July 2008 - Now our babies are arriving let's have a thread to talk about them...

[minipinkscottish]

Hi ladies
I know there are many of us still to pop but thought it would be nice to start a thread that we can come to once the LO's are here

Abbie is 4 weeks and 3 days old today and my due date isn't here yet

Abbie is doing great - eating and sleeping and very content. The feeding was hard going at first as it is very frequent with her being early but I think you actually get used to being tired

Someone (sorry can't remember who) was talking about bottle and bf together and nipple confusion. Well all the times I have bf I have done so exclusively even when it was very difficult - I am stubborn As Abbie was early and lost a good bit of weight the mw advised topping her up with ebm through a syringe. This was tough as I was bf then trying to express only to bf 1 hour later - so I gave her formula to top up. Giving her the milk in a syringe became difficult as they tended to spurt the milk too quickly at times. So I gave her a bottle to top up( Tommee Tippee - closer to nature) and it was great!!

I bf her all day and then top up after bf at night to get a bit longer sleep - it's working - she is putting on weight and no nipple confusion

sorry for huge post - hope you will all come over and join me!!!!!

Hi all
My god trying to catch up here is a no no.. Time is just flying and getting on the PC is a rare treat!

Leah is puking alot and i think she has a little colic!!! Not a great night last night! I NEED SLEEP my body cries.. Health nurse came yesterday and weight her and she is 9lbs 12oz so weight is fine. DD1 was like this and she was 4 months b4 she settled...

Family life is hectic, i really feel there is not enough hours in the day!

hi ladies

hope you are all well. i have been busy taking elodie to the hospital for some check-ups (long story) but its been horrible seeing her scanned and pumped with various liquids.

doesn't seem to have have made her neurotic though - she is gurgling happily next to me on her playmat right now.

I have also been going to all the local nurseries in the area, which is traumatic for me. The system here is really good but you have to sign up for a nursery before your child is 4 months. Today I saw a really great, architect-designed one, with really nice teachers and organic food and a cosy feel to it, but I still feel weird that in 8 months, someone else will change her nappy and give her lunch and play with her in the daytime! Anyway, there is a standard fee of 300 pounds a month regardless of which one you chose, and the quality is high, so I should be grateful really.

She is still doing one middle of the night feed and one early morning, which is manageable. Its so much better now that she is bright-eyed and interactive. I love her little gurgles and smiles and she waves her hands around and even holds her dummy in - great dexterity!

she had very bad cradle cap recently, but i put oil on last night and most of it came off when i washed it this morning.

I am signing up for baby yoga and massage and baby swimming this month, so will be busy. Anyone else doing that kind of thing??

Hi All,

Well finally I have a reason for Calvin being 'difficult' poor wee soul has chickenpox He must have caught it as soon as he was out the womb The spots just came out on his cheeks yesterday (thought it was milk rash) but he has them on his body today and the blisters - no wonder he has been crying and hard to please.

Have given up on the bf too tired and not enough milk and too difficult to get him to latch - poor wee souls throat must have been too sore to suck hard - a bottle is much easier for him. Managed about 1.5 hours sleep at 6am this morning! Up all night with Calvin then DD woke up at 5am crying. She is at nursery today so I am off to have a rest/lie down now.

BM - we just need to guess which one now

DISNEY - cuddles to wee Sam and you.

KAZ - I have been on citalopram for a year now 10mg for anxiety attacks (post traumatic stress disorder) and slight depression. Didn't realise I had depression until the Dr made me fill out one of those questionnaires - I was and started crying. Knew I had terrible anxiety though. Seems to get worse after pg so I am thinking of upping it to 20mg for a while.

Well must go..

Take care allxxx

Tjuice how worrying for you- hope the treatments/assessments help watever the problem is.

And poor Calvin, hope the pox isn't too bad for him Rumpel. Tell any guilty feelings about giving up bf to sod off, you're doing a great job and he will thrive whatever method of feeding. I know that logically you know all that but feelings get in the way of logic!

Glad Minnie that all is well (although tired!)

Just given L a massage, both had a bite to eat, nowhe's asleep and I think I will join him again! Nowt getting done in this house today

Rumpel - aww poor wee Calvin no wonder he has been such a grump just born and chickenpox it isn't fair still at least you can get him over it now and he will hopefully be a lot better. You have had such a rough time of it recently can't believe we are only 3 weeks in as well. Don't beat yourself up about the BFing when they all start school at 5 can you tell who was BF and who wasn't? It's not like it is stamped across their forehead, I'm sure all us 70s formula kids have done alright.

TJuice - hope Elodie is OK scary having tests.

Minnie - I just jump on MN at rare moments when they are all content, B is in her swing right now the other 2 are playing bands. I have just tidied up from a friend and her children being round 6 kids in one house = insanity! Am with you on the sleep thing I crave sleep all the time think I am permantley tired right now.

libra1975 - B sleeps on her side a lot at night when she's finished feeding I think some of them do prefer it, as soon as DD2 could get round she slept on her front and still does, knees bent bum in the air.

Thanks for that isaidno - my LO keeps rolling onto his side. He is not in to sleeping on his back. Have just ordered one. Apparently his ability to roll onto his side will stop soon - was told at 2 weeks but he is still turning...

Any one else find expressing really hard? I can get maybe 1/2 oz at the most, which obviously isn't much. I am desperately expressing during the mornings to try and increase my milk supply as Rory is so desperately hungry in the evenings and I am just not producing enough. He feeds constantly for 5 or 6 hours in the evening and won't settle. I gave him a top up in the end last night of formula in desperation and he guzzled 3 oz and slept for 3 hours - the longest stretch so far. BF him at 1.30am then again at 5.30 and he slept inbetween all night u8ntil 8 am! First time I have had more than 1 or 2 hours sleep any night so far. Am I a bad mother to be planning to do this again tonight? Is one bottle of formula a day at 10 days starting on the slippery slope?

Any advice?

Poor little Calvin Thinking of him and you Rumple.

Also hoping things are improving for you Disney and Sam.

Hope Elodie is OK Tjuice.

EEC - I am completely useless at expressing - I get about 10 ml out. This time round I have saved myself the bother and not even tried. I know it means I can't leave Poppy, but tbh I don't really want to and don't really have the opportunity anyway.
The amount you can express apparently has no bearing on how much baby can get out.

If you want to do a formula feed each day, then do it. Don't feel guilty. IMHO it is a slippery slope - I know that I would have bf longer with ds1 if I had resisted the one ff a day method. You do need to trust your body - if you let Rory feed as much as poss your milk supply will soon increase.

But of course a happy Mummy is very important - and we are all happier when we've had some sleep!!

Rumpel - poor Calvin with the chickenpox. Give him lots of cuddles xxx

tjuice - hope Elodie is ok; baby yoga and swimmming? I wish I had the time!! I might look into some stuff like that in September when the boys are at school and nursery.

tjuice I did everything going with DS1, Yoga, swimming, rhyme and bounce, tumble tots, mother an toddler, every day was something!!! It was fab, now with Sam I can't do any of it without dragging DS1 along, which would be an absolute nightmare! You go and enjoy it.. Also at your cheap nurseries...

Rumple I hope Calvin is feeling OK, bless him getting the dreaded pox so little. I hope Sam doesn't get it, I've got a couple of days left of incubation so fingers crossed...

Disney Hope you and all your children are OK? Hows your pregnant daughter? When is she due?

EEC I was awful at expressing, getting about 15ml out, but I wanted to build up a supply on my freezer for emergencies, so every little helps, but now I can get about 3oz out, I've really persevered with it. Also YOU do what's best for you and your baby, If he is hungry, then he a top up won't do him any harm, and it will save your sanity. Sam was 'cluster feeding' and it was leaving me sore and tired, so we introduced a bottle last thing, meant I could have a few minutes to myself at the end of the day. Bliss!

Anyone I've missed? Sorry if I have...

Twinkle If you're out there, big hugs and I hope everything is OK...

Rumpel- poor little Calvin

Tjuice- Hope Elodie is ok.
I cant wait to take Abigail swimming. My friend has just given me a tiny swim suit with frills around the bottom- very cute!

HV came today and Abigail passed her hearing test. She was weighed too and is now 8lbs 1oz so put on 6ozs in the past 2 weeks.
We survived our first day together with DH at work. Was really good actually with the day going really quickly and plenty of hugs on the sofa

disneystar So glad you are feeling better. It takes time take it slowly don't rush your self or expect too much. I came off anti d's while pregnant a lot better than I was but I still get anxious went into Boston in between Musical totz and breastfeeding support and forgot it was market day was thrown into total panic not felt likethat for a while only Kez and clinging to the buggy that stopped me ending up in a heap so totally understand. I stopped going out the house except after dark (don't ask it was more deal able with after dark thank god for late night shopping) so totally understand.

TJuice re cradle cap normally (not when trying to wash oil out) do you use a baby shampoo or baby bath? Some babies have sensitive skin and it just seems to make it worse/cause it.

RUMPEL there are a lot of us about who have or do suffer from depression anxiety and PTSD (me too) strongly think we should talk about it more because it does help to know you are not the only one and are not going nuts what ever the cause. Don't worry about BF you did your best that is all you ever can do. Most important thing is you do what is best for you both he feeds and gets better and you enjoy your baby not get stressed feeding so stop feeling sad get some rest and enjoy.

Hello all. How you guys find the time to post on here is beyond me! Any free time I have right now is spent sleeping!
EEC have you thought about hiring an expressing machine? I did, and it's been the saviour of me! My milk supply was rubbish until then.
Had a rough day Monday and ended up in floods of tears. Nate had a growth spurt and didn't nap all day and wanted to feed constantly! He's back on track now although still a little grouchy in the mornings.
Catch up soon, hope everyone is ok x

Hello all! Having a rare moment of peace - dh gone to work, Florence been fed and in her pram, and dd1 watching 'In the night garden', next to me on the sofa!! Hurrah for dvds...
We seem to have weekly growth spurts here - yesterday and night before were rough but last night bit better again..
Libra re side lying - is your LO sick also? Just that dd1 had reflux and she hated lying flat, even in someone's arms - always had to be upright. Presumably it was painful for her. Main sign was the projectile vomiting though!!
Have a good day all.
Oh, thanks for all advice re dd1 staying in bed - we now have the travel cot up so she gets one chance and if she gets out of bed she goes in cot. Cries and yells but we just pop in and reassure. She still has all her special things with her obv including one of my cardigans that she wants to sleep with - there is def a lot of separation anxiety going on - during day she is forever asking where I am etc, wants me close.

Morning all.

EEC, I give Logan about three formula top ups a day where he has maybe 2 ozs and am still bfing about 5 times. The bottle saves my sanity and gets me the sleep I really need. It may well be a slippery slope but I'm not planning to breastfeed forever anyway so I think I see it more as a gradual introduction. You've got to do what's best for you because that'll be what's best for baby - who wants a tired stressed mummy if it can be avoided (I know we're all tired and stressed anyway, no need to make it worse and beat ourselves up).

Well, off to use the wii fit to get this jelly belly down.

DH home tomorrow and then we'll all be together forever! Aw!

Thanks everyone for expressing and top up with formula comments. It does help mto talk things through with people who understand.

If you want to express to increase your supply, is it best to do it straight after a feed (I get nearly nothing this way) or about an hour after a feed (I worry there will not be enough for the next feed this way)?

Went for an hours walk today - pretty tiring, but bliss to be not pregnant and able to do it. |I LOVE not being pregnant!

Feeling for all those suffering with depression. I did mildly with DS1 so I know how it can feel. Nothing with DD - all sunshine and roses, but I can feel a little of it sneeking in here with Rory. Not too bad but definite low patches. DH doesn't know how to cope with it at all.

Hello Mummys,

Tired today as Abigail had an unsettled night.
She refused to settle in the Moses basket and after ages of getting her to sleep only to wake the moment she went into her basket, DH ended up sleeping with her on the futon in the Nursery.
Hope its just a one off and not the start of things to come

Was meant to be visiting my work colleges today but seems today is a bad day to visit as they have lots on this week so will have to wait till next week now... bit as I was looking forward to showing her off.

Anyone elses baby really really sucky. Abi sucks her finger, our fingers, anything she can get into her mouth... Really dont want to give her a dummy though.

Right time to grab a quick bit of lunch before Abigail wants her feed.

hi ladies just time for a quick post
very tired today with 1 month of night feeds and ive done every feed so far tiredness is slippin in again

well we had a not fun day today
i was out in the car first time since sam and my front whell started pouring out smoke quickly coming from under the bonnet i was doing 50 at the time
tried to brake foot went totally down no brakes i managed to stop the car with a big artic behing me quite scary stuff
i rang my dh in a panic as i had to get all 4 kids out of the car asap on hard shoulder
bonnet was melting now smoke everywhere
my dh was so busy tellin me what to do and was driving his artic at the time lost concentration and hit a car in front of him everyone is ok my lovely bmw not so lucky huge ins bills are going to have to be paid too
im on meds for panic attacks felt brave venturing out im now home and safe
what a crazy day we all had
at least we are all safe thats the main thing cars can be replaced my dc cant

EEC When in hospital I expressed either straight after or at the same time on the side I did not feed off. But I did not have a milk supply problem I had a lazy child who would not suck initially. Even if you are not getting much or very little you are still stimulating your breasts which is the important thing to increasing your supply.

There are several herbs that can help the one I have heard most people use is Fenugreek (that site is also great for other info about increasing milk supply) my SiL had something called "mothers milk tea" which contained several herbs to aid milk supply.

disneystar well done for getting out but god that must have been scary. Makes me even more tired thinking about all that stress. Kez and I are having a lazy stay at home day tomorrow cos I am knackered.

Scary stuff Disney, like you say the main thing is that everyone is ok. Feeling for you Rumple as well!

Sorry to have not been on here for a while, just don't seem to find the time!!

Poppy is a side-sleeper too - we are using bedside cot/co-sleeping so she just snuggles right up to you (and my er, substantial weight seems to help) and onto her side. As long as it's not front I can't see how it does them much harm or am I being naive??

My questions:
1 - her skin is really dry and flaky. We've not been bathing her as she was a bit dry when born but now it's peeling off her on her hands, chest and thighs. Any suggestions? Bathe in oil?/moisturise, but what with, olive oil?? Am wary of Johnson's at this early stage (she's just 8 days).

2 - her cord stump looks really yukky. It looks like it's about to come off but what's underneath looks a bit yellowy to me, is this normal?? I really can't remember.

3 - DS, who is now 21mths - he has a really flaky head. We've just cut his hair to a number 4 and now it's a lot more apparent. Again any suggestions??

Doing ok here although I am dreading DH going back to work (still have 10 days) as I picked up DS for the first time today since birth and he is soooooo heavy. Also I've not been getting enough fluids which has been giving me terrible stomach cramps but that's easily enough remedied!

min912 - Rory has also really dry peeling skin - he is 12 days old now and almost all has now come off - just hands and feet still peeling. The rest of skin is now lovely and smooth. MW said not to put anything on it as it is a natural skin regeneration process and oil doesn't help.

Kaz - how long after a feed does it take for the milk to come in again?

Can I join you ladies?
I had DD2, Ava Hope, on July 23rd. I have DD1 who is 3.3.
I have only read some of this thread, there seems so may of you but I will try to keep up!

min912- Abigail is another one with dry peeling skin. Been told its quite common. Especially if baby had been under the Phototherapy lamp for Juandice as it dries out the skin.( Abigail did for a few days)
Ive been using Johnsons moisturising cream and it been really helping.

Disney- Blimey that sounds scary but glad your all ok.

Went for a lovely walk around the lake today when DH got home from work.

Think im wasting away! Not trying in the slightest but i weigh less now than i did before i was pregnant! Im not complaining though as Abigail is only 2 weeks old!

cross posted but welcome to MyDingaling.

How are you finding being a mummy again?