How to stay awake during night feeds part 6 - all welcome to join us!

[funchum8am]

Hi everyone, cannot believe we have exchanged over 5000 messages!

mrsn when we shared our locations on here a while back, heff, goat and I all turned out to live near Uxbridge so we met up having met on here. It is lovely, if you are ever down south let us know!

macaroons sounds like we are in the same boat I officially return to work on 15 Feb but that is actually the Friday before half term so only have that day and then another week off before full time return hits. I am lucky that DH is being a SAHD til 1st July so no drop offs, pick ups or worries about the childminder ringing me because babyfunch is ill etc, and she is in great hands with him, much as I have been critical of him til we talked it over recently. However I am worried about being at work on no sleep - I will get in a lot of trouble if I lose my rag with a pupil or indeed a member of my team (one of whom is a pain). I will have to perfect the art of letting some things go (eg uniform issues in the corridor as opposed to in my lessons - I spend a lot of time arguing with pupils about these and intend to stop save for the very worst!) and dealing with others by just reporting bad behaviour to heads of year rather than dealing with it myself. I am head of faculty so will focus just on what happens in lessons in my faculty rather than working quite so hard on having the best corridor behaviour in the school in my area - it is great having that but takes a lot of time, energy and conflict so it will just have to go n the back burner until I am getting proper sleep again. At this rate dd will be in year 7 by then herself and can help me!

funch thank you so much for your really wonderfully kind offer but I'm worried in case it isn't food poisoning and you or baby funch caught it so Ive quarantined myself and using practically every tip from the Terrible Mother's Handbook (extensive bribery of toddler using chocolate and television, increased use of play mat and any other baby receiving surface for babylump) My DM should be home by 5 and DH by 6, just got to get that far!

amey so sorry to hear you're feeling bad, I probably can't say anything to make you feel better but do try and remember you are a fantastic mum and your dd will be fine, lots of children react to the birth of a sibling but very few adults still have the same problems! for you though.

Got to dash again hope you're all having lovely days xx

Well I did it, I went to Weight Watchers. It was fine and I have started with a vengeance today - loving the extra points for breast feeding! Went to the post office too and that's it, just tried to devote myself to little man instead of constantly worrying about things that I need to do.

heff well done for managing on your own! Hope you get some rest now!

Hope you're feeling better now heff
I took baby small to clinic today and he is a whopper- 16lb now, I'm very proud of his size as I'm such a stupidly small person so hoping he will be big like his daddy! Anyway the health visitor said he should be sleeping through by now (19.5 weeks) and advised me to up his feeds during the day so he won't take so many at night will that really work? I very much doubt it will! Am going to my parents again tomorrow for the rest of the week but next week I may think about weaning him as he is clearly hungry and he'll be almost 5 months then. Did anyone else do earlier than 6 months?
Seriously hoping for something better than every two hours tonight. Good
Luck all!

2nd last feed before bed and don't think I will be in for the same night as last night, he's barely eaten anything today so not sure if his teeth are still playing up.

small I started weaning a couple of weeks ago and he's been fine but it hasn't really made a difference to how he sleeps-well apart from last night maybe, I'm hoping that now he is six months, well on two days and can eat pretty much everything it will make a difference.

Dp starting to really get the hump now re lack of sex but to be honest I just can't be arsed!! He's been really patient up to now but pregnancy insomnia and six months of broken sleep mean I'm just too knackered to think about it let alone do it. Really hoping babyloo's six month birthday means we are moving towards the fabled 7-7 sleeping pattern.

Have good nights everyone, scattering sleepy dust as I go.

Midwife been round today, baby larle has put on 4oz but she was concerned about my lack of sleep as feeding every hour and he still isn't getting enough. If he wasn't sleeping or feeding he was screaming so we have topped him up with some formula today and for the first time since he was born I've had a cuddle and he wasn't screaming, asleep or feeding.
Sat here crying as I'm so happy, I really thought he was going to cry forever and I'd never get more than 45 mins sleep. Really wanted to exclusively breast feed but I just don't make enough for him.

Bless you larle how old is LO? I was also saved by the formula fairy - it changed our baby! Was exactly same with our first. I felt I had enough milk but I think they were too lazy to feed properly. I wanted to ebf for 6 months but I guess it has to be what's right for everyone & things have really improved here.

heff hope you feel better - nightmare when you are ill looking after 1 never mind 2!

mrsn well done on joining ww! I'm missing the bf points!

susie totally with you on the sex thing, we've done it once! It was ok, but I'd rather sleep if I'm honest at the moment! Think we had gone 7 months without, poor DH but its not a priority when tired!

funch hope all went ok today with bottles?

small I waited with DD to wean till 6 months but my SIL started at 4 months and was very successful and my DN is such a good eater, she did a mix of standard and baby led (BL bit from 6+ months) Baby led is not for me tho, I get too paranoid about choking! Think I will give DS baby rice between 5-6 months then start on normal purées from 6 months.

Sorry if I missed anyone - will catch up again later! X

Zzzzz I'm so tired tonight! Little man is asleep on me downstairs so will attempt transfer soon and go to bed myself. That's the plan anyway!!

Heff I hope things are improving for you, must be godawful being ill with two to care for!

Toodle yes I am trying to express every feed. I just want to do it tiki am sure she will continue to reliably take a bottle. She has been fine every single feed today so did her bedtime feed as bf....hopefully that hasn't sent her back to bottle refusing territory. Will find out at next feed! It has been a great day as having her take bottles has taken a weight off my mind about what will happen when DH takes over in feb, and also means my mum and DH can take her for more than three hours from now on. Just need it to continue!

She has also napped properly and also started taking a dummy! If this continues we may actually get this lovely routine I have been fantasising about....and possibly even some sleep at some point. don't be silly funch

No sex here either - neither of us is that averse but we are just so knackered on any occasion it might actually be possible we try for sleep instead! There was one time we nearly did but then realised we didn't have any contraception available, cue teenage trip to Boots to buy condoms next day for me! Made more tricky by me desperately needing to avoid being seen by pupils buying that kind of thing, as we live a mile from my school and on the high street, so bang in the catchment area and the place they all hang out and their parents go shopping too . Was quite fun though commando condoming

amey baby larle is 12 days old so we're very new to all of this! His latch is fine but he does fall asleep easily when feeding but I can feed him for 2 hours and he will still scream when he comes off.
Can't believe the difference in him now he has had a couple of bottles.

As its only been 12 days since birth sex is the last thing on my mind!!! Especially considering I had an episiotomy and a lot of stitches!!! (TMI?? sorry!)

funch another teacher here!! Thankfully my school is 25 miles away so unlikely to bump into kids whilst shopping!

No sex here either, well literally a handful of times. Just too tired and alsoy boobs are still engorged and sore since stopping feeding. Am wondering if they'll ever go down! DH did mutter something the other night about feeling rather frustrated but he knows that the answer is too tired!!!
Thanks for the weaning tips. I'm going to start with rice and do baby led from 6 months. I don't think it will make a difference straight away but at least I won't worry about him being hungry.
Early night for me now and DH doing the next feed so I should hopefully get a few hours in a row.
Glad you got a good cuddle larle, breastfeeding might be best in theory but it doesn't always work out that way.
See you all later.

Well done MrsN on the WW We started back on SW regime yesterday. I always feel a bit hungry for the first couple of days, but I think it's psychological because you are constantly thinking about food Oh the irony, we have gone from a food porn thread to a diet thread

Hope you are feeling better Heff. Looking after children when you are ill is pure torture.

Well done Funch I would like not to have to go out to work really, but I love my job when I'm there, and it's great when a plan comes together. I am quite excited by the thought of my new job

Small I started around 5 months the same as Susie. She did well initially but decided that she will not let me feed her (either spits it out/blows bubbles or clamps her mouth shut). 26 weeks tomorrow and we have had to go completely BLW, which is quite successful so far, although obviously she takes a lot less at the minute. I always intended to do a bit of both, but now only doing BLW. Probably not the best person to ask though, as I am stressed by it and wish that I hadn't done purees at all now. I do think she was ready when I took the decision to start but am having serious self-doubt (probably not just about weaning, if I am honest) Feel like it is a step backwards although in reality, I think it is Missmarbles decision, rather than inability, if that makes sense.

Tooodle I used to be able to feed Missmarbles quite discreetly in public, but not now! She's terribly nosy. I have to be really quick with my top and upper arm, otherwise everyone cops an eyeful

Until recently sex has been a fond and distant memory. I was missing it despite being too knackered to give it much though. Don't get me wrong, it's hardly a regular occurrence yet, but I am glad it is at least on the agenda again

Missmarbles had a late nap so am really hoping it doesn't impact too severely on tonight. She went down a wee bit later than normal and we did have a 45 minute intruder, but we had a four stretch last night between 10.30 and 2.40, so am hoping for the same again tonight. I think the sleep deprivation is causing the aforementioned self-doubt. At 26 weeks, I was really hoping she would be sleeping through Not sure why I am that surprised as DD1 took a while too; I thought this time might be different as Missmarbles is a much bigger baby. I am thinking about introducing a bottle at night when she is 7 months, in preparation for me going back to work, which will be night shifts, so she needs to be in a routine of taking a bottle from DH at night by then.

No sex here either - well once since we had little man!! Just not feeling like it at all!

small I am starting to consider baby led weaning when we start too, will have to look into it more though.

at commando condomming Funch! We did that but then I freaked out about possibly being pregnant so soon, (as that happened to DSiL) even though, we have a 7 year gap between the DDs, and as I can't take the Pill, also did a condom dash

I did at one point think well I would be modelling safe sex type behaviour if a pupil saw me but we all know that if you saw your teacher (even the boring married parent ones) buying condoms it just wouldn't work out well for the teacher!!

Just waiting for the steriliser because even though I bfed babyfunch before bed my boobs are really full so need to express! DH has agreed to give her the ten thirty bottle I hope to get her onto, so here's hoping...the challenge will be waking him for it. He has been asleep for an hour already!

Baby pip dived onto cheese cake tonight I can't wean him he is far to young

I'm legging it outta here all this talk of sex making me nervous

Oh and I think we all about to be hit with the vomiting bug and dh due to leave on sat I won't be able to cope if I get it he better stay and wait till I'm done I'm too much of a chicken I hate vomiting

2 transfer fails so far..........

Baby j has been given a bottle of EBM. He has been playing with it since 8pm and had another wee top up 20mins or so ago and appears sound asleep so I'm going to head to bed! Wish me luck!

Glad bottles are going well funch .

I finally got my eyes tested - I need glasses, good that I went as my long vision is shite & that's why I'm getting headaches and terrible nausea in car , so I need to wear them for driving, watching tv etc. cost me £100 tho!
I was brave tonight & checked my bank balance wish I hadn't really - it is DIRE! £900 overdrawn already! Had to ask DH to help me out :( listed loads on eBay last week too, most of which is selling so hoping to make some cash! I hate asking him for money. Out if interest hope this Is not too nosy do most of you share bank account with DH/DP? We have joint account that we each pay a set amount into each month (DH pays triple what I do as he earns more) then all house bills/mortgage comes out of that but we each have rest of our salaries. Although I'm thinking if prefer all to be in one as I have no money . Its depressing! We lose most of our child benefit too , DH earns a smidge over 50k, I know we should be well off but we just aren't - don't know where it all goes well I do - huge mortgage & 2 kids + credit cards etc etc! Please let me lottery win this weekend x

Hello ladies, didn't expect to find sex talk here

Odd night tonight as DH came home with guinea pigs, cue much excitement from dd1 who woke up dd2. Didn't get either of them in bed before 10pm so hoping they will sleep in a bit tomorrow.

I.wish stitch would take bottles, going to try cup soon. Really want to go back to my exercise class, but don't feel it is fair to dump breast-fed to sleep baby on.DH without her taking ebm from cup first.

Sex here is a weekly event (sometimes more) . Mostly stopped by waking of children just when we would have time to or sheer exhaustion. Dd2 will be a year old soon and still feeds at 8.30pm, 12 midnight, 2am, 4am and sometimes 6am too. She used to go 12am to 6am before she started teething

Goodness, diets and sex tonight! Congrats on the ww mrsn I am trying to go it alone at present and lurching from doing quite well to falling spectacularly off the bandwagon!
Yes, we probably have sex about once a week now, when exhaustion and Kid's extraordinarily well-honed sixth sense allows us. Never thought about the condom run... Bizarrely here although we live prob two miles from DH's school we are not in the catchment so we are probably safe!
I have turned into the mean mummy from hell and have decided that Kid only gets fed once at night. He had been waking at 3 or 4am but not feeding properly at all so I decided enough was enough and he didn't really need that feed, it is just habit. We have done three nights. First two he thrashed around for ages but eventually went back to sleep. (Thank you Ewan!) third he didn't get back until I cracked at 4:45. And then did not feed properly we will see who wins tonight!
Sorry not to ne check. Am on phone rather than iPad to cut back on light.

Name check even

First feed here, wish he would drop this feed. I'm so tired and have a sore head - tension I think, or a sugar hangover from Monday!!

amey we have a joint account and separate ones, but we don't really use the joint account now - it was for the wedding and then baby stuff! I have one full pay left and am dreading it afterwards. I'm rubbish with money!!

Very impressed with you ladies who are having sex once a week!!!!

I just had a nectarine instead of my usual chocolate binge!

First feed successful at 12.30 but ds just woke up crying, still managing to latch despite using bottles so bf for a while. Now asleep on me so need to transfer. Then I'll be awake at 4.30 for next feed! Still better than being up every hour. Actually managed to sleep in bed with hubby tonight! Nice to have a snuggle!

So giving him hungry baby milk made no difference at all to sleep. Will stop that as don't think it's that good for them.
amey we have a joint bank account which I use and I give DH money as and when he needs it! He is a terrible spender and we'd have nooner if he was in charge of the funds. It works quite well! We lose all child benefit too and smp is such a tiny amount I'm quite worried about it really but sticking my head in the sand and carrying on as normal!!

Second feed and just had transfer fail. Four hour stretch from 7.30 to 11.30 which is great and then three hours to 2.30. I suppose it is improving to what it has been of late but would love to have another long stretch from now.

Never thought about the sugar hangover, MrsN! That probably explains the starvation I have when I start SW.

Amey, we only have joint accounts, current and savings. We each have a credit card, although DH is a cardholder on mine, but he's only allowed to put food and fuel on it as I pay it out of our household account anyway. We get more exciting stuff on his