Last week of Sept! chat thread 9/26 - 10/2

[JenInMpls]

Will everyone be nak'ing by the end of the week?

stay tuned!

no recap, sorry, one handed typing is too much!!

[Mom2baldie]

40 weeks 4 days

just popping in to subscribe to the new thread...

[chrissy]

me too. still pregnant at 39 weeks 5 days.

[Boobalicious]

hemorrhoids are driving me mad

Ouch. Just when I thought I was on the road to feeling normal again...hemorrhoids struck. I can hardly walk. Voiding is terrifying. How to make them go away?

Dh is so grumpy that I just want to hide. I'm afraid I'll get baby blues from worrying about his stress. Example: Oz pooped on the changing table while dh was changing him and dh started to freak out. Acted like Oz had pooped in his Cheerios on purpose! It is so nice when he isn't home--sad to say.

Sorry for the downer post!

[Caroline248]

Steph...lack of sleep will do that to anyone! It will get easier. Witch hazel pads for the hemorrhoids.

Jackson has another lowgrade fever. I am at a loss for what to do. He will have a fever on and off, the highest it ever got to was 100.5, but it usually runs around 99.8 or so. This has been almost constant since birth, has anyone else ever heard of this??

As far as the anger issues go..I hear ya! Jackson is not sleeping that well, Lilly has wet the bed every night for the last two weeks, and my DH is on nights. So after being up half the night myself, I have the keep the kids quiet so he can sleep. I am going insane! They are not really allowed to watch TV during the day, but I just put it on because I couldn't take it anymore. It is 11 am and I am just now getting something for breakfast for myself. I would be much better if it wasn't for the husband sleeping during the day. ANd having to wash sheets and blankets every day!!

All in all, I think I am doing pretty good. PPD hasn't hit me, it usually is bad. I did promise my husband if it got bad I would try meds this time around, but so far so good...

Who is having the next baby??

Caroline

[adventuregirl]

checking in... steph, so sorry about the rhoids, hope they heal up soon. Maybe a sitz bath and some psyllium to make pooping feel a little better?

got a little overwhelmed with the in-laws visit yesterday, had to have a good cry, felt sad.... I've missed out on my naps due to entertaining and I know that's the culprit. I get a break today till the evening, but they are here till Friday, ugh! Love them dearly, but I sure need my space, thank the gods they aren't staying with us, but hanging around all day every day has been too much!

Lovies to all, can't wait to really catch up, only a few more days and I'm free!!!! Nessa shouts Hello!

[interbang]

41 weeks

I've decided to lie about my age.

Going out and about is such a pain, people are starting to bother me more, as I'm incredibly huge.

Then, of course, they are all pushing pitocin on me when I tell them I'm past my due date. Ugh. I'm proud to say I've been quite rude to these people, but it still makes me grumble.

Still, pregnant ladies must go out and have fun, or they go crazy sitting around the house waiting for labor to start, so,

I am officially lying to the general public! I will now say I'm 8.5 months pregnant! Maybe this will get people off my back, we'll see. The good news is, since I live in the big bad city, most of the time no one bothers me at all.

Okay, off to walk in this nice cold weather. And I'm going out today. Must..get..out..of..the...house..

Take care,

[Caroline248]

Originally Posted by adventuregirl

I've missed out on my naps due to entertaining and I know that's the culprit. I get a break today till the evening, !

!

"Nap"?? What is that?? And "break"?? I don't know these strange words that you speak...

It is so different...the new moms are having such a nice long recovery period...time to focus only on the fact that they gave birth and they have this new baby to adjust to.

Us not so new moms...have you had this? I had about a week or so, then it was back to business as usual. I have been back to the routine now for so long I don't even feel like I have newborn. Maybe that is why I am so crabby...and why I keep starting to bleed all over again after a month....I have to do the laundry, the cleaning, the food shopping, and take care of the other kids and get them moving..the only difference is now I have to bring four kids with me instead of three....

How are you all managing to get the rest and recovery you need while still being a mom to more than one??

Caroline

[Lazuli]

I am so far behind on posts....oops. I just now got my breakfast, *relieved*. Kallisti has been a little fussy today for some reason. She's laying on the futon at the moment just looking around and seems content enough. I'd hold her, but she seems happier right this minute where she is. I wish I could nap during the day, but i don't seem to be able to. I need to put laundry in, but she wasn't wanting to be in the sling after a little while and I can't just hold her and put laundry in and leaving her upstairs doesn't feel right. I need to get the house cleaned up too, it's such a mess. Ack! Today i feel a little overwhelmed. I really should make use of these few moments to get my desk cleaned off so I can pay bills and then maybe I can pick up the living room. *sigh*

[plantmommy]

we don't, caroline!

actually, i'm not doing any cleaning, and the house is disgusting. minimal laundry, which lives in the baskets. if it's not mission critical, it ain't gettin' done.

Reid had a low fever, and although the cbc showed up ok, the blood count showed a bacterial infection brewing. He got a shot of antibiotics right away, since i didn't want to take any chances, as the blood work took a week. by the time the test came back he was long over it.

Of course, you know your baby best. Reid had been fussier then normal and was not nursing as well, so it was obvious to me that something wasn't right.

what's your gut feeling on Jackson? dressed too warmly, or not feeling right?

[Caroline248]

Originally Posted by plantmommy

Of course, you know your baby best. Reid had been fussier then normal and was not nursing as well, so it was obvious to me that something wasn't right.

what's your gut feeling on Jackson? dressed too warmly, or not feeling right?

I just don't know. We had the blood work, and it came back with slightly elevated white blood cell count. I have had his ears, lungs, throat, eyes..EVERYTHING checked. The thing that is odd is that the fever comes and goes, he might not have it for a couple of days, then it is back again. He has been a bit of a fussy baby since he was a week old, so it is hard to know if he is normal fussy or sick fussy.

I am afraid to make a big deal to the drs, I had problems at the one hospital here with my youngest daughter. She was 4 months old, had an unexplained fever and they wanted to do a spinal tap. I was dead against it, but I said I would consider it after the CBC came back. If her WBC were elevated, I would think about more testing. Well, they wanted to do the spinal THEN, and I said no. I was threatened with a court order. Makes me scared to go for more testing, I know eventually that will be pushed on me.

I have never had a baby get antibiotics. My three year old has never had them, and my older two have maybe twice. What kind of reaction could they have? Did Reid have one shot and that was it? Or did he have to take oral as well??

Caroline

[Caroline248]

Originally Posted by plantmommy

we don't, caroline!

actually, i'm not doing any cleaning, and the house is disgusting. minimal laundry, which lives in the baskets. if it's not mission critical, it ain't gettin' done.

?

That is what I thought!! I didn't get it with my first either...I was a single mom and if I didn't do the cooking, shopping, etc..I didn't eat!!

I am just now starting to get into the real cleaning. But Jackson is a month old already!! : The last three weeks I have had Girl Scout meetings, TPO meetings, back to school nights...it seems we had something everyday!! Just this weekend the kids had THREE birthday parties to go to! So all that has been enough for me. But this week, I am going to get my act together. I was dressed by 10 am, and I am doing the flylady idea of 15 minutes at a time. I am not a huge fan of flylady, but that 15 minute rule is a great one. I have been exercising too...during commercials at night! I feel much better knowing I am doing something, I don't think it would be possible to lay around anymore!! I have been a mom for too long!!


But..I don't put the laundry away either!! What is the point?


Caroline ( : :boy: )

[indiana ima]

nak. 19 days old.

Originally Posted by Caroline248

How are you all managing to get the rest and recovery you need while still being a mom to more than one??Caroline

well, my mom n dad were here to help for about 10 days. since they left the house has been lots messier, we haven't eaten as well, i go to bed (most nights) as soon as i think the baby is ready to sleep for a stretch, and i sleep in on weekends while their abba watches the 3 kids. i feel pretty ok, though i could be more patient with my older 2.

what did you do when bridget was new?

[MamaAcorn]

Jackson turned a week old yesterday. My parents left today for Myrtle Beach, and will return on Friday for another fun-filled weekend. At least I survived this weekend.

As for keeping up with everything around the house, Jackson is a strange breed of newborn and sleeps consistently for four hours at a time, by himself even, which blows me away. The house is being cleaned just as often as before his arrival and laundry is being done more often since I'm washing diapers daily anyways. I've actually considered trying to get a little bit of work in this week (I start back full-time next Monday) to ease into thing more gradually. This can't possibly last long though. I'm sure he'll hit a growth spurt as soon as I start working again, and I'll be pulling my hair out trying to balance everything.

Alex is wanting some computer time now, Jackson is sleeping again, and I have laundry to do.

Pam

[JenInMpls]

I don't know how those of you with multiple children do it, I will just leave it at that. today a yellow jacket followed me into the house and I had to stop and think for a moment how I would handle the situation. (I did figure it out pretty quickly - unlatch t, put in baby bjorn bouncer, catch yellow jacket in tupperware, release outside... baby was only mildly upset, primarily at the loss of boob!)

To all of the experienced nursers: is the fact that I can produce streams of milk when I hand express a good or an insignificant sign? I have accidentally squirted my babe in the eye twice now. T still goes at least 10 sucks before a swallow, but he always seems sated and dozes off at the end of a nurse and we have not had to supplement with formula for 2 days now. He's still no champ at filling his diapers but we had 2 poops yesterday, yahoo, and if he would stop holding onto his pee we'd have a good number of wet dipes daily. When he does pee he completely soaks a cloth contour + liner. Anyone else have a super soaker like this?

Baby is napping, so should I.

xo j

ps: my mom hates the fact that I am constantly holding T! "Don't you ever lay him down by himself?"

[Caroline248]

Originally Posted by indiana ima

what did you do when bridget was new?

She was hospitalized her first two months, and then on and off for a year or so after that. So that was really hard. This is simple compared to what we went through then. My DH had bought me a train pass becasue at one week post partum I ran the car off the side of the highway from exhaustin...I was speniding the day at the hosp and still gettting up a t night to pump....

I guess I shoudn't complain now...Actually, I am not really complaining...this is just life!! And I am so lucky to have the four of them...I am really blessed!

Caroline

[plantmommy]

Originally Posted by Caroline248

I just don't know. We had the blood work, and it came back with slightly elevated white blood cell count. I have had his ears, lungs, throat, eyes..EVERYTHING checked. The thing that is odd is that the fever comes and goes, he might not have it for a couple of days, then it is back again. He has been a bit of a fussy baby since he was a week old, so it is hard to know if he is normal fussy or sick fussy.

I am afraid to make a big deal to the drs, I had problems at the one hospital here with my youngest daughter. She was 4 months old, had an unexplained fever and they wanted to do a spinal tap. I was dead against it, but I said I would consider it after the CBC came back. If her WBC were elevated, I would think about more testing. Well, they wanted to do the spinal THEN, and I said no. I was threatened with a court order. Makes me scared to go for more testing, I know eventually that will be pushed on me.

I have never had a baby get antibiotics. My three year old has never had them, and my older two have maybe twice. What kind of reaction could they have? Did Reid have one shot and that was it? Or did he have to take oral as well??

Caroline

luckily i have a ped i really trust, though she's an hour away... the spinal tap on infants w/ fever is SOP for most docs. mine would only advise it if his counts were waaaay off, though, and he seemed really sick.

i'm not a big fan of antibiotics unless they're really necessary, but bacterial infections in newborns can do scary things. my older kids have also only had them once or twice, except for lyme disease. ugh. that's a month-long course! the only side affects are possibly thrush, nothing serious. i felt the possible benefit (if it was bacterial) outweighed the risks by a lot. it was one shot, and that was it, although if the one shot didn't make him all better he would have gotten a scrip for a 3-day course.

nak

[msrog]

CONGRATULATIONS, JULIA!!!
: WELCOME, BABY ANGUS!!! :

Jen, streams of milk is an excellent sign! You've got it! And hearing audible swallows. I never knew about the audible swallows until this time around. And BTW, with Nicolas I never had let down until 2 weeks postpartum! And then it was with the breast pump. So I'd say it sounds like you're in the clear and have left the difficult nursing stage behind you. Hooray!!!

I think I'd lose my cool for sure if some parent or in-law tried to stay or visit here without doing something to help!! Be assertive, and make sure you ask them to do specific things (would you please run a load of dark color clothes? I'm busy nursing right now. Thanks! Could you please put that sink full of dishes in the dishwasher and start it for me? Oh, and I would really appreciate it if you could fix a little lunch for the kids and I... I have GOT to go take a nap while baby sleeps before I bite somebody's head off! Thanks!)

Yay, dh finally comes home tonight! I can't believe we made it these 5 long days without him. I don't know that I'd have any sanity or hair left if I didn't have such super helpers. My sister's friend (whom we stayed with Friday and Saturday) somehow managed to get both babies sleeping in 3- 4 1/2 hour stretches!!! My friend who stayed over here last night was not so lucky... The babies alternated awake times, so that she did not sleep one wink, though she let me sleep the entire 7 hours straight. I had thought she was going to bring me babies to nurse during the night... but instead gave them bottles. Boy was I giant and sore this morning! And I've had less milk today and am trying to boost the supply once again. That's the flip side to having helpers; they do tend to mess up your routine. I feel so happy and comfy back here in my own little nest... Aaaahh. Last night I even got to see Ty Pennington and that new Trading Spouses show that came on afterward. I have been at other people's houses (none of which have TV) since Wednesday night with the kids, and was super bummed that I missed Apprentice Thursday and Saturday nights.

My laundry is sitting around in baskets, too! Or in piles on the bed or futon. A girlfriend came over last Friday and (she is an angel straight from God!) stayed from 11 a.m. til 4 p.m.!!! Doing laundry (and putting it away! hark!), dishes, and entertaining babies while I took a two hour nap.

My "welcome babies" party from my old job is tomorrow evening. It should be fun. I still had an after babies shower promised me by my sister, and she hasn't brought it up again... Babies turn 5 weeks old tomorrow, and I really don't want to wait much longer. I think I'll ask her what she was planning...

Gotta run. Love you gals.

[msrog]

Who asked the nighttime diaper question? - what kind of diaper covers are you using? We don't have leak problems with our covers. PUL (MotherEase Rikki Raps and ProRaps) and Bummis Super Whisper Wraps. Prefolds or fitted dipes inside those covers hold in anything almost! Our only leaks have been with our pocket dipes, unfortunately... I think babies' thighs are still too scrawny.

I lay a washcloth folded into thirds into my fitteds, and put a microfleece liner on top of that against baby's bum. But always a cover too, because mine are also huge soakers! I am discovering that I need more microfleece liners and a huge supply of real doublers/soakers. Not just washcloths.

[wardermom]

Savannah, I've discovered that I have to use covers like Bummis instead of wool or acrylic soakers because Arowen just soaks through them in a short period of time. I've tried lots of different combinations because of night time leaking problems. The best so far, is to put an infant prefold on her. Then, place a tri-folded premium prefold in a size medium Bummis cover and put that on over the infant prefold. It's huge, but it does the trick. It's so hard to get enough in there because if it's too much, she can't lay on her back comfortably. She's the youngest I've tried keeping in cloth at night. I've never really had any night time problems with the others. She must be quite a heavy wetter compared to the others.
I'm changing her so often during the day. I'm surprised how well infant prefolds fit and I've never had a leak with them during the day.

Everyone who's complaining about housework and lack of time and energy to do it, I can totally relate. It's amazing how much laundry 9 people make. I manage to get it clean, but it doesn't get folded or put away (well, except for dh's because he might complain). The kids grudgingly and not very well, do the dishes in the sink (the dishwasher has been broken for a year.). I make the meals. Dh grocery shops. I help the kids with the homeschooling. Everything else gets done infrequently. The place is not in very good shape. It would be bad enough, but I have some very destructive children that make things even worse.

Arowen is crying and I have to get ready to go the midwives in half an hour. Better run.