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!

MM how awful for you! Thank god you had the monitor on and knew what to do. You do sound very calm, I have to say. I would be a complete wreck.

dog I have an infection too and am seeing the doctor tomorrow to discuss antibiotics. My lochia has come and gone for nearly 4 weeks now, sometimes bright red and very copious - I kept calling the MWs because I knew something wasn't right with it, and they were brushing me off - then finally took myself to the GP who did a swab. Not sure if I will have to take antibiotics though.

I was laughing the other day as I remembered that originally I had bought one pack of maternity pads - like I would only need 10!

Does anyone else's LO yell like crazy when they come out of the bath? He loves it when he's in there, and makes a strange face putting his tongue out (some kind of reflex left over from time in womb maybe?) but when we lift him out, he kicks off until I feed him.

Sorry for long post... I have finally mastered the art of using the laptop while feeding!

PS dog I also got the same rash thing and Doctor gave me canestan with hydrocortizone as it's prob a yeast infection made worse by wearing pad and pants all the time - cleared it up straight away so would highly recommend.

Sorry if TMI for everyone else!

eek at moose's dd, that must have been terrifying.

C's weight was 4.6 kg today, above birth weight of 4.528 kg, and we just have to go in on Thursday this week now - a break from having to travel there. Afterwards I went to a drop in I used to take ds1 to, which is on the way home from the hospital, and just relaxed with cups of tea. C slept through most of it after guzzling a mix of my milk and topups from the early hours until 1.30 pm, so it was quite restful. The person who welcomed me to the group the first time I went was there with her 2nd baby, and there were quite a lot of other 2nd timers there too.

moose, just read your post and it must have been so so awful for you and your DH. so glad that it is all ok now.

i dont have a breathing monitor, wondering if i should get one.

moose that sounds terrifying. you must be so relieved that you've got the monitor and that it did its job.. here's hoping it never needs to go off again.

dog poor you, that infection sounds horrible. Have you got any cream to soothe your area?? You could always steal some nappy rash cream.. and give yourself some pant and pad free time?

books how's the mastitis? have you worked out what to do with pumping and supply? If I were you I'd get a lactation consultant /bfing counsellor to see you so they can advise for your personal circumstances. I got really confused about what I should be doing, especially as the GP didn't give any advice about feeding/pumping, just gave meds.

Thanks, everyone, for your advice about the mastitis. I was being a bit of a tit and hoping you'd all reassure me it would get better by itself (avoidant, me? NO) so, I DID go back to the GP and he prescribed another round of ab's. (I'm telling you the rest of this boring story just in case it is useful for anyone else with mastitis - it is a bit dull!) Then I spoke to a friend who is a GP, who was horrified that he'd done that without examining me, she reckons that with augmentin, the ab I was on, it should clear within a week. She came over, had a look, said there was a swelling and that it might be a sign of an abcess and that I needed double the dose of ab's. She prescribed that, and gave me Nystatin thrush cream for my boob, some diclofenac for the pain and some acidophillus capsules. She reckons it is worth treating pre-emptively for thrush as it is so easy to get after antibiotics.
Anyone else taking them - ask your GP about this!! Thrush is really really really best avoided, I had it with ds and it was grim.
Anyway. Feeling much better now and trying to keep the boobs happy by massaging before feeds so ducts stay hopefully unblocked.. rub those boobs ladies!

moose, how absolutely horrifying for you. glad that lo is alright, am now considering buying a breathing monitor.

though, of course, blinkin' dd would actually have to agree to go to sleep on a regular basis for it to be a useful investment... anybody else got one who resists sleep even when exhausted and then screams her head off because she is completely frazzled? we are putting insane mileage on the car as it is the only thing which works....

Oh moose- another one here with tears in her eyes. So scary for you and DH, thank goodness you had the monitor.
Though I cannot believe she can go so long between feeds already!

books- for mastitis, not fun, hope it clears up soon.

elkie- hope c's weight gain is gong well- and impressed at the outing- we haven't taken both children yet, only DS...
There's no such think as too many books- impossible!

dog and missJ for infection too- it's so hard when we're so tired and run down after pg to keep healthy. After having dd, I had 3 utis on the run which wasn't fun, but it's so hard to shake things off when our body needs sleep!

We are surviving- DD is getting much better at getting ready in the morning, but bedtime has become one mass of tantrums- real full-on screaming (this is a child who never has tantrums, as she hates to lose control...)

Hope you are okay tree, as we haven't heard from you for a while- hang in there.

Spink -I found diclofenac really effective after my section.

DS's thrush does seem to be clearing up nicely atm thank goodness.

Stripy- my dd was like that about sleep- it does get better, I promise. What helped her was total bank environment for sleep, and we used shush,pat fro baby whisperer, though she was older by the time we discovered it. She is actually very good at going to sleep now (at 3)- is usually asleep within 5 minutes of tucking her in. There was a lot of screaming until we got to that stage though, sorry

spink, glad you are feeling better. Stripey, have you tried putting her on a pillow, I swear it works, they think you are holding them! . Won't mimic the car though. Mine are the opposite and hate being in the car!

MM- OMG, sounds so so scary. Well done for being so calm and knowing what to do. I must learn. I've never used a breathing monitor but am seriously considering one now.

Congratulations Elkie on the weight gain, really admire your determination.

Books - second bf counsellor to help you get supply sorted. Mine has really helped me manage my supply as I also have a tendency towards oversupply.

With the expressing I have found that the best thing for me to do is to express at the same time every day unless DS has fed more than usual in which case I don't express until later on if at all. He has dropped one feed in the night now so I am expressing as soon as I wake up in the morning from the side I don't feed from and last thing at night from both sides just to make sure breasts are empty before I go to sleep. This seems to stop me getting lumpy engorged breasts in the night and also makes sure I don't leak a lot of milk. It also seems to stop me getting night sweats for some reason. If for some reason I give him EBM when out during the day then I express the feed he would have had as soon as I get home by emptying one breast and then do his next feed from the other side. BF counsellor has also advised me to wake him to feed him at regular intervals during the day rather than just let him decide when he is hungry as sometimes he goes 2 hours, sometimes he goes 4hours. Not sure I'm really doing this, but nice idea

Tink - lovely that B is smiling. I never tire of seeing DS smiling away.

Spink - glad the mastitis is finally under control. Sounds like second doctor was fab. Hope you are feeling back to yourself soon.

Stripey - I have heard that baby swings are a good alternative to car journeys if your DD likes motion to help sleep. Have you considered a baby hammock?

EPPM - lots more tantrums here too. Think it is DD's way of getting attention. Trying to ignore them and praise good behaviour but gets a little wearisome sometimes.

Went to the zoo yesterday - was really good day out. DD now obsessed with identifying animals!

Dog, thanks for that link, I didnt know you could get mobile monitors, Mum has offered to pay for one as I'm slightly paranoid about putting her in her swing and whenever she is in her car seat now. In fact, I only feel ok when she's in her crib with the monitor on. Also, as the crib is a bedside one, the Angelcare sometimes picks us up as well as DD, so a clip on monitor would be better.

Was awake most of last night watching DD! We kept the lamp on in the bedroom as well so I could see she was ok at a glance. Swapped sides with DH at 5.30 and got a couple of hours while he watched over her.

Been to hospital again today for DD's hearing test, which was fine, got hip scan tomorrow! Was a bit post-stress spacey this morning and really disorganised, which is very unlike me and I can't stand. Went for coffee and cake at John Lewis with my sister afterwards, then did a tiny bit of shopping and visited Mum. Feel much better now after a bit of normality and light relief, not to mention using my luvverly new buggy.

Lennied, I am expressing at exactly the same times as you now and am building up a reasonable sized stock in the freezer. Learned the hard was that DD won't drink cold milk today though, the boys were both happy to drink their EBM cold, but she firmly turned her nose up at it. Mind you, she then proceeded to yell for it half an hour later when we had left the cafe and were in the middle of the shopping centre! She did take it all then, but only after I had at least warmed it between my hands for a few minutes!

Oh Dog you poor thing, infections like that make you feel so drained and yeuch. Hope you are finding time to have some rest and take care of yourself.

I'm really grateful to you for the monitor information and advice, think I will go and order a snuza baby as soon as I finish posting here.

DH is in the kitchen making pancakes with the boys, I am sat on the sofa watching over DD and waiting for my pancakes to be delivered.

Have been absolutely terrible with food today, ate nothing but a piece of carrot cake in John Lewis and a thin slice of swiss roll at Mums and now am having pancakes - really healthy!

We went to Chester, was really good.

MM - similar here with the freezer. What are you freezing it in? I'm using a stash of lasinoh bags a friend passed on to me at the moment but will run out soon and they are pretty expensive. Think they might be worth it if no other alternative. I haven't enough bottles to use those unfortunately. Have about 40oz in the freezer now, I find it strangely reassuring.

You can buy little bottle warmers that plug into your cigarette lighter on the car... used to have one for DD, must dig it out.

LenniEd or MM or anyone other expressers, can I ask your advice on how to get going on expressing? I am slightly confused as to when to express as LO always has both sides, every 2 or 3 hours during the day, and then 3 or 4 hours during the night... should I try feeding just from one side and express from the other?

MissJ - I only offer DS both sides for his last feed in the evening as he is usually full after one breast so I express off the side I haven't fed off. I think you might be best to start off by expressing immeadiately after a feed if you use both sides, or feed off one side then swap a little earlier than usual and express off the first breast while you feed off the second maybe? It is soooo much easier if you can be feeding or just having fed when you do it and keep your DS snuggled up close to keep your flow going. I only used to get a couple of ounces at first, but if you get that twice a day then that is still enough for a feed at this stage. Also worth trying breast shells to collect leaking milk early on. Just pop one in your bra on the side you aren't feeding on and you can use the milk you collect if you sterilse the shell first. To up your supply you just need to express more than you give iyswim. You will notice the increase really quickly, it only seems to take a day or two to catch up.

LenniEd I am using lansinoh bags as well. I had Avent ones with the boys but the lansinoh ones are much much better. I did try Avent Via Cups but found them a real faff and I kept spilling the milk as the lids were too difficult to get on and off.

Dog, did you buy your monitor from annawiz? I notice snuza baby sell direct from their own website as well.

MissJ, DD only has one side per feed as well I just express from the other side and then alternate as normal. I think I'd do what Lenni said if she was taking both sides and take her of the first side early then express from that side.

moose Have set up breathing monitor now thanks to your story. Lazy lazy me not doing it before. feeling much better.

missj Esme too seems to howl when gets out of the bath until fed. Although, strangely didn't tonight. I think maybe i keep her awake for too long before her bath, so she doesn't have enough energy to enjoy it, and so gets overtired when dressing her.

OH day off tomorrow, so off to have hair done. Both of us infact. There is a really nice Aveda Salon in town, so we'll go together and OH can look after her while i'm having mine done, as obviously takes longer. Also having waxing and eye lashes tinted.... Yay!

Tried pre preg jeans last week, no chance, tried today, fitted. Weyhey! Happy bunny!

rrray, i have not even thought about putting on pre-pregnant clothes! i dont think they will fit !

Thanks for expressing advice - just finished my first expressing session - only pumped 1.5 oz from left breast while LO fed from right, so hopefully will get some more later!

dog I am sure you will manage once OH back at work but just in case have you got a good friend on standby? Someone you can just throw the kids at for a couple of hours while you have the baby. Hopefully you will start feeling better once the antibiotics kick in.

rray congrats on jeans - I was shocked to discover I had lost all but 4lbs of my baby weight in the first 10 days but I don't think that's very healthy! Have since been eating lots of crumpets and cake and seem to have stabilised my weight - I think it was the shock of breastfeeding!