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...

SFF poos in the bed?

I'd rather jailbait is like this rather than leaving me to it and doing what rot's ex-hubby did, yet I am feeling somewhat undermined...

Midwife coming today to weigh, but very pleased to hear your reassuring story casper. Such a strict routine sounds bonkers for a newborn yet at the same time I see the sense... Milk has come in properly this morning I think and it was dribbling down my boobs earlier before I'd even fed him!

ah welcome to the dribbly mess fun. I wouldn't even bother drying your toes when you step out the shower from now on

Have added a pic in other place to demo my child's Jekyll and Hyde appearance. Little freak.

Good luck at the weigh-in!

I have the same feeding shiz - Rastus is so erratic with the amount, intervals and duration that I figure if he's not crying he's content. His last feed is generally finished around midnight and he has an underwhelming top up somwhere around 3 then sleeps till 7/8

Yay! Busy morning, but he's put on 100g since Monday and is now just 50g short of birth weight. Fatty Fat McFatterson!

Same here ski Just been discharged by MWs he's an ounce above his birth weight and 'a good healthy size' according to lovely Irish mw. i.e. a big lump of lad

It means I can relax a bit about feeding, clearly he is getting enough. 5 times mum this morning told me that with the weather they're going to be more thirsty than normal too which makes sense as to maybe why they're so "hungry" and crabby right now.

Yay for the chubbies!

Well done ski and cunty! It's such a lovely feeling, knowing they are growing as they should and that shoving your tit in their gob is actually working

Ventured out with baby in sling today - was a success, except we both got a bit hot and sweaty. I must learn that neither of us need as many layers when we are "wearing" each other.

I am now* trying to sort through and record the ridiculous number of gifts she has received. People are so generous, it's amazingly heartwarming. Mind you, SFF is starting to get a bit pinked out. Poor boy.

*I say now, but of course I am taking a break to sit in the massage chair I cunningly set up in the nursery and write this.

p.s I am in awe that babies can actually play at this age. I thought they just ate, shat and slept for months. I have spent much of the morning gazing in wonderment as BabyCas bashed the cuddlies hanging from her baby gym. Then I imagined how I would be feeling right now had it been my insides getting bashed. Ouch!

So happy for weight gaining babes! ski I know what you mean about being able to relax knowing they are getting what they need from you.

It was an awesome feeling when DD was 6 months old and we gave her 'food' for the first time. Until that day every single bit of nutrition that built her from a bunch of cells into a little girl came from my body! Talk about a proud mummy moment.

I am so much more chilled this time. My approach is, if in doubt, offer the tit! They say you can't overfeed an BF baby. Last time I was so worried about right and wrong times to feed, because the HV seemed obsessed with getting me into a 3 hourly feeding cycle. I recently found a notebook where I (on HV's advice) had attempted to record DD's feeding pattern. It was like 3 mins feed, sleep, oh no, wake up 10 min, wants feed again, etc... This was supposed to help us eventually reach a 3 hour pattern. I never did understand why. DD simply wanted to feed little and often and things seemed to go better for us when I followed her.

casp Yours sounds like a genius!

really fanny? Thanks.

On anti-bs for mastitis. Girl not reacting well. Been increasingly grizzly. Too tired to to eat, to hungry to sleep. Thankfully I have some non-antib affected milk in the fridge. Going to ply her with that overnight. I'm fucking exhausted, but not looking forward to bed because of the night sweats - combo of hormone expulsion and infection left me with a soaked bed last night

But thankfully I now have wine in front of me, and have dried both our tears.

I'm going offline for a couple of days, all going well. Hopefully things will be happier when I return.

Have a good weekend everyone.

casp Hope it settles down soon. What did they say about the anti-bs affecting your milk? And yes, I do think that's pretty advanced, being able to coordinate hand and eye on purpose at this age! Mine looks and is quite fascinated, but hasn't reached out for them yet.

ski I've been menkully thinking about you in the night. Your description of trying to get up and Jailbait pulling you forward is exactly what I have been dealing with for months, so I know the pain. The one piece of disability equipment I have held on to post c-section is this bed handle. I couldn't get up without it. I tend to roll towards it then pull myself up. Do you think there's a chance your nice nurses could lend you something like this until the c-s is healed? It really does save me putting strain on the abs.

Cas sending you positive vides for better boobs soon.

I hope curly's on the mend soon.

I've had a pretty miserable 24 hours. It's been stinking hot here, 38 degrees and 32.5 inside the flat at points!

As a result Bear got very upset last night when I was feeding him - it's just too hot to be bf'ing and cradling. He was screaming but I couldn't hold him without making him more upset. His temp went up and jailbait gave him a tepid bath to cool him. I can't do skin-skin because it's like child abuse and I just want to cuddle him. Absolute torture. I'm getting blisters where he's resting his head on me when burped... so god knows what it's doing to him/ Well i can see what it's doing, it's make him red and rashy.

Eventually it cooled in the early hours and we had a successful feed and some cuddles.

Had another good feed this morning, just got him off to sleep when the nurses turned up. Gave them a quick update and went to the loo. Pulled down my PJ's & knickers and blood pished out of me like dropping a VERY large cup of coffee. It was all over the place, not kidding, like the prom scene from Carrie! I thought I was haemorraging. Followed by a clot the size of a bread roll. Completely fell apart and called the nurse who got me in to the shower & cleaned up, put me to bed and then cleaned the bathroom & put the washing machine on. So glad they were there.

Today it's been unbearably hot again but I think I've cracked his terrible early evening grizzling, not sure it is cramps - but suspected it was more heat related, so he had expressed milk from a bottle and was very happy with that - which saves frayed nerves all around.

So fed up, want to be able to hold my baby all day but this weather isn't showing much sign of relenting.

What I mean is, bf session = 40 minutes, bottle = 10 minutes... so he doesn't overheat.

Ski that sounds pretty grim, the Carrie scene I mean. Any explanation from the nurses? Hopefully it means you are getting rid of everything quick and you won't have weeks and weeks of bleeding.

I cant think of any solutions to allow you to feed in this heat other than naked and in front of a fan?

Ski and Cas you both sound like you are having a bit of a time of it - hope things start to pick up soon for you both.

Ski I missed the bit where you said you couldn't get up, but FP's comment drew my attention to it. I had a bed ladder in hospital after DD, a bit like a mini rope ladder, to pull myself up on. When I got home OH got me a new long cotton lead rope and tied knots in it and clipped that to the foot of the bed. I could use it to pull myself upright on quite well.

Much happier today, temps have dropped a little and I was up at 4:45 and managed 4 hours of cuddling before it got too hot (30 inside fgs). I got 6 hours uninterrupted last night and jailbait got nearly 8! When he sleeps, he sleeps - aces!

I managed to get out of bed unaided once yesterday and it hurt a LOT less this morning so things are on the mend. Thank you for the link fanny but that wouldn't have worked for me because I can't do anything which favours one side... I think boxer's rope oooh aaar me 'earties might've cut it. But I'm definitely having less pain.

In some ways I think I'm lucky. I could not have done infected stitches & piles in this weather and it's a lot easier to keep a pudenda "clean" than a long cut/tear.

Was fuddled when I said bread roll, I'd actually meant half a soup roll. BIG difference as I'm sure you'll agree!

Hi everyone. Thanks for thinking of me - sorry I disappeared for a bit. As ski said I managed the odd FB post and a few on PESH but have just found my way back here and had a bit of time to post.

All reasonable ok here but has been horrible few days. I've had quite a bad blood loss and have been feeling utterly rotten and exhausted. Add in thrush (seems most of us have had this?) and I've been in a lot of pain on the nips, and also lots of pelvic pain which seems to be ligaments.

Comma is an angel baby and utterly adorable. Will post my birth story in a few days to counteract your stories of hell! Mine was lovely, other than the fact it hurted, obviously, but really was everything I wanted.

Am in absolute awe of cas and cunt who did the deed only on G&A with malpresentation/cervical lip. I had a perfectly presented baybee, second time around and my own mummy doula so although I didn't use any drugs I had something of an extensive advantage (and of course no SPD - poor cas). Well done both of you - probably avoided more interventions by it.

fanny interesting reading what you're saying about your feelings towards your CSs. I think it's really wrong that labour is seen as something of a rite of passage. The only reason I would avoid drug pain relief in labour is because I feel it generally means that interventions are reduced and generally it's better for the baby - but - sometimes it actually works for the best if the mother is finding things too hard/needs rest etc. Having a CS is hardly an easier "choice" (and no choice for you obviously). If I could have done it another way, without the pain, I would have. CS just scared me more than VD so I think you made a really brave choice.

ski I was utterly terrified on Wednesday when I went to the loo and a clot the size of my hand came out, followed by lots of blood. I had already lost plenty, thank you, and I really thought that was it! The bleeding stopped pretty quickly though and I phoned labour ward who seemed totally unimpressed and told me to save it for the MW the next day, which I did and she said it was fine. I had nothing like this with LC and it was really scary. Glad things have cooled down a bit. Stupid question - can you hire an AC unit from somewhere? Here somewhere like Machine Mart has them for hire... just a thought?

cas I love having Comma in the sling and he loves it - just falls asleep. I have one of these www.rockinbabysling.com/shop/pouches with the butterfly print, lent to me by a friend. He looks all squashed in it - but a comma shape so he's perfectly happy!

Comma was weighed today and I'm proud to say I also have ubermilk. Not only has he not lost weight as would be expected on day 6, he's actually out on 2oz! Very proud. So despite BF problems clearly he's getting loads! I do what fanny says, just offer the boob whenever he seems to want to feed and if he doesn't, no problem. He's very happy and contented. Just need right hand boob to sort itself out.

cunty your BF help sounds ace. I think I may try to get Little Angels back to help me work through right boob problems and also to get a lie down latch sorted - it worked ok until milk came in and then it went to hell in a handbasket.

Yay, you found us rots! Sorry you've had scary clots too. Unfort, can no longer get fans/ac for love nor money here - well that's a lie, jailbait said there were some 700 euro fan units in the shop on sat. Cheaper to check in to a hotel!

Well today will hopefully be the hottest day of the week at 29 and stormy, so hopefully by the time the heat comes back I'll be in better shape to handle it. I'm feeling stronger every day and it occurred to me last night that perhaps it's been a blessing... if it'd been cool I'd have done too much - no doubts about it!

I'm such a twat - been home a week and only just figured out the brilliance of the pregnancy pillow for feeding. Hands free! woooooooh!

Morning all, and thanks for the happy thoughts over the weekend. It has been a mixed experience, with me loving it all one minute and crumpling in tears the next, but that's juts frustration.

Neither GP nor HV warned me that the anti-bs could make baby grizzly. I was only told about potential nappy content changes. But I looked up other mothers' experiences on the same drug, and they described exactly what BabyCas was doing. The mixed feeding seemed to help - giving her pre-antibiotic EBM in a bottle every second feed, but now she's started to take the breast more readily, so I am torn between trying to get her exclusively on the breast to let my supply regulate and therefore ease the pressure on my breasts, and giving her feeds that make her a happy, content baby.

Her switch to boob loving was quite funny really: I bought some formula yesterday to give it a try. Gave her one feed from a carton of Aptamil and she projectile vomited the lot, and her next EBM feed. Then, when offered the breast, she latched on quickly and fed contentedly for AGES! Looks like the threat was all she needed.

Of course, now I am bogged down with lengthy feeding. She took a while to settle last night, but then slept in her basket from 12.30am to 3,30am. After that, she joined me in bed (in the futon in the nursry, we left dad to sleep) until 8am, having a couple of half-hour feeds and some lovely sleep during that time.

I do think the breast milk is making her feel off. She was really clingy last night, so I eventually popped her in her sling while I baked a sponge pudding. That small achievement made me feel like supermum! so, I think (hopefully) we have turned a corner.

sorry, going on a bit here. was with in-laws at weekend. MIL and Aunt-IL declared that she was a very good baby compared to others they have know, in terms on not crying etc. MIL was lovely but did try to take baby from me a couple of times, saying I needed a break, but making me feel like she thought she could do better. I had to stand firm...

rotty lovely to finally have you over here. sorry about the thrush . Glad he's an angel though. You sound smitten

ski - never go without the pillow! I saves just a little of the neck and back strain that comes with leaning over and gazing at your amazing little person all day. Wet and cool here now - hope that it's heading your way now.

Right, I have to FB message some of you now, then rescue SFF, who is probably getting his nipples attacked by now...

Bugger of a day. Lochia had pretty much stopped yesterday and overnight but when I went to the loo at about 10ish before taking a shower I had overflowed a pad quite badly, and on the loo I was not stopping bleeding. Had a shower, didn't look too good and when I got out I soaked another in 15 minutes.

So, back to the hopsital it was. Of course, by the time I got there it had stopped (which is a good thing, obviously, but made me feel like a fraud) but they were really nice. I'd had a blood test yesterday which showed HG at 8.9 which is quite low so I've been prescribed iron tablets and another test today shows the same so that's at least good it's not got worse. In hopsital all day, results not coming back, LC had to be collected from school by another mum, dog shut in all day. Comma asleep all day due to heat in hopsital and has come home starving.

Back home now but have started with blocked milk ducts on one side so in pain a f-ing gain. YOB has to go away on Wed night for a meeting on Thursday and I just don't want to be on my own. It's seriously important that he goes and he absolutely must, but I just don't want to cope on my own and I'm feeling like a complete fool for feeling like that.

FFS someone kick me.

carrots You poor thing. I'll give you a ring tomorrow, just text me when you've got the strength for a phonecall. x You're allowed to feel shit you know.

Well I managed to get out of bed unaided this morning which is a massive improvement. Farrier was due so I went up to the yard and sat in the caravan feeding Bear whilst jailbait chatted with the trimmer. They then went off and did some natural horsemanship stuff which I was quite envious about. Still, I've got a baybee, lucky me! The driving was a piece of piss, although tbf, I wouldn't want to do London rush hour - rural Dutch roads are something quite different!

Temps dropped here today to under 30 - praise Alan - and it's made a huge difference to everyone's mood. Huge storms this morning though.

I'm having some problems feeding later in the day - those cool, early morning feeds are a doddle but he gets in a real tantrum later in the day and there are (as cunty said last week), furious fists and wildly bobbing head and the indignant screaming which seems to suggest that in fact it's my bouncing, jumping, hiding boobies at fault and perhaps not his head shaking. I fed him about 4 and then put him in his cot and went to bed. Jailbait was asleep on the couch. About 5 he started screaming his lungs out but I couldn't get out of bed. Jailbait didn't come and when he did he was all "why didn't you get Bear?" - err... because every time I try and get out of bed it feels as though my fucking uterus is about to be dragged out through my abdomen wall!

I'm bored of feeding now. It's either feeding or listening to crying and I'm bored of both.

We need some FESH love around here.