I am really pleased I took part in the Blog Dare. To be honest I was only going to take part for January, but I think now that I'll stick with it, its been very enjoyable and I've learned a lot.
I think the best bit was doing the controversial post, and realising I had enough for a week, perhaps longer, and its been fun blogging about things outside my usual sphere.
I'm going to try and take part in February, which will be a challenge, as I will be away for some of it.
So thank you everyone for encouraging me during this month, I have been successful in posting everyday!
P.S I am still waiting for Joseph's explanations of his weird eating behaviour!
Monday, 31 January 2011
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Complications of Prematurity - NEC
This post is in memory of all the special angels no longer with us due to NEC, but particularly Freddie, who lost his brave fight this weekend, born at 23 weeks + 6 days and on this earth for just over 3 weeks.
This post is based on my experience, it is informed somewhat by reading and what our doctors said to us, but it is to be taken merely as my thoughts, if you need more information please consult your child's medical team.
NEC is perhaps the most pernicious and evil of the complications of prematurity. It strike regardless of gestation, and it can appear at any time during the child's NICU journey. It's potentially fatal, and can cause long term problems. It can occur more than once.
NEC is the abbreviation for Necrotising Entercolitis. Necrosis means death, so we are talking about death of tissue. Enterocolitis is the inflamation of tissue in the small bowel or colon.
Precisely what NEC is and how its caused is not completely known. The signs and symptoms are not always easy to spot, but usually a distended abdomen, problems with passing faeces, sometimes the appearance of blood, and usually blood tests will show signs of infection and necrosis. It is believed that giving the baby breast milk rather than formula may assist in preventing NEC, however it can still occur in breast fed babies.
Treatment is usually the cessation of feeds into the stomach, treatment with antibiotics, release of gas in the stomach, and sometimes surgery, cutting away the affected parts of the intestine and sewing them back together, usually with a stoma, so the excrement bypasses the lower parts of the bowel.
The treatment of NEC can cause lifelong problems, Sara, a friend I met through Bliss has agree to share a photo of her little girl, Ellie now 2, which illustrates the external problems that NEC can leave.
Sarah says
Joseph was treated with antibiotics and cessation of feeds, and a long line was inserted so that Joseph could be fed intravenously. We were extremely fortunate, that these methods all worked, and the NEC was arrested. Joseph is still monitored every six months by the paediatric team, and they still monitor his bowel performance (which I am happy to say is in full working order, and did not sustain long term damage)
There are times when NEC cannot be successfully treated, and ongoing research is being done in this area. Often these babies are the tiniest of babies and surgery is incredibly specialised and difficult.
I've blogged about this in the hope that if you have a friend or family member going through NICU with their baby, you may be better placed to understand what is going on. Sometimes its confusing to know that a baby needs feeding, but to hear that feeds have stopped is very confusing.
I hope that over time micro surgery improves, and the knowledge of the small bowel also improves and we see the outcomes for these poorly babies improve greatly with as well, currently there is an 80% success rate for babies with suspected or actual NEC treated with antibiotics and conservative treatment, and a 50% success rate for those who have had surgery, but as we have seen these success rates only tell half the story, we do not know how many children have long term issues as a result of NEC.
Many thanks to Sara for sharing her and her daughter's story. I wish them all the very best for the future.
This post is based on my experience, it is informed somewhat by reading and what our doctors said to us, but it is to be taken merely as my thoughts, if you need more information please consult your child's medical team.
NEC is perhaps the most pernicious and evil of the complications of prematurity. It strike regardless of gestation, and it can appear at any time during the child's NICU journey. It's potentially fatal, and can cause long term problems. It can occur more than once.
NEC is the abbreviation for Necrotising Entercolitis. Necrosis means death, so we are talking about death of tissue. Enterocolitis is the inflamation of tissue in the small bowel or colon.
Precisely what NEC is and how its caused is not completely known. The signs and symptoms are not always easy to spot, but usually a distended abdomen, problems with passing faeces, sometimes the appearance of blood, and usually blood tests will show signs of infection and necrosis. It is believed that giving the baby breast milk rather than formula may assist in preventing NEC, however it can still occur in breast fed babies.
Treatment is usually the cessation of feeds into the stomach, treatment with antibiotics, release of gas in the stomach, and sometimes surgery, cutting away the affected parts of the intestine and sewing them back together, usually with a stoma, so the excrement bypasses the lower parts of the bowel.
The treatment of NEC can cause lifelong problems, Sara, a friend I met through Bliss has agree to share a photo of her little girl, Ellie now 2, which illustrates the external problems that NEC can leave.
I feel very strongly about this subject as it nearly took my daughters life, i dont think people realise how fatal it can be. Ellie got it when she was 3 weeks old and weighing 800g at the time, she had 15cm of small bowel removed and two t...hirds of her colon including her apendix. She had a stoma and the effects of NEC have not only left her with a terribly messy scar but bowel problems for life, the valve in her bowel which retains water was removed so now everything passes through her very quickly and loose. She caught NEC for a second time when she was bigger but it was treated with antibiotics.She goes on to say,
(The) surgeon wants to try and neaten it before she starts school. She has been left with long term bowel problems, frequent loose stools and is on sodium suppliments and immodium for it. She is also going to start monthly vitamin B12 injections as the part of the bowel that absorbs B12 has been removed.This is one of the reasons that babies are transferred in the beginning of their NICU stay. Joseph was not transferred, and when he caught NEC we were in a hospital where surgical treatment was not possible. At the time I did not understand the full implications of NEC, and did not wish to know, as all I knew at that time in that some cases, the outcome was not a positive one. The team were in a quandry - Joseph was very small and may not make the transfer, or he may not survive due to not being able to have surgery.
Joseph was treated with antibiotics and cessation of feeds, and a long line was inserted so that Joseph could be fed intravenously. We were extremely fortunate, that these methods all worked, and the NEC was arrested. Joseph is still monitored every six months by the paediatric team, and they still monitor his bowel performance (which I am happy to say is in full working order, and did not sustain long term damage)
There are times when NEC cannot be successfully treated, and ongoing research is being done in this area. Often these babies are the tiniest of babies and surgery is incredibly specialised and difficult.
I've blogged about this in the hope that if you have a friend or family member going through NICU with their baby, you may be better placed to understand what is going on. Sometimes its confusing to know that a baby needs feeding, but to hear that feeds have stopped is very confusing.
I hope that over time micro surgery improves, and the knowledge of the small bowel also improves and we see the outcomes for these poorly babies improve greatly with as well, currently there is an 80% success rate for babies with suspected or actual NEC treated with antibiotics and conservative treatment, and a 50% success rate for those who have had surgery, but as we have seen these success rates only tell half the story, we do not know how many children have long term issues as a result of NEC.
Many thanks to Sara for sharing her and her daughter's story. I wish them all the very best for the future.
Saturday, 29 January 2011
Bed time
We are blessed to have a baby and now a toddler, who loves sleep. He is great, you can pop him in bed awake, and he just sings, snuggles his blankie until he goes to sleep. We have always run a fairly tight ship, bed time is bed time. We've always had lots of fun at bed time, songs and games and stories, but once he's in bed, he's in bed.
I do believe its important to start as you mean to go on, that isn't to say that the plonk 'em down and leave them to it method will work for everyone, but I think everyone should give it a try! I think sometimes we can overthink babies sleep routines and what works best. A kiss, a cuddle, and pop him in the cot works for us.
Friday, 28 January 2011
A Letter to My Toddler
Dear Joseph
My darling boy child, I am so proud of you in so many ways, you have come a long way in the past 20 months, and I think you are amazing.
However, I feel that at this stage in our relationship, I need you to clarify the following points:-
1. Why, when I make you a sandwich and cut it into four, do you feel the need to take one bite in each piece? And then rotate each sandwich doing the same until each piece is eaten. Why is this? I don't overly care that you do this, I just want to know why. Also on the sandwich issue, why must I chop the crusts off fresh sandwiches, but keep the crust on toasted sandwiches. This makes little sense to me.
2. Why is it, that when I give you a whole apple, you happily nibble at the apple, skin and all, but when I chop it into quarters you eat the flesh and fling the peel on the floor?
3. Can you please advise me on which days of the week you will eat grilled cheese and which days you prefer not to? I have tried to fathom out a pattern and have drawn a blank. If you are going to fling grilled cheese can you please ensure it stays on the mess mat. Thank you for your respect and concern in the matter.
4. Now that you have 12 teeth, can you please let me know when you will be able to manage meat as my repertoire of dishes using mince as a finger food is becoming stretched to the limit.
5. Can you please advise me why bananas are particularly funny? I am pleased you like them, but why do you laugh at them? Am I mising something?
6. Salmon. Please tell me about the salmon. Did I over use it? Am I not buying line court, wild salmon, from some exclusive far off Loch, where am I going wrong with the salmon? You used to love it and now you fling it!
7. On said vein, can you please advise the carbon police that me purchasing Vietnamese river cobbler is to appease the terrorist oh I mean toddler. Can't be doing our carbon footprint any good whatsoever!
8. I watched enough food programs in the womb for you to now understand eat local and eat seasonal. Your blueberry habit, whilst endearing, is making a further imprint on our carbon footprint and not doing my (failing) eco credentials much good.
9. Also, on the blueberry issue, why do you like the French, and the South African, but not the Croation blueberries? Surely to the dear lord in heaven there is not that much difference? Surely, particulalry to a toddler a blueberry is a flippin blueberry? I feel like a complete nut going through all the punnets checking where the blueberries are from. It's embarrassing.
10. Spoons, dear child. I know I tried to bring you up the Baby Led Way as much as possible, and your increasing independence means you are unwilling to be spoon fed. And that is perfectly fine. But you know how to use a spoon so why don't you? You hate having your hands wiped and washed, so why eat porridge with them? There is no need. Please use a spoon!
11. Would you please at least try a chocolate button. I know it's not from a rare cacao tree grown in Java from a single estate where the staff have 4 days off a week, and live in mansions on the side of a hill. But its yummy and you will like it. I am very proud you like 70% cocoa Green & Blacks, but there are times in a mummy's life when emergency buttons are just a necessity.
12. Tomatoes are not evil. They do not deserved to be licked, then thrown, unceremoniously from your high chair. They should be respected, loved and ultimately eaten.
That is all on the food issue for now, please have your answers on my desk by Monday afternoon. Thank you.
Your mum x x x
My darling boy child, I am so proud of you in so many ways, you have come a long way in the past 20 months, and I think you are amazing.
However, I feel that at this stage in our relationship, I need you to clarify the following points:-
1. Why, when I make you a sandwich and cut it into four, do you feel the need to take one bite in each piece? And then rotate each sandwich doing the same until each piece is eaten. Why is this? I don't overly care that you do this, I just want to know why. Also on the sandwich issue, why must I chop the crusts off fresh sandwiches, but keep the crust on toasted sandwiches. This makes little sense to me.
2. Why is it, that when I give you a whole apple, you happily nibble at the apple, skin and all, but when I chop it into quarters you eat the flesh and fling the peel on the floor?
3. Can you please advise me on which days of the week you will eat grilled cheese and which days you prefer not to? I have tried to fathom out a pattern and have drawn a blank. If you are going to fling grilled cheese can you please ensure it stays on the mess mat. Thank you for your respect and concern in the matter.
4. Now that you have 12 teeth, can you please let me know when you will be able to manage meat as my repertoire of dishes using mince as a finger food is becoming stretched to the limit.
5. Can you please advise me why bananas are particularly funny? I am pleased you like them, but why do you laugh at them? Am I mising something?
6. Salmon. Please tell me about the salmon. Did I over use it? Am I not buying line court, wild salmon, from some exclusive far off Loch, where am I going wrong with the salmon? You used to love it and now you fling it!
7. On said vein, can you please advise the carbon police that me purchasing Vietnamese river cobbler is to appease the
8. I watched enough food programs in the womb for you to now understand eat local and eat seasonal. Your blueberry habit, whilst endearing, is making a further imprint on our carbon footprint and not doing my (failing) eco credentials much good.
9. Also, on the blueberry issue, why do you like the French, and the South African, but not the Croation blueberries? Surely to the dear lord in heaven there is not that much difference? Surely, particulalry to a toddler a blueberry is a flippin blueberry? I feel like a complete nut going through all the punnets checking where the blueberries are from. It's embarrassing.
10. Spoons, dear child. I know I tried to bring you up the Baby Led Way as much as possible, and your increasing independence means you are unwilling to be spoon fed. And that is perfectly fine. But you know how to use a spoon so why don't you? You hate having your hands wiped and washed, so why eat porridge with them? There is no need. Please use a spoon!
11. Would you please at least try a chocolate button. I know it's not from a rare cacao tree grown in Java from a single estate where the staff have 4 days off a week, and live in mansions on the side of a hill. But its yummy and you will like it. I am very proud you like 70% cocoa Green & Blacks, but there are times in a mummy's life when emergency buttons are just a necessity.
12. Tomatoes are not evil. They do not deserved to be licked, then thrown, unceremoniously from your high chair. They should be respected, loved and ultimately eaten.
That is all on the food issue for now, please have your answers on my desk by Monday afternoon. Thank you.
Your mum x x x
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Staying At Home
I don't work, but I've never worked so hard in my life. When we found out we were expecting, I wanted very much to be a Stay at Home Mum (SAHM). I never really bonded with child care when I was little, I'd had a rough time finding a suitable father for my child, and difficulties getting and staying pregnant. So, I wanted to be able to stay at home and be with my child as much as possible.
Also, for one reason or another, I have never had a career job. It's never really bothered me, but the downside is, with the sort of jobs I have had, they haven't earned enough for me to be able to pay for childcare and the other costs associated with working and come home with a profit, and my husband earns just above the cut off for help with childcare.
Also, with premature babies, there are other issues. Premature babies are at higher risk of infection, and nurseries are a very good place to pick up bugs, as there are lots of children coming from diverse areas, and with older brothers and sisters at school, its very easy for premature babies to pick up illnesses. An illness that might send a term infant back to their beds to sleep it off, can land a former premature baby into hospital.
So for all those reasons, I am a Stay At Home Mum, and for the most part, I love it. It causes friction every now and then, and we've had the odd "What DO you do all day?" arguments with my husband, when the house hasn't been done satisfactorilly, which I can completely understand. How can you explain the time vortex that a baby/toddler creates? Things that used to take me 15 minutes can take an hour, or more! Sometimes I have best intentions of doing something, and Joseph just doesn't allow it!
In the early days, when on maternity leave, life was sweet, we had extra pennies to go out for coffee and cake, to go out different places, to go shopping. Now without that additional income it can sometimes be very limiting, in summer and spring there are endless free and cheap things to do, in winter, not so much. In the early days there were free classes, baby massage and baby signing, and baby groups. Now it's harder. As fewer and fewer families can afford to have one parent off work, there is less demand for toddler groups. And legislation and OFSTED regulations make the setting up of ad hoc groups harder and harder.
I love my days with Joseph and we're finding more like minded mums for playdates, and we enjoy our time together. It's so fun watching Joseph learn and develop, and to find new things to do. Its wonderful to see him get the hang of a toy, or learn to make things with play dough. It's fun to be able to go and feed the ducks, or play in the local park. And the financial sacrifices are definitely worth it, because before too long he'll be in school and our long lazy days together will be a distant memory.
Also, for one reason or another, I have never had a career job. It's never really bothered me, but the downside is, with the sort of jobs I have had, they haven't earned enough for me to be able to pay for childcare and the other costs associated with working and come home with a profit, and my husband earns just above the cut off for help with childcare.
Also, with premature babies, there are other issues. Premature babies are at higher risk of infection, and nurseries are a very good place to pick up bugs, as there are lots of children coming from diverse areas, and with older brothers and sisters at school, its very easy for premature babies to pick up illnesses. An illness that might send a term infant back to their beds to sleep it off, can land a former premature baby into hospital.
So for all those reasons, I am a Stay At Home Mum, and for the most part, I love it. It causes friction every now and then, and we've had the odd "What DO you do all day?" arguments with my husband, when the house hasn't been done satisfactorilly, which I can completely understand. How can you explain the time vortex that a baby/toddler creates? Things that used to take me 15 minutes can take an hour, or more! Sometimes I have best intentions of doing something, and Joseph just doesn't allow it!
In the early days, when on maternity leave, life was sweet, we had extra pennies to go out for coffee and cake, to go out different places, to go shopping. Now without that additional income it can sometimes be very limiting, in summer and spring there are endless free and cheap things to do, in winter, not so much. In the early days there were free classes, baby massage and baby signing, and baby groups. Now it's harder. As fewer and fewer families can afford to have one parent off work, there is less demand for toddler groups. And legislation and OFSTED regulations make the setting up of ad hoc groups harder and harder.
I love my days with Joseph and we're finding more like minded mums for playdates, and we enjoy our time together. It's so fun watching Joseph learn and develop, and to find new things to do. Its wonderful to see him get the hang of a toy, or learn to make things with play dough. It's fun to be able to go and feed the ducks, or play in the local park. And the financial sacrifices are definitely worth it, because before too long he'll be in school and our long lazy days together will be a distant memory.
Cybermummy 2011 update
I am delighted to announce my sponsor for Cybermummy 2011, Zu3D! I am so proud to be sponsored by Zu3D and look forward to telling you all about them. In the meantime, check out their animation software and have a look at the examples on their website.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Cybermummy 2011
Cybermummy is held in lovely London, this year on the 25th June 2011, and to this end I am looking for a sponsor.
The costs for me to attend are as follows
£100 for the ticket to attend Cybermummy
£70 approximately for the return train ticket Manchester - London
Total cost - £170
Accommodation is being provided by a friend.
In return my sponsor can expect to receive a bespoke package from me which can include
* a review and promotion of your business via a blog post
* links to your business on Twitter and Facebook, I have almost 600 friends on Facebook, over 100 blog subscribers, and over 700 Twitter contacts.
* a badge and/or banner on my blog for a period of time which we will agree together
* promotion of your business by way of a badge or t-shirt at the Cybermummy event
If you would like to discuss this opportunity further please contact me at ccodge@aol.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)