June 08 babies - I know there's a few of us about!

[isaidno]

Thought I'd start a thread inbetween breastfeeding, laundry and bossing DH about tyo do stuff!

Let's make a list of members!

ISAIDNO - baby girl; Poppy Elizabeth; born 18 / 6/ 08; 6lb 4oz

Really enjoyed looking at your pictures, Josey. Olivia is doing so well, and I think you're amazing for the way that you are coping. I'm sorry for what you say about your body 'doing' that to her. I hope you feel better in yourself soon. Are the doctors looking after you as well as Olivia?

Hello all- just popping my head in so you don't forget me...struggling with PND at the moment so not really been up to, well, anything. Glad to see you are all still busy chatting...even if I don't comment, I do try and keep up with the posts. xx

Debs, sorry I didn't get back to you yesterday about feeding two boobs at night. The breastfeeding counsellor said that night-time is when you make the most milk as prolactin levels are highest, so it would be logical for Ethan not to be able to manage it all then. I express at 3 am (or whenever she wakes up) and DH gives her the previous night's EBM alongside. I usually get about 6.5 oz, but she only takes 4.5 oz. Likewise, in the morning, she doesn't manage both boobs. But last night, I followed your suggestion of feeding her sitting up and she took more.

Have you had any further thoughts about leaving Austria?

Sponge, re routines, a lot of people successfully follow a more gentle route and let the baby set the pace. It's just me being a control freak that leads me to the rocky road of Gina. Each and her baby to their own.

Makecakes, sorry that you haven't been well. When you are feeling more bright, it would be interesting to hear more from you. My mother had PND so am thinking of you. xx

Morning all. After DS's relatively gentle evening he was a wee bugger all night, and fussed around until god knows what time. DH dealt with him mostly (thankfully!). Although DS is well overdue a feed, I'm letting them both sleep for now. Really think I might want to start trying to get his feeding into a bit of a routine next week. Will no doubt be asking for tips from Neenz and others who've managed this!

UDC - Well done for expressing at night. I really should but rarely manage it.

Debs - I completely missed your thoughts about leaving Austria! Everything ok?

Makecakes - sorry to hear that you are dealing with PND. Hope you are being well looked after.

Josey - I was also sad to read how you feel about your own body. It sounds like you're being incredibly strong for Olivia, but hopefully you are being looked after too.

Josey so pleased to hear Olivia is doing so well. I will def donate some clothes to neonatal unit - it never occurred to me - Thanks for the reminder.

Hedgehog Totally sympathise about the thrush, its not nice at all. Did they give you gel for lo as well, I found it really hard to apply, but it does the trick. I took acidophillus caps as well to increase my natural bacteria and get rid of the blasted thrush.

Makecakes Sorry to hear about PND, I hope you are getting lots of support. We are always here if you need to talk, sometimes its easier than talking in RL. Big hugs XXX

BDQ I hope you have a better night with lo tonight. I haven't put Mia into a routine yet, but I am trying to feed her every 3 hours and she sleeps for a much longer stretch at night.

Neenz - I have a friend whose DS was born just 10 months after her DD! She doesn't recommend it. Hope you get an earlier appointment for Esther. I get really at being told something is urgent by m/w or gp and then discovering the waiting list is 50 years!

Thanks for c-section advice Alipalli - bit better today. Hearing that they pull your muscles aside is gruesome! I'm ok with having had a c section, and wouldn't worry about having another, but the details still freak me out a bit. (I'd put my head in the sand, but have to be careful about bending over!)

Beautiful pics Josey - what an amazing head of hair! I wouldn't have thought of donating to the local neo natal unit - will do now. I think you are doing amazingly Josey and as Rolf has said what an amazing difference there's been in Olivia since she was born.

Great to hear from you Makecakes. Sorry to hear about the PND. If you drive (sorry, I don't), I think Bromley is only about 10 miles from Wimbledon if you'd like a RL meet up?

Routine wise, I have no idea how to keep DS awake after a feed without getting a screaming child for the next hour or so (which is technically awake I suppose).

josey love the pictures of olivia she is so beautiful. If you can please try not to blame your body for what happened. You have been so amazing throughout the last few weeks, and you are the last person who should feel down about themselves.

makecakes thinking of you and hope you see some light at the end of the tunnel really soon. Hope you feel able to post occasionally.

london ladies: trying to psych myself up for a trip to the smoke at some point in the next few weeks (we live in guildford and used to get the train in for work and socialising regularly). I am frightened by the idea of public transport with a pushchair. Any advice on whether tube bus or taxi is best, and any other tips? Thanks

reusable nappies: if u are using them how are you finding it and which brands are u using?

Peter currently having his morning feeding marathon, although he seems to be pausing for a kip right now!

alipalli - Taxi is great, if you know how to collapse your pushchair and have a nice driver...tube depends entirely on the line and time of day. Try this map for guidance. I said I would never use the bus but have found it better than expected, but again, really pick the time of day carefully.

TBH I've found walking easiest and I try and plan trips accordingly, eg: am planning to try a walk along the Southbank as it is easily accessible via pushchair from Waterloo. Amber mentioned that the riverboat from Waterloo is pushchair friendly - and it sounds so cool too! (Waves at Amber - will email you in a min).

Reusables - We have a sample pack of a few types and I've been shocked to find the pre folds the easiest used with little lamb/natures choice wraps. If we were going for shaped, I would again suggest Little Lamb, cos they are so soft. Any bamboo ones are lovely IMO. BTW, the pack only contained about 5 types and I've only used each type once or twice, so I'm really not any kind of expert. Seem to remember DQ was very knowledgeable about nappies....and she also recommends the Nappy Lady who I also found helpful.

hi all, i think i am with sophie and am going to have to say my goodbyes. i don't really feel a part of the group as i did ante-natally and i just can't keep up anyway.

all is well here though and anwyn is thriving. i was pleased to find out that i actually am pronouncing her name properly although with my canadian accent it comes out ON-wyn and in a welsh accent it's more like ARN-wyn (like the sound in sian which i quite simply can't make, our R's are too hard). finally spoke to dh's nan who is welsh and that's how she says it, so it seems it's only the english who want to say it with a hard -A sound. seems trivial but i'm very happy about it for some reason!

josey lovely to hear that olivia is doing so much better than expected. i promise i will donate whatever i can when we move in october to the UCLH.

anyway lots of love to all and your beautiful children and i'm sure i will still pop on to read from time to time. xxx

yeah, dh has just found me a wing mirror for my car frrom the scrapy. it has been without one for nearly 3 weeks since some f£$%^r stole the glass from it. the main dealer twice supplied the wrong part!!!

he also bought some dummies for isaac yestersday but he seems to prefer his fist. has anyone else had this?

dylansmum sorry to hear you're leaving! Good luck and hope you pop in from time to time in the future

HH A isn't a dummy fan, usually he'll just spit it out in disgust or else he'll suck on it for a while and then start screaming anyway. He constantly tries to eat his hands, even when I'm trying to put a nipple in his face!

Very quickly as trying to catch a nap...
josey what lovely pictures of olivia - and so glad to hear she is making such great progress. Have been giving Storm's outgrown stuff to our local charity shop but I'll start splitting it - didn't occur they wouldn't need bigger sizes.
I hope you will be able to see yourself in a different light eventually. What happened wasn't your fault, it was just damn unlucky and totally unfair, but olivia is proving to be confounding all the so-called experts and is lucky to have you as a mummy.

dmpo sorry to see both you and sophie go. All the best for the future

makescakes really sorry to hear about your PND - hope you're getting the help you need.

everyone else hi and I hope your day is going well. we have a morning routine here (feeds, then sleeps at 4am, 9am and about noon) but after that it all goes out of the window. My HV reassures me it'll come with time.

Ok, DH back and Storm crying. Gotta go!

dmposorry to see you go but do pop in.

makecakes sorry to hear about pnd... take care of yourself and wishing you a speedy recovery

neenzany update on esthers op?
alipalli go with pp's advice. think timing is everythign so would avoid rushhour to travel.

rolf good luck with routine..tbh routine here still more hit and miss esp last few days as edie v.unsettled re feeding.

saw specialist this morning..who drained about 130ml of milk from left breast..berated gp for changing antibiotic (which means i am off bf for now as basically t was making madam acted like i was poisoning her) and ultra scan confirmed block duct.. all of which is good as have answers but now confused:

how do I stop blocked duct (drained breast in question but took an hour on breast pump.. until I can feed again from this breast this is not very practical as dont have that many hours to express in the day)? I tried ringing mw, la lehche (6 attempts and got no actual person..) or nct (again leave a message)...

although pleased re answer am still bit nervous about how to get blcoked duct cleared ,and not get it happening again - I really do want to continue bf if poss but not if keep on with this and also not if get an earful from nct etc about it being my fault as mixed feeding (started mixed feeding as was no milk/edie not intereste etc and issue started there when milk came in and edie not up to draining it).. sorry feeling bit confused as wasnt actually given advice on not happenign again and early start to see doc (5.30am) on top of night with v.little sleep (she is v.unsettled due to antibiotics in feed I think leave me confused)

one more thoguht.. it may not be just antibitoics but overfeeding (edie so hungry and is drinking up to 5 oz in a feed...and is 4 weeks only,, doesnt seem to be sicking up much and does seem to settle her initialy but does get wind..not sure if overfeeding but she wails more if you dont feed her..so am confused if this is problem...

Dylansmum I think you get to tell others how to pronounce your baby's name! Pronunciation depends on which part of Wales you're from. Anwyn is a lovely name, anyhow - not very common these days, quite old-fashioned (in a good way, like Rose in English rather than a granny name! IYKWIM!) Iestyn is also an old-fashioned one. Most people can say his name but nobody can spell it, it seems! Sad you're going - it was great seeing the other Welsh names on the thread!

I'm having an awful day. DH is still away, but diagnosed PND because I was in such despair. Iestyn was wide awake at 5.30 am and I'm shattered. Mum is here, though. I don't think I've got PND but my hormones do make me quite miserable, and I seem to fall to pieces with the tiniest setback.

Anyhow, Josey, you've made me realise how lucky I am and that I have no idea what genuine struggles are. I think it's important that you keep reminding us (or me - I'm a selfish person by nature!) because it's easy for me to dwell on trivial matters. Iestyn crying all the time? Big deal, he has fully functioning lungs. And I think you should write the book - it would be a testament to your strength, and a gift to Olivia. It sounds like she's doing really well - I think there's a lot of hope there. Still praying for you.

Ok, I'll take my stupid misery elsewhere. Job interview tomorrow.

poppy at nct giving you an ear bashing for mixed feeding!!! As you know I'm also mixed feeding and like you, I'm not doing it for fun! I did have a look on the feeding threads for practical tips but the most recent thread I found seemed to quickly end up in a feeding debate.

at dylansmum - best of luck and hope you pop back in soon.

Reusables - I'd definitely recommend the nappy lady for anyone investigating this as an option. I was completely bamboozled by the choice on offer until someone recommended the nappy lady. You do a questionnaire and get tailored advice based on your requirements, and you also get put in contact with an adviser who you can email directly for more info/advice. There's no pressure to buy either. I went for the bamboozles totsbots, but have to confess that I'm waiting till DS hits the 10lb mark before I start on them.

Oh, also, havent put up any pics as I'm a bit shy about pics on a public website, but have set up a baby blog. If anyone wants to see pics of DS, CAT me and I'll be happy to send an email invite.

katyjo - am also trying to work on the 3 hour feeds basis. He's a complete bugger at refusing to wake up if he's fast asleep though but I do keep trying if its been 3 hours since feed.

Laura Whinegums and ktpie - how are you all doing?

hedgehog - haven't tried dummy so far, but mine loves sucking his fist! He discovered his thumb yesterday too.

just quickie from me.

dh has managed to get isaac to take a dummy , he fell asleep, then dropped it and woke up!!!

How long do after pains last? I have got really bad cramps tonight, but minimal discharge and TMI ALERT really bad constipation due to the iron tablets so not sure if the pains could be due to that issue too. DH is amazed that I haven't popped as I only 'go' about once every three days.

Re reusables - I got some 'Sandy's' free from the local council (motherease), some bamboozles for night time - in pretty colours and DH nagged to get the Mothercare 'smart nappy'. We don't rate the smart nappy - too many leaks, the totsbots wrap is not as appealing as the motherease wraps and we have decided once we need to go up a size in the bamboozles we will get more - we have 5 - and maybe some motherease one sizes as well

ker-nackered! miss elodie has been having a major episode tonight but seems to have calmed down now. used clare byam-cook's patting-back-on-pillow-with-dummy trick while she was going ballistic and she calmed down by the time i had counted to 90. was most impressed.

makecakes - thinking of you. hope you can ride the wave and get through this. i guess its been an v. emotional year. best wishes xoxo

tjuice impressed at your new technique...
hedgehog I'm still having some discharge and there were definite pangs a few days ago while feeding adn edie is 4 weeks tomorrow.. I'd speak to your mw but reckon it can be quite a w

very -tired, sick of drudge etc as looks like my swelling coming back.. god knows how I'm going to clear this blocked duct (and still find time to look after baby, let alone have any kind of life)..posted on b/f as now getting bloody desperate. This been going on as long as I've had edie which is bloody ridiculous ...

poppy sorry to hear of your woes. Have you been given any advice about clearing the duct? I get them occasionally and they usually clear if I put on a hot flannel or have a hot shower/ bath before I feed or express.

hedgehog my iron tablets gave me terrible wind, which was as painful as my contractions, so I stopped taking them on the advice of my community MW.

Ok, time to go cuddle DH - easy to forget these days!

Im so happy and proud, my wonderful baby burst out crying for almost 10mins tonight I know you are all wishing you would get a break from crying and there is nothing worse than a baby that constantly cries it breaks the soul. What this means for Olivia though is the brain is re routing and her gag reflex is getting stronger there things a hugely important.

Im really sorry if I have upset any of you and Essie your not selfish, I had PND with my 1st it was panic attacks about leaving house(will pram fit etc) So I went nowhere, I sometimes still struggle emotionally with my DS sometimes I think Im lucky because maybe i dont have the privilage/time I have to get up go out and dont have much time alone IYKWIM

I still post here because you are all amazing supportive people, I know my situation is very different and my baby is different...but I need you all it helps me feel normal...I dont want anyone to compare to me the transision to motherhood and hormons are a shit and make us all feel like crap everyones journy is different.

I know that really it isnt MY fault one of these things....BUT(there is always a but) when I was pregnant she wasnt brain damaged I was desprate to NOT be pregnant, she wasnt ready she wasnt engaged, I went into labour and as my body labours very quickly it made it worse, I took a pic the day before to post on here of my bump and it makes me gag to see...Im being well looked after...I was low on my PND check today but understandably so they not too worried.

On top of it all the Evil red witch has arrived!!!! Why the FK does mother nature think she should have MY body ready for childbirth again a few more weeks wouldnt have hurt!!! humph!!!

Love you all you are a fantastic set of supportive friends.

Essie I will start the book it will be good to look back on and realise how far we have come xxx

josey - go Olivia! It seems as though every post contains more good news!

Poppy - glad it wasn't anything sinister but what a nuisance for you. I don't have anything to suggest I'm afraid as I'm having a sleep-deprived meltdown moment.

Essie - good luck with the job interview.

Dylansmum - sorry you're leaving us.

Makecakes - so sorry about your PND. How crap for you. I hope you're getting plenty of support.

Well it looks as though my clockwork baby has decided that enough is enough. She hardly slept at all yesterday. Got her to sleep at 9pm and thankfully DD1 and I went to sleep then as well. Slept until 4am (actually, reading that - why am I complaining? Anyhoo, I'm all revved up to complain so will carry on...). After I'd fed her she just wouldn't go back to sleep. Didn't want milk, didn't seem uncomfortable, not madly distressed but just couldn't settle. Eventually i put her back in her cot and went downstairs to gather myself together and make some tea. She's asleep now (just gone off) but I'm just waking up and DD1 will be awake soon. I know 7 hours unbroken sleep is good but I am need more sleep. My skin is prickling and my head is bobbing.

josey - olivia seems to be making leaps and bounds! so pleased for you

rolf - i so understand (but am jealous - 9 til 4 !!!). Even a nice 5 hour stretch of sleep hardly makes a dent in my sleep deficit. i am a zombie today . . .

poppy - hope you got your blocked duct sorted (sounds like a blocked pipe or something!). love the name edie btw.

Hi there

Josey, wow! I know that you were really looking forward to hearing her cry. That's great news. Very glad that you are being looked after too.

Hedgehog, this is way TMI for anyone else! When they prescribed you the iron, did they mention anything to relieve constipation? The hospital didn't, but the midwife suggested FYBOGEL. It is an orange fibrous powder you mix with water and take morning and evening during meals. You can get it from Boots / large Sainsbury's. When I was taking iron pills (three a day!), I went every evening like clockwork about an hour after the Fybogel. Have stopped iron now, and black poos took about three days to go. Dorothy seems more settled too - but I don't know if it's that or the cranial osteopathy.

Poppy, I hope you get your blocked duct sorted.

Dorothy has vomited twice in the last 24 hours - both times after an enormous feed so am going to ring cranial osteopath and see what she says.

Essie, good luck with the interview. This is the legal history one, right? Just don't spray them with your superboobs and you should be fine!

makecakes & essie - hope you're both feeling okay today. I'm now convinced I had PND with DS1 as I'm so much more able to cope and so much happier this time around. I hope you have lots of support from friends and family and I'm thinking about you!! I never got mine diagnosed and I'd say it was mild, but I did find walking helped, as did meeting friends.

poppy - no ideas but sending sympathy!

josey - yeah Olivia! Now when we get together we can have two crying babies

upsidedowncake - if the vomit was after an enormous feed, I'd guess she just ate too much. But did you just go to the osteopath? Fraser threw up after this appointment too but only for the first day and then settled in nicely.

I'm sad people are leaving this thread - yes, it moves quickly and often people get ignored, but I love that there's so many of us on here because it makes for more diversity - we all have different issues. Anyways, even though I sometimes am very sporadic and I know I'm rubbish at responding to everyone, I really enjoy reading everyone's comments.

And re: the coil, I got mine on Tuesday and it really wasn't that bad at all, not very different from a pap smear. The good news was that because I was at family planning, I ended up seeing a specialist who was able to treat the raw bits from my stitches (with silver nitrate?) and will treat me again at my follow-up appointment so I don't have to try to get a referral from my GP. I'm very very relieved!

Fraser's just had a good night (up only twice) after four really bad nights (up 5+ times) in a row. It's so good to know that he's not stuck in horrible sleep habits, now I just need to make the good habits dominant...