November 2010: Welcome to life on the other side

[bunnygirl80]

Pull up a chair and help yourself to a LARGE glass of wine

Welcome to the dark side the wonderful world of motherhood

lainey hope things are brighter today. Thrush v nasty, had it with DS1, but the combination of daktarin cream for me and daktarin mouth gel for DS fixed it almost immediately. If that doesn't work, I gather there's a tablet treatment you can take. There's good advice on the mn boards about info to give GP if necessary - I noticed it a month or two ago and made a mental note in case have trouble with thrush again.

at babies who only wake once a night at 4 weeks. Wish mine were that good at 4 years.

smokey v glad to hear things going well with you and the DTs! Was wondering how you are.

hamish did only wake once the other night between 11 and 7 but usually he feeds a few times - we're cosleeping so not really sure of times or even how often!

sarah - i used cloth for ds2 and will be this time but maybe not til spring as tumble drier is in shed and it is too cold to have it on a lot of the time!

Anyone else using slings? i ggot a fantastic strtchy wrap (only had a non-stretchy gauze before) and i am loving it. went christmas shopping today and hamish slept in it the whole time :)

excuse lack of caps etc, typing one-handed!

Hi everyone, not had much time to post on here but still trying to have a read every now and then.

Wallace I have a Moby wrap which I used for the 1st time xmas shopping today and also really loved it. Isabella seems so comfy and warm in it and it means I can still get in the little shops.

All those lovely photos :)

Such a beautiful photo comtessa and such chubby cheeks (Anya, not you!)

Smokey don't know how you manage with two, but glad to hear that you are!

Great news on the moses basket sleeping hmm but at feeding 4 times a night. I'm counting my blessings but after a midnight feed Norry wakes somewhere between 3am and 5am and then between 6am and 8am. So lucky, I know.

My goal for this weekend is to get the hang of the sling a friend has lent us. Very motivated by your experience Wallace

Ha, here I was feeling all pleased with my only having to feed 4 times a night and being able to put Lottie down in between, these babies only waking once, it's not normal I tell you . Thinking about it though, one of those feeds is about 11pm, and the last at about 5.30am, so I guess it's only the 2 middle feeds that are really night feeds, .

Lottie seems fine after her jabs, just very sleepy, she's hardly been awake all day, hoping it doesn't upset tonight.

I'm not using cloth nappies, feel a bit guilty about it but I'm finding it hard to keep up with all the washing at the moment, the dcs clothes get washed but I'm resorting to wearing very bizarre outfits just because it's the only thing clean.

Still haven't got the hang of my sling, I'm keeping hold of it in case I like it better when Lottie's a bit bigger.

lainey, what a little cutie Finn is.

Also have Moby wrap, used twice now, v v pleased.

Rocky feeds every 2-3 hrs at night, but he's not yet 3 weeks. Have switched to cosleeping - getting much more rest that way. Tho also not infrequently getting woken up by own milk being projectile vomited into face.

I have a Hug-a-Bub that Skye loves sleeping in, and when she decides she's hungry NOW whilst I'm doing something else I feed her in it too. Very handy. It's great while shopping as I've found sometimes she'll wake up if she is in the carseat and cry, just wanting to be held, dont have that prob with the sling.

I found co-sleeping in the first couple weeks made life so much easier for me. Skye didn't want to sleep in her hammock (next to my bed) and I didn't want to waste sleep trying to convince her to. After a couple weeks in our bed I tried her again with the hammock and since then she's been in it every night. Now I kind of miss sleeping with her right next to me... :)

hmmsleep, don't feel guilty about not using cloth nappies! :) I wouldn't have bothered buying them as Skye is our fourth and final baby, but a friend kindly gave me hers she was finished with as her youngest is now potty trained. I look at it as saving me money on disposables if I use cloth during the day... It doesnt add much to the washing so isn't a prob for me.

Lovely pics everyone

hmm great news that Lottie's finally sleeping in her basket. I don't count Will's 11pm (which he doesn't always bother with) and 5:30amd feeds as night feeds so I can proudly boast that he only wakes once a night

lainey hope you get the thrush sorted soon so you can finally get your feeding sorted. You've done really well to keep BFing so long given the pain it's causing you

wallace I have a hug a bub but just can't persuade Will that he likes it. He just doesn't like having his head tucked into it, but doesn't have the head control to be looking out. He loves his Ergo carrier though, so think we'll try the hug a bub again once he's a bit bigger and can have his head out for a look around

sarahbuff I've got some cloth nappies to try - planning to go cloth in the day and disposable at night. Will needed to be 9lbs before they would fit him, so only started to try them this week. Then we hit the 6 week growth spurt, and what with feeding him every hour and a half for 48 hours I couldn't face the laundry mountain so we're back in disposables full time for now. I think I'll try the cloth again in a week or so

We had our first proper smiles from William at the weekend - DH seems to be finally really bonding with him now he responds to us. He also seems to have found his vocal cords, and he's started talking to us when we play with him Sadly he's also figured out how to scream really loudly to get food faster

:) Skye was over 9lb the day she was born so we haven't had that problem, in fact the nappies I was given are size 2 and none of them can quite close all the way around her chubby self! . The only thing I found took a bit of getting used to was the bulk of them, she looks a bit like John Wayne with her skinny little legs dangling out of the nappy! I may have to get out the 3-6 month vests soon just so they fit over the nappy...

I'm glad Skye enjoys being snuggled up in the Hug-a-Bub as I can see how it would be no good for a baby that doesn't like being confined that way. Seeing as I don't have any other slings it is fortunate for me she likes it! :)

Yesterday was one of those days. I was feeding Abbie when Ds, 2.6, started choking in the corner, he sorted himself out and started screaming for a drink. I detatched Abbie and got him some water and asked what he was choking on. "My money" "What do you mean your money? Did you put money in your mouth? Where's the money now?" "In my tummy!" I tried calling NHS direct but after 5mins of ringing I gave up and rang my Doctors for advice. They said to take him to the Minor Injuries Unit which, handily, is practically at the end of the road. They were fantastic. We were seen within 10mins and the nurse and Doctor were lovely. Ds's sats were slightly low but that was probably a combination of his heart condition and the fact he has a stinking cold. He told the Doctor " My coin has gone down my throat." After a thorough check, the Doctor decided it was going through the proper route and should appear in his poo some time in the near future. Lovely woman did reassure me that I don't have to sift through the poo to check it's come out. Thank goodness for that and DS is under strict instructions never to 'eat' money again!

Abbie was really unsettled yesterday and took forever to settle last night. I went up to bed with her at 9.30pm and she was still whinging and feeding at 11.30pm. She just wouldn't wind for ages then did a small burp so I gave up and put her down, turned off the light and heard her projectile vomit. Turned on the light and it looked like someone had poured milk over her with a watering can. Poor baby was covered in milk! I changed her and the moses basket and tried to resettle her. She wouldn't feed again and eventually DP took her downstairs for an hour so I could sleep. He put her back into bed at 1.30am and she slept til nearly 5am, fed, went back to sleep at 6am and then woke again at 9.45am. She's still very unsettled this morning so I hope she's not getting worse due to her cold.

I have a raging sore throat and blocked sinuses and generally feel like shit so would dearly love some sleep but no chance of that with a very active DS. DP is out on the piss tonight with work and staying in a hotel so no help there. He can do ds/baby duty on Sunday so I can have a lie in.

Hope everyone else is well.

ebb what a scare! Glad he's ok now, hope today goes better for you

Interesting to hear the various sling stories, we tried ours but she wasn't keen think we will also be waiting for more head/neck control before we try again

Got weighed yesterday, now up to 10 lb 1 oz so up just over a pound in a week. Now I know why she's feeding so much :)

Feeling much better in myself in the last few days too, stocked less sore, finally able to leave maternity towels off and pelvic floor muscles are responding again (sorry if tmi) after feeling v numb for quite a while

Also feel more prepared for Christmas now, have spent her daytime sleeping hours writing cards and wrapping stuff, thank goodness for the Internet!

Hope everyone is stoked up and surviving the current icy weather

Here you all are! Am now off to catch up with everyone's news - I may be some time ...

Oops, just realised you lot are here (thanks for the tip-off, privet).

What KiwiKat said applies here... :)

hullo hullo!

ebb, hope abbie gets better.

bunny, hmm....Kiki has 3 feeds at 3am, 6am and 9am (+/- am hour each way) but she does go to bed only around 11pm though

those using wraps, how do you rate them? easy to put on/take off? how is the baby's weigh carried on you?
i've got a second hand ring sling which i put K in just to get down the 3 flights of stairs before putting her in the pram. still not 100% confident in it though.

got referred to the OT for my wrist problem and OT diagnosed me with De Quervain syndrome. have to wear a rigid plastic splint as often as possible (24h if poss) to immobilise the thumb tendon for healing. makes picking K up and changing and bathing her a HUGE challenge! she did say i caught it early so prognosis is good. but couldn't say how long it would take to get back to normal. sigh....

6 week check all clear. she's now 10lb 8oz. woot! i still don't get why they don't measure the length...why put the length growth charts in the little red book in that case?

:( hope you had a better day today Ebb...

Anybody else loving the snow? Did a big shop for Christmas food today, with Skye in the Hug-a-Bub, she was an angel and slept the whole time, at least until we got to the till! I ended up with her feeding in the sling while two sainsbury's ladies packed for me, then they pushed my trolley out to the car for me! They were so nice.

The boys and DH made a snowman while I was out, what a great day!

Ps to vix my midwife told me they don't measure newborns length anymore as it is quite inactivate since they are quite scrunched up still when they are first born, but I'm surprised they didn't do that at her 6 week check...?

Hehe should say inaccurate, stupid autocorrect!

Sarahbuff, only took weight and head circumference.

K has been going on strike! She absolutely refuses to sleep in her basket the past 2 days!! Tried putting her in semiawake, dropping off to sleep or fast asleep and within minutes she's up and screaming her head off!!!

I am exhausted and hv no energy to fight her so just end up taking her into my bed and letting her fall asleep on me or feed to sleep-exactly what I was hoping to avoid. Any one have pointers for me?

vix we're having the same problem :( No solutions, just sympathy.

Fen, u too?
Thought Norry was doing well in his basket. What's he been doing now?

Forgot to mention, hv tried giving K a dummy to suck on to soothe back to sleep. She hates it! Gives a few sucks then spits it out. Argh!

This is what we did to get Lottie sleeping in her basket. No napping after 4.30, this is really hard and seems very mean to keep her awake when all she wants to do is sleep. We then do a bedtime routine starting around 6.30 of feed, bath, gro-bag,final feed then put down in moses basket in quiet dark room at around 7.30. If she wakes we go in, don't talk or turn on lights just sooth her until she stops crying then put her straight back down. She's been waking and crying a few times before finally settling at about 8.30. It is quite heart wrenching and very tempting to pick her up for a big long cuddle, but I keep telling myself that in the long run it'll be better for all of us if she learns to sleep well. We never leave her crying, but do put her straight back in her basket as soon as she settles in our arms. Fingers crossed it seems to be working, she is nearly 9 weeks now though so not sure I'd have persisted when she was a few weeks younger. Health visitor said 6 to 8 weeks is a good time to introduce a bedtime routine. Hope that helps if you try it!

Oh, and the first night this consisted of going in about every 2 minutes to do the picking up, soothing, putting back down as she would start crying again pretty much immediately, and we did that for about 3 hours! I think she eventually just wore herself out. It has been much easier on subsequent nights.

Hi all,
Not been posting, but been trying to read- I'm still not that confident BF to have a spare hand to type!
James has just started with a stonking cold so is sleeping all the time (no complaints about that ) but is also not that interested in feeding so it's really thrown me- I've expressed a lot but I'm really struggling to know how much to express and when... I don't want to lose my supply but I don't want to get engorged and get mastitis again- arrgh!
vix - HV measured James' length at 6 week visit, as well as weight (12lb 13oz!) and head, but think she's more enthusiastic than most- 3 home visits so far.
A few nights ago, I had the weirdest experience- stood up to pick James up from from his moses basket for a feed and started (sorry in advance for TMI) doing 'fanny farts'- uncontrollably and really loud- as if my uterus was a balloon deflating - please tell me someone else has experienced something similar?!

Sounds like a fab routine hmm We're not doing one yet and I think we'll start trying one after Christmas. I'm a bit reluctant to change anything for the moment though as he's sleeping so well at night.

vix perhaps I should clarify - he sleeps wonderfully at night but in exchange has totally stopped sleeping in the day. During the day he only wants to be held and goes through long periods when he will only calm down if being walked around. I don't know how many miles my DH has walked around our flat! Thank god he's on paternity leave at the moment. He's not even guaranteed to sleep while we're out and about with the pram [eek]

He's also stopped feeding as well as he was, which is a bit of a worry as he's still a bit slow in putting on weight. He'll do 10-15 minute feeds every hour to hour and a half He'll then do a mega feed a couple of times a day and we give him a top up if he's being really unsettled but won't stay on the boob.

b00kw0rm nice to hear from you. I hope James is feeling better soon. Can't comment on your other problem though :)

ebb hope your DS has got his pocket money back now and that you're over your scare.