Pregnant (IVF) Worriers/ Warriors Part 5

[MrsHY1]

Hello ladies! Come and find me!

Sorry didn't finish. She was on he boob for long time but it very suddenly stopped for longer sleeps. There was no warning, she suddenly slept. Hope it's the same for you. In the meantime look after your health. Eat and drink etc... It will get better.

So, after a pessaries for 25 hours, then waters being broken, then a syntocin drip to start off contractions, trying to manage the pain with lazy Daisy breathing and on gas and air only (stupid, stupid STUPID girl - for a normal labour, that would be ok for some but not with syntocin), pethedine and then an epidural, after 34.5 hours labour, they tell me that the nipper is not back to back but, in fact, breech. So, an emergency cesarean it was for moi and at 3.37am my beautiful baby girl was born. 8lbs, 11ozs and the chubbiest cheeks ever. She is indeed, Nancy II - a fine strong name which means that -crisps Nancy has to make some progress so that they can play together while BFP feeds them Monster Munch.

Despite them missing the fact she was breech, I am really relieved that she got here safely and couldn't be happier. I was pretty much bed bound yesterday so updates were hard to do. I am up and moving about now ! They took my pissy pot out so I am much more mobile today. Should be back at Noks' Towers tomorrow.

I am just so happy. Nancy is absolutely beautiful. Xx

Hurrah! I'm so happy for you! Wonderful news!! Can't wait to see pictures!

Sorry about the labour and CS though. It sounds as if it was tough.

noks congratulations on Nancy II's safe arrival. Great news that you are mobile and all set to escape for home tomorrow.
I'm so happy for you that she is finally here.

crisps thinking of you all and especially Nancy I today, and wishing her strength.

Fucking hell noks! They didn't realise she was breech?! You poor old stick. Glad she's out safely though and very glad you had an epidural. Oh and many congratulations! I'm also delighted you got a Nancy! Now take it easy.

(How was DP throughout it all? Dare I ask!)

Congratulations Noks on the safe arrival of Nancy II, sounds like you had a turbulent time of it but got there in the end. Terrible that they didn't know Nipper was breach. Good that you are mobile and homeward bound so soon. Take it easy as possible the first few days, give yourself time to recover as I am sure you will be needing it.

Crisps much love to Nancy. Hope it has been a Making Progress day for you all.

Ladies thanks for the tips on the twins sleepiness, they are gaining weight and filling out their babygros so I think they are fine. Like everything else it seems 6 weeks is the magic timescale.
DH has gone back to work today, I have managed ok on my own so I know I can do it. My Mum has been around to help out which made things easier, she will be back again tomorrow too so that is helpful for me to know. My anxiety levels have been quite high but I suppose that is to be expected. I think being a new parent is very overwhelming, even though this is what we wanted more than anything else in the world for so long.

Nokkity Noks! I've said it on fb but congratulations! i'm so so happy for you. I keep thinking about meeting you for the first time on Good Friday last year and you going off to buy your pregnancy tests at Waterloo station and then the next morning finding out that your cycle hadn't been successful. And now here you are with your beautiful daughter (and my what a beauty!). Your little miracle. Gorgeous name as well. Unbelievable that they didn't know she was breech! Goodness me how did they miss that? Anyway she is here now and many many best wishes to you and your family.

Crisps I have everything crossed for your little Nancy today. I'm thinking of you all. So glad that your mum is here to support you and your family. Amazing news that BFP is doing so well. Are you sneaking her maize snacks or baby rice? When I was in hospital, there were 2 other women in my ward and one baby used to cry a lot. One night, in the dark, I heard a voice with a thick Russian accent say, "shut up Natasha there is nothing wrong with you". I'm in awe of your ability to remain positive and to give us advice at this time. Thank you for taking the time to mention about bottle feeding to me.

Dildals and Crisps We call Shazlett the little Monkey on account of all her hair. between us all we have quite a menagerie of babies! Dildals I laughed outloud about me not talking to The Monkey! Thank goodness for the power of musical theatre, I can convey any emotion of my choosing to her through the medium of song. After all your expressing in the early days, I'm not surprised that you dont want to do it any more.

Gin I am astounded and quite frankly, livid on your behalf at your ridiculous neighbour. Thin walls or not, you have a new baby. Is the woman stupid and heartless? You must not apologise for Ginster. Absolutely not. You and your family have every right to go about your lives in your own home. It's not like you are having wild parties or have locked a dog in the back garden all day (like my neighbour). Babies cry, that is not antisocial behaviour. That is life. Enjoy your beautiful little girl honey and dont give the bitch another thought. It is funny what you say about loving another child. Of course we would love subsequent children but I do feel that I'm happy with my lot now and just so so grateful. I would rather give Shazlett everything that I can than struggle to pay for 2. We do worry about her being an only child though. One of the reasons why I want to go nearer to my family.

fairy thanks for the contraception reassurance. And thank you for asking about my hives. Unfortunately (and interestingly) they are back with a vengance post pregnancy. I really can't work out what is causing them. I'm trying dairy free but eating gluten at the moment to try to pinpoint the problem. Mainly because gluten free is so flippin expensive and I can't afford it. But I'm hoping that if I go back to eliminating one foodstuff at a time I might get lucky.

Expat excellent sleeping from miniAl. It is hard to go to bed earlier isn't it? It is so tempting to stay up and be with DH.

Keep How has Kip been today? I was also up for 2 hours in the night shhing and patting and then as soon as I put her down, bam, the dark eyes look up at me wide awake. we have also DTD twice, once with nothing and once 'covered up' so to speak. I know that we would end up getting lazy though if we relied on condoms all the time. (nice to be back on the horse though .

Sweets, your twins are totally gorgeous. Its so lovely that they each have their distinctive look. They are so cute together. F is so handsome and beautiful and E so pretty and feminine. I love that you are seeing it all as an adventure. Its the only way to go isn't it? Shazlett was also super sleepy in the early weeks. I used to wake her to feed. I still do if she goes longer than 6 hours which she occasionally does at night (although hasn't for the past few nights)

Ceara I totally agree with Sweetie that the catheter was the worst bit about post op. I did get a post op infection in the scar but luckily it didn't leak and was only red and swollen. Do rest though. Even if you think you feel well. Likewise, am happy to share any post op info (even if its tmi!). Oh one thing, get the lactulose in. The first poo took absolutely ages. All day. I was so worried about bursting the wound open. I didn't name it though (alla Dildals!)

MrsH hope you are feeling calmer and your nap regime has gone to plan today. Late afternoon/ early evening is the hardest time of day for me too. It gets dark early and the lack of sleep catches up with you. Yesterday I sobbed and sobbed at this time. Just like I did in the early weeks. Maybe it is a good thing afterall that this woman is coming to assess me on Friday.

Onion you are my country living inspiration. This time in my life is about me slowing down, reorganising my priorities and enjoying my much longed for baby. Financially we have a few problems at the moment and unfortunately that is making us anxious and sad (lots of tears Chez Shaz in the last couple of days) but we will get through it and simplifying our lives (and getting the hell out of London) is part of that. Should I be impressed or shocked at your knowledge of drug based street slang?! We have tackled the steriliser, next stop breast pump.

hello to everyone else. Buzzy is extremely quiet. you ok buzz? Any news on the big arrival?

Motor and Madness, how are you both doing?

And what about the newbies? Foody, Chocco, Macksie, LLW2? Are you lurking?

I hope that I haven't forgotten anyone. Apologies if so. I'll blame my still fuzzy head!

I must go and put the heating and a light on. It is bloody freezing and has got dark since I've been writing this post.

Sweets we cross posted. Yes, it is totally overwhelming and I also feel guilty for feeling that way when, as you say, the baby is much longed for. But we are human not machines and we are tired so we must try not to be too hard on ourselves. And as every who was ahead of me has said, it gets easier. I'm starting to feel that now. Well done for today. First day along is a huge milestone and you've got 2 of the little bleeders to look after .

Gosh yes very overwhelming and I can't imagine doing it x 2!

crisps I hope today has been positive for you and Nancy and family. Thinking of you.

Congratulations nokkie on bringing Nancy II into the world. It sounds like you had a pretty tough labour, but so lovely that she is here now and beautiful too! Your story, along with other warriors, has convinced me to ask for an epidural if syntocinon drip is on the cards!

Nothing much from me at the moment. My baby is very lively and wriggly, which is lovely. I am tired and uncomfortable all of the time which is not so lovely. 9 weeks feels like a very long way away, and Im not sure I can do another 5 weeks at work. I have an extra scan on Thursday (to help with sonographer training, not clinical necessity) which I am looking forward to. What will be the nursery has now been cleared of DH's stuff, and the in-laws are coming to paint it this week.

2 more questions please.

1. Can't remember if I've asked this but what time of day do you express? The MW at the milkspot said during the night. That makes sense cause when shazlett sleeps a long time my boobs get huge! But I'd rather avoid having to get up and miss sleep if possible. Also Do i express from both boobs or just one? if both boobs do i need to keep the milk separate? Do i give shazlett the opposite boob to the expressed one? What do you think?

1. I can see that shazlett has mucous up her nose. She can still breathe but if she were an adult she would blow her nose. What should I do? Suck it out? Leave it until it bothers her or gets worse? Her breathing is just starting to get rattlely poor little thing. I'm bracing myself

Thanking thee in advance.

Oh lord, the snot extraction. I had to do it around 4 weeks. The paediatrician told me to squirt saline solution up M's nose quite forcefully and straight away use the snot extractor. I did it with varying success.
I don't think you're supposed to do it too often, so will leave it to more experienced people to tell you about the optimum time but personally would do it before the snot got too much.

Sorry I lied

One more

1. Nursing bras. I'm wearing my body silks 24/7. Is this ok? I couldn't go without it at night. I would leak all over the place if I didn't wear one. But worried my skin isn't getting to breathe. What are you all doing? Thanks again!

shazza I wore the Bodysilks unless I was in the shower and my norks didn't go mouldy.

Express from one or both sides, if just one then feed from the opposite side first next feed. I used to express in the morning at about 9 am as ringlet wouldn't have fed since about 6 then. It doesn't matter though but I wouldn't be getting up in the night to do it, defeats the purpose.

Store it together, I used to pour all milk from two days into one big bottle, it takes on the 'use by' date of the oldest milk in there of course.

Erm, what else? Oh yes I actually sucked snot out of ringlets nose using my own mouth. Such is mothers love. It wasn't that bad, I did it gently and it cleared it somewhat. Snufflebabe (like Vicks vaporub but for babies is good stuff if they're over 12 weeks).

Sorry you're sad and anxious shazza, I hope something turns up. It's horrible fretting about money. I'm good on drugs slang, I may be a Provincial Lady these days but I have done my time in some of the scummiest bits of Britain's Scummiest Cities.

sweetie I think feeling anxious and overwhelmed is entirely to be expected. I'm glad your mum's visiting. I NEED to see your twinnies, I must get this Facebook business sorted.

I know I said I was hesitant about the mirena but I've completely got over that now and have almost forgotten about it. It's totally hassle free and I'm actually glad I don't have that niggle of 'could I be pregnant?' as I know now that isn't what I want. I commend it to the group!

onions if you pm me your email address I will send you some pictures of the twins

Shazza E is also snuffly and DH has extracted boggies from her nose. I am not sure I could do that yet, give me the pooiest of pooy nappies any day. I put snuffle babe on a tissue in the back of the cot. I am not sure if this is right but thought it would be ok as it wasn't actually on her. But go on the advice of others as I don't know what to do really.

What are the body silks? My nursing bra is an instrument of torture so usually wear nursing vests with built in bra and a loose top over. I need to find a better solution and am dreading wearing a proper bra back at work, having got used to everything hanging out!

For night I wear the cheapo bras from mothercare. I leak everywhere without bra pads.

Breast pads, even

Bravado Bodysilk al, the Queen of nursing bras. Very comfy indeed as stretches with you.

Will PM you sweets

Was going to sort FB but ringlet is very unhappy tonight. I think she may be cutting more teeth.

onion I'm deffo watching out for the mouldy norks!

Crisps, I'm thinking of Nancy and all of you.

Hi folks. Not quite a huge making progress day today, but rather a day where things didnt fuck up again which was nice! No more seizures which means that permanent huge brain damage is unlikely, yay. She still has enlarged brain ventricles but apparently for most children that is something to keep an eye on rather than A Huge Thing To Worry About. Immunity problem seems to be improving which would mean it is probably to do with her illness(es!) rather than something genetic, which is great as if genetic it would be similar to AIDS in the sense of not being able to fight anything, ever, she still doesnt have much to fight with but at least if we make it through this, things should eventually get better. The chest x ray from today showed a teeny tiny bit of improvement in the very small top section of her lungs, which is 'miniscule' accodring to the consultants, but at least feels like a move in the right direction,. So all in all, a not so shit day which feels lovely in comparison to the last four weeks. We are going to keep on trucking and Nancy the tortoise (or Nancy Nine Lives, a new nickname) is hopefully going to continue to dance to her own tune and doing her little thing for a few more days, and we will see where we end up then.
Shazza re snot....I am the resident expert and would recommend bagging, suction, aggressive physiotherapy, nebulisers and all kinds of magic that they use her in picu, but actually saline nasal drops are fab and worked wonders for BFP. Get th spray kind though which are better and do it just before a feed, and definitely not after as the drippy snot will make shazlett soectacularly sick if you do it on a milky stomach. Get a snot sucker too, they are gross but oddly satsifying! Vicks or something similar is good too, put some on a muslin close to where she sleeps, on you in you are bfing and on the soles of her feet too. And if all else fails and it is bothering her at night, give her her last feed in a steamy room(bathroom with the shower on full blast?) to clear her out a bit. Dd1. Had bronchiolitis, then obvs we have nancy nine lives and bfp has been suffering lately, and these were all recommendations from the doctors here and lots of nice pharmacy ladies!
Noks how is Nancy doing? Hope your first 24hours in the baby bubble have been lovely, I bet you are a lovely mummy! Very glad they took her out via the gift shop, Nancy nine lives was also breech (we have too much in common!!) and it Really Fucking Hurt, the two paracetamol that the bitch registrar let me have did absolutely sod all to help. Hope you will accept our nails award for completing a labour bingo card which ticked off almost everything that labour could possibly throw at you!
Where are our newbies? Pregnancy related stuff needed to balance this baby thread out. Foody how are tricks? i often wonder how you are getting on.

Motor wow, that really isn't long to go! Hope work is ok, are you able to finish a bit earlier if you need to? It migth feel like a cop out but will be worth so much if you have term babies and a nice energised labour as a result of a few weeks of being at home and pottering.

Onion how is dd1? Dd1s best moments of the last week included shouting at Jack in a pantomime because wphe was a girl but a boy but actually a girl so WHY was he she he she wearing tights? In addition to the perceptive questions 'why do some mummies have no boobies?' and 'does santa deliver presents to snakes?'. Priceless. I did ask her what you could possibly buy for a snake, and she said 'a snake basket' with a very serious and patronising look on her face.

Dildals...prem question.,,does Bella stink? In a windy way, I mean. Bfp's gas is absolutely rotten smelling, like a dog fart smell. I googled and apparently this is a prem thing due to their small insides. Feel free not to answer if this is too wierd....

Night all. Nancy has been moved to a side room which I can see in to from our room, so I have just waved night night to her across the courtyard from our room into picu, lovely!

Oh and sweetie bfp has most definitely woken up big style aged 7weeks, she barely sleeps some days, nosey little bugger! Must be the thing to do at this age...

nokster congrats!! Bloody well done, she looks bloody gorgeous! Wtf re them not realising she was breech?! I am astonished and a bit horrified that you had to go through all those contractions. But you have your lovely nipper now.

crispy I'm so pleased to hear of the small developments in Nancy's condition. I hope this is the start of recovery. Please send her a little wave from her yoni aunties, who are wiling her on to get better. I love BFPs nickname! I too have called ginster the tortoise - she sometimes cranes her neck/head in a tortoise type way. I also call her the munchkin.

motor only 9 weeks to go! I found the last month at work hard (I finished up at 36 weeks), but it's hard to balance feeling shite with wanting to make the most of the mat leave. I loved my early mat leave though and felt soooo much better not being at work.

On onions wise suggestion, I too have several body silks that I live in! They are the only bras I could get to fit and are sooo comfy. I now have to wear them at night with pads in to stop leakage. Eww at mouldy norks.

sweetie a massive well done on surviving the first day sans DH! I can't imagine looking after 2 of the little uns- you must be constantly changing nappies/feeding! I still haven't done a whole day on my own, as my mum has been about. It's so handy to have someone to hand the baby to when I need a short break poo!

shazz sorry to hear about money issues. I'm sticking my head on the sand about ours and just hoping we can make it through the non paid bit of mat leave/child care costs. I know it's going to be really tough for a few years but costs will ease as ginster goes to school etc. I keep thinking that other people manage, so I should be able to. Must be extra hard when you are self employed (btw still need to see some of DPs work!)

I also know exactly what you mean about that early evening witching hour. That was exactly the time I cried in the early days. I reckon it's a mixture of knackeredness, rising milk hormones and thought of the sleepless night ahead! I'm much better now and if I do have a little cry, DH knows it's time to send me off for a nap and that then I'll be ok. I'm not surprised you've been a bit weepy again, having been poorly. You must be shattered! Don't be too hard on yourself.

keep and mrshy how are the non sleeping babies? Ginster certainly doesn't sleep the 18 hours newborns are meant to! She actually had a sleepy day yesterday and that also made me worry

onion you sucked actual snot into your mouth?! You are an amazing mother! I pick bogies but am a bit scared of the snot...

al it's comforting to hear that mini al fed v regularly too and it eventually sorted itself out. Ginster seems to be constantly on the boob. I'm hoping it's her making up some weight, though she just seems to be getting longer. Loving the pics of mini A on FB - she's totally gorgeous!

Well my passive aggressive note to the neighbours did the trick and they came round and apologised and gave us chocolate! They claimed they didn't realise the noise was a baby - wtf? Anyway at least it means I'm less stressed about keeping ginster quiet all the time.

The talk of contraceptive and DTD is interesting. onion I think you had an episiotomy too - do you know when it's ok to DTD again? It doesn't feel quite right down there yet - pulls a bit when I walk a lot, which I assume is normal - although it is so much better than it was and pain free mostly. I am rather afeared of tearing things or that it might hurt... I will ask the dr at 6 week check although that means poor DH going sans shag for even longer! He's already declared that no way is he doing it with the munchkin in the room, hmmm.

Waves and maize based snacks to everyone else I've missed, esp the preggos.

A not such a shit day for Nancy Nine Lives is brilliant. Hoping it continues to inch forward in the right direction. Xx

I remember reading Onion's first mention of sucking snot out with her mouth and thinking that is not going to be me! And then there was one moment when nothing was working that I thought I would have to go there, but t sorted itself out just in time. I would have made dh do it!

We're not using any contraception because it would have to be a bloody miracle to happen naturally and if it did I'd be over the moon. It is very very odd to do it with mini al in the room and I have to be v sure that she's asleep. One time we stopped to see her eyes half open looking through the bars of her cot. THE SHAME!!!

Shaz, I'm sorry about the tears. It will work itself out. Having a little baby heightens everything because we want to

Yay for passive aggressive!

I think I must have had very low expectations. We came away from the BCT class that said breast feeding takes up a lot of time and it did! I don't know why it didn't occur to me to get help in, but do remember considering formula for one feed so dh could do it and I could sleep.
MiniAl slept for 12 hrs again last night and I slept a lot better because I wasn't constantly checking her. The frantic feeding has calmed right down too.

I think of Foody too. Are you there?