May 2008 - we just couldn't wait!

[thefortbuilder]

for everyone who's popped already and congratulations to us all!

That sounds fine to me Kanga - any EBM is better than none for sure IMO. You might start to get more later on, I found I got a lot less in the evenings but maybe for now you could try a few times a day (if you get the chance) to build up supplies if you want.

Kanga- I know what you mean about feeling guilty. I gave EBM from birth to six months in a bottle- no FF for my DD and DS1, But I just could not do this again with DS2, not enough time in the day to express with 3 children. So DS2 hasn't had breastmilk and I often feel guilty about it. my milk has no all gone. you might find a breastpump quicker and easier, I used a avent manual hand held pump and an electric one from the hospital, so you could do both sides (you do feel like a cow being milked though)

congrats to the new arrivals, mumbles sorry you had and are having such a hard time.

well done sweetbean for having baby before induction and in June

sorry got to go baby needs a feed.

kanga - don't know anything abt mixed feeding but i would say def use a pump - i'd recommend an electric one. they take a bit of getting used to but so much quicker when you have the hang of it. you can rent one if you don't want to buy. i got rsi from hand pumping with ds1 so electric all the way for me this time!

good luck x

kanga I would second what asicsgirl says and definitely use a pump. I have an electric one (Medela mini electric) which was £42 two years ago but I used it nearly everyday with DD1 and plan to use it lots with DD2. My EBM wasn't much when I first started, but my top tips are to do it first thing in the morning, and I know it sounds silly, but try looking at your lo or a photo of him as the hormone thing works too at promoting let down reflex I think. Check out some BF websites (kellymom) for more help on expressing.

Well girls, thanks to expressing, I am going on hen night tonight!!!!!! A friend from work, not a big do, a meal out, but I have bought some cheap tacky crap to dress her up in .

Check me out......5 week old baby and going on a hen night!!! Shame I can't drink, and will have to milk myself when I get home.....it's worth it for a bit of freedom though!!!

LM74 (much much happier these days )

LM74 at your hen night! DH would never let me escape, took 3.5 years before I was allowed out without the DDs.

Have a great night.

Hello! I dropped out of the anti natal thread pretty early on but want to join up here as I have lots of first time mum questions.

My DD was born on the 9th May after an on/off labour that went on for 3 days! It was so tiring and demoralising. However my waters popped at 1pm on the 9th and things were full steam ahead from there. I had a home birth and I was sssssssooo glad because basically after my waters went i dilated fully and had really full on contractions with no break. I got in the pool at 2pm which was BLISS and saved me (as well as the G&A). Felt the urge to push straight away which i found rather scary. I was so relaxed in the pool that i was being a bit rubbish at the second stage so the wonderful midwives dragged me out and tried me in several positions. I finally settled on propped up on the beanbag with DH behind me and concentrating on a mirror between my legs. Never thought I would want to see my bits being stretched out, but I was having trouble figureing out how to push and having the mirror to focus on helped me. In the end DD popped out herself, after turned 180 degrees and coming out looking up. I had a small internal tear but nothing else, because the midwife was sooooo fab.

Things have actually been really good so far as we have a very chilled out daughter. I am starting to think about expressing because we want to introduce a bottle so I can have a night off sometime (but nothing as exciting as a hen party!). I am a bit worried about doing that before 6 weeks. So the conversation above is very interesting.

Sorry for not name checking lots of people - there is so much going on and my poor old brain can't cope with it. However, hope to join in better soon.

WW xx

Morning!

Hi Walkingwomb - congrats on the birth, sounds fab!

LM74 - lovely to hear you are happier have lots of fun tonight

All those expressing / mixed feeding - my hat is off to you. I hate expressing, drives me to tears for some reason and DS got lazy about breast feeding when I tried him on a top up bottle when he was tiny so had to give that up very quickly. DD can still be a monkey about latching on so am not willing to try a bottle at the mo either. So, wherever I go, so does DD. Ho hum

Indoigoblus - so pleased Jamie is better and home

MM - So sorry to hear about your birth expereince, that must have been really scary for you. Hurrah for your little boy though, it was all worth it Lovely to hear about the wedding too. Hope your gran starts to improve soon and life gets a bit easier for you.

Sorry if I have missed anyone, have been rubbish at keeping up this week.

Thanks girls again for your help.

Today is the day I give him the EBM .... I have so far just been trying to get some off (and admittedly didnt know how to store it) So only got half an ounce off in 1st sitting LOL not bad IMO seeings I havent done anything with my boobs for 1.5wks!!
I'm using a Mam care hand pump...but if the expressing does well...and I feel better about it...I'll deffo invest in an electric one.....money is a bit tight atm.

DS < ooooh thats weird typing that! has put on weight and now at 2wks weighs 11lb 7oz (was weighed at 12days old)

LM74 Enjoy the hen night!!!!

WW fab birth story!!! Welcome to your DD!!

hope everyone is ok x

just to say hi to walkingwomb and congrats! your dd and my ds2 were born on the same day and we had a home birth too! so glad you had a good experience

walkingwomb I think you will be fine expressing at this stage, your DD is about 4 weeks now? I started when DD2 was 4 weeks old. (well done on a good birth btw, sounds similar to mine, apart from I was lucky enough not to have the 3 day build up)

kangaandroo do you have any friends who might have an electric pump you could borrow? Or maybe investigate hiring one??
I think you will find it much easier.

I am sooo lucky cos I seem to be so full of milk, and have a fast let down. I got home last night and had to express and got 5oz off each boob!!!!!!! !!!
I had a good time at the hen night, just a meal out really, very sedate, but nice to see the girls from work, who thought it was hilarious how my boobs were literally growing in front of their eyes as the night went on!!!!! I looked like Jordan by the time I left!!

Well today is another DH at work for 13 hrs day, but things are....dare I say it.....very calm, and I am having a lovely day. It all started with a projectile vomit from DD2 at 7am but luckily DD1 still asleep so I could clean up in peace.
I took them both to a soft play and met a friend there, so DD1 had a good run around and wore herself out!! I had a hectic half hour when we got home of DD2 needing feeding NOW, DD1 needing a snack, DD2 needing a nappy change, DD2 doing a poo while I fed DD2, DD2 nappy change, DD2 up to bed for a nap.....DD2 fall asleep on mummmy, gentle transference to beanbag.....and....Mumsnet!!! (and lunch!!). All this and I have done some washing too.......ahhhh, the return of lucky 'bree van de camp' mummy!!!!

OMG !!! forgot to tell you all. DD1 did a poo in the night and proceeded to put her hand in her nappy and then (in her sleep) smear poo all over herself. I went in to check her and thought she'd been sick and that it was chocolate, but alas, no, it was poo....all over her arms, legs, nose, EYELIDS and hands. Yuk. Poor little thing. (and poor LM having to clean it all up!!)

Hope you are all having a good day.

LM74 xxx

hiya all

you might be aware that we had sonme complications so sorry for not posting. this is the first time Ive managed to gtet near a computer - so birth story and the following saga..

21st may Hazel Annabel born 7lb, 4oz, 51cm, perfect, very very very cute and lovely. some complications, cord round her neck so heart rate dropping, had an episotomy and ventouse (sorry about spelling no time to check). hurt a lot, took 6 hours from start to finish, atr 8.15 i was having a cuppa, on the G&A quite chilled out and coping, at 9.39 she arrived. at about 8.45 doctor came in and said i could have the epidual I was demanding at this point. when he turned up to give me it 5 mins later it was too late. DP has described it as surgeons tent in the crimean war...

so next day pm midwife says hazel looks a little pale, check her oxygen, its low, rush to SCBU. contact cardiac unit at leeds, we are put on prostin to keep a valve in her heart open (which normally closed soon after birth) and transfered over the leeds cardiac unit in the morning. We are told she has pulmonary atresia with VSD, and they need to operate. 2 operatuions 1st to get her a bit bigger and 2nd will be open heart surgery at about 1 year old. They have sucessfully done the first operation (at 1 week old) and she is in recovery. we are now having problems getting her feeding again so have transfered back to local hospital where we are bacjk in SCBU trying to get her to eat. she is on a tube but seems to spit it back - happy to breast feed thougfh and so far (touch wood) is keeping it all down. so its been a bit of a nightmare. will update when i can (the lovely people here have a computer parent5s can use)

glad to hear that all your good news - chin up if you're finding it hard, you#ll be suprised how much you can cope with when it comes down to it! if i get any good tips on the feeding fronty i will share - we have been using a nipple shield here and its working for me, breast feeding cushion is wonderful, lanisolin!!!!!! i want shares in them!!

I have just found you alll, Hi.

Emily Miriam was born 27th May weighing 8lbs 7oz.

I want to copy my message to Mumblesmummy which I left on the ante-natal thread.

Mumblesmummy,

I have just read your story and I think it's horrific. I think you should consider making a complaint. It's a shame to have to think like that at a time like this when your happy with the new arrival but I really feel hospitals shouldn't be allowed to get away with this kind of thing.

I am going to be writing myself re my own experiences. After my epidural wore off I had terrible pain in the perinium and couldn't use the toilet normally. Everyone said "that's normal" and I was sent home without an examination. The community midwife also failed to examine me. Subsequently I got an infection in the perineum which they think spread to the woumb or the bladder. I had to be readmitted with a high fever and terrible pain and given intravenous antibiotics.

There were other problems on the ward. v. little support for sick mothers at night which I think is dangerous, no-one in severe pain should be lifting babies and the state of the rooms were deplorable. On one occasion I was left with soiled sheets / blood on the floor for several hours.

I hope you are feeling better now, Mumblesmummy and get time to chat inbetween the feeds.

Lots of love,

NS XXXX

Hi All,

Thanks for the welcomes.

asicgirl that your ds2 snaps dd's birthday.

LM74 glad you had a good time. Your boobs sounds very impressive! I have been squirting DD in the face in the morning, so it will be interesting to see how much i can express. I do a lot of leaking = does that stop at all? I am getting bored to breast pads. I am going to start expressed in Monday. Part of the reason i don't is because i can't be arsed with the sterilising and working out how to use the breast pump etc etc.

otter1980 - you sound very upbeat despite what you and Hazel have been through! Great that the breastfeeding has been going well. i know so many people who have had to give it up because it all faultered when their baby was in SBCU.

WW xx

otter you will be in our thoughts - i know how tough scbu can be and sending you many hugs and positive thoughts.

newbishad - i am appalled at your experie nce - please complain and yes i again second that mm should complain.

kanga - see if you can hire a pump - the medela ones are fairly reasonable, or see if there's one going on mn - someone who doesn't need theirs any more - if i hadn't already given ours to our cm who is pg you could have had it. pumps are so much better than hand expressing and yes as you rightly say some bm is better than none, if you can that is. we were advised at scbu when i was expresing and not getting enough for all feeds that you should split it up and mix with formula each feed - so not one ebm feed then a ff one, but mix the ebm a little with the forumla. you can store it for 24 hours fresh in the fridge, and then i think it lasts for 3 months in the freezer - lansinoh bags are great and are also useful for pre measured amounts of formula powder for use while travelling!

xxx

Hello all,

I finally get to join the post-natal thread after the birth of Holly Elizabeth on Monday. She weighed in at 7lb 13oz and 10 days late!

I did post on the antenatal thread to announce but realised that actually there is noone really there to post to anymore! Sweetbean and Pregna glad you both beat the 5th of June induction deadline as did I!

Birth was clinically speaking straight forward but was pretty intense and traumatic for me as I went from 3 to 9 cms within a couple of hours and then had an awful hour and a half of transition before I could push. She eventually came out pretty rapidly resulting in a third degree tears which were stiched up in theatre where I promptly asked the aneathetist where the bloody hell he was a couple of hours before when I was screaming for an epidural

Very glad it is all over and pleased to finally be home!

well done fleurie! can't believe we are all over here now - what a fantastic achievement we are all wonderful women

xxxx

Otter1980

I missed your story when I posted. I haven't experience of SCBU but whilst in hospital I met plenty of mothers who had babies in the unit and I know how difficult it can be. All best wishes and remember at the end of the day she is in the best place possible.

Let us know how you do.

Lots of love

NS XXX

Ty flick for your advice

Well my boy LOVED his whole ounce (lol) of booby milk!! never seen a bottle drain so quick!!!! have posted on freecycle about elec breast pump but shall go scour MN now too!!

Fleurie...joining the 3rd degree club...welcome! lol Great that she's finally here!!! welcome Holly!!!!

otter1980 sorry to hear your DD had to have surgery, you sound as if you are coping very well, well done you. I hope she is OK xxx

I think DD2 has a tummy bug, she vomits (a lot!!) after each feed, about 10 mins later. I have been covered twice already this morning, 4am and 8am . She has darker green poo instead of turmeric yellow and is doing lots of big whizz-bangs.

DH at work all day, I was gonna go out but don't really want to deal with cleaning up vomit out and about or in the car.

happy days!!

Hope DD2 feeling better soon and the projectiles reduce again.

We braved a walk to the shop with no nappy Made it there and back safely came home, sat on potty, nothing, 10 mins later hes running down the hall shouting wee with a little river following him. We have some work to do on the timing

Could have choosen a better time as mum doing garden this weekend so no help, managed to get him sat on potty for last poo whilst DD2 BF, thats multitasking at it's optimum I reckon.

LM74 hope dd2 feels better soon!

Got a breast pump off freecycle!! yayyy hardly used too.

denny at your multi-tasking!! I thought I was doing well having to answer the front door while feeding cos DH forgot his key the other day .
I have discussed potty training with DH, we will try DD1 in July when he is off work for a week. I asked her today if she would like to start doing wee wees and poo poos on the toilet like mummy and daddy do, like a big girl. She thought about it for a few seconds, then said "No". That's that then!!!!!

kanga so pleased you got a pump on freecycle....hope you get on OK with it.

DD2 didn't vomit anymore, but clearly not v well as slept nearly all day . We didn't go out just in case. So instead SIL came to me with nephews and neice in tow. They arrived at 4:30pm while I was giving DD1 her tea and DD2 crying for feed. My 'delightful' nephews then demanded food, so I ended up making them sandwiches before I fed DD2 which they then didn't eat cos it was on brown bread . I then had an audience of them both (aged 8 and 10, should know better) while I fed DD2, even though I made a point of going in another room. They also manged to drench DD1's aquadraw mat (literally drench it, it still isn't dry, 4 hours later). Oh joy. The little darlings.

Oh, did I mention that DD2 has started smiling...proper smiling, not wind smiles

LM74 xxx

kanga great you have a pump - will make life a lot easier!

lm74 at your nephews! but great you are getting proper smiles

denny - great multitasking!

we are going down the potty training route with ds1 come july - he's 2 in mid july and we have had a potty around for a good few months now - he tells me when he's done a poo and clutches his nappy at the front when he's peeing and loves to sit on the potty but nothing in there yet - so fingers crossed it's not too dreadful!

not much else to report - we get lots of smiles to and when ds2 sits in his bouncy chair he can reach and spin round the little wooden teddies on the bar in front - first time today properly - we are so proud! he is obviously g&t

Luckymummy - LOL at DD1's response to using the toilet. Thoses nephews of yours are pesky little blighters arn't they if they were a lit older you could just buy them a magazine

Flick - it think your already half way there if he knows when he's poo'd and wee'd and will sit on a potty. Good luck for July, I'd forgotten the joy's of potty training but my word the memories quickly came back

hi all, haven't posted in an age, been feeling really low - irrationally so, felt a bit crazy. it is too late for baby blues as DD is now 8 \weeks? she has horrid nappy rash, so just sat with her no nappy on, but she poos so much i am just continually wiping, in between doing loads of washing.
anyway pleased to see so many new arrivals! congratulations to you all! and thoughts to those of you going through or having gone through a tough time {{{hugs}}
jbr
x
PS i might have to name change as the day has finally come where i will have to sell my beautiful Jack Black Roady - she's given me lots of fun but a 2 seater is a bit impractical now