February 2016 #2

[haquoi123]

We're into thread 2! Can't believe our babies have been here this long!

[HandbagFan]

... And that we're all still (mostly) sane!

[cudbywestrangers]

Thanks haq and well done nailing the interview!
Have a great holiday clara
I braved shopping in town this morning ready for fathers day and a couple of toddler birthdays. Tried to walk out of one shop without paying clearly leap 4 is getting to me!

[clarabellski]

Off up to the highlands! Weather looking pretty good fingers crossed...

Haq, 21lbs!

I'm getting less sane handbag but I don't care! When I'm singing in supermarket people give me a strange look but I'm obviously singing to ds! D'oh!

[cudbywestrangers]

I love the Highlands. Pre kids we used to camp and climb mountains up there most years. Hope you get good weather and not too many midges!

[clarabellski]

Same cudby! The walks will be a bit more tame now!

[haquoi123]

Good memories of a trip to Plockton and Skye clara - we began ttc for ds1 there, what fun! (not much walking happened!) Have fun!

handbag, me, sane? Bahahahaha no, I don't know about anyone else, but I feel so much more confident and revitalised with ds2, it's like I'm complete. Body knackered, but complete

Oof cud! How's the sleeping going? I've not done that one yet but my car keys went missing for 3 days this week - turns out DH hasn't been getting the sleep I thought he had as they were in his coat pocket in his car.

What's the most sleep deprived silly thing anyone's done so far? I've left the car door wide open in a shopping centre for 4 hours. DH less than happy

[Troika]

Hi everyone, sorry for going awol for so long, I've started reading through a couple of times but not seemed to have had the time to post.

Been tearing my hair out with this sleep regression. Dd went from one or two night wakings to waking every hour or more overnight! She also forgot how to nap so was only napping if in pram or car and taking ages to fall asleep then waking after 20-30 minutes (or as soon as I stopped). As a result I have had a very grumpy tired baby and a very grumpy tired me.

Thankfully we seem to be coming out the other side now and have had a couple of nights of 3/4 hour stretches followed by 2 hour stretched which although still not great is fantastic compared to the past 3 weeks! Fingers crossed it lasts... although she's going in the cot tonight as I thought she was too squished in the crib so that might completely mess it up again. She's napping in there now though so hopefully will be ok.

I started my second period since having dd yesterday and oh my god it is horrendous. Pouring out of me and very painful. And I'm still exclusively breastfeeding. Not fair!

Umm what else. Dd has rolled a few times from front to back, did it lots at first but seems to have given up on it now. Shes got most of the way over from back to front but her arm gets in the way.

Completely refusing bottles since her tongue snip so have tried a cup. She quite likes holding it and chewing on the spout but not much drinking has gone on.

Hope you're all well and I will catch up properly asap

[NorthernChinchilla]

Hi, just a quick check in, still here! Being back at work, and the football has snaffled all my time.
Will update soon

[monkeyandlion2012]

Can I Join I've got a 18 wks old ds and a 3 yr old and am due on Feb 22 again am fucking mad

[cudbywestrangers]

Welcome monkey good to have you and congratulations!!! Hope you are feeling OK, I remember being quite rough this time last year.....

[monkeyandlion2012]

Thanks cudby mainly scared as pregnancy doesn't come easy to me . My ds had heath problems but they're finally going away still bad reflux

[haquoi123]

Welcome monkey, and whaaa? Congratulations! How are you feeling?

troika that sleeping sounds awful! Really glad to hear it's getting better though. How did the cot go? Ds slept much better in the cot as he had space to stretch out. Fingers crossed that helps. Oof to the period, I'm really not looking forward to getting mine back. I've been feeling a bit heavier in the abdomen so thinking mine might arrive soon...

chinchilla how's work going?

[clumsypots]

Congratulations monkey!

I hope you are feeling better now troika

Ds is getting hungrier and hungrier again with having 7-10 feeds a day. We have started giving him a bottle before bed now as I'm not sure my milk on its own is enough for him. He also has a fascination with faces at the moment and will spend ages stroking different people's faces, I think dh's beard confuses him though

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend planned

[clarabellski]

Hi eeveryone hope all is ok. Had a lovely week in the highlands.

Hope the sleep is improving troika.

For us here, I've learned that if ds gets decent naps during the day, it makes getting to bed at night easier. I'm trying to be a bit more structured with daytime nap routine now.

Ds really wants to sit upright all the time but gets frustrated because he can't quite hold himself up with his arms. He rolls onto his side from his back but he hasn't managed a full roll over to the tummy yet.

[LibertyBelles]

Are you putting the babies down at certain times then or after 2 hours - that's what I'm finding hard to work out!!! DD is sleeping a bit better ATM - 3/4 hours before waking for a feed, which is prob not good for some people but compared to every hour is an improvement for us

[LibertyBelles]

Forgot to say - DD now turns straight over from back to front in her cot to go to sleep but doesn't really do it in the day which is odd!! She really wants to sit too clara and is sort of getting there but not upright back yet

[clarabellski]

Liberty I don't put him down at fixed times but I try to give him a nap some point after his 10am feed then again some point after his 1pm feed. After feeding I watch for signs he is sleepy (rubbing eyes, thousand yard stare, licking his sleeve/wrist - that last one is not made up, promise!) Then I put him somewhere I know he will sleep. For us that could be a walk in the pram, driving somewhere, the sling or on a makeshift 'bed' on the living room floor. His naps last anything from 20 minutes to an hour. If they are on the shorter side, that leads to a crazy baby come evening!

This is just how I'm managing it but it won't work for everyone. It's great to hear you are getting more sleep at night atm though!

[haquoi123]

That's pretty awesome liberty. Not sure we're getting that long in-between feeds at night. I've stopped counting tbh. During the day I wait until baby is tired and then put him in the cot, or if we're out he sleeps when he can in the pram or car seat. He does get pretty tired and I asked the health visitor if I should arrange definite nap times, but the answer was that if it would make me unhappy staying in the house or adhering to them (as I wouldn't be able to go to the groups that are keeping me sane) then don't do it. I try and make sure he sleeps in the morning. It's evolving.

Bubs has skipped rolling and is now just about sitting up (balancing!)

Awww clumsy, stroking faces is so cute. Ds just grabs dh's beard!

So glad your holiday was good Clara!

[haquoi123]

troika they arrived, thank you!

[LibertyBelles]

Thanks haq good to know what others think too! Yay for sitting up, yeah DD can balance for about 2 milliseconds some of the time now

[clumsypots]

liberty glad you are getting more sleep now.

Ds is waking in the night again for a feed now which is absolutely killing me, I thought we had cracked the sleep thing.

haq dh trimmed his beard so ds didn't keep pulling it...I may have to shave dd's head though as her hair is so long and it's his favourite thing to grab hold of at the moment

Ds is starting to be able to sit up by himself for a couple of seconds now and has much more head support when he is on his front.

[LibertyBelles]

clumsy you had the whole night cracked WOW!! We're still on feeds at 10,12 and 4 ish

[clumsypots]

Yea we were very lucky and he was sleeping from 9 - 6 ish but now I'm having to feed him at 11.30 and he is still waking at 4 and 7 for feeds. That constant sleep deprivation must be really hard for you, are you managing to get any rest or breaks during the day?

[clarabellski]

Clumsy have you tried upping the amount he takes at feeds to see if that keeps him satisfied longer?

[clumsypots]

clara I give him 7oz at night in his bottle but I have no idea if that is the right amount as I am still bfing through the day and when he wakes up in the night . How much formula should I be giving?