Pregnancy And Parenting

[Lisa Cuddy]

Out of interest (and apologies if this has been asked before) how long did it take everyone to get pregnant? Looking for the number of months from when you made the decision to start to when it was confirmed.

(Accidental pregnancies need not apply)

What are you trying to tell us, young man?

To answer the question, with my first we fell pregnant straight away. Second, 8 months, one miscarriage and another 2 years. My youngest was a bit of a surprise. We'd had a bit of a conversation about it while drunk, but didn't deliberately "do" anything about it, if you see what I mean.

[Ayrgirl]

What an intriguing question. First one within a year although wasn't actively trying (nor preventing obviously). Miscarriage 3 years later and never happened again. That's over an 11 year period.

[RH33]

Well all is fine but back in a fortnight as although we could see heart was lying the wrong way to have it measured. That was with sending us out for 20mins and trying again! Also unlike it's older brother kept it's legs tightly crossed so even if I'd wanted to know I couldn't have!

[Skyline Drifter]

Well it's been an "interesting" week.

Thomas had what we thought was a cold that started about Sunday and got a little worse Monday / Tuesday. On Wednesday I left him with his granny in the morning and went to work. She phoned his mum to come home at lunch and suggested he was taken to the doctors as he was having trouble breathing (she's since told me the last time she heard anyone struggling for breath that much was my gran, the day before she died!). Thomas was seen by NHS24 and admitted to hospital with some sort of virus that was causing him major breathing problems, fitted with a tube to his nose and placed on hourly nebulisers of oxygen. He was also given steroids. I wasn't really made aware how ill he actually was on Wednesday as I was busy at work and was given the impression he was actually in as a precaution but in truth it was anything but. When I did see him Wednesday night I wasn't happy I hadn't been there all along. He was a pitiful sight really.

However, by Thursday night he was bouncing up and down in his cot, shouting "Choo choo" and "Daddy" when I arrived for visiting and he was let out this afternoon. A big thank you to the staff at DGRI Ward 15

For good measure, Steven, who has been staying with granny since all this started, finally cut his first tooth this morning.

Edited November 19, 2010 by Skyline Drifter

[Adam]

Wow, that sounds awful. Glad everything is OK now.

Our one is getting along well, although he really does have a terrible temper and likes to literally throw himself to the floor when he isn't allowed to do something. He went through a phase of smacking his head off everything to show how unhappy he was when he was told off, but he seems to have given that up recently.

He has been saying a new word recently, D'oh! It's hilarious. A Simpsons fan and he isn't even two for a month!

He has also started shaking his head when you ask him something, which is very funny.

[MB]

Sorry to hear about Thomas, SD. I'm glad he's on the mend. You may remember that Oliver had viral gastroenteritis at the end of October. Well, he's been under the weather again these last few days and is now on antibiotics for a viral infection affecting his chest. Mrs MB has tonsilitis and is also on antibiotics. Not a happy time in the MB household at the moment, though both of them are doing better today than yesterday. I guess it's that time of year.

[Reina]

Wow, SD, scary stuff! Glad to hear he's better, and that Steven has his first tooth!

MB, hope everyone in your household gets well soon.

We're just plodding along as usual. Depending on the weather, wee man might get to his first competitive football match tomorrow, but we will see... We have lots of new words here, including daisy (upsy daisy), flowf (flower) and buggar (ball - god knows where he got that one). Also, he says "did at?" (who did that?) when he's done something naughty... cheeky monkey that he is!

[RH33]

Asked Ruairidh earlier what we should call the baby, he said 'Ross'!

Also his dad was seeing if he could feel the baby move after a particularly strong kick and he to feel the bump exclaiming, 'baby'! Hopefully the interest and excitement remains once it is here!

[Gnash]

I'm looking for a little advice as well. My wee boy was born 15 days ago and it looks like we (I have played a vital supporting role ) have finally cracked breast-feeding. Which is great. What's not so great is the inconsolable crying we get a few times a night (sometimes several times), from 8pm until 8am.

Usually we can calm him down in a few minutes with a feed / nappy change / etc, but sometimes there's nothing we can do, and he eventually wears himself out after about 30 minutes. That's pretty hellish in the middle of the night.

Does anyone have any techniques they could share - something a bit out of the ordinary, because we've tried all the usual stuff?

Cheers.

At what point did my body become public fucking property. Yes I'm pregnant but keep your hands off my stomach.

Fortunately, my wife didn't have a problem with that. Must be extremely annoying, and possibly a little scary if it's a stranger.

[Gnash]

I cant remember if they do or not. They certainly wont refuse to tell you - not sure why a health authority out in the sticks would, to be honest - but not sure if they ask if you want to know or not.

We found out with both of ours

Forth Valley refuse to tell you, and they have notices up all over the place saying they won't tell you. That suited us fine as we didn't want to know.... except the retard doing the scan kept saying "he" and "his".

[RH33]

I'm looking for a little advice as well. My wee boy was born 15 days ago and it looks like we (I have played a vital supporting role ) have finally cracked breast-feeding. Which is great. What's not so great is the inconsolable crying we get a few times a night (sometimes several times), from 8pm until 8am.

Usually we can calm him down in a few minutes with a feed / nappy change / etc, but sometimes there's nothing we can do, and he eventually wears himself out after about 30 minutes. That's pretty hellish in the middle of the night.

Does anyone have any techniques they could share - something a bit out of the ordinary, because we've tried all the usual stuff?

Firstly, congratulations on your new arrival! I always found the screaming worse to deal with in the middle of the night. Have you tried swaddling him? My wee one liked that when he was tiny.

[Reina]

Definitely agree with the swaddling. Also, I think you have to expect to be woken up in the night - he's only 15 days old!! Congrats on the arrival of him, Gnash!

mozza - could she be thirsty or hungry? Do you offer her any water or milk when she wakes?

[die hard doonhamer]

8 weeks to go. It's scary stuff.

[Gnash]

Firstly, congratulations on your new arrival! I always found the screaming worse to deal with in the middle of the night. Have you tried swaddling him? My wee one liked that when he was tiny.

Definitely agree with the swaddling. Congrats on the arrival of him, Gnash!

Thanks. Swaddling has helped a bit but there are times when he's struggling so much I'm sure he's trying to get free, then he starts the screaming....

Also, I think you have to expect to be woken up in the night - he's only 15 days old!!

It's not being woken up in the night that I've got a problem with - it's the persistent, inconsolable screaming for 30 min plus, like he did yesterday evening. We're doing a shift system at the moment with me sleeping in the early part of the night, while my wife takes care of him, and then we swap at 3am.

I look forward to the day when we can spend the night in our bed and only get woken a couple of times for a 40 min nappy change and feed!!

[Skyline Drifter]

It's not being woken up in the night that I've got a problem with - it's the persistent, inconsolable screaming for 30 min plus, like he did yesterday evening. We're doing a shift system at the moment with me sleeping in the early part of the night, while my wife takes care of him, and then we swap at 3am.

I look forward to the day when we can spend the night in our bed and only get woken a couple of times for a 40 min nappy change and feed!!

Has anyone looked into him perhaps having a reflux problem with his eating? We had that with Steven and apparently a surprisingly high number of babies are born with it though most grow out of it pretty quickly. It's when a valve in the aesophagus hasn't developed properly and stomach acid washes back up into the throat when they drink their milk. It's extremely painful and gives the screaming result. It can often see them being sick too but needn't necessarily do (Steven was never sick with it). If it's that then mixing Gaviscon powders in with the milk to thicken it helps enormously and basically you just have to wait it out. We went through 3 or 4 months of Steven screaming most of the time he was awake before he grew out of it. It's Hell. Even if it's not that, I know what you are going through.

The last two nights here have been fantastic with both boys sleeping right through the night. I don't think that's ever happened before.

Do you use a dummy? Steven is much more fond of a dummy than Thomas ever was. Thomas wasn't really bothered at all but Steven likes to sleep with a dummy in mostly and will wake up crying for it in the middle of the night sometimes if it's fallen out. Again, his dependence on it seems to be reducing a bit now but it may help you if you haven't tried that.

Congratulations by the way.

[Reina]

Could it be trapped wind? My boy always fell asleep on the breast so it was difficult to wind him after a feed as I just wanted to let him sleep! When he was about 5 months old, I got him into the baby whisperer-style routine where I fed him when he woke up, then instead of him sleeping, he would have "activity" which was a nappy change/wind/toy when he was a little older and then after that I'd let him sleep. He was a lot more settled once we got into that routine and I wish I'd started it earlier as I suspect the lack of winding was what contributed to the all-day screaming...

[GlesgaeBairn]

Reading through all the advice which seems very helpful.

My wife is 24 weeks pregnant with our first at the moment. And also pregnant with our second as well (non-identical) !!!!

No history of twins in the family so it was a little bit of a surprise.

Anyone got some wise words on newborn twins (apart from take out a second mortgage)?

[Gnash]

Has anyone looked into him perhaps having a reflux problem with his eating? We had that with Steven and apparently a surprisingly high number of babies are born with it though most grow out of it pretty quickly. It's when a valve in the aesophagus hasn't developed properly and stomach acid washes back up into the throat when they drink their milk. It's extremely painful and gives the screaming result. It can often see them being sick too but needn't necessarily do (Steven was never sick with it). If it's that then mixing Gaviscon powders in with the milk to thicken it helps enormously and basically you just have to wait it out. We went through 3 or 4 months of Steven screaming most of the time he was awake before he grew out of it. It's Hell. Even if it's not that, I know what you are going through.

The last two nights here have been fantastic with both boys sleeping right through the night. I don't think that's ever happened before.

Do you use a dummy? Steven is much more fond of a dummy than Thomas ever was. Thomas wasn't really bothered at all but Steven likes to sleep with a dummy in mostly and will wake up crying for it in the middle of the night sometimes if it's fallen out. Again, his dependence on it seems to be reducing a bit now but it may help you if you haven't tried that.

Congratulations by the way.

Funnily enough Callum vomited a lot in the first week (when he was taking formula milk as well as breast), but there's not much now. We do think it might be something to do with reflux though. My wife is feeding him exclusively on breast at the moment, and we don't want to disrupt that, so the Gaviscon idea will have to go on hold - thanks for the suggestion. The dummy definitely helps sometimes, but other times he just won't take it.

Could it be trapped wind? My boy always fell asleep on the breast so it was difficult to wind him after a feed as I just wanted to let him sleep! When he was about 5 months old, I got him into the baby whisperer-style routine where I fed him when he woke up, then instead of him sleeping, he would have "activity" which was a nappy change/wind/toy when he was a little older and then after that I'd let him sleep. He was a lot more settled once we got into that routine and I wish I'd started it earlier as I suspect the lack of winding was what contributed to the all-day screaming...

Trapped wind is another idea we're thinking of, but we give him a good 5-10 mins winding after every feed. Supposedly less wind is generated from breast feeding. We'll give the post-fed activity idea a go so thanks for that.

One strange thing he does before and during a screaming fit is arch his back - so it's as stiff as a board (it's unbelievable how strong he is). Anyone else experienced this?

[Reina]

That sounds like reflux to me, Gnash - I didn't realise they could get it so early on though. The fact he's doing that suggests it's pain rather than wind - Cal would bring his knees up to his chest with the wind, which is the opposite of what your boy seems to be doing. Is he in a moses basket? If so, you could try tipping it (put some books under one end) so that his head is higher than his feet. There are lots of tips like that which can help - have a google search for it.

Twins, GB?!? How exciting and also terrifying (I bet!). No advice, but I suspect you'll manage because you'll just have to. It'll be hard for a start, I'm sure, but as they get older it'll be brilliant. There's a charity called TAMBA (twins and multiple birth association) - click here and I'm sure they'd be a good place to start. Good luck!

[Reina]

BTW, Gnash, I'd really recommend reading the Baby Whisperer - I'm not one for routines as such, but her ideas were really interesting.