Hello again (12 week update - very long)

Firstly congrats to the following whose announcements I've missed:

Fraser born February 5, 2004 to proud mama Aprill
Kailey Flynn born February 5, 2004 to proud mama T Flynn
Reagan Shea born February 9, 2004 to proud mama Melanie
William born February 10, 2004 to proud mama Kat
Isabella Zora born February 12, 2004 to proud mama Brigitte
Grace Batya born February 23, 2004 to proud mama Naomi
Russell born February 24, 2004 to proud mama Carolyn
DD born February 26, 2004 to proud mama Sheila

And heartfelt comiserations to Emily
Scheherazade born (& died) March 2, 2004

The January births don't seem to be showing up on Google but Congrats
to you all who had your little ones then.

And of course bestwishes to all those ttc and preg, especially
CrystalDreamer, I'm so happy to see you have two little boys on the
way and I reckon that Mariam is looking down on you all like a
Guardian Angel.

My little Baby J is now 12 weeks old and *oh so much* has happened
since I posted the announcement here. I mainly lurked here and didn't
post much but this group was a fantastic support tool and now I've had
the time to pop back and read up on you all I thought I'd indulge
myself in a little update of us.

Her first: She's developing so beautifully, she's very advanced in a
lot of ways - maybe cos she was big when born. She's still got all
that hair (and is becoming a real ginger-nut) and now weighs in at
6kilos (13lb5oz). She is so very talkative, yammering on for 15 or
20mins at a time - lots of ees and ahs but the consonants are coming
on too. She appears to be starting on her first tooth - well, lots of
drooling and chewing and a little shortterm unexplained squawking from
time to time. She sits up quite well and is starting to grab and hold
with precision. Toys that make sounds are just the business and she
likes to squeal along when I sing certain songs. She's in great health
and is a very content baby. We don't let her sleep thru just yet, we
feed every 5 hours - but we'll be changing that routine soon to she
how she sleeps thru. The best thing is the big smiles and the (very
recent) giggles that greet us when we appear over the side of the cot.
She's so very worth it- I can't believe my luck.

And me: I have to keep this short or I'll go on for pages. J was a
ceasarian birth and exactly a month after her birth I went into
Emergency with very bad leg pains which I suspected was a blood clot
(I'd had one years before). I was right - sort of, it wasn't one clot,
it was 13 DVTs. 8 in the left lag, 3 in the right and 2 in my abdomen.
It seems that a rare genetic clotting condition I have was
kick-started by the c-section (coagulation treatment is part of any
opperation) and the two large clots formed in my abdomen - this
bloackage combined with my thickening blood (the genetic condition)
and the inactivity after the c-section caused the clots in my legs. I
was given anti-coag treatment after the c-section cos they knew my
history, but I guess it wasn't enough. Anyway - I was admitted to
intensive care and had to stay almost completely still for 7 days til
they were sure they had stabalised the clots and movement wasn't going
to kill me. Another 4 days and I was out - but the pain in both legs,
tho' better than when I went in, meant I couldn't really walk at all.
My poor husband was home alone with baby (and no car - long story) for
11 days, had to do the change from breast to bottle which caused a
brief collic-like period and then had to nurse me for a further 2
weeks after I was discharged - not to mention the worry before I was
stabalised that he'd be left a single parent. After 2 weeks I was fit
enough to start physio and that made a HUGE difference - 1 week and I
was nearly normal and able to leave off the painkillers bar just
before the physio. And now I'm feeling totally back to normal, just a
little unfit due to those last 10 or so pregnancy pounds.

I'm on medication for life now - which will make enlarging our family
less straightforward but we're still going to do it in another 18
months to 2 years. I'm sad I couldn't keep up the breastfeeding but,
hey, it's better than being dead. In short, I'd like to thank the
truly magnificent French healthcare system for saving my life and my
daughter, husband and Diantalvic painkillers for saving my sanity.
Every minute I spend with my family is a gift and I am truly the
luckiest person I know.

Thank you for reading this far - I wish all of you the same luck
and joy as I have.

-Iseult

Mama to little J (Dec 23 '03)

Wow!!! What an amazing ride you've had so far. You're daughter sounds
absolutely wonderful. It's amazing what science can do for us now days -
I'm glad you are better.

All the best for the future.

Camille