August 2010 - new thread ladies!

[Chulita]

New thread cos we've nearly filled the last one!

Ooops!

Just burnt the toad in the hole

Full on black and crusty burnt! I forgot to set the timer and started playing on ps3 with dd.

Whoopsie x

Cherrypie glad your garden fence is going to be finished soon. I can't believe you attempt a roast every week - there would no chance of that happening here.

We've ordered Miss E the next size car seat this morning - I know she isn't ready for it yet but it was on offer £20 off and we'll have to buy two as there is no way I am faffing around swapping it from one car to the other... so one this month and then we'll get the other one when she's ready for it.

We also bought a saftey gate to go across the kitchen doorway - not quite at the crawling stage so don't need one for the stairs just yet, but Miss E can get up quite a bit of speed in her baby walker and it would only a take a minute for her to come into the kitchen behind me and touch the hot oven....

Off to visit bil and sil and 2 nephews now.... hope everybody is having a nice Sunday x

We're having toad in the hole tonight cherry I'll do individual ones though so I can leave some for DH to have tomorrow once we've gone south.

Ah, sadly E did not repeat her magical sleeping through trick - woke at about midnight with a bit of a cough and sneeze. Think the cough was making her thirsty, poor little thing, so I gave her a quick feed and then she slept til 7.30am.

I'm still annoyingly knackered though - when she went down for a nap at 9.30am I went back to bed for an hour and a half! I think I need sleep training to teach myself to self-settle at the moment because it just takes forever to fall asleep at night, hey ho.

Ha! With you there, Belly! Think the months of disrupted sleep take their toll, don't they?

Is Vix about on the thread at all these days? Was wondering (if you are) whether you were having continued success with your napping techniques leading to better nights, and also whether you'd had any luck getting your LO to self-soothe?

We had probably our worst night ever last night. Ended up trying CC - which was ill thought-out, seeing as E still sleeps in the same room as us. E was beyond hysterical, then so was I, then DH and I had a huge slanging match over the screaming baby. Brilliant.

We're going to try and have a bit more of an agreed plan and try it next week - DH is going to take a few days off. If that fails, we're going to try the Millpond Sleep Clinic. Feel like such a loser that it has come to this, but E is waking every 1.5 hours and I need my sleep. And, come to think of it, a functioning marriage!

Bad weekend. Hope everyone else had more fun than us!!

nat are you bf? I can't remember if you are. Does E need/want feeding at every waking?

I am. He is only hungry now once, maybe twice a night. (Over the course of the whole night). He wakes 5+ times, maybe even 7, and just nibbles away until he falls back to sleep. I know he's not hungry at every 'feed'.

Ok, I was going to suggest that you offer the same side for a block of 4 hours or so during the night and then swap but that might not make any difference. Or try offering water every wake except at times when he's usually hungry. CC is very tough going, I couldn't imagine doing it if they were in the same room! Sorry it's so difficult, L was a very bad sleeper so I know exactly how you feel but she has grown out of it (at long last) so it deffo won't last forever [completely unhelpful emoticon]

nat I'm actually too tired to post properly right now but our last 2 nights mirrored yours. Months of broken nights and sleep but it's just getting worse, I've hit a wall today. S same has yours, has a nibble at the boob every time she wakes every 2/3 hours and I can't take it anymore so am watching with interest. Going to move S into her own room after we come back from a week in Ireland at the end of the monthabd try to get things under control somehow

Thanks Chulita - not unhelpful at all.

LCR Will let you know how we get on and if anything works. Can't go on like this!

Hello all

Thats great news belly, and long may it continue.

Cherry I second what others have said, get your LOs to call him somehting you are comfortable with. I'm with you that Grandad should be reserved for your Dad and I would still refer to him to your LOs, so that he knows who he was. and then if the new partner is called something different then your LOs will know exactly who you are talking aout. Hope you find some resolution soon.

I'm busy sorting out my move to the UK, trying to find somewhere to live and find an au pair, as I'm back at work in May . Really, really do not want to go back.

Hope everyone is having a good start to the week. Take care x

soontobefatnat :(

Poppy has just started crawling - very slowly and she can do only about 4-5 before she sits down (usually ending up where she started from)

I was ill yesterday (I had a blocked duct :( and I still don;t feel great today but better) and forgot to feed her food. then I heard her tummy rumble - poor old Pops

nat do you have any plans to move him into his own room? J was very similar until we moved him out and did a bit of CC. It was hard but not as bad as I thought and we've definitely got results. He now settles much easier for bedtime and naps (still a bit of crying, but not much) and he's only waking twice a night now which feels so much better!

We got babysitters and had our first evening out together without J last week - was very nice :) Planning to do it again soon.

Marzi yes, but my mum is coming to stay in a few weeks to help me and the spare room/E's room is the same thing. Would have nowhere to put mum otherwise! Also, we've got a three-week trip to California in May and we'll be sharing hotel rooms etc with E then. My thinking was to put him in his own room once we're back in June, otherwise it might be a bit confusing for him? But perhaps not?

well that does make sense but if you're thinking of doing cc then you might find he's sleeping much better by then and sharing with you for a bit wouldn't be a problem. Difficult one. I'd feel like June is a long time to wait but depends how keen you are on doing cc I suppose

nat please don't feel like a loser! You are doing a brilliant job, I understand how it can take it's toll on your relationship with dh, I have snapped at dh many times, and he at me. Tiredness is a bitch for bad tempers! Hang in there, you are not a loser! I hope you get some results soon chick. ((hugs)) :) xx

cazzy yaaay for Poppy crawling :). Hope you're feeling better x

dogwalker :( I know the feeling of not wanting to go back to work! It's looking likely that I'll need to go back too in July even though we agreed I would become a SAHM because of childcare. Feeling very sad and a little bitter about it but needs must. Doesn't make it any easier for you I know, but I know how you feel.
Think we're gonna stick to mums partners first name too instead of giving him a title, I barely even know him so he definitely isn't going to be a gramps or granddad/pa. Mums only known him since September!!

LCR also hope you get some results re sleep soon!! And very of your trip to Ireland, somewhere I would love to go but never get the chance. Have fun :)

I'm gonna spend the day doing bugger all I think! Was moving the very heavy glass top dining table yesterday and I've pulled my shoulder - note to self: do not try to do that on your own again! OUCH!!

Take care all, I have a baby looking longingly at me for his breakfast :).
Much love xx

Cherry I think that's the right thing re your mum's new fella. Grandad would be a bit much when you hardly know him yourself.

Nat, sounds like you are having a mare but it is nothing unusual - you certainly haven't failed! Is Millpond expensive? If so I really think you could crack it without that... she does need to be in her own room though, can you put her in the spare room for a week for cc? then you could move her back into your room once she is sleeping longer periods. I don;t think it would be too disruptive - babies are very adapatable! How much is she eating during the day? is she always fed to sleep? i think there are a few things that need to go together for cc to work....

I tried cc with Daniel on Saturday cos he woke at midnight. I'd only fed him at 10pm... after two hours of crying I gave in and fed him. Not trying that again for a month or so! He is generally sleeping quite well (10-4 ish) which is why I thought he didn't need a feed. But he has not been so well and now I am not well either and the twins have it too so we are all feeling sorry for ourselves here .

Morbags, I use tinned lentils and beans (borlotti mainly). I mix them with frozen spinach, sweet potato (and sometimes cheese), boil on the hob for 5-10mins and whizz into a puree

I agree about your mum's new man cherry, definitely first name.

Nat I think my last post was a bit garbled! I can't remember if this has already been said but it sounds like the most likely problem is that every time he has a slight waking in the night (which we all do), he needs boob to get back to sleep. We had this problem so decided to go cold turkey and always put him down awake (no rocking, feeding, sshing to sleep etc). Obviously this meant doing cc but it has made such a difference. I think there are probably slower, gentler ways of getting there but I was getting desperate. hth x

Thanks for the kind/helpful words, y'all! Marzi and Neez yes, Eli is currently fed to sleep. D'oh. It used to be so easy/helpful! So we're going to go cold turkey from tonight - feed before bath, and no more lying down feeds. God, they're the only time in the day that I get a break or lie-down! Argh....

DH has taken the next two days off work so we can tackle this together - except I'm doing tonight until 9.30 solo as he has to work late. Dreading it! I swear I'll need a stiff drink to deal with the crying...

Neez am as sure as I can be that E is going to bed full. He has four milk feeds a day, plus three meals. Well, attempts at meals! We're doing BLW... Plan to feed every four hours as night as per the day at first, if he's waking and hungry. What do you do at night with bfing? Wake them up if they doze off or take them off the boob before they have totally dropped off? (in order to put them down awake)

nat what I did was the week prior to moving E to her room, I started feeding her sat up in a rocking chair. Then for the first week she was in her room I was still feeding/rocking to sleep (which took fricking ages) but she immediately started waking less - for instance she always used to wake when DH got up for work, now she never does. Then after she'd been in her room for a week we did CC at the beginning of the night - putting her down awake and then going in 5, 10, 15 mins. It was REALLY hard the first night, and I messed it up by tiptoeing in and waking her up again, and on night 3 she was the worst she ever was with about 1hr 10mins crying. But on day 6 she went down with no tears, now sometimes we have grizzling for a few mins (20 the other night which wasn't fun) but sometimes nothing. I haven't done it in the night tho as from when we started doing it, she was only waking once which I was happy with.

WRT to feeding to sleep, if she starts falling asleep, I start talking to her quite loudly and moving her about a bit, and if she is asleep when she comes off the boob I wind her quite vigorously which tends to do the trick. I don't unlatch her cos I want to be really sure she's not hungry.

neenz that sounds like a miserable night, guess D just isn't ready for it yet - prob best not to do it when you're feeling a bit rubbish.

marzi I'm glad the sleep training has finally helped, it's so hard isn't it!

Nat Sending you my best wishes and lots of hugs in preparation for tonight. I really do hope all goes well. You will be in my thoughts.

My usually good sleeper of a DS is currently not sleeping so well, as he is teeting, his 2nd tooth came out overnight, for which he was awake and very vocal from about 3 am. I'm not complaining, as he is such a good boy when it comes to sleep, just wish I could take his pain away.

Wow Cazzy, Poppy crawling, Thomas is nowhere near that yet. He rolls about and shuffles about a bit but no crawling and not sitting up on his own yet either. But I have been told, not sure if it true, that boys can be lazy????

Cherry Good decision about name for Mum's new partner, glad you've sorted it. Us poor Mum's have enough to worry about without added complications from the family.

Hope everyone is well and wishing lots of good/happy/sleepy vibes to those that need them. Take care xx

That should read teething, (d'oh)

Boys can be lazy, girls can be lazy! I don't think there's a boy/girl thing with crawling etc, potty training maybe - my DS is lazy and waits too long to go to the loo so wees in his pants . Only occasionally

Nat, could you maybe add a couple of purees in as well as BLW? Maybe baby porridge and fruit for supper (6pm ish) - try to get something heavy on her tum. I give D half an oatibix with lots of milk and banana or pear mixed in. Sweet potato was always great too for helping the twins sleep! Good luck for tonight - remember you are helping you and her by teaching her to sleep on her own so try not to get discouraged. Just keep going in and giving her a quick cuddle and putting her back in the cot. I used to give the twins 5ml Calpol too just in case their teeth were hurting (ie to rule that out when they were crying!)

neenz I did that with the calpol too, mentioned it to my mum and she seemed a bit shocked... I somehow think it would be worse if your baby was crying her head off with teething pain and you were resolutely ignoring her because of the sleep training and didn't realise the reason for the crying. That said, she's rubbish at taking calpol (don't have a syringe, just a spoon) so she was taking only teeny tiny quantities anyway.

nat you might find that just doing cc at bedtime makes the difference so you could still put him down asleep after night feeds - at least if he's woken cos he's hungry and had a proper feed anyway. I don't actively wake J up if he falls asleep feeding in the night now but I don't lower him carefully into his cot like I used to so he usually wakes a little bit from the transfer