The ALL NEW 2 Under Two Thread..Follow me ladies!

[SuperGrrrl]

Here we go- new thread so we don't put off any newbies!

Hello Runtus- join us here

hi bristols! Welcome to the (nice) chaos.

hi and welcome, Bristols

(more from me later when my 2 have calmed down [in my dreams], or at least aren't both trying to sit on my knee at once... )

hi everyone
i've only got 4 weeks (or so) to go until i officialy have 2 under 2...... arhhhhhhhh

Am getting really sick of midwife and hospital staff, they are all just so annoying. They ask if you have any questions, you ask them one and then they make no sense and condradict themselves.

I am still trying to work out whether to bf or ff. I did mixed for the first 3 weeks with ds but never really got the hang of it and ds just screamed the whole time. Guess I will just see how it goes this time round.......

Just pushed the double buggy in a high wind to playgroup (against the wind there, with back I might have to get a sail fitted) what dedication . But it was worth it as it was very quiet today (so less pushing and shoving and I got to talk to people instead of spending the whole time making sure DD and DS are ok). Oddly enough, we were just discussing bf vs. ff (as you do), since only about 2 of us there bf at all (and I'm usually the only one).

FWIW Kaybee, I found it much easier to bf second time around (although it wasn't that hard first time), but you could go prepared to demand help (or phone la leche league if you can't get it at hospital). I wouldn't have found it so easy if I hadn't been told what to do. (Helped that my sister and my best friend had just been breastfeeding their lo's, and they made it look easy.)

BTW though, I can't be bothered to be judgmental either (haven't the time for it). Besides, I hear that some people don't use disposable nappies... but can I be bothered??

Aaargh, DD is supposed to be napping. But playgroup stuffed her full of sugar (cake and icing for easter ) and I hear the patter of tiny feet upstairs.

Hello everyone

Welcome bristols, and congratulations on your lo, hope the first 4 weeks have been ok

Gemy, we were so last minute organising dd1's birthday, so well done for being more organised than us! It was fantastic though, and I would say go for it, to a slide, as soon as she wakes up dd1 now says, "mama, wellies, slide", we've got one of those all in one outdoor suits so she even went out there today. We bought one off e-bay with a double slide (little tikes), so that dd2 will be able to use it too, and that will hopefully cut down on fights!

I was desperate to b'feed both dd's and failed both times, with dd1 I had a nightmarish couple of months of trying to b'feed, bottle feeding and expressing. I think i was on the verge of a nervous breakdown by the time we gave up, dd1 had a tongue tie and we both had thrush, it was horrendous. With dd2 it wasn't so bad, but feeding was still agony from start to finish of each feed, and expressing was agony too for some reason, it didn't help that every time i tried to feed dd2, dd1 would sit next to me screaming and trying to pull dd2's head of my boob - ouch!I still have moments of guilt and sadness, but feel as though we did the best we could at the time.

Cazwa,thanks for asking what was wrong, its all in the past now (thank god!)but basically, bad morning which started at 5, following a night with all 4 of us squeezed into our , far too small, double bed, both dd's grizzly and made stupid decision to not go to playgroup, so ended up climbing the walls by 9 0'clock, and having lunch at 11, during which dd2 fell asleep in a pile of hummus and felafel.

Hope everyone has been stocking up on chocolate bunnies for easter.

Kaybee, if you fancy giving bf a try, it's certainly worth a go. LOs can be so different. I bf DS1 for 18 weeks with no problems at all. He took to it like a duck to water. I didn't expect any trouble with DS2. How wrong could I be? So for you, it might be a dream this time... See how it goes. Your baby will be fine either way.

I used an excellent book by Clare Byam Cook without which I would never have persevered. Worth a look if you're keen to bf.

Am off to mash the spuds for tea. DS1 in bed. DS2 in bouncy chair. He does something different everyday and I can't wait for him to find his own pattern so I can predict when he sleeps etc. Anyone know when that may be??

DS2 is sitting up! Well, not now, he's in bed now.

Hope eveyone has lots of sleep and a lovely Easter weekend.

We might have to start a 2 Under 3 thread soon, with all these birthdays!

Wow, Faster. It's great when they can sit up. (DS is nowhere near it and he's getting rather frustrated with it -- he just falls forward onto his nose.)

Have fun with your 'evening of romance' -- I might try demanding one of those

Gemy great present ideas so far. Slides are good. And Lego is great DD plays with hers all the time (and we make things for her toys: houses, steps, slides, cars and so on. She also has (cheap-ish) wooden train track which she loves, and a little house (happyland, elc) and loads of little people who she gets to do things (they also get to hang out on the duplo creations as well).

Kaybee I would also say give BFing a really good try. I didn't like it at all first time around but quite liked the BFing itself the second time, but as with you Hazey, my DD1 really hated it when I fed Izzy and sometimes she would just stand there, with her litrle corners of her mouth turned down trying not to cry and be brave. In the end I'd stop feeding Izzy and cuddle Freya, which meant Izzy would start screaming. In a way I loved it just being me and Izzy and me feeding her (we really bonded) but if Freya was around it wasn;t nice for any of us. But, even after giving up I was convinced Izzy would be wondering why she'd stopped getting this special time with me and I'm sure she did, but I gave her 1 bottle right from day 1, and I think she preferred the feeding minus the screaming.

Just not meaning to change the subject, but having one of those random thoughts that we are so lucky so have our little ones, whether they're coming up to there second birthday (and doesn't the time fly?) to our little babies all snuffly with their shiny eyes and wide smiles.

Am off to Edinburgh on Saturday to find a dress for the black tie do. Can;t see much around that I like, bearing in mind my post-baby bod is not looking like it used to....so far need to check out Karen Millen and have seen a few on net-a-porter (a really nice long Issa dress at around £400) but I can't justify that really, I'd never be able to wear it to the same event again. Looking forward to shopping though - I could honastly be a proffessional shopper I just love it! (BTW have any of you read the Shopaholic books?)

The evening putting them both to bed on my own went fine and I felt very victorious. But, my technique cannot be that good because Izzy was out of her swaddle by the early hours, and thus lots of broken sleep for me.

Off to eat some biscuits and look on ebay for slides -yay!

Yeah i will give it a good try. Last time I tried calling NCT helpline and although the person I spoke to was really helpful and suggested stuff, I just felt like what I needed was a real person next to me showing me what to do. In the end a friend I met on mumsnet came to try to help, and that was good. But by the poor DS was confused I think and prefered the bottle. He had some issues too with colic, and reflux and didn't enjoy bf at all. So with me in pain and him screaming it just didn't seem like a good idea. Anyway, fingers crossed it goes better this time round!

Gemy that's great that putting your two to bed went well. After DH goes back to work I am going to be stuck doing that all week I think, as he is rarely home before 7.30 We'll have to work out a strategy before he goes back so I can be completely organised Ha ha i am the most disorganised person so that's not likely!

Well Kaybee I cheated kind of. DD1 goes to bed at 7pm sharp but instead, I bathed her half an hour early, so she thought it was bedtime when it was really only 6.30pm! So, after DD1 safely tucked up, I woke up DD2 and dealt with her as normal. As this time, DD2 is already tired so after her milk, bath and swaddle I just leave her to settle herself to sleep - et voila!

I was dreading it though and hope I won't have to do it too many more times. Good luck - I'm sure by the end of it you'll be taking it all in your stride

Oh no... I think DD might be giving up on her nap. How unfortunate (for me, that is). She does seem prepared to play quietly in her room for a while, but I need to find a way to stay sane without a break in the day...

Hope you're all having fun over the long weekend...

Hi chaotica that is a bugger! How about waking her an hour earlier in the mornings from now on, and she should be happier to nap ;if DD2 wakes DD1 when she wakes around 5.30am, DD1 naps easily. If she does not wake with DD2, then she does not sleep - although she seems very happy playing with her stuffed toys in her cot (for now) - and of course - taking her nappy off!!

Might try that, Gemy. (Although DD seems to be waking earlier as well as leaving out the nap more often so it might just be me who needs more sleep. ) We get more tantrums if she doesn't nap though.

Forgot you had the nappy removal problem, Gemy -- I don't have any suggestions (DD isn't that hot on getting undressed) but I keep thinking about the dreaded potty training. Got to happen some time...

Hello everyone, I a hoping to join your happy and busy group in November, when DS will be 22months. Interesting to read your experiences of bfeeding and jealousy from older sibling. What did you do about daytime naps for the newborn?

Welcome Yorky, Kaybee and Bristols!

Long moan alert. I had a dreadful day yesterday, one of my worst and felt like a useless, unobservant crap mother. I took DS to get his injections and get weighed, as he'd only put on 13oz in 6 weeks, so we'd agreed to get him weighed again in a month, hence yesterday. Well, he only put on 6oz this time . Also, his arm swelled up and was bright red after having his injections even thought they'd been in his leg, so I had to urgently see a doctor to get him checked. He was screaming the place down as you can imagine. Anyhoo the arm calmed down after a few hours, but it was horrible. Reminded me of his first 10 days in hospital when he had surgery on a twisted bowel and nearly died, horrible experience.

The weight thing though, what a stress. Cut a long story short I realise hes not been very content for ages now after a feed (BFing) and had always cried after only feeding a few minutes on either side. My milk supply has completely bombed and Ive not noticed till now. Ive been shoving the dummy in him far too frequently, not realising hes been hungry. My mum has been saying hes not a happy baby, and IVe been blaming it on his many colds hes had.
Two days earlier Id decided to start him on bottles as you know, luckily hes taken these fine. But Ive decided to top him up on bottles after each feed and swap a couple of BFs completely and see if that has an impact on his weight. I was planning to stop BFing by June when I go on holiday, but Im a bit gutted that its ending on a low as its the last time I'll ever BF and I have enjoyed it at times. Its knocked my confidence as a mother how could I not notice hes not been growing or that hes been so hungry?? He guzzles 6oz bottles after a BF...
ALso, he has been a different baby today, hasnt needed his dummy at all, has laughed loads, been 'singing' to us and been much more alert. Hopefully onwards and upwards after this, but I feel sick to think hes probably been permanently hungry.

Just to add I do bathtimes on my own at least once a week and they are fine after the first couple of gos, just get everything ready before you begin. We pile in our double bed for stories and milk before putting youngest down in cot then taking oldest through to her room for a few more stories. Its lovely, I know I'll look back in years to come and think really fondly of these moments.

OBvs it still sometimes all goes wrong and ends in tears or PJs in the bath whne Im not looking...

Oh Cazwa indeed what an awful time you are having. But, in my limited experience, even if I do shove dummy in Izzy, if she's hungry she spits it and carries on doing her snuffly coughy cry until I feed her!

Also, since I stopped bfing Izzy, I started on the number 1 teat and this was just too slow for her (is it the same with BFing?). Sometimes she'd get frustrated with the feed after just a few mins because the flow was just too slow so we moved her onto number 2 (she is now on number 3!) and she fed alot better. Plus, these days she gets very distracted by what's going on around her and - if say during her feed Freya comes up and makes her jump or starts making noise - she'll stop feeding and look around. And sometimes it takes me ages to get her interested in the feed again (much to my annoyance!)

Cazwa you are a brilliant mum for seriously thinking that the BFing was not enough and to be proactive and introduce FF at this point. So I know how you are feeling, I really do (I feel guilty about something most of the time to do with my DCs!) and try and let go of it. Sounds to me like you havea great time with your children (especially from what you were saying in your second post about all piling onto the bed and stories etc etc) so please push away those guilty/bad mother feelings and think about all the good mother things you do 24/7.

Tonight i start leaving DS2 in his cot, instead of bringing him into bed. He's got into the habit of waking alot to breastfeed, and he's keeping me awake, and also biting me alot

Am so close to packing in breastfeeding- i seem to spend most of my day and night feeding, and the biting is horrible (he has 2 teeth now)

I need to start doing the same, Faster, but DS is so unsettled at the moment (and so loud), I can't bring myself to make him stay in his cot or none of us will have any sleep

Don't feel guilty, Cazwa. You can't really be expected to notice how much your lo is growing (sometimes it seems like they are and they aren't: DS was getting so tall that I thought he must be putting on loads of weight, but he's actually been dropping percentiles... still a bruiser though so I can't complain). Sounds like your DS2 had a really worrying start though -- must have been really hard for all of you. Glad he's 'singing' now though.

Hello and welcome Yorky

I'm trying to wean DS and after a promising start, he won't eat solids (barely takes a little spoonful). He sleeps so much better when he does have some and he's far less sicky (reflux baby that he is), so it does him good. But I don't think he's really ready ... Won't take bottles either. Guess I have to keep on trying to persuade him.

Hey Faster, I just read your weaning thread and I'm with you on the weaning; although given my last post, not so sure with DS as I was with DD who we weaned at 4 1/2 months and she was very happy with it. But as I know your ds2 is a bit sick too, you could try it for that reason as well it has improved ds, although I'm still in two minds about it. (Might try him on some finger food it might be the lack of control he doesn't like, after all he did stick his hand in a bowl of spinach soup the other day...)

well, he went down at 6.30 and slept 3 hrs in his cot. had to breastfeed him for an hour before he'd go back in his cot, and he stayed there for another 2hrs. when he woke after that though, he felt really cold so i brought him to bed.

will be better prepared tonight though- will dress him warmer and have a bottle to give him- an hour of breastfeeding is just silly.

off to wash and dress DS1, then start painting my bannisters

good luck on the cot transition Faster - I think you have the right attitude! Both mine slept in their cots from day 1 (though DD2 liked being in the room with us for the first 2 weeks, whereas DD1 preferred her own room right from the get go)

It is DD1a birthday wednesday and I am looking for help and inspritation on making it really "magical" for her - but have come up with nothing - help!

thanks Gemy- i just wish we had 3 bedrooms. With him being in with us, it's just so easy to bring him into bed. I have really enjoyed the closeness of it though- i will miss that part.

But not the sleeping like a contortionist and having my nipples bitten randomly through the night... I can remember when it was DH that used to be the culprit, SIGH!

faster - are you putting the 2 together then? i don't need to but wonder when i will get them to start sharing...can't bear the thought of either waking the other up!
good luck anyway.

gemy - sorry brain is mush can't think of magical ideas...let us know what you go for.
have bought a little tikes petrol pump off ebay for ds1's birthday.

chaotica - best of luck with the weaning, i'm not looking forward to it second time round. think the first time had such novelty, i even wrote down what he ate every time he had something new! this time all i can think about is the mess
is dd still giving up on her nap? i dread the day...

hi yorky & bristols re naps for baby, he sleeps whereever tbh. i put him upstairs in his cot yesterday but only cos i was going upstairs for something else...sofa, pram, arms, other peoples arms....

cazwa - please don't beat yourself up. glad he is happier and hope you are too.

hope all having a good easter, love chocolate so always a good time for me