we did it, we did it, the babies are here, now come and join us and we will give you a cheer!!!!

[Dozymare]

Hope this works

thought i would start a thread for those of us already in the heady World of motherhood, so we can share the trials and tribulations of the early days....

I shall start with my birth story and hope other's follow and I haven't started a dud thread

As you know I was dreading a 3rd CS, almost to the point where I was having panic attacks - we went in on the Thursday and after waiting for an EMC we were taken to theatre where I was DELIGHTED to recognise the aneathatist (sp!!) who helped deliver DS2. Now, one of my major fears about a 3rd CS was the fact that having had a "perfect" excperience with DS2, it6 wouldn't be possible to experience the same thing again...I was wroing, it was better The whole thing was started at 1315 and Tallulah was born at 1344 weighing 7lbs 2oz. She has a shock of dark hair but seems so small compared to the boys who were 9 and 10lbs respectively. The care I recieved was absolutely 2nd to none - no complaints or gripes.........So far so good.........

HOWEVER.........my god, do you forget the pain of breastfeeding before the milk comes in - I am in absolute agony and have had to top up with aptamil as the poor wee thing is so, so hungry...I am literally BF for up to 2 hours (the point of pain in both udders ) and then topping up with Aptamil. She guzzles 30ml and then settles.......As for sleep - sleep is for wimps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am here. no time to post presently. in a bit of a kerfuffle. but catch up later. nice one dozy.

Hi Dozy Tallulah sounds soo much like DD1 it's untrue. SHe just fed and fed and fed and if you thought she was going to sleep, more fool you, as soon as I put her down her eyes would spring open. SHe did settle eventually, but it took a few weeks.

Your cs sounds lovely.

hellooooooooo

sleep......no not sure what that is and the irob thing has given me temprorary alzhiemers disease. I am not safe to be left in charge of small children and animals.

DD is not happy, but she'll get there. hopstila and me not being at home has confused her; a baby and my tummy still big has confused her, the fact i have brought this mewling weirdy smelling thing home has made her into a wailing banshee. It's tough.

BFing....the little man is struggling a bit with his latcg si I'm sore. he is very forcefil with his sucking too so getting him off again quickly is impossible. so all my knowledge maens nowt. know what he should be doing but can't seem to fix it . calling my BF lady at the ABM later though for a chat.

apolopies for quality of posrting.....but low iron means sluggsh brain. am eating all i can to get it better, icluding green and blacks chocolate apricots and lots of dark green leafy stuff.

trying to catch up with threads but brain making it hard to remember who said what,

thanks for the lovely text messages from dozy and oblomov

back in a bit.

welcome to the "dark side" actually, that is exactly what it is, considering I was up most of the night in the dark

Was going to ask how "SIBLINGS" were reacting......Lacks your DD1 is still a wee one herself really, no wonder she feels a bit funny - my DS2 who is 2 couldn['t work out why DD was out of my tummy and was a bit funny with me at first - probably because I committed the cardinal sin and was BF her when they arrived at the hospital. He also hates it when she crys but I would say now is very loving and sweet....not sure how long that will last though, once he realises she is here to stay!! Making lots of time for him and I though so hopefully will be a good transition! DS1 is being a superstar and really wants to get involved.....advantage of older kids - I am sure that is similar for all of us though with older ones??????

Glad to hear you are feeling better lacks do you like calves liver?! Im sure that is chocka full of iron and somethng we can eat now - I am having that for supper one inght this week with sage butter and literally salivating at the thought!!!!!!!

As for BF, I am having a real nightmare, which is a huge shock as have always managed very easily, even when DS1 was in SCBU. Have started a seperate thread and getting lots of advice from BF counillors......

Obs is DS1 back in the flock yet, how are you after hypo????? Did you have to go to hospital to get DS2 checked out???

Lovely birth story, lacks so pleased for you!

Well I now have 3 under four! Dcs love their little sister, they insist on bringing her lots of presents and she is frequently adorned with stickers.

Not sure I feel like writing down the 'birth' yet. Still not feeling very happy about it.

I boasted to Dozy how ds2 was doing 3 hourly feeds through the night. YEAH, THAT night. He has had me running ragged ever since.
I am up, it takes so long to feed him and he is very windy. I put him down, eventually, what seems like a few minutes later, the whole routine starts again. That has been my night for the last 2 nights. Sound familiar anyone ?
I had forgotten this tiredness - different to other tiredness.
Dh and I have fallen out - I told him he was unsupportive and jealous - my frineds and mum had said so - big mistake, more the mentioining that I had even spoken about him to anyone else. He is a very private man and tells him friends and family almost nothing personal. whereas I gas for england and tell anyone who will listen, my most intimate secrets, as a means of friendship forming.
He asked if I was going to leave him. Things are REALLY bad. Nothing like newborn to put strain.

Ds is very affectionate to ds2. But keeps asking why I don't love him anymore.

Went to bf clinic yesterday. Felt great. But now stupidly can't seem to remmeber anything and have only had 2 decent latches since. Am going again tomorrow to bf clinic.

My sil , Dozy, also didn't call ahead, as I had asked her to do, and I was bf as ds1 arrived home, from his half term week away. Bad start.

Hope this all gets better soon. I feel under great strain.

oblomov things will get better, promise. I would try not to read too much into your strife with DH- you are both under a lot of stress.

I'm finding it a bit difficult to keep quiet as DH gets very stressed with the children- he is fab at his job with teenagers but finds little ones verry difficult- we will be swapping these roles when our DCs hit puberty

Have you tried your local bfeeding counsellor- you could prolly do with someone coming to your house to help.

I don't think it matters how things went with previous babies, they are all so different. I have quite bruised nipples at the moment because DD2 has a habit of sliding off and having a chew at the end of a feed. I know it is nothing compared to your woes, but having had a terrible time getting DS to bfeed, I can relate.

Thanks Pinkee. I do feel really under it right now. I know it will get better. IThe main thing is that I can't stand it when things aren't right with dh. And I wish I had never said all the things I said yesterday.

I wonder if I could get a bf counsellor to come round to my house today. Unlikely. Daisy did give me the NCT number I think. But i don't think I have it anymore.

When I rang with DS someone did come the same day, albeit in the evening. She was lovley,made me feel I wasn't a failure/freak and gave me much needed practical help.

Did you get a 'taking your baby home' or somesuch leaflet with your gumf for the cmw? The nct/la leche numbers are often in there. Otherwise, try your local nct branch here

afternoon

dozy, sorry to hear about the Bfing troubles. I think different babies are just different at it. I hope she gets there soon.

DS2 (how odd is that to write down!!) is getting better, but also likes a slide and a chomp so I@m a bit bruised as well. He is a wee bit jaundiced so a bit sleepy (he went from 3:30 to 7:30 last night; stirred a bit and then went back to sleep and had to be woken up)

i'm feeling a bit more human; my posts were a bit garbled last night and atrocious spelling. DH says I have an inkling of what altitude sickness is like now!!

Stitches healing nicely apparently, and am getting more grief from the piles than my poor fanjo.

Pinkee, lulumama has some good stuff about debriefing your birth, and I'm sure there is something on the ceasarian birth website as well. It might be useful to talk to someone?

Obs, you are doing a fab job in the face of huge adversity, coping with your own illness as well as a new baby and a toddler. I'm sure all the stuff from your DH is because he is worried about you. Perhaps the two of you can get away for an hour for a coffee or something and just have a chat about how things are. Does he know how important the breastfeeding is to you?

Off to see if there are any more babies today on the AN thread; back later.

lol at the altitude sickness, lacks.

Well DD2 has gained more than an ounce a day since her 5 day check, she still has a touch of the San Tropez tan about her, so may need he prolonged jaundice screen on fri, though mw and I are pretty certain it's just bfeeding jaundice. She is waking around every four hours for a feed which is fabby.

obs any joy re-bfeeding assistance?

oh and lacks re the 'birth'
A lot of my negative feelings about the birth are a lot to do with my parents. Aside from everything elsee, were it not for one of my friends and her inlaws taking the children for a day and another babysitting one evening I would have spent the week in hospital on my own, except the day of the delivery, though my mum made DH comee home about two hours after the baby was born and complained about how long the whole thing had taken (there were three emcs, so DD wasn't born until 4pm).
I also think spending all that time on the ward on my own watching ladies in labour was not the best thing for me. I'll get over it/over myself at some point, I'm sure.

Got mother coming over tomorrow and I just can't bear her at the moment. I don't need the stress. My parents are very selfish and they are the only family I have around, it makes me feel sad.

Sorry to go on.. that's why I don't want to talk about it, I'll probably go on and on and on...

Hi i made it over
Lovely birth story Lacks will post mine soon but still finding it hard to think about it

Obs can totally sympathise with the breastfeeding scenario. Oscar won't go down at night for some reason and i feel like i'm feeding constantly. On the up side the mw has just been over and he has gained weight in his first five days so i feel like the constant feeding is somewhat worth it.

Oscar had his heel prick test today too in which he was a little star and didn't cry at all.

pinky it is good to let it out...that is what we are here for to offer each other support....I am very sorry you feel this way towards your parents and also think that if they are giving you thi much stress, you perhaps should delay seing them unless they can offer you some benefit - ie help. The last thing you want if for your mum to come over tomorrow and make you feel inadequate........

Obs glaod you r mum is coming also, if I may speak out of turn, I think you are trying to do to much - you only had DS2 last week please please please be easy on yourself....huge hugs xxxx

pinky, agree with dozy, let it all out re mum, that is what we are here for.

glad my mum is coming. mw says Max has gained 4 - is it 4 oz or lbs or whatever and that is very very good.
kings just phoned. they are none the wiser as to why my diabetes gone mad. only monitoring suggested.
dozy is right. i will try and ease up on myself.

lol obs 4oz- not pounds- that would be plain scary!! 1oz per day for weight gain from day 5 onwards is good.

lola- DD1 gained on her 5 day and she was an evening guzzler too. It's tiring buit well worth it and it does ease off- promise .

I know I sound like I winge a lot,but it's all the emotional blackmail that goes with it.

DH had a tummy bug last week and mum said if we were really really desperate she would come for an hour one day- but I said it was ok we would manage (I certainly didn't ask her to come) so the next week I get the weepy 'I haven't seen the children' grannie. I just can't keep up with her, it is very emotionally draining. I had all sorts of scans and test to see if the baby was ok on the thurs before she was born and I was on my own the whole time. I could really have done with DH being there, my friends are at work and my mum had originally sadi she would help, but changed her mind. You get the general picture.

pinky, let it out about your folks.

I had a bit of a stressy stroppy moment at DH yesterday, which isn't fair as it's not his fault. We needed the PILs to pick DS up from school and watch DD so that DH could bring me anf Fin home (not v practical to do it with kids in tow) and he practically had to beg because they have DBILs twins on a Mon and pick up our nesice from school. I asked can't grandad come over, but apparently gran can't work the buckles in the twin's buggy so he has to be there too.

I told DH I was sick and tired of being second in the pecking order and that you;d think for something this importamt they could be a bit more accommodating. I don;t know what he said to them but grandad came over by himself and she dealt with the other end. she was probably in a strop cos I had put a stop to them visiting on Sunday as I wasn't well enough (she told me this morning that it wasn't me she was visiting )

I hate the fact that they are the only family DH has nearby but we are always made to feel we are bloody imposing on them all the time and then we get fitted around DHs brother to suit them.

Gah, it's easy to rant on and on when you start isn't it?

someone please take away these boulders and give me my boobs back please.

MIL plays the martyr card all the time; I know where you are on it being emotionally waering. I'm going to leave a note for my children to say that if I do stuff like that then they are free to shoot me.

absolutely with your there, lacks. My PIL are lovely, but a good 10 years older than mine and not in good health, but they still offer much greater emotional support than my parents.Bloody baby boomers- they think the world revoloves around them.To cap it all, they have sold my DB this line that they help out all the time, so he gets really jealous. When I said mum was sitting for me forone of my active birth classes, he got all huffy- I had to point out that the last time she baby sat was my birthday, last December!

Much sympathy re the boobs- mine resembled exocet missiles last week, they have calmed down now, but I wil need even bigger bras again!

ooh, excited to be here too! can't believe you guys are all here so quickly after giving birth!

birth was fab. can't imagine why anyone would want a natural birth now had an elcs! maybe i was lucky, spinal didn't hurt, scar has healed well etc. the only bummer has been a bad rash, started 2 days after and could possibly be due to cs, though am not convinced. i am taking 6 piriton a day and calamining all the time, it even wakes me in the night, which is not funny when you are trying to grab an hour's sleep between twin feeds! and it is still not under control - arrrrghhh, i am still intensely itchy, i thought it would all end after giving birth!

dh stood up and watched the whole thing over the screen. i was surprised, i dont' think i could, but he wanted to see his kids born and i am glad because now he can tell me all about it. dd was first, screamed head off. ds came out in his amniotic sac! they were all saying wow!

apart from all the stress of him being in special care, which was very scary, it has been so much better than being pregnant. dd is a guzzler and has put on 7oz in 13 days! Ds2 is still slightly under his birthweight (she has caught him up now, they are exactly the same weight). staff were mostly really great at the hospital. the worst thing was that i was on a ward with babies for 7 days, apparently they usually give a separate room but they didn't have any spare when i came up.

sorry for the boobs. mine have been ok, unless the pain is being minimised by chronic itch! i gave dd formula once or twice a day by syringe and it helped till milk came in. she was still jaundiced, but that has thankfully just cleared. giving them formula once day now, but managing to bf which i am pleased about, although last night wanted to chuck it all in when ds just wanted more and more, wasn't settling, but just kept puking. i think he actually had tummy ache. anyway...sorry for long post.

pinky, sorry to hear you feel down about the birth. it's hard. i felt like that on my last one...i spent a lot of time thinking about it, and crying. had a 'debrief' with my nct lady, which sort of helped, but really i think it is just time that has healed. it also helped to speak to others who had had bad experiences as everyone i knew seemed to have had an ok time and that really didn't help.

good to hear from you, merry- so glad the feeding is going well and that's just lovely about your boy being born in his bubble- it's such a good omen!

obs how are you feeling tonight????? Hopefully Max has settled down and you and Dh are enjoying some "couple" time???

How is everyone else doing? My BF seems to be getting worse - have BF for 90 mins on both boobs and then poor poppet was still rooting around - we gave her 60ml of aptamil which which she guzszled and then crashed out....

Saw a BF councillor this evening who has experience of thyroide issues and BF. She is researching into my levels and has recommended that i have an urgent test to assess what is going on........I was totally stressed about this past few days, but now actually the most impoetant thing is that DD is nourished and thriving and that I am happy and healthy and not stressed - If I can't BF (and obviously can;t stop taking my meds) then I am going to bottle feed.

Not happy with that, but sure am not going to beat myself up as there is nothing I can do to chage the situation so just hafwe to accept it. My only wish is that someone had told me about this before so I was at least prepared!!

Anyway, on to nicer things....DH has just cooked me calves liver with bacon and a red wine reduction of carmalised onions, followed by chocolate souffle and he is right this second, making me a cuppa to go with my striong, stinky, roquefort with quice - YEAH YEAH YEAH.......

Pink what conculsion did you come to re your mum coming ovcer tomorrow? Would it help if yopu aired your opinions or will she just shoot you down???

merry x posted - welcome to the "DARK SIDE" I am sure that if you are born in your sac it means a fantastic life ahead of you - i think sailors or soldiers actually have something to do with this supersticion????

God, my spelling isd appalling....apologies, but jop0e you all get my dreift!!!

some photos on profile.....but please be warned that the first one shows a LOT of boob!!!

...and I do not have gravity defying boobs.....I was hanging vaguely upside down