May 2017 #15 No sleep, night feeds and the newest arrivals

[Tickyboovicki]

Fingers crossed this works, no idea how to make a thread but giving it my best shot. Let the May babies continue!

beach congrats on your baby!!

fox, our first planned hb, how wonderful Congratulations and glad all went to plan.

savage glad all looked good at scan and you aren't being pressurised :)

Hope sweep works out for you bean otherwise half term could be a bit ha ha. In the nicest possible way with kids off school whilst heavily preggo. Glad you've all settled in.

Thinking of stuff to do today, I'm due today so I'm taking myself for a waddle round the lakes and a scrummy lunch. Got shit loads to do at home still but figured this is a day I have been looking forward to for soooooo long, feel so so lucky to have made it this far, I'm gonna enjoy it

Had contractions last night every 5-7 mins. Waters popped in bed around 2, just trickling no major gush. Ended up getting checked at labour ward at 5am who confirmed waters trickling with speculum exam and sent me home to wait for contractions to get down to 3 in 10!

If not booked back in for induction at 1am

Contractions still between 5-7 mins but increased in pain

Good luck vanilla sounds like it's moving in the right direction!

Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. It was a great birth. I even caught her myself and brought her up out of the water! So cool!

Esme yes DS slept right through it, even though I was upstairs quite a bit. It went on between 10pm-2am.

@mrspage1985 sounds like you had a nice afternoon with a mani pedi - good work ☺️

@1004Rise thanks for the tips re taking spare mummy clothes as well as baby clothes!

@jennymac31 that sounds rough with DH 🙁 I'm with @EsmesBees - I spoke to someone the other day who's 'poor DH' was so tired, she couldn't possibly expect him to do a full days work after getting up a couple of times to help her through the night. When I exclaimed 'we'll of course, especially as you sit on your arse not doing anything all day while he's at work' she realised what I meant and DH has now been a lot more helpful.

I do agree though, if they work in a 'dangerous' or 'high risk' job, I can understand more, but don't think it totally excuses not helping at all during the night.

@LouiseJayne23 and @vanilla8 woohoo! Good luck with everything!

Congrats @FoxMulder @beachsands 💕

@savagehk hats off to you - 40+2 today and literally crawling up the walls and crying at the thought of going past 42 😩

Currently still in the bath (got in at 9am)... will get out shortly I expect... too uncomfortable and getting aggy with the heat. DH and I are going for dinner with some other NCT Mummies and Daddies might go for a serious walk before hand though. Hope everyone is well ☺️

Me and baby have just had our first solo outing to our local town centre to Mothercare and Boots. I now know he hates being in the car seat on the pram chassis if strapped in tightly - I had to carry him in the shops to stop him having meltdowns and I also realised when I'd parked I couldn't remember how to unattached the car seat from the isize base ( again) but did remember after a few minutes fumbling. I'm still pleased I've got that milestone over with...

Good luck @vanilla8 !

Well done @Barnes79 always feels like an achievement doesn't it?

@RasperryInAMelon hang in there, so hard in this heat!

BabyTea is super grumpy I don't know if it's the heat, hunger, thirst, or something else but he's basically been on and off the boob all morning, has had no naps in bed just catnaps on me. Exhausted dot com.

@Barnes79 I was talking to a HV last week and she actually recommended that when baby's in the car seat out and about to undo the straps completely so they have wriggle room

Seriously trying @teainbed it's taken me 2 and a half hours to drag myself out of the bath, dry my hair and throw a little make up on 🙈

Good luck vanilla!

Fox amazing he was able to wake up to a new sister and you all at home. Makes me regret not opting for it now.

Think things maybe starting here. Had a bit of a show and some minor contractions. Just had midwife appt and apparently things are looking very 'favourable'!

Feeling stressed and low today...so tired too. Baby with DP since 2pm but I can't sleep and get scared of the approaching night when I know I'll be up with him every hour or two. Been awake since 5 today, after a broken sleep with him. I start the day feeling positive but as the hours tick past with no naps I deteriorate mentally. Some days I can sleep but today I can't.

We keep meaning to go for a walk but I keep thinking I should sleep instead. Starting to feel lost and a bit desperate now.
Think we're going to try for a walk rather than me lay here getting progressively more upset. I wish we had help nearby but no family available to come for a while.
Non first timers...please tell me this gets easier x

@mightymouse76 I'm a first timer but I've been feeling the same. We are 12 days in and I'm starting to feel better though. I notice that I start to feel low and useless around late afternoon/early evening, not sure if that's tiredness or hunger magnifying the feelings.

Hope you feel better soon, I didn't want to read and run.

@mightymouse76 I understand how you're feeling and yes it does get better. Teatime is a bad time of day for me too. I'm at the point of sleep deprivation that I start daydreaming about giving formula or needing a stay in hospital just to get some sleep! And that's with things going relatively well. Doing something normal like going out can be good for your spirits but so is sleep!

Thanks @Rabbitykins55, I really appreciate it. It's so easy to feel isolated and like everyone else is coping better and I'm at weak and at fault. We're 16 days in today.

@Barnes79 I'm so impressed that you went out solo already!! isn't your LO a week old?
I'm only just feeling well enough to consider a walk, and even then it will be with DP and just around the block!

Rabbity I hope the afternoon fear subsides for you soon too x

Well done @Barnes79 I'm yet to make that milestone, not being able to drive means I've always had a chauffeur. I can sympathise with the how the #%^+ does this car seat work 🤔

Baby Rise officially exists, she now has a birth certificate 😜

@RasperryInAMelon I'm impressed on 2 counts, 1 that you dried your hair in this heat and that you put makeup on... I have some of that somewhere I don't think I've used it for a couple of months!!!

Baby Rise seems to get hiccups a lot, she doesn't seem bothered by them but they sound sore.... any ideas/tips on prevention/cure?

@mightymouse76 sorry you're having a hard time, think I'd opt for the walk option, getting more worried isn't going to help you sleep. If I can't sleep when I try to do an afternoon nap I find reading or listening to a radio 4 drama or something helps. Just the fact I've stopped doing "stuff" helps me to recharge even if it isn't actual sleep 💐

Hi all. Had my baby on Wednesday morning. Very much in love! I've written my birth story on the other thread but it's a long read and quite a traumatic experience all in all. Glad the baby is here and I'm recovering ok.

mighty really feel for you. It's a huge change for you, and the early days are really intense. It gets easier very quickly, but, if you feel it's getting like too much then please ask for help.

Things definitely on their way here. Have a room in the MLU. Contractions every couple of minutes. I had forgotten what they felt like.

Oh and rise some babies just get them loads. Mine did in the womb, when she was a newborn and still does now at 2.

Good luck @EsmesBees !

Congratulations claire! So sorry to hear it was traumatic but glad you are recovering well :)

How exciting esme!! Good luck :)

mighty it sounds really hard and you are not alone by the sounds of it! Maybe listening to meditation would help to relax or drop off to sleep for a nap. That's what I use for naps or when I can't get back to sleep at night. Check out YouTube & just pop earphones in, you can have on low if you're worried about hearing baby wake up.

Great milestone barnes

How old is your baby now mightymouse? I remember that feeling very well- it's awful but you get through it, I promise. I didn't nap at all last time (I find day naps practically impossible!) and, hard as it was, it does pass. Don't be too hard on yourself. One day in the not too distant future your baby will have a good long sleep at night and you'll wake up feeling more positive. We had a dreadful night last night and a terrible late afternoon evening today- I'm hoping it doesn't carry on in to the night but if so I am trying to tell myself that this will pass and doesn't last forever.

I posted a link further up this thread about the science of sleeping and it said even lying down with your eyes closed was enough! Sometimes you can be in the very lightest phase of sleep and you thought you were awake but actually it's a helpful and restful light sleep.

www.parentingscience.com/newborn-sleep.html

Scroll down a bit to the bit about adult sleep.

@mightymouse76 yes he's 6 days old. I hope you're feeling a bit better soon. I imagine after 16 days of no sleep I'll be feeling similiar...

I'm only 6 days in and am already dreading the night times. I'm starting to feel like all I do is feed the baby and fear this may start to drive me crazy 😳

Good link @teainbed thanks, good to be prepared.
I work nights sometimes and my tips for sleeping in the day are to go for a little walk to tire you out, turn the TV off and try to read a book (you'll be a asleep before you get to the bottom of the page 😉), and an eye mask really helps too. Or if DH still at home get him to get into bed with you for a cuddle, that always sent me off to sleep at the weekend. Sometimes I'd be too wound up from something that happened on the last shift to sleep though, and I found lying there with your eyes closed really resting (put radio 4 or a podcast on that can also send you to sleep).

Congratulations Claire!

Obviously tips are for those who find it difficult to 'sleep when baby sleeps' not those whose babies don't seem to need sleep 😉