July 09 - Sore ladybits and melons for tits! [grin]

[Quiltedrose]

Ok so there's only 2 of us so far but felt duty bound as the first July delivery to start the thread off!

'Pop' in when you're ready!!

Morning all! Up, bathed and dressed in this house by 8:30am - a bloody miracle.
Still popping the antibiotics and probiotics but the bleeding seems to have eased off a bit and I've passed no more lumps and chunks of stuff - sorry TMI at this time in a morning. No appointment for the scan as yet, but the midwife is popping back today to check us out. I have the phone strapped to me as they keep stressing to ring 999 immediately if I get a "gush".
Sorry to hear about your stitches Activity - sounds bloody awful. I've been adding a capful of savlon to every one of my baths - that may help? It doesn't sting or anything. I think everything is OK with my stitches - no pain or anything, and I've gingerly had a poke around and they all seem to have dissolved.
Hetty has done 2 double-boob midnight feeds and then gone through until 5/6 am the last 2 nights - I'm sure it won't last and I do wake up with a massive surge of panic when I realise how late it is (yesterday morning I kicked the moses basket in an effort to launch myself upright in bed - now that woke her up!!). I am using a Respisense breathing monitor/tummy tickler so that gives me some peace of mind that I'd know if she stopped breathing. It has only gone off in error once because it slipped off her nappy.
bathnight - we're aiming for every other night in this house - she seems to like it and because the changing table/bath thingy is next to the mirror, she gets to watch another baby getting bathed at the same time which seems to amuse her.
nipple pain - that has all gone away thank goodness. Had a tear on the right hand side as I didn't get her latched on right a couple of evenings ago, so had to take a few deep breaths yesterday before offering the injured breast, but it was fine in the end. It's healing well now on a combo of Lansinoh, breastmilk and Hetty-goober. BTW Lansinoh is on offer in our local Morrisons at £6.66 instead of a tenner if anyone needs any. The let down is really unpleasant though - the left side is a shooting pain in my armpit and on the right it hurts in my back. Thankfully both only last a few seconds, but it doesn't half make me wince. Hopefully that will go away in time. I'm getting tingly boobs when she needs a feed now as well, so all the reflexes appear to be there despite our somewhat rocky start. And I'm back in my jeans already!! So breastfeeding is just sucking the baby fat right out of me - sadly my tum is not exactly taut and trim but it would probably help if I could find time to do my post-natal exercises. Is anyone else doing them?
Thanks for the info about flamesparrow Phoenix - what a shame she's packing up... Will have a look and a wee spend today I think. We haven't migrated from the disposables just yet - the squirts from the antibiotics aren't helping on that score, but hoping to have a go with our real nappies soon.
Anyway better go and have some breakfast.

Managed to post a couple of pics this morning and make my profile public - or at least I think I did!!

Hi everyone

BF
Well today I have been to my 3rd bf group within a week and I am getting sooo frustrated. My latch is fine. It has been checked for the upteenth time and there is no latching issues but nipples still coming out pinched and it hurts me. Had someone check the tt situation today too (sometimes they need to be snipped twice) and she reckons it is fine. I may just double check at another bf group tomorrow if I can get there re the tongue but I don't know what else to do. Trying different positions only moves the pinching and I am getting better at the cross cradle anyhow. Supposedly I have been told as DS's mouth gets bigger the pinching will cease (and with him using his tongue more efficiently). Until then it is painkillers and grin and bear it. Doesn't help with the cluster feeding at the witching hour making things even more sore...........very envious of you who have no pains bf!

Stitches
I think mine are ok. I did do a spin class last Sat (mad I know) and all seemed fine bar me bouncing on the saddle a little too vigorously. Downstairs was a wee painful for the rest of the day. So

Bleeding
Mine tends to stop and start. Until then it is towels for 'just in case moments'.

Tummy
Still saggy even though I only have half a stone to lose. Anyone know of any good post natal yoga dvd's (or just normal yoga?) Or should I stop having my glass of wine in the evening and chocolate at 3am!?!

Baths
Poor DS only had his first one over the weekend. We have been topping and tailing instead.

Well my parents are bringing back my 2 DC's today after having them for a week. I am scared of having to deal with all 3 again but miss them so much now too. Wish me luck.

Gaaaah!

That was me at 9pm last night

DD has decided that going to bed is simply not fun unless she is doing her shouting/singing/animal impressions. I put her to bed at 7pm and she settled at 9.30pm!!! I think it is a bit of regression in reaction to DS as nothing else has changed in her routine, no new foods etc.

DS also had me crying last night as he was suffering really badly with colic for the 1st time and it really took me back to the awful 6 weeks we had with DD. Luckily once he calmed down and went to sleep at 10.30pm he then slept till 4.20am! It really didn't help last night that that I was feeling really ill and was exhausted too.

bathing DS has only had one bath so far (he's nearly 4 weeks now) as his skin was quite dry where he was a bit early. He gets topped and tailed twice a day and his hair rinsed every few days so he really isn't stinky!!

bleeding I had about the same amount this time as with DD, on to pantyliners now as there is very little there and they are way more comfy for me than the always

tummy mine is ridiculously saggy and I have stretchmarks from my waist to my knees - ah well, the price we pay for our LO's!

stitches mine got so much better at the 3 week mark and I feel much better now, although a little sore if I over do it or sit down too hard!

postnataldvds Davina McCalls is supposed to be tood, I'm going to order it, I'm 5 wkg post section so might start it next wk if I can.

Having a restful break while baby G sleeps. (He let me have a 5 hour break last night 2-7am - Bliss!) And letting my boobs have a rest ?. I have another question:
You all keep mentioning cluster feeding ?? I?ve not heard of this before ? what is it apart from feeding a lot?

Mij so it really IS let-down pain and not just someone biting my nipples really hard? Good grief it is toe curling and I?m hoping it stops soon.
I may ask the midwife to come and watch me BF as I don?t know if he?s taking enough nipple into his mouth but have no idea how to make him change his technique. Mad really as I BF my DD (2 next week) until 17months so I thought I knew how to do this ?

mumofshortie have you tried using one of these in the bath? They cushion the baby so you don?t have to hold them - they lie on it - then you can use two hands to wash and stabilise them. I think it?s great.

Activity ouch and flipping heck about the stitches - poor you!!!

Good grief JetLi hope you are healed soon. (and lovely pics - gosh so much hair!)

bonzo I have just researched cluster feeding on the net, I am FF but my baby definately fussy feeds from about 6 -10 / 5/11 in the evenings, she takes smaller amounts and then sleeps for a few hrs.

In BF babies is is supposed to increase your supply as your baby needs more.

Ultrasound scan 9:45am today - midwife came yesterday and played merry hell that I didn't have an appointment yet to get checked out so she kicked some hospital ass and we're off there this morning. Hopefully they'll give me the all-clear - I'm getting so as I daren't leave the house in case of "The Gush"!!
We certainly had cluster feeding last night in this house - from 6:30 until midnight. I swaddled her for the last feed because she was getting cross and pretending to be a windmill. That seemed to calm her down and she went from midnight-ish until 5:30am so I can't really complain.
Wish me luck at the hosp.

Good luck JetLi, hope all is ok

Thanks v much for your link of the foam bath support Bonzo I had seen them in Mothercare, making mental note to self to buy, and you have just jogged my memory !!

DD had Major meltdown yesterday on our way to the regisrars to get Charlie boy official- was demanding to be put back sitting on the pram as DH had done earlier, even when given the choice between going on Daddy's shoulders OR walking !! Bloody hell, these toddlers are hard work, even when we are trying extra hard to give her heaps of attention, special one-to-one time with both Mummy and then with Daddy, ignoring lots of things we'd normally challenge her on ... does anyone else with two or more DC ever think they are trying too hard ?!!!!!

Think I will post this and then come back later as I have lost so many posts just from going back to check other people's posts before posting ..... if you catch my drift !?!

morning, just trying to catch up on everyones posts, good luck jetli for today!
ouch activity that sounds very painful.
tummy although im back in to pre-pregnancy jeans my tummy is so wobbly its like a kangaroo pouch!
bathing bill is getting done almost twice a day as he's being so sick!
am waiting for hv to ring us because of bills vomitting. think he may have refulx he's sick after every feed, although the vomitting is worse at night. he also will only settle upright which can be apain so cant put him in pram or moses basket because as soon as he's down he's sick. HAVE RESORTED TO TRYING TO GET HIM TO TAKE A DUMMY BECAUSE WHEN HE'S SICK HE IMMEDIATELY WANTS TO FEED BUT IF I DO FEED HIM HE GETS MORE (oops caps! one hand typing!) distressed and is sick more so have to let him chomp on a dummy, something he is not happy about, until he calms down! hope everyone else is ok!
DP GOES BACK TO WORK ON SAT AFTER BEING OFF SINCE THE 6TH, I CANT WAIT HE'S DOING MY HEAD IN! (shit did it agasin!)

Gillyan - I meant to say yesterday about your bottle feeding tips and have just noticed you were on a bottle feeding thread that i have been on. I'm giving Noah a FF on an evening and was really confused by the new guidelines and from reading that thread this is how i've been doing it.

Sterilise a bottle and put half the amount of boiling water you will need into it (eg. if you will be making a 4oz feed put 2oz in) quickly cool it under the tap and put it in the fridge. Apparantly its ok in the fridge for 24hrs.

Just before she is ready for a feed boil the kettle (don't let the water cool for more than half an hour as it needs to be over 70degrees to kill the bacteria in the powder) and again put half the amount of water into a fresh bottle and add the correct amount of scoops for the full feed (eg 4oz feed, 4 scoops) shake it to mix then add the cooled water from the fridge and shake again.

This way you will have added the powder to boiling water so as to kill the bacteria and by adding the cold water it will have cooled the milk down enough to probably feed straight away so no heating or cooling needed.

Hope that makes sense

Oh and the little separator pots you have, pre measure your scoops out into them and leave them on the side for when you need them just to save a few more mins. And you don't need to sterilise them because the powder isn't sterile anyway.

A little TMI but i've read that bf poo doesn't really smell that bad but ds' really smells. Is it normal? He has a 2oz bottle of formula on an evening but bf the rest of the time. His poo is watery and yellow like it's meant to be but it just stinks

Great FF tips Phoenix- ta ! Medical advice seems to have changed in the last 3 and a half years, what you say does make sense, just have to make sure you have enough clean sterilised bottles on the go.

Never quite got my head round how formula powder isn't sterile.

Up til now, we have been cleaning & sterilising bottles, boiling the kettle, immediately putting in the required amount and leaving on the kitchen counter til it's needed. When a feed is needed, have been adding the correct scoops of formula to bottle, mainly cooled by then.Popping the made up bottle in a jug of boiling water for a min just to slightly warm. Obviously, this'll mean any nasties will not be killed as the water is pretty much cooled by the time we've been adding it. OOPS ! Charlie hasn't seemed to be under the weather but I hate the idea of him becoming poorly because we've not prepared his feeds properly or safely. A few questions for the h/v this afternoon, I think.

70 degrees it is then !

mumofshortie YES YES YES! DD causing me endless headaches and heartache! Esp as dd2 keeps wanting to snack all morning and all evening and she looks on enviously as i "cuddle" dd2 to feed her. This mornign by 11am we had played games, read stories and baked cakes together but you would think we'd never spent any time together when she gets wingey.

Feel like bad mum as get really annoyed with her Shouted at her just before lunch. DD2 was feeding AGAIN and refusing to settle (she's starting to try and use me like a dummy... need to nip that in the bud.. along with everything else!) and she KEP asking me to dress and undress her dollies. Got so annoyed as had only one free hand and blood sugar down round my knees as we had still not had lunch due to endlessly feeding baby.

Just snuck away on the premise of looking at the weather on line which she loves. Can't believe it's only 1pm and DH not home till 6 at the earliest... the days are SOOO long again. Off to do some brief food shopping to kill some time

Btw dd2 is a huge munch. Was 2 weeks yesterday and had gone from 9lb to 9lb 10oz just breastfed! Amazing! She doesn't really look big but I think she's longer than dd1. My dad was 6'2" so maybe she'll be a long leggedy beasty!

tummy mine back down to some sort of norla size but wobbly as anything. Most distressing!

postnatal hair loss Anyone else's started yet? Mine only started after i gave up BF last time but seems to be starting already. Remember it was a shock to find the "mouse" in the plug hole each time I washed my hair last time.

Yes 70 apparantley. Ds1 is 3.5 too and we used to make his feeds up and store them in the fridge but these new guidelines say that if you do it that way the bacteria can multiply

phoenix yeah I get it now, just didn't realise. I went downstairs at 1 am this morning and made frsh bottles and cooled them and out them in the fridge Just haven't got the time to be making them up at each feed.

Went to a kids party today and asked 5 different mums as saw them all shaking formula feeds together and they ALL were doing what I was and have had no probs, still I think I will just make in advance.

phoenix meant to say, thanks for the advice though

No problem Gillyan. I'm probably finding that way easy now because Noah is only having 1 ff a day.

I've moved Noah out of his moses basket and into the travel cot in our room. He wasn't sleeping particularly well in the moses basket and seeing as i bought a proper mattress for the travel cot i thought i may as well put him in it. Much better . I put the moses basket on freecycle last night and someone has just collected it and they took the baby bath too cos i am going to go get one of those bath support sponges and put him in the big bath. As we stop using baby equipment/clothes its all going as we've decided that Noah is our last baby. We might get our spare room back once all the baby stuff is out of it

My parents have taken both boys for the afternoon so i'm going to get myself off mumsnet and get a bit of sleep

Hi all - scan went OK - no "products" were found and the radiologist said to see my GP again in a week if my loss is still heavy. They will re-scan if necessary. We couldn't get out of the hospital fast enough Miraculously somehow, the lochia has cleared up to almost nothing seemingly overnight! Maybe it's the antobiotics I'm still padded up just in case, but feeling much more relieved and less anxious now. Am taking Floradix to try and build myself up a bit now.
Thank goodness it's the weekend and there's an extra pair of hands around now. Mum dropped off two lasagnas and a chilli so no cooking for a couple of nights either - just a shame the weather is going to be so shite up north. If I get my way, we're off to bed after tea to snuggle up under the duvet and be a family for a few hours before sleep
Hope everyone is OK out there!

Took Alfie to the osteopath today to have him checked over (After the trauma we had with Fin I wanted to make sure) and she said he was perfect. I can tell you I breathed a sigh of relief.
Hes still piling on hte weight and was 11lb5 on wed!
Had a busy week but not as stressfull now all the hangers on (family in other words) have gone
DD and DS1 off to MIL sunday hopefully for a week so just us and Alfie yay!

Morning
Jetli so glad to hear that the scan went well and there are not "bits" left in you. I thought the afterbirth was supposed to be checked after we delivered though? I guess nothing is 100%...

Gillyan how are the driving lessons? Do you know I only passed my test 2 yrs ago when I was 38weeks pg with DD. Being able to drive when you have multiple DC's really is a lifesaver. Hope you are doing well with it.

Phoenix and Gillyan when I switched from bf to ff with my last 2 DC's we sterilised bottles, added cooled freshly boiled water, stored them on kitchen table and made up feeds as we needed them. Oops I guess. TBH if and when I switch to ff DS2 I will probably do the same as can't imagine having the time to make each feed as needed. Thankfully it is not something I need to think about as currently bf and giving one bottle of EBM at night - Not that bf is established yet. Looks like DS2 needs to have his tt cut again!!! Very common but am a bit upset about the whole thing. At least it explains why he is still pinching my nipples. Now I just need to hold out until it is done again. Fingers crossed it will be done next Th (NHS this time! phew, don't really have the money to go private again) IF the ENT person is in that is. If not I have to wait for the 13th and that just seems forever away in bf time.

On the positive side I did get to enjoy an outing with all 3 DC's on my own yesterday which was lovely. And the sun was out.

Oh forgot to say don't forget you can get Lansinoh on prescription.

hello all, hope all is well, just a quickie to say I have started a thread in the big/slim section ( I don't know how to do links ) called 'I'm 6 wks post-natal...'

Anyone interested in joining me and trying to lose some weight. Anyone planning to start any dieting exercising in the future, come join me too.

Hi everyone. Have just spent the last 5 hours trying to get Max to sleep. I think the problem is that he is so hungry and I just can't keep up with him. I am producing lots of milk. I manage to express about 4 oz at a time, so when he has had a bottle at night I express so have some in the fridge. This afternoon I gave him a full boob feed, which I presume is about 3 or 4 oz and then he still wouldn't settle. I then gave him 3 oz of expressed milk from last night and he fell asleep.

He is still feeding every 1 1/2 hours, but goes 3 or 4 hours at 10pm after his bottle of formula.

Any ideas? Anyone! I am really finding it hard and DH is being less than helpful. His only suggestion is to stop breastfeeding and give him bottles, which may be the answer, but am reluctant to do it so early. I successfully bf ds1 for 6 months and dd for 8 months so know I can do it, Max is just so much hungrier than they were. help!