Any other expectant Dads?
Discussion
Finally born on the 6th August, had a fight with forceps and got a bruised head and shiner of an eye, a little bit of paralysis to face but getting better.
Mum is still in hospital after 3rd-degree tear and losing 1.5 litres of blood.
he was 4kg at birth and 3.9kg after the 24 hour weigh-in.
generally a little chuntering at things and when he cries he has the most amazing quivering lip that starts first, doesn't seem to cry very much, only when blood been taken and grumpy when woken up for feeding. (he's not been fed when hungry yet, he's fed every 3 hours).
I commend him on the way something so small can do the loudest wet farts I have ever heard and that smug as f
k look he gives after doing so.
Mum is still in hospital after 3rd-degree tear and losing 1.5 litres of blood.
he was 4kg at birth and 3.9kg after the 24 hour weigh-in.
generally a little chuntering at things and when he cries he has the most amazing quivering lip that starts first, doesn't seem to cry very much, only when blood been taken and grumpy when woken up for feeding. (he's not been fed when hungry yet, he's fed every 3 hours).
I commend him on the way something so small can do the loudest wet farts I have ever heard and that smug as f
k look he gives after doing so.Sambucket said:
Teach me your dark ways.
Sorry just picked this up..As someone mentioned above, we're just lucky she's sleeping well at night now. The past week compared to the first 3 have been a doddle. Last night we put her in her room at 10pm and she slept right through til 5am! (she's only 4.5weeks old).
Couldn't be without her now
Just waiting for the first smile!
Big_Willy said:
Forgot to add, we put her down on her front which apparently they advise against but she just won't settle on her back/side for more than an hour a time!!
Back along they actually recommended laying them on their fronts so I can't see any harm.
Our boy didn't sleep well until he was about 4-5 months old and was comfortably rolling over, so we plonked him down on his front and he slept soundly. He still prefers it that way now at nearly 3 years old.Back along they actually recommended laying them on their fronts so I can't see any harm.
Has anyone else on here had children with congenital heart defects, namely a VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect). We don't know anyone with a child who's had it, or who's had corrective surgery etc and it's all quite a bit to take in.
For context we've just got back from a 2nd heart scan (27 weeks 4 days) and the good news we hoped for, that the hole had healed and gone, turned into bad news as it's now a 'moderate' size hole and not a small one as told 6 weeks ago. This means they are sitting on the fence with regards to advice and also preparing us for the worst as open heart surgery at around 6 months old is now a genuine possibility.
It's terrifying although whilst baby is still in the womb there's basically nothing we can do about it and nothing else is currently showing up as abnormal etc.
Anyway, just wondered if anyone has first hand experience of this kind of thing, anyone who saw signs of poor weight gain after the birth and had it diagnosed then etc.
Not been a very stress free pregnancy so far as my partners genetic condition (pku) means we already had appointments and scans most weeks and now it looks like we'll get even more!
NHS have been awesome though so no complaints there, and I guess it's better to know about these things then to be surprised and unprepared later on....
For context we've just got back from a 2nd heart scan (27 weeks 4 days) and the good news we hoped for, that the hole had healed and gone, turned into bad news as it's now a 'moderate' size hole and not a small one as told 6 weeks ago. This means they are sitting on the fence with regards to advice and also preparing us for the worst as open heart surgery at around 6 months old is now a genuine possibility.
It's terrifying although whilst baby is still in the womb there's basically nothing we can do about it and nothing else is currently showing up as abnormal etc.
Anyway, just wondered if anyone has first hand experience of this kind of thing, anyone who saw signs of poor weight gain after the birth and had it diagnosed then etc.
Not been a very stress free pregnancy so far as my partners genetic condition (pku) means we already had appointments and scans most weeks and now it looks like we'll get even more!
NHS have been awesome though so no complaints there, and I guess it's better to know about these things then to be surprised and unprepared later on....
Big_Willy said:
Sambucket said:
Teach me your dark ways.
Sorry just picked this up..As someone mentioned above, we're just lucky she's sleeping well at night now. The past week compared to the first 3 have been a doddle. Last night we put her in her room at 10pm and she slept right through til 5am! (she's only 4.5weeks old).
Couldn't be without her now
Just waiting for the first smile!
Big_Willy said:
Forgot to add, we put her down on her front which apparently they advise against but she just won't settle on her back/side for more than an hour a time!!
Back along they actually recommended laying them on their fronts so I can't see any harm.
Massively increases the risk of cot death. You should always put them on their back, at least until they can easily roll over by themselves. Back along they actually recommended laying them on their fronts so I can't see any harm.
Japveesix said:
Has anyone else on here had children with congenital heart defects, namely a VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect). We don't know anyone with a child who's had it, or who's had corrective surgery etc and it's all quite a bit to take in.
For context we've just got back from a 2nd heart scan (27 weeks 4 days) and the good news we hoped for, that the hole had healed and gone, turned into bad news as it's now a 'moderate' size hole and not a small one as told 6 weeks ago. This means they are sitting on the fence with regards to advice and also preparing us for the worst as open heart surgery at around 6 months old is now a genuine possibility.
It's terrifying although whilst baby is still in the womb there's basically nothing we can do about it and nothing else is currently showing up as abnormal etc.
Anyway, just wondered if anyone has first hand experience of this kind of thing, anyone who saw signs of poor weight gain after the birth and had it diagnosed then etc.
Not been a very stress free pregnancy so far as my partners genetic condition (pku) means we already had appointments and scans most weeks and now it looks like we'll get even more!
NHS have been awesome though so no complaints there, and I guess it's better to know about these things then to be surprised and unprepared later on....
I can imagine it's extremely stressful given it's a situation you're entirely powerless over. For context we've just got back from a 2nd heart scan (27 weeks 4 days) and the good news we hoped for, that the hole had healed and gone, turned into bad news as it's now a 'moderate' size hole and not a small one as told 6 weeks ago. This means they are sitting on the fence with regards to advice and also preparing us for the worst as open heart surgery at around 6 months old is now a genuine possibility.
It's terrifying although whilst baby is still in the womb there's basically nothing we can do about it and nothing else is currently showing up as abnormal etc.
Anyway, just wondered if anyone has first hand experience of this kind of thing, anyone who saw signs of poor weight gain after the birth and had it diagnosed then etc.
Not been a very stress free pregnancy so far as my partners genetic condition (pku) means we already had appointments and scans most weeks and now it looks like we'll get even more!
NHS have been awesome though so no complaints there, and I guess it's better to know about these things then to be surprised and unprepared later on....
Management of VSD post delivery will depend on the extent of the defect. I think that about 80% close spontaneously in the first couple of year but that depends on the size (the smaller the defect the more likely it is to close spontaneously). Sometimes medication may be given to offload the fluid (and as such the pressure) on the heart. Surgery is used where medication is ineffective or the defect is simply to big.
Unfortunately the only thing you guys can do at the moment is wait, monitor how things progress and support each other.
Wishing you both all the best.
John Lewis today for the 1-2-1 nursery session. Lasted two hours, was really good with no hard sell. Was able to try out the car seats/base in the Touring to see how they fit. Also shown how to attach the seat via seatbelt if needed. Got to play with the buggies, test out the different folds etc.
Ended up buying:
- Cybex Cloud Z (Went for this over the Maxi Cosi because of the lying flat option and the spin base)
- Cybex isofix base
- Uppababy Vista (Went for this over the iCandy Orange or Peach because we felt the quality was better and still had the tandem option if desired)
Worth nothing that they currently have a promotion where if you spend >£1000 you get £100 gift card back (or £125 if you're a JL card member). Something to consider as given the price of this stuff it's very easy to spend that amount of cash. Offer ends 19th August BTW.
Ended up buying:
- Cybex Cloud Z (Went for this over the Maxi Cosi because of the lying flat option and the spin base)
- Cybex isofix base
- Uppababy Vista (Went for this over the iCandy Orange or Peach because we felt the quality was better and still had the tandem option if desired)
Worth nothing that they currently have a promotion where if you spend >£1000 you get £100 gift card back (or £125 if you're a JL card member). Something to consider as given the price of this stuff it's very easy to spend that amount of cash. Offer ends 19th August BTW.
g3org3y said:
I can imagine it's extremely stressful given it's a situation you're entirely powerless over.
Management of VSD post delivery will depend on the extent of the defect. I think that about 80% close spontaneously in the first couple of year but that depends on the size (the smaller the defect the more likely it is to close spontaneously). Sometimes medication may be given to offload the fluid (and as such the pressure) on the heart. Surgery is used where medication is ineffective or the defect is simply to big.
Unfortunately the only thing you guys can do at the moment is wait, monitor how things progress and support each other.
Wishing you both all the best.
Thanks, I know it's a tricky one as the 'moderate' size of the hole means it's neither here nor there really and they are really loath to give any long-term prognosis as it's impossible to know what it's going to do. Could be gone after 6 months with minimal symptoms, or could lead to Open heart surgery on our baby, which is scary.Management of VSD post delivery will depend on the extent of the defect. I think that about 80% close spontaneously in the first couple of year but that depends on the size (the smaller the defect the more likely it is to close spontaneously). Sometimes medication may be given to offload the fluid (and as such the pressure) on the heart. Surgery is used where medication is ineffective or the defect is simply to big.
Unfortunately the only thing you guys can do at the moment is wait, monitor how things progress and support each other.
Wishing you both all the best.
We're having a pretty tricky pregnancy anyway with many extra scans and specialist appointments etc (hence the hole being picked up, which I guess is a good thing) and this is one extra burden to deal with.
They say that VSDs are fairly common but we still don't know anyone who's dealt with it, and after joining a Children's Heart support group on Facebook I'm now wishing I hadn't as the majority of issues discussed (in tragic detail) are much worse than our current situation!
Japveesix said:
Thanks, I know it's a tricky one as the 'moderate' size of the hole means it's neither here nor there really and they are really loath to give any long-term prognosis as it's impossible to know what it's going to do. Could be gone after 6 months with minimal symptoms, or could lead to Open heart surgery on our baby, which is scary.
We're having a pretty tricky pregnancy anyway with many extra scans and specialist appointments etc (hence the hole being picked up, which I guess is a good thing) and this is one extra burden to deal with.
They say that VSDs are fairly common but we still don't know anyone who's dealt with it, and after joining a Children's Heart support group on Facebook I'm now wishing I hadn't as the majority of issues discussed (in tragic detail) are much worse than our current situation!
I suppose look at it from the perspective of at least it has been identified and is being closely monitored. Better to go into the situation with your eyes open (and some knowledge) than it being a surprise diagnosis once born or if baby is failing to thrive. Doesn't do much for anxiety levels though! We're having a pretty tricky pregnancy anyway with many extra scans and specialist appointments etc (hence the hole being picked up, which I guess is a good thing) and this is one extra burden to deal with.
They say that VSDs are fairly common but we still don't know anyone who's dealt with it, and after joining a Children's Heart support group on Facebook I'm now wishing I hadn't as the majority of issues discussed (in tragic detail) are much worse than our current situation!
Prognosis is (as you mention) extremely difficult to judge because it's not a static situation. Surgery is always a last resort and never taken lightly.
We've had a few babies at our Practice with VSD. I think almost all were managed conservatively and the defect resolved over time and ultimately the child suffered no lasting ill effects or complications.
Hope everything works out for you guys. Fingers crossed.
Edited by g3org3y on Sunday 11th August 14:29
Japveesix said:
Has anyone else on here had children with congenital heart defects, namely a VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect). We don't know anyone with a child who's had it, or who's had corrective surgery etc and it's all quite a bit to take in.
For context we've just got back from a 2nd heart scan (27 weeks 4 days) and the good news we hoped for, that the hole had healed and gone, turned into bad news as it's now a 'moderate' size hole and not a small one as told 6 weeks ago. This means they are sitting on the fence with regards to advice and also preparing us for the worst as open heart surgery at around 6 months old is now a genuine possibility.
It's terrifying although whilst baby is still in the womb there's basically nothing we can do about it and nothing else is currently showing up as abnormal etc.
Anyway, just wondered if anyone has first hand experience of this kind of thing, anyone who saw signs of poor weight gain after the birth and had it diagnosed then etc.
Not been a very stress free pregnancy so far as my partners genetic condition (pku) means we already had appointments and scans most weeks and now it looks like we'll get even more!
NHS have been awesome though so no complaints there, and I guess it's better to know about these things then to be surprised and unprepared later on....
Not direclty but my wife's cousin had a little girl who had this and through monitoring they recognised the issue. It meant a long stay in hospital for baby (and therefore mum) but long term, no lasting effects at allFor context we've just got back from a 2nd heart scan (27 weeks 4 days) and the good news we hoped for, that the hole had healed and gone, turned into bad news as it's now a 'moderate' size hole and not a small one as told 6 weeks ago. This means they are sitting on the fence with regards to advice and also preparing us for the worst as open heart surgery at around 6 months old is now a genuine possibility.
It's terrifying although whilst baby is still in the womb there's basically nothing we can do about it and nothing else is currently showing up as abnormal etc.
Anyway, just wondered if anyone has first hand experience of this kind of thing, anyone who saw signs of poor weight gain after the birth and had it diagnosed then etc.
Not been a very stress free pregnancy so far as my partners genetic condition (pku) means we already had appointments and scans most weeks and now it looks like we'll get even more!
NHS have been awesome though so no complaints there, and I guess it's better to know about these things then to be surprised and unprepared later on....
Finally time for me to update, little Oscar was born on 13/8 weighing in at 8lbs. Stubborn little man, 13 days late and various failed attempts to induce. Poor mrsJ220 was in hospital for near on a week in total.
So he ended up arriving via a C section which was amazing to see. I've always have massive respect for anyone working in health care, but wow. What an experience. The staff were superb and me and the wife just had a normal conversation throughout. Even during the section, he was refusing to come out. Foreceps failed aswell. It got a bit concerning when they called for additional help, but all came good in the end.
Unfortunately when we got home, the first night we had no nappy changes. We knew something wasn't quite right and thankfully the midwife visit confirmed she didn't think he was feeding right. He's lost a bit of weight so back to the ward for blood tests and formula top up. They suggested it's due to a C section causing the milk to no arrive for a few days. Still, mega worry, and Mrs feeling she was to blame. Not an easy few days, and emotions all over the place.
Looking on the plus side, when we were back in, I got the chance to feed him and wow, best experience yet. Possibly partly due to the relief we knew he was getting fed, but seeing his wee beady eyes look at me was surreal. I was genuinely buzzing.
We're back home now and he's gained some weight back. Good few nappies filled and stress levels are dropping, slowly. Hopefully today's midwife visit is a positive one.
I think just being at home and away from the ward, the noise, the staff poking and prodding, has made both (or all three) of us more relaxed. Our little puppy approved already on the first meeting.
What an experience.
So he ended up arriving via a C section which was amazing to see. I've always have massive respect for anyone working in health care, but wow. What an experience. The staff were superb and me and the wife just had a normal conversation throughout. Even during the section, he was refusing to come out. Foreceps failed aswell. It got a bit concerning when they called for additional help, but all came good in the end.
Unfortunately when we got home, the first night we had no nappy changes. We knew something wasn't quite right and thankfully the midwife visit confirmed she didn't think he was feeding right. He's lost a bit of weight so back to the ward for blood tests and formula top up. They suggested it's due to a C section causing the milk to no arrive for a few days. Still, mega worry, and Mrs feeling she was to blame. Not an easy few days, and emotions all over the place.
Looking on the plus side, when we were back in, I got the chance to feed him and wow, best experience yet. Possibly partly due to the relief we knew he was getting fed, but seeing his wee beady eyes look at me was surreal. I was genuinely buzzing.
We're back home now and he's gained some weight back. Good few nappies filled and stress levels are dropping, slowly. Hopefully today's midwife visit is a positive one.
I think just being at home and away from the ward, the noise, the staff poking and prodding, has made both (or all three) of us more relaxed. Our little puppy approved already on the first meeting.
What an experience.
Hey dads.
So turns out baby is breach so coming out the sun roof tomorrow hopefully! Such a strange birthday I'm having that's for sure! Went to my best mates who's wife is a midwife and she had a feel around the wife's tummy and couldn't feel a head down below so phoned mac for us, got us on a scanner now and confirmed breach. As I'm typing this I'm a bit scared and shaken about it all and it's hit home big I'm going to be caring for someone tomorrow!!!!
Anyone got any good tips for a planned c section and the aftermath of it and what I can do to help mum in recovery?
So turns out baby is breach so coming out the sun roof tomorrow hopefully! Such a strange birthday I'm having that's for sure! Went to my best mates who's wife is a midwife and she had a feel around the wife's tummy and couldn't feel a head down below so phoned mac for us, got us on a scanner now and confirmed breach. As I'm typing this I'm a bit scared and shaken about it all and it's hit home big I'm going to be caring for someone tomorrow!!!!
Anyone got any good tips for a planned c section and the aftermath of it and what I can do to help mum in recovery?
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