First Time Mom's - Due March/April 2013

[linzylou]

Thinking of Sarah right now! Hope all is well.

I will definitely treat myself to that glass of champagne. I keep waiting for a "special" occasion but taking a shower and putting on some real clothes is about as special as it gets right now. I'm expressing 1-2 bottles a day. Seth gives Sarah one at night so that I can get some uninterrupted sleep and I save the other one just in case we go out. I'd like to build up a stockpile of expressed milk but it's been hard to find time and get/stay ahead of the baby.

Hayley, I bought Colic Calm at Babies R Us but I found it on Amazon as well. I gave it to her again last night because she woke up crying and squirming. It's so hard to see them like that!

How are you ladies and your babies today?

Sarah ate nonstop from 7pm-10pm last night. She would fall asleep, I'd put her down, and she'd wake up hungry after 15 minutes. So frustrating! But at least she slept for 3 hours after that (Daddy's shift, of course). Then she was up 2am, 4am, 6:30am, and woke up at 9am for good. Not too bad, I guess. She's napping right now (12pm). The house feels like a disaster but this might be all the time I get to myself this afternoon and I'd rather not spend it folding laundry and washing dishes.

I noticed that Sarah won't sleep flat on her back. The only way I can convince her to sleep in her pack n' play is to stuff a rolled up blanket under one side of the mattress so that she's sitting up a little bit. She really likes her rock n' play and the swing and her bouncer. Sometimes I put her in the bouncer in the bathroom while I'm showering, and the sound of running water puts her out!

Is anyone else's LO a noisy sleeper? Sarah seriously grunts and groans all night. I keep thinking she's awake so I get up to check on her but she's out cold. I'm trying to learn to ignore it but it's hard!

Some pictures from weeks 2-3:
https://i45.tinypic.com/wbqmua.jpg

 

[I Love Lucy]

Sarah, I wouldn't worry too much about your baby not fitting into any of the clothes you bought. Aiden was born on Friday which put me at 41 weeks and he was still only 6 lbs, 8 oz. Then after birth he lost weight so he is now only 6 lbs, 1 oz. He swims in his newborn clothes which I had doubted I would even get to use.

Wishing you lots of luck for tomorrow!! When I went in for my induction I was told to just expect it to take 20-24 hours. Better to expect longer then shorter so that you're not disappointed.

Hayley, I don't wake Aiden every 2-3 hours to feed like they were telling me to do in the hospital. Doing so only caused me stress because he simply doesn't want to eat that frequently. He will sometimes nurse for 30 minutes per breast so we have some long feedings which means we only get up about 2 or 3 times through the night because he's hungry. I have trouble with him sleeping at night compared to how well he sleeps during the day though. I'm finding more so then him being hungry, he simply has a difficult time settling once I put him in his pack n' play because he wants me or DH to hold him. Like Lindsey, just about every night since his birth he's slept with DH or I because we simply are too tired to keep fighting with him. We also introduced a pacifier at this point as a last resort thing because it seems to help him get to sleep a bit when he's being extra fussy. I guess right now all I'm doing is just following Aiden's cues as to what he needs rather then trying to follow any routine.

Lindsey, I hope Sarah gets adjusted to the sling soon! I wasn't planning to baby wear but since Aiden seems to sleep the best when he's being held I'm really starting to change my mind on that. Especially when my mom leaves and I'm the only one left here to hold him during the day.

Love the pictures of Sarah! What a cutie!

AFM, I got home from the hospital Sunday (I had to stay 48 hours since I was GBS positive) which was the best thing ever. I was really starting to miss home after being stuck in the hospital so much longer than I was expecting to be. Aiden has been doing great since being home though. Everyone talks about how sometimes their babies are so good in the hospital and then they get them home and it's like a whole different baby. I've been lucky not have had anything like that happen yet.

My furbabies have been great. I just have one cat that is rather unsure about him and doesn't like to come by me while I'm holding him. Overall I've been very pleased with how well they've been handling a baby being in the house 24/7. I've been trying really hard to make sure I give the furbabies a lot of attention when Aiden is napping so that they don't start to feel jealous or anything so I think that has been helping a lot with the adjustment process.

DH got Aiden's hand print tattooed on his wrist yesterday. Then we went out to a Burlington to have a look around at some baby things/try out the stroller. Was really nice to get out of the house since it was so warm out and Aiden does so well in the car and in his stroller, slept the entire time.

I am having issues with DH trying to push me to do all this stuff though. His parents are having a bonfire this Friday and DH keeps hounding me about going. It's really starting to frustrate me because I just had a baby, I'm still sore and really can't sit down properly due to the tear/stitches making me uncomfortable. Plus, 30 minutes at Burlington was about all I could handle before I started to feel sore and just needed to lie down and rest. If we went to the in-laws I would be stuck in the car 45 minutes one way, that's not even counting the amount of time we would be there. I'm fine trying to go to shops around here for a little bit but expecting me to be able to be comfortable out of the house for hours is just too much. I told DH that if he really wants to go he could and I wouldn't be mad but then he said he was taking Aiden with him. I'm pretty sure he was joking as I don't think he intends to go at all if I'm not going but it really made me mad.

Then he was telling me that when he talked to MIL today, she told him she is trying to figure out a way to talk me into letting her come out here. That woman is the last person I want around when I'm not feeling like my normal self. Now I'm glad I was downstairs when she called me today since I'm sure that's what she was calling to do.

 

[linzylou]

I was going to ask what you ladies thought about pacifiers.

I'm not worried about nipple confusion because Sarah switches between breast and bottle without issue, but I'm afraid I'll miss her hunger cues. When do you give your LO a pacifier? Only after they've been fed and you've tried everything else? At naptime and bedtime? I think it might be useful when she's fussy in the car (which is rare) and I can't get to her. She normally eats every 2 hours at night so if I gave her a pacifier and she went longer than that (kind of what I'm hoping for), does that mean she might go hungry?

I have a few different kinds of pacifier sterilized and ready to go but I just don't know.

Also, I got the bill for the anesthesiologist: $2,500!!! For 15 minutes of his time. I knew I should have been an anesthesiologist.

Brittany, glad to hear that you're back in the comfort of your own home and that your animals are getting used to their new family member! Aiden's hand print is a cool idea for a tattoo. I totally don't blame you for not going to the bonfire a week after having the baby, or wanting your MIL around. My MIL is coming back next weekend. From your journal, it sounds like BF is working out and Aiden is letting you get some decent sleep. Great job!

 

[LiverpoolLass]

Lindsey - I don't think they sell Colic Calm here, but I bought some Infacol - I was worried about giving it to him incase he didn't really need it, but I gave in a few nights ago when he looked to be in pain. I'm not sure if its making a difference or not, but it does say it can take several days for you to notice an effect so I guess I'll stick with it for now.

Do you think the Colic Calm is helping Sarah?

Yes, Tyne is quite a noisy sleeper too! I like it as it means I know he's still breathing without having to sit up to check lol. Paranoid much?!

Aww Sarah is so adorable!!! She looks so much older already!!! Its cute to see them grow but sad too lol.

GEEZ that is a pretty steep bill!!! Do you have to pay that straight off or in installments? What a pain!

As for the pacifier, I gave one to Tyne on the second night in the hospital! He just was NOT sleeping and I suddenly remembered that I had one in his gift basket, so I gave it to him and he instantly loved it!!

I give it to him when he's fussy and at nighttime but he usually spits it out at night after a while - it certainly doesnt mask his hunger, he knows how to spit it out and when hes hungry and you try to give him the pacifier he KNOWS the difference lol - he does this thing where he sorts of shakes his head around and refuses to latch on to the pacifier. Thats how we know he wants FOOD not the pacifier lol.

Brittany - Yeah I think Tyne's problem of a night may just be that he's lonely in his crib and he wants to be held :/ Its hard coz automatically when he cries my initial thought is that he must be hungry, but sometimes there's just no settling him.

When you say Aiden has slept with DH or you, do you mean in the bed with you? How do you guys position him, etc?

I give in to Tyne and bring him into our bed most mornings, but it worries me sick coz its SO against all of the SIDS guidelines :/ But its so hard to resist doing it as I'm so tired and I know it's the only way he'll sleep.

I'm glad everything has been going well with Aiden since you got home, and the cats are all ok.
DH's tattoo sounds cool! How did they do that...did you take a hand print that they copied?
Would love to see a pic of the tattoo!

Aww I don't blame you for not wanting to go to the Bonfire, you're bound to be sore and tired and I'm sure being sat around trying to force yourself to be sociable is the last thing you feel like doing.

AFM - I had an AWFUL night last night :/

I've now developed a urine infection, which is really painful and annoying! Plus I think I've got my period and I'm getting lots of cramps (its so hard to tell if its my period or just the lochia though! I don't know how long the lochia is supposed to last?!)

So I was in a terrible mood anyway, plus I was really tired - we went to bed and , as always, Tyne wouldn't settle down - the second time he woke for a feed, I noticed that Jon was getting really ratty with him - he was changing his nappy but he just seemed to be losing his temper because Tyne cries a LOT more when Jon changes him than when I do (does anybody notice that their babies are much more settled when YOU do things for them than when your OH does things for them?!)

So I got angry and took over - and of course, Tyne settled right away! So I ended up having a big argument with Jon and he stormed off to sleep downstairs. Which annoyed me even more - coz it meant I had to look after Tyne by myself all night, even though I'd had him ALL day while Jon was at work and even though I am ill at the moment and need some sleep!!

We're ok now, and he took Tyne this morning to let me have a few hours sleep but I'm still annoyed about it - I think we need some kind of shift routine going on of a night or something :/

 

[MrsHippo]

Hayley, I like how you can rent the co-sleepers out. When I mentioned it to Adam his response was 'she isn't having three beds' lol.... I am sure they will all settle in to their beds sooner or later. Beau had a better night last night, put her down about 9:30, was up a couple of times before midnight wanting feeding but then didn't wake until about 3:30 then again about 5:30 - she wouldn't settle after the last feed so she ended up in bed with us and we didn't get up until 9:30!!

As for dummies, Beau has had one for about three days now. I didn't want to give her one but she likes soothing sucking so it keeps her happy. She doesn't have it all the time, only at night (if she takes it) or when she is upset. Apparently you are advised not to use one until they are a month old if you are purely breastfeeding as it can cause confusion but when they happily use a bottle ect it shouldn't cause any problems. It doesn't make them hungry or put off wanting feeding, my LO doesn't keep hers in for very long. Its usually out by the time she has fallen asleep. But it is really good when they struggle to settle down to sleep at night. Oh and they might gag on it when used for the first time, they soon get used to them though.

Brittany, glad your back at home now and up and running as for the bonfire, you have every right to tell your husband you don't want to go and if he still wants to then he should be prepared to go by himself. Adam made arrangements to go to his friends the other day and I had to tell him I didn't want to go and that he wasn't taking Beau by himself as I wasn't ready to seperate from her yet. He respected my wishes and told his friend we would be in touch when up for going. We need to put our foot down sometimes, don't think the men quite understand what we are going through physically and emotionally.

Lindsey, those photos are so cute Beau isn't a noisy sleeper, very quiet actually but over the last couple of days I think she has discovered she can make noises....so when we put her down she moans and makes a strange deep noise lol. Once she has gone to sleep it stops though. Can't believe the bill you have....I am so grateful we have the NHS over here. How do you pay it off? In full or do they give you the option of montly payments ect?

 

[MrsHippo]

Sorry to hear about your night Hayley Adam gets stressed out with Beau sometimes when she doesn't settle either which then annoys me because its not her fault. But overall he is really good. We haven't discussed a routine but we tend to share the settling down part, Adam sees to her for the first wake then me the second...normally I get her up too but tend to wake Adam up if its not too early.

I haven't really noticed if she is better with one more than the other. She seems to like the company of both.

How are you finding it with Jon being back at work? I'm dreading Adam going back next week. He left me for a couple of hours yesterday and that left me in tears!!

I tried posting some photos on here from my big camera and it says the file is too large so I'll post some phone shots up instead once I've sent them over to the laptop.

 

[MrsHippo]

 

[I Love Lucy]

Lindsey, I only give Aiden a pacifier if he's been fed and I know he's no longer hungry, has had his diaper changed, etc.. Usually it's only at night time though since during the day he gets held a lot so I really don't have to deal with him being fussy. I will say he does not prefer the pacifier though and would rather suck on mine or DH's pinky finger when he's just having trouble settling. One of the LC's at the hospital even said I should try to encourage thumb sucking over the pacifier. Aiden has sucked his thumb a few times but for the most part he's too busy trying to shove his whole fist in his mouth to get to his thumb. Also like Hayley mentioned, Aiden has no problems spitting the pacifier out when he doesn't want it so I wouldn't worry about missing Sarah's hunger cues.

Hayley, I try not to have Aiden in bed with me as well but like you sometimes I'm just way too tired to keep fighting with him. When I do have him in bed with me I use the side lying breastfeeding position. A LC in the hospital showed me that position for night time and told me it's okay if I fall asleep for a bit in that position. If he falls asleep next to DH it's usually because DH put Aiden on his side to burp him and then just fell asleep (my DH just can't seem to function in the middle of the night). I do not like when that happens because I just think DH will roll over on top of him or something just because he isn't as alert.

I also think the lochia can last up to a month. I also get AF like cramping. In the hospital they told me that is completely normal since the hormones my body releases while breastfeeding help the uterus contract back to it's normal size. Though I'm not sure how long it takes for it to shrink back down.

I also understand your frustration with your OH. I expect DH to take over the burping and diaper changes when he's home since I do it all day in addition to all the feedings. We do deserve some breaks here and there rather then being expected to do everything. But my DH just can't seem to wake up in the middle of the night. I get up and nurse Aiden then I ask DH to burp him so I can go use the bathroom. I'll come back and DH will be asleep again with Aiden just laying in the bed next to him. I get so irritated with DH at night over that kind of stuff.

Lauren, I thought I would be a nervous wreck when DH went back to work yesterday. Just thinking about it before it happened had me in tears but things actually went well. Granted my mom is still here but I do feel confident in my ability to care for Aiden myself rather then needing to rely on DH for things.

Love the pictures of Beau!!

 

[nuttynicnak]

Gorgeous pics.

I've started giving Charlotte a dummy at night when she won't settle down. Really does seem to help getting her settled for bed. X

 

[linzylou]

Thanks for the insight on pacifiers! I feel better now.

Hayley, sorry to hear about your bad night. Hopefully tonight goes better for you. I definitely think having shifts will make things easier.

Sarah does settle for Seth but if she's extra fussy, he'll bring her to me saying that she's hungry. I know she's not so I'll swaddle her and rock her for 5 mins and she's out. I feel like he just doesn't make the effort sometimes, or he'll try one thing (bouncing her while watching TV) and if that doesn't work he gives up and passes her off to me. I don't even try to get him up at night or even early in the morning anymore because he's half asleep and fights me or makes excuses. Breastfeeding doesn't help because he just says, "You're up feeding anyway her so why don't you do it?" We've had a grumpy past few days so I'm not exactly thinking of all the things he does do (which is a lot), but it's tough sometimes.

I do think the Colic Calm is helping Sarah. It takes about 30 mins but she seems to feel better afterwards and is able to poo and pass gas without so much effort. I was glad that I didn't have to use it last night, though.

Lauren, hopefully you were able to take advantage of the extra sleep! Beau is gorgeous. She looks so big and healthy! Is her hair getting longer? Sarah's starting to grow a mullet, unfortunately. It's short in the front but long in the back. The nurses said her hair would probably fall out and grow back in but it hasn't yet, and it keeps getting lighter. It looks almost red in the sunlight.

As for me...
Since we're self-pay, I plan to see if the anesthesiologist will offer a discount on the bill. My OB and the hospital did so it's worth a shot. I just think it's funny that I paid my OB $2,500 for 9 months of care and am paying the anesthesiologist the same amount for 15 minutes. That's where the money is at!

I co-sleep in the same position as Brittany. I'm usually on my side and she's either on her side facing me, or on her back. I've been trying not to co-sleep anymore because she really is a noisy sleeper (it's bad enough when she's in her bassinet next to the bed) and it wakes me up every few minutes. I still bring her into bed with me first thing in the morning for cuddles, though.

Last night was good and bad. I shouldn't have said that her growth spurt was over because she cluster-fed from 6:30-9:00 last night. I literally could not leave the couch for more than 15 mins at a time and wanted to rip out my hair by the end. Every time I thought she was done, she would start fussing and rooting around all over again. The good part is, she slept from 9pm-1am, 1:30-4:30, 4:45-7:00, and finally 7:15-9:30.

I got up by myself at 6:30 and sat on the patio while eating a bowl of ice cream for breakfast. Best morning yet.

No updates from Sarah yet?!

 

[MrsHippo]

I am still eagerly waiting to hear from Sarah too!! Hope she is ok.

Beau's hair does seem to be getting longer at the back. I have also been told by people that her hair might fall out and grow back or it will turn light ect ect.... but it might not! I think her hair will stay dark. She has dark hairs on her arms too bless her.

Defo worth trying to bring that price down, you won't be losing anything

 

[I Love Lucy]

I've anxiously been waiting for news on Sarah too. Hope everything is going well for her.

 

[MrsHippo]

If you haven't already seen on Facebook, Sarah had a little girl )

 

[LiverpoolLass]

Sarah - CONGRATULATIONS!!! I had a last minute feeling that your baby was a girl! Awwwwwww!!! I'm so pleased for you!! Can't wait to see pics of little Isabelle and hear about the birth, weight, etc!

Lauren - Aww glad Beau had a better night. Do you think she's settling into a routine?

Yeah, I really think we're not doing it sensibly as we're both getting up with Tyne when he wakes up - we need to start taking it in turns so that one of us is getting sleep at least.

Tyne is definitely a Mummys boy!! He cries SO much whenever Jon changes him or tries to settle him, but as soon as I do it he stops!!

I actually am finding it easier with Jon being at work! It seems to make it easier when its just you doing things, I think its just a "Too many cooks" thing - when there are two of you sharing the tasks I find it gets confusing to know whats been done and what needs doing, whereas this week its just me so I know whats been sterilised, how many bottles are ready, what time his next feed is due so I can prepare it in plenty of time so he's not crying for it, I know where I've put everything so when he needs changing I can go straight to what I need without wondering where Jon put the nappies etc etc!
Its definitely more straightforward! And Tyne sleeps all day long - so he literally only wakes for a feed and a change, which means for the rest of the time I can chill out!

You'll be fine when Adam goes back to work. I think the thought of it is much scarier than the reality!

Aww lovely pics of Beau! I love the first one especially, they look so different when they're awake don't they?!!

My niece's hair was as dark as Beau's when she was a baby, she's 5 now and its sort of between dark blonde and light brown. But her parents are both blonde....you're very dark aren't you? If so, chances are Beau will stay dark! I think she might do as she looks like she has quite dark colouring.

Brittany - I think it takes up to 6 weeks for the uterus to contract back down to normal. They say here to go for your post natal at 6 weeks post partum because thats when everything should be pretty much back to normal again.

Yeah Jon is the same, he just can't seem to function of a night once you wake him. I'm not saying I'm much better at it myself, but I'm definitely more patient after being woken than he is!

I hope little Aiden is doing well!

Lindsey - Yeah I know what you mean Like you said, I'm sure we're just not thinking about the things our OHs DO for us and the babies and I know its hard on them too, but I do think he just doesn't try as hard as he could do sometimes. But then I guess I'm my own worst enemy coz most of the time I'll see that he's doing something wrong or not in the way I would do it, so I'll just take over and do it for him to save time - I really need to stop that.

Aww I'm glad the Colic Calm is helping Sarah! Hope she's doing well

Tyne is growing a little mullet too lol. Its getting REALLY long at the back!!!

I hope you're able to get some sort of deal on that bill!

Sarah's sleep pattern the night before last sounded great! I hope she keeps that up for you!

Ice cream for breakfast?! lol!

AFM - we had a much better night with Tyne last night. We went up with him at around 1.30 am after his feed. He woke up at 3.30 and 5.10 for feeds but went straight back to sleep after them - then we woke for a feed again at 6.30 am and afterwards I laid him next to us in bed, and he slept until 11.30 am!!!! Straight through! I couldn't believe it!!

Since then I've bathed him, and got him dressed and he's zonked straight back out again! Tried to give him a feed but he's just not interested, he's out for the count! :/

At least I feel slightly more human though after getting some decent sleep!

I'm feeling really fed up though appearance-wise - I make sure I get dressed and put my make up on every morning incase we get unexpected visitors, but I feel like my skin is a mess, my hair needs washing again and I don't know when I'll get the chance to do it, and I am DISGUSTED by the stretchmarks on my stomach which seem to have appeared from nowhere as I didn't have anywhere near this many when I was pregnant! :/ They must have appeared as my stomach has shrunk back down but seriously - there are about 20 of them, they are disgusting.
I had a big whinge last night about how I'll never be able to wear a bikini again

I want to go and treat myself to a facial and a spray tan but I feel like I'd be too embarrassed to let a beauty therapist see my stomach in this state!! Plus I'm not sure if I'm allowed to get a spray tan because of my scar?!

Random question - Does anybody know when a babies eyes can change colour?! I know they're all born with blue eyes and they can change, but I have no idea when they would change if they're going to!
I'm curious about Tyne's eye colour as I have blue eyes and Jon has brown - I want to know what colour they're going to be lol.

 

[MrsHippo]

Huge post from you today Hayley

I am sure I will settle in to a routine of my own once Adam is back at work. The health visitor came today and she said its like starting a new job - everything is new, you don't know quite what your doing and have days where you feel like giving up and walking out but you soon get used to it and eventually it just becomes second nature.

Adam and I don't have any problems sharing the work, all bottles get cleaned and sterilised in the morning then boiled water is put in to the bottles and left on the side for her feeds throughout the day, just a case of adding the powder and warming up. Nappy changes we seem to take in turns and everything is always in her changing bag which is close by. Once her nappies are running low in her bag I will just top them up, same with wipes and cotton wool ect. Then once either one feeds her we tell one another what time it was and when we think she'll be due another. So we haven't had any problems whatsoever. Think that's why I'm worried once he is back to work... I will all of a sudden have to do everything rather than it being shared.

As for their eyes, they actually change over the course of about a year. So you will probably notice them changing over the next couple of months but they are likely to keep changing for a while. To predict the colour you have to look at the colour of yours, jon's, your parents and his parents. Say if everyone had blue eyes he would most likely keep his, if the majority is brown then they will most likely be brown. If however, it's half and half, brown is the more dominant colour so chances are they will be brown. If any of that made sense lol? You can look it up online if my version doesnt

We had a good night last night, put Beau to bed around 9:30 but as usual she takes a while to settle so we had her up a few times for feeds ect but as soon as she starts falling asleep we pop her back in to bed. Last time she was up was about 11:30 so we went to bed with her. She slept through until about 3/3:30, up again at 6 then I actually got up to an alarm at 8:45 and she woke about 9. So I think she did really well. Well, I nearly ruined that by getting up in my sleep thinking she needed feeding so was up with the kettle on and Adam come in to me like 'what you doing' lol. I knew I was up and what I was doing but had no reason to be doing it. She was only fed shortly before and was fast asleep!!

I have been super tired today and have slept on and off for the majority of it. My stomach is achy too. Think it might be because we went in to town yesterday for a couple of hours. Most walking around I've done since the op then was up doing housework this morning.
I am still bleeding too, some days it's really light and others it's really heavy. Driving me mad. The health visitor said I will be due a period between week 4 and 6. If I was bf constantly then I wouldn't have one, I only express once or twice a day. But at the moment I cant see the end of this bleeding!

Hayley, you should be fine going for the spray tan as long as you keep the scar covered up. I can't imagine washing it off afterwards causing problems either. When did the other stretch marks appear? I don't have any. My belly button looks a little strange, the area around it looks dark and I still have that brown line. Belly seems to be going down ever so slowly too but I hate how it hangs over at the front! I'm hoping that it doesn't take much longer to short itself out.
Oh and don't get me started on hair! I only went and lost my hair brush, found it yesterday (had been out to buy another a couple of times but forgot!) but from the day I went in to labour until yesterday morning I hadn't been able to brush my hair!! :O I still washed it a couple of times but just had to wrap it up in a bun to hide the mess.... So ashamed lol

 

[doggylover]

Hi ladies! Sorry I haven't had a chance to catch up but I hope all is well with each of you- and your babies! Now I can join the club and what a surprise for everyone I think that we turned out Simon and I almost died of shock!!!

Thought I'd share a few details about Isabelle's birth with you- some good and some not so great!

Tuesday we went for induction and I was 1cm dilated and high and firm. I got my pessary and by about 7pm I was having regular 'tightenings' which were about 2mins apart and lasting 40secs. Had a bath and they eased off so I got a little sleep. Wednesday morning we were moved to delivery so I could be started on a drip. Check said I was less than 2cm and still high and firm so they started my drip, and after some discussion they also ruptured my waters at around 10am. By 12 I was having regular contractions that were bad enough that at 1pm I started on gas and air (flipping heck that stuff is strong!) it only helped a certain amount though and I was gagging for my next cervix check at 2.30pm- if I was 3cm I could have an epidural, if I was 4cm I could have remifentinal (which is like pethadine but wears off after 2mins) I was 4cm so opted for remi, and good god it was amazing!!!!! Just totally sent me to sleep during each contraction and then between each I was normal(ish!) checked again at 4pm as I started to feel the urge to push and in that 1.5hr I had gone the whole way to 10cm!! So I started some pushing but not much happened. I kept going but Izzy's heart rate started to drop so in a flash the room filled with drs, neonatal nurses and more midwives. Decision was taken that I needed episiotomy and she needed ventouse to get out. Most scary time of my life as Simon and I were just so confused about what was happening, and I was terrified as before that it had all gone so smoothly. Drs were excellent though and we got her out at 5.54pm. She had some oxygen and I literally collapsed. I was just lying on the bed totally out of it as I lost quite a bit of blood. Delivered placenta etc but was still totally out of it, and only starts ed to come round when she was eventually given to me after 45mins (Simon had her before that) I was stitched up and eventually felt much better.

Or so I thought! At about 8.30pm the midwife took me to the shower, where I promptly passed out in a pool of water mingled with my own blood then after 5 mins they managed to get me up, and I fainted again and came round in recovery position vomiting. Two more attempts to get me up failed and ended up with me passing out again until four midwives eventually basically threw me onto the bed.

Turns out my iron is so low I need a transfusion- which I've been having all day, and that's why. So i can't get out of bed myself- have to get help everytime I need to pee, can't get up to get Isabelle from her cot it get any of my things so its been tough going when Simon hasn't been able to be here.

Overall she is doing perfectly though and feeing like a champ! She's super greedy! But I'm happy with that as I have to start more antibiotics which may not be suitable for breast feeding so trying to get as much into her as possible now just in case we end up having to stop.

She is currently asleep on my chest as good as gold! Long may it last! Love to all!

 

[MrsHippo]

Aww Sarah so sorry you had a rough time with the iron levels. Hopefully the transfusion will make you feel much better!! Congratulations on the birth of your little GIRL though how sweet, can't wait to see photos of her. How much does she weigh? Xx

 

[doggylover]

She weighed 7lb 10oz so not as huge as was predicted! She's actually too little for the size one nappies and clothes, but I know she'll grow ASAP so not too worried! Especially with all the eating she's doing!

 

[I Love Lucy]

Congratulations Sarah!! I guess my theory about the overdue babies being boys was wrong. Glad Isabelle arrived safely and that you're doing okay. My iron ended up a bit low after delivery too but not low enough to need a transfusion. I remember the nurses taking me to use the bathroom after I was all stitched up and I was feeling so nauseated then I got really dizzy and almost passed out. When I recovered the nurses were telling me how calm I was which I was glad to hear for DH's sake. After I got the epi I was shaking uncontrollably, I guess the shaking is a side effect, but that really freaked DH out. I can only imagine how worried he would be if I actually passed out.

Anyways, I think Aiden is going through a growth spurt. He's been wanting to nurse nonstop the past couple of days. I'll feed him put him in his bed and the second I put him down he'll wake up and start screaming like he's starving. He did have a decent stretch of time last night where he wasn't up but we let him sleep with us so I think that's the only reason I wasn't up all night. This has definitely been exhausting. I woke up today wishing I wasn't a mom so that I could go somewhere far away where there wasn't anyone depending on me. I know a lot of these feelings are due to sleep deprivation and hormones but it's hard not to feel overwhelmed when he's like this.

I think I want to start pumping but I'm not quite sure how to go about it. Do y'all pump after feeds or do you do it in between feeds. I feel clueless.

 

[LiverpoolLass]

Lauren - lol! I tend to write posts in stages these days! I start them one evening and they end up not being finished and posted for about 24 hours so I just keep coming back and adding to them when I get a minute free! lol.

I'm just REALLY obsessive compulsive so I prefer to do things on my own, my own way - I'm the same with everything. Housework, cooking, etc. I like to just be left to get on with things myself! If people try to help me I find it more of a pain!
Jons way of doing things is different to mine - like for example, if the wipes in his changing bag run out I will go and get more and replace them RIGHT away so that I know its done. I can't relax until I know that job is done.
But he won't - he'll just "remember" to do it later. Which doesn't help me, coz in the meantime I'll have started to change the baby and then realise halfway through that there are no wipes in the bag! It just annoys me too much - I'd much rather do it all myself! That way I know everything is where I like it, how I like it, etc lol.

Wow I didn't realise the eyes could take a year to change colour! I assumed it would be over the course of a few weeks!
My families eyes are all blue, Jon says his parents had blue eyes too but he and his brother both have brown eyes. So chances are Tyne's may stay blue, but I'm interested to see! They are VERY dark blue at the moment, much darker than mine.

I hope you're feeling better today? I know what you mean, I have found the bleeding to be the worst part of the whole birth thing! Its just been so much heavier than I thought and so unpredictable! I keep thinking its stopped and then it hasnt!

Mine did stop for a day this week, and then started again much redder and thinner - my midwife said to count this as a period. She said I may not have ovulated but its better to count it as a period so that I know where I am with keeping tabs on my cycle getting back to normal.

Sarah - Massive congratultions!!! I'm so pleased Isabelle is finally here and is healthy!! She's so cute!
Lovely weight too, see...not the mahoosive baby you were thinking at all!!!! Yay!!!!
Your birth sounds quite traumatic, bless you! Must have been so scary for you and Simon with fainting etc! :/ I'm glad you're doing better now, are you still in hospital?

Hope you're having lots of lovely baby cuddles and are feeling well!

Brittany - Aww Brittany, I think these days are going to come and go for all of us when we find ourselves wanting a little break from the whole "Mummy" thing just to be able to have a rest! It is hard going not getting enough sleep and having a little person to care for!!!

Hopefully you can catch up on sleep when Aiden sleeps today and will feel better!

I can't help with the feeding I'm afraid, but hopefully Lauren will be able to help as she expresses I think.

AFM had another better night with Tyne. He woke up at about 5 am, and about 7 am for a feed - then I did my usual thing of putting him in with us for cuddles after his 7 am feed, and he slept again until around 11am!! I could get used to that routine lol.

I have been feeling really tired and run down today though, luckily Jon was off work so I have had a day of pure rest!!! He has looked after Tyne all day while I have slept, so I'm feeling a bit more human now.
My nice peaceful was almost ruined as we had two lots of visitors call in, but I just had Jon tell them I was asleep and he wasnt waking me up!!! I'm OVER visitors just dropping in unannounced all the time, I can't be bothered anymore!!!