Jan 2010 babies and mothers....come here to hibernate!

[mistletoekisses]

New thread for us Jan 2010 mums. Will hopefully get busier as more of our little ones arrive!

Arrivals List
1st Dec - Missmarjoribanks - boy Thomas William Francis (33+4)
10th Dec - ClaireDB - girl Mira - 5lb 11.5oz (36+5)
11th Dec - Alibobins - boy Jacob, 6lbs 1oz (37weeks)
14th Dec - londonlottie - twin girls Juliet 6lb 1 and Eve 5lb 6 (35+5)
15 Dec - Whensmydayoff - girl Olivia - 6lb (36+6)
22 Dec - Liskey - girl Ellie - 5.5lbs
24 Dec - timmette/shinybaubles - boy Oliver - 7lb
25 Dec - Fakeplastictrees - boy Luke Edward
29 Dec - CantThinkofFunnyName - girl Olivia Iris - 6lbs 2 1/2oz
30 Dec - Liny - Nottinghamsire - girl Elise
1 Jan - TheMinnieBauble - boy Freddie - Weight TBC
2 Jan - nomorebboze - girl Megan - 5lbs 12oz
5 Jan - Fraochsmum - girl, name TBC - 6LBS 2oz
5 Jan - FlightofFancy - boy Edward - 6lb 14oz (37+3)
6 Jan - salvadory - girl Imogen
7 Jan - MistletoeKisses - boy Nicolas - 6lb 8oz
10 Jan- crumpette- boy 'babycrumpette'- 8lb 15 oz

Thanks so much everyone for your kind wishes. Aunt has amazingly made it through the critical 24 hours and is now on a ward and out of ICU! It's v hard for her son and those close to her because she is paralysed after several strokes (she's only 61 btw); now is riddled with cancer and in the nicest possible way, it would been best if she didn't make it through the 24 hour period IYKWIM. Now she has to basically just live with the cancer and the suffering that it brings and at some point, probably in the not too distant future, we will have to go through it all again.

My DS's birthday yesterday, I got my first period since birth and had a cracking migraine all day - hence no MNetting!

Welcome Jardins - I remember you from before too. So pleased for you and what a lovely name for your little girl.

Now - cleaner is due here any minute and I want to tidy the kitchen quickly so she can see the surfaces to clean!!

And then.... DD's birthday party here at the house on Sunday - 17 kids coming for party games and I must must must get prepared. Sleeeeeep Olivia sleeeeeep....

Hi to everyone and so sorry if I have not addressed particular posts...

Lottie at your rant. Totally agree btw. Re the party... wine shall definitely feature! Last year I didnt make it to DDs party as my mum was literally at deaths door, so want to ensure she has all my attention this year.... particular as I keep getting comments like you never play with me now you have to look after Olivia .

CTFN so relieved to hear your aunt is out of ICU! Well done her and well done you holding it together...17 kids!? Brave lady

Lottie I have to confess to both co-sleeping and sleeping baby on his tummy, having thought I would never 'risk' it it has been the only thing to stop his screaming at night so has been tummy sleeping for nearly a week. He is so much more settled

Not sure about the milk theory re the pulling off breast, just an idea as sometimes he coughs/splutters a bit before the he starts but then gets too upset to go back on. Does shewhomustnotbenamed mention it in her book?

Sorry but I'm also in agreement...at the end of the day all babies are individuals (something the powers that be seem to forget!) as such I'm of the old school that says do what you need to do to have a contented baby. Personally I won't co-sleep as I have 3 cats that vie for bed space and a DH who tries (and fails) not to hog the bed. I have precious little sleep room as it is...also won't lay Tobin on his front at night as he sleeps in a hammock.

er, erm, he rolls over on his own, from his back, in his gro-bag, honest

somewhat how are you finding your hammock? Is it an amby hammock? Have read excellent things about them

no cats in my bed and no DP either! But that's a whole other story..!

mama2moo re latching on, you'd probably be ok with some hand-expressing just before a feed, literally just squeeze a little bit out to make them less engorged. If you express too much then you sort of exacerbate the problem

Hi all!!

CTFN - good to hear from you. Your whole family must be on a roller coaster right now. My father was given 2 days to live at one point - pulled through and then lived another month or so. Was tough on all of us and him also I think. to you all.
17 kids at a party??? Will we all have to do this one day???

Lottie - not a mean mother at all. I used the GF book on weaning and it was fantastic. So if it is helping you - go for it! A lot of people would say that the Baby whisperer is just as bad (I started to work on making DS1 drop the 1am feed from about 9 weeks old). Many people would be appalled by that, but it worked! He would never having given up the 1am/ 4am feeds were it not for the techniques in that book. Some would argue that that is cruel and a baby needs milk/ comfort every few hours. Each to their own, every baby and every family dynamic is different.

I have the amby hammock. DS1 loved it. Nico was out of it within 2 weeks. Think he found it restrictive and slept much better in the moses. . Am under strict instructions never to sell it though - will no doubt end up doing the rounds once more friends have their babies.

Crumpette- how are you getting on?

ctfn thinking of you and your family right now.

welcome jardins lovely names for your little girl.

Thanks londonlottie for advice re breastfeeding on a favoured side and using the rugby hold. Bf counsellor recommended it to me too so we are trying that. I would like to totally bf but I think it will take some time as lo sometimes doesn't latch on. I am at expressing 60ml I can only manage 20ml at most!

Mmmm - I think we are all experiencing v similar things. Olivia now has me wondering if she's suddenly developed reflux! Past few mornings she has screamed and screamed and screamed, most particularly after a couple of ounces of milk, withdraws, kicks, flails, appears to be in pain etc. I wind relentlessly, she goes into a wind induced sleep, I try to get her to take more of her milk and she goes potty! It's just like it causes her pain to drink it . She has been absolutely fine to date - a bit windy, but nothing that Infacol wouldn't sort out - so I am a little about whether reflux could suddenly develop. She also possets back the milk now about an hour after the feed and can, on occasion, have a cottage cheese consistency to it - which I understand is fairly typical of reflux.

BUT... many of you are suffering the same plight. Surely we can't all have reflux babies? On top of this she really does have a very blocked up nose and is breathing very noisily (not chesty). She is best on her side, on our chest or over the shoulder... but of course we can't carry on like that.

Any reflux experts in our little group?

hello everyone
It's nice to see so many familiar names from the earlier threads in the summer when we began this long journey.

Life has been a bit busy with a toddler and a newborn.

Sazlocks I love the name you chose for your DS

Quirkychick congrats on the birth of your daughter, how are things going? I remember your posts from the 4 weeks thread.

jardins lovely name, congratulations

CTFN your poor Aunt it sounds like she has been through a lot. Sorry I don't have any experience with reflux babies.

I noticed a few of you have posted about squirmy babies when feeding, with the arching backs, etc. My DS1 was very wriggly and could get frustrated when latching initially. It may have been because I had a very fast let down (and a very overabundant milk supply) and he was literally overwhelmed with the speed at which the milk came out. I learned that expressing a tiny bit milk first before trying to latch him helped and also feeding in a slightly reclined position also slowed the flow.

crumpette Yes I have an ambi and I have to say it's the best investment I ever made! For the first week he slept like a trooper. Last few days he's gone into that annoying light sleep stage so he wakes really easily. In short I've gone from having to wake him for feeds to be woken by him. It's supposed to be great for colic/wind etc which I'd have to agree with as during the day he does struggle with it, at night (when he sleeps in the amby) he has no problems and farts no holes barred!

So jealous of those of you with a fast let down...Poor LO gets the opposite, he gets fustrated that milk doesn't flow fast enough and he has to work at it. I get paranoid that my boob has dried up and end up really squeezing and pulling at it to see if there's anything in there .

Industrial strength machine ha! What an image that conjures...
I have been doing the rugby hold with Cara on her less favoured side and it has worked a treat. I find it really akward to get comfy myself and am bend forward and slightly twisted, but she feeds well.
I had a proper night out last night with work. I expressed 3 1/2 oz, which she devoured and squealed for more - what a guzzler! While I was out dh got a fire shout and left the wee one with her auntie - whom had only met her a couple of hours before
Has anyone else found that when their babies can't get the wind up that theu stand? Twice now she has stood straight upright and screamed - totally freaked me out!

Hi everyone. Sorry i've not been posting recently, we've had a few issues but we are sorted now.

CTOFN - i'm glad to hear that your Aunt is out of ICU. I hope the coming times aren't too painful for her or your family. Enjoy (?) the party.

We're having the same issue with DS squirming at the boob but our issue is the milk doesnt come quick enough for him so im milking myself pretty much constantly but it doesnt seem to be getting us anywhere with increasing my milk supply. I have the Tommee Tippee pump but im thinking of selling it so we can get another one. Failing all else i will just find a farm and attach myself to a cow milking device, that should do the trick!!

Hi all -
CTOFN glad your Aunt has made some progress and hope that the party (brave woman) goes well today

Sorry not to address any other posts yet - struggling to catch up !

Things ok here - day 10 of baby boot camp !
Recovering slowly from the c section. The op didn't go as well as I had expected and its taking some time to recover emotionally and physically.

BIRTH STORY ALERT

Basically it took 6 attempts to get the spinal block in which was uncomfortable and quite scary - thought I was going to end up having a GA. Because I had a previous section and 2 lots of surgery for endometriosis there was lots of adhesions and scar tissue and they struggling to get in and get Sam out. It was horrible feeling them trying to get in and get him out. Shortly after this my blood pressure started to drop and I felt really ill. The anesthetist was asking the surgeon why it was dropping and he said he didn't know. I could hear the panic in his voice but was too unwell to do anything. I was in the recovery room for ages after until my BP was normal again and Sam and I couldn't have skin to skin for ages because I felt too ill and worried I was going to drop him.
I was then transferred to the ward and basically left to get on with it on that first day. I buzzed a MW for pain relief a few times and they kept saying they would come back. When they finally got to me I was crying and beside myself because I was in pain and couldn't get into a comfortable position to feed Sam.
Things got better once I could move around and I transferred to a midwfe led unit as soon as I could. I got fantastic care and support there.
Now at day 10 I am feeling like I am on the mend. Sam is an angel so far. We have had a couple of nights where he has slept for 4 hours between feeds which I am very grateful for ! DS1 has a horrible streaming cold and has been very under the weather with it. I sent DH out for a drink last night as he has been so fantastic and supportive I figured he could use a break. I was running up and down the stairs from one child to the other as they both cried ! In the end I took DS2 into DS1 and sat in his room feeding DS2.
Anyway wil try and cacth up properly - great to see so many familar names on here

Ooh Saz, sounds scarey. Glad you feel like you are on the mend now.

DD1 (haha... love that) been so cute, windy smiles. Did have another volcano of vomit.
I'm wondering if it may be linked to me drinking fizzy pop. Had some Dandilion & Burdock today just before she puked. Same thing happened yesterday. Anyone else found that? May have to stick with water for a bit.

londonlottie was partly joking about expressing so much obviously 8wk old twins will take more milk than 3wk old! I used the medela symphony in hospital too and I got more than at home with a medela electric pump. It doesn't help when I'm so tired I fall asleep pumping!

Apparently I might have a problem with let down on less favoured side. But babe is bfing better, though we're a long way from dropping top ups. Vicious circle really. Bfed dd1 for 2.5yrs so you would think I would have no probs this time.

Sazlocks my c-section took a long time due to adhesions and scar tissue and they took ages getting lo out so I know exactly where you are coming from. I didn't have low bp but by the end I was high on morphine and gas and air. The whole thing should have been traumatic but I was so out of it I remember it in a kind of detached way.

Happybump hi it is fun with 2 children isn't it. The other morning it took me 3hrs from waking to getting dd1 to pre-school.

Baby is doing well, putting on weight, 8lb 6oz last week and seems healthy and strong. We had the all clear from the cardiologist this week which was excellent news. We are hoping that there aren't too many health complications with down's syndrome but a visit to the paed in 2wks will tell us more. She is a very calm, tranquil baby which is fantastic.

Hi all- well isaiah seems to have recovered alot from his ermmm snip!which is good, great! BF is so much better i did have problems with them before but not sore and have settled great!
LL - LOx2 wow you get gold star for BF and getting milk out by expressing! hope your getting lots of support!
How are you and LO - CTOFN
i did also notice he liked one more then the other but now has gotten use to them both now!
speed tying whilst he is asleep across my knees!
also milk rash is going so happy about that!
Send off for passports hope i get them back in time, have to make appts for injections and how to deal with insect bites and what i can put on his skin so worried about that the most!
Wind issues - i have found he is taking "Colic drops"(smells like gripe water, but in a thicker form) much better then the infacol so much ermm wind from his bum since i switched! but he gets hiccups alot which is so annoying. 5 weeks and so much to do oh boy! still have not been able to contact MW who still has my marriage cert!!!!!!!
im off to put him down and get into a wonderful bath.

has everyone who is on the 2 weeks or more stopped ermm bleeding?

Mama2B5 I've just stopped bleeding in the last few days, my DS2 will be 3 weeks tomorrow hurrah! it's nice to be feeling like I am getting back to "normal" (whatever that is!).

I suffered from a lot of water retension at the end of the pregnancy and it took until about day 10 post birth for me to find my feet and hands properly again. Is anyone else finding that their feet and hands ache? My joints are so achy, specially in my fingers, I don't remember having anything like this last time round.

I've just got all the steralising equipment out I think I am going to start expressing this week. It's my birthday on Thursday and I was hoping to have enough milk expressed so that I could have a glass of wine or two! I didn't start the whole expressing thing last time until about 6 weeks, I am hoping it won't impact my supply too much.

quirkychick - 3 hours from waking and being anywhere is pretty impressive in my book ... at least you went to the right place! Last week I was meeting a friend in a park and I went to the wrong one! Fortunately the two parks are quite close so my friend was kind enough to come and meet me. Sounds like your newest little one is doing well.

With the boys I bled for about 6 weeks both times. I am bleeding fairly lightly this time though compared to before.

Bit annoyed with DH who decided 3am was a good time to come to bed, waking DD in the process who decided she might quite like a feed & a poo seeing as she was awake. Argh. Have had very little sleep as a result. 10, 12, 2, 3, 4 5.30 feeds and DS2 up at 6am. sob
DH is worse than useless when he's tired too, so can wake him too early as revenge. Ah well, one more week then he's back at work... and the boys on half term. One day I'll get to "sleep when the baby sleeps"... one day

Haha, that always makes me laugh "sleep when the baby sleeps"! yeah right oh, by the time I've finished feeding, grabbed a drink, gone for a wee, got a wash on, fuss neglected and nagging cats, check e-mails, next feed due. All this with having to rock LO back to sleep every 15mins or so...when exactly are we supposed to sleep again? I can't be the only one who's running on willpower. How do you guys with more than the one child to look after cope?

Oh god Sockmonkey, that is a lot of feeding! Hopefully you can catch up on some sleep soon x
HappyBump, I was only able to get my wedding ring on the other day (4 1/2 weeks) due to swollen fingers. I have pins & needles/pain between my thumb and wrist in both hands, but put it down to the feeding position I am holding her in.
I bled lightly which then went into a period at 3 weeks, and I've had nothing since.