March 09 - The spring babies have sprung

[jollyjoanne]

Thought I'd start us up a post-natal thread for the new mummies of March 09 (or thereabout!)

Congrats Law! [returns wave]

Laumiere yeah I think a growth spurt is a possibility, although Mae can be a bit greedy it tends to be in the evening - not sure if this is becos I've just eaten and the milk suddenly improves or something?! and don't worry about the whinge - thats what we're here for isn't it! to let off steam, to ask silly questions, to talk about things you'd never tell anyone in RL and to provide each other support!

Congrats Law cant wait to hear more about your little princess

Right i am back for my moan!!

Alex has a cold, a proper stinker!! the poor little mite sounds like a little pug dog , he also has a sticky eye and a really bad case of baby acne , he still feeding ok but because of his blocked nose he is slipping on and off the breast alot therefore he is constantly full of wind!!

HV is coming out tomorrow, i have no doubt she will just poo poo any concerns i have, but if the little fella is no better in the morning i will take him to see my GP (who us wonderfull) for him to give him the once over. Its really upset me because DD2 was really ill with Bronchiolitis and was admitted to hospital at 3 week old for 2 week, thankfully as its almost spring the risk factor for Bronchiolitis is much lower but its still made me really paranoid! i am constantly checking that he is breathing ok .

Oh 2cute that sounds awful. Sorry to say I really can't offer any advice, but if your GP is nice I don't imagine it could do any harm and will put your mind at rest, although potentially there will be nothing that they can do.

2cute poor you and A! Gabriel's had a cold too, and seems to be on a permanent growth spurt I think.

I am trying to get some time with DS1, but no luck yet this week, had to go to 3 appointments so far! DS1 is still acting out at nursery and scratched another child today (it was non-malicious, he's non verbal and she had poked him). Still, he's still being really sweet with the baby.

Feeling a lot more cheerful despite all of this, possibly because I got some sleep!

Hello girls, baby George and I have come to join in the post-natal merriment... He's only 16 hours old, bless him

Hi Ellie, I think that makes him the youngest member for sure!

Gabriel is cluster-feeding all day now, but seemed to have cracked sleeping at night, he's a natural-born co-sleeper, bless him! I've never done it before but it seems to suit the LO and means I get a few hours unbroken rest... given up on the housework til this growth spurt is over though and DS1 is basically being raised by CBeebies!

we did try him on formula yesterday to give me a break (no time to express!) and he spat the lot out so looks like he prefers the real stuff...

Well I spent today with my mum, fed up at home and having no grown ups to talk to. So I have been waited on all day which was really nice and I had someone to hand the baby to, to do the winding and to calm her. It has been lovely. God bless Grandparents!

Welcome EllieorOllie.

DD2 born 8 days ago. She's suffering terribly from wind at the mo and wakes from most of her naps screaming after half an hour. Evenings are particularly bad. Vaguely remember this period from DD1 but it's even more of a killer when you've got to look after a toddler in the day. On the positive side, she went 5 hours between feeds last night so I'm keeping fingers crossed she's a good sleeper once her tummy's settled down.

Glad there is a post natal thread now, as I need to ask people questions. Is anyone finding that their LO has no feeding or sleeping pattern at all? I can't remember if this is normal. DS is 3 weeks old. He can go 3+ hours between feeds, but often goes only 2 and in the evening he goes about 45 mins. I am breastfeeding. He's also waking 2 or 3 times in the night, and its never the same times. I feel like I never know what will happen next. DD definitely had a pattern, but she possibly didn't fall into it by 3 weeks, its just that I can't remember

Has anyone else experienced this irregular feeding pattern, and has anyone found their baby suddenly finds a pattern after a few weeks?

HC

Elsy, we found Infacol really helped with the wind.

Hopingcat, our DS has been doing much the same, he's 5 weeks now and no week has been the same!

Morning girls,

Not holding my breath here but i think DSs cold is slowly improving!! although i think he may well have reflux, i am going to see how he goes for the next week or so and seek treatment if its no better.

Elsy DD1 had awful trapped wind, the only thing we found to work was baby massage.

hopingcat Neither of my girls had any pattern at this age either, IIRC around the 5/6 week mark was when i started to see some sort of routine.

laumiere hows your DS1 doing?

Hi everyone! I figured I would come and join the post natal thread whilst it's still only 2 pages long and I can remember everyone's LO's names!

Glad to hear Alex is feeling better 2cute -- it must be horrible to worry about his breathing all the time. I am still at the stage of checking Penelope is breathing if she hasn't sunffled / gurgled for 10 mins...

Jolly - I'm not sure if I ever said thanks for starting that second HB support thread whilst I was in the throes of labour - so thank you for that! Baby Mae is just a beauty by the way - aren't we lucky to have such pretty girls!

Hoping - Penelope is only 6 days old today so I'm not really expecting her to have a routine yet, but she sounds exactly the same as your DS. She sometimes goes 4 hours between feeds and other times it's bearly an hour. She's generally in her night garb and crib by 7:30pm and then will wake up at abour 11:30 for a feed, but then it's anyone's guess when she'll wake up again, and for how long. Last night she did 7:30pm, midnight; 2:30am, 4:45am and then 7:30am. Am not worried at the moment as I'm sure she's getting what she needs, when she needs it (am exclusivley BF-ing at the mo').

Laumiere - we have co slept on one morning for about 4 hours on day 3, just to let me get some extra sleep as was exhausted, but DH said we shouldn't do it as it will be really hard to get her into her own crib if we get into the habit of letting her co-sleep. What's everyone's opinions on it? Those who have had DC before and co-slept - what has been your experience of it?

Right, going to get another hour's shut-eye before getting up to walk the dog and start the day! I do love Saturday lie-ins.

Here's hoping Grinning, titmouse and Lilymoly join us over here soon! They're still wallowing in the depths of a very quiet ante natal thread, poor things!

xxx

Boobz what a beautiful name for your DD!

DS1 is doing ok at home, but really acting out at nursery. The staff are ok with this but the other parents are being a bit judgey, although it's a mixed SN/NT nursery DS1 is the only child in the pm session with a physical/communication impairment and because he's so tall, people forget he's only 2 and a half!

Hi all.

Lara is now 16 days old and absolutely no routine here. Up to a couple of nights ago wewere feeling quite sorted as she was going 5 hours between feeds at night although 2-3 during day and less in the evening but the last couple of days and particularly nights have been hellish - dhe doesn't seem to sleep much at all (eg. she's been awake since 8 this morning) and wants tofeed non-stop. I was up with her for over 3 hours last night as everytime she fell asleep and i put her in thecrib her eyes would ping open and screaming would commence. Eventually I remembered with dd1 we used to put a hot water bottle in her bed whrn we fed her so it kept it all toasty warm and it worked about 5.30 this morning !!

Boobz - I think co-sleeping is such a personal thing. I'm not happy doing it as i would worry about squashing her but for some people it seems to work wonders.

Anyway, on a more positive note have just been out for brunch and had runny fried eggs !! I've missed them !!

Boobz no problem, (now I have sussed how to do the start page thing) it was a pleasure to read your thread so wanted to make sure it could continue.

Mae is now 20 days old and definitely not in a routine although she is definitely going longer between feeds at night. Last night she was fed at about 7, 10, midnight then again about 1am but then slept through till 7am! and the 1am feed wasn't a full on feed, I think it was more of a comfort thing to get her to feel sleepy.

Generally she is going about 3 hours between feeds but it is a bit give and take.

Not purposefully been doing any co-sleeping but I do find myself nodding off every now and then whilst Mae is still with me. I am far too worried about squashing her, too sleep properly though, plus the cat sometimes sleeps in the bed too, so I'd be worried about her as well.

And I have to say all the babies I have seen on our thread so far look gorgeous and very cute (there are none of those babies where you think they look a bit - well strange - but obviously you just tell the mum they are lovely! - but everyone knows what you're thinking anyway).

I have been co-sleeping with Alex quite alot, infact he didnt even go in his crib for the first week! , he is now sleeping more in his crib but not all night, every night. Tbh i just do whatever it takes to get a goodnights sleep. Generally he starts out in he crib from around 10pm he wakes about 2.30 for a feed and then goes through til about 6.30.

boobz I personally dont think you can spoil a newborn, however if Pen is confident enough to sleep in her cot then thats fantastic, i have found with all my DCs that the first month or so they have all needed lots of help to sleep well, but they have all gone on to sleep well (alone LOL), however at 7am this AM their was 5 in the bed!! .

Coo, so jealous of people with reasonable spacing between feeds! If we're home Gabriel wants feeding what feels like every 5 min! (It's more like every 15-45min). He's ok for an hour or two if we're out and sleeps for 2-3 hours at night, but days are impossible!

He's 5 weeks today so praying it's a growth spurt and will end soon! I also got my period on Fri, so am living proof that BF stops ovulation doesn't work for everyone.

Laumiere it didn't take long for your periods did it? I still haven't stopped bleeding since the birth.

Hi girls,

Muffin is feeding arround 9 to 10 times a day- he feeds mostly during the day but at night it takes forever to settle.

I am co-sleeping at least for the first 3 to 4 weeks- i cannot bear leaving him in his moses basket . I did the same with my dd and it wasn't that problematic.

He is breastfeeding beautifully which it makes me feel so happy and that I have achieved what i did set myself up to after the fiasco wiht my dd.

Been feeling really weepy - any old stuff sends me into this sobbing mood-

I think about Muffin- i cry
I hear Coldplay - i cry
I see how my dd is not getting my full attention- i cry

It is quite full on and truly hope is not going to be PND> bhahhhh!!!!

any of you feeling like that? xx

Hi everyone. I hope you and your bubs are all settling in well.

Sunshine I have been weepy too although usually only when I am tired. I have been watching myself for PND, but on close analysis I don't feel sad or like it's all too much or anything. It feels very much like hormonal run off and I often feel better after a cry and even more so after a nap. I hope it's the same for you.

I'd love some advice - I have cracked nipples on both sides and mastitis on one side (for which I am being treated). I just wondered whether any of you have weathered cracked nipples and, if so, what worked for you. I'm pretty sure I've tried everything, but just in case...

Oh, and we're thinking of co-sleeping too. It's so disruptive getting in and out of bed for night feeds. I have ordered a snuggle nest as I would feel uncomfortable doing it without something between us and Spike. I am a little worried as DP and I are good sleepers, though not prone to rolling. We are both quite small and have a huge bed which makes me feel a little better. When the nest arrives, we'll give it a trial run and see how we and Spike find it. Ideally we'd only do it for a few weeks until Spike can go for longer between feeds at night (he is quite jaundiced, so we're having to feed him 3 hourly even if it means waking him).

Yarnie

Poor Spike, my DS1 had terrible jaundice and went under the bili lamps 5 or 6 times. The HV recommended trying not to shade him too much when we went out so his skin got lots of natural light (easier for us, he was a summer baby). In this cold weather try dressing him lightly and letting him lie on a playmat in natural light?

Newsflash, Gabriel only wanted 2 feeds last night! (1 am and 5 am) of course I was awake at 3 am and 6 am expecting him to wake!

He seems to be (crossed fingers) settling better in the day too, have started feeding from the same side for 2-3 feeds as he's only staying on for 5-10 min at the moment. It seems to have reduced the noon-3pm screaming colic fits anyway.... A friend is also lending me her battery-powered baby swing to see if that helps.

And yes, I feel like I'm ignoring DS1 too!

Arrgh - L still thinking that from 3 am its only a good idea to sleep in mummy or daddy's arms. She has started sleeping in the evenings though and we managed to put her in her crib at 7 last night which is great but might try and keep her up this evening to see if she can shift her sleeping pattern. Despite both being shattered I persuaded DH for us to dash into mothercare whilst dd1 was at a party to buy one of their apparently brilliant swaddle blankets to see if that would help and they were sold out. In hormonal emotional knackered state virtually burst into tears at this news.

Sunshine - I too start welling up at lots of things esp. dd1 not getting attention etc. but am fairly sure mine is tiredness - I don't cope very well with being tired !

When I dropped dd1 at the party the mum gave me a meal she'd cooked for us just to heat up. How nice is that ! Obviously that made me well up too .

Yarnie - I have v. painful nipples esp after feeding a lot in the early hours this morning. I have no miraculous cure unforetunately and am sure you have tried what I have been doing - Am using lanisoh after every feed which seems to help I think. I also try and put a bit of milk on my nipples after a feed and let them air dry (not so easy when we have visitors around ). Also, my c-sec scar aches sometimes so I crack out the paracetemol which also helps but I try not to rely on that !

Morning all - how were your weekends? We had a Wetting the Baby's Head do at the pub around the corner from our house yesterday, with about 30 people turning up in the end! Was quite the little party and it was so lovely to be able to show Penelope off. I have a smaller set of Streatham Mums friends which I met through Mumsnet (and ante-natal yoga) who all came with their babies and it was amazing to finally be one of the gang properly! We had all met up when we were all still pregnant back in August, and one by one they have all popped and I was the forever pregnant one (as I met them first when I was just 9 weeks! yep - eager beaver Boobz) so it was mad to see them all for the first time without a bump and with a baby! Not sure they even recognised me

And today is just a duvet day as I think I have been overdoing it with getting out and about and me and Pen just need some Zzzz to catch up.

Quick question - how many of you are returning to work? When do you have to go back? What do you do? Have you thought about becoming a SAHM? I have to go back to work in Sept (and there is no choice as I am the main earner in the family, and we have a HUGE mortgage) but there will be the opp for us to go abroad with DH's job next summer, and I am secretly hoping this means I can just become a mum full time... (she says now, when Pen is still sleeping all day and I only have ONE child to look after...)

Anyway, hope you and your babe's are all happy and healthy. We're quite a small band here at the mo', hey? Where is everyone?

xxx