Babies that were due in may 2012

[TxMom2Be]

Kendra - that's one of the major differences I see with the US/UK. We seem to be entitled to a lot longer at home. My work actually assumes that I will take a full year off & I have to request to go back early giving 8wks notice. Unfortunately I just can't afford the full year & will need to go back once my paid mat leave ends. So in I guess in some ways i'm lucky to have 5/6months with Eva, but i'm stressing about carrying on with the bfing etc....

aimee - i wouldn't worry about ethical or not - needs must!



x

How long of paid maternity leave do you get?

Here in the US it's much different.......you ladies are so fortunate!

 

[kwood]

We get 6 weeks at 90% of our salary then 33 weeks at a standard rate of of 135 pounds ($210) per week. Then some companies pay in addition to the standard rate. My company pays 20% of my salary in addition to the standard for 33 weeks. We also still get our holiday while we are on leave so I am taking 5 additional weeks at the end of my mat pay for the holiday that I got durning leave.

I know it sounds really bad but I am so glad we had our baby in the UK instead of the US because of all of this, as the last company I worked for in the US gave you nothing.

 

[bumpin2012]

I'm in Canada, and I get the year off, with employment insurance paying 55% of my wage. My employer tops up that payment to 93% of my pay for 17 weeks, and then its just the 55%. I'm so glad that I live in Canada for this. Else I might not even consider having more than 1 child...

 

[kwood]

Just wanted to post a quick picture of my LO sleeping in his new big boy bed in his own room. He slept great, wish I could say the same for myself. There was a party down the road and their base was shaking the house til 3.30 am, the police said as it was on private property they couldn't do anything to stop the noise.

 

[zephyr]

kwood - cute pic Sorry about the party, we have a house across the road from us that does that about once every month or so and it is so loud our house shakes! We phone noise control and they make em switch it off if its over a certain volume and if they turn it back on again they take their stereo off them haha suppose we are lucky we have that here! I don't know what I would do if no one could do anything about the noise!

Thing here are still ticking along. I feel very trapped at home though, don't really have much to do. Thinking about getting sky tv just so I have more than 4 channels to watch but then I am worried I may get fatter just sitting there all day long, but honestly thats all I seem to be doing.
I am lucky to get online for the times I do! but then thats usually cut short and I retreat back to my spot on the sofa.....or walking the hallway calming one or both babies down *sigh*
Yesterday they did play quite a bit on the floor though with me talking to them and showing them toys. Usually they are not interested but they showed interest for a good 5 - 10 minutes so thats a start I guess.

Aria has been on this formula for a week now and I am unsure what to think, the last two nights she has been very unsettled and vomiting again. I guess we just stick this formula out until we see the ped.
I am going to ring the hospital and see what is happening on Monday morning and if I get told to wait for my appointment I really don't know what to do!
Someone told me to go see an osteopath (I think thats what they are called) or something but I'm not really into that alternative stuff, do any of you guys know if they actually work? I told OH to ring the number of the guy we were told was good
I'll try anything now I think, cos this is getting silly now.

 

[bumpin2012]

Zephyr: has Aria been investigated for pyloric stenosis? Gabe is a pukey baby to, but nothing compared to poor Aria... When do you see the pediatrician?

Not much new here. I went out this evening and left Gabe with daddy.. week daddy for reason just kept giving Gabe a bottle when he cried...had 10+ oz of formula in the 2 hours I was gone... Well I got home and the poor baby was projectile puking, and choking on it. Gave me a heart attack too! At least daddy learned that Gabe doesn't need that much food in 2 hours... I could have strangled him but he felt so bad I kept my feelings to myself..

 

[yazzy]

Zephyr I'd go for alternative treatments any day. You'd be amazed how good they are. I even had midwives recommending homeopathic treatments after birth although I had taken stuff into hospital already. It might be a cranial osteopath they are recommending.

Ahh kwood he looks very settled. Lola never sleeps at night like that, she always has to be swaddled!

All is well here, nightimes are going ok. We've had a few nights of a last top up feed at 11pm'ish then sleep til 2~3am, quick feed and straight to sleep til 5~6am then sleep til 8~9am more food, another morning nap and then the day begins

 

[zephyr]

Yeah I'm thinking I might, I'm seriously at my wits end. Ive had both babies crying all day :/ Its absolute madness! 9:23pm Max is still whining at me. hes cat napped during the day but first woke me up at 4am....thats when my day started. I am so tired.

Yeah they don't think its pyloric stenosis because she doesn't projectile vomit 'across the room' is what they said
OH is ringing the hospital in the morning to try and get hold of the pediatrician to see when our appointment is, and if we have no luck there I'm ringing my gp to try and hurry it along.
I think OH agreed to see the cranial osteopath too and will phone them tomorrow if we have no luck elsewhere.
Shes decided she doesn't like this formula now and keeps trying to refuse feeds even though she is hungry and finally after fussing for ages she will drink it! Dunno whats going on but today has been a very long day! I'm only online now cos OH has both the babies, I had to leave them with him for a bit to get a breather hopefully when I go back in they will be ready for sleep cos I am.

 

[zephyr]

bumpin lol at your partner! Glad Gabe is okay but that is such a male thing to do. OH seems to think my boob will fix Max every time he cries.

yazzy - wow sounds like you have a good routine there! and yeah I think we gunna give it a go, all I have to lose is a bit of money.

 

[yazzy]

Thanks Zephyr, yeah i'm just letting Lola settle into whatever routine suits her and not forcing anything and so far its been working well. You sound like you are ploughing on and huge congrats to you hun because you have it much tougher with 2 babies. Do you manage to get out for a walk in the fresh air during the day, things like that can make you feel loads better.

 

[KendraNoell]

Two questions for everyone-

My LO will be 2 months on the 5th... he hates being swaddled. Anyone else have the same thing? He kicks everything off that I try putting on him.

Second question- any of you ladies got your period again yet? At my 6 week checkup the Dr said I should be starting any time. Sure enough this last week I've been spotting. But that's it- just spotting. For the last 4 days. It's getting really frustrating I wish it would just get over with already so I can start DTD again!

 

[kwood]

Kendra - My LO hated being swaddled from day one so we have used baby sleeping bags and he loves them because he can have his arms free, not sure if you can get those in the U.S. though. Lately because it has been so hot he is sleeping in just a sleepsuit with no blankets - it was nearly 80 F in our house the other night and they don't have air con in houses in the UK, yuck.

I got my first period 8 days ago and it seems never ending, I can't wait for it to stop because I would like to start DTD again as well.

 

[anti]

Kendra we stopped swaddling ages ago!!! We just put blankets over her but she's started kicking those off so have bought a sleeping bag thing that we will start using soon.

Havent started my periods yet again but I am expressing so not sure when they'll start back.

 

[bumpin2012]

Gabe will allow us to swaddle him, but only very loosely.

I am spotting too, and have been for over a week now.

 

[wavescrash]

Popping in quick to say that Hannah had her 2 month appointment today.

She's 12 lbs and 22.75" long (90th percentile for weight, 75th for length.) She was born at 6lbs 5oz and 20" long so she's growing great. She had her first round of shots and did pretty well. But she's getting fussy so I need to go snuggle her and get her to nap before she's due to eat in an hour.

Hope you're all doing well.

 

[kwood]

waves- just wanted to say your avatar picture is so lovely..Hannah is a little cutie pie.

 

[wavescrash]

Aww thanks

 

[zephyr]

Yazzy - No, I dont get out all that much mainly because its winter here now. There have been a few sunny days where I thought about going for a walk but never got the chance to and then the weather packs in again!

I have not got my period yet but I'm breastfeeding Max a lot so I don't expect toget it again anytime soon.

Max hates being swaddled, Aria loves it! She has a rough sleep at night if she isn't swaddled. I thought this would be something she would grow out of but I'm not having to look at getting the next size up swaddle cos shes growing out of her small ones! We brought fitted ones that zip up with velcro, they were really good!
I think it depends on the baby though, some really hate it.

New news here, Yesterday morning OH phoned the hospital to see how our referral was coming along and they said it was declined!!! After all that, the ped said no to seeing us! I can't believe it, we have basically been left to just fend for ourselves unless we take her to the emergency department but shes not sick enough for that!
They sent the letter to my doc on the 26th but he has not yet recieved it and when I spoke to him yesterday he said he needs to see the letter to see why it was declined and what they suggested so we know what our next step is.....so yes that means MORE waiting!!

The pepti junior seemed to work really well but then saturday night she started being all grizzly again, refusing feeds, feeding very little when she did feed, screaming during a feed. Gaviscon did nothing for her, paracetemol did nothing for her, she wasn't running a fever and didn't appear to be sick at all but had started the usual spilling that progressively got worse over a few days till she was spewing large amounts.

So yesterday we made the decision to put her back onto cows milk formula and keep her on it and if she goes downhill again like last time I'm just going to take her into the emergency department where someone will have to see us.
I feel really bad for doing it, but we really don't know what else to do. In the past when I gave my babies formula they ate and that was it, I have never in my life even heard of anyone having so much trouble finding something that stays down and she is happy with.

We brought new bottles yesterday to try and her latch is better with these ones, so we will be replacing all our bottles with the other brand I can't believe how much this baby has cost us already! and how much money we have literally wasted.

Ugggh either way we have that appointment today with the cranial osteopath, bout 6 hours away so I am hoping like hell this helps, even just a tiny bit would be great!

Sorry for the long post, I am just still really quite angry about the referral and how we have been dicked around so much!
I'm kicking myself now for not taking her to the hospital ED when she was at her worst times! Hindsight eh? I don't believe she was ever bad enough to go, but I would of been okay being labelled as 'one of those mums' and we would of been seen by someone.

 

[bumpin2012]

Oh. My. Goodness!!! Zephyr, I can't believe that they declined to see you! I didn't even know that was legal (Its not legal here BTW) I would be taking her into emerg too. Who cares if they think you are one of THOSE moms, at least someone would see your poor little girl and get her figured out!

 

[bumpin2012]

I finally caught this on camera! Gabe is soooo serious, its hard to get him to smile, let alone smile for a camera!