October 2010 pregnancy thread - welcome to the other side....

[Hevster]

Well ladies, it's a bit in advance but here is the new thread, started especially early for Saartjie!

How lovely! I am going to try baby massage next week. My LO has found his voice and is now doing lots and lots of shouting!

How cool jazzie! Have also signed up for baby massage classes. SD now weighs 11lb7oz and up from 2nd to 9th centre yay!

DD not sd!

And centile not centre- stupid auto correct!

Arghhh! Just called the tax credit people and I have to go for an interview to verify my identity before I can even get a claims pack....have left it a bit late and am annoyed that I have to go and have an "interview" but hopefully may get some nappy money at the end of it!

Jazzie excellent on the rolling - we roll half way, fart and roll back (classy!!)

Jacks nice one on the phone - tis v handy in the night to be able to surf the net

Kath tax credit people are s

scarecly dare believe it but DD2 is sleeping right through from 18:30 - 07:00 with just a dream feed at 22:00 but before you all disown me for being a smug cow DD1 is still getting up 2 to 3 times a night!

Hevster that's brilliant!

You are right about the tax credit people....they were so blommin depressing as well when I went to see them. However I now have THE form and need to fill it out asap.

On another note went and got myself a IUD yesterday, not a pain free procedure but am now sorted until I want another LO (which hopefully will be in 18 months or so!)

What plans do you all have for the weekend?

hevster similar things happening here but dream feed didn't work for us so now we just have a quick sleepy feed/nappy change at around 10pm. I think he needs to register he's taken food in or else he wakes hourly from 3am... but we tried dream feeding at about 7 weeks so maybe too early? I've started letting DS sleep until 8am because I figure when we drop this 10pm feed he might wake up earlier. I don't know, though. How/when are you supposed to start dropping that feed, do you know?

DS is still napping a lot during the day, about 3-3.5 hours, is that normal? I cannot keep him awake all morning/all afternoon, he starts snoozing on his changing mat if I've not put him to bed.

Also, how much food are you getting into your LO's, those of you who are ff? DS is on the 9th centile and has about 24-26oz every day. So about 5 feeds of 5oz each, maybe a little less. But if you look at the back of the formula tin, it says he should be taking more like 7oz at each feed.... Any advice??? Much appreciated xx

Oooh it's not anything with a LO on the 9th centile, it's jackster how rude of me!

Jazzie, that sounds like a similar amount to what DD is having, although she usually has 6 feeds a day, of around 5oz a time (we make it up to 6oz but she doesn't usually finish it all). TBH if their weight gain is steady then that is the best indicator that they are having the right amount for them(regardless of what the formula packet says - I would ignore that).

Re dropping the 10p.m. feed, I don't really remember when we did this with DS, probably around 5 months. The way to do it IMO is just try not waking them one night and see what happens - if they then wake at 1a.m. for a feed you know you're probably better off keeping the dreamfeed but if they sleep through then great!

What a rubbish day I'm having. DD back at doc's this morning as still has not shaken off the chesty cough she's had since before Xmas, has to have another round of antibiotics and to top it all off while I was parked outside the pharmacy dropping off her prescription my wing mirror got smashed by a car coming past.

How is everyone else today?

jackster that's too bad, sorry you're having a rubbish time. Is your wingmirror one of those expensive electrical ones? Thanks for the advice, I was thinking about keeping it until he's happy on baby rice (so I guess about 5/6 months I guess)

Speaking of solids, what about this new advice? 12lbs or 4 months apparently! It drives you nuts, no clue what to do now. Surely it's more of a 'weaning window' than an actual age. I can't imagine giving DS solids in the next 2 weeks!

Hi all, sorry to hear of your bad day Jazzie

I have had a a quiet one really, we are being social people this week, am going to our first baby massage class tomorrow and on Wed we are going to a Bumps and Babies group so fingers crossed it goes well.

My LO is 11 weeks old today and gave his first real giggle/laugh (at nothing really!) today which melted my heart!

Did any of you get a leaflet about an EAT clinical trial? I got one today in the post and am thinking about helping out. My OH has bad eczema and the trial is about breastfeeding/weaning and how allergies develop.

Hi all. I've been lurking and reading, but not had anything to add lately.

I got an EAT leaflet this morning too, but they ask you to volunteer if your LO is less than 3 months, which is this weekend for me, so it's a little too late. I would have been tempted though.

I BF, but in an attempt to get a good nights sleep I tried giving DS formula for his 10pm feed - he took nearly 8oz and still woke up at 2.30am for a feed. The next day he actually seemed hungrier than normal and was wanting feeding every 2 hours... needless to say I've not tried formula again!!

Re solids, I think I'm going to start weaning at about 4 or 5 months - not because of the new advice, but because I have to go back to work when DS is about 6 1/2 months and I want to be the one who weans him. Anyone else have to return to work soon, or am I going to be the only horrible guilt-ridden working mother?

Finally, I need some 'napping' advice. My DS has started really fighting his naps during the day. He eats, plays then gets tired but refuses to sleep - it takes about 40 minutes of screaming before he nods off. Anyone else had this?

Hi

Sounds like my LO with the grumpy naps - maybe a growth spurt?

I am in a weird job situation, on mat leave from NHS job in Scotland but moved to North East where hubby is at uni (late career change to medicine) so I need to find a new job before October (no pressure)

jelly have you tried lots of cluster feeds to get a decent few hours kip? I lie down beside the LO and for about two hours (I have TV on low) let him feed, feed, feed from about 7:30 - 9pm and then he seems to fill his boots and last till 11 then quick feed and lasts till 3am usually. May not work for everyone but we seem to have fallen into this routine.

Hi everyone!

Re the amounts of formula your LO's are getting it's sort of worried me... DD is pretty huge, was almost 10lb's at birth... And I feed her 6oz 5 times a day... I might be wrong but now I'm worried this isn't enough for her size (13lb 7 now! I know - in her carseat I can barely hold her!)

We're being sociable this week too! Going to a mother and baby group tomorrow, then singsongs on Wednesday, then a Playgroup for pre crawlers Friday, then swimming lessons for newborns on Sunday... I'm tired already!

And don't feel guilty about going back to work! I told my job I def wouldn't be back for a year... And actually intended never going back... Now I really miss it and am considering part time in a couple of months. I never thought I'd willingly go back, but I took Tilly there for a visit and practically cried in the car on the way home at missing my team so much... When one if them put up pictures if the Christmas drinks outing on facebook recently I was a complete green eyed monster at the girl covering my maternity leave... Lol xx

kath Many thanks for the comiserations but it was jackster with the bad day. Although I did eat too much raspberry jelly last night and ended up with a tummy ache. Bad times.

My LO is exactly the same atm, although not so much in the day; but at night before he goes to sleep he morphs into a tiny demon, screaming and crying for about 30 minutes before he'll go to sleep for the night. Nothing will console him, literally nothing. In fact he gets worse if you offer him milk/cuddles etc. Is it a phase? Or will he always be like this at bedtime? Any reason for this, or any way I can stop it? He's fine throughout his bath, massage and getting dressed. Then he loses it in the time it takes to sit down and offer him milk. Any ideas?

Jazzie at the raspberry jelly!!

Anything When I've expressed for DS he's not taken more than 4oz per feed, which is why I thought he'd last all night on 8oz of formula, but alas it was not to be. Sounds like your DD is growing well so you must be feeding her what she needs.

Kath I'll have a go at the cluster feeding tonight and hope for the best. I tried just giving DS a cuddle and a dummy last night when he woke up, but he was less than impressed to say the least!

As always it's good to hear I'm not alone with the sleeping issue, and as someone told me, when babies are this small everything is just a phase, good or bad. Here's hoping!! I think it's because DS is enjoying life so much and there's so much to look at and play with that he thinks sleeping is for losers and he's going to miss out on something.

Enjoy your sociable weeks - makes me tired just reading your plans!

oops - sorry Jazzie/Jackster*!! Must learn to type when less tired!

Blimey you have all been busy!
I am making 5oz bottles for her ladyship and she rarely finishes 1 (13lb 1oz on mon at weigh in) so as long as they are growing I wouldn't worry.
We had to wean DD1 at 12 weeks because she was doing 7oz bottles every hr and for the record, no alergies or eating issues and she hated babyrice!
will prob try DD2 with some babyrice at 4 months and if she isn't keen will wait another month and so on.

Jacks pisser about your wing mirror and hope DD is getting better

Jazzie we dropped night feed at about 8 months with DD1 (I drank too much and forgot 1 night) DD2 sleeps 40 mins in every 3 hrs ish but usually in the buggy or car as DD1 needs to be somewhere. When she is too tired she screams and headbuts!

Hi ladies...

Just a quick question...

What do your LO's spend time in / on? In terms of bouncy chair, playmat etc...

DD hates her playmat with a vengeance! And I feel like she's bored of her bouncy chair. She watches TV in it, watches me cook in it, I put the play bar on it... But I sense her boredom and think sometimes that she needs a change of location :p

My friends baby practically lives in his swing but he's really little so I sort of feel like she might be a bit old now...

Xx

Hi awg

My LO spends hardly any time on playmat but does love his changing mat on the floor....

He spends a lot of time in a baby bean bag (got on Amazon) which I can drag from room to room and he watches me a lot.

Still spends a bit of time in his Moses basket as well

He is 11 weeks and one day....

hevster that's brilliant I'm going to give DS a try on some baby rice next month probably just to see what he thinks. I know you're meant to mix it with formula, but obviously that won't use up his whole bottle. Do I give him his bottle before or after said baby rice? I'm not too worried about allergies etc, think it's a load of crap. I was weaned at 10 weeks and DH was weaned at 6 weeks but no allergies/problems. I'm not saying our parents were right, but I think there's a lot of hype!

anything DS is like kath's LO... Will spend hours on his changing mat on the floor but only 30 minutes or so on his playgym/bouncy chair. Although I got him a really gucci bouncy chair, look up the astro magic chair on the m&p website we got one it's got kick sensitive pads and a vibrating bit etc, quite pricey but it's like having an in-between swing and door bouncer. Seems to give DS something a bit more interactive. He also likes naked play. I spread out loads of muslins on the floor and lay him naked for a kick without a nappy. He loves it and it's really good for his skin to get some air. I think it helped him roll over too because I think nappies can be quite restrictive for them sometimes.

Jazzie re when to give solids, the theory I went with with DS was that the baby should not be too hungry (because they will just want milk and be pissed off at you trying to shove goop in their mouth!) or too full (because they won't be interested) so you could either try half way through a feed, or in between feeds. I think I did the former. And you would then gradually cut down the amount of milk and up the amount of solids at that feed until the feed becomes a purely solids meal.

Just starting to look into childcare options. Bloody hell. With 2 children the only way we can afford for me to go back to work is if we can persuade my mum to do one day of childcare a week. To pay a nanny for 3 days a week would cost us more than I would earn working 3 days - how the hell do people cope?!

Jazzie we used to do what Jacks suggested and stop a bottle halfway for a snack and then carry on the bottle again if she wanted it. Also, you are sposed to do it either late morning or lunchtime so that if there are problems then you know about them before bedtime.

anything reckon it depends on the baby both of mine have spent hours on a changing mat on the kitchen table with interludes in "the doughnut" (inflateable ring/playnest ) and we are about to get bumbo out of the loft. if you go for a bumbo stick them in it on the floor in front of the washing machine

jacks we have 2 grandparent days and 2 nursery days and hopefully will manage as DD gets her 15 hrs free but its going to be tight and I am glad we have already paid for Menorca

Hevster I'm going to Menorca this summer! Where and when are you going? X