March 09 - there is no snooze button on a baby that needs milk.....!

[meep]

over here ladies

[Wheelybug]

well done for new thread meep laumiere - am packing L up and posting her to you. Please send her back when she is sleeping . Glad you're feeling better. I think it can be overwhelming sometimes when its all left to you. Similar situation here- DH goes to work before the girls are up and back way after they're in a bed. PLus DH can't really help out at nights this time round due to illness (whereas with dd1 at least he helped out at night). Keep an eye on yourself and take care !

Corgi - DD1 was seen by a physio in relation to her hips because she was technically delivered out of c-sec breach (although apparently wasn't breach - but that's a whole 'nother story) and so as breach babies have to be seen by a physio she did too. She narrowly avoided treatment but wasn't discharged until she was 3. If its the same as over here, they have an ultrasound until they are 6 months, then x-rays. DD1 was fine until she got to about 18 months and then the poor thing was terrified of the x-ray. Hope its all just precaution but a friend's baby did have to go in a harness and the baby did not mind at all and it sorted it out. As others have said, the earlier they catch it the better.

Ho hum - what to report. Sleep still an issue here but I have started putting L down at dd1's bedtime which doesn't make things worse and at least I get an evening (well tbh am trying to go to bed early to counteract being up half the night). She's taken to going down v. well touchwood so that is at least something. The last 2 nights she has woken v. briefly at 11ish for a quick feed and settled back down but then is up in early hours for hour to hour and a half and then wakes and wakes after that.

I think I really want to start thinking about cutting down breastfeedingbut think I need to work through the guilt first ! I knwo I've asked this question before but bottlefeeders - how do you prepare bottles, do you do it the new fangled fresh way or add powder to cooled water like wot we did in the old days ?? I think I need to get my head around this aspect too - I do L's evening bottle the newfangled way but its not really going to work during the day is it ??

[Wheelybug]

well done for new thread meep laumiere - am packing L up and posting her to you. Please send her back when she is sleeping . Glad you're feeling better. I think it can be overwhelming sometimes when its all left to you. Similar situation here- DH goes to work before the girls are up and back way after they're in a bed. PLus DH can't really help out at nights this time round due to illness (whereas with dd1 at least he helped out at night). Keep an eye on yourself and take care !

Corgi - DD1 was seen by a physio in relation to her hips because she was technically delivered out of c-sec breach (although apparently wasn't breach - but that's a whole 'nother story) and so as breach babies have to be seen by a physio she did too. She narrowly avoided treatment but wasn't discharged until she was 3. If its the same as over here, they have an ultrasound until they are 6 months, then x-rays. DD1 was fine until she got to about 18 months and then the poor thing was terrified of the x-ray. Hope its all just precaution but a friend's baby did have to go in a harness and the baby did not mind at all and it sorted it out. As others have said, the earlier they catch it the better.

Ho hum - what to report. Sleep still an issue here but I have started putting L down at dd1's bedtime which doesn't make things worse and at least I get an evening (well tbh am trying to go to bed early to counteract being up half the night). She's taken to going down v. well touchwood so that is at least something. The last 2 nights she has woken v. briefly at 11ish for a quick feed and settled back down but then is up in early hours for hour to hour and a half and then wakes and wakes after that.

I think I really want to start thinking about cutting down breastfeedingbut think I need to work through the guilt first ! I knwo I've asked this question before but bottlefeeders - how do you prepare bottles, do you do it the new fangled fresh way or add powder to cooled water like wot we did in the old days ?? I think I need to get my head around this aspect too - I do L's evening bottle the newfangled way but its not really going to work during the day is it ??

[Wheelybug]

oops sorry - got inpatient and clicked twice.

[meep]

wheely remember what we said in the early days of this thread (and in the ante-natal thread) , NO GUILT. Easier said than done (oh how I know) but you must not feel guilty. You have done incredibly well and I know that you haven't found bf easy/painfree. I am actually a bit in awe of you for sticking at it for so long.

I make my bottles up in advance. I tend to make up about 2 at a time and keep them in teh back of the fridge. My reasining is that I make them up so the powder goes into hot water (to kill any nasties) then plunge them into cold water - then straight to fridge, If I'm out and about during the day I take one bottle from the fridge with an ice pack and a sterilised bottle with a carton.

My friend makes up each bottle when needed. She uses a thermos flask to keep a store of hot water and adds powder when needed - so in the middle of the night she just keeps the flask and one of those powder containers next to the bed - I tried it but found the water cooled quite quickly. During the day she takes everything in her bag and makes up bottles when needed.

I know mums who still do the cooled water add powder way as well.

[Wheelybug]

Thanks Meep for the kind words ! I guess the thing I feel guilty about is now it is just selfish reasons that I want to give up. It works for L, and its no longer painful since the tongue tie snip, I have much much milk. I just don't particularly like breastfeeding (and I do have a little voice in my head comparing dd1, 100& ffed at this stage sleeping 12 hours and L, 99% breastfed, not sleeping which I know may have absolutely nothing to do with it as there are babies on this thread breastfed and sleeping well). I feel v. surprised that I've lasted this long and I was planning on keeping going until after we've been on hols (August) as it would be easier not to lug everything away with us but then I met a friend today who has a baby a week younger than L and has moved to 2 formula feeds a day and I was feeling a bit envious. Maybe I just need to do that - move to another during the day and see how it goes.

Its not like its going to be a quick process giving up at this stage and as my supply is so good I can probably cut down slowly and still be feeding her to a certain extent for another couple of months.

Arrrggghhhhh....

[Wheelybug]

ooh yes, also meant to say meep - I had given up on the close recently as L screamed too much in it so today I needed to hoik her out of the car quickly to run dd1 into pre-school so stuck her in looking outwards and she was so much happier. Hopefully might get some more use out of it now !!

Also, signed L up for pre-school this morning ! Not until Sept 2011 though !

[Slickbird]

Hellooooo. Found you. Your cunning plan to escape my boring ramblings have failed, mwoah ah ah ah ah ahhhhhhh.....(Ok, I need to get out more).

Wheely & Meep I tend to do what your friend does (Meep) with the old flask business. Sometimes it's warmer than others and tbh, there's prob a good chance we aren't making it hot enough to start with to kill any nasties (mabe that's why he chucks so much! ) But usually it is. We USED to make up bottles and use them within 24 hours AND reheat them with Eilidh, and Carla I think, but there you go, once that seed of doubt is planted it's hard to ignore. I do tend to take a carton with me if I'm going out as it makes it nice and easy. But it does mean giving it cold and I would rather warm it a little - think it's easier on their tummies. It is a pain in the a*se making them up as you go, but I have to say I am used to it now.

Wheely I wouldn't feel too guilty about stopping - honest, I was wracked with it until I saw how much FB loved it and piled on the pounds! He seems just as happy either way. Well done for getting this far anyway. I just found it too hard third time round.

God, don't know what's wrong with Carla today, v. v. clingy and has been stropping about the place more. She's been pretty easy-osy usually. Ah, maybe a speech improvement coming up. Ususally the reason.
Right better go, stuff to do.

Later Y'all. xx

[auntyspan]

Hi Ladies!
Sorry for the absence - don't know where the time goes. Good to hear everyone's news - wheeley I make up my bottles in advance, I do two batches per day. I did this with DD1 and it was fine, I'm ultra cautious re: hygiene and so far (touch wood) L is fine this way. One of the reasons I do them in two batches is we're still using colief and it needs 4 hours to work or something.

How are your LO's sleeping? L has started waking at 5.30 every morning, perky as a perky thing, wanting her day to start! She's not hungry, she just wants to play. Before this we had two weeks of her sleeping from 8pm - 7.30am (with a dreamfeed at midnight). Anyone any ideas?!

Still having trouble with DD1 but I think it's getting better. It's worse when she's tired but DH's horrible contract is up this week which means our days can start a but later... hopefully that will make a difference.

Hope you're all ok anyway xx

[laumiere]

wheely I must admit, I was convinced that Gabe would be a really poor sleeper as he's BFed and DS1 slept through the night from 16w. He's proved me wrong though! If you'll feel more relaxed FFing though, that's bound to help.

I'm feeling a lot better, had a talk with DH and sorted out stuff, I've promised not to correct him, and he's promised to be more supportive. I'm about to start the mega-baking for the school fete now, since Gabe mysteriously is still asleep from his 5pm nap....

[Wheelybug]

Thanks for bottlefeeding tips girls (nice to see you Auntyspan - will mull it all over and have a chat to dh (who I know will support whatever decision I make).

Slick - hope Carla settled down !

Laumiere - glad you've had a chat with DH and hope G's nap doesn't upset things for the night !

[Boobz]

Hey everyone - sorry for not posting much - I do read all your news every other day or so, just to check in and make sure Penny is keeping up with her March chums!

We are trying to introduce a bottle with no luck so far. Argh! Who thought the breast feeding would be so easy and the bottle bit would be the problem. It's expressed breast milk and we warm it up, so I think it's the bottle / teat that is the problem.

Anyone else had this problem?

Aunty, Pen is sleeping from 7 till 7 with a feed at about 3:30 (ten mins tops). So it's not too bad but I'm looking forward to the night she sleeps through!

[jollyjoanne]

Hello again Aunty.

Thanks for the new thread Meep. Corgi hope it all goes OK with your LO.

Wheely you know that non of us will judge you for the change to FF or at least mixed feeding. Although as with Laumiere, Mae is BF and she is sleeping quite well really, night before last she slept through to 7.30 when I woke her up becos I was getting worried about her!

I was wondering the other day what had happened to some of the ladies from the ante-natal thread. I mean we haven't heard anything of Emma.

Can't believe some of you ladies are doing paperwork - I offered to do a favour for a charity I do some work for and it has taken me about 4 times as long as it would have done normally.

OK, I know that I had said that I didn't want more babies yet and brain is still telling me it is too soon. But why does my heart want another one so much - already!

[jollyjoanne]

Oh and Laumiere congrats on the job.

[Slickbird]

Aunty Lovely to hear from you! I always think of you as the mother of the March Mums! (well, you started it didn't you?!)

Laumiere I meant to thank you for the advice re: reflux. I have tried keeping him upright more but it doesn't seem to be helping. I have to say I'm not keen on the gaviscon and if it doesn't really help anyway...Interesting what you said about thickener (don't know what that is tho) as the HV did say today that it should get better once he's on solids - harder to bring up I guess, so I'm presuming it's based on that concept.

So glad you and your DH have talked and it has helped. Communication is always the way forward. I guess it's the putting it into practice that's the hard bit! I just can't believe you're baking! (mind you, I'm creating a 'play area' (sounds really wank, but I don't know what else to call it) and it all involves rotating the soil, raking it, getting rid of random rubble, laying turf, fencing it off, ordering rubber mulch and then putting up a climbing frame/swing set and sand pit! (And then working out how the hell we are going to pay for it out of our meagre finances!!) So I guess your baking is my gardening.

Boobz I have to say that mine never had a problem with the teat but I think that I had introduced top up feeds relatively early (all a bunch of hungry monsters my lot!) and I think the earlier sometimes, it's easier. Not sure what to suggest other than perserverance?

Jolly Re; feeling broody, Nature's a crafty bugger, isn't it??

[Laurenypops]

Hello! I am one of the afore mentioned ante-natal ladies! I have been lurking for sometime, and felt I had left it too long to join in, but now am beginning to feel rude for reading and not contributing! It has been very interesting and helpful making comparisons to what the other March babes are doing, and in some cases I'm envious, and in others sympathetic! Hannah is doing very well. DD1 had reflux, and I cannot believe how much easier Hannah is in comparison.

Sleep wise she is doing one feed between 7am and 7pm, about 3ish, which is brilliant. In the day she seems to only manage about an hour of awake time before she needs to sleep again. Does this sounds like anyone else? It does mean she can be a bit grumpy in the day, as she is always on the brink of tiredness.

Re the guilt of breastfeeding, tell me about it! I stopped at 10 weeks, for mainly selfish reasons. I just don't think I'm a natural breast feeder, although really wish i could of enjoyed it more. The decision to stop was so difficult, and yesterday I was in Marks and Spencers cafe, all teary as the lady on the opposite table breast fed, and I bottle fed. Who is this emotional nutter joining us I hear you cry?!

Although I would be here all night commenting on your individual experiences, I want to say that I have not read any them without sharing your difficulties and joys. I just can't believe that we are three months in - almost to the hour actually!

[Slickbird]

Lauren If you are an emotional nutter, then you'll fit right in here with us lot. Welcome!

[laumiere]

slick I saw the thickener on a thread somewhere on MN so if you search for it, you should find some info.

Boobz we had no luck at all with teats and bottles, Gabe would just look up me with tear-filled eyes if we tried. We've had more luck with sippy cups (like toddler training cups) as Gabe just couldn't get a handle on sucking from a bottle.

Thanks on the congrats guys, it's unpaid for the time being, but it means being able to get my research hat back on at least.

[Missmodular]

Hi all, would just like to add to the NO GUILT brigade re ffing. The only reason I'm still bfing is the sheer convenience of it, plus I'm a bit of a slob and would never trust my own sterilising/washing up abilities!

Boobz, I had a terrible time getting dd1 to take a bottle - am afraid to say we only managed through perseverance and all of a sudden it just clicked. It did take ages though. Sorry I can't offer any better tips

I can't believe how much your lo's are sleeping at night! Last night Melissa fed about four times between 8pm and 7am - possible growth spurt but I'm also considering ditching the co-sleeping as I think it might be encouraging her to feed more than she needs to. I am sooo tired - the only reason I'm posting here at this time of night is because I went to bed at 7.45pm and thought I'd better have a bit of waketime before going back down for the night

[corgikelly]

missmod, you aren't alone...1.45 here and I've just put R down from a feed. I'd say 3 to 4 feeds for him between 8pm and 7am is just about standard. "Sleeping through the night" seems like a pleasant fantasy, reserved for others!

Not sure it will get any easier if he does indeed have reflux, as aren't they supposed to eat smaller, more frequent meals? Am still trying to sort out how to incorporate a more vertical position into breastfeeding!

Am mightily pleased, though, as yesterday survived lunch with friends -- 1.5 hours in a restaurant, including 1 hour with Rhys sitting calmly on my lap, which normally he HATES. Plus he had fabulous tummy time, so can't complain, really.

A bit more sleep would be very nice, though.

[meep]

very of the babies having one feed a night!

I hate to eat my words but we are back to dreamfeeding again. She went from sleeping from 7pm till 4am to waking up shouting for food at 11pm. We've upped her bottles to 6 scoops and that seems to have helped a bit.

So - she gets woken up for a feed just before dh comes to bed - then she'll sleep until around 5am.

She's back asleep again now but it is just too close to morning/dd1 getting up for me to go back to bed - so I start my day at 5am.

slick I hadn't realised that toddlers get clingy/grumpy when they are having a language spurt! That explains a lot.

boobz welcome back. No tips re getting Pen to take a bottle - friends who have been through the same thing as you only managed it by trying the bottle lots until their baby got used to it. One mum I know had to withhold milk for nearly a whole day to get her 6mo to take a bottle because she was going back to work the next day (desparate measures and not recommended). I think it can help if it is not you giving Pen the bottle as she will just want bf as that is what she knows (and can smell) from you.

welcome back lauren - come and join the fun - it is sanity saving having everyone to chat to!

Remember I posted about having a horrible warty skin tag thing under my eye (sorry - yuck) which had appeared while I was pregnant - well it fell off last night . That and my hair falling out must mean that all my pregnancy/new mummy hormones are now coming to an end.

[corgikelly]

Rhys is continuing on his Let's Think Up New Ways to Do Mummy's Head In campaign (oh, okay, mummy probably does a good job of that on her own!). Is it normal for an almost-10-week-old to go off his feed for a day or two? He didn't eat much at all last night before bed, had what seemed to be a regular feed at 1am, and then even though he woke up twice more, didn't nurse for more than a minute, max, before falling back asleep. He didn't want anything when he woke up at 7.30, either. He seems chipper and chatty otherwise, and his nappies seem normal. Am I worrying for nothing? Will check to see if he's got a fever, but otherwise do I just wait for him to ask for something to eat?

meep, doesn't matter if your wee one is back to dreamfeeding - you're still getting Rhys for Sleep Boot Camp!

wheely, thanks for reassuring words about hip harnesses. Wonder if it's something they wear 24/7? I'm sure it's one of those things that look worse than they are in reality.

laumiere, glad your DH seems to be coming round, and congrats on the job.

slick, interesting to hear you're not impressed with Gaviscon -- I'm waiting for it to arrive at the pharmacy, but am a bit concerned that the paed prescribed it without any questions as to any behaviours beyond fussing at the nipple nor any tips on other changes to make.

[meep]

corgi Rosie was like Rhys yesterday - she just didn't seem to want that much milk - I gave her a bottle when she seemed to want it but she was just quite laid back - not the frantic drinking of normal.

I do think she has just had a growth spurt (hence the frantic feeding) and it has now stopped so she is now satisfied and happy.

they are also getting older so are naturally spacing out their feeds.

But if he seems not like himself - get him checked out.

[Slickbird]

Corgi I was about to say what Meep just said (as usual!) In my experience, when they slow a little (or a lot) like that, it's usually because they've just gone through a growth spurt and are having a wee rest. It usually picks up again pretty quickly!!

RE: Gaviscon, it's not that I'm not particularly impressed with it, I guess it's just I don't like the idea of it when they're so wee. I'm not a raging hippy or anything, but just like to avoid things like that if I can and it was interesting that Laumiere said she didn't find it particularly helped, but maybe it helps some and not others? I'm just going to play it by ear and if it carries on the way it has (bringing up almost every few mins while awake - very messy business) then I'll get some. Maybe you can let me know how you get on with yours?

Meep Hope the increase in FF helps. FB has been on 7 oz for a good wee while now and on times I know he could have gone 8. But he's a greedy wee so and so!

He was up at 2. 5 and 6am last night, not best pleased - he tends to be sleeping from around 8.30ish (sometimes earlier) to 8am ish and waking around 2am for a feed but is usually quite unsettled around the 5am mark which is when he used to wake for another feed. But I stick a dummy in him and this helps - pretty much the only time he has it thank God.

Re: BF/ v's FF and sleeping - I can only say that my first two were BF and were sleeping through at 13 weeks and 8-10 wks respectively and here we are at 13 wks for a FF FB and there are NO signs of him changing that routine!! I have decided it is time to have a stern word. (No doubt he'll ignore me like everyone else in this house) Although I really think it won't change with him til he's on solids.

Mum has agreed to take DD2 (the rampaging toddler) every Thursday for a while - who'd have thought that spending the day with a new born and doing housework would be considered a break??

meep I've always noticed the corrilation between frustrated outbursts for a period of time, just before an improvement in speech levels so I just kinda presumed they're all the same! Maybe not. It was quite funny yesterday tho as DD1 stopped DD2 from going into a very cold deflated paddling pool and DD2 just stood there and screeeeeeeched with annoyance. I said to my friend; "That's Carla saying, 'Look here, Big Sis, I really want to go into that freezing paddling pool with all my clothes on and I do NOT take kindly to you stopping me!!!' Ahh, they make you laugh.

[laumiere]

Mummies considering Gaviscon: We found a way to minimise Gabe's reflux by accident, I started BFing in the side-lying position to rest my damaged coccyx and that and burping him as the first sign of fuss has really helped! My crusty side argues that feeding this way means he's well-aligned and not all scrunched up, but who knows?

FB will be glad to hear that tummy time seems to make it worse slick!

Also, don't envy me my sleeping LO too much, we're now on our 6th BF since 7 am! I think Gabe just gets all of his calories in the daylight hours, he only naps for 30 min at a time max, so at the friend who only does 2 feeds a day!

[grinningbee]

Hello ladies!

We're back from our pub babysitting

I'm loving the new thread title. If only there was a snooze button, or a remote control... lol!

Corgi Just wanted to say we could be in the same boat hip wise with A. At her 8 week check up the doctor felt/heard clicking and wants to see her again in a couple of weeks. If it does it again we're off for a scan and then who knows after that. Dh is double jointed, so that's always a possibility too.

I totally sympathise with those going out and having their lo create havoc in the shops. I'm almost too ashamed to go shopping in the supermarket ever again after A screaming at epic volume. Who was it that went to McArthur Glen? If it's the one at j29 on the M1 then you're somewhere nearish to me! I have never been to the shop there that sells the Cadbury misshapes etc...

A still won't sleep in her moses basket, although she is now almost too long for it! Interestingly while we were at the pub she would sleep on our bed (mummy was confined to upstairs!!) during the day so I wonder if it's because she didn't wake herself up touching the sides. I'm hoping when we get a mattress for the cot she will stop sleeping on me... well, a girl can hope. And there will never be a brother or sister for her if we can't get her out of the bed! Mind you, the bleeding needs to stop as well... sigh.

The after effects of the jabs have worn off now (didn't know it would be so awful) and I'm dreading the next lot to be honest. My dad told me off for crying!

Well, better go. Got back this morning and there is nothing to eat in the house.

To give you a laugh (even if one of sympathy!) A just sneezed while laying next to me as I typed the last bit and the contents of her nose have just bounced off my face.

Nice.