May 2010: All the babies have arrived, welcome to the other side!

[rachelfruitloop]

Here we are ladies, a new Postnatal thread! I wonder if we'll fill this one up as fast with one-handed typing?!

Hi everyone, just marking my place. Back of hols and I've lost the thread from my active convos. Will try to catch-up but don't hold out much hope with two kids and a mountain of washing to cope with.

Hope everyone is well.

mollycuddles Glad no offence taken. I too fancy shedding enough weight to be midwife led next time, but think after emer section this time will prob need elective section anyway. Think you can't be induced if u have had c section within 18 months? Due to hormones in drip causing too powerful contractions and risk of rupturing? Think would need to go myself and quick labour to rule out section and after my experience this time both these things look unlikely. Does this correspond eith people's experiences?

my sil had an emergency c-sec and she was told she'll never be able to give birth naturally and safely, so all c-secs now. and a friend had an emergency c-sec, and the second one, was highly recomended to have a planned c-sec, but they wouldn't let her use midwife led anyway, due to the probability of complications, probably not what you like to hear, but hope that helps.

blimey..cant beleive some of you are discussing your next pregnancy already

Im going to be quite envious when there are new pregnancy announcements in the future

I know! Can't believe some of you are considering your next pregnancies!! I'm 2 and out, or at least that's how it feels right now

We've travelled from London to Derbyshire today as me and the kids are spending the week with my parents while DH is in the US with work. It's always an epic journey but now we have to stop to feed Harry it makes it even longer. At least my in-laws have our dog for the week so that's one complication removed. Also we have a new car with a DVD player for DD so at least it wasn't constant nursery rhymes all the way! It's good to be here but apprehensive about tonight as the 3 of us are all in a room together. When Harry wakes for his night feed(s) I hope I can get him up and into the living room before he wakes DD.

Harry also has his first cold Bless him he's all snotting and sneezey and noisey when sleeping. The sofa could well have my name on it tonight!

Evening...had a busy couple of days as we are getting ready for DD2's christening tomorrow (eek!) and so we've been busy making salads etc all day.

Re contraception, I've gone on the mini-pill; as I'm bf I don't know how long it will take to get my periods back (it was only a couple of months after DD1 but she was ff from 6 weeks). As an aside I'm getting worn out by bf poo as there was another explosion tonight all the way up her back - bless her, she's so good and didn't whinge at all even when we had to dunk her in the bath to clean her up.

Got the copy of my notes today as well so I can see what went on after DD2's delivery. Will sit and read them when the house is a bit quieter...

hi ladies, typing from my phone again! A lot i'd like to respond to but just have been so busy. I'll post again as soon as i can with more personals. My DSis is visiting from the states and we're having such a nice time! Congrats to all with babies sleeping through the night, this gives me hope we may join you soon! Welcome Nikki, my DS2 Eric was born the same day as your baby! I expressed some milk today so my DSis could give eric a bottle while i made lunch, we've not given him a bottle for about 3 weeks as i didnt think i had much in there to pump as he's been feeding so much, so i was pleasantly surprised by the result and my DSis enjoyed feeding him, too! Eric's passport arrived in the post on thurs, and i've booked tickets to fly to LA to visit my family in Nov, very excited! On the subject of wills, i found out i can have it done through my union at work so i plan to put the wheels in motion asap! Wanted to get in on the contraception conversation too, i'm going to get the coil in about a week, as a stop gap before DH gets the snip. I decided on this instead of mini pill or implant as i was told there's a higher risk of depression with those (though don't know why there isn't with the coil?) and i had pnd with my DS1. Didnt try the coil before as i already had fairly heavy periods but hoping i can avoid having one at all for a while since i'm breastfeeding and gp said the coil can make you miss periods as well. I hope i get on well with it but i'm a bit nervous i must admit! I hope you're all getting on ok, i still enjoy reading your posts at 3.30 am too!

Hi Rachel - depends on the coil. Copper coils have no hormones but may make periods heavier. The mirena coil contains hormones but ok with bf and will most probably stop or significantly reduce periods. I used it between ds and dd1 and between dd1 and Molls. The hormone is released within the womb so less should get into the blood and if you get depression due to hormonal contraception it should be less of an issue than with pill or injection. But it can and does cause depression in some women.

Molly slept from about 1 to 6.15!!! She was so tired after an evening of the grumps and fighting sleep but still. My boobs were in shock after such a gap but she quickly drained them on waking.

molly that's great that you got such a big lot of sleep last night! 5 hours in a row is cause for celebration around here, too! thanks for the info on the coil! It's definitely the mirena coil i'm going to get, hopefully i won't get depressed from the hormones. I'm really hoping it prevents me from getting periods, at least while i'm breastfeeding. I figure it's worth taking the chance as I'd certainly get depressed if i fell pregnant again, that would cause a whole world of complications!

Morning all,

Busy day yesterday at a family bbq. Lucy was really fighting her sleep despite being very tired. I spent most of the afternoon rocking her off in the car seat and when i would get her off someone would shout or start tiggling her feet and wake her up!
Finally got her off and she had a huge deep sleep for about 3hours. Had visions of a bad night but she woke at 9.30pm when we got home. Had a feed then a play on her playmat then up to bed at 10.30 and slept through till 5.30. Quick feed then slept till 8.30!

Another BBQ at friends today. Ill be sick of sausages by the end of the weekend!

Havent really thought about contraception here. No energy for any of that business!

My dad asked me if id finished now at 2 kids. I actually found it really hard to answer... 2 seems enough for us but then i do love being pregnant and the newborn bit. My final answer was "never say never".

Morning all manic day yesterday but good time had by all. My Bro and SIl couldn't believe how big Jacob was and how much he looks like his Dad. They don't have DC so this house is a shock for them.

I can understand those already planning another baby, I was the exact same with DD1, immediately after having her I wanted another one. Took us 9 months of TTC for no 1 so when DD1 was 9 months thought of having no 2, 1 x DTD later and I was pregnant again! There was someone on Pigley/Minnie and I's last thread who has 13 months between her two so that's like us getting pregnant again in the next few weeks!!!

I will not be joining you in another pregnancy thread. I'm completely rushed off my feet with 4 and that's it don't think I could cope with another pregnancy/baby/child. I have drawn a line completely under babies and pregnancies now that's it for me, body is shattered, 5 pregnancies in 5 years is more than enough.

Anyway how was saying EBM is a poor substitute, no it isn't and they shouldn't feel bad for using it. If your baby is getting any EBM you are doing well. Speaking of which I must get off my backside and sort out this little man taking a bottle. Want to give my milk a wee boost as well so going to try and get pumping.

On a good news front we got planning permission for our extension yesterday despite neighbours objections some of which were a bit funny. Am scared about the actual work as my Dad was up yesterday and going on about moving boilers and us living in the house whilst it is all being done and scaring me loads. But we cannot move out so have no choice really.

Right best be off Jacob needs some breakfast, rough night last night exploding poo at 4! Am also fed up with these expoding poos, might try Huggies see if they can contain it a bit better, the other day he had 4 changes of clothes.

ML I know, can't believe I'm talking about another baby already. . Really enjoying motherhood. Wasn't sure what I would be like or feel like. It is hard work, but when that wee boy wakes up in the morning and I lift him out for the day and get wee smiles it is all soooo worth it. Just love him so much!

wouldliketoknow Kind of have it in my mind that it will need to be c section anyway and at least you can plan for it and it was the least issue out of my birth experience in the end

Millington at Harry's cold. Love the name it was high up on my choice for names. Hope he feels better soon. Samuel has had quite a sniffle for over a week now. HV was not too bothered. I raise his basket at one end atnight and bought a room decongestant thing suitable from birth. Seems to help him get better sleeps.

Carikube Hope the christening goes well today and the hospital notes were not too traumatic to read.

rachel That's so lovely that your Dsis is visiting and getting lots of quality time with Eric. Enjoy!

molly on the sleeps! My boobs don't really get too engorged, but did the one night I had out even though I expressed too. They were like bullets in the morning and I came downstairs with them leaking everywhere shouting for a container to catch it all!

pigely Sam's another baby who fights sleep. Only tends to drop off from boob or on Dad's magic shoulder. Great sleeps though! I find whether Sam is awake or sleeps lots during day, he still has same sort of sleep at night.

SK I think you have such a gorgeous family. Well done you on all your pregnancies. Will miss you in a new thread though, but guess unlikely we will all be on same month again anyway. Gosh, imagine getting pregnant again right now. Blimey. Fab news on the extension!

BFpoos I don't mind the exploding poo too much. Always hear when it has happened and therefore poor wee tyke isn't sitting in it for long. He does tend to poo while feeding and does 3 massive pushes in one nappy. Maybe get another later on in day. Only had the up the back poo once and typically during my first time out on my own at shops. I find pampers size 2 keeps it in for Sam. Huggies size 2's just seem too big for him at moment and we had issues with the size 1's and poo when he was only week or two old. My friend made me a nappy "cake". It was awesome. The nappies were fab, but I need to ask her what brand they were as didn't say.

ranting Got catch up done. I think maybe I need to be a bit more laid back as I always seem to come on here and have a total rant about something. You must all be sick of it. I've come to the conclusion that I have an issue with anyone other than me or DH trying to "guess" whay Sam may be crying. Think I'm a bit of a control freak.

Reason for this is went to friend's 30th Bbq yesterday with Sam. Her Mum and Aunt were renlentless in their commentary on Samuel. Started with asking me if I had a blanket to cover him with. I said he would be fine, but she then went and brought out a towel and draped it over him. That was the first warning sign.

He was then happy for about 40 mins while he was passed about a few people and then ready for a feed started crying a little. The mum was holding him and he was crying for about 30 secs when the mum announced "I think he's got colic". He just needed a feed.

DH has shingles and They knew that is why he wasn't their. After already having slight argument with me that Sam couldn't catch anything from him (he can catch chickenpox if comes into contact with fluid in blisters. extensively researched), the next time he started to have a wee cry (little bit of wind and looking for desert)she announced. "I think this boy is ill. I think he may have chickenpox". The Aunt then said to the mum "have you got any calpol indoors I could give him". No you are not bloody feeding my son any thing like that. How ridiculous. It is my decision, but he is also not ill! He had another wee feed and got changed for bed.

While we were trying to leave (took an hour) Sam clearly needing some sleep was quite cranky and also fed up with all the attention. The mum said again "oh I think he is def ill". She then said to me "I think you will need to give him a bottle. I think your milk doesn't have enough nutrients to fill him up, so you should start on formula"!! I had never met this women before in my life and she had spent 2 hours with Sam. This was also after I had told her that he had gained 23ozs in 2 weeks. There is nothing wrong with my bloody milk!

Why is breastfeeding such a volatile subject? I would say the comments were a generational thing, but neither my Mum or Aunt would dream of saying things like that to even me, never mind someone they didn't know. Do you think it all stems from people's insecurities if they couldn't BF or had to give up, or am I just coming into contact with a lot of rather rude people?

Are you guys having these sort of experiences too and are just dealing with them a bit better than me?

I could have 8 children and think myself a bit of an expert on raising children, but I don't think that I would be arrogant enought to think I knew better what was wrong with a baby than the mother after being only 2 hours in the company of the baby as every baby is different. I knew it wasn't out of character for Sam and could recognise what his cries now mean.

Maybe I just need to chill out a bit. It didn't bother me or make me question my milk etc. I'm more just in disbelief of what people are like.

My friend apologised to me when I was leaving saying that she should have warned me what they were like.

Fun evening!

S x

well I definitely wont be joining any of you ladies on a new pregnancy thread..I think my mother would have me commited if I fell pregnant again...I adore my new dd though and all my children and tbh if I didnt have such awful pregnancies and money was no object..I probably would have another

SK..I think you and I were on the ttc thread too..so bizarre to think this time last year we had just started TTC..I fell straight away and got my positive test on 25th August..how time flies..last night I was trawling through the old ante natal thread last night and found the first one where I was only just pregnant..a few months ago I was looking through the July/august post natal thread from 2004..and reading my posts about DD2 just starting to crawl etc..shes 6 on tuesday

ahh..enough reminiscing now..

Sassles..no theres nothing wrong with being irked when people try to second guess your baby..I took DD3 into my husbands work when she was newborn and she was crying because they were passing her round and she didnt like it..all I could hear was "ooh..she must be hungry/tired/colic.." you name it..until I said..no shes just fed up!!

Another rant - my dad. Grrr. Now my parents are very interested in their gcs and adore Molly. They have been a big support in recent years especially when dh was ill. But they don't really get my parenting ideas. Mum has at least stopped being critical. I was very much a child of scheduling, ff, children being seen and not heard. My father has strong religious beliefs and is a strong supporter of the concept of "original sin" ie that children are born full of sin and parents have to train/smack that out of them. So he sees our child centred, co sleeping, on demand bf, baby wearing approach as pandering and spoiling a manipulative being. I tried to put across my perspective but he wasn't interested. It really annoyed me although I know our approach works for us. Funny how he can still push my buttons.

ML - trying to think when I got my pos test must have been very close to the 25th August as my LMP was 1st Aug. I cut out a few BFs with DD3 to get my periods back had one then got pregnant. I know 6 on Tuesday, very scary my first MN post was Jan 2004. Birthdays always make me reminisce.

Sassles - I would say get used to it, everyone and their dog has a comment about babies. Every time they cry it's either colic/hunger/tired as in "oh that's a touch of colic/is he hungry, looking for more (read your aren't feeding hom enough)/tired! The BM comments are just plain rude and yes I think you are right, a lot of the older generation are still fixated on the 4 hourly feeds, that is almost impossible when trying to establish BFing a newborn so their milk wouldn't have been stimulated enough to come in or they wouldn't produce enough so they would have been told they didn't have enough milk and here's a bottle. So I do believe part of it is their own feelings and that they cannot understand why you can BF. My own Mum told me that I would never be able to BF 9lbs 3ozs DD2 for 6 months was I mad she would need bottles/solids for sure. I think it is so sad that women doubt their own bodies ability to feed a child they grew.

The thing us YOU know your own baby you spend every hour with them practically so how would a complete stranger know better?! Either that or the woman may be a medical triquarter like Star Trek and be able to diagnose viral infections oh and in a few weeks every time he cries a stranger will ask "is he teething?"

Speaking of which my own rant, I'm usually a size 8/10 depending on the shop, just over 8 and a half stone. Just now I'm about 9 stone. But a few people now are questioning whether I am eating enough as I am "wasting away" I think they think because Jacob is so big that everything is going into him. I am eating fine well maybe too much cake but all I am getting is how thin I am (which I am not still few jeans I cannot fit into). I'm 5ft3ins skinny arms and legs all weight goes into my bum and hips classic pear shape. Suppose if I hadn't lost weight would get comments suppose you cannot win.

Molly - x-posts it's hard isn't it with the older generation. Apparently we spoil children too much these days, that's why the world is a mess/hoodies and ASBOs etc. I would just try to ignore as much as you can, know how you feel it would annoy hell out me as well.

Panicky neurotic mother talking...!

My brother who bless him, is severely autistic seems to have wart-like blotches on his knuckles (every single finger bar one bizarrely). We've only just noticed but as he is autistic he never says if something hurts or bothers him so not sure how long its been there - or obviously indeed if thats what they are. He's going to GP tomorrow. BUT..I know its part of the HPV virus which can be particularly dangerous to babies. I've never had a cold sore or anything so cant have passed any natural immunity on. He hasnt directly touched her, but myself, mum, dad etc have held his hand and held baby. She seems fine, please someone tell me to chill!!

sk - Ditto to everything you said re weight. Usually 8/10 around 8.5 stone, scales are telling me I'm 9stone2 atm. Lost my boobs an got my waist back but still got that frumpy apron-like-just-had-a-baby tum! But the amount of comments Ive had about looking gaunt even from people who barely know me is driving me nuts. You're right, if we'd put on more weight would get comments too. There's no pleasing some people!

Hi first1 - don't worry about wart virus. Think you're mixing it up with herpes simplex which causes cold sores. Would avoid cold sores direct contact with babe but not warts especially not second hand. Usual hygiene measures mean unlikely baby will get warts from grandparents and more than likely still has your immunity but it isn't serious anyway.

hello all! Long time no speak! Manic manic manic!!

Just remarking my place on the thread really then will answer properly.

DD2 has decided to let the green eyed monster shine through, and will bend dd3's arms, pinch her, squeeze her arms etc. She is getting very hard work in general and we are trying to get on top of it all. We've had a pretty chilled today til dd2 decided she was going to start hitting her brother, then had the mother of all tantrums when I told her to have time out, yelling at me 'i hate you...i'm going to hit you then stab you' I have no idea where on earth she got that from

DD3 is doing ok. at her 6 week check she was 10lb 14oz. Breatfeeding is gradually getting less and less Combined with my fear of BF in public and becoming a bit of a hermit, I fed her for an hour before, yet she still had a 4oz formula bottle after as she was still screaming. I'm useless. The only thing I really wanted to succeed at. She rarely settles after a BF without a top up now. I have tried so hard not to top her up so much, but exhaustion and tears from me makes it impossible. She had a bottle of formula about 9.30 last night, went to bed just after 10 and slept til 5.20! Though I was awake at 4 waiting for her to wake as normal!! I fed her (BF) til 6 and she slept til 9am then. She has had her ultrasound on her 'clicky' hip and we were told that they would send us the results in the post, instead we had a letter saying she needs another scan. So that's on the 28th July.

DD3 is currently kicking about on her playmat now, finally content after her bottle. I suppose that is a good thing that she is content at least.

Re contraception, I am back on the injection. I don't really want to be on it as it made me put loads of weight on, but don't really feel we have any other choices without something permenant. I did ask about being sterilized but I am not sure either of us really want that.

Thanks molly - You've reassured me
Angel - nice to hear from you!!

Everyone - Does this sound a bit nuts, feel free to tell me.. Just wondering if we could organise a Mums May 2010 party. I know its crazy as we're all over the place stretching all over the UK but there must be a Hyde Park type place somewhere relatively central and manageable for most . I know it'll be a marathon to organise but we could have like a real life teddy bears picnic or something! Opinions please ladies!!

First1 sounds like an ambitious but lovely idea. I would be up for it.

Hello all

Am continuing to find my DD (2.5) very difficult, even with DH around. She was up last night upset from 3-5am crying about wanting to sit on my knee, basically this has gone on for 3 days now but first time at night. She was sat on my knee but its like she cant get close enough I feel very guilty and sorry for her as she is clearly struggling with arrival of DS (delayed reaction) but I am also short tempered and fed up with it. At 4am, I gave up trying to resettle her (had been up with Alex 2 until 245 and then with her since 3am) so I took her to bed with me, where she proceeded to giggle, sing etc until 5am when I got very fed up (kept warning her that it would be back to bed) and just plonked her back in her bed where she screamed herself to sleep consequently I had no sleep until 6am as felt terrible and everyone up at 7am (DH fed Alex 5am).

Today has continued to be difificult, except that she slept for an hour at lunch which was nice.

Fortunately other than feeding a lot Alex is a "good" baby really so its just about do--able. I feel pathetic as lots of people have kids but I am finding it hard, mainly my toddler, or actually just her!!

I say I dont want any more, but then I almost cry thinking that - hormones

Anyway carikube hope christening went well?

Millingtons we live in nottinghamshire and were out and about in derbyshire today, carsington water. Were you near by???

Also I am still over a stone over weight and feeling very fat, a stone and a half really and too tired to exercise. Hey ho, am just feeling sorry for myself. My DH and I have decided we are simply too selfish and thats why we struggle with our toddler!!

first1..wart virus isnt dangerous..dont panic