₦airaland Forum

VEE992:
So tomorrow we are getting circumcised and I heard it's painful and makes Lo cry uncontrollably for days or so I feel like I might cry with him tmrw .pls mamas is there anything I can do to help with the pain?

My baby got circumcised when he was three weeks old and did not cry at all, during the circumcision and in the days after. The only time he cried was when he was getting strapped to that contraption or whatever to restrain his hands and legs (He hate not having his limbs free). So your baby might also not cry. But if he does, I guess all you can do is feed him and make him as comfortable as possible.

Moms here might have other suggestions as well

I just sent you a token via GTBank. Take care of yourself and the kids. God bless you.

Okay o, let's join the train as well...

PresVA:
Thanks a lot onegai ... for the Episiotomy healing suggestion..



Then, mamas can one pump breast and store till December? Light being a non-issue?
Just feel like pumping breast now against when I will resume work..
Don't know if d idea is crazy

Yes, frozen. You can pump and freeze breastmilk for 6 months. Get those breastmilk freezer bags and you're good to go.

Onegai:
Does it not drive you crazy you get all that free stuff yet in Nigeria, you will buy even Omo and Imperial Leather soap to carry to bathe your newborn?? I mean, we don't deserve to be called a good country. I wanted to organise a free charity care package for new mums in GHs but abeg I can't even try it.

You're so right! I went to the hospital with nothing for the baby except his going home outfit and i came back with all sorts of freebies. (diapers, wipes, breastmilk storage bags, cooler bags, medicine dispensers, Johnson baby baths, lots of breastmilk storage bottle, pacifiers, thermometers). I can't remember all I brought back. It was a lot!! I even got a double electric breastpump (Medela) and a car seat for free from my health insurance.

If and when you decide to organize the free charity thing, please let me know. I will Like to contribute. The cost of shipping stuff down to Nigeria is back breaking, I would have sent tons of diapers cos the ones I got from my baby shower was way to much than baby can finish in 3 years sef.

Onegai:
It's a pain relieving spray. That ish is da bomb. I don't know if it heals but you will feel nothing if you get sewn. It's one of the free stuff they give you in thr hospitals abroad but I think it's sold in Healthplus or Medplus over here in Naija.

Witch Hazel is nice, clean and cooling and will aid with healing. Nothing will speed up the healing process but as long as the place is not infected and is cool, you won't notice anything. I was driving around 4 days after birth and I didn't notice till I started bleeding heavily.

I thought something was wrong with me cos I also had episiotomy and didn't do the sitz bath everybody was talking about. I had to go spreadeagled and checked out my privates and sure enough, my epi had healed three weeks after. What I did? The hospital gave me these cooling ice packs, Jumbo pads, Tucks hemorrhoidal pads, one episiotomy ointment like that, a squirt bottle (I bought Epsom salt from CVS and used it alongside water in the squirt bottle when i go pee or poo) and demoplast. The nurses taught me how to layer the cooling pads, witch hazel pads and all that for comfort(They did the first one for me) I was driving three days postpartum with no complications and was healed of episiotomy in two weeks or so. No more pains...my doctor also gave me a prescription for pain and I did nit even finish the 10day supply before the pain went away.

JUMAYIN:
mamaoo n sugah,u ladies are my iyawos oya knee Dan greet yr sister in law

Lol. Yes ma, haff kneel down o. E kaale oo. Make I stand or remain on my knees?

sugah:
You kent vex for me na, we are famz sis

Lmao. Scammer Okay, I no vex again

.

Coldfeet:
MamaOO thank God your baby is fine now. Jaundice as mildly as its being taken could turn fatal in a blink of an eye, mehn that level was high o. Don't worry you and your baby have got all the time to bond! You two will.

You're right. He was almost at the brink of an exchange transfusion. Thank God it didn't reach there. I used to think jaundice was something mild, now I know better

lala4sure:
Thank God for his mercies that kept your baby. Nice information dear. What hospital was that? I thought it was compulsory for babies to get all them tests before leaving the hospital? Devil has failed

Yeah. It's compulsory. But I've been hearing lots of cases of some newborns being discharged (especially back home) without blood typing them and testing for jaundice. Like coldfeet said, jaundice while it is relatively easy to manage can turn fatal in a blink of an eye and cause kernicterus

Please please please. I implore all mothers here to insist on a jaundice test for our babies before leaving the hospital to avoid stories that touch. I wanted to share my experience with neonatal jaundice after Liftedhands mentioned her niece's case, but I decided to wait till all of it has passed so that I don't jinx myself....Lol, I know I know, I'm African like that.

Mamas, please, let us always insist on the hospital we birth type baby's blood after birth, compare it to mothers own and then carry out a jaundice test before we get discharged from the hospital. Here is my experience, It was only God that saved us. And thankfully now, everything is behind us. After baby E.J's birth, he was sleepy and lethargic and would not eat. I noticed his eyes were a bit yellow but wasn't too worried. The next day, the yellow was very pronounced and I mentioned it to my mother in law. His pediatrician came and ordered bloodwork and there it was discovered that his bilirubin level was 17!!! Jeez!

Immediately the staff swung into action. He was wheeled into the NICU. 7 bilirubin lights were placed on him and also a bili blanket was placed underneath him. His cord was completely cut off and tubes put in. When I asked why, they said it was because he might need an exchange blood transfusion and they needed to be ready. That was when they told me he would need to be transferred to Valley Children's Hospital in Madera, cos they can't handle the transfusion at the hospital where he was born oo. I nearly cried blood. My baby was sick and I can't do nothing. The doctor called the other hospital and in 50 minutes they were here, they flew in with an air ambulance. My child had to be airlifted the children's hospital. We drove after them and went to meet them there

Give it to American hospitals, before we got to the hospital, treatment was already ongoing. He was placed on bilirubin lights and a bilirubin blanket and had already received a dose of IVIg. They also inserted a feeding tube in his nose. That sight is something I'll never forget. This is my child, barely 24 hours old and already going through this. They were testing his bilirubin levels every 4 hours. And by the next day, his level had reduced to 14 or 15. It continued decreasing everyday and gradually they began to remove the lights until they removed it all. He started eating and became more and more awake and alert and playful. He even removed the feeding tube in his nose three times. Thank God!

We spent almost 2 weeks in the hospital and I do not wish that experience on my enemy. It was especially tough cos I had to leave my newborn in the NICU while I go to my hotel room to sleep, I so much wanted to hold him and bond with him but I couldn't. So mothers, please always insist on a bilirubin test for your newborns. I also got to know what caused him to have so much bilirubin in him. It was because of something called ABO incompatibility. You see, I'm blood group O+ and hubby is B+. E.J got his Dad's B+ and while he was inside of me, his blood crossed through into my bloodstream. Anybody with blood type O+ or O- reacts in a certain way when other blood types are introduced into their bloodstream. They begin to develop antibodies to attack the presumed foreign blood group which in this scenario was my baby's blood. So while he was in-vitro, he was fine. The moment he was born, my antibodies in him started breaking down his red blood cells which caused his severe jaundice. And because his liver was so young, it could not keep up with filtering out the bilirubin.

Thank God he was diagnosed and treated fast and in a timely and aggressive manner. He received tons of phototherapy and 3 doses of IVIg. God bless America Mehn, cos I am pretty sure the story would have been different if this was Nigeria.

.

HerteEnUke26:
@sugah, we are waiting patiently, it will end in praise
Congratulations @kingsdaughter, may God bless, guide and guard your gifts.
We will all have positive testimonies soon.
Eid mubaraq in advance to my Muslim e-sisters, @portable4real, airforcewife, mamaoo, chief accountant zaynie and other Muslim mamas, may we witness many more in good health and outstanding success
Easy peasy delivery to waddling mamas.
#teamseptfor5minsdelivery#, it can only be God.

Eid Mubarak in advance oo. Send meat my way

chizeal:
Congrats mamaOO

Thanks!

portable4real:
@mamaOO,, Alhamdulilahi for the successful delivery. may God make her a source of unending joy to the family.

The BS was so touching. I pray to God to grant your mum Aljanah firdaus. You will always have the course to smile and no evil shall befall you again.

E hug to your princess.

Ameen sis. Thanks a lot mama!

airforcewife:
MamaOO MashaAllah, may Allah bless your little one and may Mummy rest in Jannah Amin.

Ameen Ameen! Thanks ma'am.

I apologize in advance cos My birth story cum life experience is pretty long, so please bear with me.

This year has been a mixture of intense joy and also intense sadness and grieving. I got my masters, got a job before I even graduated and 5 of my family members got visas to visit me. I was happy! I was expecting my first child and my mom was supposed to help me with the baby, so I decided they're not gonna come for my graduation but my naming ceremony. At 32 weeks pregnant, heavy and tired, I interviewed for a job I thought I had no chance of getting, one of the biggest Agric companies in the US...the salary and compensation will make your head spin 360. People told me I won't get an offer cos I was so far along but lo and behold, they offered me the job a week after my interview. I was over the moon. My parents were supposed to be here in 2 weeks as well. But yeah, my joy turned to sorrow, my mom lost her battle with cancer. She died! Two days before she was supposed to get here. I ran mad! I went crazy! I cursed God! And mostly, I turned suicidal. I wanted to kill myself. Why does life have to be so cruel?? This was a woman who sacrificed her all to get me here. Her birthday was 2 weeks ago, and now she's 6 feet below. I was almost 36 weeks pregnant. How I made it to full term, only God knows cos my BP rose drastically and dropped drastically as well. Flipping erratic.

My ultrasound due date passed, and my period due date rolled near. I became more depressed. and I would oftentime cry and beg him to show face. I was tired and angry. I lost my mucus for close to 5 days but still no show. On Sunday, Sept 4, around 8am I started feeling contractions. I thought it was "a joking sturv". Lol. It started mellow, but gradually it grew more intense. Oftentimes I will cry out in pain and agony but I bore the pain cos I didn't wanna go to L & D and get sent home because of false labor. I used my contraction timer app and it kept telling me to go to the hospital and that I was in labor but I refused to go. I took a shower by 9:30pm, drank lots of water and ate some cereal, thinking the pain will go away, but it did not. It only grew more intense that it brought me to my knees, so I told hubby to grab my bag, baby's bag and the car seat and we went to the hospital by 10:30.

I got to L & D, they took me to the triage room to see if they will admit me or send me home. Within an hour I started seeing stars, the pain went through the roof and at some point I got on all fours, crawling on the narrow bed. Loool. I removed the hospital gown and Hubby was just begging me. But after 4 hours I was still 3cm dilated. The nurse said they might send me home if I don't progress. I started crying. God, I could not bear the pain and I knew going home is just gonna be terrible. I asked for pain meds but she said the doctor was in the OR doing a CSection and he's the only one that can give them the order to give me any pain meds. Because I was peeing so much and had to use the bathroom which was outside of the triage room often, I was eventually taken into a labor and delivery suite which had a bathroom E suite. And as God will have it, the doctor came in from surgery few minutes and said the magic words "I'm admitting you"! Joy unspeakable. I was still 3cm, 100% effaced. The doctor tried breaking my water, but he could not. (The thing eventually broke itself cos the nurses removed the towels they put under my bum and it was soaking wet). I asked for epidural immediately, but they gave me pain meds first cos the anesthesiologist that will administer it was in surgery. The pain med was good but I could still feel the pain. Eventually, anesthesiologist came and administered the epi and trust me, that thing is the best thing after sliced bread. Lol. My labor started progressing rapidly after the epidural. Within 2 hours, I was 9cm!!! (I progressed from 3cm - 9cm under 2 hours, Great God)
(I actually wrote this whole part above, while on epidural, waiting to get to 10cm. Lmao)

Okay, so I slept off, hubby slept as well and the next thing I saw was nurses running into the room. Apparently, they were monitoring me and baby from the nurses station outside and his heart rate dropped. The began to move me from side to side, shake baby, buzz him and all that. I started praying and they eventually got him to stabilize his heart rate.

Less than 20 mins after, I hit 10cm, I didn't even know what station baby was at that point. The nurse came in and told me she was gonna let me push in 10 mins. Because I was numb from the epidural I could not feel the contractions, so she would tell me when to push. After like three or four pushes with the nurse, she got the doctor and pushing start o. I pushed for a while but the baby was big (I didn't even know when the doctor cut me, I only knew he did when he started stitching me up cos I saw needle with him. Lmao.) Next thing I see is my baby being pulled out and being weighed. I cried. I cried for my mother. I cried for what could have been. I cried cos her missed her so.


When I have time, I'm gonna make another post about what happened post birth. Long story for another day, hmm. In the meantime, help me thank the Almighty Allah for bringing me this far and having a happy and healthy baby to show, despite all the curveballs life threw at me. Alhamdulilah! Kashamadupe.

On a happy note, my baby was born on Labor Day here, September 5. That was how someone from the hospital came into my room few hours after his birth and said the NBC news station in my areas would like to interview us (Daddy, mommy and baby) cos he was the only baby that was born Labor Day at that hospital. E be like play until news crew came into my room with camera and all for interview. Thank God I had makeup in my hospital bag and I had tried to beat my face small (I still worwor tho ). That was how my celeb kid was featured on the 5pm, 8pm and 10pm news. I didn't know people watched news like that oo, come and see calls and text my lil man came into the world in grandstyle and he's already making headlines in a good way.

ozycy:
Cute.

Thanks mama!

#Threadcuties.

First pic: Baby E.J, one hour old
Second pic: Baby E.J, one day old

Alhamdulilah!!!

My babyboy was born yesterday, September 05, 2016 (Labor Day) vaginally and weighing 8.9Lbs at exactly 10:09PST. Tired, sore, exhausted and overwhelmingly happy! Birth story will be posted ASAP.

CC Sugah...

Earlybird81:
zbolanle, congrats on your poe. Pls which dr are u using n how do I make contact. For cost M 30weeks already. Help a

Hello everyone and kudos to those that have kept this thread alive from the very beginning.

Actually I am already in the US awaiting the arrival of my precious God's gift any time soon.Had to go through Newyork to Houston cos of POE palava in Houston.I really congratulate those that scaled through the Houston POE. Truth be told I learnt they are kinda thorough there so I and DH heeded an experienced friend's advice who found it very hectic but was all the same lucky and had her baby last year.

My question here is this:my host has suggested that I apply for WIC program.Please is it advisable I apply?

I sincerely and urgently need an answer.Experts in the house please help.

No ma'am. WIC is for low income, US resident, taxpayers. Which means it's not for you. Taking WIC is a no no

swappylove:
Pls is it possible to do this blocking from Nigeria or I hv to be physically present in the US.can I do it over the phone?
Also what is 3credit borrow

Lmao. I guess she mean the 3 major Credit "Bureaus" (Experian, Transunion and Equifax).I don't think you can do it from Nigeria though, cos it requires you to provide proof of residence, like bills and stuff and also state issued IDs. But you can call the bureaus and ask them to see if they will make an exception for your case

mitchyy:
Ergobaby 360 is just perfect. I googled it.

But i've searched and i cant find any Nigerian shop that has it in stock. Except i have to order

You could try ordering on Amazon or EBay. Some of them ship to Nigeria. Or maybe those MallforAfrica shippers people that people talk about on here.

mitchyy:
Mamas that have dropped, please i want to get a baby carrier. Do you know any good brand that can be used to carry baby both in the front and at the back?

Also, how do you carry baby around when baby grows older than the carrier? E.g, baby is 6 months and not walking yet but i need to go to the market with him.

Try Ergobaby 360 or Ergobaby Original. It can be used for so long (some say 4 years, lol) and it's good in distributing the weight around your body. Dunno where to get it in Naija though.

Liftedhands:
There is the dating scan done at your booking which is usually at 6-8 weeks! To know your due date.

Then the NT scan done at 11-13 weeks to know if there's a risk for downs syndrome.

Another is the anomaly scan done between 18 and 20 weeks this is to check the growth, gender and see if all is well with the baby.

Another is ordered at 30-33 weeks to determine the size and position of the baby.

Hospital policies defer all over the world! My elder sis leaving in London did all the above for all her pregnancies,
Whislt I only was scheduled for 3 scans here in naija but acutaly did 6 in total cos my baby was overdue and I became paranoid and kept requsting for scan to put my mind at ease

That might be true for the UK Sha. I'm not sure about that. But here in the US, Nuchal Transluscency scan and anomaly scan are done at the same time around 18-22 weeks. They do both at the same time, it usually comprises of 2-3 blood draws few weeks apart and then the NT anomaly ultrasound at the end of it all.

Even at that, most insurances here in the US only covers 2 ultrasounds per pregnancy so if you want another one, you will pay out of pocket and that's an average of $100 or as high as $400 depending on your location. I had an OB appointment this morning, and I specifically asked my doctor if I will be getting an ultrasound to know baby's weight, he said no. So far you're not high risk, do not have GD, your fundal measurements are not above or below normal, You get an average of 2 ultrasounds and no ultrasound to check for baby's weight. Lol

Liftedhands:
The number of scans depends on the individuals case! But if all is well here in naija is 3scans but abodo oyinbo Na 4! There's one dey do to check for downs syndrome. Its still a debate weda too many scans have an effect on the baby or not.

No ma. It's not 4 scans they give o. The hospital gives you 1 or 2. Thats the standard if your pregnancy is progressing very well with no complications. Some doctors will however give you more ultrasounds at their discrection but overall it's usually not more than 2. The first being dating ultrasound (that's usually done if you have some bleeding or threatened abortion) and the second one around 20weeks (anatomy scan to check for abnormalities).

They won't even check the babies weight to know how much the baby is weighing, so far they've used the tape measure to measure your belly and you're not measuring more than 2 weeks ahead and behind and you're not high risk.

However, you can get ultrasounds done at a private place, But it's usually so expensive (average of $100) that it's not worth it.

Fortius:
MamaOO..dats serious o..so pregnancy triggers it too..hmm.

melly245 keep flaunting baby Diamond cute lips nd innocent face..i knw yAh mission na.

Very serious oo. It was not funny when I used to have it. I will start scratching as if someone rubbed "werepe" on my body. I will be crying seriously like a mentally deranged person.To bathe, na wahala, to sleep...na war. I won't sleep till daybreak. It was cortisone cream that delivered me from the madness of itching o

mymoneygrows:
sabi mamas pls help o
zaynie, soonest, kaffy4bill, etc
every night, i struggle with itchy skin with different grades of rashes at different places on my body. what can i do pls? the more i scratch it, the more it spreads. the last time i complained of itchy hands and feet at my clinic, the nurse was looking at me like i fell from the sky, so i doubt if they can help me. pls help as im restless and dread nightfall

I had this same issue. Crazy itching (especially at night when my body touches the bed) and I will be crying, unable to sleep. When I went to the doctor, they said its not uncommon for pregnant women to itch like that, but they still ran a blood panel on me on three different occasions. The test was to check my levels of Bile Acids and to rule out the liver problem called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP). It can be non fatal or fatal(causing stillbirth or preterm birth) depending on how it is managed.

When my doctor was certain nothing is out of the ordinary (the second time, my cholic acid was above normal(the part in red) but nothing to worry about), he prescribed for me 1% cortisone topical steriod cream. That was the only thing that helped relieve the itching. But I won't recommend you self medicate without running those labs first. I have attached screenshots of my tests (on two different occasions) so you can show your nurse or doctor in case they are at a loss of what to test for. I feel your pain, I've been there

zionx:
Good Evening Mamas... Thanks so much for your prayers and words of encouragement... It has really helped me. I feel so much loved. 'Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning'....Love you all.

May God give you the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss and may you receive the strength to carry on in these trying times. His death shall not be in vain and may he find eternal rest. I am deeply sorry for your loss, sister. Please let us know if you need any help. #PrayersUp

LadyGuinivere:
Thanks Nef for pointing out what I was trying to say in clearer terms. Going for dropbox will end in the same outcome. A waste of 48k and endup pissing off more vos who may pencil some crap on her profile.
If I may point something out, not to kick a dog already on the ground but for future users.
There are many ways Nigerians 'work the system' medicaid is one of them. If this baby had been born in Naija with all the rubbish and ingridents health k , the parents would move heaven and earth to pay cos na pay before service.
Now, God gives one an opportunity to see better healthk and you allow Americans to pay. There are always options- payment plan over a period or negotiate down and pay all. Cash is king in America and they WILLL always agree. Now I admit the bill may still seem high after the negotiation but if you were were in Naija you would still pay it. You would hustle, borrow and whatever to pay.
I wish NIgerians can have the foresight to remember about the future. And prevent issues that could have been avoided

May God bless your intellect for this. I am always mad when I see a lot of Nigerians come here and work the system like you said. A lot of them birth at the county hospitals using Medicaid. And when you ask them, they will say "Shebi my child is a citizen"

But you pay absolutely no taxes in this country, why do I have to be the one using my tax money to pay for your child that you just came here to birth and take advantage of the citizenship by birth? It's absolutely not right. If you come here, birth your child and pay all expenses associated with the trip, no wahala. But do not take tax benefits.

It's even more painful because I am currently pregnant, but I have to pay out of pocket for every dime my insurance does not cover (and most insurances do not cover you 100%, you still have to pay co-pay, co-insurance and deductible) despite the insurance company removing huge amounts from my paycheck every month. To cap it off, my tax rate is like 1/4 of my paycheck, yet I do no qualify for Medicaid because according to them, my household makes more than the required amount needed to qualify for it. Reasons why I am sad that some Nigerians find a way to work the system and still stand by it like what they're doing is right. So sad

CovenantBabies:
pls which other baby sale sites are you using apart from craiglist. Am already on craiglist.

I personally don't like Craigslist. Lots of weirdos on there. Where do you live? If you have a facebook, just search for Baby&Children Buy/Sell/Trade groups on facebook. Each city has his own unique one where everybody living in that city can buy and sell stuff. The only issue is that most of those groups, so that just anybody cannot join. You send a join request and most times your request will be looked into by the admin of that group and he/she decides whether to approve or disapprove your request.