FEB 2010 Valentines, pancakes and BABIES!!

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

Here it is, then - the post natal thread for the Feb 2010 gang - let the poo/bf/nappy rash/sleeplessness/crying

OMG whatdoIdonow!! conversations commence...

I miss Waitrose...

It's reassuring to me Chinook that you say you have days when you get nothing done as it feels a bit like that every round here!

Just wanted to share..... my little angel was awake most of the day yesterday, not upset, just wide awake - so I thought she'd be overtired and fussy in the evening...put her down 11pm, she was mooching in her sleep at 2.30 so fed her, she didn't move a muscle and was back in her basket within 15 minutes...then woke up and it was 6.45am! Brilliant - feel like a new woman!!

We've been having problems in the nights with lots of awake time and crying...she is swaddled but always manages to work her hands free, last night she was in a sleepsuit with turn-down cuffs so I pulled them over her hands which I don't normally, and she promptly nodded off! We'd tried rocking, singing, shushing, bouncing, music, every damn thing - turns out her hands were just a bit cold!

DP in work today, I think we'll go somewhere nice seeing as I'm full of beans!

Morning all and congratulations and welcome to bearcrumble - good to hear how you're doing!

Glad the solution turned out to be so simple, stress!

Not a bad night last night, although not as good as the previous couple, her wind woke her up, despite our best efforts with massage etc. Still, she was fairly chilled and remains so now - currently being cuddled by my mum - which also means the prospect of a nap for me later on is looking good!

Over the last week DD's face has really broken out in hormone rash - I'm using some baby oil and that seems to be helping, but I reckon these skin things are mainly to do with the skin adjusting to the environment. Bless her, she looks like a teeny adolescent...

Welcome bearcrumble! What's IUGR? (Could google it but too short of time.)

Things in the Watercress household are going OK. DD2 had a terrible night on Friday (went down as usual at around 7:15pm but woke at 11:30pm, 1:45am, 4am and 6am) after several nights where she seemed to be "stretching out" a bit, but as she had a lot of nasty nappies I wonder whether she had a bit of a bug. Anyway, after a zombie-like day on Saturday, she has slept from 7:15pm until 2:40am both Saturday and Sunday nights, then settles back down until 6:15am (and can be persuaded back to bed for another hour or so after that), so I'm feeling quite well rested. She's been very smiley for the last week or so which is very lovely (though even that wasn't helping me on Friday night!), and seems to have settled into a three or four hour feeding schedule during the day.

IC, I have never heard that BF babies can't get wind or posset. One of my friends BF exclusively for the first six months and had one of the sickiest babies I have ever known. What a load of codswallop!

DD1 is proving a bit of a handful, mainly at mealtimes, so that is driving me slowly mad. I'm also struggling to find a way to put both girls to bed at night as I'm on my own most of the week and they go to bed at the same time. I've had a new thought for this evening that will enable me to feed DD2 her bottle and read to DD1 at the same time (one of the main pinch points where I really need more hands!), so hopefully that will work!

Chinook, I'm also in awe of those at work or studying - my brain still feels a bit mushy, and (whisper it) I'm quite enjoying being at home. Motherhood is definitely easier the second time round (despite the errant toddler) and I'm so much more relaxed about things.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

IUGR is inter uterine growth restriction. Bassically my placenta was a bit crap so he wasn't gettin enough nourishment and oxygen so consultant felt that st 35 weeks he was better out thsn in. Babies with it divert all the energy to their brains so ususlly the head measurements keep up but the body, other organs and limb growth slows or stops. One doctor tactfully described my womb as "a hostile environment" while I was in the recovery bit after having the caesarian.

He was up a lot last night. I managed to get a couple of hours before 12.30 then he seemed to be awake and feeding/pooing non stop til 5 (got my husband to take him downstairs in the sling for a bit from 4-5) then we got up properly at 6.30 and I let my husband have a couple of hours uninterrupted sleep.

At one point he'd just been changed and was demanding food again and within 5 minutes of strting to feed had done a load of farts and when I checked there was a poosplosion that had leaked out the leg of his nappy and on to his vest and sleepsuit.

He's very nearly outgrown all his tiny baby clothes but newborn stuff is still really baggy.

I'm also impressed with those going back to work/education already. I'm supposed to be returning to my nursing course in Jan of next year but thinking of deferring for another year as I don't want to miss him being little. I doubt I'll have any more kids as we had loads of issues with this pregnancy (achieved through ivf) and they found I have a bicornate uterus when they did the c section, so I'd really like to spend as much time as possible being a mum.

love that 'poosplosion'
DS3 has loads of them as he seems to have taken to only pooing every three days, but that third day he 'poosplodes' at every feed.
Another successful day at college. Poor DH has man flu so had to go to bed when i got home but he had managed to look after DS and watch CSI all day!!

Hi Ladies,

Hope you're all faring well. Had LO weighed on Fri (14days) and she was up to 7.1 (3.2) from birth weight of 6. 12 (3.08) and was very proud of her. Still find it amazing that my body can produce something good enough for her to not only survive but thrive (considering she only feeds for 10mins approx every 3hrs), especially if you think about how much effort is required to put food on our plates (speaking from bitter vegetable growing experience).

Did anyone else find that their boobs changed at about the two week mark. They felt they like they did when my milk first came in, and believe I'm starting to feel let down.

poosplosion and feeling "let down"...!

Well, this morning DD treated us to a charming wake-up call in the form of vomageddon - oh, the feeling of warm, milky posset running down your thigh...! Yes, whoever said BF babies don't posset or get wind, it certainly wasn't me!!

It necessitated a change of everything: her clothes, her new Peke Moe sleeping bag (recommended, btw), our bed, my underwear... I didn't realise she had even drunk enough to produce such a veritable Niagra...

Sadly, I doubt this will be the last incident of this type...(!)

Oh, IC I sympathise over vomageddon (ha ha) - I hate it when he's sick, not just because of the mess but because of the waste as well. It never occurred to me until it happened that if milk has been down a while, when it comes back up it's all curdy and stinky.

I think A's nappy rash is coming back. I've always been careful, just use warm water and cotton wool to clean his bum and I chane him often so don't know why it happens. Tried to let him have a bit of an airing in between nappies earlier but he pissed on the first towel immediately and then did a poo on the next one so I just put another nappy on (with bepanthen cream on the red bits). Am trying to remember to change hourly now to see if that has any effect.

Has anyone got a nasal aspirator? Was thinking of getting one - he gets really snuffly sometimes and i can see bits of congestion up there but nostrils are to small to clean out and I don't want to sticking a cotton bud up there.

There was something else I was going to ask but I can't bloody remember.

It wasn't this, but what are you favourite clothes for your babies? I love the mamas and papas sleepsuits. They do a set of 3 with little stars and spaceships on. They fit really nicely and have the built-in mitts on the cuffs that you just turn over. I wish there were more plain clothes for babies, and not just basic white. Fed up with everything having slogans and patterns.

Here's A today - de.tinypic.com/view.php?pic=qn4bcl&s=5

Didn't have too bad a night last night. Got about 5 hours sleep. On the downside, as well as the nappy rash there was quit a bit of sicking up this morning.

Hey All

So sorry that I haven't even managed to post let alone try to keep up to date with all the goings on - hope everyone is well.

Charlie is doing well - will be 8 weeks on Thursday and can't believe it's going so fast.

We attempted breast feeding but he's been quite poorly with reflux so we've had to give him a feed thickener and infant gaviscon to stop him being so sick and fingers crossed it seems to be working.

Here's a little photo of him to share with you all: www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4643055&l=97b043a6d9&id=277003459

Still trying to get out and make some new mummy friends but hopefully it will happen soon.

Hope everyone is well

Sorry meant to welcome Bearcrumble in my last post and didn't... sounds like you've had a time of it - congratulations on the birth of your lo! He's gorgeous.

Welcome to our thread MMJ - glad you found us and he too is gorgeous.

A few poosplosions here too! Although today dd seems a little constipated - she was straining to do a poo as I changed her nappy after lunch and sure enough as soon as I whipped away one nappy and got ready to replace it she pooed all over the changing mat.

She doesn't get sick that much - but poor thing had a vomagedden the other night. When she woke in the night to feed I picked her up and she was soaked through. I can't quite believe that she had sicked up that much but I think it was a combination of falling asleep before I could properly wind her (and failing to wind her as she slept in my arms) and possibly having too much (a formula feed )

Time is flying - each week just seems to whizz by. DD makes gooing noises now when she is happy - although there has yet to be a proper smile. She is lying on her playmat at the moment and she is really enjoying herself.

As for noses - she had a really blocked up nose at birth and here in France I was advised to squirt serum physiologique up on nostril (I think it's just saline solution) so that it comes out the other one and then twist some cotton and clean out her nose with that. We stopped doing that after a week as it was quite distressing - but she is very snuffly at the moment and I started doing it again on the advice of the doctor. It is horrible though - she really hates it - although she usually stops screaming immediately once it has the desired affect. The nasal aspirator has fallen down the back of the changing table and I can't get at it!

So I am back to work 3 hours a day six days a week on Monday - from home though. I am having someone to come in and look after her for those hours. I do wonder though how one manages with more than one child. It takes me so long to feed her in the morning and then get myself washed (when I have time!) and dressed. She seems to cluster feed a bit in the mornings now and as she doesn't nap at all in the mornings it's hard to get much done! How would I manage a baby and a school aged child?! Hats off to those of you who are doing it (hopefully I will - one day!)

bearcrumble - I've just brought a nasal aspirator (renamed the snot sucker!) DS has been realy struggling to breathe at night due to a blocked nose. The snot sucker's really helped although he does scream whilst using it, but settles really quickly afterwards.

bearcrumble I clean DS nose the same way that FC explained it, probably because even if I don't leave in France anymore, my mum who's a nurse told me to do it this way. DS screams but after he sneezes which make the snot coming out.

Had my 6 weeks check after the cs and I'm all cleared so back to do abs on the swiss ball and when I can to the gym.

Is anybody thinking of going to the swimming pool with their DC? My local pool does aquatots and I think I may give it a go.

DH is doing the night shift today, so I'm looking forward to a rest!

GC I'm going to take Poppy to the pool after she's had her first set of imms. I think some pools have rules about when you take them with regard to imms and such?

Poppy has been really spoiling me again with 6 hourly feeds during the night. The only thing now is that I'm trying to convince her to take a bottle on an evening as I'm planning to go out for a meal at the end of april without her. It will be my leaving meal from work, which I had to cancel as she arrived three weeks early!

Does it make me a bad mother if I leave her for just a few hours? One of my friends wont leave her 5 month old for even half an hour (which is fine for her), but surely it wont do her any harm to be left with DH for a couple of hours? Anyway, what does it say to DH if I refuse to leave our daughter with him? It's EBM I'm leaving her with.

Which brings me to another point, I have loads of EBM in the freezer and I'm managing to express 3oz at a time (only express once a day to freeze), but I was really upset on monday when I defrosted some for DH to give her and she had 1 ounce and 2 went down the sink, it seems like such a waste! But there's loads left so what's my problem? I think I'm having a neurotic week .

Going down to family at the weekend, we're in glasgow sat lunch time, leeds saturday night, wakefield sunday, gloucester monday/tuesday, leeds tuesday evening, back to wakefield weds & thurs, leeds fri & sat, sunderland and glasgow on sunday then home on monday. My word, I am so tired just looking at that list...

Keep reading on here while feeding but hate to type with one hand... I am almost shocked what an easy baby dd2 is (compared to dd1 who was pretty good herself). She's been sleeping from 11 at night to almost 7 in the morning for the past few days and then wakes with the sweetest smile. I still wake in the night to check on her, and almost miss our nighttime cuddles undisturbed by a demanding toddler... Am I mad or what?

AC you will not be a bad mother!
Go out and enjoy yourself! You're leaving your DD with your DH not with a complete stranger where you may get worried.

DH and I we have a deal, he goes out with his friends and if I want to go on a night out, he will keep DS.

AC and BG I envy you that they sleep 6 hours or more straight! Samuel has eaten an alarm o'clock set to ring every 4 hours (I'm convinced about it ).

Health visitor came today and DS weighs 4.92 kg (10lb13) and for the last week he wears 3 month old clothes as the 1 month don't fit him anymore (especially with the reusable nappies).

AC OF COURSE you are not a bad mother to leave your child with your DH - he is her father for goodness sake! I am going to start expressing (when I find the energy!) and plan to leave LO with my mum for an evening in a couple of weeks.I don't think that makes me a bad mother. Hopefully a slightly less stressed mother after a first evening off for a long time!

Climber my boobs changed around the two week mark. I didn't feel let down before, but now feel it so strongly it sometimes hurts. And it's so funny to feel them filling up when she's due a feed but hasn't demanded it yet.

IC my LO has broken out in impressive angry-looking spots, just in time for her 'welcome to the world' party this weekend. She looked so pretty before! I'm sure they'll pass, I hsdn't thought of using baby oil, have just been wiping them with boiled water.

Typing one-handed - tiresome or what?!

Hi all,

Having a bit a worrying phase where my DS is being violently sick through his nose, sometimes up to 2 hrs after a feed. He panics and sometimes chokes a bit, really horrible. Anyone having this or know whether it's 'normal'? It's not a huge amount of sick but more frequent and forceful than just possets.

Struggling to stop moaning about how tired I feel, older than first time around I guess.

Started my DD at nursery today, I found it really emotional. Not so impressed with slightly feral looking kids running around, one with a naked poo smeared bottom! I guess this is what a toddler nursery class is like, so much snot too.

Glad some of you are managing to get some time out, it's really important and no reason to feel guilty at all.

AC - of course you should not feel guilty about going out for a bit.
DD is 4 weeks now, she has had a few afternoons with her dad when I've gone to get the shopping, pay some bills etc, and she spent from 1.30pm until 9pm with my mum one day last week, DP and I went home, had a divine 3 hour kip in bed and went out for a meal. Lovely for my mum, and refreshing for me and DP, I missed her but knew she was fine and safe. She will be having her first night over at my parents at the end of April when it is my 30th birthday and we are going away for a night.

I absolutely love her to pieces, but we all need a little bit of a break, for our own sanity.

After a night of lots of projectile vomiting, 3 changes of clothes, and a change of bedding...I was feeling a bit fraught this morning. However, the two kind strangers who put 50p in DD's palm and told me how gorgeous she was while I was out round the shops really made my day. People are so so kind and lovely sometimes.

Clappedout sorry to hear your poor DS is being so sick - it sounds horrible and I am afraid I have no idea whether it is normal or no. I hope you get to the root of the problem soon.

AC - you are sooo not a bad mother. A friend of mine told me - when I went to hers for a girls night last week and left DH holding the fort - that going out makes you really miss your children and that's really important sometimes through the grind of the first few weeks of nappy changes, vomageddon, poosplosions, snot sucking and endless hours of crying.

I left this afternoon to go shopping - it takes so much longer with DD and I had a big shop to do so I left a poor, tired DH (he works 5.30-12.30 and 16.30-19.30). When I got back I was frantic for her - and I was only gone three hours - and she gave me her first ever smile. I burst into tears!!

stresshead - I had one of those nights the other night too, having to change the bedclothes in the middle of the night.

6 weeks today - where has the time gone?

Hello All

clappedout according to our Robin Barker Baby Love book, that type of vomiting, though distressing (for the parents) isn't anything to worry about. If it's not accompanied by a fever or any other symptoms, it seems to be one of those delightful products of an immature digestive system... But take him to a doctor if you're concerned, of course

Yes, fizi the twice-a-day once over with a baby wipe followed by some baby oil seems to be doing the trick nicely - she's looking cherubic again instead of like a teeny adolescent...!

Knackered today. Think my sleep last night consisted of 20 minute catnaps between all her windy straining and noise I'm not holding out much hope that tonight will be better...

Still, a nice outing today with my Mum to meet a friend for a cuppa - very restorative!

Hiya everyone,

DS has spots here too!

Try colacynth granules for trapped wind or colic. It's a homeopathic remedy and seems to have done the trick here. It was recommended by my BF counsellor and my midwife and I got it in the local Health Food Shop. DS (6weeks- where did the time go!) makes such a funny face when I put a granule in (after every feed). No side effects either as basically there's nothing in it! He has started farting a lot now though, ahh like father like son.

Bought a Moby Wrap finally and am loving it.

Fingers crossed the breast thrush seems to be shifting now I am using up Scotland's supply of fluconazole. Pain is now intermittent! Thank goodness my GP has been great.

Still keep reading and nodding to myself about lots you all go through... baby acne spots, yes - mental note to try baby oil; need to have passport pics done and don't want her looking so spotty... projectile vomits, yes - dd2 managed to do one down the front (inside) of my dressing gown... of course leaving baby with dh is fine! Haven't done so myself yet but only because I don't think he could cope with both children just yet...snot sucker, yes, bought one but find the idea of using it pretty scary. Been relying on saline nose spray...lots and lots more nodding but can't keep up typing with one hand... Sending out lots of sleepy vibes to all those nightowl babies

We had a funny night last night (or it is today?).

Ds fed at 5.30pm so the next one should have been 9.30pm. But he slept until 11pm (me too!). After that the next bottle should have been 3am then 7am... nope! He went for 1.30am (I managed to stretch him up to 2.15) and 6am, like if he kept his initial feeding times on his stomach alarm o'clock!

Back to bed now, hoping I can sleep a bit more...

We didn't have a great night. I slept about an hour and a half before husband and baby came to bed then I was up for feeding about three times, each time we were awake for more than an hour and one time his nappy leaked through his clothes onto the bed (we decided to move up from size 0 to size 1 but the sainsbury's size 1s are massive). I think my husband took him downstairs just before 4 and he woke me up again at 6. At that point I got up ane bought him downstairs in the moses basket.

My eyes are so sore and dry.

We had quite a lot of posseting yesterday and a couple of high velocity ones.

I wouldn't worry about milk shooting out of the nose. It's happened here a few times and he doesn't seem bothered.

I can't believe how shit I feel. I hope I can get a bit of sleep during the day.