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Fostering

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on fostering.

Scared, nervous and excited

44 replies

SenSationsMad · 07/10/2010 16:39

Didn't want to say earlier, but two little boys coming to stay at the SenSations house next week!
We've met them twice already and will have contact again on Saturday.

How on earth will I cope? Grin
How on earth will THEY cope, poor little things Sad

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SenSationsMad · 18/10/2010 21:30

P99 - Tangerines and ketchup?????

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SquidgyBrain · 18/10/2010 22:04

(((((hugs)))))) you are doing a great job :)

xx

SenSationsMad · 19/10/2010 16:23

Thanks squidgy. Been on my own today again and baby fell asleep for an hour and a half this afternoon - so I got some rest. Someone else on MN mentioned taking toddlers to bed earlier to make them sleep longer Hmm so might try this tonight to give it ago.
Last night he woke at 4.10 am , 5.15am and we got up at 6.30 am, but to be fair he settled a lot quicker last night than he has been doing.

On a positive note, I have lost 4 pounds Grin But please don't worry,I have plenty more 4lbs to loose!

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SquidgyBrain · 19/10/2010 17:41

we find the later we put our 3 (4,6 and 7) to be the earlier they get up! So yeah might be worth playing around with bed time - if earlier doesn't work later might?

ooohhh I think I have found those lost 4lbs - please have them back as I have plenty of my own to lose somewhere!

p99gmb · 19/10/2010 19:26

i lost weight to start with in those early days.... now I just comfort eat - reassures me that I'm doing ok - still, who cares, I'm happy and healthy and the lo's are doing just fine.. keep up the good work.. its normal to panic - or at least thats what i've convinced myself Smile

SenSationsMad · 19/10/2010 21:35

tonight didn't go quite to plan Blush
The baby didn't fall asleep as easy as usual, so had to try a bit of controlled crying Sad
Both sleeping since 8.15pm so not bad going.
This is hard work and I'm Knackered with a capital K.
Can't wait for Dh to come tomorrow night, even though it'll be too late to help with the kids.
I'm enjoying a glass of white now with some much needed vintage cheddar and onion chutney Sensations. I want to relax some before going to bed, and have some me ( and MN) time. I know I will regret this decision come 4am/5am/6am!

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SquidgyBrain · 19/10/2010 22:38

are they all still healthy and happy? if so then it was a good night :)

hope you enjoyed your cheese and wine :) much more up market than my pint of vimto (diet)

you will sleep much better if you do unwind before bed :) so don't regret it :)

SenSationsMad · 20/10/2010 14:10

Was up again at four am, but he went to sleep after a quick cuddle.
At 5 am he woke again, and no amount of cuddling would settle him. He'd fall asleep, I'd put him down, he'd scream. We were like this for an hour. I changed his nappy, and came down stairs to give him some calpol. He eventually went back to sleep.
This is so hard Sad Its waking up my own kids.
Don't know what to do....

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SquidgyBrain · 20/10/2010 16:15

:( poor you - I am sure that his sleeping will settle down - and your kids will get used to the noise and sleep through it quickly enough too - hang in there you are doing a great job

sumum · 20/10/2010 17:17

hi ssm, you sound like it's hard work at the moment, I am off out now but will reply more fully later.

more hugs [hsmile]

SenSationsMad · 20/10/2010 20:16

Have been very tense all day today, and was very glad to see them go to their GPs for the day Blush, I was more or less ready to admitt defeat ( Even more blushing emotion )

But tonight when they came back something strange happened....all my worries went through the window, and the knots in my belly disappeared Smile

Now I'm not saying that I'm a 100 % that I can do this, but, at least tonight I feel 100% better than this morning.

DH is back tonight too so things will get easier. Let's hope the baby sleeps through tonight, then I won't be the same weepy nervous woman

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sumum · 20/10/2010 20:59

Hi sensations, glad you are feeling a little better.

Try and take one day at a time and just aim to get through that day as best as possible, just like you prob did when you had your own kids. you don't have to be a supermum.

Foster kids need stability, routines and bounderies are crucial.

Try and get the baby in a routine, my routine for that age is bottle at 7am, breakfast at 8am, then short nap after dressing (usually in buggy on way to school), then out to toddlers or libray followed by early lunch 11.30am. change and put down for long sleep. bottle mid afternoon and then tea about 5pm. Bath, cuddle and bottle and in bed by 7pm.

with the night waking, you have to be strong and break the habit, at 13m they don't need a bottle and can go through the night. It is worth making the necessary changes as you will be fostering for a long time and have many babies and you need to be able to sleep to function, and your other children need their sleep.

I would put him in the other room with his brother, that may settle him anyway. when older babies are in with carers then can be distrubed by the adults.

Have a good bedtime routine and stick to it, making sure he goes in the cot awake and falls to sleep on his own.

Does he have a dummy or comforter?

Try controlled crying, keep nighttime stimulation to a minimum, do not cuddle or feed him, or talk to him in the night, just pat and shush.

If that does not work at all, then take him dwonstairs, still not talking and put him in his pushchair and put the tv on silent,(keep the lights off) hopefully he will be distrated and watch it queitly till he is ready to go back to bed, you can lie on the settee knowing he is safe if you drop off.

If you have to give him a bottle in the night, then make it weaker by an oz each night untill it is almost water, then give water and hopefully he will stop demanding it.Also don't hold him to feed him in the night, feed him in the pushchair.

Make sure you give lots of attention in the day and plenty of cuddles, try not to make him wait for things in the day and always hold and cuddle him while you feed him in the day.

Most of all be confident in your choices and the children will pick up on that and relax with you and trust you know what is best for them.

It is tiring and sometimes overwheming but you will adjust, they are just kids at the end of the day and you are doing a fab job of caring for them.

Be kind to yourself and pat yourself on the back (and get hubby to bring you some chocolate when he comes home tonight).

SenSationsMad · 21/10/2010 20:57

Thanks Sumum, some top tips there.

Dh DID bring me some chocs as it happens! He was also on baby duty last night. Baby woke at one, we gave him some calpol for his troublesome teething, and lovely, gullible naive DH went downstairs for a bottle for him. I know he was trying to help, so more or less told him to get on with it. Then baby slept until 5.50am.
Might discuss some of your strategies with DH this evening so that we're both singing from the same song sheet.

I was nauseous and nervy again this morning, but this had disappeared by lunch time, and actually enjoyed today. ( Even though we had home visit after home visit from professionals from lunch til tea time!)

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SquidgyBrain · 21/10/2010 22:16

what a lovely DH :)

Generally speaking watering down formula is generally not advised, but so is warming bottles in the microwave which plenty of people do.

Something that might be worthwhile trying is giving him a bottle of the formula that is designed for night time feeding - it basically sits in their stomach longer making them feel full - which might mean he won't wake (the modern equivalent to putting rusk in the night time bottle)

SenSationsMad · 22/10/2010 10:21

Isn't it a bad move to move back from cow's milk to formula?

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lifeinagoldfishbowl · 26/10/2010 13:35

How's it going sens :)

SenSationsMad · 26/10/2010 21:47

It's getting better thank you (SSHhhhhh - don't want to jinx it)
So last night was better - he woke up at half ten, then slept through till 6am, so I shouldn't really moan.( but 6am is still the middle of the night!!!)
DD, DH and myself had a funny belly over the weekend, so I think this might not have helped the baby if he had the same thing ( hence the many, many dirty nappies.)
They are also going to GP for an overnight sleep over the weekend, which might mean hard work when they get back, but it will also mean Mr and Mrs SenSations will get friendly Grin

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SquidgyBrain · 27/10/2010 20:10

LOL - sorry missed this!

It isn't a bad move to move back to formula, if you want to and it certainly would fill up his tummy more (some think this is a good thing others not so keen) Perhaps only give him one bottle of formula at bedtime and leave him on cows milk the rest of the time.

Sounds like it is all going well tho - enjoy your free night and getting friendly Wink

SenSationsMad · 27/10/2010 20:30
Grin
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