April Babies

[MrsDoolittle]

Well there had to be one...
Thought I might as well start it at Fennels suggestion.
You have all read enough from me how about you?

Morning Ladies! today we go into reusable nappies proper! They all arrived yesterday and they are lovely - very cute! Dh thinks I am mad.
Hey dot - Like you I start back at work in September and I know that's it's going to be a wrench so we will have to support each other on this one I have been experiencing the same as you in the evenings which is why I gave the water. I don't know if it was that that worked. Thing is, we were really doing well towards the end of last week but we have gone back a little. Dd has cried and cried the last couple of evenings and I haven't been able to put her down. She also feeds and feeds off me if she can. I am wondering if I am just letting her use me as a dummy - I think I am. I don't know what the answer is, let me know if you come up with anything Dot!

HMC - I don't have as good an excuse as you, just sheer inertia. Although I should make more of an effort to eat breakfast, it's often midday when I finally get downstairs with dd and then it's time for lunch. Then if I don't have lunch I snack on something and wait for dh to come home. Just not organised.
Also my fitball, nicknamed 'your monstrosity' by dh, has been relegated to the garage. Every day I promise myself it will take it later and do a few situps! how lazy am I??

Another one here whose baby has cried and cried the last couple of days - maybe the heat doesn't help? Do babies feed more in hot weather? I was wondering this last night - seems logical.

my dd is also feeding more frequently and is less settled since it got hot and humid.

I'm having a stressful few days, I'm going to Slovenia tomorrow morning for 5 days, it's a bi-annual work meeting and even though I'm on leave I'm going (4 nights in a posh hotel on an alpine lake sounded tempting) with dd3 and Dp to look after her. But dd1 is ill (kidney infection) and I'm worrying about leaving her, and I'm just knackered. Even with dd3 sleeping so enviably well I'm still tired - I blame the breastfeeding! or is it just looking after a small baby is tiring even when it's going well?

waistline? hmm, packing to go away has been a matter of going right through my wardrobe to find anything that looks half decent that I can fit into. Not a lot fits.

HMC I have been eating sensibly - lots of fruit and salads at lunchtime - and it did me no good, but you may have better luck!

thanks for the support - will keep trying...I think it is probably general tiredness/windy baby in the afternoons and evenings - his feeds are spaced out to every 3 hours now. He doesn't really have a big sleep during the day - not for the want of me trying! He'll have about 45 minutes in the morning, but then just catnap after that - the odd 15 minutes, or more if we're out and he falls asleep in the car/pram. Can't get him to sleep for longer in his cot during the day - completely different to his big brother who had lovely 2 hour naps almost right from the beginning!

But at least he's sleeping at night..! A definite 7pm - 4am pattern - hurrah!! (so why am I still so tired..??!).

And as for losing weight - am I the only person who's put on 1lb in the last few weeks whilst breastfeedin?! I've given myself until July (12 weeks post baby) and then it's diet time for me - if only so I can get back in my work clothes in time for September... Once I start trying to lost weight I'm usually pretty successful - it's just the doing it that I hate - giving up chocolate - boo hiss!

Noooooooooo - don't give up the chocolate!

Fennel, hope you get off to Slovenia ok (you do still want to go, don't you?). It's not surprising you're knackered, with a new baby and two other children to worry about. Hope you get a bit of time for you while you're away.

Hi everyone. Dot1 - we're in the same pattern - my ds does either 6.30pm - 3am or 7pm - 4am. It's still knackering though isn't it?!!

Good luck Fennel with Slovenia trip. You are taking on a lot but hope that the lovely accommodation makes up for it when you are there.

Read following rant only if you have high boredom threshold.

Big domestic with dh today (tosser!) - during the calming down period and post argument discussion he "wondered what I do all day". I have it comparatively easy on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays as 23 month old dd attends day nursery from 07.30 - 14.30 on those days, so only have baby to look after but nevertheless!!

Dh said he knows I don't sit around watching videos all day (wow thanks for the vote of confidence) but wonders if I have a problem prioritising (patronising git). Feel murderous towards him.

Anyway, I am keeping a list of stuff that I do for the next few days so I can ram it down his stupid neck.

Today so far have: 06.45 - 09.00: got up showered and dressed, help prepare dd for Day Nursery, make breakfast and eat breakfast, clear up pots afterwards, 3 soiled nappies for ds and 1 dose of antiobiotics given, 1 breastfeed, write shopping list
09.00 - 10.15: supermarket trip including journey there and back
10.15-10.40: unload and put away groceries
10.40-10.50:unload clean dishes from dishwasher and restack with dirty crockery
10.50 - 11.50:make tea and clean up afterwards (in advance) for 3 toddlers (as dd will have playmates around later this pm). Prepared chicken korma and rice
11.50 - 12.05: put out washing on the line
12.05- 12.45: lunch and a sit down!(incorporating mumsnet session)

Can't wait until dd gets back later so I can record in technicolour glory how many tantrums she has etc, and how often she attempts to assault ds whilst I am feeding him.

Baby ds has slept from 09.00 to current time (still sleeping will wake soon) so have been lucky, had he been awake I would have done less.

Anyone else married to an utter moron?

Hi HMC - sorry you're not feeling supported. You should have made your dh watch that programme last night, 'When Daddy became Mummy' - basically they showed a bloke who worked 70 hours a week and thought his wife had it easy at home (with 4 kids!). He spent a week with the kids while the mother went to a luxury hotel. By the end of it he was much more humble...
Sounds like you get more done than I do - I often don't manage the washing or loading the dishwasher in the day (or if I do manage to load the washing, I hardly ever manage to unload it as well).
Perhaps you should let dh do it all for a day (if you are able to express).

hi i'm new to mumsnet.my son was born in april he is 8weeks old and weighs 13lbs7ounces!
he is a big boy!
i saw that programme last night i thought it was very good.
it is really hard work and a full time job being a parent and it can be lonely.

HMC - you got TONS done! I always feel really pleased if I can get me and ds up in the morning and either do a bit of washing up, or put some clothes away or something..! I can see all these jobs around me that individually would only take a few minutes - but it's finding those few minutes to do them in...!! Ds just won't sleep for more than 20 mins or so at the moment during the day - very frustrating...

Hi HappyMummy1 - wow - you have got a big baby! Mine's just over 9 weeks and is just about 13lbs and I thought he was big!

I'm not sure whether to go to my NCT group in the morning - have been going for a few weeks, but feel a bit on the outside - a few of them have started meeting up outside of the group but I've not been asked to join them . I know it's silly - feel a bit like no-one's asking me to play in the playground - so I'm not sure whether to go...

Welcome to mumsnet happymummy1 - what date was your son born? (my daughter is 8 weeks and was born on 18th April). Is he your first or do you have other children?
Dot1, leaving aside worries about some of the other members of the group meeting up separately - do you WANT to go to the meet-up tomorrow or not? If you do, then go - I find it makes me feel less isolated meeting other mothers with young babies (in real life as well as virtually!)

ooh - I don't know... I like some of the people that go (which is why I feel a bit gutted they haven't asked me to meet up with them!), but the group is run a bit formally - the leader gets us to do 'tasks' - splitting into small groups to discuss certain things and writing stuff up. I think I'd prefer just a chat with whoever's there. But it is somewhere to go and something to do.... dp takes ds1 to mini movers on a Thursday morning, so I'd be on my own with ds2 if I didn't go to the NCT thing.

I don't know - not the biggest problem in the world I know, but enough to keep me worrying until I make a last minute decision tomorrow!

Meanwhile I've just seen the breastfeeding and dieting thread - hello fellow dieters! Not that I've started yet - we get back from a week's holiday on July 10th - so that's day 1 of my get-back-into-work-clothes diet... (yippee - 4 more weeks of chocolate!).

Dot - Again I find myself identifying with your experience! I feel the need to get myself sorted, lose weight and ready for work. I am feeling very aware that I am half way through my maternity leave and so far it has flown.
Hello happymummy! That's a cool name
We went to baby massage today and had a lovely time. I was thinking " this is really lovely, it gives me a nice warm feeling", only to discover the happy, naked baby sitting on my knee was weeing down my trousers!!
We have had a lovely few days and I feel more besotted by dd everyday.
Just wait til we have a sad couple of days and I'll be back to moaning again.
Anyway, we are going to stay at my parents on Friday. Dm was on the phone tonight saying "Now get her straight up in the morning and in the car, none of this faffing about you do!" Hummmm What does that tell you?

HMC - I am seriously impressed by how much you get done. I am terrible. Although I wake up at about 7/7.30am, by the time I have fed ds (always takes 30 mins min), expressed, persuaded dd to put on her clothes, got dressed myself, made breakfast its already 9.30am and then I have to dash dd off to nursery. I don't manage to get any cleaning done and struggle to keep on top of my laundry. I am doing at least 1 load per day!

Welcome happymummy btw

dot1 - I am going to an nct group meetup too for 2nd time mums. I must say ours is very much tea/cofee and chat. The one I went to when I had dd was the same. We weren't given any tasks. Is your group quite big? Myabe that is the reason some have broken up IFYSWIM. With my first NCT group I never felt like I particulary gelled with them - mainly because a few of them already knew each other from the antenatal classes so I felt like a bit of an outsider. However, we still meet up now and we all get along. They are certainly not my bosom buddies but nice enough to go out for a friendly drink in the evening 3/4 times a year. Don't give up on them just yet - it might change.

mrsD - your post made me smile ! Think its very brave to do baby massage in the nude

Fennel - how was Slovenia?

hi everyone,glad i'm not alone with the feeling of not getting anything done around the house,i ca'nt believe how quick the days go!
my ds was born on the 19th of april,he is my first too!
thankyou all for making me feel so welcome

well the children conspired to make sure I didn't have to go to the NCT group..! V. bad night sleep-wise, and ds1 (who's 2 1/2) had hurt his foot on Tuesday and was still limping and complaining about it, so we took him to the drs on Thurs morning - nothing wrong with it.... GP said he was "playing us" and I think he's right - ds1 has been a bit more moaney/tantrumy over the past couple of weeks - I think delayed reaction from the arrival of ds2. Still, to be expected I suppose - we'll have to see how it goes.

So, ds2 woke up 3 times last night - AARRGGGHH!! He hasn't done that for weeks - have stuffed tons of milk down him this evening in the hope that he'll get back to sleeping until 4am...

Have taken the plunge and started the diet - no coffee ('cos I take sugar) or chocolate for 2 days now... Feeling pretty bad, but feeling lousy anyway because of lack of sleep, so I might as well feel bad and be losing weight! I weighed myself last week, so fingers crossed I start losing a few pounds - watch this space - and good luck to anyone else giving it a go - Mrs D are you going to 'diet' - how much weight do you want to lose? I'm aiming to get rid of 2 stone by September...!

i'd love to lose 2 stone - but realistically reckon i'll only manage 1 and half though . Trouble with dieting for me is that bf makes me sooo hungry. Also I currently have the inlaws over and they love eating v unhealthy fatty foods, and a pudding after very meal. I'm still not back in my pre-preg clothes yet. Is anyone else? I am also trying to exercise every day but finding it very hard to fit it in - plus normally at the end of the day I am exhausted. Last night I actually found myself sleeping at 7pm, got up at 10 for a hour to feed ds and then went back to sleep.

DS seems to be more settled these days with his wind. He is now 8 weeks, so I am hoping we are turning a corner. DD however seems also to be having a delayed reaction to ds' arrival, and playing up more than usual. She has also told me several times that she doesn't like baby and to go back in mummy's tummy !

btw where is yorkiegirl? she hasn't posted on this thread for ages ......

Hi everyone! Dot and Metrobaby - I'll join you on the dieting, I'd love to lose a stone by September which is when I go back to work. I find it really hard to diet though when i'm tired and bored, keep needing chocolate! I am back in some of my pre-pregnancy clothes but the flabby tummy spills over trousers and since stopping b/feeding my boobs are non-existant so needless to say don't feel very attractive!! Metrobaby - I'm still going to bed around 9.30pm, to cope with getting up for night feeds. Ds went through to 5.25am this morning which was a bit of a result. Probably a one-off though! Do you find people still try and give you advice? My sister keeps quoting GF and the baby whisperer at me - grrrr!!

I think 1 1/2 stone's more realistic - especially after having some lemon pudding tonight! (in-laws were round - still haven't had anything else naughty..!). I'm in my pre-pregnancy clothes but they're quite a bit tighter... Ideally I'd like to get one size smaller than these - I'd still be a size 16 - 18, but that would be v. good for me!! I'm really hoping my boobs start to disappear when I stop breastfeeding - that was one of the best bits about being really pregnant - that my stomach overshadowed my breasts! I hate being so big - would love them to shrink!!

ds seems to have given up sleeping through until 4am - only went until 1am last night, and then back up at 4am, even though he'd had 7oz of formula....WHY??? Ah well, I keep telling myself he's only little and I shouldn't be expecting him to go through every night - is anyone else's baby sleeping 9 - 10 hours regularly? I suddenly realised the other day that he might still be waking up for a feed when I'm back at work - nightmare...

hi dot1,i understand about the lack of sleep,typical example last night was up at 12.30, again at 4.05 and didnt settle until5.15and up again at 6.30 wanting to play!
And that was a good night!!

Hi - I'm newish to Mumsnet. My dd was born mid-April, so we're just past 9 weeks. She's delightful, but have just discovered that the poor wee chick can't see. Apparently her vision should 'switch on' in the next couple of months. DH and I have everything crossed that it does. Desperate for some kip though, can't wait to stop bf and to lose my accordian style-ee tum.

Hi Chonky - and good luck with your dd and her sight - can she see anything at all? All fingers crossed for you.

Ds was a superbaby last night and slept from 7pm - 5am! His longest yet - although it's no guarantee at all he'll do it again tonight - which is what drives me bonkers - the lack of predictability!

Meanwhile we're kind of considering trying cranial osteopathy - he's still incredibly windy and has started finding feeds really difficult - the minute I lay him down for his feed he starts screaming. Poor little thing - it's horrible knowing he's hungry, but can't feed... But on the other hand I'm really nervous about someone messing around with him - I keep thinking well he's 10 weeks now - can't be much longer..?? There's a clinic near us - we think we'll phone them tomorrow to get some info. (as well as the price!).