January 09 - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4......and we're off

[fourlittlestockingedfeet]

Here's a brand new thread for the early party poppers!

Morning all, only just managed to sit down since feeding Elizabeth at 9.00, so much to do and house a never ending spiral of chaos and tidying up now its half term, but am feeling surprisingly calm and happy despite it all!

Big family party yesterday for DH's birthday and to welcome Elizabeth. Was totally crazy and got a bit cross with people passing her round like a flippin parcel. MIL kept saying "can I have a cuddle?" then passing her to the nearest person. Also not to chuffed at MIL throwing her around showing off at how good she is with babies. Elizabeth is really good at holding her head usually but was asleep and MIL was letting her head flop around all over the place!

On the other hand Elizabeth was an absolute angel. She slept the entire time apart from when I woke her up for a feed and everyone was completely smitten.

Am loving the all smiles we are getting especially that first one in the morning when she wakes up and sees me. Still doing a good 6 hr stretch after her expressed bottle so am feeling a lot more human. DH is still being pathetic though despite getting 8 hrs straight 2 nights in a row!

Mum had her knee replacement on Friday and text me afterwards to say was feeling great so not to worry (on morphine). Unfortunately within an hour she had started to itch all over and it turns out she is allergic to morphine so they had to take her off it. The result being that she was too poorly and in too much pain for anyone other than my stepdad to visit her all weekend. Am going tonight with DH but can only stay an hour as will need to get back to feed Elizabeth. Also a bit concerned as MIL is baby sitting and worried about her head and neck being put through another flopping session.

Boys have been great since losing their favourite funkey for fighting. I will be giving it back this afternoon, but they don't know it yet. (They are currently making valentines cards for Daddy - their own idea - and I won't tell them Valentines day was Saturday! ) At least I know I have some leverage with them now and can just calmly remove a funkey rather than ending up going full on ballistic at them.

DD made me a card (he's a designer so either being creative or cheap, or possibly a bit of both!) and bought me two special edition additional books from the series I read while I was pregnant (Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series). I got him a card and intended to bake shortbread hearts for him, he's a shortbread nut, but never got around to it! (Bad, bad wife emoticon!)

Right I'd better get on, MIL alone in house equals an urgent need to have everywhere perfect before she gets here iykwim!

Ray 3 weeks about right for a growth spurt. Know what you mean about trying to keep them awake after a feed too. It was easy with the boys as we had lovely warm sunny Aprils and lived in a brand new house with excellent insulation etc, so could strip them down to their nappies and let them have a kick on the playmat, but with the cold weather we've had since Elizabeth was born and now living in an old draughty house we just can't do it with her.

Ray 3 weeks about right for a growth spurt. Know what you mean about trying to keep them awake after a feed too. It was easy with the boys as we had lovely warm sunny Aprils and lived in a brand new house with excellent insulation etc, so could strip them down to their nappies and let them have a kick on the playmat, but with the cold weather we've had since Elizabeth was born and now living in an old draughty house we just can't do it with her.

Jokat - DD, 2lbs 15oz
Looweeza - DS 4th Dec, Kit, 7lbs 13oz
Chefswife - DD 9th Dec, Violet May, 6lbs 7oz
HeathersMummy - DS 17th Dec, Fraser, 7lbs 2oz
Qumps - DS 19th Dec, Stanley, 7lbs 12oz
Kittenpaws - DD 22nd Dec, Susanna, 7lbs
NatalieJane - DS 27th Dec, Mikey
Ginni - DD 26th Dec, No name yet, 6lbs 15oz
Scared - 29th Dec
Mel2005 - TWINS 29th December. Alice 6lb3oz, Oscar 5lb 5oz.
TallulahBelle - TWINS 31st Dec
mppaw - DS 3rd Jan
Happyathome - DS 4th Jan, Jack, 9lbs 1oz
spink - DD, 7th Jan 11:37am
lennied - DS 7th Jan, Dylan Jacob, 7lbs 14oz
newmomma - DS 7th Jan, Harry John
periwink - DD 10th Jan, Ariella, 6:49, 8lbs 10oz
buickmackane - DS 13th Jan, William Ben, 7lb 7oz
Nellybell - DD 13th Jan, Polly, 7lbs 3oz
Heron - DS 13th Jan, 8lb 8oz
witchandchips - DD 14th Jan baby girl, 8lb 6oz
moosemama - DD 15th Jan, Elizabeth Jane
MsSparkle - DS 15th Jan, Finley Stephen, 9lb 8oz
Shanster - DD 15th Jan, Mairi, 7lb 9oz
Largeginandtonic - DD 16th Jan, India Rose, 9lb 5oz
Blue Sapphire - DS 16th Jan, David Alexander
FourLittleFeet - DS 17th Jan, Hugo, 8lb 6oz
Stripeywoollenhat - DD 18th Jan, Catherine Eleanor, 7lb 13oz
Tink - DD 19th Jan, Bracken Hope Willow, 8lb 7oz
Ooggs - DS 20th Jan, Luke Daniel, 8lb 6oz
Hkz- DS 21st Jan, Jude Peter, 7lb 5oz
Treedelivery - DD 22nd Jan
MissHairspray - DS 22nd Jan, Oliver James 9lb 12oz
RRay - DD 23rd Jan, Esme Mae, 6lb 6oz
Booksgalore - DD 27th Jan Aoife Joy 7lb 3oz
LooseyC - DS 27th Jan, Toby, 7lb 8oz
MissJackson - DS 29th Jan, Aneurin Paul, 8lb 7oz
StarbucksAddict - DD 31st Jan, Valentina Camille
Eachpeachpearmum - DS 2nd Feb, 8lb 10oz
elkiedee - DS 3rd Feb, Conor, 10lb
FYM - DS 4th Feb, James, 10lb 5oz
Dog - DD 10th Feb, Isla Rose, 8lb 15oz

hi all, have not even had a chance to read all your posts, i am way behind on all the news and births. time just flies. can't believe that DS will be 5 weeks tomorrow.
i am finding it a challenge to juggle baby and 4 yr old son. cooking, feeding, that sort of thing! trying my best - both of them are growing well so must be doing something right

congrats on all the new births! off to have a quick shower before baby wakes up!

So, inspired by chefswife's raking accomplishments, I finally plucked up the courage to unwrap my moby wrap (5 metres of stretchy material!), had a practice run with a stuffed bear, and then tried it out on Nye - he instantly fell asleep! Could then walk around the house like a normal person, making coffee, hanging out laundry and now typing with both hands! Wow... it's slightly like being very heavily pregnant again, as I have a huge bump in front of me - but much easier than trying to do things while holding the baby at the same time.

MM Lovely Valentine gift from DH - I have those books waiting to be read, maybe a good breastfeeding 'project' - got to be better than endless old copies of Grazia!

rray I think Nye has been on a 'growth spurt' since he was born, as he always wants to feed! I can't decide what type of baby he is from the baby whisperer descriptions - def not an angel, although it sounds like Esme is! Maybe 'spirited' ....?!

Has anyone used a nipple shield? My left nipple has a nasty crack in it and is very painful - I've been persevering and it's okay once he gets going, but I wonder if a couple of days with a shield would help it heal, or whether my nipple would get sensitive again.

missJ Glad your moby wrap is working for you. i havent got around to using my sling very much, i've got the closer sling. meant to go for a walk with little one this morning, but spent it feeding nearly all morning, goodness me!!!!! I have to say i've been using the baby whisperer pretty loosely, and havent even really filled out the Questions or anything to work out what Esme is, i think glancing at it she prob falls into the "textbook" one. Haven't tried nipple shields, but think yes it would help it heal, as when esme was going through the night and feeding less my nipples were much much less sore, only now that shes feeding like a crazy woman are they sore again. So maybe if you used the nipple shield every other feed, it'd help, or even every feed? Are you using a nipple cream? i don't know what i'd do without the lanisoh (Sp?) one i'm using - the one in the purple tube.

moose ah, that makes more sense now! glad to hear its in aid of something and shes not just a hunger machine from here on in! We have a little rattle that seems to be the best shout at keeping her awake, well for maybe 5 mins! hahaha.. oh and the spot lights in the kitchen.

Just wondered.... does everyones LO's let you KNOW that they need a nappy change? Esme seems happy to sit in her poo all day long. I'm often split, as her mother i can obviously smell her poo (it smells like custard at the moment, bless her!) or pretty often HEAR it... but then she is happily sleeping. i havent been waking her to change her, but her poor little bottom is rather read, despite me going through all the nappy rash creams. maybe i should be waking her to change her? sounds like madness to wake a sleeping baby though! Even when she is awake she wont grumble about her nappy.

MissJ I loved the books - they kept me company through all that insomnia and DH is now working his way through the trilogy (ulterior motive for the valentines gifts methinks! )

I have a moby wrap as well. DH doesn't like it and has reverted to our rather old and faded Baby Bjorn, although in all honesty I think most of that is due to nostalgia, as he rebuilt and refurbished a vw camper from a rolling shell to a show stopper whilst wearing DS1 in the Bjorn. I haven't got round to trying it yet but have had a good trawl through all the demos on YouTube.

Ray, I tend not to change DDs nappy during the night if I can possibly avoid it. I just slather her little bottom with Earth Friendly Baby's Red Clover Cream at her last change before bed and it seems to protect her really well. We used it for both boys as well and neither of them ever had nappy rash. I only change her during the night if it sounds like a major explosion or she seems uncomfortable.

House is still not sorted and no time left to get it done before the ILs arrive now if I am going to cook tea and get ready to go out.

Anyone got any ideas what I can take when I visit Mum tonight. I was going to take flowers, but they'd banned flowers when I was in last, although that was NHS and Mum is in BUPA (I think, well private anyway). She doesn't want any chocolates or sweet stuff and says she has enough magazines. The boys have done her a get well soon picture each and I have got her a card, I also have a dress which I've never worn to give to her as she has been told she has to wear dresses whilst recovering and she hardly owns any (we're always swapping clothes btw). Feel like I should take her something else though.

Ooh! That reminds me, must go and iron the dress as it has been folded at the back of my wardrobe for ages.

Ray forgot to say, the manic feeding for a growth spurt should only be for about 48hrs at most so hang in there and she should soon settle down again.

hey everyone, struggling to keep up with the thread but (is this a bad sign??) been missing you all!
thank you for well wishes - the mastitis seems to be clearing, it is so good to feel more human again! We're thinking of starting to use a dummy so dd can get comfort from sucking but stretch out time between feeds (she's still 2 hourly in the daytime, 3 hourly at night). Anyone else doing this?

Interesting reading about slings - dd won't really sleep during the day unless she's held, and I've tried her in the hugabub we've got a couple of times, once in the peapod position, once in the splayed-on-my-chest position, and neither seemed very comfy for her. what positions are you wearing your bubs in, chefswife missj and ray? Ray dd seems to have poo in her nappy at all times, she is a poo monster.. and to be honest if she is asleep I leave her to it and change before a feed. When she had nappy rash a few weeks ago I changed every time I could smell / heard a poo, though, because it got quite sore-looking quite quickly. I also try to give her some nappy-free time every day - I've got some of those disposable bed pads left over from the non home-birth(!) which I put her on. does that help??

I made the horrible mistake of trying on pre-pg clothes yesterday, and had a real problem getting my jeans over my bum.. a complete shocker, I'd expected to have a muffin top and to not quite be able to do the buttons up, not to have ballooned several sizes all over. I ritually burned most of my maternity clothes (well, ok, took them to the charity shop ) a couple of weeks ago, only kept a pair of mat jeans and combats and they are the only bottoms I fit into, so I'm just rotating those and feeling really rank. Do I just bite the bullet and buy some new clothes in a (much - eek) bigger size than I am usually, or wait a couple more weeks when the weight will undoubtedly have melted off? think I know the answer to that..

moose - hope your mum feels better really soon. pressie ideas - sounds like you're already taking lovely things - other than that, does she like doing crosswords / sudoku - could take a book of those if she does.
Otherwise, why not take her something that will make her feel pampered - when Rosie was poorly and I was in hospital with her, my mum brought in some relaxing massage oil (with lavender and ylang ylang) for me, and gave me a hand massage, which was so lovely. You could even make it up yourself with an unscented base oil and some drops of whatever you've got at home?

Hello everyone..too much to catch up on since I last posted!

Moose- When my mum was ill inhospital and DD was tiny I took her some pics of DD and stuck them in little frames to cheer her up and also I took nice foot and hand moisturiser and gave her a bit of a manicure/pedicure/foot/hand massage. I guess it depends what your mum likes and how she's feeling.

MissJ- I had a cracked nipple in the first week and just expressed off it for 36 hours and used lots of lanisoh and it healed and has been fine since.

Ray- DS has jsut finished a 48 hour feed-a-thon..so I guess that was a growth spurt...my poor nips.

Slings are great, got a kari-me one off of ebay, which is a lot of fabric, but works really well once you work out how to use it without tieing yourself up in a knot.

Am I right in thinking that if you are breastfeeding you do not need to use cntraceptives? Anyone know? Have done a search...but quite a bit of conflicting info.

Tree and Elkie- hope you are both doing ok and things are getting easier...

Right, off to make dd's tea....and find some matchsticks to prise my eyes open with...

Spink this afternoon (first time I used the sling) I had LO in the 'newborn hug' position, basically curled up foetally against my chest, and then when he woke up after about 45 minutes and seemed to be restless, I put his legs down so he was straight against my chest - he then slept for another 30 minutes or so...! Result. I had it really quite tight, and I think it must feel like being back in the womb.

Glad the mastitis is clearing up.

rray I wouldn't be parted from my lanisoh either, miracle stuff! I think I will try the nipple shield tonight for a couple of feeds and see if it makes a difference, because the pain is really putting me off.

MM hope you enjoy your hour off visiting your Mum.

hkz My midwife said BF is 96% effective as long as (a) your baby is having nothing but breast milk (b) under 6 months old and (c) you are feeding at least once every six hours -- personally I am veering towards not taking any risk and trying out an estrogen-only pill that is safe for BF but needs to be taken same time every day. Not that it's an issue just yet!

hi all... still recovering from the 4 wk growth spurt here too. Can't believe H is a month old tomorrow.. where did that go?

hkz..would use condoms too to be honest, as though BF is advised to be reliable, there's a reason why the midwives come round with contraceptive advice! Second MJ on the applicablity here...

with the sling we use a wilkinet for the first two months, then move to our hug-a-bub.

by the way if anyone wants to get their thank you notelets printed professionally, I've got a code for bonus print which is 40% off, which means you can get 24 for £6.58 including postage, which I reckon is pretty good going; you go onto the site and upload your photo, and away you go. Ours look great .

code is GCFORTY29 and works til feb 22nd

have to say am slightly sceptical about leaving things down to breast feeding... not ready to be pregnant again just yet. The mw who had the contraceptive chat with me was a nun! She said she didn't advocate contraceptives and I would have to discuss it with another midwife.... of course I forgot to bring it up again. DP is being all amourous...poor sex starved man... I am not sure I have the energy!

i have missed loads
bracken is 4 weeks old and think that she is having a growth spurt 2 she is constantly hungry and was up loads last night. she now drink 2-3 ozs mostly 2.5 - 3ozs

hkz - I wouldn't take the risk but then my periods stared straight away with ds1, regardless of exclusive BF etc etc so I went for the mini pill last time

tink Time flies doesn't it. Esme will be 4 weeks friday, can't believe it!

FLF How quickly has this month gone compared with the last 4 weeks of being pregnant when we were all crazy about going into labour! LOTS of people told me i'd miss being pregnant.... does anyone? i DONT!

MissJ Good luck with the nipple Shield. Mine are sore too, if they get any worse i think i shall be trying one too!

HKZ i'm not really sure about the breastfeeding buisness, all i know is my sister was an accident, while my mum was "protected" from breastfeeding..... i don't want another just yet, so i'll be taking all precautions... not that bedroom action is happening just yet!!!

spink DD is now 12 weeks so i start her in the sling in a side sit with her left arm out and then do the dishes because it lulls her enough for me to tuck her into a cradle position. i think the cradle is the same as peapod. did you try both sides...DD won't go in it with her right side facing out.

Spink and hkz thanks for gift ideas. Hadn't thought of taking her some nice smellies. She is a handcream devotee so will try and get some to take tomorrow night, great idea such as that hygiene gel really dries your hands out. She was chuffed with the dress and top I took and even more impressed when I told her I had ironed it for her. (She knows how much I hate ironing!)

Mum is not too bad considering. Still in a great deal of pain, but putting on a brave face. Can't believe how much quieter the hospital is than the NHS ones I was in with DS2 and for DDs birth, at least she can get some sleep while she's in there.

It felt really strange to be leaving Elizabeth tonight. Stopped in at the local shop and kept feeling like I'd left something behind. I never would have dreamt of leaving the boys at 4 weeks old, but really didn't want to take her to a hospital. We were only out for just under 2 hours and MIL cuddled her the entire time I was gone so all was fine and was back in time for her next feed.

Couldn't wait to get in the front door when I got back though and Elizabeth was so pleased to see me did some beautiful smiles and had a good old chat to me - I guess she was probably asking where on earth I thought I'd got to for the past couple of hours.

On the contraception issue, my old MW told me never to rely on breastfeeding as a form of contraception as its effectiveness varies from person to person.

This growth spurt thing is taking its toll on the old nipps! Ouchy Ouchy. Esme ususally sleeps 10pm-6am, but woke at 12 midnight and 5am last night for mamoth feeds. Hoping it IS a growth spurt and something hasn't just chucked her out of her little routine.

She is currently whining and refusing to go to sleep in her moses basket. shes not actually Crying crying, so i'm hoping she'll just wear herself out and go to sleep.

What are people doing RE: feeding on demand? i mean, say she is having a growth spurt, should i be feeding her again when i fed her less than an hour ago? i'm worried she'll start using the breast as comfort!? But at the same time i don't want to be a mean mummy if shes actually hungry and needs it.

Also, her windy poos seem to be causing her some discomfort to say the least as shes straining to get them out!

moose hope your mother is better soon.

missj how was nipp shield? think might have to get some myself, this G.spurt assault on my nipps is killer!

hi

rray - i am feeding bracken on demand as long as last feed was 2 hours ago wouldnt feed her under 2 hours ago unless she was really crying.

Hi all.

hkz we have a kari-me too! I haven't used it yet, but DH has, and likes it.

DS is still colicky, but sleeping well after 11pm, so I can't complain.