Under 1s twin post-natal group? Should we have one? Who's in?!

[PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling]

The antenatal group is nearly full, any graduates fancy joining forces to compare

minesapint yes it is very nice to be able to compare and swap tips and moan together!

Funnily enough they have been better in the last couple of days surely won't last, but I do the 2 hour putting down, and it is easier with dtb who takes a dummy, but dtg cen get quite upset and needs loooooads of rocking normally, my back is not best pleased!

Anyway, I will keep trying, they have actually started having a biggish nap around lunchtime, mostly at the same time, so we'll work it out.

rednellie I don't mind feeding to sleep, but the problem with dtg is that she feeds-cries-feeds-cries, on and on, I am never sure if it's because she isn't getting enough milk or she's just overtired, so I end up offering a bottle, which takes a few minutes and then most of the time she refuses it, and in the meantime she's got even more upset [guilty emoticon] or she'll take it and gulp it down and then I feel even more guilty, as I was obviously starving her!! I just feel really bad that she gets to that point and think I should be able to preempt that level of tiredness, sigh.

They are getting big BB3, and talking about milk I find that I have to re-add top up bottles (at its best we were down to one for one twin zero for the other ina day), as my milk is increasingly not enough, especially for dtb who is officially teh biggest baby I've ever had (despite starting off as the smallest), he's outgrown the moses basket and carrycot, so this weekend we've put a cot in our room and they are now sleeping together. and they are so sweet, but it won't be long before they run out of room.
So I will start thinking about weaning in the next few weeks, but I am still dithering about how to go about it, I like the idea of BLW but can't get my head around giving pieces of food to start with, I do not think I have the confidence to sit and watch and not worry about the chocking... May ahve to be purees and tastes from our plates whenever they ask for them I think.

Shame for your son's op BB3 have you been given any other options to try? How was it for him? I always love reading about your dds, they sound so lovely! Mine are quite different too, R is now doing rolling on his front and then rolling again on his back, not safe anymore! He's a big smiler and very sociable, while E is a lot more discerning with her smiles (but she chuckles away everytime dd1 looks at her)

Hope you ahve a lovely holiday ceeveebee and not too much rain!

better get on with things while they are asleep...

Just added a recent piccie of dtws.

You should all be able to see, if not let me know and I'll add you my mumsnet mates

Let us know how it goes bigboobs! Good luck :)

I feel a bit hopeless on that front, I've only ever been alone half days with my three and only taken them all out a few times- once to the park, once to a playgroup and once to a friends. That's crap compared to you rednellie, I just find the amount of crying mine still do really stressful, they're usually crying if they're not being held... I do wonder when I'm just going to get on with it by myself and be less blooming rubbish with my own children. Part of it is me wanting to avoid loads of unhappiness rather than just 'cope' but still... :(

Oh, more crying, best dash. DD's mouth is a mess and DT1 has a temp too, sampled calpol for the first time, hope he's not getting it, they're meant to be having immunisations tomorrow :-s

Can't see your pics Claire

Hopefully it works now...

dream, did I miss something? what's up with DD's mouth?

Thanks everyone for being so lovely. I had a little tear in my eye oh alright, I cried like a banshee when I read your comments. DD is currently asleep on the sofa - unheard of so really must be poorly. And the Dtwins are asleep so I'm feeling rather peculiar as this has NEVER happened since they were all born...so obviously I'm on mn rather than sorting out anything in rl!

claire - look at those chubby thighs! They are soooo cute. I really do love babies when they hit that 5/6 month mark. They're so giggly and cuddly. Ahhhhhh. Mine are just discovering each other, I found them sucking each others fists this morning. Very sweet. As far as weaning goes - I did a combination. Gave DD a banana to hold and suck up whilst I shoveled mush into her. Seemed to work.

Right, off to phone the doctors. Waves to everyone.

Well I for one am constantly in awe of how well you parent 3 little ones singlehandedly most of the time. Even taking your DD swimming, and you've said more than once how you still make sure she has 1:1 time. of course there will be bad days I'm on about day 3 of bad ones, real confidence shakers but you've also posted about some magic moments. sucking each others fists = heart melting moment. I hope she's better soon, and the doctor sorts her out. The wheels start falling off the wagon here when we add in a bit of illness...good job you sound miles more capable than me. Keep on trucking, and think of all the family help you can forcibly rope in avail yourself of soon. When are your tickets booked for?

Poor DD has hand foot and mouth again. Her mouth has ulcers and her whole chin is blistered, 6 on one thumb and 5 on the other, others on hands too and was really hot, 39.2 temperature :( . I'm wondering if DT1 is going down with it, he just has the temp so far but that's how she started too.

claire, they are just delicious!! They look quite similar in that picture? It's so lovely seeing them so smiley and happy and contented :) oh, and the crying, feeding, crying, desperately Overtired is just what I have too, plus the tail end (I hope) of colic still hanging around, though not every evening so Fx near the end of it :(

Nice to see you back drowning,

Hi everyone, sorry haven't been posting much, my MIL is here so I've stepped away from the computer a bit!

dreaming, bigboobs, I'm waiting for the old 3m sleep improvement too - the girls are 12 weeks on Saturday and I've told them I'm expecting great things! They're not at all bad, we put them down at 7 in their cots upstairs last night and only had to go up to DT2 a couple of times. DT1 is like the future Dalai Lama, so calm is she - before she goes to sleep she lies there in the cot staring at you and smiling in the dark. (Not as creepy as I've made it sound - it's quite sweet). And her reflux seems to have cleared up (still putting the gripe water in the milk though as I think she's got used to the taste!) but she's started making her typical grizzling sounds again at about 5 in the morning. DT2 on the other hand sleeps like a stone in the morning - still asleep now (I'll have to go wake her soon). We also dropped a night feed so they go from half 6 in the evening to 11, then 3, then 6 - fairly magic.

Feel free to tell me to sod off but I find some of this a bit depressing because I've probably had the 12-week settling down thing already at 10 weeks, and now I'm wondering if this is the new normal? It is doable, but the days are still hard and I hope that gets better soon.

Sorry, me again. The-artist-formerly-known-as-Peeling-and-Goo.

how much of a wanker does that make me look?

This is actually the name I wanted, so I'm going to be out and proud with it .

Things here are interesting. We went on holiday last month - Cornwall, not brave enough to fly - and although elements of it were lovely there was a bit of a culture shock that holidays are NEVER EVER going to be even remotely the same! Not helped by the fact that the babes completely stopped sleeping, and haven't really slept since. So infuriating, it was going quite well. So at the hotel it meant walking on the beach or pacing the lobby between 4 and 6 in the morning to stop waking up everyone else - there was always someone else with ONE baby doing the same, but then when their one baby went back to sleep, so did they, whereas we just kept pacing.... Once home it really didn't improve, can't decide if it's the light, teeth (they each have a tooth now), a bit of a bug, massive development jumps (commando crawling, self-feeding, loads of stuff going on now!) or just a honking great 9 month sleep regression but I do wish they'd stop. I think we're coming towards the end of it now, but not easy - Dreaming I thought of you plenty in the wee hours!

I will go back and have a little read of what I've missed, but hope you are all doing well. Maybe we should have a stats page on our next thread (because we ARE going to need a next thread AREN'T WE LADIES?!) so we can keep track of everyone's ages? Well, everyone's babies anyhow.

YES WE ARE oh many legged one. (and glad you got the name you wanted and that you're back)

dream, oh boo, blooming foot and mouth again! I didn't know they could get it more than once, agh was hoping that was all behind us. If it makes you feel any better took DD along with me to docs today as twins were getting their 2nd lot of jabs (I thought I'd bundle her in seeing as we were all going!) and it turns out she might have a UTI. Which would explain the general run downess, miserableness and wee accidents we've been getting. I'm hoping the antibiotics will help us out, she really is a bit down poor thing. She actually slept during the day yesterday which is UNHEARD of and I had a nap too. First time that's happened since before the boys.

And dream, don't be down on yourself. And don't compare yourself either. We all have our crosses to bear - you've had a right old awful time with sleep right from when I first 'met' you here so you really are performing miracles considering how much sleep deprivation you must be in by now. I think you're wonderful!

beyoglu - it's weird, the whole sleep thing, because on paper my boys are doing great and sleeping loads and at the right time. However, I'm actually finding it harder a) because they're veering off on their own schedules so aren't sleeping the same blocks of sleep and b) it's just been sooooo long that we've not had normal sleep and c) we've got DD waking us up with all her issues too. So I felt quite good in the first two months - the boys were predictable, I was running on adrenaline etc. But now I'm shattered. Think me and DH need some respite care ourselves, we're both counting down the days until we land in the uk and can palm all the children off onto our (aged) parents! My Mum will love it. My Dad will probably move out into the caravan (along with the cats).

Both babies have hand foot and mouth, DT2 definitely, he's blisters on fingers and his tongue, they're both utterly, utterly miserable. DT1 is less obviously HF&M, in fact he's been so hideously inconsolable I nearly took him to a&e/ out of hours doctor last night at 1am. He saw the gp today, just ? viral, ? HF&M. All three ill and upset is just awful, tears all round at mine, leaving a hysterical baby feels so wrong but unavoidable with two people and three Lo's. Thank goodness I'm immune to hand foot and mouth it seems and well but totally exhausted and a bit,oh okay, a lot of a mess

rednellie, that totally makes sense. I'm finding it harder through sheer exhaustion now even though it should be getting easier too as colic is lessening. At least you know what's up with your DD now, I assume she has some antibiotics and hope she makes a speedy recovery. I find it so tiring with parental help 2 days a week plus my mother's help lady two days, managing alone and with your dh at weekends deserves some kind of prize :) . Preferably of a child-free break variety. Love that your mum will love her child care duties while your dad will move out with the cats

beyoglu, having some success with the jiggling, thanks for that tip. I think even when there are improvements its hard, but my DD improved at 9 weeks and then enormously at 11 so you may still get the 12 week miracle. I hope you do.

Crap, B had finally gone to sleep but now both up and distressed. Best go

Oh, count me and my whinging in for the next thread

Hello ladies and to anyone else i've not met here - not logged on in ages!

Hope all the little twins are doing well and growing big and strong! :)

Just scanned the last few posts and saw what Twelve has mentioned - I know exactly what you are going through! Sounds like my house too :( Ours are 9 months old and we are having a complete regression, things are worse than they have ever been and i can't quite believe it. What is going on with our babies??! I've been wondering all the same things as you too. Gives me solice knowing we're not the only ones. Was starting to feel like a bit of a failure with this whole baby sleep thing as a few of my other friends (with one baby) have started getting lots of sleep and i can't work out what we've been doing wrong! Tonight we have the babies in seperate rooms so hopefully one will sleep a bit better..... who knows!

Wishing everyone some sleep tonight!.... ZZZZzzzzzzzz

Poor dreaming that sounds awful. Wishing you very quick recoveries for all 3. Does frozen fruit sooth the mouth of the little ones? They're probably too little for ice lollies although that might work for the older one.

Agh, I wrote a post and then didn't post it. I can't even blame mn as it was totally my fault. Bah humbug.

Can't even remember what it said now...dream, I'm really for all your babies. Yucky hfandm. What a total bugger.

And so sorry to everyone having sleep regression. Although twelve and twinnies your posts rang a bell and I asked DH about when/why we stopped feeding DD in the night and it was around 9 months as she started waking up in the middle of the night all the time having been a really good sleeper. So maybe 9 months is another one of those crunch times? (Oh joy).

Right, am off to drink a g&t whilst pruning some hedges (in the garden ) as all children have gone to bed simultaneously. I might even do a lap of honour.

What a nightmare dream hope they all get better soon. Hugs x

Do the lap rednellie, I would!

Blocking out any talk of 9 month sleep regression... DD was a good sleeper from 3 months to 13 months, but we've never got back properly since then!!!! well, not to sleeping through and going to bed without a fuss simultaneously...

twelveleggedwalk , snap, I have been thinking of you too! I have been entertaining myself with images of pub games similar to three-legged pub golf or school sports day style events for the last two nights to stop myself going mad!! Studiously ignoring the fact the 12 legs might most likely be you, your dh, the dts and your big dog :) . Sounds like our first holiday, when DD hated the car, and dh had had all these grand plans of where we'd go, and stop off here there and everywhere (was north yorkshire moors area). Some good bits but mostly disasterous...

Have been using ice cream a lot for DD tiggers, and tried some ice lollies but think she has sensitive teeth like me, shes not keen...

Babies slightly less miserable but still sleeping terribly, from their already terrible sleep patterns. DD still a mass of blisters limiting daytime activities but she's clearly feeling better. I feel sick and headachey with tiredness today. dh is off, but i bet that just means we end up arguing.

Hope your hedges are looking respectable rednellie . Our garden is an out of control jungle. No time!!!

Waves to everyone else, have a

Oh, and the night before, when the dts only slept at the same time between 12-2am, I was weeping with tiredness by 6am and told dh to take the awake one away and I couldn't cope etc etc (fed, clean nappied and calpoled, not ignored crying and ill I mean) and i think he's a bit wary I'm really losing the plot, but surely lots of people would lose the plot a bit after only 2 hours sleep...?!

Dreaming you may be tired but you're spot on with the name guessing! (although during the week it's minus DH so it's just a 10-legged stomp along the seafront!).

Have to confess I'd never really heard of HFM illness before, sounds hideous, am dreading ours getting it. Hope things are getting a bit better.

And yes to garden - ours was beautiful when we moved into this house, every so often MIL gets all twitchy about it and runs riot with a mower and shears!

Oh dream that sounds awful! Sometimes I think I'd better leave the ladies in the house until they're 5 years old, I can hack it until they get ill...

I'm def in for the next thread! 12 weeks (almost) down, hoping the next 12 are a bit easier and then in my head it'll all be fine and they'll be cooking their own dinners by Christmas...

rednellie enjoy the help that's coming! Know what you mean about veering off, we have a routine here but they keep veering off and will be hard in 2w when MIL goes home...

Babies are still coming out with more blisters, DT2 has some enormous ones on his hands, DT1 has a rash all over his body and they both even have blisters on their willies. DD has added a cold to her ailments, and DT1 already has that too, so is coughing and puking and snotty. This too shall pass and all... Just hope the boys don't get it again like DD has.

beyoglu, I'm just the same, keep thinking just hang in til they're sitting/ moving about as they'll be much more content. Then I suddenly wonder what I'll do with 2 mobile babies and a toddler when for example needing to change nappies when out?!?! Other challenges to come :)

Thanks beyoglu! I'm counting down the days till I see my mother and pass over at least one of my children.

Right, fucking DT2 (I'm sorry for the swearing, he made me) has now got this habit where he WILL NOT settle until he's bf for about 2 hours. WTF???? He literally will not go to sleep any other way. It's driving me fucking nuts (see what he made me do there). So now every evening and every night when he wakes we have 2 hours of feeding, trying to put him down, he wakes up and screams and then repeat. AAAGHGHGHGHGHGHGH

(Caveat: I do realise we've been very lucky up until now and poor old dream has it much worse than I, but it is driving me insane). Right off to feed him again.

Well rednellie, both mine are driving me fucking mad. DT1 is like your DT2 who can only be fed to sleep and takes forever to get down. DT 2 was being pushed round the village in the rain at 10:30pm for failure to settle, but all three were up by 11:15 for the first time... So yes, DT2 slept 40 minutes after all that. Argh indeed!!!!!!!! I know I can't expect them to sleep well if they're ill but seriously, I have had enough of just getting by and waiting for improvements...

And I've got a sore boob and feel cold and achy again for about the 4th time since the boys were born. I've always managed to feed through it before but its just something else to make me feel miserable

Grump grump grump grump grump!

How long is it til you're back red? And it doesn't matter how long its gone on, sleep deprivation is horrible and its hardly like they've been sleeping through before this anyway. And you have to be on the ball to look after all three in the day, I have a lot more help.

On the plus side, DD is being very funny. She now likes popping out from behind doors saying 'boo', popping up by the dts bouncey chairs doing the same, and is finally trying to talk, we think, saying 'I do that' as she attempts multiple, usually impossible things... Unsurprising for one so bossy!

rednellie, the only thing I might suggest for settling which is helping my DT1 is white noise. LOUD white noise. We have the Womb to World cd, courtesy of Amazon. In the evening i have success with that. I don't use it in the night unless desperate as I do want him to learn to self settle and it drives me a bit potty, but beyoglu advised me, and that does help, so i whack cd on, feed, gently extract DT1 from boob, wind, put down and keep patting his back in the heartbeat rhythm of the cd til he relaxes fully. It's worked for a few days in a row now, Fx....

Survived a whole day out today, took our little brood to the lake district for a change of scene. Just the usual stuff, was drizzling in the morning so a big garden centre for DD to look at the fish they have, plus rabbits/ gerbils/ tortoises and even a chameleon. High entertainment for a 1 year old. Picnic in the park, nap refusal by DD so swings etc. Two explosive nappies by the boys- full changes all round on the grass in a rather chilly part of the park, a wander round ambleside and minimal bickering let's not mention the two good arguments we had getting out the house . We got loads of attention and 'how do you cope with three so little?' comments which we laughed off... Good job they didn't see the house-leaving, they'd realize we hardly do cope! Ha!