April 2009 - Chapter 1: We're not pregnant, just fat!

[PuzzleRocks]

We made it!

The fab April ladies and their blessed progeny...

12 Feb: Skiingone: MARIANNA 4lb 4oz
20 Feb: Glaskham: RUBY MARIE 4lb 3oz
04 Mar: Barbarella: ESTELLA, ROSANNA, OTIS
05 Mar: Kazkiss: ISABELLE FLORENCE 4lb 6oz & OLIVER THOMAS 3lb 7oz
15 Mar: Babypringle: OSCAR WILLIAM 7lb 2oz
28 Mar: Claireykitten: VIOLET ROSE 7lb 9oz
29 Mar: WhatFreshHell: FELIX DEVLIN ALEXANDER 10lb 5.5oz
31 Mar: Mumblemum: ORSON XERXES
02 Apr: Oddeyes: ELEANOR 9lb 8oz
03 Apr: Bleuravin: MEGAN LILLIAN CONSTANCE
03 Apr: Bumpalump: JACOB 8lb
04 Apr: BabyBolat: KARAHAN 6lb 5oz
05 Apr: Mrsfossil: ISLA LILIAN 7lb 10oz
06 Apr: BoffinMum: FELIX DAVID GORDON 7lb 9oz
11 Apr: SpringySunshine: GEORGE NATHAN 8lb 15oz
11 Apr: RachelinScotland: CLEMENT JAMES 8lb 14oz
11 Apr: Lou031205: ISLA SOPHIA 7lb 9oz
11 Apr: Electra: ISABELLA CAROLINE 6lb 3oz
11 Apr: AuldAlliance: ALEXANDRE 7lb 6oz
12 Apr: Phdlife: Name TBA GIRL 9lb 3oz
12 Apr: BethDivine: Name TBA GIRL 9lb 9oz
13 Apr: MathsMummy27: AMELIA CHARLOTTE
14 Apr: Purlease: ADAM 9lb 2oz
15 Apr: Juwesm: HUGO GEORGE 9lb 2oz
15 Apr: Bronze: ISAAC JOHN
15 Apr: HeidiT: HEIDI
15 Apr: Kalikaroo: Name TBA BOY 8lb
15 Apr: Minush: ZAFIRAH ROSA 7lb 12oz
15 Apr: FatandFedup: EMILIA ROSE 7lb 6oz
16 Apr: PuzzleRocks: HOLLY ELIZABETH 8lb
16 Apr: Brettgirl: HANNAH GRACE 6lb 15oz
16 Apr: ReallyTired: Name TBA GIRL
18 Apr: Staryeyed: Name TBA BOY 7lb 11oz
20 Apr: LuLuBai: SEBASTIAN 9lb
20 Apr: Swaliswan: BETH 7lb 9oz
21 Apr: Kittycatisgettingfat: GABRIELLA AUDREY BIANCA
21 Apr: B52s: SAM MARTIN 7lb 9oz
21 Apr: Schulte: HAZEL LOIS 7lb 9 oz
23 Apr: Tristaleejac: LEWIN 8lb 4oz
23 Apr: NuttyTaff: TIAHNA SKYE 8lb 8oz
23 Apr: Purplemonkeydishwasher: ISLA ELIZABETH 8lb 14oz
24 Apr: Soon2befamilyof4: TALIA 7lb 6oz
26 Apr: Carameli: THEO LAURENCE 7lb 6oz
26 Apr: Surprisenumber3: EVIE ANNE 8lb 2oz
26 Apr: Bicnod: OSCAR MATTHEW 8lb 1oz
27 Apr: Lauren61: OLIVER STEPHEN 7lb 7oz
27 Apr: Gingersarah: VERONICA ROISIN 9lb 1oz
30 Apr: MegBusset: ARCHIE 8lb 15oz
01 May: Satheresitting: Name TBA BOY
03 May: Conkertree: Name TBA BOY 8lbs 8oz
06 May: Frekkles: HARRIS MERLIN 8lb 5.5oz
07 May: TarteTatin: ALBERT JOHN
10 May: Ilovesummer: Name TBA BOY

Trista - That had me laughing out loud.

Afternoon ladies! Hope you're all fine .

We've got lovely sunny weather here so I've been out with the pram trying to conquer that horrible feeling of the world closing in around you and that you'll never have a life again....(does actually work having a brisk walk to clear your head). I know exactly how you feel, to those of you who are having the same horrible feelings.

Being completely knackered is a big part of it I think (I managed 3 hours last night which for me is good - the night before it was 1 and a half ). Bubs seems to be going through a phase where he spends from about 4am until 7am wiggling around and making noises like he needs to poo...while waking up every half an hour and crying until I pick him up, whereby he falls asleep instantly (until I put him down again!). Ho hum!!

Springy - your DH sounds like he's being a complete twat at the moment .

As for sex - we haven't tried yet and it's pretty much because DH doesn't feel like it (he's had a sex ban in place since bloomin' January FFS! ) He blames the fact that he's stressed out and has other things to think about that's made him lose his libido .

I have a question for those of you who are sling experts - I would like to get one of those cloth wrap type slings so I can carry bubs around and have my hands free. I know absolutely nothing about slings and would like some advice about what kind of fabric/tie is best considering that my back muscles are a bit weak after the birth and ache a lot after carrying bubs around after 5 minutes? I don't know whether you can buy the usual brands here, but I've seen various cloth wrap slings and have no idea what to go for. Maybe distributing the weight over 2 shoulders is best instead of over 1 shoulder?

Any advice greatly appreciated!!!

We went to see the nurse this morning and bubs has grown 2cm and now weighs over 5 kilos, so he seems to be growing well.

He's also really spotty with 'baby acne' but the nurse said that this is normal and is due to my hormones passing to him and it's especially common in boys. He still looks a bit odd though, poor soul, especially now that his hair has started rubbing off and he's all bald at the front!

Sorry for keeping calling my boy 'bubs' but we've given him a really distinctive name and I don't want people to find out who I am in RL! I'll start calling him 'A'.

Oh yes, are any of your considering having a mirena coil put in? My MW recommended it and I'm not sure...

Frekkles- I have a thread on sweating here

Kali- any wrap sling would wok for you. Something like a moby is a good start or if its hot then I've been recommended a calin bleu gauze

We had a lovely meal out last night. I had Isaac strapped to me and he didnt stir at all except to fart noisily once.
Asparagus and parma ham mmm we went here luckily mil paid

Trista, I loved your birth story.
I also felt the need to poo, I was in fact holding back from pushing because I thought that was what would come out, but when I said I needed a poo I was told 'that's not a poo, Madame, that's your baby'.
(Must just say that I don't know if it's standard to call labouring women Madame like that here, I think they use your surname too, but the MW didn't get a chance to look at my file until after Alex was born, as it all went so fast. So she didn't know a thing about me.
Good thing there was nothing vital she needed to know!)
Hope you get the right meds soon and your thrush clears up.

Glad you managed a shower, Purple.

Nice to hear from you Kali, you mysterious lady. I am now convinced you are someone famous, with all this secrecy...
Your nights sound awful, hope A sleeps better soon.

Alex is also balding, the combination of acne and baldness is a bit weird, I find, part teenager part old fogey.

Nutty, I am very impressed with your energy and stamina.

Thanks for that brilliant post before, Auld. It really does help to hear news from the other side. Thank you for taking the time to write in such detail that it won't be like this for ever!

Strangely I mind it all less in the rain. Sunshine can be such a reproach.

I went to the clinic this morning to have V weighed and she is sticking firmly to her line, clever little thing. I also had a horrible encounter with the evil HV, but I can't allow my life to be ruled by weird vendettas, like the odd MILs you read about on here and think "there is someone with not enough to do" so I was sunny and charming to her.

I got The Baby Whisperer out of the library. What do people think of it?

Trista - brilliant birth story!

Ginger,
I'm glad it helped.
"Sunshine can be such a reproach".
I love your turn of phrase!

Well done on being sunny and graceful to the old bint...

Don't know much about the Baby Whisperer, because I am so horrendously out of it cosmopolitan and exotic.
Interested to hear other people's opinions, though.

But they've all gone for brisk walks, following the sterling advice given here. Where is everyone?
If you're all having lovely, snuggly naps, I'll kill you.

Hello all

Thanks for the reassurance re the spots.

Purplemonkey - oddly enough I didn't have the shaking thing after my 1.5 hour labour with Edmund, but did want to faint for ages after DS1's birth (labour 5 hours, with epidural and oxytocin) I think in my case it was low blood sugar, because it was cured by eating half a packet of marzipan - the tea and toast wasn't enough and in fact it made me throw up.

Sorry, will try to be on later to catch up with the other posts - I MN standing up because it magically prevents DS1 from menacing the laptop. But my bitten leg is still killing me, so I think I'm going to log off and make myself sit down with a cold compress before one of the boys needs me again.

Ginger, sunny days can be great with a baby. I'd recommend finding a nice park near you, preferably one with a cafe that sells yummy cakes and ice cream, then go and sit on the grass all day with V and maybe some fellow sufferers mums. I always find being out somewhere green makes me feel more human. And the DDs love it too.

Trista nice birth story!

Hello
Still here, tired but OK. Proud of my awards, particularly the Fiercest one .

DH tried to have unprotected sex with me last week. He was told in no uncertain terms to get a condom on it immediately as it most certainly was not on the guest list, so to speak. His defence was that he had forgotten this would be a problem now I had given birth. Extra biology lessons for DH, methinks.

Auld, I am intrigued to know how you explain "a poo feeling as though it is stuck" in French? I could never give birth in another language. Great that they call you Madame while gazing at your botty area though. The French do things with such style.

Springy, don't know what to say apart from your DH is obviously struggling hugely and I am very worried about what you are telling me. Have you gone to Relate at any point?

Boff, I wailed, "J'ai besoin de faire caca!!".
Très chic, I think you'll agree.

P.S. have finished the Vine book, was excellent. Will return it soon...

Well Auld, you disappoint me greatly. That is exactly what I would have said, but I thought you would be considerably more elegant with your fluent French. BTW DH keen to read the Vine, I have donated your book to our village book club where each of twelve couples gets a title a month, and then we meet up every spring to discuss our favourites.

Nutty, hope you survived the clubbing. I have literally just posted you the pain management documents.

Have managed to do some Wii Fit today, hoping I have not damaged my hips again (they are not great at the moment). But I wanted to speed up the weight loss.

Ah, well, you see Boff, I suspect that may be the true test of whether you are a real Frenchwoman or not. I can't even think of an elegant way of saying, "I need a poo" in French. "Je voudrais aller à la selle" doesn't cut it in a labour room, really, IMO.
I may never be elegant enough to pass for French.
Will post the Vine soon, I promise...
What is Wii Fit? (very, very out of it emoticon)

oops

read this if your recent baby was your second child
It's lovely and it's made me feel loads better about DS1 as he does feel a bit neglected just now

LOL trista at latest thread and again at birth story - shame you didn't get it up before as I reckon that could have been an award contender!

Nutty - go for it - but be careful lady don't go doing yourself even more of an injury!!!

Ginger, K is 7.5 weeks old and I am starting to feel a bit like my old self but still have a LONG way to go! chin up chuck you will be OK!

Hey Kali

MrsG ouch for the bite!

Boff yay for feeling better and well done on the wii fit - I went for a run yest and sprained my ankle (not actually too bad but enough for me to find a reason not to go tonight!!!)

That second baby thread was lovely.

Auld, we were in the five star Bayerischer Hof in Munich once having a meal, and the maitre d' came up to us to enquire how everything was. DH, whose German was at a rather rudimentary nursery level at the time, replied "Es schmeckt lecker!" which roughly translated "It's yummy!" The maitre d' nodded sagely, and continued on as though DH was the most erudite diner in the world. Now "that's" class.

BTW all my children are vaguely neglected from time to time. They appear to have survived. It gets easier with lots as you don't feel you have to fuss so much, and people assume you know what you are doing.

brilliant birth story and lovely second baby thread, trista.

leg is still buggered - just been on web trying to find evidence that turning purple is a sign of healing emergency doc for me tomorrow i think.

what bit you mrsg? I must have missed it somewhere. I'll go back and check

bloody insect! cheeky little bastard. what was it?

I think I've already mentioned I have free range children

Have they laid an egg?

I do shut them in sometimes