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!

I've been off so long this has dropped off my 'I'm on' section 😲

Hope everyone is well. I'm struggling to keep up so much, Facebook is much more my pace even though it's slowed down on here so much!!

Congratulations to all the new mummies, hope your enjoying your first few weeks as much as you can with minimal sleep.

Rupert seems to be in a sort of routine now, we go to bed, he gets boob for 10 mins while DH is showering, then DH feeds him and puts him to bed (he has a sleepyhead and I think they are 100% worth the money @Badgerbird), then we seem to get a good 2-2.5 hours of sleep until he needs feeding again. He's now 2 weeks 3 days, and I feel very lucky to get so much sleep!

Hope the FUC aren't too fed up, believe me I know how you feel, 42+1 when Rupert got dragged out, but it really is worth the wait

@Badgerbird I got a sleepyhead on Friday after three weeks of having to hold him all night every night. We've done two nights now and he only wakes for food! It's a lot of money but it's saving my sanity at the moment. I'd quite like an adult one! 😂

Come on baby raspberry! And hope mrspage and bean are also nearing the finish line.

I was also concerned about the virgin girl thing fox. Also the ones they sell in our boots are orange flavour, and I'm not sure I want her first non milk taste to be super sweet orange.

While I was in the middle of another cluster feeding session last night, I was wondering about how we evolved to feed like this. It just seems odd that babies are at their most hungry and fussy at the exact time of day we are most tired.

Minor parenting achievement of the day here is that I managed to get the toddler ready for swimming while also feeding the baby, and then managed to convince the toddler to let me cut her nails. Akin to torture in this house!

esmes i think it's because predators would be less active at that time as well? One theory I've heard anyway

Thanks @Badgerbird, I don't feel very accomplished but the support on here makes it bearable!

Ikea: WTF were we thinking??!!! If I said it involved at least 6 hours of baby puking every feed on me, pram and himself, DP's phone going dead leading to hours of separation, baby only wanting to be held, and me setting the car alarm off twice with a screaming baby in a desperate attempt to find a place we could both sleep...would that convince you never to attempt it? And they are just the highlights. Worst mother award 🥇 is in the post.

Re sleepyhead- honestly its saved us here too. I did have it in a snuzzpod (so far rejected) but now I have it next to me on the bed with DP in spare room. DP takes him for 2-3 hours before midnight so I can get a nap, then I take him through the night. Having the sleepyhead on the bed means I can curl up with him in dressing gown (no covers) and know that I'm not going to roll on him, but I can have my hand on his chest or tummy, or rest my head on the side of the sleepyhead so he can see me and feel my breath. The only problem with them is they have no waterproof layers to ensure breathability, so once the little beauty pukes or wees out the side of his nappy, you basically need two of the buggers in order for it not to be out of action for 12 hours. You def need a spare cover at least as they won't go on the sodding tumble dryer! So close your eyes when the total bill comes up...oh and lastly, it's really portable so in the day it's on our kitchen table.

I do second swaddling as well. Swaddle + sleepyhead on the occasions where he's really restless in the middle of the night seems to work. Just make sure you don't have too many layers- I use a swaddle me with Velcro over a vest suit at the mo, as this one can escape out of the other types in about five seconds because I'm rubbish at swaddling

Having said all that, despite our padded friend we had a bad night here- wind keeping him up from 4ish. I think it's my karma for taking him to that Swedish hell hole!!

@RasperryInAMelon Go raspberry!!!

@Badgerbird I'm with @savagehk co-sleeping 😳 Never thought I would be but (apart from last night) she goes down at 11.30 and I get 3 2.5/3 hour blocks of sleep with mini 5/10 min feeds in between where neither of us really wake properly. We do have a big feeding session between 9 & 11 pm and from 7 - 9 the next morning but I'm impressed at how much I sleep. I also think my sleep has adapted so I go to sleep almost as soon as she does. I'm surprised at how aware I am of her... also means I wake up as soon as she starts to fuss. I also have (courtesy of my Mum's sewing skills again) a donut which she sleeps in during the day.... so I can completely see how a sleepyhead would work!!

@RasperryInAMelon So close! Come on Baby Rasperry!! We'd like to meet you on this thread!!

Hopefully as @mrspage1985 and @beanturnipandspud are quiet they may have babies already!

Well done @EsmesBees!

@mightymouse76 Ikea sounds like an "interesting" experience... definitely not requiring a worst mother award though... just another experience! and remember @teainbed mantra - everyone fed (even if he puked most of it up again) and no one dead

Our Ikea is a mobile reception black hole, at least we know that and agree emergency meeting point in advance! If i get him there to begin with that is....

Thanks for the comments re dummies too. I feel good about them now. Ignoring the fact I had several until I was THREE!!
Won't make that mistake with him (I say, not knowing the hell I probably put my mum through)

@teainbed @MissMooMoo yes I think I'm very lucky with the HV- our local midwifery team is also super. Moo maybe you will get her! You could probably request as I think she serves the whole borough? Her name is Frieda.

@MrsJW15 I've just eaten the last bits of this morning's weetabix off his babygrow 

@crazyzooo and @BouncingBlueberry I've got an as yet unused close caboo. Have been shown how to use it by the sling library so might try to break it in today...if I ever have the energy to get out of bed. I'm working a look right now best not taken beyond the bedroom door: green surgical stockings (was told to wear them for 40 days), mesh surgical knickers, a maternity pad visible through said knickers, a dressing gown covered in mine and his breakfast, and a stye on my eye. I look and feel fabulous.

Chin up everyone- I hope our babies are the light we need right now x

@1004Rise ha, too right!! It also made me so so grateful to come back to the albeit upside down house. Happy to not go anywhere today! No stir crazy here...
And she is adorable!! Love the donut 🍩

Afraid no news here - baby is refusing to move just resigning myself to induction on Friday. I know some people refuse them but in honesty I'd have it sooner if they let me! X

@savagehk I nearly put an announcement out over the tannoy...'Could a Mr Mighty stop looking studiously at every single bloody item in the showroom, and kindly make his way to the sofa outside the crèche, where your partner and son are officially losing their shit'

@Badgerbird Sleepyhead plus swaddling re the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD techniques are now giving us 4-5 hour stretches at night (we were at 1.5 to 2 hours).

@mightymouse76 this post-pregnancy thing is so glamorous isn't it?! The combination of lochia, c section wound, milk and night sweats makes me so leaky! DH must love being in bed with me!

Another sleepyhead lover here. It's made a huge difference! We have a sheet and washable nappy over ours to try and prevent major spills!

mighty an IKEA trip is pretty advanced parenting. We didn't try it until DD was just learning to walk. It was awful. She would not sit in the trolley and wanted to pull everything off the shelves. I'd have happily left her and dh there if I could.

Rise that is one cute baby!

@mightymouse76 I am very impressed with an IKEA trip. It feels like a military operation for us even to go the the local coop. God knows how I'll cope when dh goes back to work next week!

I am also totally with you on the unglamorous side of the post childbirth period. When I'm sat on the sofa with a rubber glove full of ice on my stitches, bleeding and sore it really makes me miss the time when dh didn't have to see me like this. Not that he is bothered but I can't help but think the romance will be well and truly dead by the time I am healed after everything he has seen in the last few weeks!

Glad to see you ladies are all still going here as well. Been on fb only lately as it's a tad busy with either my boy asking attention or me sleeping. But today he's 2 weeks old! I managed to write my birth story and will share later today

@mightymouse76 triple wow on surviving IKEA trip. I am not brave enough for it! I second spare waterproof covers - we have two layers in the pram and cot bed and it saved us a couple of times.

Beautiful babies ♥️♥️ @1004Rise and @Rustler74

Wow Esme. Dressing a toddler while feeding a baby is very impressive. I managed to feed baby in sling while eating lunch yesterday, which I thought was pretty good.

Re: evolution. Maybe the evening time is when we were safely tucked up in our caves. Isn't night time milk richer too?

badger I'm another cosleeper at night and cuddler in the day. Although I'll have to think of something when DH goes back to work and I need a shower.

Spent yesterday at a country show. Baby slept in the sling all day. Never would have done something like that when DS was a week old!

@mightymouse76 I'm also eating off the baby grow! Well DH decided today's breakfast would be a warm croissant - delicious, but fairly impossible to eat one handed over a feeding baby. Felt like a second course eating the remnants off of baby! Well done for managing IKEA, any time I go out I'm so tense about whether she will wake up, so haven't been out very much.

Sleepyhead seems to be helping a bit here, though not really tried without it. Need to wash the cover but last time I did I nearly couldn't get the foam inner back in so I'm worried about that. The photographer that took our newborn photos mentioned she used to feed baby in her sleepyhead by bending the foam back. I might try that to save the inevitable waking on transfer back from bed.

@badgerbird - we've been using the cosydream as didn't initially want to fork out for the sleepyhead. Baby is really liking the cosydream and is happy to sleep in it. There have been a couple of vomiting episodes on the cosydream but it's easy to stick it in the washing machine.

Think I'm gonna have a couple of rough days/nights ahead as dh is ill (possible tonsillitis - tonsils/glands always seem to flare up when he's stressed and tired) so is having naps when he can to recover plus baby now seems to be coming down with a cold. He's got a blocked up nose and isn't comfortable when he lies down, so not sure how much sleep he's gonna have. Doctors don't have out of office number so had to call 111 just to get some advice, as baby sounded like he was having difficulties breathing easily. Call handler ended up calling out an ambulance and I felt bad, as it seemed like a waste of time. Paramedics came round to check baby over and they said that he's fine but if we have any problems then we can go see the doctors tomorrow.

Hope you ladies are doing well xx

@jennymac31 hope the little one and your dh get better soon

I went to the nearly new sale ON MY OWN to pick up some bits and bobs for the baby. Feeling of freedom was overwhelming, although expected the worst when DH called. It appeared to be something trivial. Need to repeat going out without the baby (pedicure next week?) to get a bit of a break and come back refreshed.

Afternoon. Sounds like everyone is doing pretty well, also got x2 3.5 hour sleeps last night which I was pleased although we've reached peak vomit and required a full change of clothes and cot bedding last night!

Not fussed about the virgin gut, will give vitamins when I remember and also have to give Calpol ahead of the meningitis jab next week. Good blog post here if you're interested. www.google.co.uk/amp/s/scienceofmom.com/2016/05/03/whats-up-with-the-virgin-gut-do-babies-really-have-an-open-gut-until-6-months-of-age/amp/

@jennymac31 have you got anything for the snuffles?

@mightymouse76 Ikea trip sounds grim, but well done for getting out!

Thanks tea that's interesting. I was wondering about Calpol and rotavirus vaccine too.