You might not remember me but I was on the due Sept 2007 thread. I just wanted to say congratulations on your baby girl Willow! What a beautiful name. You really helped me at the begining of my pregnancy and I am so happy that you have gone on to have a gorgeous healthy baby girl. I did want to msg sooner but felt I may have been intruding a little. My little boy Leo was born 6 weeks prem but is a happy 7 mnth old now. I noticed the facebook msg, my name is Tanya Reynolds in the London network if you want to stay in touch. Once again, congrats! I am so happy for you.
I havnt been on in an age! How is everyone? I only skimmed through the posts!
Leo is 5 months old now and has more than trippled his birthweight! Hes a little fatty and I love it! Iv started weaning him on home made pureed veg which he loves (bar carrotts). I give him his last bottle at 7pm and he sleeps through till about 7 am when daddy goes to work, 8am at weekends. I cant believe how much I love him, proud of him and proud of myself for getting him this far! lol.
He was so spoilt at xmas and got so many toys! I am going out today to get him a toybox.
Did anyone go to the Next sale?? It was amazing for baby clothes! Leo is kitted out for the next 6 months! Not that it will stop me buying more im sure .
I had Leo at 34+1 delivered by section due to pre-eclampsia. He was in special care for 3 weeks.
The initial first visit was the worst as I didnt remember him being so small when he was delivered. He was sedated with morphine as he didnt like the ventilators and he was attached to alot of machines. In hindsight I wish I had listened to the nurses when they told me not to panic at alarms etc. It took about a week for me to get used to them. He was in intensive care for 1 day, high dependency for 3 days and special care for the 17 days after that. He was breathing completely on his own and out of the incubators in 4 days. He constantly had a tube in his nose as he could not feed very well. It broke my heart to leave the hospital with all the cards and baby boy balloons etc and no baby. But I can honestly say that the weeks he was in hospital I had the best nights sleep. I didnt need to get up for the loo or a baby! lol. I also managed a night out on the bank holiday before he came home. Its a great time to build up your energy in time for the baby to come home. It also helps as you are completely prepared to take them home plus youve the practice of taking care of the baby etc as they show you the most effective ways of doing things. I am also greatful of the fact that they put him into a 4 hour routine for me so I never had the every 2 hours etc and that has helped him fall into a night pattern. He is 13 weeks old now (Really only 7) but he only gets up once in 12 hours at night now. Lastly it really helped me appreciate the time with him at home wether he was crying or ill or 2 in the morning, I didnt care cos he was with me.
It is very hard, but you get over it slowly. Once he was home, the time in hospital just didnt seem to matter. It upsets me looking back as I thought I missed out on a lot. But I try not to think of that cos really I dnt think I missed much at all.
He is a healthy 12lbs now (4lbs4oz at birth) and so happy and content.
Havnt been on for a while. Leo had his injections yesterday, he done a few short cries then went back to sleep! I thought he would be OK, so went into London to pick up his pics we had taken. He woke up for a feed while we were there but was fine. About a min from the house he started to really scream and didnt stop for half an hour when I gave him calpol! Iv never heard him cry like that before, but he has been fine since then and he didnt need any more calpol.
Re routines - I kind of just fell int ours. I get him chnged into his PJs at 8pm and he has a feed, then he stayes awake till about 10is when he has a top up (about 2oz). He then sleeps thru until 4am has a feed then goes straight back to sleep until 10 when I wake him up and change him into clothes etc...
Re bathtime - Leo seems to like them. I put him into his bath and then put the flannel or washcloth on his belly. Apparently that makes them feel mor secure.
Tanya 
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