Babies Born April 16th-30th 2009 #1

[Maruschke]

Hello Ladies! Thanks for the friendly welcome! Hi Jack's Mummy! Good to see I'm not the only newbie here! Sorry to hear about Jack's condition, but am glad that he is doing well.

Being a first time mum, I'm not quite sure if I'm doing the right thing most of the time! DH says I'm doing fantastically and DS is happy and growing (we was 5kg at this 6 week check up, after being 3.3322kg at birth). Still, I do have a lot of insecure moments.

Completely bottle feeding now (have done since about week 2-3). Unfortunately, there was a lot of guilt going on with not being able to breastfeed. Feel better about it all now though. DH's family have been fantastic with everything and I'm thankful for their support and advice.

Haven't DTD yet - feel very, very unattractive at present.

Had my 6 week check up yesterday. All good and everything's ok so that's one less thing to worry about!

DS is a bit unsettled this week. Not sure if it's because of the cold or a growth spurt or what. He is usually so good at napping during the day, but this week has been an off week. We've had 2 nights in the past 2 weeks where he has slept from 11pm to 6.30am - we're hoping for more of those! Usually though, DS only wakes up once during the night (around 3am) for a feed and then it's back to sleep straight away. Am grateful that he doesn't need much settling at night!

JacksMummy - I just went to Lilipie.com and followed the steps to get the ticker - though it did take a while until I got it completely figured out!

AnnaChas - Faaarrrrk so my cover has been blown huh? Welcome to BB, I hope you get some support here and find a mummy group. Doesn't mummy guilt just suck? I had it big time about not being able to breastfeed. Felt kinda guilty for putting my needs above DD1, but I had to in the end. We just gotta do what we gotta do!

No DTD here either, I had an epi and oh God sometimes it still hurts. (There is no such thing as TMI on BB ). Plus the idiot doctor who sewed me up did it crooked . I haven't had the 6 week check up yet but kinda looking forward to it... it will be the last time I have to drop my dacks, after that I can get some of my dignity back that I lost at the birth.

[AnnaChas]

AnnaChas - Faaarrrrk so my cover has been blown huh? Welcome to BB, I hope you get some support here and find a mummy group. Doesn't mummy guilt just suck? I had it big time about not being able to breastfeed. Felt kinda guilty for putting my needs above DD1, but I had to in the end. We just gotta do what we gotta do!

No DTD here either, I had an epi and oh God sometimes it still hurts. (There is no such thing as TMI on BB ). Plus the idiot doctor who sewed me up did it crooked . I haven't had the 6 week check up yet but kinda looking forward to it... it will be the last time I have to drop my dacks, after that I can get some of my dignity back that I lost at the birth.

Ha! Found you! Just kidding!

Yes, mummy guilt sucks big time. The past few weeks have been getting better, but the last day or so has been the pits. I'm blaming the weather for it.

I got an epi too - something I didn't want to get done, but I was getting a fever, my blood sugar was going a bit funny and the baby was getting a little stressed. My doctor was great though - she took her time and sewed everything up fantastically, and it's all healed up which was nice. DH says it was one of the weirdest things he's ever seen being done! I was just glad he didn't pass out during the birth. Funnily enough, that was one of my main concerns!

I know what you mean about losing your dignity. By the start of the second night when I was in hospital waiting for the induction to work, I forgot all about my dignity!

[Mama2two]

Good morning all,

to Anna and Maryann.

I'm feeling very tired the last couple days, Oliver decided to stop sleeping during the day for some reason and its been a constant battle to get him to sleep more than 10 mins. I don't know whats happening there. He's still feeding the same. I had to stop into Shell servo to feed him in the car park yesterday though that was fun.

Oliver hates the car. Every time we have to drive somewhere he just screams. He goes all red and sweaty. It's so hard hearing him cry. I've had to stop about 2 or 3 times per car trip to get him out settle him down then drive away cringing. I got sun shades and a baby mirror and took the belt padding off but have come to the conclusion that he just doesn't like the car. Oliver has also broken out in baby acne and has taken a liking to the dummy. He's also started smiling a lot more and cooing. So i got the old video camera out.

Mustang- Congratulations on feeding your bubba for that long. I'm actually trying to get Oliver onto the formula but its been quite hard. I plan on just trying to give him his first feed of the day (round 6am) then night one ( round 10pm) then give bottle and formula for the rest. How did you make the switch? Ive been told to just replace every second feed. But this is a nightmare because my bb's are just exploding if i do this as he usually has 1 side per feed and feeds 3-4 hourly.

Mel- I bought some terry flats to use in my nappy stash. Which fold do you use for Edward and what sort of cover? I'm yet to use a fancy night nappy but i have a baby behinds bamboo one that is suppose to be a night nappy i think so i might try it out.

Cass- Aw what a big boy! Is Elijah still in 000's? Ive been thinking of putting a 00 layby on. I have no winter clothes left over from Sam. They are growing up in opposite seasons.

Finally have stopped bleeding this week. Thought about dtd last night. Then rolled over and went to sleep hehe but might give dh some action before the weeks end as i have my 6 wk check this week and figure we should try before that. Hope i don't fall pregnant lol. I'm totally paranoid about that.

[Ozziehoffy]

Amanda, yeah he still fits 000 but if I buy anything it's 00 now. He is bigger than Oskar was at the same time so I am buying "fillers" to make it through. Lucky for me they are only born one month's difference so the seasons are pretty much the same.

[berrme]

Wow you girls have been busy in here.

Welcome Anna and Maryann.

Well I have just gotten home after 6 days on Stradbroke Island. It was fabulous... a bit cold at times, but so relaxing and so nice to have DH with us for a whole week! We had an apartment at the waterfront and saw whales and dolphins swimming past.

Everyone stop feeling guilty!! Gee whiz, we have enough to worry about without being so critical of ourselves. Everyone here is providing their children with everything they need. First time mums... you are all doing a great job!

Sacha, My paediatrician told me not to tell other mothers that Edward was sleeping so well cause I might get punched. Please don't feel like there is anything wrong with Lachlan, I just got lucky. Your baby is the normal one.

Amanda, I found that driving improved after Byron could face forward in his car seat. Luckily he was huge so we could turn it round early! I know it is easier said than done, but try not to let the crying distract you... you need to focus on the road.
I just fold my nappies twice diagonally at the moment but might change to the 'boy fold' soon. That is just the one with lots of padding in the middle, you can probably find instructions on the net if you don't have any. I just use the cheapo plastic covers that you get in 3 packs at K mart/ big W. I used prettier ones at the start for Byron but he was born in Feb so he got to wear just nappies and singlets for ages. Edward always has all-in-one suits on so you can't see what is on his bottom anyway.

Cass, we have Edward's shots this week. I have a feeling that we are going to discover that he is a heavy weight too. He is wearing some 00 suits already, but some 000s are too big. Why can't all brands have their sizings the same?

Better go, dinner is ready.

[Jas]

Hi everyone,

Sorry have been so quiet, I have been reading though. Spencer has been diagnosed with Silent Reflux, he also possible has dairy intolerance. He has always slept well at night but wasn't sleeping during the day but since starting on Zantac he has been sleeping during the day also and doing well so that is great....sorry for no personals am a bit tired at the mometn

[mustangsachy]

Morning all - wow lots of goings on in here lately. will try to do all personals. Lachlan in HAB (only way for him to sleep during day most of the time). I'll do whatever i can to get 10 mins ME time

Thank you to all you wonderful ladies for being so supportive of not being able to b/f

Welcome Jacks Mummy! our babies share a b'day am v sorry to hear about his heart condition but thank god they found out early. Medical science is v good these days. they can fix it for him.

Annachas & oscaroscar HATE HATE HATE mother guilt. people are so PRO b/f these days that it's gone too far i think... i understand it's better for bubs but PLEASE society needs to stop pressuring and judging women cos we're trying our best goddamit. (am obv v passionate about it).

oscaroscar stupid doctor that sewed you up crooked - my DP thought it would be funny to ask dr to 'add an extra stitch'. IDIOT. Thankfully he didn't - it was a female dr so wouldn't have gone down as good as he'd prob have hoped.

Mama2two so sorry bubs doesn't liek the car. Lachlan starts out protesting, but put his dummy in and drive with music on (pearl jam cos DP played lots when preg and he likes it) and he falls asleep. a few times i'm on a main road and can't stop so he's had to cry it out (enter mother guilt) but eventually fallen asleep. good luck hun. I'm paranoid bout DTD and getting UTD again. Don't want another child fullstop (have 2 stepsons also) ... got prescription for pill but can't take tilll have a period
With swapping to formula i just started slowly giving more formula feeds than b/f. my issue was attachment and supply. so at the start i'd start him on the boob and he'd not have enough so finish with bottle (even if just 50ml)....
Lachlan has acne too AND terrible cradle cap - how are you treating it?

Jas glad that bubs is getting 'better'. how does silent reflux work? Lachlan has colic but was wondering if he has reflux too as he spits up even an hour or so after a feed. not upset about it though (unless asleep and comes out of his nose also).

Berrme - er... don't talk to me - STRADBROKE ISLAND .... mmm bliss! hope you made the most of it. v jealous. LOL to 'normal baby'. the other night lachlan slept 5 hours (OMG) but last night back to 3 hours.

well lachlan going well, growing each day and loves to 'talk' (like his mummy). had our 6 week checkup and all good. managed to avoid being 'checked down there' but booked for P/S at his 4 mth innoculations. have also booked him for his shots in next week or so + we're getting him circumcised. (understand touchy issue for some, but DPs bro had to be done at 12 yo for health issues and prefer now than when he old enough to remember).

am slowly getting more confident, but his sleep is an issue (mainly cos i dont feel v rested most of the time) but it will get better i know. his colic is distressing as he doesn't like to sleep much in bassinette and wants to be held lots. am happy to do sometime but back will die if do all the time!

also - has TERRIBLE cradle cap - any tips from ppl? am bathing him in water only with a touch of gaia bath wash and then 'baby massage' using canola oil.

well i think i've rabbited on enough now

x to all

[berrme]

Jas, it is good that you have a diagnosis for Spencer's reflux. At least now he can be treated, and it sounds like things have already improved.

Sacha, it probably isn't reflux if Lachlan doesn't seem at all bothered by the vomiting. Byron used to vomit all the time, even hours after he had last eaten. I thought he may have had refux at the time but it seems that he just drank too much. He stopped doing it once he started solids. You should ask when you next go to the dr though, no harm in checking.
Edward has pimples around his mouth from it being moist during feeds and drooling. DH accidentally put the GAIA bum cream on his face the other day and it seems to have helped. As for the cradle cap, I have always just moisturised the area really well. It softens it up and then it rubs off easily with a soft cloth. Byron had it quite bad but Edward seems to have given it a miss, touch wood.
lol at adding an extra stitch... husbands really are drongos sometimes! The shame is that it was a fairly standard practice for a while. I have a friend who's doctor stitched her too far and she still can't DTD without intense pain and it has been 3 years. The solution is apparently to have another baby and let it tear again.

Candice and Anna, I decided after having a VB that I hadn't lost my dignity, just my modesty. You just can't be precious about your genitals when you have a baby. I hope your epis heal quickly, they wanted to give me one when I started tearing but Edward came out too quickly. From what I have read I am better off, though I am still hurting a bit at 8 1/2 weeks, so don't think that is specific to epis.

2cb, welcome back. While in my bikinis at the beach the other day DH pointed out that my stretchmarks were worse and my belly was more flabby than last time. What a way to make me feel good about myself! He followed it up by saying I still looked sexy. Don't worry about the flab, it comes with the territory, and I am sure your DH won't mind.

[AnnaChas]

Edward has pimples around his mouth from it being moist during feeds and drooling. DH accidentally put the GAIA bum cream on his face the other day and it seems to have helped. As for the cradle cap, I have always just moisturised the area really well. It softens it up and then it rubs off easily with a soft cloth.

Ok .. DS has little pimples around his mouth and some on his cheeks too .. I was getting worried but I finally figured that it was the moisture from feeds as well! Just a question for you ladies though - DS has dry, red skin on his eyebrows and some on his nose. It gets worse when he rubs his face, but sometimes it disappears altogether! I've tried moisturiser and oil but it doesn't seem to help - any suggestions?

[berrme]

We just had our vaccinations. Edward was very good. Byron fell asleep on the way to the doctor and stayed asleep the whole time... thank goodness! He gets upset whenever Edward cries and cries too, needless to say I wasn't looking forward to that. Anyway, Edward is 6.2kg and 60cm long; my boys just don't stay small for long enough.

Anna, not sure about the flakey skin. Both my boys have eczema on their cheeks but that is more shiny and scaly looking. Moisturiser gets rid of that if you get it early. Maybe it is some sort of dermatitis?

[Ozziehoffy]

Melanie, Oskar gets upset when Elijah cries too but now he'll sometimes go to him and say "you ok Lijah"...lol. Other times it's "no cryning Lijah". We'll have to go to Chipmunks soon too, not in hols though. Lol Edward and Elijah are very similar weights... boofa's.

[mustangsachy]

Berrme: we've got our vacc's on 1st July NOT looking forward to it. MIL is coming with me and even said she'll go in while i stay outside cos i'm TERRIBLE with needles. only time i wanted one was Epidural LOL ... wow 6kg and 60cm that's great ... are you and DH tall? Lachlan is almost 5.5kg had to buy 'infant' nappies not 'newborn' first time today. almost cried. Lach had v bad eczema and so i put teensie bit of dermaid on his cheeks/ forehead. cleared up straight away. chemist suggested 1/2 strength.

[mustangsachy]

ozzie & berrme: my older stepsons (12 & 11) both get upset when lachlan cries. as i'm now bottle feeding him, they get to have a go and when he cries due to needing burping or just over it they get v upset and take it personally. had to explain to 11yo that sometimes babies cry for no reason. (boys were inside and lachlan crying under playmat and youngest was crying on couch) god my heart went out to him. he thought he'd done something or lachlan didn't like him.

[organicem]

Ok .. DS has little pimples around his mouth and some on his cheeks too .. I was getting worried but I finally figured that it was the moisture from feeds as well! Just a question for you ladies though - DS has dry, red skin on his eyebrows and some on his nose. It gets worse when he rubs his face, but sometimes it disappears altogether! I've tried moisturiser and oil but it doesn't seem to help - any suggestions?

Try pure aloe vera, straight from the plant. Have had sucess with this as a cure for most rashes, burn and irritations.

[AnnaChas]

Thanks! I'll give that a go!

[berrme]

Sacha, it is funny how they seem to think that the baby crying is their fault, even when they haven't done anything wrong. I just have to reassure Byron that it is OK for bubby to cry.
We had to use cortisone cream on Byron to get his eczema under control. We had been to Cairns we he was about 8 weeks and he got heat rash so I had been putting curash on that. Dried the heat rash out nicely but caused his eczema to flare up beautifully. We didn't know he had it until then. He hasn't had it bad enough to require cortisone again as we just smother him in moisturiser when we see signs of it appearing. There is also some little tubes of cream made by ego that you can get at the chemist for dry skin conditions that work quite well. They don't smell great but they are preferable to cortisone.

Cass, Chipmunks sounds great. We have another week before school holidays, don't we? I should probably know that, but school goes far from my mind when I don't have to be there everyday.

Nell, what sort of teacher are you? lol at editing your post for terrible spelling, that is the sort of thing I do.

[berrme]

Sacha, DH is 6ft 2, but I am very average, 5ft 5. Byron has always been tall too, over 90cm when he turned 2, so it seems my boys take after their dad. DH is very lanky though, so we are hoping they get a little bit of stockiness from my side to bulk out their height. So far it seems to be the case. Edward was wearing infant nappies at 3 weeks. Maybe if I have a girl she will stay little for a while.

[nellnell]

Hi everyone

Too much happening in here for me to keep up with, I simply don't seem to have the time if I don't jump on the computer everyday. Sorry for being so impersonal at times. I'm finding it kind of crazy atm with two kids. DD has been a little sick and DS we suspect has reflux which was making time after feeds enjoyable with the crying until he burped and regurgitated - not . Just trying very low dose of mylanta before feeds and things have improved over last two days.

Melanie - lucky you going on holidays. I'm totally jealous. Although spending anymore than about 20 mins in a car atm is not an option as DS screams non stop most of the time. I'm early childhood trained, but work in primary schools up to year 6 (qlds yr 7?) my degree covers ages 0-8yrs bt it certainly didnt prepare me for motherhood with a newborn. I admire people like you who work in high schools, I just dont have the patience with teenagers!

oh and welcome newcomers and