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Know how you feel about wanting to get back in shape - obviously I'm not at the six-week point yet, and I don't feel completely healed, but the weight thing has been a bit of an issue. I do feel vey blobby right now!
I wasn't overweight at the start of the pregnancy, but was nevertheless about a stone heAvier than I'd have liked because of injury (I trained for VLM 2011 as my first ever marathon and frustratingly ended up having to pull out due to tendon injury in the taper period!).
Because of further injuries and SPD limiting my training during the pregnancy, and stress at work, I ended up gaining more than I'd intended, and was then further surprised when my little one was born weighing only 6 lb 6 oz! So much for most of it being baby (although there was an awful lot of amniotic fluid)!
I actually feel like I've put on even more weight since she arrived because of that first week being confined to hospital, and becauseI'm so hungry all the time due to breastfeeding and general tiredness, and our complete lack of routine means I'm not even getting out for a walk as much as I'd like - the few times I have been out with the pushchair I'm come back home feeling completely shattered anyway.
I do have to stop myself getting angry about my body 'letting me down' - unfortunately it tends to do tht rather a lot. The cholestasis/pre-eclampsia was yet another example.
I know it shouldn't be the priority to concern myself with, but I can't seem to help it!
On a good note, Hope is healthy apart from the reflux, and an ultrasound of her hips last week showed she hadn't inherited Mummy's hip joint abnormality (the source of a lot of my injury woes) which was a massive relief.
Oh dear - this is turning out to be a bit of a day of moaning.
We have just had a fab time at Bocketts farm and saw 2 sheep give birth to lambs (2 each), I was more excited than the kids! Will put some photo's on facebook when I get 5 minutes!
Car now smells of foul mix of upholstery cleaning spray and cheesy vom - ewk. I'm knackered but have just made cupcakes, I also had the joy of flatpack dolls house assembly this morning!
Think the rest of the day is going to involve things with me sitting down!
Lady P - first time round I found it difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully the doctor will help with the reflux and then you can get a bit more sorted. I bf both of mine and never really got Aidan onto a bottle so it was just me involved in feeding him and its tough but it fortunately is only really a short time until 6 months has gone and they wean and need less milk. Just seems like a long time when its happening!
Lady P - like Kinsey says, it does get better...it's just hard to see that at the beginning! Meds may help if she's got reflux, but in terms of the day/night business I agree with what CM said about trying to make daytime sleeps different from nightime. Have you started any kind of evening routine yet? With our first, from about 4 weeks when I really really needed to see there was going to be a light at the end of the tunnel, I started making sure we did the same thing each evening. I'd feed her at about 5/5.30, regardless of when she'd last fed, then do a bath and into night clothes and sleeping bag/swaddle, and then from then on keep the lights low and we'd stay upstairs no matter what. I'd feed her again and then try and get her to sleep. I had about a week of spending most of the evening upstairs feeding and settling her, and then it clicked and she started to go down easily. Was a bit harder with number 2, but the same process worked over a few weeks.
I would try and wake her up during the day and also try and get more feeds in from lunchtime onwards and see if that helps. I have always done daytime sleeps in the big cot, and then night time in our room in the Moses basket (cos I'm too lazy to get up and traipse around the house at night!), and I think it definitely helps to put them in a room away from you in the evening to at least give yourself some physical and mental
space. Have you tried a dummy? May be she just wants to suck rather than actually feed, so that might help you get some space too. Our second liked a dummy when she was tiny, but now at 8 months hasn't had one for ages - first one sucked her thumb, which she's still doing now!
In terms of the expressing, bear in mind that at this early stage you'll probably have to express at the same time your husband is giving a bottle, so I found that it was actually just easier to do the feed myself. Mine liked me to get everything completely ready for him - cushions on the bed just so, milk warmed up and given to him in the bottle, baby delivered to his lap etc, and then wanted praise afterwards - just wasn't worth it!! You also have to wash and sterilise bottles and pump, which is more faff!
Sorry, loads of waffle from me!
Well, I did my 14 miles - which I think is the furthest I've ever run!! I know most of you eat that sort of distance for breakfast, but I'm quite pleased with myself. My pacing is still way off though - was aiming for about 10.15 ave after JTs comment yesterday, but did it in 9.37 ave. My legs feel wrecked, which I suspect just represents not enough miles in them, but my cardiovascular system didn't seem too bothered. Not sure how much faster I could go, but I must have been able to, cos all my halfs have been quicker than 2 hours - before I had any way of knowing how fast I was running!
Choir for me tonight, but not sure how I'm going to stay awake. My usually happy and good natured baby has been a right grizzle bum today, and was awake in the night - as was her big sister - so I'm feeling a bit jaded.
Another rejection on the job, sob sob. So annoying. He said i interviewed well though and had no doubt i could do the job but that the person who got the job had more skills. Grrrrrrrrr. Interviewed by a G.P, practice manager & senior practice nurse. Even wore a suit ;((. So not fair.
CC- yay to inhouse childcare- hope you get out for your run. I also have earcahe, headache and feel really knackered. Was going to do my intervals tonight on the treadie cos didn't have time today as preparing for stupid interview but just don't have the energy. Last ran Sat. but don't think it will kill me to have 3 days rest.
Happy birthdays to all the wee ones.
LadyP- as others have said it does get better, just stick in there and you'll soon see light at the end of the tunnel. Try and enjoy the cuddles and loveliness of a newborn as it goes past so quick.
Vixo- great running, well done and fab pace.
Sonya- glad all well at check.
Ooh I loved Bockets Farm - took N there not long ago. Will definitely go again.
L had terrible reflux - she had Gaviscon, Ranitiadine and we tried that awful soy milk but it was weaning that sorted her out in the end. We also implemented an evening/sleep routine from 3-4 weeks whichrelly helped with the sleeping and keeping them wake more during the day.
Sonya glad check went well and shame abot the job RF.
oh dear RF - sorry
definitely sounds like it could be reflux LP. my E had it very badly. she fed best at night because apparently there is less acid made at night by the stomach (not sure if that is relevant in newborns but certainly by the time she was a few months old and had sussed day and night).
CC - you need some sunshine to banish the bugs i reckon. glad you have your sis for in-house childcare!
i have survived today. T arrived at 9.45am and left at 6.30pm... i am feeling crap still - my back is still buggered, and i think i am coming down with a cold. but i survived. E had a nice day but she is so tired at the moment, so there were a fair few tantrums. we didn't end up going out for dinner but got a chippy instead, which E loved anyway.
no running for me any time soon. i have the osteopath tomorrow tho, but i think i will need the physio ultimately
Thanks for the advice, folks.
It sounds really ridiculous, but even at just one month old, I feel as if we've got Hope into bad habits.
We did have an issue with her losing quite a bit of weight to start with so I'd been instructed to do regular feeds (at least every three hours); then again two weeks later when my parents were visiting and I let my guard down with the feeds because she'd been gaining well, her weight became static again...so, once again, back to waking her every three hours regardless of day or night (three hours from start to start, not three hours between the end of one feed and beginning of the next).
The midwives/HV have always been happy that she was healthy, thriving, and that the weight would come back on. She's now gaining well, and producing the requisite number of dirty/wet nappies. We've always been told we're doing a really good job with her, but I'm starting to get anxious and doubtful of this.
I think Hope's become accustomed to little differentiation between day and night, and to being awake at funny times.
The thing is, when I put her down to sleep, I honestly can't work out whether she cries because of the discomfort of the reflux/blocked nose, or simply because she's unsettled and prefers being constantly cuddled. The loud snorting noises she makes when she's lying down do seem to suggest blockage and discomfort, though, so I'm quite anxious to see whether we can do something medically about that, so we'll see what tomorrow brings. But then again, maybe she's snorting loads because she's crying...?
The reflux is definitely there, though - the proof is in the puke!
I do think we need more advice. I feel completely inept at the moment.
We do differentiate between carry cot for daytime naps and bedroom cot for night time, but I'll start to make more effort to keep her awake more during the day (regardless of my own sleep levels!) and to quieten things down earlier in the evening. I think getting her to settle herself to sleep is going to be tricky, but we can start to make things s bit more routine in the evenings, and take it from there...
Couple of really, really stupid questions, though:
- At what point do/did folks feel comfortable leaving their baby to sleep and going downstairs/ into another room? I tend to just go to bed at the same time as I take her up to bed (she's in a cot in our room at the mo) - mainly because I'm tired - but am I signalling too much to her that I'm always available? The answer, I'm guessing, is probably yes. Hubby and I are probably making her over-clingy.
- Re dummies: how do you know the difference between a baby who wants to feed and one who just wants to suck? My instinct has been telling me she's wanted feeding, as the times when I try just to let her suck my finger she usually refuses it and continues with her rooting. But maybe I'm wrong...?
I'm so sorry to keep harping on about this. I've actually been incredibly chilled out until recently, but the sleep deprivation and anxiety are making me doubt my parental competence more and more...
oh LP - i am sure that you are doing nothing to make her over-clingy or doing anything wrong at all. she is so tiny still and won't really know anything except for when you or hubby hold her, so she isn't manipulating you. she sounds like a completely normal newborn (unfortunately). they often don't / won't sleep; seem to want to feed and then just chew you up without feeding at all. sadly, in many cases, it doesn't seem to matter what you do. baby isn't terribly comfortable, and you are knackered. i could have written much of what you have said with my DS (who is now a strapping 5 yr old) except that he chewed me raw so every feed was agony and i was totally strung out prior to every feed.
do talk to your HV, but really i don't think there is anything else you can do, other than seek advice for her reflux. just go with the flow - you won't have got her into bad habits yet. she is far too wee. if you are still doing it in 8 months time, then maybe ... maybe you have something to start being concerned about. at her age, my J was still sleeping only on my chest. i couldn't even put him down for a minute... by 12 weeks, he was sleeping from 10pm to 7am without a feed.
look after yourself, and please don't let yourself get too anxious. this won't go on forever...
I'm too damn soft...
I'll try not to get too anxious about it all, but hubby and I will make a gradual start at getting her into a routine and I'll get some help with the reflux. But we'll try to keep fairly easy going about it if we can
This is all a learning experience for me, and I'm reassured to hear a lot of it's just normal!
Have you got a monitor? I put my first in a different room when I wanted her to sleep from about 4 weeks because I desperately needed just a little bit of time away to feel like myself again. I also think it helps to give them a bit of space to sniffle and snort away from your worried ears! I know a neonatologist, who says that all babies make a lot of noise when they sleep on their backs and that it's completely normal - we would all do it too if we weren't able to move around in our sleep - it just sounds really weird!
You could try a dummy and see how she gets on. It doesn't mean she'll still be sucking it when she's 5, but it may be enough to give you a break and help her to sleep. Lots of people hate them, but for some babies they really do work, so trying for a week won't do any harm.
Lastly, have you got someone who could come over and take her out in her pushchair for an hour whilst you have some rest/read a book/do whatever helps to make you feel human again? Give her a feed and then send them out - make sure it's someone who really will stay away so you know you've got a full hour.
Sounds like overall you've been doing really well, and the most important thing of all is to make sure you get lots of cuddles and hair sniffing done whilst they're tiny!
It sounds like you are really doing very well, Martha was an awful sicky baby sometimes with colick and screaming all evening and there was nothing we could really do, she just grew out of it. There were definitely some memorable days when she would just cry until she exhausted herself. I do wonder now if it was a touch of reflux or maybe just the colic. Aidan would do the same at night once in a while too. I could feel his poor old distended tummy but just had to cuddle him until it passed.
Health visitors can also sometimes be quite scary and suggest things that might not be helpful - although some are better than others. As long as Hope is thriving I would try and do what feels right for you.
Also just made me remember that I was lucky if Martha would ever stretch to 3 hours between feeds at one point.
I have also heard some super snorty babies when they sleep too, was amazed as Martha slept quietly but Aidan made heaps of noise. Did encourage me to get him out of our room a bit more quickly as I couldn't sleep with him in there snuffling away!
Chynah - we were also pleased as they are doing some work in the main barn so it was a bit cheaper to get in to the farm yesterday. We had been thinking of hoofing around the M25 to Whipsnade Zoo, but I'm really glad we didn't!!
Feeling right fed up this morning after my interview rejection but trying to be thankful that at least I have a job. V ixo- jobs in nursing are few and far between especially practice nurse jobs but the practice manager did say that another post would be advertised in April but that its just to cover mat leave and they would more than likely be returning to their post. So whether I would apply for that and if I got it would I be prepared to leave a perm. job to do that I do not know?!
CM - glad you survived your day with T!
LP- agree with what everyone else says above. You seem to be doing all the right things. My last girl M didn't sleep in her cot for the first few weeks but only on our chests or in bed with us. She fed sometimes continually and cried in the evenings. Hard work but it doesn't last forever and oh that snuggly newborn is so lovely
)
I found my H/V's useless but I know there are some really good, informative one's out there that give good advice.
Betta go downstairs and tidy up. Noticed the dog had puked on way out to school so thats something joyful to go clean up........not!! M a bit clingy so hopefully when she has a nap late morning I'm gonna get on the treadmill and do my intervals. head still bit sore and legs so tired but once I get going think I'll be grand. Have good days all x
RF -
to clearing up dog sick, bad enough when it's children let alone the animals puking everywhere too. Sorry you didn't get the job too, chin up though and fingers crossed something else will come along soon.
Haven't been on for a few days so Happy Birthday to all the littlies who have had their big days recently. My Lily will be 9 in a week and a half. She's so grown up already, teenage years are approaching far too quickly ... not looking forward to that parenting bit at all.
CC - lovely to hear that you get on well with your sister now despite arguing when you were younger, I really hope the same is true of my girls when they get older. Enjoy your week with the child-care help.
LP - Welcome on board! We started bed time routines from about a month old - definitely feels wierd the first time you take them upstairs to bed and leave them alone but if you can establish an evening routine early on will save you a lot of headaches further down the line. Having said that I was lucky in that none of mine (I've got 3 girls; 8, 4 and 2) had reflux or the like. Hang in there, it will all get better and easier in time.
Sonya - I agree the last 2 year really have gone amazingly quickly. Sorry, had to laugh at M spending most of the weekend singing to herself on the naughty step. Don't think we've ever put Anna on the naughty step yet although she is just starting to throw herself onto the floor if she doesn't want to do something which is quite funny as we just ignore her. The naughtiest thing she's done recently was at the weekend when we were in the garden and she picked up a plastic golf club and came running towards me saying "Play hi-yar" and then whacked me with it. I blame watching Kung Fu Panda!
Have finally given in and gone and done some clothes shopping, have realised that I do like having nice clothes it's really just the time thing that I struggle with. Aside from going to work and running I never do anything on my own or have any time to myself, and in a way I don't really want to as I feel guilty enough about missing out on family stuff by being at work every day. Anyway, tubes were suspended last night so had to walk to Covent Garden tube instead so took a detour into Mango and got a skirt, 2 cardigans and 2 tops. Didn't try anything on (time issue again) but by some miracle it all fitted and looks good too. Phew! Have also started purging all the old clothes in the wardrobe that I never wear anymore so the Heart Foundation will be in for a bumper crop next time they put one of those clothes recycling bags through our front door!
Oh, and best news saved til last - feel like I finally have my running mojo back
. Am back in the routine of running 4 times a week and actually looking forward to my runs, even did some intervals on Saturday around the field while hubby and the girls played rounders in the centre. New running shoes finally ordered online so hopefully that will put an extra spring in my step too 
.
Just registered Eric's birth so no changing the name now. Just out of interest I thought I'd tell you our girls name as we are definitely never having anymore children, just to see what you thought - feel free to be rude, it doesn't matter now! Anyway, she would have been Cora, probably with Eve as a middle name.
Then HV came by - absolutely lovely lady. I'm still not entirely sure what HVs do, never took Matilda to see one apart from when required, but she was so nice, and is coming back in a month apparently! Fine by me. Eric is now 200g heavier than birth so being a lactation machine is obviously working, but his belly button hasn't healed well and may need cauterising. Matilda had to have hers done too - not sure if it just us as inept parents or something that happens to our kids!
Sorry you're feeling fed up RF......it does make me worry a bit about not going back to my job, and whether I will find another, but hubby seems convinced I will, and if I don't try I'll never know.
Right, madam is at school, the plumber is reconnecting our water supply to our bathroom, and I think I'm going to go for my daily walk - very necessary with the amount of chocolate I'm eating!!
I really like Eve but I don't think hubby will go for it, I also like Josephine but I'm sure he won't!
As there have been seven pages of posts since my last one (!) I haven't managed anything more than a skim-read back so apologies for anything I've missed.
Hectic weekend with Kit's party on Saturday (thanks for all his birthday wishes, you guys rock!) and 18-mile long run on Sunday. The party was really hard work but we actually enjoyed doing it, and lots of the parents commented on how good and well-organised it was. Kit absolutely loved it which was the main thing. We hired out the village hall which proved to be a good choice as it had everything we needed and was the perfect size - not too big, but still plenty of room for 25 five-year olds to run around. We covered the walls with A3 sized pictures of superheroes that hubby spent all day at work on Friday printing, as well as bunting and balloons. We had superhero-themed games and a Spiderman cake (bought not made, I'm afraid - wasn't going to go to all that trouble for a 60-second appearance while the candles were blown out then have it hacked into pieces for the party bags!) and got three large helium balloons (one giant 5, and two smaller Spiderman ones) for the present table. Everything ran smoothly - parents-in-law came down Friday night and worked like troopers helping us; between the pair of them they blew up 65 balloons, and MIL brought home-made cakes for all the adults and she and FIL served them throughout the party. We were all pretty tired by the evening so got a takeaway as I drew the line at having to cook!
Decided to risk long run on Sunday, and it went fine. I was conscious of my niggle but it wasn't really painful. Legs really ached afterwards though, probably because that was the first run I'd done all week! Pace was pretty slow - running buddy had a bit of a calf strain as well - averaging 8:37 miling. I would probably have found it more comfortable running a bit quicker to be honest.
Had initial consultation with chiropractor on Monday. A lot of what he found made sense and confirmed things that I had suspected. My spine is twisted slightly to the right at the bottom, compressing the 4 and 5 lumbar vertebrae, and my pelvis is out of alignment and tilted downwards and to the left, making my left leg longer than my right (had a feeling this was the case, or else I walk oddly, as when I wear jeans in the rain the bottom of the right leg always gets soaked at the back whereas the left one less so). The compressed vertebrae are pressing on a number of nerves and don't 'open' properly thus preventing full movement. So had some manipulation and deep massage and have been given exercises to do 3x a day, and have another appointment Thursday. After the first session he said my spine already looked straighter so I'm hoping I won't need too many sessions as I can't really afford it! And I don't have to stop running, which was the best news
My back was quite sore on Monday afternoon after all the manipulation, but felt fine again yesterday and when I did my 7-mile run, it felt more comfortable than any run I've done for ages which was really encouraging - and speedier too! 
Yeah Karen. Shopping sprees like that are ace. Can't remember when I last bought clothes, can't afford any at the mo either. Would love to get hair coloured too but just going for a cut instead
...
Good news is 18 mins run this morning. Keeping everything crossed it's OK. 4 mins run 1 min walk today. Felt fine. Slightly tight at ITB insertion an hour later, but iced and did exercises and seems OK. Swim tomorrow and do the same on friday. Take it one run at a time I think.
Just spent an hour on the phone to orange about my outgoing emails having stopped working. I don't use it very often in fact hardly ever but hate having something I pay for that doesn't work as would be nice for it to work every now and then. Anyway, still not got to the bottom of it and wasted an hour of madam sleeping. Uggg!
Right talking of madam best get her awake and do something before boys pick up at 3pm. These phone techies think all you have all the time in the world to fiddle with your phone, when actually no that was my hour slot for the day and it's now gone
...
The week didn't start well as I was hit head-on by another driver on my way to drop Kit off at school. Thankfully neither Kit nor I were hurt, although we were shaken up, but there was a considerable amount of damage to the car. The other driver admitted full liability thankfully - although it was clearly totally his fault and there were witnesses. I was approaching t-junction at the top of the hill where I usually park the car, and he came flying round the corner from my right and somehow on my side of the road. There was nothing I could do but brake (I was barely moving anyway) and prepare for impact. Kit was very upset afterwards - understandably - and said his neck hurt, but fortunately this turned out to be nothing more than slight chafing where the seat belt had pulled taut on impact. Later I realised I had a very bruised knee where it must have smashed into the steering column under the wheel. Once I'd established there were no injuries and had managed to exchange details with the (very sheepish) other driver, I took Kit into school and stayed for 10 minutes to make sure he was OK (they made me a cuppa too, which I needed!) Once there he perked up so I was happy to leave him, although he did keep asking me if I was OK (bless) and saying that he was a bit worried about the car!
Decided to risk driving the car home (about 1.5 miles) which was OK although I drove very slowly in case anything dropped off or the radiator overheated, as the impact was all to the front of the car. As soon as I arrived home the bloke's insurance company rang to confirm the details of what had happened and to make arrangements for our car to be taken for repair and a courtesy hire car to be provided. By lunchtime our car had been towed away and we had a hire car sitting outside - very efficient! So no real harm done but not a great start to Kit's birthday (which the chap who'd hit us obviously felt very guilty about as he phoned me at least three times that day to see if we were OK!)
We do have one logistical problem though - on Thursday I drop Kit at school and leave the car parked near the school, then get the train in to work. Mum picks Kit up and takes him home, then hubby comes back and picks up the car and takes it home to run Mum to the station. We need two sets of car keys for this to work but only have one with the hire car. Have called them but they can't provide a second set, so it looks as though hubby and I will have to meet up somewhere in town tomorrow for me to give him the key. On Friday it will work as hubby can leave the key in Kit's school bag and I can retrieve it when I collect Kit from school. Just hope it doesn't take too long to repair our car as not very convenient to have to meet up every Thursday!
caro - not sure about Cora tbh. know quite a few in S Wales and they tend to be rather ... (sorry) chavvy. but that may just be a south wales thing... well, you did ask
karen - sounds like a good shop. if i ever buy clothes, it's impulsive buys like that. but i hate shopping for clothes really!
good news on your run MM. fingers crossed.
went to the osteo this morning. have been clunked - feels a bit better. now sitting on some ice (on a conference call for 2 hours this afternoon!)
minks - sounds like a fab party and a great run. we have E's party this weekend but have copped out and booked the same soft play party that J had last year. E was adamant that she wanted the soft play place - wouldn't have been my choice. but given that we let J have his there (everyone at school seems to book it), i thought it wasn't fair to say no.
oh and JT - the hairdressers is the one on Roman Way opposite the school in Caerleon. just up the hill from where i live now. looks very dodgy from the outside but they are stars in there - so friendly and down to earth (and i HATE hairdressers - nothing worse than sitting in the chair looking at myself in the mirror for an hour!!). they are called Cut Above.
sorry, xpost minks - eek to the crash. glad you are ok tho...
JT - has her phone been nabbed by someone else?!