Christmas (December) Babies 2018!

[jessicaftl]

Yeah there are a few stories, probably not too far back either since I had the last one and with the holidays it was pretty quiet on here. I think most of us end up pretty busy but we still come check in frequently enough. I'm usually checking on my phone, or when I am on my computer to help my oldest with his school work.

The worst I had was burn scars on my bump from spilling boiling water on myself, my older stretch marks didn't really get dark or anything, likely because I wasn't too huge. I did look at a bunch of old wives tales and found most said girl but the sodium bicarbonate one showed boy, obviously that was wrong.
I really did expect a boy because it felt a lot like my pregnancy with ds2 but also a lot like dd1, I didn't expect to feel so constantly hungry with a girl pregnancy, but maybe she has a fast metabolism like dh does?

Side note, I hate how the ad on mobile makes my keyboard go down and then I end up popping up another tab for some random page...arg

 

[StarGazerRose]

I was back-reading, and somehow I closed the window... So i have to find where I was to get caught up. I see many of you missed me I kept thinking about getting on, but then a million other things popped up that were a bit more important.
Most of the time I was spending with Cara which meant that if i was on my phone it was to play a game while she was laying on me or tracking her feedings and such.

The doctors freak us FTM's out way too much! They were so worried about getting her back up to birth weight, we vigorously tracked everything she ate and her diapers, plus if we had to supplement anything... when and how much @_@ I've been a little more lenient now that she's over it, but still record things. (I found a decent app I use) I told my mom it's like a real life giga-pet!
And now she's a little behind on her weight for her age/size, so they told us to up how often we were feeding her. So we went from 4 hours to 3 hours, or whenever she's hungry. We don't wake her unless it's been more than 3.5 hours and only during the day. We've made it a few 5 and almost 6 hours before at night! Scared me cause i thought something was wrong (check her diaper, temperature, flexed her arms and legs ...) she just must have been that sleepy! Sadly she doesn't sleep that way every night, but ever so often we get to 4 hours easy.

-------
AND .... today was the first day that I had to leave Baby Girl with family, and it will be for nearly 12 hours! O_O I'm ok leaving her with family, but I'm nervous about the time. Oh and just found out last night (at like 8p) that His mom will also be watching our nephew... (insert long story about issues that blew up with Parents and SIL, and why watching him is something of a shock)

 

[jessicaftl]

Ooh I do hope you go back and get caught up, yes we all wondered how you got along, especially being induced so early. I can tell you from my experience it was frustrating getting on every day and seeing everyone else having their babies and I was still massive and uncomfortable Haha, I sadly did not get my water birth. I did shower in the middle of the night when I was in labor so at least I experienced some water, not to mention the rain pouring on me when dh parked outside the hospital.

I agree on the fear over ftm and feeding their babies. I also got the scare tactics the first time around. Imo, all kids grow at their own rate and as long as they are putting out enough wet/dirty diapers that should be all that counts. Plus bf growth charts are not the same as formula fed charts.

I can't imagine having to leave my kids behind for that long, :/. I'm just now getting to pumping a little here and there to build up a stash for whatever reason, last time I ended up throwing out hundreds of bags of extra milk when I moved.

 

[StarGazerRose]

I was aiming to get something done today with work, and failing miserably... The program isn't accepting my file so i guess i'm going to have to bring it to IT (who are helping with 2 other issues right now...)

I know i'm tired, when i seriously drift off and not even know that i did! I mean it's one moment looking at the screen and then i wake up 20+ mins later...
Took a trip down stairs and I always peek my head into see the HR lady and she said that I don't look worn down or sleepy. I told her that's funny cause i feel like I should have bags under my eyes and should look like a train wreck.

You've been breastfeeding for so long you should have decent supply in no time if you pump. I know that when I nurse Cara and then pump I get under 2 ounces, sometimes even less than that. But I really only get my supply out of 1 breast... so I guess that's not terrible. I really wish that I could get more out of the other. It's depressing to see that 1 can get nearly 3-4 oz and then the other get a measly 2mL (i have yet to hit 5mL) And yet, she seems to be getting something from it when I nurse her. (Which is think matters more than anything)

I don't want to leave her for that long ... but I have no option I work 8-5 in a big city much farther south than IL's live. I dropped her off at 6, stayed a little while (like 20 mins) and made it to work 10 til. I'm just glad that Friday traffic into the city is easy. During the week i would have to drop her off sooner, back ups and accidents screw with everything. But getting home takes forever! Even if Hubby gets off on time he probably still won't get to pick her up until 6. I'll be lucky to get there by 6:30 myself.
I really wish we lived closer to work. I think I'd actually get to spend time at home if we lived just a few mins away. But it costs too much to move, plus it would require moving farther away from family--- and if they are to watch Cara..... i'd have an hour drive to drop her off, and that's just inSANE! And i'd have to quit my part time, cause transferring is too much hassle (plus i'd loose my standing with the management and have to learn new people...)

 

[Lady_Alysanne]

Congratulations to everyone on this thread on having their LOs.. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with their family and friends..

My LO almost decided to be a christmas baby, he is born on 21st December. I was induced the previous day for being little short on amniotic fluid, and here I thought I am going for 41 week regular checkup. Baby Ethan is doing great and I am recovering after having a episiotomy and third degree tear But things are getting better.. Hopefully it stays that way..

 

[jessicaftl]

LadyA - congrats!! Sorry about the third degree tears, ugh, I hope you can recover smoothly and quickly He may not have been born on Christmas but was born on the solstice, so fun.

StarGazer- My milk always dries up during pregnancy so I end up started fresh when my babies are born. I don't pump very often, usually I end up getting out an oz or two and when I have 150 ml, I freeze it. I also give some in a cup to my older dd, but she still nurses occasionally as well. I'm sorry you have to be away from your daughter for so long, I can't relate to that, but I can imagine it is really hard. I assume you quit your other job (saw something about it being your last day there back before you were induced) though so you have the weekends together?? Were you guys able to get the other room ready before baby came as well??

Mine will be a month old next Friday, which is also dh birthday. I am trying to get a schedule going for her but so far it's slow going. I just try to focus on feeding her as often as possible!

 

[StarGazerRose]

Lady A -- Congrats! Sorry about the tearing, I hope you recover quickly!

Jess -- I'm still managing my part time job. I pump every 3 hours (sometimes four depending on what is happening), and that kinda makes it hard to really "work". But I'm aiming to only work short hours that way I can still spend most of the day with her, and only have to pump once during my shift.
I don't like leaving Baby Girl that long, but I am glad that it's with family and not some random rushed-choice daycare. I think she's too young, for all that right now. Maybe when she's older and can do more, sleep/eat more regularly, or when Hubby decides that he's ready for a full time job again *shrug* if he will ever.....
When I pump I think the least I get now is 2oz (60mL) and the most I got was pushing 6 (I have NO clue how I got that....especially out of only 1 boob!) I also think that if I finally manage to get a solid block of sleep it really does help. Amazing that SLEEP is the trigger for getting the most milk.
The room is still under construction. Hubby started work the week following she was born. So he only got to work on things while he was home, and his dad was able to work (his dad can only work so long before his nerve issues starts bothering him -- or if he can even work that day) But, the bulk of the built-in bookshelf is finished. They have to stain the shelves and then THAT part is done. The issue that is still holding them up will be the baby's room side. Because the house is out of square (thanks to being a super old house) ... The back side of the bookshelf does not render useful to just patch in a piece of dry wall... SO the guys are going to build a lattice/structure and re-dryway the WHOLE wall. This involves taking down molding, and pretty much doing quite a lot more work.
In the end, it will probably not be done for a few more months. With him only working on it maybe 1-2 days during the week, while watching Cara....things are moving very slowly.

 

[jessicaftl]

Well I can understand the time length there. Our house is pretty old too, built in 1950. And I've complained about it before but our roof is shot and I'm hoping we get enough money saved up this year to replace it. We live in a bungalow, with a vinyl roof, and it'll probably cost us around 4 or 5 grand, including replacing the lumber that is rotted and the insulation. Luckily dh and I both have experience with vinyl.

For now dd2 sleeps with me and dd1 sleeps in her bed beside mine still.

Yesterday I put dd2 in 6 month clothes and they fit her well, not hardly loose at all lol. Hope she keeps eating well and growing well, she is very voiced when she gets into situations she doesn't like, and generally is always with me or nearby, but I put her in the newborn boppy chair with her brothers and sister around her and she smiles at them and watches them play. She does seem to really enjoy being around them!

 

[StarGazerRose]

Yeah we need to replace our roof too! Every new storm some more shingles come off... We already have a bucket up in the attic catching water. It's a slow leak but a leak non the less.
Hubby is wanting to put a metal roof on the house, but i don't know if we should. It's going to cost 6K minimum... Plus it's not common around our parts to even have one unless you are a business. And .... we have oak trees ... so we're going to constantly hear acorns fall.
And then ....if we don't stay there for more than 5 years it won't pay itself off. BUT He said that it should raise the value of the house, so we might make it that way....but again if we do it its the only house with it so idk how much it will pay off in that regard....
I'm confused...So i'm just letting him make the call. His issue is finding residential installers for the metal roof, which might be another sign not to do it.

Anyways... 6 MONTHs??? wow... Cara is still in Newborn's! Depending on how you put the diaper on, or if it's dirty is how the clothes fit her. She's got a bit of wiggle room in them. 0-3 swallow her still! I was thinking about bringing out some of them, but I just don't think they will fit well enough to be comfortable (for either of us) to work with.

We had her in her Boppy Lounger in an office chair, but she can kick herself off the chair, so we put it in the craddle. She's not sleeping well in the craddle, so we have her in a little rocker/bouncer chair on the couch (which doesn't let her rock much, but she's cool with it).
She's a wiggler so no matter what we put her in she slides down or kicks herself free.
I think she rolled over the other day... I don't know if it was from her kicking her feet so much that she just flipped and twisted herself or what. (I wasn't there). She'll be crawling soon, and we have no where for her to crawl to/ on right now. I'm hoping we can give her some space soon and put up one of the floor mats and let her play there.

 

[jessicaftl]

I still am putting 3 month clothes on her but they are pretty snug, I'm wondering how much she weighs now that her eating and sleeping cycles are regulating. She is also wiggly a lot like how pregnancy, even the way she kicks at things lol.

Our house is pretty small, and I'm not sure how much of the wood is rotten and since it is a bungalow we don't have an attic, just insulation above the ceiling. I'm not worried about our value but without a roof your entire structure will be compromised so it is a priority for us as well. Dh and I also want to get more shelving up in the boys' room for their books.

 

[Sushai]

Congrats LadyA!! Ouch about the tearing, I’m so sorry that happened hope you have a speedy recovery

Star well done on juggling work and breastfeeding. It all sounds like so much work.

Jessica 6 months clothes? I bet she’s awesome to cuddle with! My girls are still in 0000 (newborn) clothing. I thought maybe they’d be able to go into 000 but that size is still way too big on them. So I think they’ll be in newborn clothes for a little while still.

Any of you ladies dealing with babies with reflux? I’ve had to put both babies on an AR formula as they were vomiting so much after each feed. They’re still bringing some up but nowhere near as much as before. The girls have a follow up appointment with the hospital paediatrician next week so that will be interesting. Especially as I’ve got some questions such as their bellybuttons. They both stick out quite a it’s and are like a purplish/black color which doesn’t look right to me.
Anyways on a good note, both babies have a good stretch of sleep at night now. They’ll go from 7/8 until 3/4 in the morning. No complaints on the sleep front but they are in sync with feeds making things a bit tricky when I’m on my own.

 

[jessicaftl]

Sushai sorry about the reflux issues, mine spits up a lot after feeds mainly if she has a burp in her. I have to spend awhile getting the bubbles out. She is getting big, her feet are starting to hang off the edge of the boppy when she lies on it for feeds lol. I told dh she looks like a potato, especially after she eats because her belly gets soooo huge and round. Hope you get some answers on their belly buttons and so lucky they're sleeping longer stretches at night.

 

[Buttercupbabi]

Hi ladies

Nice to see you all had a nice xmas!
So glad to hear from you Star and that you had a little girl - congratulations!

AFM, my little boy has been home for 4 weeks now and he is doing extremely well considering all the odds.
We found out in the end that he was born with a collapsed lung (pneumothorax) and also was diagnosed with sepsis and respiratory disease! Worst week of my life and to be totally honest, I still cant relax as I keep thinking his lung will collapse again even though he isnt showing any signs of struggle!!

Can't believe our little December group have now all had their babies!
Lets definitely stay in touch and see how we all get on...

Here is a photo of my little guy - smiling for the 1st time at 5weeks and 4 days xxx

 

[markswife10]

Sushai, reflux is VERY common among preemies. DD had reflux BAD (she was a micro preemie born at 27 weeks), and DS (Adam) has reflux as well. Both kids had to go on reflux meds. Adam still spits up but acts a lot more comfortable feeding than he did and doesn't spit up as much as he did before since he's been on reflux meds.

I'm loving seeing pics of all the babies! Congrats to all!

AFM, Adam is doing great. He's officially 3lbs above birth weight as of last night. We are also finally exclusively breastfeeding (have been for close to 2 weeks now) and it is going well. He's growing appropriately, seems to be transferring milk well now, and is having plenty of wet and dirty diapers. It is SO much easier being able to breastfeed and not have to worry about pumping or bottles. I always wanted to do this with DD but she was never able to with her having been a micro preemie, so this is SUCH a blessing that DS is able to Also makes my life so much easier not having to be stuck looking at the clock every 3 hours to schedule feeds/pumping sessions. I just wait until he cries and feed him, whether that's 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 hours after last feeding. It's so nice

 

[markswife10]

Oh and Adam's belly button sticks out quite a bit too, I'm pretty sure he has an umbilical hernia, but from what I've read it's normal and should go away in a couple of years, so hopefully it will.

 

[StarGazerRose]

Buttercup, he's precious! I hope that he stays healthy for you!

Sushai -- Cara is still in newborn too. I don't anticipate her fitting into her 0-3 month clothes for a while.

Cara is starting to sleep for longer stretches, but I'm still not getting much sleep (in length or quality). She's making it about 5+ hours. I don't track her sleep on my app, but i know that she's sleeping decent after her last feeding (which is anywhere between 8-10) She has a horrible fussy 2 hours from 7-9, where she might eat two bags of milk before she's satisfied enough.
Cara spits up clear when she's extra hungry -- mainly when she wakes up wanting food. She has been doing well not to spit up much of her meals so far. (she's had her moments where she looses quite a bit of her last feeding though)
She has the hiccups horrible just like she used to get when I was pregnant. And she gets fussy after a while. Right when we plan to give her some gripe water they go away. I think she's getting used to them a bit, cause now she just sits there with them and I just watch her little tummy jump when she hiccups. (I took a video cause i couldn't resist)

Cara's umbilical cord kinda shriveled quite a bit since she was under the lamp in the hospital. Her cord fell off well before her 1 month appointment. So i don't know what you ladies are referring to... Her little belly button is sticking out right now, I'm curious if it will turn in or stay out.

 

[jessicaftl]

markswife - that is great news, I'm so happy for you being able to ebf! Yaay for passing 3 lbs, that is great!

buttercup - what a cutie! Sounds like things are also going okay, I hope you can relax about his breathing, too. I can't relate to it, but can imagine I'd have a hard time sleeping and always worry about the worst, probably part of being a mom.

star - I am hoping you can get much needed rest soon. My LO also gets the hiccups a lot, usually after a big burp. She only really seems to spit up after over eating lol and getting a bunch of air in her probably from my let down being strong.

Afm 4 weeks yesterday, Aurelia seems okay, very much likes to voice herself if she is unhappy. I only really pump when I have some spare (lol) time, and have managed a few bags in my deep freezer. I only started pumping last week because one of my boobs was sore and i think it needed to be drained more than she was eating those days.

I really wonder what her weight is now, she doesn't go back to the doctor until two months old.

I'm sure you've all had your 6 week check ups, but did any of you have leftover stitches? For some reason I still have some, and I didnt tear badly at all. It doesn't hurt, but it is annoying as most of it came out but these seem to be hanging out. Not to mention it is internal stitching and took some serious mirror manipulation to even see it. I'm still spotting a little but I imagine with my iron levels being lower my healing time will he a bit longer. I haven't even started exercising again yet. Every time I start doing too much activity I end up with spotting again from over exertion. I'm doing bare minimum the last few days and it is helping as I've had very little spotting. Honestly can't wait for recovery to be done with.

 

[MrsDuck]

Gosh I’ve had a lot to catch up on, I can tell star is back haha

You are all doing well pumping and getting your stash going in the freezer, I’m yet to start mine I just can’t really be bothered coz I threw so much frozen milk away after dd coz she wouldn’t take a bottle

I’ve got the same issue with Lucy’s belly button, it’s sticking out making me wonder if it’s a hernia or not, but hopefully it will sort itself out, I suppose I’ll know more after her 6 week appointment next week

I think I’ve been lucky with my stitches this time, I haven’t felt them at all, no pain and no itching, I’m guessing they’ve all dissolved by now anyway

Lucy is still following her sleep/ active schedule she had in my belly wanting to sleep all day and is wide awake all night but I’m starting to shift it slowly

We are suffering reflux too, it’s getting better and I’ve inclined her Moses basket and I don’t lay her down for a good 10 mins after feeding to let it go down a bit more and it seems to be working for her

 

[Lady_Alysanne]

Jess - Thank you.. Hope you and LOs are doing great, love that your DD2 is in 6 months clothing, thats like wow.. Can we do anything about the hiccup really? I feel so helpless when my LO has his and after a while he becomes a bit fussy..
I did not have my 6 weeks check yet, only 4 weeks here. so I certainly have stitches.. lets see what happens after 2 more weeks, I am counting the days for the time when it would be more comfortable, i hear it might not be for months for the type of tear I had..

Star - Thanks.. I am glad your family is there, it really does take a village.. and I hear you on this, you can't really trust everyone with your kid(s).. My parents are also helping me, I don't think I would survive otherwise with the long recovery time I need..

Sushai - Thank you.. It must be tough when your LOs are hungry together and sorry about reflux, my LO is suffering from it too because of bottle feeding from time to time.. I have changed to dr. brown from avent, it seems to help a bit. Since then I am also just holding him over my shoulder for a bit after burping, before I lay him down. I would also appreciate any more tips from you ladies..

 

[jessicaftl]

MrsDuck - sounds like you're doing okay, and I hear about pumping. I had saved loads of milk after ds2 and ended up pitching it when we moved to our house, I felt bad wasting it all! He never did like the bottle either. Schedule shifting seems like it takes forever, fingers crossed you can get it going in the direction you want as soon as possible. I have no experience with the hernia but I imagine she is just fine just the same .

LadyA - yeah I can imagine the stitches from your tearing are quite uncomfortable. I have not checked for a couple days but I did feel some string hanging when I was peeing the other day, so i imagine it'll take me some more time as well. For now I have the itching to contend with! I have no experience with bottles, I haven't even used a pacifier since my first one almost twelve years ago (yikes). Mine just had some nasty hiccups again, she gets them so often, and also gets a bit fussy if they last long, but mostly she ends up spitting up if she has eaten recently.

I am only wearing like four different shirts because they all get covered in spit up, and yes, six month clothing, she is hanging out of her newborn chair almost, it's crazy! My ds2 grew like this too, I wonder if it is because dh has a very fast metabolism maybe they do as well? I always assumed they would because I was so hungry all the time during pregnancy with them, more than the others. I hope she keeps growing at an okay pace, but if I had to guess she is likely over 11lbs and will be one month tomorrow!

I'm also trying to get the schedule down, so far it seems we have four naps during the day, one is fairly long in the afternoon and we go to bed between eight and nine. At the same time my other two young ones are cutting out their only nap so it is a bit hectic for me during the day!