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

don't worry about the amt lolli. it looks worse than it is. take a tbsp of water and spill it to compare.

if bfing, no need to wind. maybe just hold upright on chest and do normal activities.

hopefully i am shocked at the post natal care your trust is giving you. please ring another helpline as you said you will in the am.

I should be sleeping, but can't. Last night dd2 was really windy - every time I put her back in her basket she kept lettig out little windy noises and couldn't settle - up until 6.30am I'd only slept 11-12 and 2-4 and felt like crying. Then we all slept til 9. Partner has already gone back to work, and don't have any help, and dd1 gets woken if i have to change dd2's nappy, then I get her asking me to do things, or like last night just chatting (just when I needed it most, she told me how much she loves me - I told her to the moon and back - she told me to the cheese, to the chocolate and to the pasta - her favourite things so guess that's high praise! )

Boobs seem to think I have had 10 children. It was awful Saturday night when the milk really came in, it hurt having my arms down at my sides, they were so full - must be size of rugby balls. Even though I'm still feeding dd1, she couldn't even make me comfy. It's a bit better today, but she still doesn't take enough to empty them so they're usually over full feeling and lumpy - how long does it take to settle? Last time round I was expressing for dd1 in scbu so wasn't like this.

Dd2 was weighed today at 5 days and has put on a bit of weight so she's doing well - why am I still so lumpy and uncomfy then????

Goto to go, stirring

oh forgot!....DD2 got weighed today (@8 days old) and is the same weight. i asked midwife if she would've of been 9lb 3.5oz at birth and she said yes. As i say she is more of a sleeper than a feeder! !! "WAKEY WAKEY"!! - that doesnt work!! ....the only alternative to really wake her up is to take ALL her clothes off and she really wakes up! ...

Biglips - I have to undo dd2's clothes too to get her to wake and feed in the day sometimes - she's a night time baby unfortunately!

ninja - are you really having to look after your dh like that??? Though he may be related to my partner - he had to have a lie down after taking dd1 to Tesco yesterday (and she is a dream supermarket shopper companion - could practically send her on her own!) - also he still needs to sleep in till 9, even though never wakes in the night.

Oh, and how often do mw / hvs come after birth usually? I had a visit the day after leaving hospital, when she was 2 days old, today at 5 days for heel prick and weighing, and then I have to go to a clinic for her 10 day check.

splish - I saw midwife 2 days after leaving hosp, then at 10 days, and again today (d17) and as the jaundice is totally gone and Squirmy is now 8 lb 4, we've been discharged.
This means I've grown 20 oz of baby in 10 days (went from 7.8 to 7.0 by day 5) - no wonder I'm knackered and ravenous!

HV turned up a few days ago, gave me red book etc, and details of clinics - but she's attached to my GP, but recommended Squirmy get registered with MrNC's GP who is in the borough and much closer, so I can go to all the local clinics.

splish - I have a similar baby - made the mistake of yesterday thinking he'd grown out of wind and not sleeping at night. But so far tonight... well he's upright on my lap again. Today I swallowed my pride and emailed all my friends asking for people to just come and help hold baby while I sleep/talk to me while feeding, because I can tell SAD will start soon, and the last thing I need is depression on top of no sleep.

I did take my placenta home (they put it in a nice plastic tub) but it was shoved in the freezer while I was in hospital and MrNC didn't get it out to defrost when I was expecting baby blues (which luckily I didn't really get, although A+I did bond in tears for a while), and by the time it was defrosted a couple days ago I looked at it, decided I felt pretty ok, and wussed out of eating it!

I'm glad I got it though, as I kept thinking that A was hidden in a drawer under the op table, seeing as I didn't feel the birth and have recovered pretty well. I now believe I really did grow him myself! Also the umbilical cord is huge and fat - no wonder he's so hacked off at not having food come through it any more and having to suck for his dinner.

Yes Splish I do have to - I've taken DD1 into school again today (as DH kept falling asleep). He wants us to do some jobs today so I've asked him to get up as I really will be fading by lunch time from being up all night and he says can't he lie in bed a little bit longer . Someone quite rightly said that it's not just DD1 seeking attention at the mo - in fact she can verbalise it better.

Anyway it's HAPPY 1 WEEK to Maebh today

And all's weel. She was weighed yesterday at 6 days and had put on 3 oz (I told the midwife I had full cream in there!) at least the frequent feeding's been worth it. She had a bath with me before bed last nigjht and then settled herself to sleep in the bed and then slept for 4.5 hours (so that was 5 hours between feeds) so I'm over the moon (but aware that it might not last!!).

After DD1 I can't remember ever enjoying the newborn stage so much, I never thought 'oh I want another of these soon' but with Maebh, maybe 'cos I know she's my last, and despite remembering CLEARLY in labour last week thinking I AM NEVER GOING THROUGH THIS PAIN AGAIN. I already can see that I could be broody - I think my hormones must be a bit haywire.

Anyway off to go and try and persuade DH to get up, wish me luck!!

Debi - ds pulls off instead of releasing the nipple. I just have to make sure I get in there first and unlatch him. It's very annoying though!

hopefully - I think our boys are talking to each other as my lo still hasn't put on weight even though it feels like he is constantly feeding. For the past couple of days I have been expressing after a feed (I aim to do this 3-4 times a day and it has to be after a feed) then topping him up with the ebm. He's being weighed tonight, so we will see if it's helping.

Whilst his lack of weight gain does bother me, I also take comfort in the fact that we have wet and poo nappies, he is alert, his eyes are shiny and his fontanelle is not sunken.

We think the lack of weight gain stems from the fact that he only feeds enough to sustain himself, and nothing more. I thought a 9lb 11oz newborm would be ravenous, but he proves that's not always true.

i was just passing by, thought i'd stop and say hello & that i hope all is going well with the wee ones!!

the remaining few of us will be over shortly, i suspect. ante-natal gals are really looking forward to being here with you post-natal lot!

mind saving a seat for us, even with October babies?? hehehe

Yes, I agree Starlight, am feeling very proud of DS1 at the moment - but I'm shocked every morning when I go in & get him up for school how MASSIVE he seems to be! He is just normal sized, but after spending so much time with Samuel, he seems huge!

Starlight I understand COMPLETELY.

I feel so protective over DD1 and yes I feel SO much more alive this time (last time I had LONG labour and ended up with a ventouse delivery). I was told I was on the borderline of PND when they did the test last time, but that the mw thought that was ompletely normal and I'd have been lying otherwise, now I'm not so sure. I feel physically and mentally so much better.

I completely agree that I now love my ds even more he is so good with dd (3 weeks today!)I do worry that he feels pushed out sometimes though. DD slept from 6.30pm-6.50am last night only waking for a feed at 1.15 for 15 mins. When I woke up this morning I was really scared that something had happened to her how long do you think this paranoia will last?

jenpet - same here as my DD1 is 4 tmrw and when she came in the hosp to see me and DD2, she looks huge!! ...it really did hit home .....im more in love with DD1 now

YES Starlight as i was just saying that im more in love with DD1 than ever as i was really missing her when i was in hosp as not seen her for 3 days....it was the longest separation between us and i didnt like it one bit.

Arrgh, my lovely docile baby has turned into a screaming banshee!! Last night she screamed/cried pretty much constantly from 6.30 to just gone midnight, and she's started crying at nearly every feed. I bought some Infacol yesterday so we've been using that, but the MW who came today said that there's not actually any evidence to suggest that it works, some people swear by it, others say it 's crap. I hope to God I am going to be someone who swears by it!

feel like I've been a bit of a loner lately and haven't really been posting...... ds is feeding like crazy and has put on almost a pound in two weeks. his little thighs are already getting some chunk on them .

feeding has been going brilliantly-but the one side is a constant leaking tap! so annoying! I have gotten to the point of having to slip one of his nappies in there at night so that I don't have a soaked bra and bed as the breast pads are a joke. does anyone else have this problem or do I just have a faulty boob?

mella with a bit of luck your boobs should settle down and start to leak a bit less very soon. My DD is nearly 4 weeks and it's only the last 2 nights I haven't worn any breast pads to bed. Before that I was leaking everywhere and kept getting soggy!

My bleeding seems to have almost stopped too. All these pads have been so uncomfortable, can't wait to stop using them.

is anyone's older DD/DS is so shattered as mine still shattered and still excited having a baby sister . When she goes to bed, she is out like a light - awwwww!

HV coming at 3:30, so we'll see what she says. We are again at day 3 with no poo... he's only pood twice since coming home 10 days ago!!

been reading baby whisperer, and have to say it makes sense. Someone loaned me GF, and I laughed hollowly at it a few days after the birth, but baby whisperer seems a fractionally more sensible version. Not going to attempt anything for the forseeable future, but nice to know there are options out there.

Other thing about reading baby whisperer is it seems to suggest most of his cues are suggesting wind/tummy pains, will be asking HV about that. She's coming at 3:30, will report back afterwards!

thanks meglet. hopefully my ladies will get things sorted out soon so I don't have to walk around paranoid that my shirt is starting to get wet spots

i feel like i'm making a huge terrible contribution to the landfill with all the pads. sooooo ready to not have to use them anymore!

OMG mellabella yes, the amount of landfill space we must be taking up is horrendous! My bathroom and bedroom bins need constant emptying. I discovered that soggy breast pads do tend to make the bin smell a bit .

I know what you all mean about your older children. I couldn't believe how much ds1 grew in the 1 day I didn't see him while in hosp! He was suddenly huge, esp his hands for some reason.
And apart from when he shows his 'terrible two's' side- which to be honest isn't that often really- I do love him more than ever too.

I also feel I have more energy (in fact starlight's 'feeling more alive' comment sums it up well) now than when ds1 was this tiny. I think for me it could be because when ds1 was born having to adjust to the whole change in lifestyle as well as having a baby to look after was hard. I didn't know very many people except work friends so got quite lonely during the day until ds1 got big enough to be socialising more. Whereas now we are out pretty much everyday at groups or friends houses as I now have some very good friends who have small children too or are childminders. Being more relaxed about how to bring up a baby helps too I think.

Oh and we decided to turn down the job in Scotland so will be down here for at least another few months. DH still looking for a job and we are now sure that we do want to go back but that we are prepared to wait a bit for as many of the factors involved to be perfect as possible.

lollipop - only thing that really worked with DS was driving around for an hour or so...

I feel overprotective of DS1 too, and feel so guilty can't spend much time with him, cos his little sister requires all my attendtion around the DS's bedtime (didn't even had the chance to kiss him goodnight before he went to bed last night ...) and he's so lovely.. he's the main reason I cry lately cos I feel so guilty...