Never thought I'd be posting in here

[dizz]

I just laugh at how I sobbed in terror the first time I bought newborn sized clothes and nappies at how small they were - and now they seem MASSIVE!

Not a great night - she's cried and refused to settle unless held all night - I don't know if it's the change in environment, or not being in a clear-sided cot, or not being in somewhere set with heating at sauna levels or what - but she's really struggled with it all (course sods law is she's settled and is zonked out now). If anything though with the food thing she's become like a bottomless pit - constantly hungry which is really hard going when you're trying to pump and anticipate what she'll be wanting when.

Waiting to see if a midwife materialises - been told two different things about if they'll come out or not (something to do with me being beyond my 10 days or something - but the ward staff reckoned she'd come out anyway)... neo-natal called and said they don't want her to come in for a follow-up appointment (wondering if they're just glad to be shot of me lol) so I'm taking that as a good sign!

 

[SabrinaKat]

The first few nights are hard! I held my LO most of the time for the first few weeks, as I felt so guilty (he had good treatment in NICU) as he came early due to my pre-eclampsia, and I have read that you can't spoil newborns by constant cuddles and attention!

Also, remember LO's chronological versus adjusted age and being awake at night is normal as well -- it's only in the last week at 11+wks (and only for me, not when Daddy takes him) that my LO is sleeping 5-6 hours at night (last night feed at 12:45am, first feed this am 6:15 am, altho I woke up at 3.30 and only dozed just in case!).

Try and get some sleep yourself and if you have any worries, call your GP -- probably nothing, but it is scary those first few days/weeks as suddenly after all the frustration of NICU, they're HOME!

best wishes

ps. our district nurse DID come (LO in NICU 13 days), she came on the following Monday after Thursday exit as she wanted us to have some time to relax a little with baby (and therefore, we could ask good questions, etc.)

 

[dizz]

Yeah we've just had both the midwife and health visitor arriving together - bless 'em they both needed to come but didn't want a constant stream of intrusions and wanted us to be able to get out of the house rather than being stuck in (shame I'm waiting on kiddicare coming anyway!)... HV seems very pleasant and relatively un-yoghurt-knitty and they've mentioned getting the breastfeeding support woman out if I need it (although she IS distinctly yoghurt-knitty - met her at ante-natal classes before).

She just wouldn't settle at all last night unless being held - made the night rather long (hubby as predicted cracked by about midnight lol)... has settled a bit more today in her carrycot downstairs so I'm hoping the change of environment is settling down a bit more - with the delays thye had in discharging her yesterday it was chaos by the time we got home last night.

 

[emaritska]

Glad she is settling in hun xxxxx

 

[vermeil]

Well what helped for me the first few nights is to have a bit of background sound - in our case the radio, and the lights on at dim. That`s what he was used to after all! And as odd as it sounds, the smell of hand sanitizer really soothed him, it`s what we would slather on our hands before touching him so I guess it`s the smell he associated to comfort.. poor little guy.

Glad to hear she is doing well overall!