Graduated Elderberries - Thread 8

[Cavort]

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

Thread 8 already!!

I'm jealous hazle. I want another baby now!! But need to wait until next June as I had an elcs, then am getting married in Sept. So will start trying then, just before my 40th. I really really hope I can have another. The alternative is not waiting the full year I'm supposed to wait, and pushing back the wedding. Not sure how DP would feel about that....

My hair is coming out a bit now, and has been for a few weeks, but def not handfuls here. Mind you I never got the thick glossy locks I was promised in pregnancy, maybe that's why...

I haven't noticed any hair loss but like Janey my hair didn't change in pregnancy. Our plugholes are always full of my hair anyway though so i'm not sure i'd even notice if I was.

I'm still on the fence about baby number 2. It's not that I don't want one, but I wonder what my future holds work-wise as I am unlikely to go back to my current job so I feel like I can't decide until I've made that decision. If I decide to retrain and change career will I want to take a break for another baby so early on in a new career? We would probably start trying again at the back end of next year if we're going to so no rush to decide just yet.

Lol my current job involves lots of long-distance driving which is not really compatible with having a baby/toddler in childcare as DH's office is an hour away so neither of us would be close by if there was an emergency. This doesn't sit well with me so I doubt I will be going back to my current job unless they can offer me something closer to home and probably part-time initially. Being a SAHM is an option but as much as the thought of leaving Elodie upsets me, I think I need to go back into work of some kind for the sake of my sanity.

We're both at least an hour away by tube in case of emergency, hadn't thought of that before
Still, guess that's pretty standard for london so I guess I'd better suck it up.

It wouldn't bother me so much Janey if we had other family or friends who would be available but everyone works. Damn these people with jobs!!

Ditto - unless Alex becomes a SAHM. There's an idea!

You girls are hardcore talking about number 2 already! I just want number 1 to come out already, he must be so squished in their. Be nice to have them close in age but think I'd like to wait till 1 is out of nappies before trying for number 2. May all depend on money though.

Going to go for a long walk tomorrow morning, hopefully over an hour if pos, then have a guy coming to fit the oven in the afternoon and then preggo yoga 6-7.30. Fingers crossed I can encourage this kid out! When I do hip circles on my ball now something feels like its grinding on my pelvis, hope that means he is moving down a bit, although my MiL told me today that I haven't dropped yet.

Happy to be a SAHM if someone can win the lottery for me first! Still had my "goodbye" work lunch today so who knows if I'll even have a choice in the matter with the way the agency will go while I'm off!

Hardcore or mental, it's all a matter of perspective fwiw, I am most definitely not considering doing it all again. You girls carry on, I'll just stand at the sidelines cheering you on.

So.. Last night I tried a dream feed thinking to myself this would guarantee another full night of sleep. Except that I was woken up at 4 by not only a hungry baby but a very awake one desperate to play
Stayed up until 6 and am now up for the day
Hope you have all had better nights. Especially the heavy pg ladies!

I want to do all the baby stuff togther and get it over with, not get one out of nappies and start again with the next.

Yes, London is very different, takes hours to get anywhere. I'm so spoiled here, was whining that we got a creche place in another village as ours doesn't have one. It's 7 minutes drive..
But we will cancel that if the child minding with the neighbour across the street works out. Kids go to school when they are 3 over here and the school is literally around the corner from us, so that should be quite convenient as well.

They finally got home yesterday when I was, in all honesty, getting quite worried already. Between 1, when I fed him and 6.30, Viki had about 30 ml of milk. But oddly, wasn't screaming of hunger, but happily napping. Unsurprisingly wanted to eat 4 times during the night.
It's incredibly frustrating - the milk is there, he knows how to use the bottle and if he only ate properly during the day he would sleep like a log. But no, he just doesn't fancy it. Some babies..

Hazle have you tried making the milk slightly hotter than recommended??? That's what solved the problem for me! She now takes it quite happily but as soon as it cools down she looks like she's about to puke! Might be worth a try!
I really feel for you though and you should be proud of yourself. You're obviously a very strong woman!! Go berries
I'm also in talks with my next door neighbour who is a childminder. Have you guys looked at costs and options?? I'm just on the outskirts of London (zone 5) and am lucky to work 5 min away by car. A full time nursery is about £1300. The childminder charges £40 a day for max 10 hours and is happy to agree on 4 days a week as we sometimes have a day off, and we can pay her for the 5th day if we need it. Plus it's more convenient than anywhere else!!!! It's so hard to decide

Oh Lol I'd be snapping her arm off (providing she's not a secret crack addict)!

I'm over the moon at getting a full time nursery place cos it's 5 minutes walk from my office. A next door neighbour childminder is the stuff of dreams. Are work flexible if you need to leave a bit early to hit the ten hourddeadline?

lol I have and he did like it better, but still not enough to properly take it.

Got a total bottle refuser as well now. Haven't tried warming it up so will give that a go.

Brave yeah i can leave work whenever I want to within reason as I'm the manager where I work and as long as I don't take a piss I'd be fine.
What is it with all these bottle refusers ?

oh sorry to hear purple. Well, if you haven't tried yet then yes, try different temperatures, some babies like the milk colder, some warmer. Also different teats - silicone is not acceptable here, NUK First Choice latex ones are the ones he agrees to drink from, albeit verrryy slowly.

Blimey I'm so lucky. Miles will eat anything, greedy little bugger: breast, expressed, formula, anything. We even sometimes give him formula cold and he doesn't mind. Gave him cool water last night to try and deter him from his night wakings - sure enough ate some without any complaints...

My friend has a theory that you either get a baby that won't eat or one that won't sleep. Right now Miles is trying to stay awake despite being knackered, so maybe she's right.

To be honest I don't know which is worse!

I'm lucky that it doesn't really matter to me that she refuses bottles now as apart from going to yoga for an hour when I leave her with my mum, I'm never away from her so can just breast feed anyway. Still funny though given that she spent the first six weeks of her life on bottles.

These babiea sound tricky! You wouldn't think feeding a hungry baby could be such a minefield! Cheeky little children.

I am being slowly driven mad by my dad. Had 2 missed calls from him this morning, I txt him to say I'd phone him in a bit. Saw him yesterday so knew there wasn't anything urgent. I had a friend pop in and was chatting to her plus the man fitting the new ish oven arrived 3 hours early so it was a bit hectic. Instead he just turns up, unannounced! It's very nice that he cares so much but he keeps calling and turning up and is generally driving me mad.
The oven guy was leaving and I'd just paid him, but my dad comes running out with some bottles of my OHs beer too trying to give those to him. So embarassing! It's really not his place or his stuff to be giving away, just annoyed me. Am I being unreasonable or is it ok to want to relax in my own home without be hounded?

Now I've got a text saying while I'm not busy can I ring my aunt who sent a baby gift. Geez it's like I'm 12, they would never hound my brother like this!!! I will speak to her when I decide to, why do they feel the need to drive their 30 year old pregnant daughter totally mad?!?

I'm afraid parents were put on this earth to annoy you. My Mother is especially good at it. Doesn't matter what I say about raising a child it's met with eye rolling, scorn and sarcasm because 'you Mums these days think you know too much' and 'in MY day we...fed jars/left you to cry/gave you sugary drinks etc and YOU turned out ok. Sigh. It's getting a bit tiresome. that and the fact she keeps going on and on about Lucy being a dogs name which I am NOT going to rise to but it is beginning to grate

Mother - I got ' I HOPE you sent a thank you card!' As well, just like being a kid again

Oh Mother what a pain! I've been so blessed with my mum since H was born. She's been nothing short of amazing.

I think it really helps that I'm 2plus hours away so they spend their time enjoying H and helping rayher than sniping.

I got a job lot of funky pigeon cards with a picture on. No one expected a card so they've gone down really well.

Oh I've gotten tons of the "well, in our days..." as well, not from mum, but other relatives who had kids 30 years ago and of course don't remember a thing about it. I kindy reply that "that's interesting, but nowadays specialists recommend that.."

My mums pretty good most of the time but my dad is actually driving me crazy! Surprised my mum doesn't realise as he does her head in too.

I have got a thank you card to send them as I just can't face answering all the same old questions, 'how are you feeling' 'when do you think he'll arrive' 'are you enjoying daytime tv' 'I bet you're excited' 'enjoy the last days of holiday, you won't get any more...haha' etc etc, they just grate in the end.

My MiL on the other hand is being amazing, tells me how good I look, to try not to do too much, to enjoy the quiet time etc etc. She's being fab. Just need to tranqualise my parents and then all will be fine.