With IDOB and STT ready to go, the Wagon rumbles along!

[Kayzr]

Here we go new thread. Sorry for awful title!!

Yay Ses - great guns on sleeping. Any tips you want to impart - I am having no joy at getting DD to go down on her own - end up cuddling her to heavy drowsy (while doing lots of pick up/put down) and then she drops off very last big in cot. Took an hour after feed last night, then she was up 4 hours later and then woke two hours later and I gave in after 1hr 40 mins of trying to settle her (am in awe of these babies who only protest for max 20 mins when you all try to drop a feed)....
Diege - boo to nits and hope migraine doesn't come back.
Kayz - yay for DS2 sleeping. Am sure you will adjust and feel refreshed soon - I long for that problem

Star - I am still feeding O to sleep but now he is starting to sleep in longer stints, I do sometimes here him stir on the monitor and then resettle so I'm encouraged by that. My HV is of the opinion that if I persist with what I'm doing and make sure that he always starts off in his cot, he'll gradually go for longer and learn to resettle himself and in turn will settle in the first place too.
I think partly what's helping is that he's wearing himself out so much with all his moving around!

Okay, so am getting a bit desperate here with DD's sleep. So, have a few questions for you all. Am going to now try following Baby Whisperer techniques for getting her to settle, as I just can't do controlled crying. But am also going for some routine - we have had a very loose one to date - she goes down for a nap 2.5-3hours after waking and then another nap about 3 hours after she wakes from that nap. Usually balances out to about 3 hours sleep over the two - sometimes long in am and short in pm, sometimes other way round. If DH on an early, then I drop DS at nursery with DD and DD will fall asleep on way back in buggy (if I come home via shop, otherwise journey is too short), so is normally short in am. Am thinking I should try and force this order of things regardless of what shift DH is on. So, those of you following GF - is 8 months too late to introduce GF timings (is it worth it?)
Diege - you say your DS naps in buggy on nursery run for morning nap - do you do the same on the weekend, or does he nap in cot on the weekend for early nap?
Anyone done pick up/put down for their DC? Has it worked - think I need to ask this on a sleep thread.
Am so confused as to whether DD is waking from hunger, as she's slowly increasing her solids taken, but is still probably about equivalent of 2-3 frozen cubes of food at each meal (although is mostly packet food - Ellas/Plum Baby), plus the finger food she likes to gnaw on. But, has dramatically dropped her daytime feeding - has a small feed after breakfast, if having long nap in morning, will then not have anything 'til lunch, then a feed after nap in afternoon and then tea and then feed at bedtime. She then feeds twice more in the night. Maybe this is acceptable until she is eating more solids? Last night, when she had been awake for 1 hour 20 mins and not settling, I tried her on some water from her normal cup - she took some, so I figured she needed food - so fed her, she was half-hearted but protested when taken off and then did settle on my shoulder rather than actually suckle to sleep (which I try to never let her do these days). I know I should post something in sleep, but if any of you have any recommendations, I'm happy to hear them.

Hi STAR, and sorry to hear you're having such a hard time of it on the sleep front I think GF is eminently do-able at 8 months (and actually your nap timings aren't far off what she says). At weekends I do put J into his cot for the morning nap, and also up there for the late afternoon one (in the week he often has this nap earlier as he'll fall asleep on the way back from school pick-up in the pram). Think I'd try to avoid feeding in the night (as you're doing) though I understand how hard it is to work out if night wakings are due to hunger etc..probably not in your case I'd say. So yes, I'd recommend GF (and also controlled crying after 6 months) but if you;re not into it you're not into it, and unless you are it's def not worth doing!
Hi SES, sounds like things are working out well at night times, and it seems like you've a good hv there.
Bit of news on house front..Mr Smith the 'buyer' rang EA this morning espressing surprise that he hadnt heard back from her...she informed him that it's now in the hands of the solicitors and he needs to exchange tomorrow or return the papers. Cue massive silence from him, then he starts going crazy saying his soliticors hadn't informed him, and saying the EA should have rang. To which she said you messed up all about over the last 3 weeks and we've been very busy... . So now he's stewing it over and will have to decide really quickly. As EA said to him, it;s now a legal requirement for him to respond. Oh I feel so sorry for him... Also have found out that the correct term for what's happened to us is 'gazundering'!

Meant to say STAR just shout if you'd like some more specific advice on timings etc for gf .

BIG MOAN ALERT!!!!!!!!

what do i do with dd1!!!!

she has cut something else that she is not supposed to have cut!!! teachers poster!!!!

that is 3 things now!!!

teacher said she told her off this time had too

i have been very cross with dd1 not letting her on the computer or letting her have any chocolate.
she doesnt seem bothered!!!

it is embarrasing for me with teacher and very out of character for dd1!!!!!

diege - oh no @ nits!!!!
and house buisness

kay - i was like that with sleep after stopping brackens night feed will just be your body getting used to all the sleep

star - dont know if any help

dd2 is 10 mnths today i am doing gf routine.
she sleeps - 9-10am then 12-2pm then 6:30am-6:30pm

Oh no TINKS I think you're doing the right thing stopping treats etc. If yoy keep in this way it will eventually get through, though don't be tempted to weaken. When you ask dd, what does she say the reason for it is?

hi diege cheers doesnt give one doesnt seem bothered!!

i use baby jars all the time for dd1 shall i carry on very exspensive cant face the thought of mixing my own chicken etc purees???

bracken is 10 month today

was thinking if i stick to a meat jar for lunch then for tea give her sandwiches and other finger foods. want to make sure she is eating enough and save money
at least then i will then just buy 7 jars instead of 14!!

Hi TINKS, life's too short to make purees (just my opinion) and I've given ds jars from day one (with the odd home made puree). I think I'll do what I did last time - buy purees until he's ready for lumps, and then just mash up what we're having. Am giving finger food too to get him used to lumps and chewing etc. Does get expensive but my to-do list is so ling I'd be up till gone midnight if I had to factor in pureeing veggies!

Sounds a good plan TINK yes go with that!

cheers diege
will try that then
she isnt keen on lumps in food yet

You never know, the finger food may help with the lumps-thing.
Migraine starting to come back What do other sufferers take?

Hi!

Tink - poor you and DD1 with the cutting. She will learn (eventually!)

Diege - not heard of gazundering but maybe I should be grateful of that! Would have loved to have seen the look on his face!

I'm too lazy to puree and too stingy for jars! So far all messy play with food! I realise that may all change though as we're only 10 days in and still only one or two "meals" a day. Just the one today but he seems to have ingested a couple of green beans, a bread stick and half a rice cake with some Philly and houmous mixed in for good measure!

Had him weighed today and he's sticking midway between 25th & 50th line (despite all his activity!)and was 17lb4. HV coudn't believe how mobile he was when I put him down on their playmat!

Diege - sorry I never replied about your migraine meds. Imigran is the strongest thing you can get without a prescription but it's not a painkiller so is different to everything else. If I were you, I'd try something like "Paramol" which has got paracetamol and dihydrocodeine in or Nurofen Plus which has ibuprofen and codeine in. Failing that it's back to the GP (or call round the heavy mob for those buyers of yours...)
Hope you feel better soon.

Hi SES! O sounds like he's doing really well - good ideas there for finger food. Have remembered now how much dds loved pitta bread and humous. How often do you get him weighted out of interest?Have started a thread in property/diy about the house business and so far everyone has said stick to our guns and not to offer any money. This time tomorrow out fate will be sealed anyway!

Thanks for meds info SES. I'll try paramol - is it available over the counter?. Have tried nurofen plus but didn't have much of an effect at all. Heavy mob sounds good too

Yes, Paramol is available from behind the counter at the pharmacy.
I tend to get O weighed every 3 weeks. I got so in the habit that it's hard to stop and I'm weaning myself off I've been recommended to get it done 4 weekly. Tbh I'm not that bothered about his weight now but just nice to get the reassurance.
Good luck with your thread and your "fate". Everything crossed for you.

DH has just got in and brought some steak from the butchers with him that he's going to cook with chips for tea I've asked him to sort out a nice bottle of red wine too!

Hi Everyone!

Diege- fingers crossed for you with the buyers tomorrow. Sorry to hear about head. I can second the Paramol suggestion by Ses - I've found it excellent in the past, think I used it after my wisdom tooth decapitation extraction.

Ses- sounds like O is doing great. I too like to get SG weighed regularly, its nice to keep track Also sounds like the BLW is going great guns. Nice one!

Tink- sorry DD1 is being funny with cutting. Sounds like hard work- but might just be part of the school adjustment. Mix of jars and finger food sounds like good compromise too.

Kay- I felt really odd when DD started sleeping through (still as a dreamfeed)- has got better now though. Hang in there and enjoy it

Star- Sory your are still having sleep challenges with DD. I am more or less following the GF timings, but only by accident. I think its a good structure.

Cant- hope DS had a better day and isnt too tired.

Moosy- your horses are amazing!!

Hello everyone else, Gruff, IDOB and everyone else!

Wow megapost. Better go and empty the dishwasher... bye for now!

Thanks for your posts folks. Am feeling marginally more okay with it now - she is mostly waking twice in night between 7 and 7. I don't do a dreamfeed - never did with DS (tried it a few times, but it didn't help) and he just gradually pushed his first waking up back, 'til it became one waking and then no wakings. Think DD was overtired last night by the time she went to bed and that didn't help. Put her to bed before DS tonight as she was so shattered. Fingers crossed for the night ahead. She is still only about 16 and a half pounds and very active. Food intake is going up in the day again, so hopefully she is balancing it the right way. Am going to give her 'til 9 months (we have disruptions over the next couple of weeks of going to my Mum's and then up to Scotland for a wedding, so will try routine for next month as much as possible) and then once all that is over and done with, will have 10 days before Christmas to get her settled so that she can deliver the Christmas pressie I have asked for - a sleep-filled night
On the plus front, she had lunch today - some fruit/veggie packet purees and some cucumber and some of my pasta, then while DS and I were finishing, DD offered her some of the (homemade, so no salt) pasta sauce off DS' plate from his fork, thinking she would reject it, but she loved the onion, green pepper, mushroom and tomato - had no issues with any of it, so think I should not worry about the lumpier purees and just sit some pasta and sauce in front of her (if only we can discover that she is fine with cheese, she'll even get some protein!)

Tink sorry for DD1's challenging behaviour. Sounds like you are dealing with it very well and am sure it will have the desired effect. Am sure she is just pushing the boundaries in response to a change to her environment. Would guess it is fair enough to spend half a term getting used to school and then thinking, ooh, now I'm used to this, what can I get away with now? With you and teacher confirming what is and what isn't acceptable, am sure she will soon settle down.

Diege have fingers crossed for you for tomorrow. Hope you find something to combat your migraine.

GBL - thanks. Do you wake DD from her naps to conform to GF, or just let her sleep? I am just loathe to wake DD from her morning nap if she wants the sleep, she does usually balance out the napping time over the day.

Thanks for the offer Diege, but I do actually have the GF book from 1st time round - have always found her bedtime routine good, but did struggle managing it with 2 and was so concerned to get bfing right with DD that I didn't follow it for first few months. Think it seems really early to start bath, etc, but has seemed to benefit my two. I really wouldn't mind her getting up at 5.30am like DS used to, if she would just sleep through, as I could go to bed at 10.30 and still get 7 hours sleep - ah, bliss!

Can't - if you're lurking, did you keep DS off today and did you all get a chance to relax if so?

Anyway, think this is a mega post. Wishing you all good sleep and good behaviour!

Hello.

I had 2 fillings yesterday and I need to have my wisdom teeth out in hospital under a general. I am a little bit worried about it but apparently they suggest a week off work!

SST We started DS2 on GF when he was 8 months old. It has worked out really well. He naps in his pushchair in the kitchen as DH can't carry him upstairs when I am at work. When it gets to the time he is meant to wake up we open the kitchen door and take his blanket off. He then naturally wakes up.

Diege, Hope you get good news today.

Hello to everyone else, hope you are all well.

Morning! You actually sound very organised STAR and dd sounds like she's doing so well with nher food. I sincerely hope you get your xmas present!
Ooh KAYZ a week off work! .Don;t worry about the op, just think how much better you'll feel when it's done. Do you have a date yet?
Will hear about the house today - well, if we don't it means they've not exchanged, si we'll be putting it back on the market My gut feeling is that they only want the hpuse if there's 15 grand off the price, bas*&^%&ds!!!!
Hope everyone is well and looking forward to the weekend. We will either be celebrating or cleaning the house furiously for the Sunday viewing!

cheers ladies about the cutting rassurance
praying she doesnt do anything naighty today!!

kay - when are you having your wisdom out?!
i am putting it off for as long as poss!!

you are doing really well star

hi diege good luck on the house front

having a quiet day here today

Hi TINKS. Quiet day here too, though need to go to the Post office and have dd2 off ill as well as dd3 and ds. At the moment they're watching some rugrats thing, so have a bit of peace before J wakes up.
Am thinking or ordering xmas themed sleepsuit etc for J, but is it a waste of money for just a few wears?

Morning,

Diege - I have everything crossed you get some good news about the house today! Did you get something to help your migraine.

Kay - I have to have my wisdom teeth out soon too. I had an appointment months ago but was 5 weeks pregnant so it was postponed. At least you get sme time off work - hooray!

Star - I hope you had a good night last night. It sounds like DD is doing really well with her eating and hopefully she'll deliver that special xmas pressie.

Tink - I've been giggling away at DDs cutting antics. Sorry, I'm sure it must be frustrating for you but it reminds me of all the times we got caught cutting our own hair as kids. The excitement of scissors!

Ses - O sounds just gorgeus. We'll have to arrange another meet up soon, I'd love to see all the LOs again now they are a bit older.

Hi GBL, Cant, Moosy and anyone else I've missed.

Sorry in advance for the long moan but I had a really stressful day with DD yesterday . It started when I took her to get weighed - she had just nodded off in the pram so wasn't impressed at being woken up. She was crying the whole time and as soon as I got the nappy off she wee'ed all over her clothes and swaddle (which I should have moved) so I had to clean her and dig around for a change with a big queue of mums waiting for the scales. It put her in a real grump and she didn't feed or sleep well all morning, just whinged. By 1.30pm she was in a real temper - she was hungry and tired but couldn't settle or stop crying long enough to latch on. She screamed for 40min and was sick all over me twice. I was meant to be meeting girls from NCT for tea so decided to just put her in pram and walk to town to get a break from the house and she was so exhausted she cried herself to sleep on the way. In the pub she woke up and started screaming again, I tried to get her to feed but she was too upset to latch on. Everyone was staring as she was so loud and because she was crying my milk started spraying everywhere and soaked her, my t-shirt and my jeans. I was desperately trying to hold my wriggling screaming DD, get a breast pad on and my bra fastened and not display all to the whole pub ! I managed to get her to take a small feed, took her home and it took another 2 hours before she finally took a good feed (I pretty much just rammed my boob into her mouth and held her head hard against me until she finally began to feed, poor little mite but she went from 11am to 7pm with almost no milk). She passed out for 4 hours, slept and fed really well last night and is back to her happy self this morning . Apart from that we are doing well - she now weighs 10lb 4, has started smiling and is just discovering her hands which is hilarious.