July 2023 babies

[Summermeadowflowers]

Hello everyone! So this is a continuation of the pregnancy thread(s) as we’re almost full.

DD was born by elective section on July 18th. Her older brother was born following an emergency section after a failed induction in December 2020 and I didn’t want to go through that again! It was a lovely chilled experience and I was a bit nervous waiting but felt like I was in good hands. I was also home the next day.

Feeding has been tricky for us. I really wanted to breastfeed but as with DS, DD hasn’t taken easily to it and struggles to latch. Nipple shields help to an extent although are not a cure all but she doesn’t get much milk and ends up frustrated anyway. I’ve mostly been expressing for her but realistically don’t know how long I can keep it up. It’s a shame as I do really want to breastfeed but it isn’t happening!

Oh and my wound is infected … lovely!

How is everyone else?

I'm so pleased it went well. But he has been so sleepy since!! He slept for 3 hours after a bath when we got home, then he was awake for 2 hours and now he's busy fallen asleep again! I'd love it to mean he's going to have a better night tonight, but I've got a feeling it might make the night time even worse as he's sleeping so much now.
I'm assuming it's normal to sleep after swimming, I'm just not use to him having such long naps.

@rach971 Everyone I've spoken to has said 2 hours for car seats which is why we did an hour, stopped and then the hour and a half for the rest of our journey. It would have been much easier to not stop as it was horrible to have to wake him up as he screamed and he would have much prefer undisturbed sleep, but I think I read you have to break it up because too long in a car seat can be bad for their growing bones?

@AnxiousAnnie94 Oh possibly, I've not heard that about the bones. I was told that when they can't hold their heads up yet, they're more at risk for stopping breathing. Think it's something to do with the position and their immature airways etc.

On a side note - is anyone managing to get any exercise in for themselves? I don't exercise at all. Never have. But after some fairly recent heart trouble I know I need to start, it'll make my heart healthier and me healthier as a whole. What would people recommend? I don't like walking, don't like gyms, don't like groups... I'm aware I'm going to have to venture out my comfort zone though 🙈 It also can't be anything overly strenuous because of my heart

I went back to my ballet class last night, after my 8 week check up! It was agony for my feet and legs but lovely for my mind.

@rach971 I just go on walks. I had birth trauma so I couldn't really walk for more than 5 mins for about 3 weeks. 10 weeks post partum and I'm ok now (kind of). I can walk a couple of miles. I used to do hiit workouts pre pregnancy but I only recently (past couple of days) felt up to it. I might try it again but I'll have to adapt it because there's still damage. I sound so old and I'm only in my 20s haha.

I’m sorry for your loss, @AnxiousAnnie94 and glad the funeral and the trip there and back went well!

@Rutennotou Sorry to hear about your husband’s accident, that sounds awful!
Your 2.5 year old sounds JUST like mine at the moment - absolutely refusing naps, which in turn is really impacting her night sleep (and mood!). Added to that, she recently discovered she can climb out of her cot, so we’ve had to get her a big girl bed and her nights are now worse than the newborn’s - between the two of them, we are exhausted!!

@rach971 I can’t start back at exercise for another two weeks yet (had a section and my Pilates teacher said to go back after 12 weeks) but I’ll be back to my Pilates class (albeit going back to the postnatal one). I’d recommend it as something not too strenuous but that really gives results - I started it after I had my first DD and got so strong despite only doing it once a week and not really feeling like I was doing much for the most part! I also hate gyms and all of that kind of exercise, am strictly a yoga/Pilates/running kind of girl!

@SkyBlue20 What is yoga like? Do you have to be quite flexible? I've had it recommended to me that I try yoga because I've got distasis recti (only mild) and the doctor said that would help my tummy muscles. I think I'm just so nervous to go to things like that. I'm not really a sociable person 😂

@rach971 very few people start out at yoga being flexible, but as you use more muscles and stretch more you become more flexible - another bonus!
i guess it’s a good class if you’re not keen to socialise as your mat is a little island and only the teacher should be talking. Up to you whether you make conversation at the beginning and end, I guess.

What is DS’ nighttime sleep like @habiller ? Is he waking every hour? How old is he now - you’re nearly at 12 weeks I think?

I have had tearful moments, mostly just when I feel pulled every which way. My DD is quite an easy baby really but I just wish I could put her down a bit more - I know it’s normal at this stage though. It’s just really frustrating as she won’t just let you sit with her and cuddle her, you have to be walking around constantly. If you sit down, she wakes up! I can’t even give her to DH as he just keeps putting her down so I have to then pick her up and resettle her anyway. I’m EXHAUSTED!

@habiller I feel you 100%. I haven't had a decent night's sleep in 11 weeks. I moaned about being tired during pregnancy but I took for granted being able to just have a nap.
DS hasn't slept for more than 2 hours in a go at night since birth. In the day he catches up on what he misses out on and has been having 2-3 hour naps in the day time, waking up for a feed, having a cry, maybe some play time and then sleeping again until about 4 where he will be awake (crying) until 7, where I then have to struggle to keep him awake until 8 when we go for bath/ bedtime milk and start the night of no sleep. He is even worse at night than he has been, screaming randomly after 1 hour of being put down. Then grunting all night.
His sleep in the day sounds ideal for me to sleep doesn't it? Ha. No. I can't put him down or he instantly wakes up.
I feel miserable. I don't think it's PND just sheer exhaustion and I don't know what to do 😭 I just want even 3 hours uninterpreted sleep.

Is there any way you can keep him awake in the day, @AnxiousAnnie94 ? I know that’s a lot easier said than done.

@Summermeadowflowers it would be very hard and I think if I kept him awake during the day, I'd really struggle with him just crying all day. His reflux is that bad that he just screams 😭

I remember when I had DS just longing to go back to pregnancy because I wanted a day ‘off.’ The early days are so, so hard and I hear you on the just popping down the baby @habiller . DH does that, as DD wakes up as soon as you put her down so I’ll transfer her to DH so I can have a wee or a drink and I’ll come back to her crying because he’s put her down. I’ve told him over and over and I’ve no idea why he keeps doing it! He isn’t generally an obtuse man either, the opposite.

Is the grunting wind? DS was a very refluxy baby but for reasons I’ve never understood never was at night. I had similar problems though as DS would wake at say 130 and I’d have to hold him for at least an hour before he was asleep enough to go back in his next to me. Co sleeping gets pushed a lot on here but I’ve never been sure the difference between safe co sleeping and a baby in a bedside crib or cot!

@AnxiousAnnie94 i know, it is horrendous when they’re so unsettled. Have you been to a baby class? You might find it ‘naturally’ keeps him awake for a little while anyway which could improve nighttime sleep.

@habiller I can so relate to DH not doing any organising or cleaning but doing the most unnecessary DIY task and expecting me to be grateful. He has no clue where anything is for the baby and I still have to tell him what we need e.g. for going out with the buggy, bed time, bathtime or he’d forget important things.

i also feel like I get the most challenging bits of parenting but then when she falls asleep all the offers to hold her roll in 😫 but holding her while sleeping is one of the best bits for me and jeans I can just pause & watch tv. Instead I get offers to hold her so I can go to more house chores, yay 😒 Today I threatened my DH with going back to work early (I’m by far the higher earner) and I’m semi serious!

Sorry for the slight tmi but has anyone had bleeding/discharge a couple weeks after your first pp period ended? Mine ended a week or two ago now and today I've been having mucus poor discharge with brown coloured blood in

@rach971 I've had this. First period PP and second one were 3 weeks apart as well with brown discharge between. I'm 12 weeks PP now and it seems to have settled x

Is anyone suffering from PND? Happy to be PMed if prefer not to disclose.

I am struggling still. Low mood. Finding it hard to enjoy my baby. Even though he is really lovely.

@AngryBirdsNoMore i did suffer with DS although it’s only since having DD and having a pointer for comparison that I realise. I had a horrible birth with him, then I struggled with totally normal but relentless newborn stuff with lockdown meaning there weren’t any distractions. A very short temper was my main ‘symptom’. I was a tense ball of rage much of the time, and I’m not an angry person as a rule.

I enjoy DD in many ways. I love taking her to baby classes, I love the baby snuggles when she’s asleep on me, I love pram walks (we actually managed one Monday - hurrah.) But equally, the days (and nights) can be long and lonely with a baby as it’s a struggle to know what to do with them. As exhausting as toddlers are, they give something back.

How are you @AngryBirdsNoMore ?

Do any experienced mums here have any tips for teething? I think my 11 week old dd is starting to teeth🙁 she's not too bad at the moment but I have infant calpol ready.

@AngryBirdsNoMore I hope you're ok❤️

@AngryBirdsNoMore how are you feeling now??

@PinkPink1 i have no advice, but I was wondering what makes you think your LO is teething as my DS is 11 weeks and I, too, am wondering if he is starting to teeth. He's so dribbly and ALWAYS putting his hand in his mouth and didn't know if this is normal development or teething behaviour.

Yes, my dd is dribbling so much and always munching on her hand. She didn't use to. My parents commented on it too and said that she's probably teething.

@AnxiousAnnie94 i also wondered this but my friends say it’s just then ‘discovering’ their hands lol! And the dribbling is normal too, not necessarily teething.

I’ve got a bit of a cold and am terrified I’ll give it to my DD and she’ll really suffer. I’m just generally really anxious about her getting poorly over winter, she still seems so small to me! 🥲 hope everyone else is avoiding the return of winter bugs 🤒