacol, more winding, more feeding, more cuddling, more dummy, as well as less of all of these. she is easy to settle at night, sleeping in shifts of 3 to 5 hours and always (so far) going down on her own in her cot, but during the day she is a nightmare and I'm finding it hard to cope with. at 6 wks i'm just hoping she starts to grow out of it fairly soon, cos the days are awful long at the moment. anybody got any bright ideas? i wondered if she needed better naps so have put her (swaddled, as at night) in her cot and she's been quiet for half an hour now. it makes me feel really bad that she seems to spend so much time distressed

Dundee, fear not-ds only just turned a corner last week at just over 6 weeks-what a difference in him now. I remember all to well the crying, sleep, feed, cry routine-it DOES get btter, think its their digestive system changing. Hang on in there!

Loucee, gorgeous pic

Poor pecka, hope you won in the end..

Well we're just back from follow up apt for kidney scan. Not good news. We're being refered to Manchester to see specialist and basically there's an obstruction in the tube coming from the kidney which needs an operation to remove. Gutted He's not in any pain though and its not an urgent operation.. I'm fine unless i start thinking about him being taken away from us to be operated on. Sheesh, that's an awful thought..

all too well

Lizzer - sorry to hear about your ds, I know it wasn't what you wanted to hear. He is a very brave little boy, bless him. Hope your referral comes through quickly.
Loucee - your kids are lovely, you must be one proud mama
Ds is still snuffly, which is making him very unsettled. Hopefully he'll be over it soon. Would welcome any suggestions, have raised head of his mattress with a folded blanket, got saline drops for his nose. Done the steam thing too! Poor baba! He is asleep in the sofa propped up on a small cushion. Good news we went to the bfing group and got him weighed and he is 9lb on the dot He is on the 9th centile and is following that line nicely - his head circumference is also on the 9th centile too so he is petite but in proportion!
Will put some new pics on my profile.

Suey, am going back to work in September - can't say I am looking forward to it but it is only a couple of evenings a week so am not really facing the same dilemas a lot of you are, it is just that I have got used to being home every evening!

Loucee, your DCs are gorgeous! My stomach muscles have not come back together yet either, there is still quite a gap between them from my belly button upwards. Strangely though the bit of my tum below my belly button is fairly flat again so I can get my own jeans on again (although they are a little tight). Am about 10lbs above pre pg weight at the moment and seem to be stuck there, I lost about 7lbs when I finished bfing each DS though so hopefully that will happen again this time. Am not worried if I stay a little heavier this time (DH prefers me that way!) but wish my stomach didn't still look like someone elses!

Lizzer, sorry you didn't get the news you wanted at DSs scan, hope your referral comes through soon.

Dundee, could it be that she prefers to sleep in her cot in the daytime too? I know my DD has been quite unsettled downstairs in the evenings so tried putting her in her cot instead and she was much happier.

DD has completely changed her feeding pattern! Basically she slept past her midnight feed on Saturday night, usually I wake her if she doesn't wake by herself but I fell asleep and she slept through until 5 in the morning! So yesterday she had one feed less than usual and as all her feeds were late she is feeding completely differently today - it has really thrown me as I was just starting to get used to her routine! Don't like the thought of her dropping a feed yet either, she's only 5 weeks old. How many feeds do your LOs usually have in 24 hours? She normally has 6.

Loucee - can't access your pictures!
Am going back to work in September as well (unless if we come across a suitcase full of money - then I'll be a lady of leisure )

Just curious, but how much awake/sleep time does your LOs have in a day? I try and ensure DD2 had 1.5 hrs in the morning, afternoon and about 3 hrs in the evening so she is tired enough to sleep through at night (DD 7 weeks)

Lizzer - hugs to you, thinking bout you.

going back to work in october, scaling down from full time to 3 days...hopefully!
Amani - my LO hardly has any sleep time during the day, lucky if he has 20 mins now n then. Can't complain coz he's out for the count by 7pm, not a peep til 1ish, then 5 then 7.30, no crying either, just quick feeds in straight off, however during the day he just wants to feed all day!

amani - she seems to sleep loads in the morning - eg`if i am out in the car she will go to sleep and stay asleep even if i take her to the supermarket etc, sometimes two or more hours at a time. as the day goes on she sleeps for shorter periods and usually at home will only go for 45 mins at a time. at night she usually sleeps 10 - 2 feed then until 5.

what do you all do with the babies when they atre awake? after about 20 - 30 mins in her chair she gets bored. not too much of a prob if I am at home on my own but when I am with dd1 i find trying to occupy two at the same time quite difficult.

BT - I don't think there is any easy answer to the cold unfortunately but to sit it out. We're on our third already, it's tiring! have to admit we have been using baby Olbas even though not supposed to be until they are 3 months but not sure that it makes much difference anyway.

Lizzer - sorry to hear about your scan results.But it'll probably all be harder for you than for him - he'll have no memory of an op and it'll all probably just be yet another interesting and exciting experience in his little life!

DD pretty much sleeps when she pleases in the daytime. She will always have a 3-4 hour block of sleep between 2 of her feeds and usually have about 1.5-2 hours between all others. Through the night she will sleep for about 6 hours, wake for a feed and then back asleep for another couple of hours.

She will be 5 weeks tomorrow - she does seem to sleep an awful lot but then so did my DSs when they were babies.

Suey - work, well I guess in my mind I am a work right now looking after two children! I actually long to go to work somedays, much as I love them, it would be nice to have some adult me time (and to put my brain to some proper use again!). I gave up my job - and possibly career - after having dd1 but hoping to get something part time at some point in the not-too-distant future. Would like to wait until Martha is one year at least though. It might sound cliched but being able to spend these early days with your LO's is a gift - and we are lucky that we can afford for me to do so.

Oh god, please don?t talk about work Scary thought. Don?t know if I?ll go back, told them 12 months so prob due to start again next Jan (if the company is still there!) Financially we?ll have no spare cash if I don?t work, DH wage covers bills/food/petrol etc. So I?d probably get a low responsibility part time job for extra cash, will start looking in the summer.

DD naps quite a bit on and off during the day, but not usually for more than 45 mins at a time. When she?s awake, she loves kicking about on her changing mat on the floor or perched looking over my shoulder like a little shoulder monkey. Though we?ve had some fab nights (8hrs) which I?m sooo grateful for.

Oh god, please don?t talk about work Scary thought. Don?t know if I?ll go back, told them 12 months so prob due to start again next Jan (if the company is still there!) Financially we?ll have no spare cash if I don?t work, DH wage covers bills/food/petrol etc. So I?d probably get a low responsibility part time job for extra cash, will start looking in the summer.

DD naps quite a bit on and off during the day, but not usually for more than 45 mins at a time. When she?s awake, she loves kicking about on her changing mat on the floor or perched looking over my shoulder like a little shoulder monkey. Though we?ve had some fab nights (8hrs) which I?m sooo grateful for.

hiya every1, dd had jabs today, didnt cry or anythin slept for agesd after and is now hot an fretful, stopped bf after she lost weight and no1 could tell me why, somethin todo with the let down between fore and hind milk appartently. my 6 week check, was crap todo didnt check me at all, and my cs scar still not healed and is painful, been back twice but no use.

dd is on solids at 8 weeks but it seems to be going down well and is sleeping about 9 hours straight at night

Ah new thread - after having written a long post ont he end of the last one!!! Copy and paste time

Hi folks. Well back up in jockland after my folks then a few days in North Yorks near Ripon - what glorious weather this weekend heh? Really good as it meant we were able to get DD1 out every day feeding ducks and at playground etc to burn up some of the energy!

I seriously can't believe DD2 is over 9 weeks already - how in god name has that happened?? HV is coming round on Wed for her first jabs (should have been last week while we were away) - I remember DD1's and as long as there is a spoonful of calpol before hand hopefully there'll be no side effects again.

Have been wondering when DD2 will drop her night feed as DD1 had by 9 weeks - but suspect we were lucky with that - even though DD1 gets 5 good feeds during the day she still wakes for one at around 3 to 4 am. It's not too bad it usually it's a short affair but just getting to the point now I could do without it - hopefully not longer now - especially as she'll be out of her moses basket soon and as there isn't' room in our bedroom for the cot it'll be night time trips to her room to feed if she's still at it.

Just trying to settle her now which is proving a pain tonight - really should learn that when she has a bath it's easy, when she doesn't not so - doesn't take a genius to realise bath every night!!

Anyway - seems quiet for now so downstairs for me - maccy cheese in the oven and Easties on TV soon - excellent - only thing missing a decent glass of Red but trying not to drink mid week in at least a vague attempt to start to loose a bit of weight - Alcohol being my first vice - lack of exercise the next one to attack

Cheerio for today then - hope you are all fab - (yet again ages since last post so have missed far too much!). Thanks for all the messages re my Dad though - hopefully things will keep plodding along slowly as they have for a number of years now which will give us ages and ages still with the grumpy old so

my pn check was pants too. basically asked if i was fine, i said yes that was it. no checking of my cs scar or checking i'm coping after a horrendous labour! good job im fine n dandy!

since DS spends most of the day awake, so pretty good at amusing him now - was a nightmare to start with. likes kicking away on changing mat, over shoulder, swinging in my arms and pretty much making sure i don't get a minute!

Flynn's got jabs tomorrow, re. another post...should i give calpol before hand?

Mememummy - good to hear from you. Not unusual for babies to be a bit poorly after jabs, have you tried giving her some calpol?
TBH I am concerned about your dd being on solids at 8 weeks - that is very early, is this under guidance from your gp or your health visitor? Sorry to hear that bf wasn't successful but if not bfing she should only be on formula milk. I urge you to seek some more advice, if you haven't done so already.

Kelbel - my friend's ds has just had his 3rd set of jabs, she gives him calpol after his injection. He is normally fine straight after, it is normally later that day or the next day he starts feeling the effects.

beanster - your dd sounds like my ds, ds1 was sleeping thro by now and ds2 is still waking 3-4am for a feed - I've been told that your milk isn't as calorific as before as you're running around after other lo's so if thats true it might take him longer

suey - please let us know about running, I haven't been since you said it wasn't a good idea!

lizzer - glad ds isn't in any discomfort, sounds like what my FIL had (congential defect) he's 53, had 3 ops during his life time but reckons surgery is way better now (he was very reassuring when ds1 had renal dilation too) big hugs for you having to go through it tho x

re work: in to Thurs to discuss my job with line manager, theres a really good internal job come up and I'm tempted to apply but I need my managers sign off - can't see him doing it, I suspect I'll be made loads of promises which he'll have forgotten about or not have budget for when I return hoping to go back 3 days a week if we can afford it

meme - on solids how come?

Amani not sure why you can't access the link? It works for me?

Thank you for lovely comments, I'm sure we're all very biased towards our own kids but yes we are very blessed with our babies.

Meme - 8 wks does seem early, when my older sister was born the guidelines were 5 wks but they just seem so tiny!

DS had his 6wk check today (he was 7wks yesterday) and everything was fine. Finally got to see these centile charts (didn't have them with DD), he's on the 91st for his height and 75th for his weight (following same centiles as what he was at birth). Very reassuring to know he's doing well. Poor wee soul is really spotty though, looks very itchy to me but again the Doc today reassured me it's normal and should pass in the next month or so.

I took both DC to the shops this afternoon which was quite an achievement for me, DD was good (she doesn't really like being in the pram for any amount of time ia always asking to get down then goes off and plays with toys etc and will have a tantrum when it's time to leave etc) and I'm starting to feel more confident.

Lizzer sorry to hear about your DS needing an operation. Did they give you any idea when it might be? hopefully it will be a quick procedure so you wont be away from him for long and just like Clara says, best get it over and done with now whilst he's so wee he wont even remember it nor be afraid of being in hospital. Will he have to stay in?

Suey echo what Insy asks - please do elaborate about the no running, I'm getting the stage where I could fancy going out for a small gentle job but after reading your post I haven't.

Work - planning to go back 3 days per week when Bea is 4 months. Last time I went back full time when DD1 was 4 mnths. I was fine with it as she was in a lovely creche and we tag-teamed the dropoff and pickup so that her days were a bit shorter - I dropped off around 9.30am and he picked up around 5pm. However looking back I feel a missed a trick a bit hence this time the 3 days to start with - but financially I have no real choice as a single mum I have to go back.

Macdoodle it is very weird isn't it? Beatrix has had 3 nights in a row sleeping through, starting to believe a pattern is developing! And she is such a good baby generally, I'm so lucky.

Lizzer Hugs to you. When they said the op wasn't urgent did you get any feel for what that means? A few months away or possibly not for a couple of years? We have yet to get the appointment for the follow-up scan. Should be about now.

Going to GP for 6 week PN visit tomorrow and first set of jabs for Bea. Not looking forward to it

hola todo,

sleeping/feeds DD has 8 feeds in 24 hrs. Usually 3 hours between during the day and 4 hours between at night. She likes a nap after 2 hours of awake time- in fact gets very grumpy if she doesn't have one! She usually has 2 short naps of 45/60minutes andone long one of c 2 hours. we have bathtime usually at 7pm (so DH usually can be involved- he doesn't leave work till at least 6.30 usually and he gives her a bottle of EBM after bathtime). I am now trying to spin her out at night- first thing she is distracted by play until i feed her at 7am. I am not doing as well as some of you but i have not been strict about a routine as i maybe should have- and in fairness she is great when we go out during the day and doesn't kick up really at all unless she has a sore tummy.

running will investigate further- it was one of my physio mates who said that it wasn't advised- i imagine it is more to do with the health of the breast than what it does to the milk. I will post a question on the women's health section of our interactive physio site and get back to you.