Graduated Elderberries - Thread 8

[Cavort]

The over 30's expecting/just given birth to their first little bundle of joy.

Thread 8 already!!

Lol with the greatest of respect to your FIL he is talking out of his arse, as you well know. And so long as you and your DH are happy with Lara learning multiple languages it's nobody else's business anyway.

Weekend has been good thanks, primarily because I have been able to get a bit more sleep than of late.

Yes those bloody foreign speaking foreigns from foreign-land..well, your daughter is half-foreign too!

I can't understand why anyone would see being bilingual as anything other than an advantage! What an idiotic opinion.

I'm afraid my weekend hasn't been great, Lucy has cried pretty much all day every day since last Saturday so I'm feeling pretty frazzled and tired. OH had spent most of the weekend banging around in the attic and periodically muttering things like 'FFS, does she never shut up?'. Helpful.

On the plus side I had my first night out on Friday, went to the pub for food, a couple of glasses if wine and a moan with a friend and left the menfolk at my house with the kids and a takeaway. It was marvellous but rather too short lived and sober for my liking

lol he's talking out of his arse! I would be so tempted to tell him to.poke it!

In other news as you might have seen from FB my friend is in labour....things are progressing really slowly though! Spoke to her around 5pm and there hadn't been much progress from 7am this morning, things are progressing a bit more now though I believe.

I have to say I'm getting annoyed with people saying when I will and won't be having this baby. My OH and MiL have just been discussing me on the phone and saying how I won't be having him this week. Feel like nothing more than some bloody incubator the way they are discussing it. I have to say I don't feel like he is ready to come out yet but who are they to discuss my body as if they have some magical insight? Grrrr bugs me!! If I don't know when it's going to happen and it's my body how the hell do they think they know better?

Oh Mother, I feel your pain! This part of pregnancy is so annoying. I bet they're just excited and trying to control themselves- I'm sure they don't really see you like that altho it's a bit insensitive when you're drumming your fingers waiting.

Had a crazy day yesterday, my mum came up to stay for a couple of days, so I spent the day trying to clean which meant that H didn't get down for a nap until late. However, we did get him to bed at 830 and he slept til 230 then 630. Result!

Great find Hazle! Must be a relief to know you have so many options. Tho I agree about it being bizarre paying someone else to do something you'd like to do.

Purple - sounds like Lucy is heading towards a 'leap' - I got the Wonder Weeks app and book on Janey's recommendation and it's fascinating.

Lol - what a load of tosh. Ignore!

So how are you all coping down south? I have 2 friends irl who are both now overdue. One's in Weston Super Mare, one's in Warwickshire. Hope they're both ok ..

It's wet and a bit breezy here (Yorkshire) but we should be well clear of the worst (fingers crossed). Hope you'reall ok x

Brave Elodie has been playing out The Wonder Weeks like it's an instruction manual. I was skeptical at first but you can set your watch by it. Bizarre as it seems sometimes, it lessens my frustration to know why she's so fussy sometimes.

Mother, send everybody in your address book this link:
www.haveyouhadthatbabyyet.com/

Got one of those pamphlets in the mail that "your baby is now 4 months old, therefore here is some important info for you and you should also buy our products". Amongst other stuff, there was a page that "mum, you should not forget yourself! Rest, relax, have a siesta when baby sleeps!"

I might just have drop-kicked the leaflet. Silly me, spending the afternoon reviewing that 103 page contract instead of relaxing.

Sleep when baby sleeps? That's a laugh! Unless they mean the few broken hours between midnight and 5 am! There's bugger all chance of me sleeping during the day at the moment as Elodie only takes 30 minute naps unless she is pushed in the pushchair or driven in the car. Do these mothers exist who are pampering themselves, doing 2 hours of yoga and snoozing all afternoon? These days pampering myself means having time for a bath instead of a shower and occasionally plucking my eyebrows.

I won't mind people asking which I know is unusual - in fact I quite liked it when I called my mum from DH's phone the other day just because mine was charging, and she thought I was in labour! I was actually calling to ask her about cleaning products, not quite as exciting

What I do mind is the tiredness, it's really hit me this week! Had a lovely weekend visiting DH's bro/sister in law and their kids who live by the sea but I had to have an afternoon granny nap siesta when I got back on Sunday afternoon. Struggling with work and I'm torn between nesting which the house really needs and just being lazy! mother how are you feeling?

I'll get this wonder weeks app when the time comes. I've also downloaded the contractions app someone recommended. Oh and that leaflet sounds as annoying, doesn't sound like pampering and relaxing comes with the territory!

Haven't read the whole story but caught the end of this on lunchtime news, what are the mums doing with swaddling?
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2478711/Swaddling-damages-babys-hips-professor-warns.html

I think it's quite an old story that's been dragged up again, as I read that before Miles was born. Anyway apparently the key is to let them have lots of free movement - so I never swaddled during the day unless he was going nuts - and the swaddle pod i leant you is still loose at the bottom and allows the legs to move up and out. So I think that's fine too, or so I read

We swaddled for the first month or so and then moved into a Grobag. Elodie sleeps much better when she can have her arms above her head. I think it's fine to swaddle as long as the baby's legs can rest in their preferred 'frog' position which helps the hip joints develop naturally.

U never bothered with swaddling but then there was a heat wave so if she threw her blankets off it didn't matter. Moved her into a grobag as soon as it was cold enough/she was big enough.

Took her for another weigh in this morning and she's dropped down the growth chart again - just under 2nd centile now so HV says I've got to take her to the GP to see what they say about it

In other news, my mum is driving me a bit bonkers, as much as I've never been more grateful for her help and company if she tells one more stranger that I gave my daughter a dogs name or that I'm making a rod for my own back picking her up when she's crying I might well throttle her. I'm very tired so I'm fairly sure this would be justified right?

I tried to swaddle but Viki hated it, he liked to wave his hands around from the day he was born.

He still doesn't like bottles, doesn't eat much when I'm not at home and then of course doesn't sleep much during the day either. I don't really want to start weaning yet, but not sure what else to try to get some food in him..

Am mastering being a working mother here, was just changing diapers and typing emails on my blackberry at the same time. Fun.

So what do you think my winter newborn should sleep in? I've got a lovely little swaddle thing janey lent me so it can try that out, and I just looked at grobags too but am not sure about all this tog business?! Or whether the baby would be chilly in just a summer swaddle with nothing else?

Alex - as we used air con the bedroom was quite chilly, so we used the summer swaddle with blankets tucked over too. You could do the same. Once the baby gets bigger I have some up to six month Grobag thingys you can use, that our other friend let me borrow.

I thought blankets were a bad idea because the baby can pull them over its head or have I got that wrong? overload of info and baby brain not a good combo

Hey guys, alex I'm ok, feel surprisingly well. Been getting a few twinges but nothing more exciting happening I'm afraid.

Started waking up very early and struggling to go back to sleep, plus walking the dog is harder. Still managed a 5k and a 3k walk in the last week though. Mainly in the hope it helps get him engaged! Hope your doing ok Alex, and Quod of course.

I have grobags, blankets and swaddle pods, I'm going to try all and see what works best. Happy to try anything to be honest.

Spent today with a friend and her 12 week old who is adorable!!!

My friend came home today with her newborn, I obv want to go visit but don't want to impose, when do you think would be ok to try to arrange a first visit?

And did someone say they'd been told they'd given their child a dogs name??? HUH?!? Who on earth would say that to someone?

mother I still have everything crossed for you and checking in every hour just in case
I'd ask your friend directly when she wants visitors... I've had some friends who were bored after coming out of hospital as they were glued to the sofa feeding all day vs another friend whose stitches were so bad she could only sit in a rubber ring (and was too embarrassed to do that with people around) so she didn't want to see anyone for a while

mother I'd ask directly too. When I've been in that position I'll usually say I've heard not everyone wants visitors straight away (so they don't feel like they're being rude if they don't, if you see what I mean) and I also say they should let me know on the day if it turns out they're not feeling up to visitors.

Random pet question - my cat was attacked by something and was covered in blood and wounds a few days ago. Now one of the wounds on her head is really smelly. I think it's infected but it's hard for me to get her to the vets at the moment, does anyone know if you can get rid of a wound infection with hot salt water and waiting? I also have a cold so we're both sitting on the sofa like we've been through the wars!

Thanks merk, I'm trying all sorts, dtd, hot curry, walking, raspberry leaf tea, but he seems far too comfy

Thing is he said to ask him as she would just say yes to anything as she's too nice. Don't quite know when would be ok though, don't want to crowd them and because he said it like that it makes me think he doesn't want visitors too soon? Tricky! As I'm on ML I could go any day, maybe I'll call them at the end of the week and try to arrange for Monday next week? That should give them a bit of time shouldn't it?

alex I think I'll use your approach! Better to be safe than risk annoying them.

Oh and my cat is always getting in fights, which he seems to lose! I never take him to the vet as he is a nightmare when we get their and just hisses and acts up. I always wash his cuts with hot salty water and cotton wool and they seem to heal fine. Try to get as much fur away from the cuts as possible as that helps them heal faster. Fingers crossed it works for you. My daft cat actually stands on the worksurface meowing at me constantly when he's been scratched as if he wants me to check him over and clean him up....big baby!

Alex - blankets are fine, have been used for centuries! You just need to put baby with their feet at the bottom of the cot, and then tuck the blanket over them and under the mattress. That stops then disappearing under it or pulling it over their head.

No advice re infected cats I'm afraid. If you need a lift to the vets though give me a shout!

Getting VERY excited about the next batch of berries