October 08 - The Here and Now.

[CantSleepWontSleep]

The story so far....

10th Sept (Due 1st Oct) - loulou33 - Boy - Joe Louis David - 6lbs 12oz - Induction due to rhesus sensitivity, G&A.
12th Sept (Due 6th Oct) - iuseantiageingstuff - Boy - Fred William - 8lbs 13.5oz - Induction due to high BP.
14th Sept (Due 14th Oct) - twinklytoes - Boy - Samuel - 7lbs 4.5oz - Em C-Sec due to grade 4 PP.
16th Sept (Due 8th Oct) - Ksal - Girl - Emma Rae - 6lbs - Just beat induction for PE!
20th Sept (Due 8th Oct) - kookiegoddess - Girl - Reya Marie - - Induction due to OC, epidural, 3rd degree tear.
21st Sept (Due 5th Oct) - myjobismum - Girl - Naomi Caitlin - 5lbs 10oz - Fast and furious hospital birth.
22nd Sept (Due 10th Oct) - Lozza70 - Boy - Sander Gene - 7lbs 5oz - Em C-Sec due to raised BP and high ALTs from liver.
27th Sept (Due 1st Oct) - accessorizequeen - Boy twin - Felix - 6lbs 8oz -
27th Sept (Due 1st Oct) - accessorizequeen - Girl twin - Bridget - 7lbs 7oz -
1st Oct (Due 29th Sept) - WombFor1More - Boy - Harvey James - 8lbs 13oz - Homebirth, no pain relief.
2nd Oct (Due 4th Oct) - annwoo - Boy - TBA - 8lbs 7oz - Amazing birth!
2nd Oct (Due 30th Sept) - sambrads - Girl - Brooke - 7lbs 9.5oz -
2nd Oct (Due 12th Oct) - star6 - Boy - Quinlan - 5lbs 15oz - 36hr labour, ventouse and stitches.
2nd Oct (Due 8th Oct) - Alexa808 - Girl - Tienette - - Planned c-sec
3rd Oct (Due 5th Oct) - rosebury - Boy - Austin - 9lbs 2oz - Delivered at home by dh!
3rd Oct (Due 6th Oct) - Bethoo - Girl - Maia - 7lbs -
3rd Oct (Due 6th Oct) - hoff - Boy - Oliver - -
3rd Oct (Due 19th Oct) - MrsTittleMouse - Girl - - -
4th Oct (Due 2nd Oct) - 1sttimer80 - Boy - - -
4th Oct (Due 30th Sept) - Aubergenie - Boy - Stanley - 7lbs 12oz -
5th Oct (Due 29th Sept) - plusonemore - Boy - Alfie Thomas - 8lbs - Induction, epidural
5th Oct (Due 2nd Oct) - MrsBish - Girl - Rachel - 8lbs 8oz -
5th Oct (Due 4th Oct) - hedgepig - Boy - Oliver - 6lbs 3oz -
7th Oct (Due 23rd Oct) - Emmsy1 - Girl - Amy Louise - 5lbs 12oz -
7th Oct (Due 2nd Oct) - snowymum - Boy - Rowan Michael - - Home water birth
8th Oct (Due 6th Oct) - ronshar - Boy - William Dexter - 7lbs 11oz -
8th Oct (Due 20th Oct) - 07mumstheword - Girl - Freya Mae - 7lbs 12oz -
8th Oct (Due 16th Oct) - moodywren - Boy - Hayden - 6lbs 9.5oz - Homebirth
9th Oct (Due 27th Sept) - Pidge - Boy - Arthur - 8lbs 14oz - Homebirth
10th Oct (Due 1st Oct) - CantSleepWontSleep - Boy - Duncan Elliot - 8lbs 4oz - 4 day induction with 1 hour established labour!
11th Oct (Due 3rd Oct) - usuallytooshytochat - Girl - Megan Leah - 8lbs 2oz - Homebirth with ambulance crew!
12th Oct (Due 4th Oct) - pistachio - Boy - Thomas Fraser - 10lbs 2oz - Homebirth.

Joe's blood results are fine so no more transfusions for now. He'll need a check on 15th Dec and i hope that will be it. They have increased his medication to stop him vomiting as he's grown so much (13lbs now). Joe woke 10 mins after i posted last night and was up til 12pm - hoping it was a growth spurt as he was really hungry all night

CSWS - nasasal drops are from supermarket/chemist etc. Its just saline which you 'squirt' a couple of drops up their nose. Its only clears the bogies though not the congestion from the swelling of nostrils ifswim but it helps Joe no end. I have been using olbas for children with ds1 but it says not use for babies until they're 3 months. Also put couple of drops of lavender oil in the bath water helps. Try putting him in bathroom in bouncy chair with windows shut and have long, hot shower (bliss) as steam reduces nasal swelling.

Myjob - sorry naomi has been so poorly and big hugs to you all - sounds really scary and horrible that you just have to wait for teh virus to pass, how frustrating. I had an inhaler for ds1 and he hated it but it does help them. i could never puff the inhaler and hold the mask at the same time and keep him still - took two adults to do it!! Hope she's better soon.

AJM - ds1 had loads of coughs as a baby - gp said something to do with immature muscles in lungs when they are wee. Try Baby Meltus or GP may prescribe inhaler

07 i use disposables but they are baby naturecare ones so they are better for environment and they are better for babies bums as they have no bleach or chlorine in them - this makes me feel less guilty . Shame i can only get them in one shop which is an hour's drive away - luckily its near osteopaths so i can combine the journeys. I'll have to start gettting them online soon

loulou - baby meltus is for 3 months and over

Who was asking about breast pumps before?
Today I received a new pump (double) Medela pump in style... it's SO much better than other pumps I've tried... I highly recommend it if you want to pump/store a lot of milk. Never used a double so maybe thats the difference... cuts time in half!

Hello everyone.

I am amazed how many of our poor babies are suffering. I thought that breast feeding was supposed to stop babies getting colds etc. Or does it make it less severe than if you werent?

DS is snoring like a little piglet, he makes all kinds of funny noises. I prop up his moses basket at night so he is sleeping at quite an angle. Seems to help with the snot.

Star is it possible for you to see another GP? When an adult has thrush both partners have to be treated, so it makes no sense not to treat both you and DS. Well done for weight gain, it sounds like you have got this motherhood thing sorted.

I saw a government report which looked into the whole nappy issue. Apparently it is no better for the environment to use washable nappies because of the electricity use and water etc. I have used both for DDs but chose not to for DS because I spend enough of my time doing washing as it is. Add in nappies as well, hideous.

As several people have already said these things are all a very personal choice about what works best for you and your families.

ds so ill today!! hoarse cry... looks lethargic... slept a lot!! i know i should be happy but sooooo worried!! he ate at 6am and noon (10min and fell asleep) at 2.15 and at 5pm (10 min each side). he usually feeds at least every 2 hours and up to 45 min per side!
went to gp at 11am and she said no temperature and he seems ok. although he didnt wake when we put him up on the table very unlike himself am so worried!

I agree that it is awful that so many of our little ones are sick while they are still so tiny. Amelia was very sick today while she was in the sling.. couldn't get her out in time.. it was very yukky and she ended up in a real mess.

HV came in today to see us again. Amelia has only gained two ounces in 8 days.. don't think that's normal.. HV said it was a bit low.. now I'm worrying about her.

Got to go again.. DS is hanging over the side of my chair whining constantly and can't seem to tell me what's wrong.. I don't know how he can stand to make a waaa waaa noise non-stop of hours..

I was so pleased when she extended her feed times out but not if she's going to gain no weight. Saying that she is only 23th percentile so won't gain loads in a few days. She's only gained 20oz in 5 weeks. Do you think this is normal?

I know someone wiser will advise... but I think all babies just grow at different rates. The chart is really annoying. I was always sad to see ds on the 2nd percentile line and delighted when he jumped up to 9th percentile this week, but mw and hv said don't be surprised if he goes back to 2nd or stays the same for a while. They just all grow at different times and the chart is only an average... not an expectation. I think I was reading it like a report card when in fact it's not like that at all.

Star. Sleep is the best thing for your DS. nature's cure. He won't starve himself so as long as you are getting enough wet nappies from him he should be ok to cut back on his feeds a bit. Amelia was like that yesterday but is eating more today. Babies go off their food when they are ill like the rest of us.. its just not nice for us mums to watch

Thanks ajm
It's nice to give my sore, cracked painful nipples a rest, but you're right - difficult to watch! DH keeps saying the same thing... "don't you want to sleep when you're ill? Let him sleep!"

How is Naomi today myjob?

The bamboozles need a tumble drier IMO heather, but are good if dried that way.
Aubergenie - I'd heard good things about fluffles and then saw a few diff ones at a baby show before buying.

Smudgey - cutting out dairy has def helped ds, but he's still an utterly crap sleeper and won't settle not on us (often only I will do), or for long.

loulou - I've been using adult olbas oil for ds. He's in with me most of the time afterall, and I have it on my pillow. It's not like I'm feeding it to him or putting it on his skin!

Hope all the poorly babies are feeling better today/very soon. Sleep is good for Q star .

x post myjob!

Hello all, sorry been awol all week but we had a tough one sleep wise. It takes an hour to feed DD (it did with the boys too, so not surprised really) but then up to half an hour more to settle her. It's killing me doing the 2/3am feed and her waking again at maybe 5am and then DH up at 6, boys up by 7... school by 8.45.
Today was marginally better mainly because I refused to get out of bed at 5am and DH consoled her and then fed her, while I had a shower, just gave me a slight head start on the day.
star I know it's tough bt you should try to rest while you can, especially if DH is with DS. It's hoorid when they're poorly and you just want to make it all better.
ajm if the HV isn't too worried then I'm sure Amelia will be fine.
Hope everyone has a good weekend - we look to be right on the dividing line weather wise between v v cold and just quite soggy - think I'd prefer cold! It's DH's 40th birthday and our 6th wedding anniversary on Sunday so we're Going Out tomorrow night! Very excited, just not sure either of us will stay awake beyond 9pm (the table's booked for 8.45 )

Going Out

Morning everyone, DH just got back from taking DS swimming (usual Sat morning thing) so DS now in bed. It feels strange to have a morning without him. DD and I have been for a walk (to buy chocolate ) and got some of those niggly jobs done - house insurance etc etc
Slow and steady weight gain is usually fine myjob. I also remember DS plateauing (sp? or is that even a word???) round about 6 months and the HV just saying, oh, he's probably ready for solids that's all. Like someone said, it's lovely to have HV/MW that are fairly laid back as long as they are supportive when you need it.
Hope all poorly babies on the mend now. DS always sleeps more when not well and although it makes you worry, it's better than them whinging at you. DD seems much better but still is sick every now and then. I think that might just be her though
Quick quesion for people who are co-sleeping. Do you end up cuddling your LO all night or are they just in your bed? I'm finding that DD sleeps best lying nestled in my arms but not sure that's something that I really want to encourage...

hi all - joe has been very snotty with cold and sicking up snotty stuff. took to gp yesterday as rash on his face appeared suddenly but theyt said its all part of the virus and shows he's fighting it. he also hasn't pood for 4 days usually goes once a day - gp will see monday if not pood by then. i have been cyclying his legs and massaging his tummy but no poo yet!! any suggestions on how to get him to poo?

csws - glad you're using olbas oil with no ill effects - i have no idea why they say 3 months and over??

star - i've been meaning to say about your return to work - do you think you are recovered enough what with the thrush, sore fanjo and ?bleeding/anaemia??? [not sure if this is still happening] i'm wondering if your gp could sign you off for a few more weeks? if you had had an operation instead of giving birth last month, would you go back so soon? does your job come with sick pay, if so i would suggest you should use it....i'm sure you've already thought of this and sorry if i sound bossy but really feel for you especially as you are not 100% well yet. my boss even told me if i needed more time to take sick leave at end of mat leave as i have lost so much holiday time as Joe was early - bless him.

in laws here helping with boys thank god as they are both such a handful, i have so much admiration for those of you who do this all the time on your own. my dh works from home so he is always on hand, how do you get anything done with two around???

love to ya all

Evening all. Just back from a day at the in-laws, so having a quick check in whilst dh has ds and I watch X-Factor.

Poor dd hasn't been feeling well with her cold today - she slept for 3 hours on the sofa at the in-laws, which she has never done before. She's just gone to bed now, so hopefully will still sleep ok tonight, as I certainly don't need 2 of them up in the night!

Ds had a slightly better night last night, and we've managed to space his feeds a bit better today, so hope this is the start of us getting somewhere . Still haven't managed to put him down though - swaddled him and put him in car seat this afternoon, but even then he only managed 20 mins before waking. He's still very snuffly the poor mite, and his cough is coming out worse as well now.

My headache is turning into a sinusy one, so looks like I'm set for sinusitis again this week, which always hits me really hard - bugger!

Hope all the other poorly families are on the mend.

Smudgey - we are cuddling ds all night, as he won't settle if just plonked alongside us. Agree that it's certainly not very comfortable for us, and with how cold it is tonight I want to be snuggled up under the covers, not half exposed so that I can be ds' prop!

Glad to hear some of the babies are starting to improve. Hope the same happens for us grownups soon too.

I can't believe that some of our babies are old enough to smile already, I can't wait for Amelia to smile. Her usual expression at the moment is like a toothless granny sucking a lemon.. combined with her mad 'loo brush' hairdo with all of her hair standing on end, she's no baby model.

Had my hair cut today. It was so nice to have an hour without the DCs as we are all full of cold and they are both so miserable.

After the haircut, we went into Boots to get some Xmas pressies and DS was spotted by a group of teenage girls. He gave them his cutist smile and they giggled at him.. so he decided to play the clown. Lying on the floor laughing, swinging on the rains and generally being an absolute pain. Couldn't pick him up aand carry him as I had shopping in one hand and Amelia in a sling. DH had wandered off so couldn't help either. Everyone was staring and I just wanted the floor to open up and swallow me.. When we finally got outside he looked up at me, smiled and said Sorry Mum, I naughty so he knew exactly what he should have been doing.

I'm having to watch him like a hawk at the moment as he's decided to help with Amelia's nappies. If she poos and I'm not watching him, he gets the changing mat, wipes and her nappy then drags her to the mat by one foot ready for me to change.

Have any of you tried Lilypadz?

This time round I have seriously leaky boobs and letdown that happens at all sorts of odd times when I'm not feeding DD . Never happened with DS. Had soaked through cloth breast pads and a very wet top a few times when DD has been late for a feed and can't get on with the disposibles at all.

It's a good thing that I wear Amelia in a sling when we are out.. the sling hides the wet patches nicely