Feb-May 2011 Mommies

Ag man.. I was busy posting last night and then Reuben woke up and when I was finished putting him to bed I saw my hubby had switched off the laptop.. so I lost my whole post

Cath, ahhh William is such a cutie pie !!!! And I agree with all the others.. you are def a very happy shiny mommy. Congrats again on having your gorgeous little boy in your arms!!

I find it little to no help when the nurses just pinch and stuff your nipple into babas mouth! You need to learn to latch baby proberly and that def is not the proper way And then they go poke and squeeze your boob while baby is sucking.. it actually hurts. Getting that small little mouth over a big nipple is hard man But you are doing really well so far, all William needs now is those drops of colostrum. Dont get worried if you are not seeing milk yet, it might even take up to 5days! If you just keep nursing him every 2 or so hours, even if just drops and drops. Dont feed longer than 10mins on a breast, or you will have very painfull nipples soon! Dont mind the paed for now.. he is def not worrying in size!! The average weight for babys at birth can range from 2.5 to 3.5! And he is almost fullterm.. They lose a bit of weight anyway.. Reuben dropped from 2.9 to 2.6 in the first day! Thats just all the poo coming out I dont see why you need formula top-up... that can just make him want your breast less as he is not hungry enough, also the combination might even upset his tummy, thats what happend to my first son..

Ok and about the sadness and hormones.. they are soooo normal!! You know on what a high I was after Reuben's birth!!?? And then the second morning when hubby came in I just wanted to cry, was so happy to see him and so sad that i missed my other little boy.. So I just knew it was hormones.. Im def not depro! And even after that I could feel the sadness and crying hover on the horizon.. it just never came through.. so Im so convinced on the hormone theory! Its just triggered and brought forward by maybe tiredness, stress, fretfull baby etc. If you feel it coming on try to avoid whatever triggers it, and if you cant (like when you are extremely tired or baby is being difficult) then try focus on good thoughts.. maybe the positive affirmations I posted a while ago?

Meags, eish.. I can be wrong but you really sound asif your body is starting its journey towards prepping for birth!!?? They funny sensations and pains.. the tiredness, the upset tummy etc. But thats ok.. it needs to start preparing in advance I dont think he will come while hubby is away, and like you said, once dh is back Matt can come!

Kaylae, thanks so much for your message!!! Still think about you every day. I think you are dealing with your loss in the best way you can.. I really pray that you will be re-united with your husband soon so you can grieve together like it should be! Take your time and when you are ready you can come share some time with us.. I know its going to be so hard.. you have so much pain. *hugs* to you my friend!!! xxx

Anje, Im using the Sunlight baby soap, although I did buy the EA baby washing liquid so using that first. Also I add 1/2 cup Sunlight baby staysoft to the rinse cycle of the machine. It makes the clotehes and things soft and comfy and smelling wonderfully baby and powdery I dry things on line and then just give it a quick spin in the tumble dryer, coolish cycle for about 10mins, that makes it even softer! LOL I have a thing for soft, nice smelling washing

Joli, that picture is sooo stunning!! They are going to looove it when they are grown up So precious.. you are really making special memories for your children! Goodluck with the medical aid issues.. Ive had a bit of that the last few days. I think just phone her and tell her to send them a new amended bill, thats what I need to do for my two that has the wrong dates, and then they will pay out. For my epi I got a bill for R2800 but if I pay within 30days I get it discounted to R2200, so maybe thats why yours is different from the discovery one? Just wondering..

Regarding the student girl.. I understand what she wants.. but its unfair to you.. Lets compare it to my bakery.. if there was a student coming along and wanting to shadow me in the kitchen.. in the end all she is going to do is steal and use my recipes and techniques as her own... so the thing is that you have a very distinct style and its unfair of her to learn as she would eventually only be copying your style. She needs to develop her own style.. And like Vix said, just tell her that youve discussed it with a few moms and the verdict you got back is that most moms prefer to only have the photographer there and not someone else.. most cases are of moms doing almost nude maternity shoots and newborns that get fussy, the more people there the more uncomfortable the whole situation gets.

Faw, hehe.. youmust be so curios to read that letter! I think it will be great to write yours.. even if you never give it to him, just to put your feelings down once and for all.. burn the letter afterwards and close that chapter of your life. You are nearly there in starting a whole new book of your life with the new baby, make the most of it! xxx

Mistymom, wow I just love your names!!!! Both the girl and boy names are sooo perfect!!! And the RAW touch is quite cool hehe.. Cant WAIT to hear the boy/girl news!!! argh.. frustrating

Shoo, the post took me so long that my left breast has become engorged! hehe.. REuben fell asleep while feeding this morning so I actually need to wake him up now to feed from that side!! eina

Oh and wanted to say, to mommies having boys.. a small tip When putting on the nappy, make sure the little hosepipe is facing down I had two nights of changing wet clothes because the wee go out the top once the nappy gets full I keep forgetting to point the little mr down!

Thank you girls. I am enjoying my last bit of pregnancy mostly. I love the movement, and he has dropped. This morning i climbed a set of stairs i couldn't walk up without stopping to catch my breath and i managed it all in one go and was hardly out of breath when i got to the top, so i was very happy.
He sms'd me to say he wants to drop stuff off for our son. So he will be there at 6pm. I have asked my mom to please attend to him and he can see our son. My mom won't allow him into the house cos my dad will go mad and i honestly don't want to see him. And my mom doesn't want him upsetting me or my dad.
I have serious ear ache and nausea today and im freezing cold.

Hi Ladies! Had a wonderful sleep last night – 10 hours – and off all pain meds except the anti inflam’s. really the morphine was nice on day 1 but I felt horrible yesterday in the evening, anxious, nervous, etc Those narcotic drugs are hectic!!! So I feel great I’m off them all now! No pain last night still some discomfort but def not pain. Dressing coming off today or the sticky thing they use which I’ve loved it’s like a corset type belt LOL! 

Ja, Schatsie, I asked my dh to bring in my laptop on day 2. I have a nice sunny room and when William is in nursergy (before I go to bed) or next to me like now sleeping it’s divine to be able to catch up with friends, send photos etc! and of course do some google research lol!  paed just saw William and said to me you see he is a beautiful baby or something like that I was like uh, I don’t think I was the one doubting it! Had had low blood sugar (I mean end of the WORLD hey!) so they were testing every 4 hours and he is now apparently fine.

Jolie, you know you could also take the approach that there is enough for everyone in the universe and help this girl, why not, it will only come back to you tenfold unless of course it’s a BIG mission then I would not do it.

Saw the horrible nurse last night and she said so did you breastfeed, so I said well I expressed then fed with a bottle (which I prefer at least I can see what he is getting) and she said OH! I suppose you got nothing out and I was like well actually I got like 30 ml – or something – each breast?!?!? Silly old cow but ja they obviously think the tough love approach works for everyone, it certainly doesn’t work for me. Joli, the paed said as it’s just collunstrum and William was SO SMALL (!!!) they should top it up with formula so like this morning I had the most collumstrum ever from pumping and they mixed it in bottle with some nan and that’s how I fed him. She said if milk comes in tomorrow/day 4 I can stop topping up. I must say though I DO like the expressing and bottle feeding as I said it gives me comfort to know precisely what I’m giving him you know and how much he’s getting, my older brother almost starved to death (ok slight exaggeration) as my mom was breastfeeding constantly but there was no milk, shame they were clueless he lost about a kilo or so in the first week and that story always stuck with me!! 

Meags, did I tell you your house is beautiful – and soon you will be able to fill it with happy memories and happy times too when Mattieu arrives and your dh gets himself back on track! 

Ja the medical profession, JOli I’m so sorry that YOU are having to run around because of their mistake! Honestly they and not just discovery all of them – will do as LITTLE as possible for as MUCH money as possible! It’s very unfair and very wrong!!!

So William is sucking madly on his fingers I gave him the dummy for first time which he really liked but now sucking again on fingers he was fed an hour ago so can’t think he is hungry again??

This morning I expressed milk, learnt how to swaddle, change nappy, feed with bottle, clean umbilical chord etc! I was shown yesterday but needed another lesson!  later today we’re doing bathing! Gosh it’s so wonderful to have all these people on hand to help even though some of them have clearly had personality failures, what!??

LOL mistymom re stealing babies!!! Isn’t it tooo cute when they look for the breast I LOVE your name choices very smart and so glad the weather is co-operating!!!

And thanks for all the encouragement re W’s size, thanks Joli! I think some of these people may be mad!

Meags, thanks for posting Kaylae’s message, her faith is amazing and she will be rewarded. Still it takes massive guts and determination to get through probably one of the toughest tests ever hey. Kaylae thinking of and praying for you!

Fahway thinking of you, stay strong you are doing sooo amazingly well!!!

Love
CAth
x

Mistymom LOL

I totally understand now how women can steal babies from hopsitals etc

I know the feeling! I've been so "broeis" for years now, so it is always hard for me to give babies back to their moms.

I love your name choices! Speaking of initials, our LBs initials will be ABC.

Faw I agree with Mistymom, besides this being a pregnancy forum we have become friends here, so feel free to vent about anything that is on your mind. If you get things that worry you off your mind you will have a more relaxed happy pregnancy.

Poor Kaylae, I still feel so sad for her! One of my friends had 2 MCs in the 1st trimester and it was really horrible, so I can only imagine what it must be like to lose your baby in your 3rd trimester! Imagine having prepared a room, etc. for the baby and suddenly you just have to stop all of that! Also, I dream 24x7 about having my LB in my arms and what he's going to be like when he grows up, etc. so knowing that you will never see those dreams realise must be just terrible!

Morning girls

What a lovely cool day in CT for once!

Joli - sounds a bit odd to me. I woudl tell her that photography is not only studio work and if she only wants to concentrate on that area maybe a course or shadowing somebody else would be better? 2 me it sounds liek she is just wanting to learn fast and start her own thing, producing photos like yours straight away. And as you said it has taken you 3 years to get to where you are with hard work! Have you seen any samples of her work?

Fawhaway - yes this is a preggy thread but we do chat about other things as well! You are staying so strong about this whole divorce thing. I have never been through somethying like tat but can imagine it must be hard. If writting and venting here helps you...I have no problem with it.

CathM - have looked at your photos a few times now! YOu are just GLOWING!!!!!! Re the paed...hope the baby pees on him!!! I am in no place to give advice but to me he just sounds horrible and talking rubbish.

Meags - Bling sounds liek he is giving you a hard time SHAME! Hope that you can come up with a apkan soon. I woudl keep them indoors at night. By the looks of your photos thye house is big and I am sure you will sleep better! Thank you for sahring Kaylaes post....I really am so sad fro her. Just hope she and DH can be together again soon!

AFM - went to visit a friend yesterday who has a 1 month old little boy. My heart melted.....I did not want to leave......he fell asleep on my chest and I totally understand now how women can steal babies from hopsitals etc. Its so easy to fall in love with them. And when he woke up he started looking fro my nipple! It was too cute! Really glad my friend said to visit again soon...shame she had a bit of PND so it was the first time i visited yesterday, but she seems fine now...and there was no reason for her to ask me to visit again soon....I definetly will. So now girls I just have no idea how I am ment to get through the next 8 weeks......I JUST WANT MY LITTLE BABY!

Oh yes lastly we have finially seattled on names. This was after reading every name and gaelic name book under the sun.

Boy: Ryan Andrew Wallace (DH Name Andrew) - dh likes this as the initials will be RAW which re recons si great fro a boy

Girl: Camryn Jayne Wallace (my second name is Jayne which i like) and also like CJ...so glad taht is sorted. At last we both found a girls name we both like....

Well that is all for now.

TO all others HI

Morning ladies

Joli maybe I'm selfish but I wouldn't let this girl shadow you. Since she lives in JHB she will actually become your direct competition! You worked hard to get where you're at, so she can do the same!

Tell me, what do you charge for a maternity or new born session? I just want to get an idea of what these things cost. I'm not too sure about getting a maternity shoot yet, but really want to get a session once Arno is born.

Joli- I do think that's wrong! It's a fine art getting babies to pose as you do and you should not have to have it copied by ANYONE! Just tell her you don't allow people to shaddow you in the studio because it makes the mothers of the newborns very nervus and you need to have their trust because you are dealing with their precious cargo, or something like that, it's polite enough but she doesn't really have a come back.