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!)

My first day alone today too. So far, it's going okay, but I'm not looking forward to 'arsenic hour' (tea and bedtime) because DD2 is very crotchety from 5 onwards and it's a nightmare trying to feed DD1, bath her and get her calmly into bed with screaming baby at the breast. DD2 had her tongue tie cut yesterday so I'm hoping she'll start taking in less wind when she's feeding. Evenings are still hard - DH has driven her in the car every evening this week to get her to sleep (a habit that we need to stop soon, I think). Also, she wakes to feed about 4.30 ish every morning and then refuses to settle until about 7, when I have to get up for DD1 . Am still waiting for paed referral about her possible floppy larynx. They say the wait will be 2 weeks so I'm back at the doctors this afternoon to try and hurry things up. All a bit worrying - she's very uncomfortable at night and last night sounded as though she was choking on her saliva. On the positive side, DD1 is being amazing - sleeping until 8am and being really sweet to the baby.

Aunty - DH?? Who's that?

I meant to say, and this really is a bit TMI, but really just in case it happens to anyone else, so that they don't freak immediately as I did - At two and a half weeks, I had been to the school fair, bit of a walk and then sat and breastfed DS for a long time, I got up and thought, 'What the f*ck is that coming out of me??!!' Grabbed DH and dragged him into the bathroom with me and this MASSIVE clot came away - it felt like I had delivered half the placenta or something (it wasn't as big as that, but it would comfortably fill the palm of my hand)and I just started shaking (because I have a bit of a pathelogical fear of haomorrhaging - think partly to do with the platelet porblem mentioned before). With my first DD I had 'retained products' a week after the birth and had to go back to hospital etc etc. But this was 2 1/2 weeks later, so didn't know what was causing it. Called NHS Direct and spoke to the dr and after lots of questions he reckoned that the clot coming away might just rectify whatever problem it was, and that I was to keep an eye on the bleeding (as long as I wasn't soaked with it) and that no other clots came away. He reckoned it wasn't an infection as there were no other symptoms (felt fine). I was very anxious for a couple of days and scared to move or feed! Then I asked my friend who's a midwife and she explained better, that it was probably congealed blood at the back of the vagina - rather than the uterus - and that with all the activity and feeding it had brought it away. She said sometimes you can get clots that you can hold in both hands!! .

After that the bleeding calmed down and I'm still on and off with it. I merely pass this on in case it happens to anyone else and while we are on the subject of lochia.

Tomorrow: Piles.

SLICKBIRD thats sounds horrific, poor you

Oh Piles yes please can they be the topic of the day for tommorrow

Please tell me they go

Shall I get some cream from the doctor?

That sounds pretty horrid Slick but thans for sharing .

Right, the dvd that came with my sling is broken so have posted some probably impossible to answer questions here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/products/735033-QUestions-on-Close-Baby-carrier if anyone has the sling and would like to help me out.

Even though I don't think I've got it right LLara is fast asleep in it so hopefully it will be a hit !

Hi everyone, sorry to crash, don't know if anyone will remember me - I was going to be due in March too and was on the thread, but MC at 11 weeks in September.

However, I'm now 14 weeks pg, due in October and feeling very positive again. A much easier pregnancy than first time round with DS too, with little nausea just lots of tiredness.

Anyway, just wanted to pop in and say congratulations to you all - hope you're enjoying your little one's (lovely collection of names by the way )

LTE

CLOT ALERT HERE

Not as big as slickbirds but not pleasent all the same!!

LaTourEiffel

CONGRATULATIONS!! you must be thrilled to bits .

i am formally 2cute btw

LaTourEiffel that is fantastic news - really lovely for you!

at slick's clot - eek! No clots here - but did get a bit of membrane when I was still in hospital - lovely.

Anyone else constipated and ? No piles but mostly because I can't push and just have to wait for nature to run it's course - I now have some lactulose and fybrogel so hopefully that will get thing's moving!

wheely have posted on your sling thread.

Great news Toureiffel - I too was on an earlier antenatal group and its hard reading everyone getting more pregnant/ having their babies so its really kind of you to pop in and congratulate us all. Good luck for the rest of your pregnancy.

meep -thanks for your posting on the other thread. WIll try again tomorrow ! I was quite constipated earlier on (which did lead to a little bit of piles). The main problem was the painkillers I htink - were/are you on cocodamol ? These do make you constipated.

ooh - another tip - I borrowed a baby swing seat thing from my brother at the weekend - one that swings without you having to sit and push it. Its kept Lara entertained for quite a while this afternoon so I recommend one if anyone's in need of settling help !

We had our 6 week health check today, Gabriel is a WHOPPING 12LB 5 from a birth weight of 7lb 14, making him 91st percentile for height and weight (just like his big brother!).

Doctor thinks he may not have reflux, but just a HUGE appetite and overeats sometimes, as he's only sick in the daytime.

Meep - You know how I said I thought we lived similar lives? I just put the fybogel away too, but that was for IBS which seems to have passed now. Anything else?!

Good going Laumiere!!! Better that way than the other eh?

LTE Congrats to you, hope this one all works out for you, you deserve it.

Anyone know what happened to MKG? I think I missed something when I was Tinternet-Free. Hope she's ok?

Lilymolly both me and DH are shouting at DD1 lots too - it is getting better though thankfully. I posted something on the Behaviour section, have a read here

slick ewwwwwwwwwwwww no clots here thank the lord, and my lochia has all but gone - although when I overdo it I get a little bleed.

I'm constipated too but due to iron pills I think.

Sometimes, just sometimes, I think we share too much on this thread

I just dont seem to get time to do a full post, so i am sorry if i appear to be ignoring anyone

Well todays outing to the park went smoothly (ish) boths girls and Alex were really well behaved, although i think the promise of ice cream for one the way home helped . I think i must be slightly barmy as i also have plans to meet a friend in the city centre tomorrow (i had forgot that it was the hols when i made my plans) DD1 cant stand shopping i think we will have to just make it a short trip and have a nice lunch .

Alex is still feeding, burping, farting and pooing like a trooper .

slick MKG's Birth story here

laumiere WOW thats some weight gain!! well done you!! as regards to the reflux DD2 had silent reflux and was rarely sick, when she was is was very little and it was alway milk from her previous feed that came up not what had just gone IYSWIM.

That worries me Fearless - Penelope is a darling at the moment - very peaceful, BFing like a pro, no wind and sleeping lots (going down at 7:30 no problem and then only waking for 2 feeds in the night and straight back to sleep).... don't tell me she's just lulling me into a false sense of security?!

Good to see everyone's news and updates. Slick - I had one of those mammoth clots too - grim, isn't it!?

DH only went back to work yesterday so I haven't felt like we've not seen each other yet, as he's getting home from work at 5:30 which is great. Still sleeping in the marital bed but mainly because he has the amazing ability to sleep through baby crying, but also if he does wake up, he can fall back to sleep within 5 seconds (no joke). Mum is staying with me for a few days as well so am not on my own (but to be honest, she is creating more mess and stress than if she wasn't here, but that's another story).

Ok, so for those who are exclusively breast feeding at the moment, at what point are you planning to introduce a bottle (of EBM)? I've been told by MW not to do it before 6 weeks, but some friends have done it a lot earlier than that, and I don't know whether I'm being silly waiting that long as a) I am depriving myself of sleep because DH could do a feed or 2, and b) the longer I leave it, the more likely it is she will not take a bottle? Any advice?

Right, back to the footie, then an episode of The Wire (thank God for Sky Plus!) and then Pen will probably wake for a feed and then SLEEP! xxx

Hi everyone, just grabbing a mo while dp minds a fussing four week old

Wheely - I had a clot at about two weeks - about as big as an egg - it precipitated a lot more bleeding but midwife said it wasn't anything to worry about and I've almost stopped bleeding now, thank goodness.

Yarnie - Congrats on your gorgeous ds - remember me from the ttc thread all those months ago? Sorry to hear about your bfing difficulties. The only thing I remember about bfing first time round is that a lot of midwives and health visitors say that if the latch on hurts then the baby's not latched on properly - but I found this to be untrue. It hurt a lot in the first weeks, IME. I kept taking DD1 off the breast because I thought she wasn't latched on properly when she was! It stopped hurting after a week or so though.

STILL sore 'down there' - the bruising's cleared up but now the skin is really sore. I've started bathing and hosing myself down after weeing again and have started using canesten as I suspect it may be thrush - nice!

On the up side, Melissa is sleeping pretty much all night (apart from feeds of course) and we had a first smile the other day

Sorry Wheely, I meant Slick

Thefearlessfreak

Do you have any baby massage classes in your area, I have a freind who swore by it when her dd was a baby and suffered with colic.

I am finally feeling better and more myself. I hadn't realised how ill i looked until DH said to me on monday that i finally look like myself again.

I have to say i find the bleeding after giving birth is one of the worse bits. I hate feeling unclean IYKWIM.

Boobz From past experience i personally think that 6 weeks is too late or at least this what i have found with both of the girls. With DD1 i tried her at about 7 weeks and she refused point blank! with DD2 i actually had every intention of trying her with some EBM early on but then she ended up with a 2 week stay in hospital and was tube fed. Once home i just didnt want to take her precious boobie away from her for even one feed. Again by the time we did try she wouldnt take it and neither of the girls ever had a bottle, they went straight on to cows milk in a sippy cup. I am still undecided on what do with Alex, i had planned on introducing the occasional formula feed to allow me a little freedom but we have just been so busy the we have not got round to it.......makes mental note to buy some cartons of formula on tomorrows shopping trip.

boobz I reckon if Pen is a boob girl and has no problems with her latch and has taken to it really well, you might want to think about introducing a bottle of ebm earlier than 6 weeks. She may well fuss at first and not know what to do with the teat (it is a completely different mouth shape for her) but she will cotton on eventually. I know a lot of friends who struggled to get their lo onto a bottle at a later stage - one who had to resort to givig nothing for almost a day at 6mo because she was going back to work, her ds refused the bottle and she had to get him off the boob!

However, introducing a bottle may affect your supply slightly so make sure that the bottle is a regular fixture and your supply should adjust accordingly (I think that's right - can you tell I did a lot of bf homework before Rosie was born to give myself the best chance this time round!).

Had my non-healing wound checked by the mw yesterday and she has swabbed it to check for infection as it is still really sticky - eurgh!

Rpsie is till trundling up the 50th centile for weight - so all good on that front.

Rosie has been asleep since 2.30am - can you believe that I actually woke up before her this morning! I am going to try to get a sneaky shower in before I wake her up!

Sorry to those of you going through colic hell - dd1 had a bit of that and we used Infacol - it did help the burps but not sure how much use it is for bad colic.

boobz I introduced a bottle at about 3 weeks with DD1 and it worked fine - none of that nipple confusion stuff the HV was going on about! I didn't want to leave it later tbh as I thought there was more chance of her refusing the bottle the later is got. I mix fed DD2 from day one and again, no problems with swapping from boob to bottle.

I had a dreadful night last night with her - she can sleep 5 hours if she wants but last night she was up every 90 minutes, irritatingly drinking 2oz and then falling into a really deep sleep. I think she's over-tired. She's still snoozing now - I really should wake her but I'm enjoying 5 minutes to myself I've had 90 minutes sleep since 2am this morning so am WELL grumpy

Aaargh you know when you tell someone you think you can see the light at the end f the tunnel you know you're in for a bad night ! Not much sleep here either aunty. I had beenmanaging to resist the formula since a week orso ago but I cracked it opened about 5 this morning.

Interesting posts about introducing a bottle properly. I have been wondering the same. I really don't think I can face expressing - I expressed with dd1 as she wouldn't latch and found it terribly depressing. Although am considering buying a pump as it might be useful on occassions. So, my bottles will be formula - Lara is 4 weeks on thursday so maybe thats a good time to start and I want to get to my bookclub (get m rock and roll lifestyle ) at the beginning of May so need to start soon to make sure she's ok with it !

I'm not really sure when to give the bottle though - obviously last thing at night makes sense but the other night when L slept for 6 hours it was really painful when I woke up but I guess that might subside if its a regular thing.