December 08 - a few babies under the tree still need unwrapping!

[EffiePerine]

New thread ladies. I have a feeling I will be talking to myself a lot

Oh and Verso I think you should have a nanny provided by the government so feel free to talk about her it is nice to hear you got some sleep.

feeling for you Turnip - this too will pass, this too will pass. so says she, as her blood pressure rises with teh spectre of another night of meltdown approaching. i feel awful that i seem to only love my baby when she is asleep - i'm such a bad mum.

did i say she regained her birthweight (and some) by day 8? i am v v proud of her and us. wishing some good regaining of birthweight vibes to turnip and whoever else needs it.

verso - hopefully having a big row might help to air the problems and get you both back on teh right track? lots of hugs to you

PD - i second turnip about thanks for the post about wind/bf etc - really really useful. thank you.

Hi everyone, having spent lots of time feeding this weekend (am sure E is having a growth spurt now) I?ve finally found time to put my boobs away briefly and catch up with you.

Poor little DD has got a cold, she spent all night snuffling and not sleeping too well (although bless her she didn?t cry too much so I did get some stints of sleep), but this morning she was inconsolable, the saddest I?ve ever seen her ? she even had a tear running down her face, it made a tear run down my face too . I rang the midwife for advice on how to make her more comfortable, but got the Sunday morning phone answerer who was a waste of space. A good friend advised lying her next to a bowl of steaming water and having a tissue with some karvol close by her, which we?ve done all day. She?s perked up this afternoon and is more herself (I can?t believe that at just 12 days old, I already know her well enough to know when she isn?t herself, and love her so much for having a personality so soon), but does anyone have any other tips for making her more comfortable?

I was very on your behalf Verso, what a horrible argument to have had with your DH, but glad you did manage to clear the air this afternoon and I hope the mood between continues to improve.

Congratulations to March ? sounds too speedy and shocking for words!

Thanks to WG and Effie for the birth stories ? WG yours sounded remarkably similar to my own experience, but without the em C/S at the end (fortunately for me, I hope you?re recovering well from that) ? even down to the first thought when your waters went! I was dashing down our landing to the bathroom, hopping around thinking ?the new carpet, the new carpet, the new carpet!?

Trace I also had a nasty tear and plenty of painful stitches, so can totally sympathise with your pain. I?ve hardly left the house, as after standing/walking for too long (ie more than 5 minutes at a time) gravity really takes a hold and makes my bits very sore. One tip my midwife gave me was to do lots of pelvic floors (whilst laying down at first) as the improved muscle tone with improve circulation down there and speed up healing. Tearing and the pain of stitches was the one thing I was totally unprepared for, so it leaving me almost housebound has shocked me. Hope you keep healing well.

PD thanks for that link to Dr Newman, there?s some very useful info on there, so will go back for a better read soon.

I'm loving hearing of the smiley babies - keep them coming. I can't wait to see E's first smile (and second, and third ...)

DH is back at work tomorrow, which starts with a 3 day trip away ? I?m quite nervous about how I?ll cope, mainly as he?s been a start about doing the evening shift whilst I get a couple of hours kip and giving me time to rest in the afternoon, but I?m going to have to bite the bullet at some point and learn to cope, so here goes. If I can keep my eyes open in the next couple of days I?ll be on to catch up. Sending lots of sleep vibes to all the babies (and Mums) for tonight, xx

verso glad you managed to clear the air a bit, hope you can both talk things out calmly now.

veggie you're more than welcome to borrow my copy of Life after Birth. If you email me your address I can post it to you.

Hi all,
I have been lurking and attempting to keep up but the days and nights just seem to roll into one.

I also wrote a massive post the other night and my bloody laptop crashed.

Verso so sorry to hear you are having some probs with your DH I hope you manage to sort it out.

To all who are having problems sleeping I hear you, although it does sound like I am getting off quite lightly I either have a couple of hours getting him off to sleep when we go to bed or he does it when he wakes for a feed so am awake for a couple of hours in the middle of the night. Nit much fun when it is so cold. Sending lots of sleepy baby vibes to everyone and hope we all get longer than a couple of hours to sleep.

PD thanks for the links am looking at them now.

Veggie I too have been wondering about a little bedtime routine, might start next wk.

Will post more later my boobs are needed.

Verso - I am glad your DH made the first move to reconcilliation and sent a nice text.

Jam - Good luck while your DH is away. I am sure you will be fine. Your poor DD having a cold already, no tips but I shop she is OK.

Quick question before bed. Last night, and a few nights ago, when I failed to settle DD in her moses basket after her 2am feed, she would only settle sitting up. Both times I was soooo tired and ended up lying down on my side and placing her little swaddled body leaning against me so that her body sat against my chest and her head rested on my neck, under my chin. Both times I fell asleep and so did she. It works for me but DH was freaked out that it was dangerous and has begged me not to sleep with her "sitting on my head" again. Do you think it sounds dangerous?

Arrrgghhh - I confused Jam and Zoe in my last post. Sorry girls. Can I plead sleep deprivation?

I Also meant to send Turnip a big hug. Sorry your nights are soooo tough. I love your DD's name.

arti if it works go for it, last night i fell asleep with Lachie upright on my chest.

I think DS2 is having a growth spurt or is just super hungry. I feel like he has been attached to me all day. But some times he latchs on, sucks for a few minutes and then drops off. But as soon as I move him to his moses basket or bouncy chair he wakes up and cries. So I have resorted to a dummy. It is working and he is now asleep. I really didn't want to use them but he looked exhausted.

v quick post from me - DS2 feeding feeding feeding but pretty calm still. Touch of jaundice which will hopefully go given the amount of milk he's getting!

Verso: hope the air is cleared betw you and DH.

Keep getting bit weepy and hormonal but DS2 is so much easier than DS1 was at this stage, so I am trying to count my blessings . DS1 playing up a bit and gets upset easily, hopefully things will ease once we get into some sort of routine.

will try and catch up properly later on, but I reckon we are all doing brilliantly. Has emmanbump had her baby yet? Wasn't she the last?

hello!
What an odd day we've had...Phoebe has fed almost hourly instead of her usual 2 hourly, and has barely slept in between, and has got herself really over tired. Now she's finally fallen asleep but I'm sure as soon as I go to bed she'll want her milk again!
We went for a lovely dark-walk earlier with Lucy and Phoebe, and I made DH carry Phoebe so that Lucy and I could walk together with the torch...it was really nice to spend time with her again - I need to make more time for her.
Phoebe has a really crusty sticky eye again. Yak. Poor thing.
HV is coming again in the morning.
WG you are not a bad mum. Say it out loud.
Turnip - really hope you get a good night - let the tears keep coming - it's early days and it's hard work but worth it [hugs]

I hope the jaundice clears quickly, effie. Sounds like the feeding is going really well so it should clear fast. Sorry you're weepy - the hormone shift post-birth is so huge it has a massive effect. [hug]

Just checking in for all those dreading the night shift to voice my solidarity. Am flying solo (as it were) tonight and DD2 has been very unsettled this evening so no idea what the night will bring... have made up a bed in the nursery just in case I need to decamp, as DH goes back to work tomorrow.

This might sound a bit out there, but can anyone recommend any good relaxation CDs? The sort of thing they play when you go to a spa or beauty place? What I want is probably a bit naff (!) - but pan pipes and birdsong etc, waterfalls... that sort of thing. I reckon if I were to listen to it quietly during the night it might help me stay calm and not get annoyed that DH is fast asleep in the next room... just a thought!

Verso go to itunes and out in relaxation and it should come up with what you want. I too was seethig last night at DP fast asleep and snoring beside me while I lay awake with L trying to get him to sleep.

Copying and pasting from another thread wher I got some windypops advice from a friend.

Wind Advice for jam - had promised to bore everyone with this anyway...

I knew they went bluish around the mouth with wind but didn't realise:

to wind them on your shoulder they have to be high enough for your shoulder blade to be in their tummy - this is what pushes the wind up..

sitting them upright in your lap and gently 'pulling them straight' is most effective

if the wind hasn't come out after a couple of mins its prob too far down and you need to do baby gym cycling/circular tummy rub/pushing ankles to chest/raising bottom by lifting legs/tiger in tree

wind will make them come off the breast so if they've only done 10 mins its wind if they are bluish - should wind then reoffer - otherwise they'll keep waking up either hungry or with the wind, then kep getting too much foremilk and sleeping only for short periods.

if you can get this right they should feed more, be more comfy and sleep more

JJ meant to say earlier very of your peaceful shopping trip we gave DS1 to his grandparents for an hour at the weekend so we could buy some fabric without him screaming in our ears and it was bliss we both came out the shop saying how pleasant it was.

Oh and Turnip I too alternate between thinking DP is super helpful and I love him to thinking he is a total pain in the bum and hasnt got a clue about what I am going through.

On that note he is back to work tom have no idea how I am even going to shower he leaves at 6.20am and doesnt get home until 7.30pm, aarrgghh. Also DS1 is meant to be going to toddler yoga at 9.30 its never going to happen think I should just be grateful if we make it to the end of the day without any major mishaps.

Really useful winding advice Jam, thanks for that.
I spoke too soon last night and ended up having an apalling night with DD and wind. She finally settled at 4.30am. Luckily DH rescued me at 2.30 after I had spent 3 hours solidly walking her up and down the living room. DH is back at work tomorrow, so I really hope we have a better night. I somehow have to get DS to nursery for 9am, then pop in to see a client and then get DD registered at 10.30 tomorrow. All without DH and his help and calmness. Not sure how I'm going to make it, but I can only try.
Going to bed now to try to catch up whilst things are a bit quiet. Hope everyone manages to get some sleep.

On the winding front my Nan was winding DS2 yesterday and she stroked his back upwards. It seems to do the trick. But DS2 seems to burp quite easily same as DS1. I reckon they take after my brother who at 20 still finds burping hilarious(sp).

Hello dear Turnip! Sorry you are feeling a bit wobbly - I have only just stopped feeling wobbly and I haven't got two other kids to take care of and worry about too. Big love, hope to see you soon. Thanks PD and Jam for the winding tips, it's really helpful.

Verso - glad to hear things are picking up - rows are so distressing.

Arti, I am far too inexperienced to know if that position sounds dangerous so I hope someone else can help with that one.

Well, I am back from the wedding in London - our first night without DD. She had the very best care though - our babysitter is a close friend of DP and she is brilliant. It nice to have a bit of a dance at the wedding disco but I was distracted by my tits wobbling when I danced (not in a good way) and my ARMS wobbling as well. My thighs would no doubt have wobbled had they not been trussed up in Spanx under my dress. Like I say, it was nice to dance but I felt about 900. Back to London again tomorrow - DD in a Baby Bjorn on the train as I have to see my consultant. Hmmm. Night night all.

we are back on the nighttime terrors. she has barely settled all day - we've had to "trick" her into sleeping by rocking, shushing, swaying etc - before this she would get milk drunk and fall asleep herself easily after a feed.

tonight i fed at 7.30, she had a really fitful sleep, grizzled at 9.30, so i fed a bit again, then wrapped her in the miracle blanket, turned her on her front and swayed and shushed her. that seemed to do teh trick and dh and i rushed everything up to bed to take advantage of what we thought was a couple of hours of sleep coming, when lo and behold she kicks off again.

since then we are working in shifts downstairs with her - it must be wind and digestion issues - there are times when she feels better, gets quiet, almost lets herself drop off, then suddenly she's red in the face and screaming in a frenzy. the pattern repeats itself until at some point she tires herself out enough to feed properly and fall asleep. i sit in the rocking chair with her and practically rock myself to sleep - have no idea how she can remain awake like this.

friends have mentioned cranial osteopathy - what have other people experienced/heard about it?

sorry wg that sounds crap. Poor you and poor little dd. What doesyour hv/midwife say about it? Not that it sounds like there is much you haven't tried. My little tinker is awake feeding can't complan at the moment as he has only just woken up. Am just hoping it is not the start of one of his 5hr feeding sessions though

sl - when you finish feeding during the night do you still wind? am now getting too scared of waking her whhuch may make all worse

typimg one handed, sorry

He doesn't get that bad wind but usually I do yes. If he looks really sleepy and it's about time I'd expect him to go to sleep then I might not. But usually that would be a feed when he'd been on that boob a while so less milk and so less air and less likely to have wind anyway

have just retaken over from dh. he will come back at 5.15. this child cannot have slept properly since 10pm, and it is now 4.30.

thought aboutcalling la leche league, but it's not really about bf, and don't want to disturb volunteers now.

btw wtf is a sleeping baby doing on celeb big bro live? looks plastic to me

and now the poor love has hiccoughs which mean she is swallowing even more air.

apols fr these frequent posts, but it does make me feel better to post also takes mind away a bit