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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hi all - so to those who reminded me that my darling LO hadn't read GF - there is a new photo for you in my profile, second down.

Lacks, how are the boobs now? Is it clearing up with the flucozanale (sp?)?

Obs. Sorry you had another bad night. Funny you love routines and can't do it, makes me feel better. I thought it was just because I hate them that I can't do it. Are there any books that actually tell you HOW to get in the routine not just tell you what it should be? I am not willing to leave my child crying from 3am till 7am just so they 'sleep through' the next day or eat enough at the next feed. My night was better as I went to bed at 9pm and Dh stayed up to watch a movie till 1.30am so I got a long sleep in there. However, had to get up for ds1 this morning as no way dh was getting up at 7am.

ChocO and Dozy. LOL at GFLite (Does anyone actually manage to do 'Full Fat GF'?!). So tell me, how do I get them in a routine then?

Dummies. We are using them, mainly dh actually. He keeps them going till 10.30 or so with a dummy and then they get their feed which can last till 1-ish. I didn't use them for ds1, but they seem to working well in this way and the twins are not waking for as many feeds as he did, though they compensate by taking ages to wind and burp and settle whereas he went down with none of that - I was spoilt!

Welcome all first timers including Belinda1. It's an amazing, special and difficult experience the first time. I am finding twins about as hard as I found one baby the first time round so I can empathise to some extent. Goodness knows how people do twins as first babies.

merry how doe DH like his dummy? only joking.

Not getting a lot of sleep myself at the mo, but dinky is very bunged up with her cold, so she wants to sleep on my chest, sort of upright, so I'm only dozing. Snufflebabe on the nightshirt seems to help.

It's a long time since I last had the flu and its not nice

glad you are getting some slepp. merry

Hi everyone. I have been lurking for a while but wanted to catch up - am on page 21 at the moment...

Got to post though.

James developed a cold last Wed so we went to the docs on Thurs & Fri. Chest was clear. But he kept choking on snot / mucus.

Sun night he got really bad, he'd been off his feeds - which i'd told the doc on Fri - due to not being able to brethe & feed.

Saw emergency doc... Hospital.
He's got Bronchiolitis - confirmed RSV virus from a snot sample. Upon arrival his lips were slightly blue, they grabbed him, shoved a feeding tube down his throat and tubed him up to oxygen. They said that as he's so young (2.5 weeks at the time of admission) there's a real danger he'll become too weak to feed and decide to stop breathing as it was too much effort - heart monitor showed raised pulse indicating the strain to stay alive.

Bloody awful.

we came home yesterday, he has an awful cough developing and is still very ill but he's out of danger now and we have open access to the hospital for the next 2 days.

DH has been very upset, painful to see a man cry but it was so frightening.

Lesson: don't believe 'just the snuffles', especially if feeding is poor. These young babies can not handle a cold type virus.

Sounds awful, mummynic

But you are dead right. Dinky is still guzzling like a trooper and pretty perky, but if she shows any signs of getting worse, I'd do exactlywhat yopu did. I did it with DD1, when she was diagnosed with reflux.

Hope your little man gets better soon.x

Thanks Pinky. Doing well on the crying front too now, only crying due to the fear of losing James now!!!

MummyNic thats awful , but so glad James is recovering from the worst of it and thx for sharing.

Very frightening. I've had a couple of scares with my babies, but fortunately they have turned out to be false alarms, I can't imagine how worried you and your DH must have been.

I'm glad you are feeling better about the birth, now. i have kind of put mine in a drwer for a bit. Things do feel less intense as time goes on.

sorry to hear this mummynic.
is ds recovering well now ?

how frightening mummynic . Hope he is back to his old self quickly.

So many babies seem to get bronchiolitis these days. Will be vigilant if Fin develops a cold.

Lol at your photo ChocO

Welcome to Chocbiscuits and congratulations on your DC2

Merry, thanks for asking about my boobs (how weird does that sound, lol). Things are much better, and we are managing a better latch most of the time. Feeding is pain free for the first time since he was born, but I have to watch his latch or he just nibbles on the end making me a bit tender.

Went to the babycafe this afternoon and met some lovely mums there; and a few there for the first time with their 3-4 week old babies so we are in the same boat. Talked to the HV about Fin's grunting and apparent pain; she couldn't offer any explanation for it though and said it's maybe just his way. I'll see my own HV next week.

She did confirm that DH and I aren't going mad though and what we think is a tooth visible and feelable under the gum is, in fact, a tooth . We noticed it a couple of days ago, and it looks like it is about the break through the gum at any time, but she said it might stay like that for months.

Mummynic How horrible/scary. can't believe how they fobbed you off. Sometimes a mother's instinct is the best guage as to waht is going on. Wishing your little man a speedy recovery (and you!) XX

CHOCBISCUITS are ALWAYS welcome congrats on your son!

chocorange I might start charging glad to be of service and that things are panning out - love the photo as well and can't wait to see you and obs tomorrow.

lacks good to see you posting again, was a wee bit concerned about you as you are very regular - I always read but am posting less and less......don't know how you get the time!!!

Quick Q for anyone who had an epidural - this week (4 weeks post CS) I have started to get a back ache - related to epidural or coincidence? Never been trouvbledf with bak before but might be because I am shelping up a huge hoill 2sx a day with double buggy????

Hi to everyone else, hope you are all good....

My DH is out onight with zoned out 's DH. Very strange coincidence as zoned and i were discussing the rugby, she said something that my DH happened to read, and said "Oh I know zonedouts DH. Now that is a weird coincidence........

I love things like that!

dm X

lol Dozy, partly my lack of posting is a baby that won't be put down, and partly that when he is asleep, DH is running the house like a military operation and is making me do housework and stuff . I can't wait for him to go back to work, even though my evening MNetting will still be compromised!!!

Oh mummynic how awful, poor you and your poor little man It must have been utterly terrifying. Goodness, as much as I absolutely adore newborns, the whole stage is so frightening as they are just so vulnerable in so many ways and to so many things. The worry is almost unbearable. Not that the worry goes away as they grow. In fact, the worry seems to grow with them. seem to have gone off on some sleep deprived ramble...Thanks for the warning though, i will be sure to be extra vigilant, especially with ds1 starting pre-school soon and bringing home the inevitable nasties. Glad James is back home and on the mend now, hope he is fully better very very soon.

at the tooth leaky! Glad the evil thrush is on its way out for you.

Dozy, hope those boys behave themselves tonight I have been warned not to expect my dh home until 4or 5am and not in a good state as he is running it. Well, that's his excuse anyway Not looking forward to a whole night of solo newborning!

Welcome to the delicious sounding chocbiscuits. Honestly, you lot all have me running to the kitchen constantly with all your mouthwatering names!

Anyone any experience of laryngomalacia (with reflux - although have been through the reflux hell with ds1)? Ds2 was diagnosed with it earlier in the week and would like to hear of anyone's experiences as I am feeling a little worried and finding it a little stressful .

zonedout...just googled laryngomathingy, and it's what my nephew had as a baby. I had to check though as my sister just referred to it as him developing a "stridor".

Anyhow, they had a rolled up towel that they placed under his neck so his head was tipped back to open up his airways. His breathing was very noisy as a result of it (the stridor, not the towel, lol). I can't remember how long it lasted, but do recall my sis saying that the first night of him breathing normally she couldn't get to sleep! He is perfectly allright now, and the only thing to show for it is a very gravelly voice that is going to woo the girls when he is older

I'll ask my sis more about it for you

Thanks so much Leaky, that is really kind of you. I have never come across anyone in rl who has had it so any info much appreciated. I wonder if your nephew had reflux too (apparently they tend to go hand in hand). I am guessing it is the reflux doing it but my ds chokes and gags and struggles to catch his breath when feeding and lying flat so i imagine the sleeping position you describe might not work for us. Would be exyremely grateful for any further tips

evening all

How did I just know that zonedout and I would be on here tonight I have told DH to say at the flat in town as I do not want to be woken up at silly o'clock by a drunken DH!!! to top it, he is on a golf jolly tomorrow, then taking DS1 to the all blacks game on saturday - hard life eh!!

I have never heard of that condition, but actually read with interest as DD chokes when I am feeding her - it is getting better but I was having to blow on her face to get her to catch her breath after 20 odd secs...it is very scary but think i have resovled it by feeding her in a more upright position.....

Tonight I am vbeing brave - and have sent Tiger to "BABY BOOT CAMP" She is in her own room for snoozes now, so I am sitting ehre listening to her breath on the monitor, rather than in her moses basket besides me. I am hoping that she settles in her big cot as for the past few naps, she has woken herself in the moses which is tiny. Plus, if i haven't been using that, I have been using the fisher price take along swing - so she is being rocked to sleep......

I definately, de3finaatly have last baby syndrome or (LBS as I HEARTMUM call it) as I jsut don't want to put her down - ever....I know that missdee said the same!

Oh, If anyone likes risotto - i can highly say do not buy the new covent garden mushroom and parmasen one - it is horrible...I was so looking forward to that as well.

lacks Your DH sounds like mine - he was off for 3 weeks, told me he would do all housework and to cancel the cleaner and he was CRAP...maintained rather than cleaned, and was to arrogant to admit that the reason we actually have a cleaner is because life eunning around with the kids is hard work!

Anyhow, Hi to everyone else, I shall shut up now!

I don't remember him having reflux, but I'll certainly ask. I remember now she called it a "floppy larynx".

DS is sleeping peacefully after an uneventful feed. We had put the bouncy chair away as DD kept sitting in it, but thought it might help with DSs tummy problems (HV was reluctant for us to have an actual diagnosis of reflux for some reason) as it would keep him upright. So, he has been in it this evening and seems much more settled than when he is in his crib. long may it last.

DD is in her big girl bed. We tried her in it last night and she was fine (well until she fell out of it with a thump at 6.15 this morning) and went to sleep happily in it tonight as well. Long may it last.

Is anyone else ravenously hungry? I had a huge bowl of pasta with seafood for tea at 5 o'clock and I'm starving again already. I had a big lunch as well.

Hi again. James has now got a really horrid cough. I keep feeling his back for wheezing, none so far but I'm tempted to annoy the docs and take him tomorrow just to check. He can't sleep well due to choking on snot still so I look forward to another sleepless night. Luckily DH is off too - work have been great - so I'm not alone with a poorly baby.

pinky I read your birth post and it had me in floods!!! I get my first visit from HV on Mon (should have been Tues gone but we were in hospital) so i will chat to her about it. I have self analysed a bit and I think i spent so much time planning for water breaking etc(maternity mats in bed and car etc), buying tens machine, massage stuff for DH to help me so in the end I lost sight of what I would be doing all this for - a baby. So to not have experience any labouring what-so-ever is somewhat disappointing. Then there was the 48 hrs of James being in danger in the womb and being nil-by-mouth one minute then allowed home for a few hrs the next was all too much for me. Hence the MW thinking it's post traumatic stress rather than depression.

But this last week has seen a reality check. Who cares about a cs and no contractions, James being safe and well is the most important thing. He is so precious and beautiful and my life is complete with him in it.

Oh, interestingly. The ward we were on was for babies under 1 and it closes in the summer, it opens in late Autumn because of this virus - there is such an increase in poorly babies during winter. In the summer they have the odd gastroenteritis which goes on the older babies ward. In the winter they have 19 beds available for bronchiolitis!!!

When we were in there were 12 babies on the ward, 10 of which have RSV.

How bad is that?!!!!

With that in mind... You'd think my docs wouldn't have been quite so dismissive of 'snuffles' - even if he shouldn't have been hospitalised at the time they could have warned me to be extra vigilant.

Leaky, I'm glad it not just me - ate a good lunch, and a good tea and have just had two doorstops of bread and jam while catching up on posts! Impressed at your DD going into her big girl bed so well - DS will have his cot bed when we move as he just doesn't fit sideways across his cot anymore and he seems to like being wrong way on!
Mummynic, you sound like you've had a horrible time, well done for concentrating on James - the rest is just detail!
Today was my second chance at having a first day on my own with 2DC - after Monday was so horrible today was really good. Just about got to Monkey music on time this morning and apart fom her screaming in the car there and back, then falling asleep two mins before we arrived! We all managed a bit of a nap and DH was back just before DS finished his tea. I don't know what is different today but he has been putting food away like its going out of fashion which makes a nice change

Mummynic how awful for you!! Having been in a similar situation with DS1 2 years ago I completely sympathise - it really is one of the worst experiences you can go through. Although DS1's illness was completely different, we were fobbed off by 2 different GP's before eventually taking DS1 to A&E - Dozy is right, mothers instinct is true as I knew there was something seriously wrong with him! Thanks for sharing.

Chocorange love love love the photo - definitely one to treasure Is M a fully-fledged GF convert now then??

Daisy glad DD has settled in her big girls bed - it is amazing how they just take it in their stride isn't it? DS1 loves his bed and has not been into our room once since I have come back from hospital I thought he would be in all the time to check on 'babaSam' but not the case!

Sam is ok - still quite jaundiced MW came today and is not overly concerned but said the best thing to do was to put the heating right up, strip him to his nappy and let him lie in daylight for as long as possible - so we have had the conservatory heating on full blast today and put him under the glass roof!! I really hope it works as I want to enjoy being with him rather than worrying constantly about him and how much he is eating etc etc!

What did it for me was the fact that for some of his feeds on Sunday he only fed for 10 mins instead of the usual 30 mins. But he was still pooing and weeing so he must have been getting something.

He's on reduced feeds(I'm not offering the other boob) as he was in hospital - a full tummy restricts the diaphram so affects his breathing.

mummynic can't believe that about the ward for winter babies......what you say is so true, I have been gettting quite upset at times about my non ability to breastfeed Tiger, and even though I know it couldn't be helped and was down to my medication, I still feel cheated as nobody told me before ahnd it could cause problems. however, what you are saying is so true - it took you having a scare to get over your "non birth" and it has taken me reading your story to get over my "non ability to breast feed". For that, I thank you so much for sharing.

Has anoyone else got spots? My chin is covered...I never get spoits.....

mummynic yep I think that is what I have- post traumatic stress, actually from DS's birth, which was traumatic, I had placed a lot of my hopes of healing these feelings onto the birth of Dinky. I think this is part of the problem with going for a vbac- concentrating on the birth instead of focussing on the end result.
I still cry from time to time over DS's birth, but it was easing before DD2, and I'm sure it will again.

dozy someone really lovely on the thread said I had to grieve for the birth I had wanted- it'sa prolly similar for you with the bfeeding?

oh and zonedout as I said before, DD1 had reflux