Sept 08 - Is it day or night?

[lollyheart]

Hope no one minds me starting a new thread?

Starlight's Q&A session

questions

No.1: At 5 weeks my bleeding is still the same as a week after the birth, and still just as red. Can I wait until my 6 week check (at 7weeks) or do I need to go to the GP?

No.2: Is anyone elses DH pestering them for sex?

No.3: Can anyone confirm that hopefully and becaroo are okay?

No.4: Why does my close sling slip when I walk?

No.5: Did eandz do her hair today?

answers

A) Potxola - Baby starlight goes to bed when I do.

B) Notcitrus - If you layer up, wear a loose vest under a loose poloneck and jumper then you can pull the poloneck and jumper up, and the vest down!

Hi moonlight....I am very touched that with everything you have going on you are concerened about me - I can feel a good cry coming on!

Well, short answer is Toby is doing very well - altough ex ff now on easy digest formula 4-5 oz and putting on weight like a trouper! I, however, am another matter altogether!!!

I am more anaemic now that I was after delivery and my platelet count it too high so I had an urgent blood test this morning and will get the results tomorrow...finding an iron medicine I can take has proved to be very difficult and they dont do iron injections any more apparently.

Anyway...did a silly thing and googled high platelet count and scared myself stupid....I have been feeling so ill since Toby was born and they are only just listening to me now (2 docs checked my blood results on monday and said they were fine and then I got a phone call yesterday from another doc saying you have to be tested again!!!! )

Post natal care has been rubbish AGAIN! but on the plus side HV is lovely and is coming back to see me again at home on tuesday - she rang the docs re: the state I am in and gave them an ear bashing!!!

Its very hard as I am having to be babysat at the moment as I cant be left on my own in case I conk out! Its very hard on dh and ds1 as I am not much use at the moment.

Havent had time to catch up on posts - hope you are all well xx

Poxtola I LOVE the routine, rings SO many bells. I'm luck that this time round many nights aren't like this, but last time they were worse! I think though that I give in before you. I'm amazed how Maebh seems to love sleeping and seeminly sniffing my armpits!

My fantasy is to be pushed in a big pram. I seem to be getting MORE tired not less, but it could be the cold, sore boob I had yesterday ...

I remember 'The No Cry Sleep Solution' book seeming to make sense last itme, but I was too tired to actually wrirte a diary and use most of the techniques. It does seem to make some sense of it all though.

lillipop

Probably shouldn't post this, but there's a CLOSE sling for sale on UKParents www.ukparentslounge.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=86665 for £25

I have a Moby in an autumnul orange that I'm not using (also have a kari-Me and Gypsy Mama if you're interested

Hello all!

have been kept busy by Diego, and mother in law arriving like an angel descended from heaven (with loads of home cooked food and home baked biscuits). She's staying for two weeks, and I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders, as I was finding it difficult to find time to feed myself, not to speak of washing and housework. So I've had a mega catch up of everyone's posts just now, while Diego sleeps.

First, foxy thanks very much for the link to the sling video. Today I met a couple of mums at a breastfeeding group who were using it and gave me a live demo. Also, I've received the tricotti sling in the post. I think it's too small but will give it a try too, as it's super quick to put on.

DigitalGirl I have been made to feel inadequate by books and family alike. If I hear the words rod and back again, I'll explode. Like everyone else says, we have to take what helps and discard the cack that makes us feel inadequate. I pick up my baby when he cries, i feed him to sleep, and I feed him whenever and wherever he asks for it. He's 16 days old!

Becaroo I am also anaemic and taking Iron supplements. I feel a lot better now, but I know how horrible it is to feel you are going to conk out and feeling weak. Hope you find the right supplement very soon, as it should quickly make you feel better.

So does anyone know, if the GP were to prescribe Gaviscon for Dougie next time I see him, how I can administer it if I'm breastfeeding? Can I give it neat in the middle of a feed, as for the Colief, or would I have to express and give him it mixed with EBM before each feed? Anyone got any experience of this?

Starlight Based on what the HV told me, you need to go to the doctor as she definitely said the lochia shouldn't be a) as much as at the beginning or b) bright red. You may have an infection. HTH.

Potxola I have thought about Emsiero too since we gave birth. I did a search once to see if she'd posted recently on another thread but didn't find anything. I was hoping she might pop up on another antenatal thread!

Sounds like you have similar issues with Lorea to mine with Dougie, except I don't think Lorea is being sick? I am relieved that Dougie is putting on weight fine because he is sick after EVERY feed and often in between feeds too and he cries a lot, not like my daughter was at all. Today we tried the dummy again when he was crying and it calmed him down until it fell out (and he has it in now!). It might not help him sleep but if it helps him and comforts him that will do!

Foxytocin Dougie still poos at every feed!!! Thanks for the info about reflux BTW, I hadn't thought about ringing a BF counsillor so may do that when we get back home. I think the HV may be right though from what I've read about it, but it can't be a bad case as he's putting on weight well.

Imoscarsmum I think the other reason things seem worse at night is that you are tired and just want to get to bed and if the baby is crying that's your sleep time disappearing and you're wondering if you are EVER going to get any sleep. We've all been there

Probiotics - can anyone recommend one (or perhaps a yoghurt/ yoghurt drink brand with them in?). I probably should be taking something while I'm on the antibiotics.

DS is now asleep. It's the first time he's fallen asleep with the dummy and not woken up when it fell out. Yay!

Ninja Thanks, I have actually already seen it and sent her a PM, hopefully I'll get it, no one else had replied in the topic. What do you think of the Moby?

Becaroo sorry to hear your feeling very poorly. Sadly it seems people have to often kick up a bit of a fuss to get the treatment they need these days - good on your HV to get on to the docs though . I'd double check on the iron injections I know one of my cousins got them after she gave birth about a year ago - although it may vary with health authorities or your own heath needs. Hope you get back to feeling better soon.

MoonlightMcKenzie and everyone else
yes! I did do my hair today! and I saw NellyontheTelly. Seeing her always makes me feel amazingly great because she's soo much fun.

If any of the other London girls/or anyone of you want to hang out, we're going to get together sometime next week too. Seeing eachother really cheers me up.

Potxola, would that be the chocolate routine? =) I finally caved today and decided that Katie needs to learn to sleep in her cot during the day as lately she has only ever napped in the sling and my back is starting to get painful from carrying her around for 10 hours a day. I put her in her cot with a nice sheet that I've slept on and she did get fairly upset but I sat with her, stroked her and kept talking and after about 10 minutes she calmed down and fell asleep. So far she's only managed to sleep for 30 minutes in the cot before waking up but it's good progress.

Potxola, I almost only wear Katie in the double cross position like this

This being a rather eventful day I also went to my first baby massage class. We did the legs and feet and Katie loved it. She kept cooing and making very happy little noises at me and she looked incredibly relaxed.

lollipop I used the Kari-Me first and the Moby is slightly less stretchy so wasn't as easy for a new to sling person, but would probably last longer than the Kari-Me for a bigger baby. They're not dissimilar though. If you want to give it a try if you don't get a close let me know and I can send it to you and you can either send it back or send some money if you want.

I'm feeling a lot better today which is a good thing a I have lots to do to day. So far got DD ready for school, booked her ski lessons for our holiday next year and clened out Guineas, Next feed baby who I can just hear has woken! Do the family shop and go for lunch with a group of mums,

Better go!

managed feeding lying down in bed 3 times last night!
i think a doesn't bother staying on the breast as long though.

multitasking of the day award goes to me for holding a breast pump on with my left hand and managing to hoik a out of the bouncer onto my lap with one hand plus my foot. and still have my tea and remote within reach afterwards!

i feel a lot happier knowing there's over 100ml of milk in the fridge so i can sleep over at least one feed!

time to feed again...

I think I might have mastitis. Right boob had shooting pains last ight and then nipple became very sensitive. Fed from it for over an hour at 10pm and then as the milk started coming back in it really started to ache. Didn't want the left boob to get engorged so fed from that at the next feed. Fed from right boob again this morning at 5am for another 30 minutes and then again at 9am. However am concerned that left boob will get engorged today if I only feed from right.

No appointments available at the GPs today so have to wait till next week. does anyone know what I can do in the meantime to prevent it from getting worse?

express to comfort on the left to keep feeding from the right

Hi all. Effy had her injections yesterday and was massively cranky all day afterwards. She also wanted to feed more and wouldn't wait three hours between feeds - has anyone else found that? She had a great night's sleep though, which was unfortunately spoilt by DS keeping me up for an hour and a half from 3:20am.

Actually wondering if she's having a growth spurt at 8 weeks as she's crying now and has been for half an hour even though she's not due food until 11:30. Anyone know?

The other main problem that I have is my back is really bad. About 10 years ago I had a car accident and damaged the bottom of my back. This pregnancy seems to have really aggravted that and pushing the pram with two kids in it up the hill to nursery is making it worse. I'm considering seeing about getting some physio to help with it. In addition I'm also still feeling some symphis pubis pain - anyone else?

I guess the final problem is that the whole dad thing is really starting to affect me now and I've burst into tears in the street a few times. Am wondering whether I should just get some counselling as I don't want to get into a spiral of being down about this, even though I know that that's normal, I need to be positive and there for my family, not wallowing in sadness because of what my dad's done to himself.

Digitalgirl don't get fobbed off by the GP. If you have mastitis then you need to be seen straight away so you can get antibiotics. Have the GP no emergency appointments today? Otherwise use the out of hours service tororrow. When the HV thought Dougie had thrush that what she told us to do as that was a weekend and there was no problem at all. Don't leave it to get worse!

Sunshine if you can afford to pay for the treatment go and see a chiropracter. Mine has done wonders for me. I spent most of my last pregnancy in pain and went to see him when DD was 10 weeks old. He treated me regularly throughout this pregnancy and I had next to no pain at all. Now unfortunately my back is weak and stiff after the CS and I'm just waiting for 8 weeks when I can go and see him!

DG - I had mastitis twice with DS1 on both sides. first time I was visiting my parents in Italy and the GP saw me (last person of the night) and rang pharmacist who stayed after the shop was closed so I could get my antibiotics because he said I needed to get it sorted sooner rather than later, and whaat a relief after nearly 2 days of constant pain! (incidentally I was putting hot flannels and GP said I had to do the opposite as it was an infections needed to get the swelling down with cold ones instead - also had to express and throw away the milk as it'd kind of gone off, in fact DS kept on throwing up and not wanting it, but after the first night on antibiotics it was ok), so get it seen no matter what!!! a friend of mine stopped bf when she had it because she delayed going to GP.

Jearund I have insurance via work so I'm thinking of ringing them to see if they'll pay for it. It's not been this bad since I first did it.

Digitalgirl I had a big, sore lump on my right breast last week. It was painful, although I don't think it got as far as mastitis. I treated it by massaging it firmly towards the nipple while DS fed (all through the feed, and through the pain!), plus massaging it with hot water in the shower (I actually rubbed it inwards with the shower head itself). The lump went in about 3 days.

There is also an old wives' tale (in Spain) that says that if you pull the baby off mid-suction (without breaking the vaccuum with your finger), the big suction pull might unblock the duct. I know this sounds a bit savage, but I tried it too!

Hope things get a lot better, and if your lump is both hot and red, then it's definitely a sign that it's gone from blocked duct to mastitis and you need the antibiotics.

xx

DG I agree about the massaging in hot water, and if you can try and massage the red bits while feeding as well, it's worth trying to feed in different positions on that breast as it can get different bits cleared. Take paracetamol too

If you're not feeling fluey (and you would know if you were) ypu can def avoid ab's - but obviously go if it gets worse.

Sassyfrassy Thanks for the link. That video shows my other sling, the kari-me, in the same colour and that is the only position Lorea seems to be confortable in and I love it. I use yours at home because it is lighter.
Last night, I decided things had to change:
I took her to bed at 22:30 and woke up at midnight. After that she just would not let me put her down without waking up and scream in her crib or in my bed. At 5:15 I just had enough. Believe me I don't believe in letting a baby cry, but it has been at least 2 weeks of sleeping max. 3 hrs and I decided to sat by her and let her cry in her crib. She could see me touch me and hear me all the time, but it felt terrible. To be honest before I decided to do this I had pick her up and it had made no difference. What else could I do? She didn't cry very hard all the time,anyway ds woke up, but I just could not give up. She ended up falling asleep in her crib.
2 hrs later, arounf 9:00 She woke up, I went to feed her and put her down again. She knew where she was and fell asleep without crying (I don't know if she had leant to sleep by herfelf or if it was because she did not have the strenth to cry)
Later on downstairs I fed her again and put her in the moses basket and..... it is still asleep.
What doyou think? Have I done the right thing?
Does this mean I have cracked it and she has learnt it?

Sorry about the spelling mistakes. I am pretty tired after 1.5 hrs sleep