June 2008 - The Olympics are here and Mums deserve gold medals

[ThePenguinProject]

Thought I'd start a new thread before we ran out of space! Couldn't remember the exact name suggestion so have paraphrased, the sentiment is still the same though...

Ta sponge the removal not too much of a secret - my stitches came undone within 4 days of the birth. The midwife removing them was more painful than childbirth . They dont restitch so have been healing 'au naturel'. I'll leave you all to come to your own conclusions as to why I'm now concerned...

Oh, I see what you mean, BDQ! I remember you had to have your stitches removed but thought maybe you'd had to have them put back in again and was now having them removed again. Yes, I think I'd be a bit worried too . . . . Has your GP had a look to see how everything is?

Eeek BDQ, that all sounds very unpleasent. Hope it all heals okay.

Hi everyone, sorry for v quick post and not being able to respond to anyone in particular apart from to say the 1st in Glasgow is fine with me and I am looking forward to it!

DP is away at the mo, hence lurking and not much posting.

Take care all and hope to catch up properly soon xx

Been reading but not posting as LO has become very demanding - I see we've got famous babies now then!?

BDQ - Hope everythings ok with your stitches. I've got a smear at my 8 week check up 2m. Yuk, yuk, yuk! Hate them more than anything and I'be now had colonoscopies, ventouse and a c section. TMI - thank god DH and I have done the deed, it'd be awful to have my post baby virginity taken by a metal wrench...

Sorry for the quick egocentric post - I was really just trying to get this one back on my "threads I'm on". Don't want to ignore anyone (I get that paranoia as well...) - Love you all!

Evening everyone

Debs im doing ok thanks, i think my hormones are begining to balance which helps

Ernest lovely to see you back hope your not to grey after the school hols!! Olivia is doing very well - sticking fingers up at lots of professionals

Makecakes glad your feeling a better.

Sponge hugs sorry if I have offended I've been really crap at reading properly lately.

Allnew sod them and there comments, babies arent as weak as made out you should see what they do to Olivia to test her it scares the s**t out of me, they pratically through her head back and fore!

5gomad did they cancel when they arrived? I think I would have put a food up the arse along with the FKoff

g43 what a lovely pic

Talking of periods mine have got worse with each child, they have given me an Implant this time to see if they can reduce them or stop them completely...my 1st lasted 10days and I could hardly move not ideal!!!!

cant remember who asked about the odd dream I had, what I thought it meant....to be honest I just think im stark raving mad

BDQ i dont know when DH will be home im slowly going mad, he has been away 2weeks now.

DH still stuck on top of radio active material, im making light of it and telling him his poo had better not be glowing when he returns.

Well now on anti reflux meds, thank god, it had got so bad that the other night(warning this is disgusting and very slummy) Olivia was so violently sick her tube flew straight out and smacked me in the face. DD1 was also in my bed so as the sick was everywhere and I didnt dare wake her I swung the quilt round and through the pillow on the floor.

Had physios out yesterday, they were please with movements, she performed well rolling lifting head, they said it was her using muscle tone from another part of her body if we sit her like this she wont do it LMFAO she did it just to prove them wrong YEAH!!!

Laura re the long term effects, I think they really are terrified of saying anything positive incase people think oh they are cured then try and sue. I dont want her future written in stone it would just be nice for them to say she is doing well for what we expected, because she is, ho hum.

AH was great to see you again, and it was a much more relaxed play time, DD thinks she has a new best friend now, what stories I have had about your DS lol! hope F gets on ok tomorrow and you dont stab your HV

Right I will shut up now its a bit of a jumbled post sorry.

I also just wanted to say a huge thank you to those of you that have helped the Special Nursery. Since the online page went live we have raised a further £870, we are still waiting on all forms to come back also but rough calc is between 2,500/3,000 its fantastic

Sponge - I missed you! Look a few pages back and I'm asking where you are!

I'm sure you'll be great with the next IVF. If you've done it once, etc (this is not medical opinion, just mine, sorry!) And, a private note for you - remember we had a 'conversation' (here) about my friend who came to see me and Iestyn when he was 3 weeks old, but who can't conceive herself? Well, her first attempt at IVF has resulted in a pregnancy! She's only 3 weeks pregnant, though, and was telling me because I'm her friend (!) but also because I've got experience of being pregnant for a tiny bit before he/she goes away so I don't start counting chickens (or eggs or anything). Although because it's someone else I'm totally overexcited. I really, really want it to work for her! Happy vibes - it worked for you, will work again! And I know IVF isn't the loveliest process, and is really traumatic (I however found my natural conception pregnancy a bit traumatic!) but this time you know what you're doing, and you get a really good result at the end of it (isn't your Alex just perfect in every way?).

On a selfish note - crikey, this rain is doing my head in. I have NAPPIES to wash!! It must be bad because for me - a Welsh girl born and bred - to complain about the rain...

Oh, some more comments:
GF3 how lovely! How did you get that job? Iestyn was supposed to be a model (with me and Dh...) for a Dorling Kindersley book on new parents. But they haven't been in touch for a while. I reckon they must have seen the lack of muscle tone on me - well off putting. Shame, because I told DH he had to grow a big fat moustache like the man from the Joy of Sex.

Nothing much else, but penguin, damn you, I forgot I'm due a smear. Bugger. GP forgot to ask, and I'm going to have to make an appointment. Grr. You'd think, after having people with hands up me (sweeps, examinations for (non)dilation, clip, blood test in utero, placenta removal) that I'd be ok with it, but nope, still dreading it... Also nearly fainted with a blood test last week - they only kept me this side of conscious by slapping my face. No exaggeration.

Josey, I'm so glad Olivia's doing so well. YOu must be in and out of hospitals & doctors even more than me

Actually, it's lucky I found you lot again. I was reading yesterday someone saying about taking their ds for his 8 weeks jabs & I thought, shite, I've not taken Adele for any, checked, and indeed, should've taken her 3 weeks ago, oops. Bad mum alert. Will phone 1st thing this morning

Adele slept from 10 last night to 5.30 this morning, but I'd already woken up, my breasts like 2 zeppelins & leaking all over, so I had to wake her up - she's straight back to sleep, but I'm now up for a far too early start to the day.

"has anyone seen the news about the hairdresser who's gone to jail for stealing thousands of pounds of hairstraighteners and selling them on ebay? Its my hairdresser, and while I wouldn't condone what he's done, WTF am I going to do for a hairdresser? He's really really good!"

That made me laugh so much Maybe you could visit him in prison and take a pair of scissors along with you?

5 go mad - also interested in your GI diet - are you just doing it from a book, or a diet club or what? I must do something. I've ben deluding myself, "I've just had a baby", but she's almost 3 months old ( ) and I've actually gained weight since the birth ( ), and last night we were walking along & dh spotted and pointed out a poster for a women's aerobic/body shaping class with child care. I asked if he was making a point & he denied it & got a bit flustered, but the point was made nonetheless...... I guess I've been on a sugar binge for the last x weeks.

btw - 5go mad - are you Sophie or are there 2 dorset people here? Anyway, to Sophie - thanks again for the meshes I think of you everytime I haul my stinky nappies out of the bucket

Morning everyone, I'd like to apologise for not always replying personally to people on here , like others I read the posts but when it comes to replying on of the children need me or I get kicked off the computer by dh !!

Another great night here - Ernest - The 1st 2 nights I did wake up before Ethan with the huge leaking boobs but last night they were OK, If it becomes a regular thing then the boobs readjust don't they, I can vaguely remember from ds1 (never happened with ds2 as he didn't sleep through)

Ernest - How's ds3 - what happened at the Drs?

Josey - Can't believe you have time to post , and to answer people personally, with all your drs appointments etc... Olivia is proving everyone wrong and it's wonderful to hear your stories.

G43 - Your lo is gorgeous, am I right in thinking your other children also model? Was it easy to get into?

Sophie - HUGE CONGRATULATIONS - on telling your stupid guest to leave very politely!!! LOL. Was it just a 1 nighter or longer? We just have guests in 1 apartment now until 30th August then it's all quiet.

Whose the one with the criminal hairdresser? Made me laugh but poor you having to find a new one!

Sponge - hope you're feeling a little better today.

Re periods I haven't had one yet , E was 2 months old on Sunday. Not looking forward to it. Last time I didn't have them for too long as I had the Mirena coil fitted but here it costs 400? for one, even on the National health.

My Mum's here now which is great but not for long enough, she goes again tomorrow night.

Paro - where are you ?

Neenz - how are those lovely twins?

Ernest it is me - I am just doing it from the cookery books and lost 6lbs in 3 weeks without really trying ashave drunk and eaten chocolate so if I really put my mind to it then I should do better. I love being associated with stinky nappies

Also thanks all for the support, it disgusts me that someone could have so little respect for the men and women everywhere who are putting their lives on the line because of decisions made by governments. His wife apparently also complained that I had lied to her about how busy the road was, now I told her it was quiet thinking that we are a B&B and she wanted to know what it was like at night, but know she decided that at 2pm on an August afternoon when people were leaving Lulworth Cove that that was what it was going to be all night. OK rant over, luckily they were only in for 1 night.

Me with the criminal hairdresser! Top news story on BBC Scotland yesterday. Am seriously considering trying to get a visiting order but not sure if I'll get the scissors in...

Stitches - thanks all for sympathy. Ladybits have healed, GP said 'well, women managed without stitches for years...' but I'm kind of thinking that's just not good enough! TBH I'd quite like to see a consultant or someone for some reassurance that I've got 'normal' post baby ladybits now or whether I need a wee stitch or two. The MW is coming to see me today to have a look (I think because its not very common, so she wants to have a look and see how its all healed) so will have a chat with her.

Re: smear - my GP told me that they dont do post-natal smear checks till 12 weeks now because the cells dont really settle down? I tried to book appointment but was told that I can only book the week before! Wasn't too happy. I'm completely in favour of the 'book on the day you need an appointment' policy at the doctors, but how on earth am I going to remember in 6 weeks time that I need to book a post-natal smear.

On the diet/exercise front I saw the physio yesterday. My seperated stomach muscles are now down to 1 cms but I really must do the exercises to help my rather painful lower back. Sadly, I'm not to do any strenuous exercise for another 6 weeks. I consoled myself with a cake

Looking forward to seeing all the Glasgow gals on the 1st September - I think everyone has confirmed now?

Josey at your slumminess! You're allowed.

g43 lovely photo, MIL buys Isaac loads from m&s so shall drop some hints for that jacket

5gomad at your guest, should have suggested siberia for peace and quiet!!

essie i still hang my nappies out in the rain as need the sunlight to bleach them!! then wack them in the dryer for finishing off

ernest gi diet is really easy, just buy the books, they have some wierd looking muffin and cookie recipies but they are lovely

pp hope your 8 wk check goes ok, and hope that ryder is ok for his jabs

off to the bf cafe later on as dh has been googling my 'thrush' symptoms, and has decided i actually have a blocked duct as there appears to be a white crust on my nipple(?) and he can feel 'a lump'. Not sure whether i believe him as he is notoriously bad at going to the gp when he is ill, but worth a try

sorry if i have missed anyone,

5gomad army base doesn't bother me a bit! hope they couldn't find anywhere to stay and had to sleep in their car! I'm looking forward to a low GI breakfast now!

BDQ my stitches fell apart too, GP checked them on Monday and all healing up, not quite there yet, but getting there, sure yours will too! they don't resuture wounds that come apart as much more likely to get infections.

katyjo I take it that's your RL name, probably a good thing we have unimaginative names or no doubt I would be asking random women at the exercise class if they were bulletnipples or something! for PP sponge sorry you were feeling neglected, hopefully all the nice messages will have reassured you that your presence is wanted!!

G43 lovely picture, how cute, feel free to boast as much as you like here!

Ernest hope DS3 was OK after his dr visit.

Deb any joy on the estate agents?

Essie how nice for your friend, I'll keep my fingers crossed that it all continues to go well.

Josey great to hear about all the progress and proving the physios wrong!

everyone else hope you are all well and everyone is learning about lots of interesting new sports with the olympics, can anyone explain to me why the female beach volleyball players need to have quite such skimpy outfits though??? there's just no need for bare midriffs

Hi all, DQ, missed your news with your criminal hairdresser on skim through, so cheers Ernest for pointing it out.

Has anyone heard of/tried Infacol probiotic drops? B has turned into Screamy MacScreamerson of an evening - started with about an hour and now it's around 3 - it's like my lovely chilled baby is possessed by the devil between the hours of 8 and 11pm! Did some research on t'internet, and apparently there was a promising Italian study of treating colic with probiotics. Ordinary Infacol hasn't worked at all, neither has gripe water, so I'm going to give this a go, but trying to track them down is proverbial needle in haystack territory. I think I'll have to see if Boots or my local pharmacist can order them.

DQ, I didn't tear/have stitches - I had 'grazes' - but I also feel my nethers aren't what they were - not that I thought they would ping back immediately, but am quite at how it all feels. Mentioned to the doc at my 6 week check on Monday - she said I was fine and it would take around 3 months for things to start to feel 'normal' again - what with hormones, stretching, etc. Katyjo replied to one of my earlier posts on the same subject to say she thought it was about 6 months for her first time around. But I think you are absolutely right to get checked out - your GP's comment is not v helpful! Women also ended up with other childbirth injuries, prolapses, etc etc for before the NHS came along!!!

Interesting about waiting til 12 weeks for a smear - my doc couldn't do it the other day, and told me to get it done at family planning clinic at the same time I get the mirena coil fitted (Deb, if you're planning on coming back to the UK for a visit any time soon, I'm sure you could call into a FPC to get one fitted without paying £400!), but didn't mention waiting. Hmmmm.

Hedgehog, good luck at bf cafe. We have shifted the thrush we had quickly - I had fluconazale (not sure of spelling...) and B had Daktarin mouth gel, and it cleared up within a week, so if you're still suffering, maybe your DH is right. Anyway, I hope you get it sorted out, I can't believe the difference it's made to bf, I don't think I'll ever be one of those mums who love it, but it's certainly a hell of a lot better for me.

Sorry if anyone is feeling paranoid/left out - I agree with what others have said, by the time I catch up my brain can't retain enough info to be able to reply to everyone. And quite often, I don't have any advice either as I slowly feel my way through all of this! I've said before though, I love hearing what everyone else has been doing/going through/is up to, and I DO appreciate the help and support I've had from you all.

PP, pleased I'm not the only one that's paranoid !

josey, sounds like Olivia continues to confound expectations. I used to work with parents of children with special needs (school age) and reading their records it was quite often amazing at what had been predicted from birth compared to what they actually achieved. And with a mum like you she's got the best start in life.

Also, fantastic news on dh's fundraising - that money will make such a difference to the nursery. Well done!

Essie, thank you for missing me . And wonderful news about your friend with the IVF - yes it is early days for her but fingers crossed it all works out.

IKWYM about the rain - that was one of the questions I asked actually! Does anyone manage with reuseables and no tumble dryer - I'm still dithering with the idea and becoming quite attached to Pampers in the meantime. Loads of you seem to be using reuseables and you're putting me all to shame.

Sorry to hear about the blood test too - they tend to have that effect on me too so you have my every sympathy!

Ernest, I've also put on weight since the birth but am now taking drastic action since my visit to the IVF clinic - goal weight by Christmas!

deb, thank you, I am feeling a little better today thanks to a very good sleep (LO slept from 9pm til 6am, then again from 6.45am til 10am!). Amazing how crap sleep deprivation can make you feel on top of everything else .

5gomad, they sound like a v weird couple but I suppose that's an occupational hazard in your line of work.

BDQ, I'm interested in all this talk of post-natal smears - are we all supposed to have them or are a few of you just due them anyway? I had one last year, do I need another one?

I also had a good laugh about your hairdresser - sorry !

hedgehog - hope it's nothing serious.

Right, I've been promising my local NCT group that I'd write a couple of articles for their magazine so I suppose I should go and do them now.

Laura, thank you. I totally agree with you about the women's volleyball btw - but have been quite at quite a few of the sports that are included in the Olympics now, it's all getting a bit out of hand!

whinegums, you can buy them on line if that's any good - or did you want them quicker?

probiotic drops

I mentioned this in my long post, but will ask it separately for those skimming who may have some advice.

This is for those using reuseable nappies:

(1) do you all have tumble dryers - I just don't have the drying space for all those nappies but don't really have space for a tumble dryer either!

(2) what is your motivation for using them - environmental or cost?

I was adamant I was going to use reuseables before Alex came along but I'm becoming increasingly attached to my Pampers and need some persuading! Thanks.

no time for me to post these day with the move and organising DD's birthday party.

Just want to say sophie and spongebob you are as much a part of this thread as anybody and we like you a lot, but we all lack time everynow and again. Nothing personnal really

Hello

Yes debs I am here didnt post yesterday as i was following closely the tragic news that has hit our island. So ffar we have not received any news that anyone we know has been affected but on such a small island and the fact that between Dp and I we teach and have taught many children and their parents here we hope that none of them have been affected. Quite a shock, its a route we use regularly when travelling to Holland and Uk as cheaper than charter flights, makes you put world into perspective.

On another note it is hard to keep up, i tend to do mega long posts like this one and find questions etc get lost so think i will ask questions and respond specifically to questions in shorter posts.

Cant respond right now to anyone!!as going to catch up on news before LO wakes up, will be back on later to chat more.

Ta DQ - have just called the manufacturers, they're out of stock cos they have stopped making them! Think I will try and get some acidophillus tablets from health food shop - Jack Newman recommends this - breaking open the capsule and giving some via fingertip. Worth a try am getting desperate!!

Deb & Laura, thanks for asking, ds3 came back fine - I was dreading it. They were testing his growth hormone levels as basically he isn't growing. He'll be 5 in 3 months, yet he's about the size of a big 2 or normal 3 year old and only 13 kilos (have 12 month old neice who's 10.5 kilos). He had to fast and was on drip all morning and have loads of blood tests ( every half hour) and ultrasounds and couldn't move or eat till noon, but he did really well. Now have 3 week wait for results. Just pray they can work out what it is, and more importantly, fix it. Not a prob so far but when he starts Kindergarten in 2 weeks and he's half the size of the other kids..

SBSP,My goal for weight loss is also Christmas (coming back to UK for Adele's baptism & don't want to look like a whale) How much are you aiming to loose?

btw, i'm using reusable for both your reasons.

Firstly, environment. Feel strongly about this, and so do German government! We only have 1 x 60 liter bin that's emptied once a fortninght. believe me, that's nothing. no way could we fit reusables in.

and cost - I've used most of my nappies for all 4 kids, so really got my money's worth. I've lost count of the amount of times she's weed or pood all over a nappy as I was about to put it on, so I've gone through 3 or 4 nappies in an hour! And been very glad at that point I could just bung it in machine.

I do tend to line dry mine, but do have a tumble drier, so I'm never stuck I do think it would be difficult if you didn't have loads of indoor line space or a drier tho.

hello to everyone. phew. forgot how time consuming this is, esp when you go on as much as me

dramaqueen yes, that one I sent the link for does project onto the ceiling, and has various tunes/noises to play. It's quite soothing at nightime and A was looking at the images last night on the ceiling for the first time

amber thankfully A was wearing an old outfit when he had the poo incident as well - but that was because he'd peed on the nice one I'd put on him in the morning - so much washing!!

sponge I echo what others have said. I'm particularly bad at remembering who has posted what, but I definitely remember that you've taken the time to reply to me on various occasions. Please stay on the thread! Also on the bad mother front, I think it's something we'll all be haunted by continually from now on. I was reading a thread the other day about childcare, and now I'm worrying about leaving A in a nursery next July! I think the fact that you're questionning it means that you are a good mother, because otherwise you wouldn't be bothered

On the period question, I don't know whether I've had one or not, but I've been bleeding on and off for the last 7 weeks now

And on the subject of TMI, has anyone not had sex yet?!

5gomad pmsl at you telling the rude guest to f off!

josey that's great news that Olivia is continuing to do well.

Glasgow gals - sorry to be a major PITA but S has his jags (aka jabs for not Scottish folk) on 1 September. It's not easy to get them changed either so wondered if we could change the date? I think Wed 3 Sept was the alternative date that suited everyone so wondered if that was any good?

sponge re reusables, for me it was largely environmental - I didn't like the thought of all those disposable nappies clogging up landfill long after me and S had long since passed away. Since S has come along our bin is nearly full every week, and we recycle loads - we used to have about two small bin bags each week. That said, I haven't actually started using my cloth nappies! S wasn't too keen on them when I tried last week so been waiting till he got over his colicky stage before I tried again. To ease my environmental conscious I've been using the nature babycare ones which are bit more eco friendly.

On the subject of colic whinegums did you try dentinox? Infacol was no good for S, but the dentinox kicked in immediately. You dont need to wait for it to build up in system either.

Laura am reassured to hear your stitches came apart too (sorry!) perhaps we can discuss the gorier details at meetup

Paro I hope no-one close to you is affected by this awful tragedy. It really is heartbreaking and quite frightening. Plane crashes normally happen in far flung places (not that they are any less heartbreaking) so it must be a real shock to have something happen on your doorstep.

Sponge - I thought everyone was to have a post natal smear but not sure, I'm due one anyway.

He's awake for his feed right on cue! Gotta go.