June Dragonflies 2016 Babies and Beyond!

[Rhi_Rhi1]

Wow. I always forget how much younger Alice is compared to the eldest of the "June" babies ! =) so very exciting ! We haven't even had first jabs yet. They are scheduled for next week. She is still hit and miss with sleep and no routine to speak of. Just taking each day as it comes =) still breastfeeding almost exclusively minus one bottle a day. Which is a combination of making sure she knows how to use one (for when the time comes) and to attempt to stretch the night out; again it's hit and miss. The kids have mostly occupied themselves this summer tbh as I have been busy with the baby. We were supposed to go away on a last minute trip to Norfolk this week as my husband had the week off work but quite typically the head gasket on my car went =/ and the cost of repair was/is higher than the value of my car. So that's been "fun" bloody thing had a 300 pound mot a month ago. Cars eh. Not much else to mention .... viewed a nursery for the youngest boy today in preparation for him turning three in Feb (I like to get ahead) it followed a Reggio learning method which is apparently very similar to the Montessori style. =) was amazing but can't decide between that and one that had an acre of play space!! I dno what features are most important tbh!

 

[AngelofTroy]

She loves that toy, it's a 'wooden mirror carousel' and they're ridiculously expensive because they are only available from specialist retailers for special needs equipment/toys. I searched them and they retail for £70! I work with kids with SEN and I was lucky that a family passed on some of their toys when my son was a baby. I hate how the label SEN makes all sorts of things quadruple in price.

 

[Starlight32]

I think her hair is coming in lighter like more of a reddish brown than darker brown.

Becy, I have to be super quiet because she's in my room. It's stressful at times. I can't use the master bathroom! I just use the hall one though.

Angel, that toy looks awesome. What's SEN?

Rhi, any other differences in the schools?

 

[Boo44]

Arthur is almost entirely bald! he still has very blue eyes and Jack and Fred have brown eyes. I'm also wondering if he's going to be white blonde for a while

I always think it's a shame you never know what colour hair they'll have no matter what they're like as a baby or toddler. Kids hair changes colour all the time! Last year when Freddie was 1 he had very very blonde hair and brown eyes. This year at only 2.5 he's got dark brown hair! It hasn't lightened in the sun at all. He's obviously going to be quite dark as his eyes are very dark. But this time last year I thought I had a blondie!

Am actually really excited for next Friday and the big room move around now! I remember moving my eldest out of our room at 8 weeks and him sleeping loads better. I really hope Arthur has more peace once he's moved xx

 

[AngelofTroy]

SEN = Special Educational Needs

Juni is going blonde and her eyes are very blue still. I have blonde hair and blue eyes so maybe she'll be like me? DS had dark brown eyes and dark hair at her age. His eyes are a deep chocolate brown at nearly 4 but he is now very blond!

 

[Dory85]

We'll be keeping G in with is until at least 6 months as per SIDS guidelines. I think the theory behind it is that baby disturbs mum, making her more aware if there were any problems and parents disturb baby which prevents baby getting into a deep enough sleep where they are more likely to stop breathing than if they were in light sleep.

Sophie and G were both born with black hair and now both have dark brown (not as dark as me). Aaron had white tennis ball fuzz when he was born and is still a little blonde at 2 years old. His dad was blonde when he was younger too so that's where that's come from.

 

[Dory85]

I enquired about a new job in a prison today. Suddenly the realisation that I will be going back to work has hit me!

 

[Lil_Pixie]

We did blw with Xander at 6 months too. When georgia is 6 months she'll only be 4 months corrected so I'm torn between starting purees at 6 months or delaying weaning till 7ish months and doing blw. We have Georgia's review with her neonatal doctor next month so I'll ask then.

I've read that preemies can be anaemic because their iron stores deplete but she is on daily iron so we may be able to put weaning off long enough to start on regular family food.

She'll be in our room till at least 6 months. I have anxiety and obtrusive thoughts and panic attacks. I can't bear to break the rules even in a sleeping bag, in her crib which she pretty much fills now I'll wake her just to move her the two inches a Down from head at the top to feet-to-foot

4m sleep regression kicked my arse with Xander. He woke every 45 mins for months. I so so hope that doesn't happen again!

We went to the beach today - I drove the 90 minute journey on the motorway!! I've had my licence since last October but had never been on the motorway till this last week or so and I'd only bobbed on for one or two junctions. I followed my sister and my mum drove behind me lol but I'm really proud of myself! I'd built it up so much I was terrified but it was just fine 4 adults and 9 kids at the beach and that was fine too! Xander's behaviour was outstanding all day I'm so proud of him!

 

[Boo44]

Well done on the drive pixie that's brilliant! And well done Xander too

You know, Arthur was only like one week LESS premature than Georgia and yet we have had literally no input at all from neonatology or paeds or anything. I often read your updates and feel that you are really well supported as far as advice on how prematurity might affect Georgia or alter what you can expect from her milestones etc. I just feel like Arthur has been treated as a term baby from day one and it's always me pointing out to midwives etc that he was 5 weeks early. I had to ask them to work out corrected age centiles etc when he was weighed. And they have given me no advice on weaning. I do know that I definitely won't push weaning early because he's prem, but I have nobody to actually advise me on that. Hmmm.

ETA - I know we were very lucky with Arthur that despite being a PPROM 35 weeker he didn't need even a single day in the neonatal unit, and was 6lb 3oz so a good size. But to me he's still a 35 weeker and should have had a bit more input than he did

 

[Lil_Pixie]

Boo it is really strange! I'm not sure if that is because she was born at 33 weeks or because she was in neonatal intensive care? Like if she'd been born healthy and gone straight to SCBU would she still have that support? I suppose there's a fairly big difference between how a baby manages between 33 and 35 weeks. We were told if we could just get to 34 there's a chance she'd be able to feed and breathe on her own from birth. We were only 4 days under that but she couldn't breathe without support, couldn't maintain her temp and couldn't feed at all.

If she hadn't have been born with sepsis perhaps she'd have skipped all that who knows?

Did Arthur have a Dr looking after him in hospital? You would think they'd follow up and make sure he's doing well!

 

[Lil_Pixie]

I agree. You should still have been told what to expect with his development etc and he should have his age corrected for things like development checks and weigh ins. We had to get the HV to adjust for weight centiles too because they didn't do it.

And if premature babies need to be on supplements surely that should count for Arthur too? I'm sure Georgia Lauren has daily supplements?

It doesn't seem like you've been very well supported perhaps it's a bit of a postcode lottery? I heard the neonatal nurses preparing for a 35 weeker while we were in hospital so it was definitely taken seriously in our neonatal unit.

 

[Dory85]

Well done on the drive pixie that's brilliant! And well done Xander too

You know, Arthur was only like one week LESS premature than Georgia and yet we have had literally no input at all from neonatology or paeds or anything. I often read your updates and feel that you are really well supported as far as advice on how prematurity might affect Georgia or alter what you can expect from her milestones etc. I just feel like Arthur has been treated as a term baby from day one and it's always me pointing out to midwives etc that he was 5 weeks early. I had to ask them to work out corrected age centiles etc when he was weighed. And they have given me no advice on weaning. I do know that I definitely won't push weaning early because he's prem, but I have nobody to actually advise me on that. Hmmm.

ETA - I know we were very lucky with Arthur that despite being a PPROM 35 weeker he didn't need even a single day in the neonatal unit, and was 6lb 3oz so a good size. But to me he's still a 35 weeker and should have had a bit more input than he did

I've felt massively unsupported and wonder if it what has contributed to me getting PND. I was discharged from the midwives before she was even thinking about home and the hv did her check 18 hours after she was discharged then didn't even bother doing her 8 week check things (the gp had to ring her up to ask her why not).

She was discharged on supplements because she was so early but I was given no explanation of how long for and had to ask at her 8 week check.

Georgia actually spent longer in SCBU than the majority of healthy 34 weekers because of feeding and not being able to regulate her temperature never mind the fact she was nearly rushed to another hospital for an exchange transfusion. It makes me so angry.

I imagine the follow up Pixie is having is because Georgia Florence was born before 34 weeks as if you go into labour after 34 weeks they let it happen. Before this they normally try to stop it.

The only thing I've ever been told about preemies is that born before 32 weeks they correct their weight for 2 years, otherwise it's only for a year and preemies can be corrected for milestones for up to 2 years if needed. Then they should have caught up.

 

[Dory85]

I think supplements depend on gestation and how you are feeding.
I know G is on a double dose than other preemies because I am breastfeeding. I wonder if that is a gestation thing too because I have a friend from the same hospital and their ebf preemie wasn't given supplements either.

 

[Boo44]

Yes no supplements here. Just nothing. In fact on day 5 at his first weigh in (we'd been home only one day) when he'd lost 9.5% and my nipples were bleeding and excruciating, they gave me not one piece of advice on basically anything at all. Just said oh good he's lost less than 10% keep going! Meanwhile forgetting he was still not even 36 weeks gestational age and was struggling to get his mouth wide enough to latch! Grr. Am still mad about that. Thankfully he wasn't my first and I knew who to ask about latch and they advised me to pump and supplement and we managed not to get a seriously dehydrated preemie. In fact now I'm thinking about it, perhaps I should write to them and outline how I think I was overlooked back then!

 

[Starlight32]

Pixie, great job driving (I hate driving!). Sounds like a nice day.

H went to sleep for the night the first time ever without rocking or nursing to sleep. I put her in her big crib (in her room) with music while I got myself ready for bed. I heard her start fussing so I went over, held her, and did a before bedtime diaper change. Put her back in the crib while I continued getting myself ready for bed and she didn't cry/fuss. I come back a few minutes later and she's asleep! Of course I had to move her to her mini crib in our room but she stayed sleeping during that and is still sleeping so far...

 

[Lil_Pixie]

Dory the dose of supplements was never mentioned - what is Georgia Lauren on? Georgia Florence has 0.6ml of abidec and 1ml of iron daily, and 2ml of folic acid weekly.

I do think they have standard care depending on gestation because I know Georgia had to have chest xrays to make sure her lungs weren't collapsing but she was 3 days over the age to need brain scans.

I suppose the care they needed in hospital must have an impact too. For example georgia had the neonatal outreach team visit 4 or 5 times after discharge. They visit every baby discharged from the neonatal unit but I don't know if that's just NICU or SCBU too. If a baby was born 35/36 weeks and never left the postnatal ward it makes sense that they wouldn't be referred to neonatal outreach, but I think in those cases midwives should maybe offer extra care and perhaps not sign baby off until term? Out mw signed us off before discharge because G would be in the care of the neonatal team. Georgia Lauren was in hospital for a long time so I think she definitely should have had more support in terms of home visits etc

The Dr George has her follow up with is the senior Dr that was present at her birth. . . Just the person I NEVER want to see again I'd like to think any strangers that are present at birth would just fall into a hole never to be seen again

I do think the care we had both in hospital and after discharge has been outstanding and I'm very grateful for that. I assume after this review she will be completely signed off but we've certainly been well taken care of.

 

[mum22ttc#3]

I know it's asked a lot but how many ozs and how many bottles are your little ones having?

Arthur has now dropped another bottle which I'm not sure is right for his age? He now only has 4 bottles- a 7oz bottle at about 4.30am, two 6oz bottles, one around mid morning and one mid afternoon and then another 7oz bottle anywhere from around 7-9 pm. It works it roughly 26oz a day but he was taking 30 plus only two weeks or so ago so he has definitely dropped.

I wasn't going to take him again for weigh in for another few weeks but I'm not sure if I should take him earlier now? TIA

 

[Becyboo__x]

Sydney has 6oz and varies on how many but usually goes every 5 hours sometimes has a 4oz one in between but that's rare ..

Sounds about right to me guidelines are 5oz 5 times a day for 2 month and 6oz 5 times a day for 3 months but obviously that's only a guide on the tubs .. I just let Sydney have whatever she wants more or less I suppose

 

[AngelofTroy]

Dory the dose of supplements was never mentioned - what is Georgia Lauren on? Georgia Florence has 0.6ml of abidec and 1ml of iron daily, and 2ml of folic acid weekly.

I do think they have standard care depending on gestation because I know Georgia had to have chest xrays to make sure her lungs weren't collapsing but she was 3 days over the age to need brain scans.

I suppose the care they needed in hospital must have an impact too. For example georgia had the neonatal outreach team visit 4 or 5 times after discharge. They visit every baby discharged from the neonatal unit but I don't know if that's just NICU or SCBU too. If a baby was born 35/36 weeks and never left the postnatal ward it makes sense that they wouldn't be referred to neonatal outreach, but I think in those cases midwives should maybe offer extra care and perhaps not sign baby off until term? Out mw signed us off before discharge because G would be in the care of the neonatal team. Georgia Lauren was in hospital for a long time so I think she definitely should have had more support in terms of home visits etc

The Dr George has her follow up with is the senior Dr that was present at her birth. . . Just the person I NEVER want to see again I'd like to think any strangers that are present at birth would just fall into a hole never to be seen again

I do think the care we had both in hospital and after discharge has been outstanding and I'm very grateful for that. I assume after this review she will be completely signed off but we've certainly been well taken care of.

It does sound like the postnatal care you've both had has been really good. Juni was term but was in NICU with sepsis and we had no follow up care or even any discharge letter or information given when we were discharged, so when we ended up in a&e 48 hours later we had no information to give to the children's hospital. She was there for 24 hours and in the first hospital for a week but they both missed the heart murmur picked up by the GP

 

[Squig34]

Great update Pixie!

Good news Starlight

Dory, did you go to see your GP to discuss PND?

More cute photos!

We had quite a disturbed night so i'M sitting here still in pjs while Róise (who is washed & dressed) sleeps on me. Lovely weather out but I can't go out! Plus I need to do chores before some friends come over at 2 to visit the baby. We're supposed to go to a housewarming tonight but I just don't think I'll go - I think it will disrupt Róise's sleep too much. DH can go alone if he wants! We had a lovely family day out on Thursday.

Oh, AF strated on Thursday too. She was earlier than I expected so I'm not sure if I go my ovulation date wrong, or I just had a short luteal phase. If the latter, I hope it's a one-off!