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

morning all, what sort of night have you all had? ethan slept 9-1.30, then 2-4, 4-6, and awake on and off since then.

Morning all,

deb and essie with you both on the MIL thing. Mine is complaining that we do not take Isaac over to see her (she lives less than 10 miles away). Have finally got DH to agree that he will have a chat with her and tell her that she can come here, esp as I know my mum would give her eyeteeth to live that close

deb I am not expressing all that often, only when I feel really full/engorged and to try abd build up a stock in the freezer as we have a few nights out in Sept/Oct time

Welcome and congratulations to all the new arrivals.

Am off to the GP later on as my thrush still hasn't cleared up (2 weeks now) as they didn't treat LO. Even when I called to find out why they didn't treat him, was told it wasn't neccessary as he had no symptoms.

On the wipes front, I have been using them since hospital and have had no side effects. I wanted to start using washable wipes but have been vetoed by DH as he 'gave in' on the reusable nappies.

Might however make some and start using them and see what he says

If I have missed anyone sorry, Have been up since 5.30 this morning as Isaac was very snuffly last night and DH has an important meeting today

Hi all and great to see new JJune joiners and returners!

Re wipes - when I went into hospital to have the baby I took cotton wool with me (as per the books). When I took them out to change the baby the MW just laughed and asked where my wipes were! I buy organic ones with no chemicals. They have camomile and essential oils in them and Luke has not got nappy rash once (nd they smell lovely!). I use them to do his fce and hands too (and use them on myself occasionally).

Re colic - I have discovered gripe water - thank the lord!! So much better than infacol which does nothing. Sometimes Luke burps before I even get to rub his back!! Great big builders burps too. He slept 2 4 hour sessions 11-3, 3-7) last night better than he has for ages . Only thing is thta he hates the tste and cries when I give it to him (it is vile!!) but the benefits outweigh the negatives.

Essie answer your emails hun - trying to organise something for this week to meet up in Landan Tahn!

Morning

Welcome Lin, I love the name Timothy!

Essie, LOL poonami! Also fab that you are breastfeeding buddy! It's a really good idea.

Whinegums and others, I've just started being able to let Dorothy (reflux baby) settle herself, though am still paranoid that the crying is due to wind or that she's about to be sick. But I noticed her wake up in her Moses basket very chilled the other day and send herself to sleep sucking on her own fingers.

I am so with everyone talking about Groundhog day. It's awful to wish the time away, but having done it before, I want to be past the night-time feedings and the total helplessness, and on to 4 months plus. I know there are others who like the tiny baby part, but I'm not one of them.

Ktpie, sorry about the thrush

Sponge, your MIL. Why wouldn't she put a picture of you in the collage - or worse, why wouldn't it occur to her that you might be offended?

Debs, glad Ethan's hip scan went well. LOL farting in general direction of the paediatrician!

Re epxressing, I express at about 3.30 am to keep up my milk supply - and also so that Dorothy will take a bottle if I need her to. (DS never would, which meant I couldn't leave him until he was taking a cup at 15 months old.) Here's a picture on the blog of DH feeding Dorothy in the middle of the night Tip from the BF counsellor, you can get the milk to come faster if you massage / press your milk ducts as you express. I got 240 mil in 15 minutes last night, though I do have a seriously industrial expressing machine.

Josie, sorry that you had the trauma of having a GA and so on. And why did they have to make it so difficult for you????

Dorothy has just started doing her first farts. Awww, she has a great future ahead of her.

Amber, do you think it's worth us getting gripe water instead of Infacol. I will try anything to get her wind up!

The BF counsellor recommended this website, which I am just looking at now.

Debs DS also has a most windy bottom and he really does stink!!! I have only expressed a couple of times and that was because I went out to the cinema.

Morning all. Had a good night last night - B was very lively til about 8, fed him and he wasn't sleepy at all, so he stayed up with his Dad and then nodded off about 11. I gave him a lovely sleepy bf, and then he went straight off. Woke at 3, I thought he wanted feeding, but he was cold! Temp really dipped in the night here, and his little hands were like ice (bad mummy again), as soon as I picked him up he snuggled into me and went straight back to sleep again. I thought he would wake up soon after for a feed, so let him snooze on my chest, next thing I knew it was 6.30, and we'd both had a good kip! Result!!!

He is being quite chilled and happy this morning - we are in the kitchen with the radio on and he is in his bouncy chair.

B also does rotten eye watering farts and loads of them. I fed him in the baby room at the local shopping centre last week, he was really letting rip, and another woman feeding her baby gave me some very strange looks, I think she thought it was me!!!!!!

Debs, I try to express once a day, don't always manage it - just so we have some milk ready if we're going out - I prefer to give B a bottle when we're out just because it's quicker. And - I am GOING OUT tomorrow night with my best chum for a proper dinner and wine! So I can have a few glasses and B can have ebm rather than getting p*ssed like his mum! I can't wait!!!

Agree with the Groundhog Day stuff - I love being a mum, but some of this is SOOOOO boring!

Is it sad that I am getting excited about being able to wear a normal bra and clothes that I don't have to feed in??

deb, I don't express at all yet - I bf because I am too disorganised for any other option and adding in expressing would complicate it too much for me! Though I will need to start soon to get her taking the bottle and build up a stash in the freezer for when I get back to work in November, but I keep putting it off ... But then I am the opposite of routined at the moment, couldn't even really define 'a feed' or tell you how often she feeds, it's just as and when, in and around whatever else we're doing, so not sure when I am going to add in the expressing anyway.

UDC Definitely recommend Gripe Water. It's only a couple of quid so try it out. Make sure you ask the pharmacist for a pipette or dropper whatever they call them as trying to get a spoon into a 7 week old baby's mouth is not going to happen! They are free from a pharmacy so don't bother buying one. Good luck!!

sponge interesting what you say re giving up b/f...I'm winding down slowly -expressing a bit off to stop the breasts feeling too uncomfy then trying to wind down amount of times I'm doing this (Hv suggestion). Decided to do this as didnt want to risk making my eu milk lake bubble any worse (which would happen if went cold turkey).. but going to breast specialist tomorrow so will ask them what they think.

hi debs... good to hear from you - re bottom burps, the volume as much as the smell is what gets me... she sounds like some old docker

Deb yes, we've had several nappy false alarms here, thinking that Iestyn has done the big one, but he just farts smelly ones...
Also on expressing, I don't give Iestyn ebm very often, but I do express a lot to keep things under control...I've also been collecting milk in shells (breast shells - sounds like I go to the beach there!) and it's amazing how much just leaks out when I'm feeding from the other breast.
5gomad (great name btw) thanks for the eco link! I think I saw some eco wipes in Waitrose. I nipped in there last night in desperation because I'd had a colour run incident and nowhere else had colour run remover. I assumed that Waitrose shoppers were too posh to have disaster washes like me but clearly not. Anyhow, it was lovely, and I so want to shop there all the time! I bought some of their baby shampoo, same as baby bottom butter, and it's lovely. I also use Simple wipes, and I got loads of them for free. They all seem to be fine but then I'm not a rashy person, and neither is DH.
Sponge I can just see you at your MIL's soiree, sitting on a big throne, holding Alex and being the Queen of Mothers. You should wear a tiara! I've remembered my secret weapon for my MIL's party - I have Fountain Breasts (copyright)! I do a fine impression of the Trevi Fountain at 9.30 am most mornings.

Groundhog Day - yes, we have that here too, but tell me, when do I get it right so that it all stops?

Amber e-mail sent - sorry about the delay, it took a while to settle down after the journey and I was at my godson's party on Sunday.

Essie& Pah!! Call that an excuse!!

quick question, you bottle feeders, when do you move on to the next size up of teat? my boobs are going pretty fast nowand she is taking less and less ebm, so amstarting to wonder if she needs a bigger teat.

Hi all - gawd, what crappy weather. Its been raining non-stop today so stuck in the house trying to entertain two kids and a stroppy baby. J being a pain today and seems to have decided to do the 'too tired to feed, too hungry to sleep' cry all day so far. I have managed to get some small feeds/sleeps in him between screaming but it is definitely going to be one of those days. Can't even go for a run in the car as dh has stolen it.

MIL - even the nice ones can be odd about precious first grandchildren. Mine is ok, but when ds1 first born she wanted a family portrait done of her, dh and ds. IE. without me! I was really upset. She has calmed alot since then and has been fine with J.

My mother in law is fine thankfully although she does tell me that every time the baby cries it's because he has a pain and makes him 'ride a bicycle' with his legs even though I told her the MW said don't do it as it can damage their hips.

Luke has the slowest teats - I tried the anti colic bottles but the teats were too fast and he kept choking.

sybil re. the MIL photo without you!

Essie lol re. the fountain breasts. I regularly leak all over the bed as I can't bear to wear a bra with pads in bed. Also too lazy to express in the night - am impressed by those of you who do!

debs I express so I have some handy for when I go out. A is a very fussy feeder and I wouldn't be keen on bf him outside the house

I'm glad to hear quite a few of you are moving to wipes. Have been PFB until now with cotton wool, but I can't see it lasting long. Although A seems to poo in every single nappy, so no poonamis just yet!

Sorry for those of you I've missed out, and welcome to the newcomers

Bought some Colief yesterday for A's colic. He does seem a lot calmer today, so I'm really hoping it's not a coincidence and that it's working - time will tell. Brought him to the baby clinic today to be weighed and he didn't scream when undressed and put on the scales, which is v unusual for him! At £10 a go I hope it works anyway!

at the crappy weather - got soaked earlier and now have massive bush hair. Not really practical to carry an umbrella with a pram!

Planning on a long walk with buggy this afternoon but at the weather. May go anyway to help clear my head.

I never wrote my birth story as TBH I get too upset each time I try to do so (hospital and MW's so rubbish). In responding to another thread today I got really upset about the first few hours spent in hospital after Ryder's birth. I thought I was ok about it all, but perhaps not....does anyone have any experience of making a complaint via PALS or of the Birth Trauma Association? I don't know if I've over-reacting or if it would be a good idea to talk to someone.... Anyone got hold of their birth notes or has any idea how I would go about getting these?

Deb - I express so that should I need to I can run away for an hour or two and leave DH to it! I also find it easier to bottle feed when out and about (eg: on a train) as R can take ages to feed on the breast. Generally at the first feed of the day I express from one side whilst R feeds from the other. We had a good night last night (LO good at night, but a little monkey during the day!).

Allnew - I am exactly the same as you. Boobs are overflowing when I get up (esp if R has slept through), literally. I really should get up and express, but can't be bothered....

Hi everyone, thanks for your comments re expressing.

Allnew - I too can't bear to wear a bra in bed, I did with ds1 and 2 but found it so uncomfy and the pads always slipped. So this time I sleep on a double thickness towel with a muslin cloth draped over me to absorb leakages, then pop it in the wash in the morning!

Wipes - in hospital here you change the babies in a special room with changing mats, baths, clothes, nappies etc and I was very surprised to find only wipes available . But then I was also very surprised that we had to check our babies temperature every day - rectally , then weigh them and record in their book!!

Penguin, I've just read your post on the other thread, jeez, I don't think you're over reacting at all. That mw should be sacked - doesn't matter how busy it was, there was no need to behave like that. I'm both and for you. I definitely think you should talk to someone, lots of other threads here mention birth trauma association positively.

penguin, just read the other thread and i really think you should complain to the supervising mw at st george's. what happened is totally against all protocols. have no experience of retrieving birth notes etc but i do know that my last birth still made me cry until after i had had another birth and counselling probably would have really helped me. typing one handed again sorry xxxx

Penguin that is truly terrible. Shocking. I think counselling might be helpful, and you certainly should make a complaint - George's has a bad name generally, but really they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it! I refused to be in London from 33 weeks + in case I ended up there!

I asked for my notes recently because I still had them until my final mw visit, but I didn't know it was my final mw visit until she walked out with my notes! I wanted to say goodbye! I also wanted to read them so I asked my HV how I could get them. She was a bit hazy on details but they all know DH is a lawyer who does medical neg from time to time... . But it is definitely possible to have them.

I think also you might consider other options if you were to have another baby (wouldn't blame you if you didn't after that). I had a really good NHS experience, the total opposite to you. But FWIW, the midwive who delivered Iestyn came to visit me in hospital the next day (!! that's unusual I think but she was really, really lovely, a special person!) but partly to offer to meet me to discuss my birth experience. I was a little upset because I felt things had gone wrong (they had, in that I had a retained placenta, which is not common and v. unlucky, and the 'manual extraction' was pretty traumatic but after about a week I got over it because it's just one of those things and not really connected to giving birth to Iestyn). Anyhow, she wanted to talk me through things, explain what she did and when, told me to look at my stitches in a mirror etc etc.

Now, I'm saying this not to gloat, but because when I commented to my community mw how amazing this woman was, she said all midwives were supposed to offer this!! Anyone else had this offer??? Mostly they don't bother, because they're too busy, and most people don't know to ask. (Penguin - you might not want to see yours though!)

It shouldn't be such a lottery, though. I had a mw help me go to the toilet in the night (had a spinal block), and she helped me with the bidet and when I left bloody pools everywhere in the bathroom she told me to take a shower, and she would clean up. Amazing. She then helped me bf at 3am. But another friend who was 2 beds down from me had her baby taken away (when she was being stitched up) and fed formula despite her making it clear she wanted to bf. She had also been sent home with DVT but insisted on going back which saved her life (literally - it moved to her lungs). Same hospital...lottery.

Sorry, so long... should have e-mailed you, Penguin.

Mind you, just thinking about it, it seems to be the aftercare that was the problem for you. Totally shocking.

PP - really sorry to hear about your hospital experience. That MW should be sacked. I also arrived on the ward at 3am, exhausted and disorientated, DH was sent home and S cried the entire night. I was terrified. I found it really difficult to even think about the entire experience without breaking down, particularly as I feel that this and the rest of my immediate post-natal care led to the problems I had trying to bf. No advice really, but big hugs.

Not a therapist, Penguin, what DQ just said made me realise what you have achieved, despite the dreadful experience:
A healthy baby, very happy and growing well (from what I saw!).
You're breastfeeding him - still going, and insisted despite quite strong persuading otherwise.
You're made of pretty stern stuff, and to breastfeed despite everything is amazing! I would have caved in at the hospital...

Wow - you ladies are great, thank you so much. I've been "getting on with it", but the other thread really brought it all back and that's ignoring the next 5 days in hospital which weren't much better! I have a habit of coping, aka burying this sort of thing that I don't think is very healthy....

Essie - Bizarrely it hasn't put me off childbirth, just St Georges! I'm actually quite broody ATM, must be hormones.

BDQ - It wasn't the great start to BF I was hoping for either. I found your birth story quite traumatic too....

Am investigating with PALS (Patient and Liasion Service) how to get a copy of my notes. Hopefully will get them in the next two weeks and then speak to GP at 8 week check up (my GP is great) and see what she recommends.