Sept 08 - newborns, milk, nappies and all the rest ....

[Sassafrass]

Hope noone minds me starting our post natal thread now that the babies are arriving so quickly.

Arrivals!
28-May - Johnworf ? Katherine, 1lb 8oz
30-June ? KashaSarrasin ? Felix, 1.39kg
26-July - Jenbot - DD, 3lb 6oz
11-Aug - Crabby - Lilah 2.34kg
13-Aug - Sassafrass - Katie Rose, 7lb 2oz
20-Aug - Sunshinemummy - Effy Marilyn, 6lb 3oz
22-Aug - Talia1 - Anna, 6lb 2oz
26-Aug - Jenpet - Samuel, 3.166 kilos (about 6lb10oz?)
28-Aug - Potxola - Lorea, 7lb 6oz
31-Aug - Digitalgirl - Alfredo, 7lbs
1-Sept - Debithescot - Andrew, 8lb 10oz

i got given lactulose, as well as fybogel. the lactulose is meant to soften everything, rather than forcing it out, and I have to say that the combination works with somewhat brutal efficiency. Despite 3rd degree tear, the combination of fybogel, lactulose, many many prunes/figs/apricots and lots of water has meant that the most painful it has been is a bit of a dull ache, certainly no feeling that my stitches are going to pop!

DP's step mum is buying us a moses basket today - teddy will settle in his cot occasionally, but to be honest is much happier on me, so I'm hoping that putting the moses basket on the bed (DP going to sleep on inflatable mattress on floor) will be a bit of a compromise. Am far far too paranoid to co-sleep properly, but hoping that this will give us all a little bit more sleep. Plan is to then put the moses basket in the cot after a few days, before losing it completely.

Sorry I disappeared for so long!
I had a little girl on Saturday at 7 am!
Miranda
7 lbs 2 pz
I got out of hospital late on Sunday night and am still really really sore, I was induced and she came very quickly, loads of stitches but I'm so relieved it's over and she's feeding like a mighty hungry lass.
They kept us in because my waters had gone and they wanted to be sure neither of us had any infection.
Have to stumble off now but hope all are well!

jearund I love your pics! How is your dd coping? Mine is a month younger than yours. She's suddenly in the last few weeks started getting jealous when I hold other children or babies (even ones she knows really well) and just shouts 'down!' at them and gets really cross. I respond by putting her on the other knee and telling her how much I love her but that its ok for mummy to cuddle other children too. I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that this stage will pass...!!
Can't wait to join the post-natal thread 'properly'!

I've come to join you girls here - my beautiful daughter (name tba) was born at 3.21am this morning.

Birth Story (copied from other thread):

As I posted here has a show Sun morning and then mild contractions every 20 mins through Sunday night. I was all geared up for everything to start then they stopped.

Irregular but stronger contractions started in the middle of the day and carried on until 11ish - mainly between 10 mins and an hour apart - so not established, but couldn't talk through them.

Typically when I tried to go to bed they got a bit stronger and more frequent (8 - 10 mins) and I put on the TENS machine that I can't rate highly enough.

About 1ish the pains were 5 mins apart and getting sore, I was trying to persuade DH that it might be time to phone, but decided to wait for a bit. The the TENS machine stopped working and I realised how much good it was doing and we decided to go and phone midwife at 1.30am

She arrived 2am by which point TENS machine back on and of course contactions a bit further apart. She examined me - only 4.5cm and talked about possible courses of action, but would see how it progressed. I think she gave me a bit of a sweep whikle she was inside which definitely speeded things up a bit as suddenly I was having a contraction that felt like 3 together!!

They were fast and furious then and I was getting a bit weepy and decided to try the pool. This meant I had to take off my TENS (not good!) and the water didn't help, I wanted to be stood up AND I WANTED GAS AND AIR!!). I was persuaded to stay in the pool for 10 15 mins and I started to feel a pressure in bum, but didn't really say anything.

Finally decided to get out of pool, put TENS back on (bliss!). And persuaded mw that I was feeling the urge to push a bit and really did want gas and air! I don't think anyone really believed that I was that close but my records say the second stage was 6 mins (I know it was longer than that - just hadn't mentioned it!!). Then my beautiful daughter was born, completely perfect.

I have to say, despite all the pain, the 'I can't do its' the 'I've changed my mind' ... it was a privilige to actually push my baby out after having a ventouse delivery last time (although I think I woke the neighbourhood doing so).

I had to have the injection for the 3rd stage 'cos of dodgy blood results and ended up with 3 stiches and a graze - graze SORE for weeing!!

Then I was bf my alert daughter, who really seemed to know what to do , and has been doing regularly since - then to my own bed.

DD(1) was woken by me this morning to see her new sister who she thinks is very cute. She went off to school but I imagine can't wait to get home to give her a cuddle.

I feel great - tired and a little achy but fine.

Good luck to all you others who've got this to come. I just want to say to you all that you CAN do this and the result's worth what you have to go through.

Thanks if you managed to read all this!! x

congrats ipanemagirl ad ninja sounds like a nice birth ninja

It fels nice now - at the time !!

ninja I'm very impressed that you posted your birth story before your daughter is even 12 hours old! Congratulations.

Cannot believe some of you are having sex already! I don't even want to think about that at all yet. I feel a bit sorry for dh has I think he's only had it once since about January but never mind, he hasn't complained. I'm still bleeding a bit too, 3 weeks after the birth, hope it goes soon.

Getting on much better with feeding now. Still getting a little bit of pain when he latches on sometimes but literally only for a second or 2. Also still getting a bit of pain in boobs after the feed but not as bad as before. I'm wondering if it's just sensitive nipples rubbing on breast pads. have also started switching the light on for the middle of night feed (which seems to be bang on 3am every night- who says you can't get a small baby into a routine?!) which has helped get the latch right and dh didn't even notice so I needn't have worried about disturbing him!

Debi glad the feeding is getting better I was sore when I had ds and felt like giving up but after 2 weeks I was soo glad I stuck at it.

Anya Rachel was born at 2.55am on Monday 22nd September, 7lbs 9. Had a night of painful BH on Saturday, then dh suggested a session of rumpy pumpy late on Sunday morning. IMMEDIATELY afterwards I had a huge show, waters started leaking and contractions started. Managed to stay at home with TENS machine all day... beating dh at scrabble, going for walks and doing hypnobirthing breathing (thank you starlight!) By 10.30pm I was ready to head into the birth centre... and we got there to find we were the 3rd to arrive within half an hour, and there weren't enough midwives to cover us all. Apparently I was looking so calm that they were about to send me home as they didn't believe I could be in active labour... but when they checked I was 5cm! We were told we'd have to be transferred up to the labour ward and were about to leave when one of the other labouring mums asked for an epidural and had to be sent upstairs... a last minute reprieve for us . I got into the pool at midnight and immediately felt huge relief from the water, and with the help of some gas and air, lovely massage and more deep breathing Anya was born in the pool at 2.55am and I caught her myself . She emerged looking up at us and her eyes were wide open as she came up through the water to meet us - calm and alert as anything. dh was in floods. I had some 2nd degree tearing but after the stitching she latched on beautifully and has been feeding and sleeping well. The midwives were all fantastic. Got home this morning and now completely and utterly in love with her.

congrats ninja sounds like a nice birth

Congratulations Ninja, Ipanema and Connie! Happy graduation!

ninja - see my previous post regarding lavender water to stop the post wee sting!

(actually starlight it was so grim Idon't want to talk about it on a public forum! I'm a little traumatised by it! but at least she is HERE and well and wonderful and I adore her!
I'm not yet really out of the shock of her being born in less than three hours from start to finish, too fast, too painful now I feel like I've been run over by atrain but hey - who said it was gonna be easy!!!!!
All the best I need to go and put her down in her cot for a bit.

Well my Close baby carrier has arrived. I went for Charcoal in the end as it looked blue in the picture but actually it really is charcoal colour! Still, it won't show the dirt! As I type Dougie is strapped into it upright nestled into my chest asleep - he seems quite happy. He wasn't too sure about the lying down to breastfeed position though. I don't think he liked having his head semi-covered. In the end I left his head out and just used it to support his body. I also wasn't sure how to reverse the straps to feed on the other side so didn't bother. How have other people's babies got on with it? Is it just a question of them getting used to it?

I think in this upright position it will be useful though as I can cuddle him in as he likes but still have my hands free to get food/ type/ whatever!

Who was it who was asking about being constipated? I was appalling constipated after DD was born. This time I used Fibogel and drank lots of water.

Hi all. Can't believe I've graduated to this thread! Charlotte Anne was born last Wed (17th) at 3.13am weighing 7lb 15oz (so much for their predictions of a monster baby!!). Birth was fairly traumatic, I was in hospital for 7 days and they refused to let me leave until she was feeding with formula, so i feel a bit bullied and shell shocked. So, so glad to have you guys for support and I used lots of info I found on here (eg threatening to self-discharge at one point!).
I will post birth story and get some support but I am so glad she is here - I am all misty eyed whenever I look at her and I am madly in love!

imoscarsmum, i don't know what your intentions for feeding were however, if it was to breastfeed and you ahve not been able to establish it because of treatment in hospital, i just want to let you know that it is still very much possible to establish full breastfeeding at the moment.

hugs. i had a very difficult birth with dd1 followed by v poor post natal care and i also spent 8 days in hospital afterward. i came home feeling very vulnerable and shocked which stayed for me for a while.

congratulations all the newcomers to this thread. i hope to join ya'll soon.

Thank you MoveIt - I actually have lavendar oil but didnt know I could use it like that

ultra short post this, sorry! Just wanted to drop by in between Merediths crying fits.

We seem to be doing ok, I think Merry is gaining enough weight and she is still being bf. DP went back to work yesterday so I've been a nervous wreck. I actually yelled at DS for the first time ever when he was playing up today . Hopefully things will get easier.

congrats ipanemagirl, ninja, littleconnie, imoscarsmum...we'll all be over here soon filling up the threads, maybe not as quick as the ante natal ones with not as much free time!!

I was discharged from the midwives today, it feels strange that i'm not needing to see them again....all alone, starting to dread the thought of my dh going back to work, he works nights so i've started to try and get an evening routine going for when he's not here. Worked well tonight and had both dc bathed fed and in bed asleep by 8.30, i'm knackered now though...i think dh can do it tomoz i'll practise again on thurs....don't want to overdo things now do i

I'm using the lavender oil down below sitting in a shallow bath every morning after a shower, i think it's working still a bit tender but nothing i can't handle.

hi there, just checking in as I have a few spare seconds - sorry, tried to catch up but only managed last 2 pages, so apologies if I don't mention names but congreatulations to all the new mums and welcome to all the new babies!!

read something about sex!?!?! how can you think about it!!?? lucky you!1

and debs, had the biggest cry over not being able to poo and couldn't feel/control muscles... in the end, overdid it with the lactulose cos nothing was working - it worked, though terrible wind - and finally getting "back to normal", though (TMI ) have the biggest pile ever seen!

well, hope you're all well - think the milk-vampire is waking up for her feed, and hopefully will be able to go to sleep... (sleep? what's that? )

sunflower am envious that you can actually see your pile.

i am now starting to get depressed over my weight gain from the pregnancy. oh goodness, how the heck will i lose all of this?

eandz i got a little stressed over my weight gain yesterday, but I'm trying to stay zen about it and remember it was all worth it for the little boy.

Pile? A single pile? I have a whole flock of them! I am just focusing on doing the pelvic floors (no laughing matter with 8 million stitches, I tell you) and treating them with preparation H. If they're still bad when I've have my final check at 6 weeks (at a special perineum clinic, how important am I!?) I'll address it then.

Another question for the BF/sleeping gurus - I had 24 hours or so of skin to skin, and teddy is now feeding much better - I think I was pulling him off before he was ready, I've now come to the conclusion that he's an exceptionally lazy feeder - sometimes pausing for a good couple of mins between sucks. Soooo... 3 questions:

1. he's now basically just alternating feeding and sleeping, generally around an hour's feed then 2 hours sleep, but it varies a bit. Should I be making some effort to keep him awake after any feeds, or interrupt them a bit? It just seems insane that at a week old that he's not really having any 'awake' time.
2. some feeds (such as the current one) are lasting up to 2 hours, with no signs of finishing. Seriously? Is this normal?
3. as he is basically feeding to sleep (I then move him to basket or cot), am I storing up problems for the future? I know everyone says that you can't spoil them at this stage, but should I be trying to get him to settle himself occasionally?

Should add, at 9lbs 8oz at birth I'm wondering if he's just bloody hungry? Especially after being a bit deprived for the past few days, as I was probably unlatching him before he was done (mistaking a long pause for him finishing)