FESH spa and creche: The Ultimate Destination for survivors of the Palace and Deli: Prologue

[CurlyCasperBaggedABairn]

Welcome weary travellers. It's been a long road, but you made it! Now, hard as it might be, leave your ESH spawn at the creche and step into the spa - where we have every treatment available to soothe your Amityville Horror undercarriage, ravaged raspberries and worn out wits. And - wait for it - we've got the bar back. And it's all-inclusive

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a glass, lower yourself into the jacuzzi and lets get chatting. We are Forever ESH!

P.S Children never cry here...

I had a Babasling but barely used it - I timed trips to the yard with naps (I'm a routine person ) so DD always dozed off in the car & 90% of the time stayed alseep for as long as it took me to muck out, have a coffee & a natter. On the odd occasion she did wake up the pushchair worked just fine.

When she a bit older the Little Life backpack was (& still is) a godsend - she had a great time at Badminton & it's perfect for walking the mutt.

I've got a babasling! No idea how to put on and not sure how I'm meant to practise! Baby bjorn is for dad and me (depending on which I prefer).

Can I ask, I've bought flat sheets and blankets to cover the baby in bed/pram, but can I use a grow bag style thing yet? I'm sure I read somewhere they have to be 5 months...

Moo I used bag one he went into cot at about 11 weeks. Before then I used a fitted sheet in the basket and swaddled him and he was in a sleep suit.

I like. Thinking grow bag good idea also at hopefully keeping leakage contained and therefore not needing to change sheets every 5 minutes. Or am I dreaming??!!

honey tbh we've not had any leakage at all. With this wriggling tiddler I am not comfortable with growbags unless it were clutch purse sized - too bloody hot here anyway... but will def use them by winter!

Little fella's social calendar is looking good - 10am at GP, 12pm at HV. Have just put him in an outfit which swamped him 2 weeks ago so very happy.

It was 2 weeks ago today and I can't believe how the time has flown. I have been hit the last couple of days about quite how sick Bear and I were, his hb was down at 30 and of course I didn't see him for nearly 2 hours because he was raced up to neo-natal. His first apgar was only 5. Obviously we're both healthy now but it scares me that we could've lost him and if I hadn't had the section, what would've happened with the cord?

2 weeks since I came home I mean.

I have a question for cunty and anyone else that has ever actually made it to 40 weeks! How much movement of the baby did you feel by now?! Mine has gone right down, just occasional little movements... And I am getting anxious... Cos a week ago it was still moving a lot more... But the consultant checked the cord blood supply on the scan on fri and it was all ok... So maybe just paranoid?

Oh, and re: slings... I have an ergo sling ( there are reviews on mn) - which came v recommended by friends... But obviously haven't tried it yet!!

Don't worry Iggs, all perfectly normal - once you get to 40 weeks there's very little room for acrobatics in there. All I felt with LC was mostly finger movement (funny kind of tickling right on my bladder), the odd stretch & her head bouncing up & down on my cervix

have answered you on t'other place iggs - prescient!! Hardly any is the answer. Movements were few and far between.

Fanks girls. Feeling bit better now... Although have no idea what movement is the baybee and what is me as get occasional thumping at top of bump, which could be violent kicks, or could be BH's... Who knows!

God Ski I don't blame you. It must be scary and absolutely unbelievable to have gone through so much in the space of 2 short weeks. It must be hard to get your head around. Particularly when they are so tiny and vulnerable. Major back pattage to you mummio for doing as well as you clearly are. Bloody hell you've even been to the tattoo parlour!!!!!

ski it must have all being fucking scary... Thankfully you were in hosp and had a section. Just shows there are times when you really need the doctors... Is nice that bear is growing well now tho.

iggs vote here too for all completely normal. They say to count 10 movements a day I think (can't remember exactly) but it's a really tight fit in there now...

ski I think it's only when you start to come out the other side you can realise how bad things were. Try not to think about what could have happened (easy for me to say) but if it's really on your mind can you talk it through with the midwives? They do that over here and it can be really useful to de-brief with the people who were there.

rots I do actually have a de-briefing session at the hospital in a few weeks with the consultant who performed the c-section and oversaw the "day" in question. I have a few questions for her because although she spoke to me about midnight on the night he was born, obviously I was very tired and confused. I spoke to her again the day I was discharged but again my head was all over the place. They maintain though that they don't know what went wrong and that there was not one particular factor and that although the cord wasn't causing a problem with him right there and then, had it been vaginal I do wonder what would've happened...

iggy Yep, I can't help but feel that had it started naturally at home I would've just ended up in a nee-naw and getting sawn open anyway. That, or worst case scenario. Reading around I saw it written (midwife) "don't feel bad, these are the babies we used to lose".

Anyway back from docs and my BP still isn't particularly low - he's pulled yet more blood and I'm being tested for a variety of things. Actually he says my BP is "normal", but it's not normal for me if that makes sense.

Bear has been officially weighed and is 3kg on the nose! Fatty Fat McFatterson is obviously getting on well with his new feeding regime as that's 400g in 10 days! honey As you can see - I am not just a fantastic mummy, but also a world class "feeder"!

Been to the cranial osteopath this morning. CO said Rastus was 'very squashed' as a result of his 6 hour 2nd stage, which could account for his trapped wind and his inconsolable crying of an evening. He did massage on his sacrum - it must be said Rastus was howling when we went in, despite a giant feed this morning, plus a top up of 40mls of EBM in the waiting room, and whilst the massage was happening he just went so placid and floppy and has been that way ever since, apart from a bout of sicky, which the guy said would happen as his gut and body stretched itself out.

Interestingly he said that one of the plates on top of Rastus's head was out of alignment and now that he had manipulated things he should be less frantic in his feeding (for which my raspberries give thanks) - CO said Rastus needed to push things firmly to the top of his mouth to try and push the plate into a more comfortable position for himself, which accounts for the violent suckle and also the faffing, unlatching, head-wobbling thing too as he tries to make himself comfy. It also explains why he loves sucking my little finger (pad upwards so it fits neatly into his palatte) and why the newborn dummies down't do it for him, he has to have a full size one.

All in all v interesting. CO said he would expect an improvement over the next 3 days or so, but that that session should suffice - he will now stretch out naturally and be much more at home in himself. Christ alone knows how tall he's going to be now - he's long enough as it is!!

cas - asked about your premmy reflux, he said it could be the same sort of thing as Rastus, particularly in the spinal area where the small intestine is, and around the ribcage, where she needs lossening up and stretching out. He said to certainly give it a go. Don't know how long your second stage was? Do you reckon it could be that?

Oh and I braved Tesco on the way home and in desparation for my poor rasps bought some Tommee Tippee gel breast cooling pads - stick them on feel them cool everything down. Well OMFG, they may be a bit pricey but they are worth every penny. It is absolute bliss!! Mch better than cloth affairs. It's a beautiful thing

Ooh I saw them in tesco the other day cunty and meant to offer them up on here as a suggestion.

cunty that's fab news about the CO... I have been going to an osteopath each week and she said I should make an appt for me and the baybee as soon as am up to it, just to check everything ok, that is for CO too. Have heard v good things about it.

We've just had half an hour of huge trumps and poo explosion which went EVERYWHERE!! Think it has definitely done some good!

I've been reading all the FESH birth stories and think you're all superwomen

Things I learnt first time round - get the baby to a cranial osteo straight away after getting home. Babies get squished whichever way they come out and it must be very nice for them to have someone give them a little rub to get them back into the right shape. I waited last time till I was at the end of my tether (DD about 6 weeks old) - turned out DD was still a bit squished from her birth experience and that was contributing to her colic, and I was a lot crooked in the pelvis from the length of the labour. I have been going to the same CO since I found out I was pregnant and will be going to see her with baybee as soon as he is born.

I too like COs. It was out first outing as a family. Mini C had a "egg" on his heeeed from the birth which I was convinced must have been causing him a headache. Anyway, I think they are the dogs....

I saw the TT boobalicious cooler gel pads on sale in Boots so I bought some in anticipation. Good to here that they are good.

How many mattresses maternity pads do I need to have and any reco's? Muvvacare do some with aloe vera or ones that are sealed for sterility.

Ta for sling info. I will have a bit of a research.

How would one go about finding a cranial wotzit? Do you need to get a referral from ya gp or mw? How does it work?

skichick you and little bear are here now. Thank goodness. Tis normal to look back and scare yourself shitless about whAt might have been.

silver It's just frightening. But yes, we are safe and healthy now.

I got through a pack of 20 pads at home, overkill though. Used lots in hospital - that's nice and humiliating, being washed and having your pad changed by nurses... although reading around, not something you'd have to worry about on NHS. But I bled heavily 2nd night and called nurses in 3 times. After a couple of days at home I switched to a pack of standard euroshopper pads.

cunty How is Rastus doing this morning?

I haven't yet booked any CO for Bear, but I've googled our local practitioners - I knew there'd be loads around here as this town is full of hippy alternative therapies and has several colleges dedicated to teaching. Bloody Guardian readers! Seems I can also claim some back on his health insurance yay.

I fear Bear's going to grow up to be a Yorkshire Ripper. The noises he makes when he's hungry are extremely sex-pestish - all this grunting and heavy breathing. I always knew he liked his food - you know, if he didn't get his breakfast 2 minutes after I woke up there'd be a tantrum - this has translated in to a real, live hungry feed-me- right -now-mummy baybee.