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May Babies

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GeorginaA · 18/05/2004 16:36

Have we got enough that I can officially open this thread yet?

How are your little ones doing prufrock, twiglett, snowbird?

I think mine is going down with jaundice. Dh isn't convinced, but it's either that or he's got a lovely tan sigh. I remember all the stress associated with that last time with ds1... hoping ds2 doesn't get it as badly.

He's still being a very sicky baby, about a couple of teaspoons a few hours after each feed (which is odd - I'd have thought if it was a reflux type thing it would happen immediately after the feed?) Midwife seems to think it'll settle after the milk comes in but if not then we'll look at some sort of baby gaviscon. Poor little mite, can't be comfortable for him... and we're sure getting through a lot of laundry!

Feel so bloody knackered at the moment, fed up of bits leaking and being sore, and it's only day 2! How long is it before you start feeling human again? Please tell me that it's sooner than the 2 week paternity leave dh gets!!

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vivat · 31/05/2004 16:18

hi Metrobaby, nice to see you so to speak. Don't know about the expressing question, but i'm sure you'll find an answer here.

Georgina - have you tried swaddling? I've done this for the last two nights with great sucess. Worth a try maybe. Hope today's going better

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GeorginaA · 31/05/2004 16:46

Yes, tried swaddling - think my technique is crap because he always manages to fight his way out!!! I'm a bit nervous due to the warmer weather too...

Touch wood ... they've both been angels today. A bit of fighting sleep on ds2's side at lunchtime, but I ignored him for five minutes while I got ds1's lunch ready thinking I'd see to him after that - he had a big indignant howl for 5 mins and then by the time I went to check on him he was out for the count!

Also got my month's supply of trashy romances delivered this morning, so guess what I'm going to be reading during the night feeds

Generally happier today...

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prufrock · 31/05/2004 17:38

Glad it's got better G. DD took 6 minutes to go to sleep at lunchtime Hurrah.

Metrobaby - the lts of exressing is (I think) only for when you need to increase supply. I ignore gina and jsut do 1 express after the 7 am feed and can easily get 4oz which is enough for dh to do the 10pm feed.
Settling - I cuddle ds to a drowsy state, put him down and leave him to grumble. The longest I've left him so far is 7 minutes (had to, dd had done a wee in potty, then a poo so couldn't go to him. When I'd sorted her up I raced up the stairs, only to have him stop and go fast asleep when I was halfway up!)

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Metrobaby · 01/06/2004 00:25

Vivat - congratuations I had no idea you had your dd. I'm really pleased.

Thanks Bozza and Prufrock.

GeorginaA - I find this very helpful for swaddling. The velcro tabs on it mean that the swaddle stays firmly put and ds sleeps soundly

Kayleigh · 01/06/2004 01:30

vivat honey will you please post a birth announcement! The city slickers have been so worried about you as saw you had had baby-but then no announcement.

Glad you and Polly are doing ok, but where are the gory details

We all missed you today at the meet-up, hope to see you soon. XXX

vivat · 01/06/2004 02:03

Thanks for the reminder Kayleigh - have now posted an announcement and some (not too) gory details !. Would love to catch up with you all again - is there another babes and all meet up on the cards?

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GeorginaA · 01/06/2004 20:36

Another bad sleep day

It seems ds2 has a very narrow window sleep-wise... if I don't get him to settle in a very short space of time or if for some reason he wakes up a small way into the nap (with help from sibling or if ds2 has a poo) that's it... he gets overtired and I'm in for hours of miserable awakeness until he finally collapses in exhaustion around 5pm (closely followed by Mummy collapsing in exhaustion and ds1 exploding in wrath for lack of attention).

What I need is a "magic get baby to sleep NOW no matter how pissed off and overtired he is" gizmo.

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GeorginaA · 01/06/2004 20:39

Meant to say, have ordered that swaddling velcro thingy, metrobaby - thank you for the link. I just hope it arrives asap and that it actually works! When it's warm presumably you just have baby with a nappy only underneath it?

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Bozza · 03/06/2004 18:11

georgina was interested to read your other thread about orange juice. i've been drinking tons (a litre a day) and dd has started being unsettled (colicy) in an evening. all the websites suggest that certain foods/drinks can exacerbate colic so have decided to cut out the oj and see. Although can't see why it should just affect my evening milk.

we had a pretty awful evening yesterday - including dh and i arguing about it all - but a good night which made up for it.

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GeorginaA · 03/06/2004 18:23

Well I've cut out OJ for almost 48 hours now and he's been better today, although it's the evening that's going to be the key. We've been a bit stricter with GF today as well with making sure he's awake more during the day (not just sticking with the feeds and being flexible with the sleeps) to try and help him settle better in the evening.

I desperately need some "non-child stuck to me" time - for the past week I've had either ds1 or ds2 clinging to me like a limpet (okay, so ds2 has an excuse ... well... so does ds1 really, poor mite) - NEED to get them both into bed by 8pm for at least an hour to myself. Maybe I'm being horribly selfish, but I'm getting to the point where I don't think I can cope anymore

Ironically, I feel I can't "complain" about ds2 being so alert during the day and evening even though we're all miserable with it as for two nights in a row he's slept between midnight and 6am. It feels too young for him to be doing that though and I wonder if he's exhausting himself during the day and whether I should be waking him for a feed around 4ish, but haven't quite had the energy to bring myself to wake him. Ds1 has, of course, woken 3 times a night so we haven't had the sleep, but that's another issue...

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GeorginaA · 03/06/2004 18:24

PS can sympathise with you on the arguing - dh and I are getting so snappy with each other at the moment. I don't think we're adjusting well

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prufrock · 04/06/2004 17:23

It does get better, it does get better.
georgina - aloha suggested on another thread having a pedicure, you can take ds2 along and even bf him whilst your feet are being massaged. I thought it was such a good idea I phoned to book one (but the local place haven't got any appointments at the times I want for another week) Could you do that one day when ds1 is at nursery?

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GeorginaA · 04/06/2004 18:01

Sounds a good idea, but to be honest the thought of getting organised enough to go out at the moment feels too much. Pathetic I know. I'd settle for a couple of hours book reading time at the moment...

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Metrobaby · 05/06/2004 22:29

GeoprginaA when I use the swaddle thing, it depends on how warm it is as to what ds wears under it. If its v warm, then a nappy, otherwise I use a vest, or if its a bit nippy - vest and sleepsuit. Sorry to hear you are having probs with your ds2's sleep

twiglett · 06/06/2004 00:23

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vivat · 06/06/2004 15:17

they are supposed to pick up on emotion, stress etc. I'm not surprised your dd was irritated by being jiggled around if she's not used to it.

DD is feeding well and regularly at night - put her down at 7-8pm, feeds at 11ish, 3ish, then 5ish, then ds is getting up at 6ish which is rather doing my head in (he usually gets up at 7.30am ish).

Anyone got any ideas as to why she is only going two hours from 3am when she's lasting 3-4 hours at other times. I'm getting very grumpy in the mornings at the moment. I could really do with everyone getting up at 7am. Wishful thinking I know with a two week old baby ! Still, grateful for any suggestions...

I bought some tape to stick down ds's blackout curtains at the sides at the weekend with absolutely no effect.

prufrock · 06/06/2004 15:29

Is she getting a decent feed at 3am? Ds was tending to do exactly this, and I think it was because he was really tired, so when he woke at 3 he'd have a 5 minute snack then go straight to sleep. I was so gratefull he'd settled I'd put him back, then two hours later...
So now I make sure that I wake him up the first time he falls asleep when feeding in the night, and force him to take a bit more, whcih makes him last longer. Of course you then have the risk that if she wakes properly she'll take hours to settle, but I find that's when dh gets reminded that it's his baby too.

spots · 06/06/2004 16:52

Amazing Rain outside window...hello all, am starting to come to keyboard with fewer aggravations and hopeless questions, and finding baby quite sweet actually. She has started doing a lot more looking around at things which is v. satisfying. Sleeping is sort of ok, or at least no worse than I'd anticipated it being... DH has taken decision to sleep in living room to ensure good rest for work the next day, which has both its good and bad points. Seems sensible in so many ways but I can't help feeling a wee bit agitated about it. Anyone else taken measures like this? It's just lucky for her she's cute at 5am is all i can say.

Georgina sounds like you need your personal shopper experience. What happened about that in the end?

Libb how're your stitches love?

Linnet ... a week after your post... I had my nipple blood offered back to me in baby vom too and got all worried; presumably your HV reassured you on this front but yes, snap!

(that rain shower lasted exactly as long as this took to write...)

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GeorginaA · 06/06/2004 16:57

spots: going to take it when babe is a bit older I think and I'm back to "normal" size for whatever given state of normal I end up with!

I feel like I'm coming through the other side of the not-coping zone. Yesterday was shit... not sure who was crying more, ds2 or me. Got through to the end of it though, and I was putting the kids to bed. Ds1 was being all cute and cuddly, ds2 was looking gorgeous and then it hit me...

... I'm not going to be able to stop at 2. I thought this babe would be the last, especially after such a stressful pregnancy, and hell - it's not as if we've even got through to the "settled" stage with this one... but 2 gorgeous boys isn't going to be enough...

... does that mean I'm insane?!!

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GeorginaA · 06/06/2004 16:58

Oh, went to the cranial osteopath today... fingers crossed that it helps...

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Egypt · 06/06/2004 23:25

hi all
niamh has slept all day, with 3 feeds so far. i just know that means a night awake. she has also been in someone's arms all day - so definitely wont sleep tonight !

can i ask georgina - without reading the thread, why are you taking ds to cranial osteopath? mx has suggested this with dd as she is screaming when laid on her back and not settling much after feeds (although today looks good!) just curious.

ps anyone know if the medela breastpump can go in a microwave steriliser? it says do not microwave on the box, but not necessarily in a mic steri.

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GeorginaA · 06/06/2004 23:47

Mainly because he doesn't settle well in the day, gets horribly overtired then crashes out at night, sleeping up to a seven hour stretch at night. That sounds like bliss, but I'm concerned that he's too young to be sleeping that long and needs feeds more frequently - it's noticeable if he sleeps well in the day that he wakes at a more "typical" 3/4am.

Also the day awake is absolute hell, and really difficult when you have a clingy 3-year-old desperate for some mummy time too. Other things I've realised since talking to the osteopath is that he really doesn't like lying flat - is calm in his seat (although doesn't sleep!) or car seat (again, doesn't sleep, even after a drive!) or in someone's arms.

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Bozza · 07/06/2004 00:01

I left out the oj too and it worked for the first two nights but last night and tonight have not been so good. I say night but its evenings really that we struggle with.

libb · 07/06/2004 00:07

Howdy, Spots - thanks for asking, my stitches feel practically non existant at the moment thank goodness, I would be a seriously cranky mumma otherwise! Tea tree oil is ace and smells nice How about you?

DP is p***g me off at the moment. First day back at work and has invited his mates for footie tonight? so a simple night in with a meal for two has turned into an epic and I am refusing to take bubby back when he cries (he is fed and changed), having had him all day . . . evil cow I am but I feel the need to make my point . . . .)

DP doesn't seem to get it at all. My mantra, its all hormones, hormones - deep breath - hormones, hormones. Grump!

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GeorginaA · 07/06/2004 00:08

Yes, it's hard work when they're unsettled in the evening, isn't it? Some days I just feel like I permanently have a child attached to me except when I sleep (which is another reason why cosleeping just isn't an option for me - at least I get to be "alone" when unconscious!!).

I cut out the OJ too, and it seems to have made him less windy in general. Just wasn't the complete cure I was hoping.

Got the swaddling/velcro thing today. Unfortunately didn't work - didn't go tight enough, he had his arms out within 30 seconds

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