Premmie Mums #2

Hi girls,
Bel, Bec and Racs, thanks for asking about the paed visit. Sorry it has taken me a bit to get back to you. I have been feeling really low lately and then felt worse knowing that Ivy is not a very well baby at all and that her reflux is very serious. I was blasted by the paed for not insisting that Ivy be put in hospital after the last bleed (stupid, stupid me, I should have just jumped up and down in the first place). Her reflux has gotten to such a state that it has caused her oesophagus to break down, causing small 'breaks' in the tissue, which is causing the bleeding. She has been put on Losec and Zantac to get it under control and that is not going well at the moment. The other thing is that her pneumonia was almost definately caused by aspiration of vomit. This is not very comforting, as it can be a cause for apnoeas and increases the risk of SIDS, which I already have a terrible fear of. She suggested that perhaps this was the reason for her constant waking in the night, that she is having apnoeic episodes and that when her body kicks in, she is startled. It's all very stressful.
Her ears are looking good, her chest is clearing. Her weight gain is ok, despite everything. She said that she seemed a little 'floppy' for her adjusted age. I felt so totally terrible when I left. Noah is going ahead in leaps and bounds though, so that is one good thing.

We had one day off and then we had to go for the first developmental assessment. Again, Noah is going quite well, to his adjusted age, reaching all of his milestones etc.
Ivy, they reckon is about another two months behind. She is floppier, doesn't vocalise as much and holds her body in a way that is not condusive to rolling/sitting etc.
They enrolled us in a baby group, which is good and they have given us a corner chair to sit her in, to encourage her to bring her shoulders and arms more around to the front, so that she can grasp toys. I don't know about these assessments. I am happy that we can do things though to improve her development, if it is indeed lacking.

I have spent the last few days blaming myself and not sleeping and stressing out. Last night and this morning I talked to Dave about everything and feel a bit better.
The paed said she is happy to take the babies on but it is such a long way to travel and the girls only need to see her once or twice a year now. The afternoon we got home, JHH NICU called to see how they were going. When I told them everything, they were cross too and felt that they both needed closer follow up. Hadn't I just been saying that for the last fortnight? Anyhow, they gave me a few names and now the Clinical nurse Specialist wants to have a meeting with us to outline all the follow up we SHOULD be having, especially with young Ivy.
I have to laugh. Before when things were really serious for me I couldn't get any help and now I have people offering it to me on a silver platter!!!
It doesn't matter. I will choose a paed up here, I think and just go from there.

Thanks for listening

Tiff and Jess my heart and prayers go out to u, ur families and mostly to ur little treasures - Ivy, Noah and Pat. I so hope things improve soon for u all and that ur bubs are soon home and healthy :hugs:

Tiff,
Don't stress too much about those 'developmental' milestones. I had the same thing that one twin was always behind. he was my sickkie as well. Their poor bodies just can't grow, get better as well as reach milestones all at the same time. I found that with time my sickkie caught up once his health issues were more under control. I thought that we were going good, and after every MCHC nurse visit, or doctors visit, they would find some other medical thing that we had to worry about, and put us back to square one.
In hindsight (such a wonderful thing) he was doing great, and so were we. It just that those damm charts etc that they compare all babies too were getting in the way. Those milestones that they talk of are for full term, singlton, well, children. Not prem, twin, and sick kiddos. You are doing a fantastic job with your twinnies and don't you ever doubt yourself !!!! Who cares if they cant grasp a toy when other babies are suppose to - she will get there when she is good and ready!
My twinnies are now 3 1/2 and I was still paranoid that he wasn't meeting milestones as the docs were doubting him, even though I knew that he wasn't. So I got him tested by a psych at the RCH. Guess what!!! He is exactly reaching the milestones for his age. So screw you docs who doubted that he was, and screw you docs that doubted me and my maternal instict.

As long as she is happy and secure- the rest will come with time

I have a friend who has 18 month old twins(boy and a girl), and her daughter was the smaller of the two, always sick, and "behind" in her developement milestones. They were born at 35w. It seems to be the way with twin, evetually they catch up, and Ivy will get better fingers crossed they get her reflux under control. im :pray: that everything starts looking up for you... dont doubt yourself, ever. You're a good mum :)
And jess, Patrick will be home in no time at all, got some prayers for him too... i know its frustrating, but its better that they're 100% then to take them home and they end up going back... thinking of you both at this stressful time. Just remember to take some time for yourselves, otherwise the stress will get to you.

Hi all,
We got back from Adelaide today. We had a great time...although Kyla was very unsettled in a different house with strange faces all around!
It's taken me ages to catch up on everyone!
Tiff- So sorry to hear of all the troubles that you have had to deal with of late. Poor little Ivy and Noah. I'm glad to hear that Noah is feeling better and hope that Ivy's reflux sorts out with the medication. What a stressful time that you are having.
Nic- How are you?? How did the mother's group go? I hope you both had fun and that you have a good group of people. So happy to hear that Nixon is growing so well!
Rac- Hope you are well - Ronan's last weight gain was great!
Jess- So sorry to hear of all that you are going through atm. I hope that Patrick is home with you very very soon.
Bec- Hi there - great to hear from you!!And wow Joshua sounds like he's going great guns!!
Rae and Trish - Great to have you join us!! Trish - hope your little ones are home soon.

Sorry for the short personals but it has taken so long to catch up - and I need to get an early night!
Kyla is going so well atm. She has started eating her solids now and is opening her mouth for them...YAY - what a break through! She is also rolling lots now.

Hugs to you all

Hi All,

just got back this arvo from Mt Buller (snow) The snow is the worst i have seen it in the 23yrs i have been going.... but we still had fun, mum and dad came too, they go home tomrorow. Nixon was good, he slept well at night and got some pickies in the snow (the friday was sunny and nice outside so took the opportunity)
Carrie- good to hear yoiur back and you had a good time, Hope Kayla is back into her comfy routing again.
Jess- How is Pat going? I'm not sure if he has come home yet or not? we drove past the sign to "Eoroa"!! how far in from the main h'way is it where u live?

last week at mothers group was speaking to one lady who alos has a reflux boy, she was taking him to a chiropractor last week. anyway whilst at the snow i was talking with my friend who is an osteopath, so he did some work on Nixon while we were there, silly me didnt think to see him before this but he is very similar to a chiro, so he is gonna come around once a week to Help nixon.... fingers crossed it works. i was going to say he has been going really well but todays spews have been out of control.

Tiff- so sorry ot hear ivy is still batteling with the reflux as well as being sick, poor girl. i am glad though peopleare finally listening and taking note of whats going on.

Nic- You aren't going to believe me when I say we live aboout 2 minutes from the freeway!!!!!Pat is finally hom and sleeping contently.I reckon he had a bowsel infection when we came home from hospital after he was born because ecerytime he passed wind it smelt like rotten eggs but now it doesn't.

Jess - Thats fantastic that Pat is back home with you! How is he going - is he still unwell at all...or all better?

Jess - that's wonderful news to hear that ur little Pat is home :confetti: - Hope he continues to make fantastic improvements. Take care :)

How r all u mums and bubs going? Just thinking of u all and hoping everyone is well :hug:

Hi Rae,

we are pretty good. Nixon's reflux is very up and down, we have good days and bad days. He is really starting to look big to me now! give him another few weeks and i think he start wearing 000! atleast he has gotten to wear all the 0000 we had, i thought we had to much small stuff but worked out well! But in saying that he has so much 000 that Im dying for him to fit into! He gets weighed again Monday.
How's Ella? Hey i notice your signature your thinking of TTC again!! have you started yet or still thinking about when to?

I'm wondering what sort of age gap I'd like to have between children, for those with more then one or thinking of having another whats your take on it? closer together harder at first but better in the long run? Or better for a bigger gap then No#1 can help out more with new bubs? There was a thing about it on Kerry-ann thismorning!!

Hi Nic :)
i always said i wanted a 3-4 yr gap between kids but now that ella's nearly 1 - i'm missing that 'baby' as she seems so big now..and along with hormones and stuff i've surprsed myself and am actually craving another one! I also look after my Niece 4 days a wk and there's a 2 yr age gap between her and Ella - and they r great friends and ver easy to manage. I also didn't want to be too out of touch with the whole b/f, sleeping, nappies stuff so hopefully within the next few months we'll begin TTC. Id love to be preg by end of yr.

Sorry to hear that Nixon is still struggling with reflux - poor darling. Ella had bad reflux at first and was on Zantac and food thickner, elevated bed...u know the drill. She was very unhappy which is just not in her nature. My community nurse ended up referring us to a local osteopath and after about 3 sessions i noticed a big diference and after 6-8 sessions she was totally cured. He was a miracle worker!!!!She's been a different child ever since - slept through the night 10-13 hrs from then on. i highly recommend them.

Well i'm glad to hear u guys r doing ok. Thanks for the reply :) and i'll speak again soon.

oh glad to hear the osteo was really good for Ella.
Ive just had one session so far last week and he said could take 7-8 before he is noticably different, so we'll keep at it and hope for the better! Today he hasnt been to bad, 2 days ago he was throwing up every few mins! yep he is on Zantac but i dont think enough, gotta go back to gp as its been a few weeks since starting him on it. but she said only give 0.5ml twice a day. it just doesnt seem enough? i know they calculate by weight so wonder what that is, and obviously he has grown since we started it.

My sister has a 21month and 3month old, she had found it hard but seems to cope well and i think they will be great together in a few yrs time. did u take long to fall pg with Ella?

Hi to everyone else hope all are well. Tiff how is Ivy going now?

Nic - we were really very fortunate and fell preg 1st go with Ella, which i was completely surprised about as i'd been told i'd prob have difficulties due to PID. Not too sure if it's gonna be as easy this time round as my cycle is wayyyy off - i think cause i'm still b/f - but we'll just have to wait and see. Keep ur fingers crossed :crossfingers: cause i would just llllloooovvvvveeee to fall preg by end of yr!!!!

Hope u have as much luck with the osteo as had - u won't know urself!!!

hello ladies!
Pat is doing much better still have a bit of a wheeze but that is slowly easing!
I'm feeling a bit apprehensive tonight because I got a letter from the hospital today giving me a date for my tubal ligation. The date is next Thursday the 3rd of August and I have to be there by 7.30am.I am soooooooo scared about it!

Jess - so good to hear about Pat. Hope that wheeze goes quickly! And as for ur tubal ligation - u'll do fine sweety - look what a tough nut u've been getting through all the rough patches u've had with Patty lately! I can imagine u'd be nervous and scared but it'll be over before u know it :hug:

Jess,
I can understand your fear sweetie, They tied my tubes after Ivy and Noah's birth and I am still trying to deal with all the feelings that go along with that.
Hugs to you

Nic - i'd find out about upping Nixon's Zantac measurement.. Ronan is on 1.1mls every 8hrs (so usually every 2nd feed) + thicker and has been on that since leaving the hospital and he never cries in pain and only vomits small amounts.. He's been on the 1.1mls since he was 4kgs..

Jess - That is just fantastic news about Patrick being home.. *hugs*

iluvella - I have my fingers crossed that you fall pregnant first month of trying.. :crossfingers:

Thank Rac :) - i'd love for that to happen!!!! How's little Ronan going?

Hi all,
Nic - I hope the osteo helps with the reflux hon! How great that Nixon's almost in the 000...you'll get to use all of those outfits that you probably bought before he was born!! IKWYM with the 0000 - when I was pregnant I got a few thinking that she'd only be in them for a few weeks but ended up getting heaps of wear out of them!
Jess- So glad to hear that Pat's getting better, what a relief for you. Best of luck with the OP, I hope it all goes smoothly for you :hug:
Rae- How exciting thinking about #2!! I hope it happens soon for you!
I've been thinking about TTC #2 and even got another referral for IVF...but have decided to leave it for a little bit.
I've been on medication for depression for ages and was told I couldn't BF on it with Kyla so am trying to get off of that first...I'm nearly off of it but have found that as a result I've been feeling a bit flat - so hopefully soon my mood will get better and I'll have enough energy to think about #2!
Tiff- Hope you are well sweetie and that Ivy is also ok.

Hi to everyone else!!
PS- we're off to Port Douglas on Sat...yay.

Hi Carrie :)
Yeah we r pretty excited now that we're thinking about a sibling-in-the-making for Ella...i really hope it happens soon too!
Sorry to hear u r feeling a bit flat - hopefully ur hol in Port Douglas will brighten ur mood.
Can u believe our baby girls are almost 1 :eek: - where has the time gone!!!!!

Take care everyone - hope u r all well :hug:

I know! We're having a big party for her and a Baptism as well.

Hey girls :)

A big hi to everyone...sorry it's been a while between posts!

Tiff...how is little Ivy doing? Are you seeing any improvement with the reflux? I hope she is coping ok. Equally as importantly, how are you doing? Your last post sounded like you were beating yourself up after your appointments with the doctors. Please don't blame yourself! I agree wholeheartedly with everything Odette said...you are doing a great job, Ivy is doing a great job and she *will* develop in her own time. Well done to Noah for his great results.

Trish...how is life at home with your gorgeous little men? I hope all is going well with your new, bigger family!

Jess...great to hear that Patrick is on the mend. I will be thinking of you next week with your op.

Nic...I hope the osteopath continues to help Nixon with his reflux. On the topic of TTC...we have started again this month! We would like to have a smallish gap between our children. There are 2 years between me and my sister which has always worked well, so something similar (or a bit smaller) would be nice.

Carrie...good to see you back! Great news re Kyla's eating and rolling! Have a fantastic time in Port Douglas! Ah, nice warm weather! (Oops, that was a lot of !!!!)

Another big hi to all the other mums & bubs...hope everyone is well!

Josh is doing well. He is doing hands and knees crawling mostly now (still does a little bit of commando) and has also started pulling himself up on everything and is spending lots of time standing up against lounges, tables, etc. His two top front teeth finally came through, which has cheered him up no end. And all the crawling is making him hungry and he is eating with gusto! Finally, after 11 months!

Hi all,

Carrie, how long u going to Port Douglas for? have u been before. DH & I went there for our honeymoon, was so nice. You guys will love it! sorry to hear your feeling a bit flat, i bet Kyla's giggly smile picks you back up again each day! Are you going to go to the next melb dinner?
Bec- Whoo Hoo on TTC again! How exciting!! Hope it happens soon for you.

How does everyone feel about TTC again after having a prem? I think when i fall pg again I'm really going to be paranoid that i won't carry full term again. when Nixon was in hospital there was a lady in there with her 3rd boy. all 3 of them had come early and spent time in hosp, i though how did she do it? It would be harder 2nd and 3rd time around when u already have other kids to look after aswell.

Well Nixon is still asleep and gone 5hrs from his last feed @ 6.30am. i keep checking on him but he is just peacefully sleeping!

DH surprised me and took me to see Pete Murray last night! he had to work bring their bands gear in and out for them so we got on the guest list! It was just a promo tour and Sunrise put it on apparently ppl were winners and they flew them from around the country put them up and took them to the show. He only played about 6 songs but it was great, very relaxing had a few wines and nibblies (all free) and male friend (very clucky male friend) had fun babysitting for me!

It is hard to have kids and have to go to the hospital, i was lucky the womens in melbourne had a childcare centre that is free. I dont think (if i chose to have a fourth!!) That i would go early, it was just unlucky that i contracted an infection.
My children are VERY close in age (i have 3 under 3) Between #1 and 2, the age diff is 20 months, and between #2 and 3, the diff is only 14 months (was meant to be 16 1/2 months, but Anneliese just had to meet us well before her due date :)) The 20 month age diff is great, Xander doesnt remember being an only child, so he has nothing to get jealous about. The 14month age diff is hard, as Declan has only JUST started walking, and is vey much a mummy's boy, so trying to looking after 2 "babies," essentially was alot harder. But i wouldnt change it for the world. DH and i are going to discuss #4 when Anneliese is 3, that way we could enjoy having a baby with the kids a little older (and after i've gone back to work-DH is going to be a stay at home dad while i join the defence force this year) And i will be able to have maternity leave, then be able to look forward to going back to work, even though it will be hard. Ok, i've gone off the subject now, and i've rambled on enough... Thanks for listening to be ramble on!!

Nic - how wonderful!!!!!!!! What a lovely surprise from ur hubby -glad u got to relax and enjoy the night :)

Nic...what a great surprise! Sounds like a great night out. Glad you got to relax & enjoy!

WRT to TTC again after a premmie...I'm actually expecting to go through it all again unfortunately. After I had Joshua, I discussed the matter of future pregnancies with one of my specialists and she basically said that because I have had the same complications occur twice now, it is more than likely that it will happen again next time too. It's a scary thought, but having been there already, I know what to expect and will be prepared for it...and although it won't be easy, I know that I can do it again if I have to. We will have to rely on our family a lot to help out with Joshua, etc. Most of them live hours away which make things a little difficult, but I know that they will do what they can to help out.

Tiff, we haven't heard from you for a while...is everything ok?

Girls I am just locking this thread and creating a new one for you all.

Love