Summer holidays are over, the PESH are bringing their bumps and baybees back to school

[TheOriginalWinkly]

Pack your giant pants in your satchel and maternity pads in your pencil case, it's the antenatal thread for BESH graduates

CRESH

Faith - pinky faithlet arrived 14th April 2013
Pinkr - suitably pinky one arrived 25th August 2013
Jethro - blue one arrived 23rd September 2013
Noks - pink one arrived 12th January 2014
Frankel - large pink one arrived 10th March 2014
Merks - pink one landed safe and sound 21st March 2014
Sinky - Stubborn blue one arrived 26th March 2014
Driz - blue one arrived 12th June 2014
Kat - pink one arrived 21st June 2014
draf - pink calf on 1st July 2014
winks - a pink one dragged out kicking and screaming on 4th July 2014
euro - a pink one in a hurry to see the world, born on 17th July 2014
dor - a pink one born at speed on 28th July 2014
ginge - completing the ESH Summer of Pink on 23rd August 2014

PESH
Buggerlugs - Buglet due 20th October
Fankle - ESHlet expected 4th January
Cunty - Minichops expected 7th February

Draf am just unlurking to answer your question about bed rails. I've not got rails it I have got pool noodles taped to the edge of the mattress all the way around the bed (with fitted sheet over the top). It essentially creates a bumper all the way around but we can still get in and out. Won't stop a crawler but def stops her rolling out and was v cheap

winks we are having exactly the same here. The weekend was a nightmare an yesterday was awful too but only three wake ups last night so a bit more human today. I hope it stops soon!

As for bed rails I'm happy with the lindam ones I got in asda. You can get wooden ones that are more like a cot side if you look online but i think the mesh ones are better. At the moment her co sleeper crib is functioning as a bed rail as if she rolled over she would just end up in there. I'm more wary of co sleeping now i have the winter duvet on so trying to encourage her to spend longer in the crib. Some nights that goes better than others. There is online advice on co sleeping. The ideal position is the "cuddle curl" where you sleep on your side with your knees up. Your bottom arm sticks out above the baby's head so it keeps her away from the pillow. The babys head is level with your breast. Co sleeping is a no if there are any smokers in the bed or if you are under the influence of alcohol or medicine that makes you drowsy.

bugs glad you are getting better, you've really had a tough start. Three weeks of breastfeeding will have really boosted her immunity so you have given her a great start. I think the "comfort" formula is supposed to help with constipation, might be worth asking the HV. We have a Moses basket taking up space downstairs. She did nap in it in the first few weeks but now it is sling, mamaroo, in the car, or sleepy cuddles for naps. No chance of Moses basket! I would ditch the crib if it isn't working, just use the pram carrycot if needs be.

kat any improvement on the sleeping front? Last night was a lot better here thank goodness, I have literally cried with exhaustion. The sleep has done L good too, she's on the floor now babbling happily and working really hard at trying to roll over (but only managing to rotate herself around the mat). She seems to have come out of her clingy phase - no way would she have spent this long on the floor last week!

How's everyone else?

Has the transition to formula gone well bugs? And are you starting to feel better now?

I'm doing ok, winks. C is sleeping for one 5-7 hour stretch most nights now, which makes such a difference to how I feel. We have been out for baby sensory today. She is now conked out in her carrycot.

We picked up an ergo 360 this week. I love it. It's so comfortable to wear. I think C finds the wrap a little more comfy at the moment but it is do bloody hot. I arrive everywhere a sweaty mess! The ergo is much better in that regard.

I'm glad things sound better for you.

Wtf is this sleep you are talking about?
is all a bit shit here and feeling quite low

Why so shitty kat? Does it help at all to know that I was so tired the other day I closed the boot of the car on my own head?

euro C and MiniWink have a lot in common :) She also seems cosier in the Moby (but the ergo is better for me and longer carries), and conks out in a heap after baby sensory. Alas no baby sensory today because of half term.

Been a hard week, neither child sleeping well, husband doing crazy amount of work which of course automatically means overtime for me. In the last week, with the exception of a brief shower in the morning, I have spent every waking moment doing childcare non stop.

That's rubbish alright. HWCA has had a very long week at work too, but I've only the one to contend with. Is there anyone around to give you a hand?

L only had 3 naps today instead of her usual 4, so was exhausted. I put her to bed early and she was out like a light. As a result I've just finished a glass of 'cidre' and watched The Walking Dead. Great stuff. I wonder how many times I'll be up in the night to make up for it.

That's good bugs. We are planning to start mix feeding from the start of December in preparation for me going back to work, so it's good to hear that P hasn't had a problem making the switch.

That sounds tough kat. Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

winks when did L move to regular naps? C just sleeps as and when during the day. It differs from day to day and depends on whether we are home or out at activities, etc. Basically she just does as she likes! Frankly, as long as she gives us a reasonable stretch of sleep at night, I don't mind.

euro its really only been in the last few weeks that she's been napping at predictable times. She was just napping as and when until then.

Looking at it properly, I started doing a proper bedtime routine at 7pm 3 weeks ago, when she was almost 14 weeks. Since then, she's roughly 'slept' until about the same time (with night wakings) and her naps have fallen in around that. She can only be awake for about an hour first thing, so her first nap is an early one. Then she has 2 or 3 more at similar times of the day. More of a pattern than a routine.

L won't take a bottle at all. She's rejected medela and tommee tippee so far, and a tt cup. I've just bought a Dr Brown bottle and a Nuk cup to see if she prefers those.

Have got tomorrow night off am going to sleep at parents house.

We have a bit of a pattern with naps, is usually two morning, two afternoon, sometimes just one if one nap is a decent length. Then evening sleep about 6.30, wake for feed, little bit of awake time after and down for night at 9 or 9.30.

Far too early Bugs! Right now she just needs to sleep whenever she feels tired and eat when she's hungry. She'll be coming up on her 6 week growth spurt soon so things will get unsettled for a few days anyway. I think E was about 10 weeks old before any identifiable pattern emerged, and even then it was variable from day to day.

If its her first grandchild she is probably a bit over excited. Nothing wrong with setting a few boundaries though. Does she live very near? If she isnt in "popping in" distance its a bit easier, you call her to arrange one or two times the following week to visit, not necessarily in your house and make it seem like you are Very Busy the rest of the time even if you are not. Be slow to respond to texts and calls if they are too frequent.

Thanks bugs. We're sorted for bottles as I have been expressing since birth (she likes the MAM ones), so at least we won't have that to overcome. It'll just be the content that's changing!

Every time I think I have got to know C's pattern she has a leap (have you got the Wonder Weeks app? I find it quite useful) or a growth spurt and it all changes. The one thing that has been consistent for a while has been her alert phases - she is only really interactive first thing in the morning and in the evenings (basically when KFZK is around for her to perform for - she pretty much ignores me inbetween, except as provider of milk!).

I have no advice on overbearing grandparents. Kat's advice seems sound. My parents are pleasantly involved and KFZK's parents are in Ireland. His dad has visited once since C came home and is coming again next month. His mum, who we expected to be a bit full on, hasn't even seen her yet, but is also coming next month (two weekends on the trot of inlaws - plz send wine). I'm slightly disappointed his parents haven't shown a bit more interest tbh.

kat a night off sounds good. I hope you can enjoy it.

bugs it didn't surprise me that your a Mum has got like this. I would suggest restricting contact, not replying every time but maybe every 5th time? That's what we do with MIL (who seems to be cut from the same cloth).

We didn't properly establish a outing until Faithlet was 6 months. This was necessity because I was struggling and I knew she was going to my Dad's for childcare. Prior to that we just muddled along with me feeding on demand.