Fabulous 40+ and Proud: Mum and Mums to be Part 2

[Kaz1967]

Ok we have talked to the end of the topic so here is a new one

Hello all - it's the weekend

pwcbird Woah....good work girl....and sewing too - now that really is distraction tactics at its finest! Bedroom sounds gorgeous - and pmsl that DH took ages to notice! You sound like you're tackling it all head on...and yes, god dammit woman - you're British - we're all relying on you pwcbird...!! Aww bless yer....even Captain Mainwairing and the rest of the home guard would let you have a 'chin wobbly' moment....it's allowed Glad we're keeping up your spirits...we like to help!! xx

johnworf How's katharine doing today? off the CPAP? I forgot the essential nappy tip. Liners - you can buy them - but the best thing to do is make your own. Paper liners are very rough.

I cut long oval shapes from either an Ikea thin fleece blanket (really good) OR that website kaz mentioned - babeco(bristol based one - not a US website that also uses same name) They've got brill flat-pile fleece and great price...and it's a good cause. The fleece wicks the moisture away and holds the poo - it's fab stuff. No sewing - just cut-and-go You can make loads and loads...store them all up and just chuck them in the wash and you've still got more than you need - so no need to worry that you've never got spare and you can afford to double them up should you need to!

Ooo think we're going to take Verity swimming for the first time today and test-drive Iris' new goggles....they're soooo cute I shall just wobble my blubber at the public

K was just making sure she had your attention johnworf they all do it from time to time probably had that I have just eaten Christmas dinner and am far too full feeling I am sure she will be off today

Yeah kaz1967 I think you're right. She's had a good gas during the night and she's nice and settled this morning after a lovely bath and full bottle (again). She really loves sucking that bottle and wolfs it down Hopefully a nice weight gain to come tomorrow.

She has her hearing screening tomorrow morning so hopefully she's ok but we'll see.

Also ECG booked for week monday at another hospital. Pain the arse to move her there and back to an outpatients appointment but ah well, needs must.

4th ROP screening on Tuesday so K's social diary is getting fairly full (I'm her full time PA).

On the subject of the Bumgenius nappies, I did buy an extra pack of boosters but I don't think that they're the same as liners. I'll have a look on the babeco website and see what gives with the fleece.

I'm off to Dunelm this morning to source some cheap muslin squares, baby towels and hopefully a bucket with a lid although I am tempted by the ones on the web with the net inserts. Again, thoughts on the net idea - are they a nice to have or very handy?

JW Yes, yes... a net VERY handy...otherwise it's picking 'em out with yer fingers - or tongs! I like the sound of Dunelm....whatever it is!

Tee hee - you need to get Katherine a Filofax - or is it a Blackberry - keep all those appointments

Oh it's chucking it down. Just been into town - the 4 of us...what a palava. Iris went into total meltdown when presented with chips (nice House of fraser cafe ones!) and Verity was doing her boob-wrestling trick - where she shakes it like a dog at a trouser leg...and milk splatters everywhere......nice in public Added to that we're now soaking

Ah - the Olympics.....MMmmm men in leotards.
Oh - why isn't Mongolian Yak Polo an olympic sport..?

Well jeanjeannie I went to www.babeco.co.uk and spent quite a bit. I got the net, the bucket with the lid and the fleece liners. Also some flushable liners, a nice towel and a couple of other all in 1 nappies that were in the sale. Seems like a really nice website/company and I think I shall be shopping there again. I am right in thinking that they put something towards helping some part of the community with the proceeds of their sales? If so, jolly good show all round. Everyone's a winner (says Del Boy).

I'm off to pick up a second hand Dutailier today and I'm quite excited. The ones in the hospital are great and katherine really loves being rocked in it. I'm soooo looking forward to nursing her to sleep here at home.

I'm seeing the babies on the unit drift off home one by one while we (well me in particular) looks on enviously -nose up against the glass, waving bye bye. I know that one day we'll be bringing in the car seat and be off on our travels but wish it was us a bit sooner

Peeing down here and all we've got on our telly is sport I'm off to find a rusty fork to stick in my eyes......

jeanjeannie your girls sounds like an all round entertaining day out. I had images of milk being flicked over people sitting at other tables (like a splurge gun a la Bugsy malone) At least Iris didn't throw herself on the floor, wailing and screaming - or is this yet to come? Mine used to like taking their shoes and socks off and lie on the pavement when I was out and about.

Love the idea of a baby blackberry!!!

jeanjeannie I am so glad it is not just Kez who does the head shaking thing while on the boob although she is too greedy to loose any she just snorts and growls at it The look in her eyes when she comes near me and is hungry I expect to see fangs and a blood trail afterwards

Jeanjeannie;lol at the boob worrying baby antics..my lo like Kez has always been too greedy to waste any.

JW; congrats on the dutailier...glad to hear Ks eating excess blip is over and hope all her tests and checks go smoothly...sorry you are watching all Ks little pals leaving, you turn will come soon.

For the cloth nappy users...if you want biodegradable,disposable liners that feel lovely and soft try Boots own brand, they are fab...totally agree with Jeanjeannie that the normals ones are only one step above Izal loo paper[yuk emoticon]

Hi guys. Here I am. Absence totally my fault this time (except for one night when we were in China), 'cos in HK they don't block any sites.

It's just sheer exhaustion. If I'm back in the flat I'm asleep. I've got a lot less to do than all the rest of you, so I think it must be the emotional stress together with the fact that I'm not in my own home. It's taking a lot of extra energy to figure out what to bring backwards and fowards, and to figure out what we can cook and eat on our two rings (on which two pans cannot fit at the same time) and our matchbox sized microwave.

Also, the part of town we're in is very Chinese which is great in many ways - more interesting than the designer shops and posh malls of Central - but it also means that if you want to cook, it very much has to be Chinese-style based on the ingredients you can buy. Now I love love love Chinese food (in China, not in UK!), but cooking it right now requires more thought than I have energy for.

Eva's doing ok (am also superstitious but more on that later), she was 32 weeks (inside age) and four weeks (outside age) yesterday. She weighs 1.52 kilos which I think is 31b 5oz and is feeding fine - 12 ml per hour for five hours with an hour's rest. Her breathing though is a bit up and down. She's still off cpap but has had to have three blood transfusions in the last ten days or so because her haemoglobin has been low. She had to go back on the extra oxygen a couple of days ago before the last transfusion. It's not much extra - 3% pumped into the incubator - but it seemed like a backward step.

Had a scary day on Friday. They thought Eva had PDA which I knew about from JW's experience, but it took me a while to connect what I was told with what I knew. That's because the doctors started with,"your baby's got a heart murmur, we think one of the connections of the heart has opened up again etc" - they're very kind, it's just a language and cultural thing.

Well, I had Eva in open heart surgery quicker than you can say NICU and was already in floods of tears by the time they got round to "very common in preemies, usually medicine works, surgery not open heart if it doesn't" which was when I remembered Katherine. Took 24 hours for my face to go down.

The superstition thing is a fine line. The Chinese are very superstitious and one of the nurses even told me "we don't like to say anything too positive in front of the baby". That worked very well for me for a long time, but then I began to realise that their caution was affecting my ability to stay positive - I needed some encouragement. I felt better when my OB said to me that she was doing very well. I think I need 10 cautious messages and one mood lifter - that would be a good ratio for me. How weird are you thinking I am now?

Blimey this is a long post. Plus I have to go get ready to see Eva (who now has a middle name - Rose - very popular right now I know but it just sound so good with Eva and almost everyone I know suggested it without prompting so there you go).

I have a good poo story for you later. Really want to try and keep up because you're all a real tonic and, echoing pwcbird, it's the only thread I've come across that I can read without feeling worse. I remember that from when I had all the bleeding and stuff too. Pwcbird I agree with whoever said that you're entitled to as much chin-wobbling as you need.

Catch you all later.

mrsjupiter so glad that Eva (and yourself just as importantly) are doing so well. There. See? I said it. Positivity is a good thing. Here in the UK they were too positive in my opinion. But on the other hand, I'm a pessimist so it probably balanced itself out (no logic in that last statement whatsoever!).

As for Eva's PDA you've already said you knew of this from what I've written over the previous weeks re Katherine's. Well, K's is still there even after 2 doses of Indomethycin. They'll probably try her on this drug first but it's not guaranteed. In fact, I think it's rather hit and miss whether it works or not. K has her cardiology appointment a week on Monday for another echo (ECG) which will show us if her PDA is getting smaller with growth (quite usual). She hasn't had one since she was 27 weeks so fingers crossed. However, she can still go home with it there and if all other signs are good, they won't bother with ligation. Btw, ligation is quite rare I'm told in this country but if K has to have it, it's a 10 minute procedure done through a key hole incision in the side near the lungs or the groin using an umbrella type thingy.

So, don't panic! (in Mr Jones the Butcher voice).

She sounds as though she's doing well putting her weight on. TBH I can't remember what K was at that many weeks but it's different for you in that Eva had the advantage of a few more weeks on the inside K is weighing at today's weigh in, 4lb 5oz which is 1oz short of 2kilos. Not bad for a 685g start.

Rose is a lovely name. I'm so glad all the old ones are making a return. We're all so retro...!

Can't wait for the poo story. It's our favourite subject du jour. Hurry back mrsjupiter and fess up

Sending you and Eva a big ((((hug)))) over the information super highway

Just wanted to share this with anyone who might be interested. I think they look lovely

www.lullabys.co.uk/shop/erol.html

Doomee Bean Bag in the feeding section - subsection 'low chairs' (sorry no direct link).

Nice website btw. Not come across this one before.

*Doomoo

Gack.

mrsjupiter do not feel guilty if real life gets in the way you very obviously need sleep if that is all you are able to do. People do not realise how exhausting having a pre-term baby is

mrsjupiter greetings and great to hear from you. Sounds to me like you're coping amazingly..and becoming a whizz with the chinese cooking - watch out Ken Hom

Seriously though - I've only got a little experience to draw on but life with a premmie is bloody hard ....I think johnworf would agree (say yes woman!) It's the emotional instablility that's the real hard work and you also have to contend with a culture that reacts so differently to one that you're used to. I mean, I can't imagine what it'd be like to have superstition taken so seriously - I think it would be very draining.In a hospital setting you expect to be dealing with nothing but plain hard facts.....and not to be accompanied by nurses who don't want to be positive infront of the baby!

Now don't you DARE keep us in suspense with the poo story for too long.....I enjoy a tale of the nappy BTW: LOVE the name Rose ((hugs)) x

johnworf can't get the website up .... Sounds cool though. hahaha - did you say 'Gack'...Mmm isn't that slang for a 'naughty nose substance'...?! OOer missus...!!!

Took the girls swimming today - Verity's first ever dip!! Ooo, she loved it. Popped her on her back....floated about....she giggled and made a purring sound...CUTE!!! Iris has progressed to goggles and looked gorgeous in her new spotty swimsuit...ah, DP and me were proud as punch

Oh the Olympics for afternoon viewing....joy. JW pass me the rusty fork if you've finished poking yer eyes out with it....may slide it under my toenails!

Well, about ready for a positive message. Eva was fine this morning and we got a cuddle, but when we went back this afternoon we found out that she'd had a bit of blood in her poo. They are suspecting something called necrotising entrecolitis which can be very serious. The presentation was as blunt as before, "Eva has blood in the stools, it's a bad sign". Now, I think "bad sign" probably doesn't sound as scary to a Cantonese speaker as it does to us, but my knees went weak.

Having looked it up in the book on preemies they lent us (but not on the internet), it says that 75% of babies get better just with antibiotics and a rest from oral feeding. The doctors do seem to think it's mild at the moment, but from the way they describe it it seems really unpredictable and again, all I got was glass half empty.

I really hope we're lucky. I'm not sure how my nerves would take an operation, although I guess if I've learned anything the last few weeks, it's that you can cope with more than you think you can, and I'm know there are a few on here who would agree.

Anyway, we won't have the results for a few days as they have to do a culture, so they're treating it as though it's NEC.

Right, poo. At one stage yesterday, Eva?s respiration went up a lot and she went all red. I diagnosed a poo and was really pleased with myself when a quick check confirmed it.

I started to change her and just at the point where I?d removed the old nappy and was wiping her bum, I realised that I?d interrupted her mid flow. I was momentarily stunned into inaction. I had her legs up in the air in one hand, and a wet wipe in the other, and this moment?s hesitation was all it took for the poo to shoot out over the sheet, and over her stomach (don?t ask me how) with accompanying noises. It was like she?d been saving it up. I withdrew embarrassed from the field of battle and let the nurse sort it out. The smell in the incubator was toxic!

Not to make myself unpopular, but I love the Olympics! It's so frustrating having to watch it in Chinese. The English language HK channel only broadcasts the Olympics during the day when I'm not here. There are quite a few here that agree with you though it seems. This morning the South China Morning Post reported that about 10,000 people left the dressage early because it was so boring.

Right, gotta go. I'm typing this through squinty eyes and still have to torture my breasts before passing out. They're still not producing despite ten days of domperidone. I think the exhaustion would be helped if I could take a break from the pumping for a bit and just take the domperidone. Will ask the breastfeeding consultant tomorrow I think. At least the exhaustion should get me to sleep through the anxiety about Eva.

Goodnight all. xxx

Oh mrsjupiter you poor thing. I'm sure they've caught the NEC (if indeed that is what it is) early. TBH it was on my list of worries for a long long time. There were babies in NICU where K was that had been through it and come out of the other end without surgery although there were some who had the surgery so I guess it's just a waiting game now for results. I'm crossing my fingers and toes for you that it isn't that It's quite unusual though for a BF baby to get it as EBM is digested a lot more easily than formula.

I remember being attached to the breast pump for what seemed a lifetime. And when my milk started to go, I used to sit there for at least half an hour to get a few drops out. That's when I gave it up and tried not to feel guilty. I don't feel like that now though as K has had nigh on 3 months worth of my milk (I'm counting stuff still in the freezer) which is better than nowt

OOOh yeah, that filled nappy in the containment of the incubator makes for a heady aroma. Lord only knows how the babies stand it! I used to wish for a gas mask sometimes. It's funny (but not funny at the time) when they've not quite finished and you end up going through 3 or 4 nappies and a clean sheet. K has now got into the rhythm of doing superb splashbacks - poo up the back. We're now into the habit of morning baths as they can be potent.

jeanjeannie well done for taking the girls. I'm thinking about taking K when she's old enough but really unsure as to what age she'll be ok to go. I'll be guided by the doctors on this one I think and ask their advice before she dips a toe in.

Katherine passed her hearing test this morning which is fantastic! Another thing to tick off my list of worries. She didn't even wake up during it.

They've put her on CPAP for a couple of hours again today. It seems that after a couple of days she starts giving bad gas results so perhaps she just needs a little bit more lung growth before we bin the nasty CPAP machine altogether.

jeanjeannie I've obviously led a sheltered life as in my world 'gack' means the same thing as saying 'ah, crap'. And here was me thinking I was worldly wise

mrsjupiter with preemmies we are usually over cautious we take samples and treat before we know what it is often treating for the worst possible scenario. Many times it comes back as neg hopefully this is the case with Eva

mornin all

sorry haven't had time to read back on the thread yet to see how you are all doing (esp the LOs) but I see that mrsjupiter has posted. Hope Eva is doing well - it must be soooo very difficult and exhausting for you especailly to be over there while this is happening.

Have just been to mw apppointment - nitrates in wee and high bp. sigh. off to hosptial at 1.30 for a bp profile. Thing is I cycled to the doctors thes morning uphill in a hot and sweaty flap, only to be met by the mw who announced, as I ran up the stairs towards her, that I was 15 mins late. Had mistaken the appointment time. So, not suprised my bp was up. I am hoping to drift zen-like towards the hospital this aft and to be told that my bp is ok. The irine infection is less worrying as I have no spymptoms.

She said if is high they will sing me off work - noooo! not ready - haven't finished winding down/filing etc. and do tests "for other things that might be wrong" nooo!

sorry to be so me me me today. I know its all very trivial compared to some of your current worries! In better news she did say that I am the right size and while she was feeling the bump he kicked her three times so that's good.

mrsboogie best to get your urine infection sorted out. They think that is what set me off early - and mine was symptomless too

And you're fine to be me, me, me. Tis allowed.

Glad to hear that your LO is displaying his footballing prowess and he's bang on target for weight gain and size Yay!

I'm back! been at the hospital for three hours!! I think the day ward had been busy all day so when everyone went they sat down and had their lunch at 3pm and left me sitting there. Not that I minded overly as it was then too late for me to go back to work

Anyhoo as I thought - the bp is fine, perfect she said. But they didn't let this minor setback put them off and after a good rummage in my wee they managed to find nitrates and glucoseurea (?). Great. I think I made the mistake of drinking a botte of fizzy orange while I was there so that's probably what caused it. Between the cycling and the sugary drink I have truly been the author of my own misfortune today

I have now been told to present myself back there next week with a bottle of lucozade for a GTT test because I had a positive test at 23 weeks also. Plus they will let me know what wee infection I have. I'm not surprised - I am a martyr to cystitis from time to time.

I did wonder but didn't like to ask johnworf if you knew what had caused your premature labour. When I was heavily pg with my son I had the most horrendous untreated UTI - I could have doe with something sending me into labour but I went to over 42 weeks that time.

anyway I am at liberty to continue working until Friday so that's good (I think.

mustn't grumble... but its raining YET AGAIN!!

Afternoon ladies - gosh it's been a nothing sort of day today. It's a real Monday - lacklustre and a bit 'plurgh'....I think that's a real word I know I'm fed up of Cbeebies - especially the trailer for 'the Green Balloon Club'....those children look so smug...so, sort of middle class and , well, nice Actually the sort of kids I'd love Iris to bring home and play with but VERY annoying on telly !!

Iris was given a great hobby horse but it nays and makes clip-clop noises when you press its ears.....God she looks terrified of it! I've been riding around on it to give her an idea but she's having none of it

mrsboogie* pleased LO is a kicking but I'm pmsl laughing that the doc said she'd "sing me off work"..............Oh please sell tickets if she does...I want to be there to see that

Seriously though - hope all was fine and dandy at the hospital and BP came down. And I'm a BIG believer in being ME, ME, ME every now and then. jw is right - tis allowed!!!!!!

JW how's Princess K today?

Off to cook something for dinner...Iris is having any old thing i can find on the veg front covered in cheese sauce. Verity will be having breast as usual...ZZzzzzz...oh, roll on weaning...6 months..Whah. But, hey - i'm off for a girl's night out on Friday - curry, here I come. I'm breaking open the EBM in the fridge and leaving DP to it

Ah X-posts!!

Glad BP was fine mrsB...and bugger about the urine. Cystitis is truely evil hope you don't get that. On top of being pregnant that would be very wrong indeed.

oh and eeeek - went through the wrong entrance and ended up being shown thro the labour ward to get to the day ward. There were no screaming women or trails of blood on the floor, in fact it was dead quiet and thereno one was about, but I was filled with a horrible premonition of how scary it will be going in there and how powerless it feels. Could begin to see why some women prefer to give birth at home...

mmmm.. curry - good on ya jeanjeanie!

anyhoo curry in breastmilk can only be a good thing - give the little'un a taste for it!

'ello there.

Not having a good day today. Katherine had her ROP exam a day early and isn't best pleased. Her Sats are all over the place and her eyes are swollen. Looks like she's been scrapping again...and lost.

On the ROP front, baddish news. Her right eye is still the same but now she has it in her left as well. Also at stage 1.

New regime starts today of putting her back onto CPAP from midnight to 4am to stop her going off the boil after 2 days on her own and also to give them something to wean down off.

I really felt for her tonight. She's not in the mood for anyone (including myself). The hands were up in front of her face (baby body language for 'talk to the hand').

mrsboogie surely you've been in delivery before? Forgive me for asking this, but am I right in thinking that I'm wrong and you're having your first bubs? If so...oooh you're in for a treat Ask for a tour and you can see all the medieval implements of torture they keep in those room off the main corridor.....mwahahaha

Funnily enough jeanjeannie I was told only y'day that it's a myth that curry makes BF babies have the squits. Only alcohol and drugs do that job...apparently

awww jw sorry to hear she's been in the wars today also sorry to ask if you have already explained - but what's the implications of the ROP business?

and yes i have been in delivery before - only 2 decades ago!! and it very much feels a lifetime ago. I haven't a great deal of memory of it except it lasted for four days during which I couldn't hold down food or water and had absolutely no idea of what was happening or going to happen next(apart from the obvious)and I was very much alone there.

It spooked me today cos I remembered the feeling of having to completely give yourself over to the people and the event and the horrible clinical nature of it all. Like I say, maybe I have more empathy with the home birthers than I realised