Late Jan 2011 (some very, very late!) - here we go!!!

[ThreeBubbasAndManyBumps]

Graduated
JJKM - Twin Girls
Stars - Baby Boy
FloraPost - 6th Jan - Baby Boy
Mimou - 14th Jan - Baby Boy - 7.3lb
Zippy - 14th Jan - Baby Boy - 7lb
LadyBuzz - 18th Jan - Kali Margaret Briany 6lb 1oz
Scuba - 22nd Jan - Baby Girl - 6lb 13oz
AmIGoingMad - 25th Jan - Baby Boy - 7lb 5oz
Gallicgirl - 26th Jan - Alys May - 7lb 2.5oz
BubbaAndBumps - 27th Jan - Lachlan Robert - 12lb 3oz
Travispickles - 27th Jan - Saskia Faye
Fuzzy - 28th Jan - Evan James - 8lb 8.5oz
*Saltnvinigar - 28th Jan - Henry David
Ryuk - 28th Jan - Ezra - 7lb 4oz
TheBreastMilksOnMe - 30th Jan - Amelia Rose - 8lbs 9.5ozs
SaraL77 - 31st Jan - Reuben Mark - 7lb 2
Pootle - 2nd Feb - Jacob - 8lb 9oz
cyberfairy - 4th Feb - Rowan - 7lbs 7oz
RockLover - 5th Feb - George Christopher - 8lbs 4oz
RunningKatie - 5th Feb - Isobel Millie
CupcakesHay - 5th Feb - Jesse William - 7lbs 1oz
Crystylline - 8th Feb - Xavier Louis - 8lbs 11oz

Count: 8 girls, 15 boys

Still Huffing and a Puffing..?
Shanster: 30/01 Boy (1DD)
Faraway Trees: 22/01
RobynLou: 24/01 ?? (1DD)
Loopylu: due 31/01 (1st?)

Here we go, down the slippery slope of parenthood. Slippery thanks to the poos, wees, leaky boobs and goodness knows what else :o :o

We'll be here to hold each other's virtual hands through the tough nights and delightful days, and to laugh at each other's stories of comedy nappy changes , and the fear (or not?) of getting back in the saddle, and coating some cervixes just for the fun of it again!! :o

I'm already FF as George refused to latch on even at the hospital and he was checked for tongue tie which he doesn't have.

I have to say we had a much better night last night, but it did mean that DP slept on the sofa and George had his side of the bed. I didn't even attempt to get him into the cot because he wakes so easily, then last night (sleeping on top of the quilt btw) he did 2 stints of 3+ hours sleep and he is a different baby this morning.

He has been awake since 7.20 when I fed him and since then he has hardly cried at all, I was even able to take him into the bathroom with me in his bouncy chair so that I could grab a shower. He is now asleep in said bouncy chair looking very peaceful.

It's amazing how much more chilled I feel after a decent night's sleep too! I'm hoping the rest of the day goes just as well now.

Right I'm off to get a cuppa and some toast, hope you all have a lovely day today, especially with this sunshine we have at the moment :).

Am here! I think I must be lucky (touches every wood-like substance within reach) as Saskia goes down about 11 to 11.30 then sleeps to 2.30-3, then goes back to sleep to 5.30-6 then I have her in with me til about 8-9. She then goes into the vibrating chair and with a few rocks she is off again. Although she is very narky of an evening with the comical (sorry but the big down-turned mouth! Cruel mummy!!) crying for nothing routine which can get tedious but figure it won't last (images of self laughing bitterly at that in a year's time).But it can all change at any minute, Saskia could suddenly start sleeping badly so try to en joy it while it's bearable. Glad you have had a better one Rock. Although what's this about sunshine?

Glad you're feeling more upbeat today rock

Drum roll please....

L slept from half ten to 2am last night - that's a whopping 3 and a half hours without needing a stonking great big guzzle feed. Oh yes! :o

Just made choccy cupcakes with the girls while he's snuffled his way asleep (is it wrong to stick him in his bouncer right up against the radiator and snuggled down into a blanket to make sure he sleeps?! ) :o

He is awake, and we are about to ice the cakes. That should be a fun juggling act!

Well, I tried to do what the hv suggested on Tuesday which was to try putting George down awake and encourage him to settle himself. That is deffo not going to work, he just cries and cries.

I tried to put him down in his cot today so that we can work on Daddy getting his side of the bed back. That was also an epic fail, even though I put a blanket he'd been lying on to feed underneath him to counteract the cold sheets. He's currently asleep in his bouncy chair again, but only if I keep bouncing it when he stirs .

Travis, George also does the crying for nothing routine of an evening which is very challenging, but like you I am hoping in a month or 2 that will die down a bit. I can't wait til he is a bit more alert and happier to play so that he doesn't cry straight after a feed until I pace the entire flat rocking him for hours put him down to sleep.

I know we are supposed to appreciate every single day and each age our babies go through, but when they cry as much as George does it is tempting to wish the weeks away isn't it? But hey, at least I managed to get showered and dressed today - bonus!

rock sorry you are having a hard time of it, hopefully it is just a phase and he will settle soon. DS2 screamed and screamed every night from 7 to around midnight for 7 full weeks then stopped just like that!

I have no laptop so am trying to catch up on the dinosaur desktop we inherited for the DCs. And the car is also broken and in the garage - Not a great week really.

Kali is doing well, she slept last night from 11 until 6AM on DHs shift after having me up at 1AM and 4AM all week AND she smiled at DH and SIL bloody traitor - does she not know its me that does everything for her?

I am here too, feeding still v stressful, got a cracked and bleeding nipple which is ouch. Nearly threw in the towel on Monday and switched to FF however it's a bit better again now. Isobel is 4 weeks tomorrow and my NCT friends with 6 weekers are doing so well I do have hope. She's not gaining weight too quickly, but how often should i get her weighed without becoming paranoid?

Glad to hear my mum's not the only overly keen one, she calls dd "my baby". And when i was talking about retreating upstairs if we have visitors so i can feed with less stress, she said she'd follow me up there.

DD does sleep for a good stretch but after a feed it takes ages for her to settle again,

I was showered and dressed by midday, and this was after Isobel has an unscheduled bath to get baby sick out of her ear after puking on her new baby gym! Did nearly go out in jeans covered in poo the other day so clearly not got my act together yet!

running have you tried a silicone nipple shield? I had very similar problems when feeding DD1 and it was very painful - MW will tell you it's a problem to use a nipple shield (because of 'nipple/teat confusion') but I went on to feed her until she was 1 so that was bollocks for me. Nipple shield helped sooooooo much and gave my poor nips a rest until they were healed. Also, invest in Lansinoh if you haven't already - and lather it on every minute you can. Really helps. Also, with weighing these days they suggest you only weigh every month or so (also helps you not get too stressed about the loss or gain of just a few ozs). Lachlan is now only 5oz over his birth weight, but I know he's happy and contented and he's continuing on the centile he settled onto after birth. I am, however, resisting the urge to weigh him again this week as it'll only stress me out!

ladyB you must have a word with all mechanical/electrical things in your life to get them to behave so you can be stress free (cos that's going to happen with 3 littl'uns!!). How old are your boys btw?

Random - although L slept for one good 3.5hr stint last night, I woke up with a raging temperature and covered in sweat last night - had that freezing/boiling fever thing all night long. DH in the spare room and I couldn't get out of bed except to pick L out of his cot for a feed, so felt yuck and sorry for myself all night alone :(

We managed two lots of four hours sleep last night wiith a feed in the middle (even if he did sleep on the bed again). Then we had another couple of hours snoozing after the 7am feed! :)

Daddy sorted out the feeds and the nappy changes and Mummy did the settling back to sleep. I seem to have the magic touch with rocking George back to sleep and now have it down to a fine art. Pace and rock for 5/10 mins, sit on bed and pat bum for a few minutes, then lie George on my chest (face down) for 10 mins then roll over and gently place him on his back between Mummy and Daddy on the bed. Seems to work every time!

Initially I was worried about rolling onto him whilst he was sleeping next to me, but I find that I seem to fall into a lighter sleep and wake to check him periodically. We are planning to work on getting him back into the cot as soon as we (I) feel brave enough to try it again.

Hope all you ladies had a good night too, I will pop in later if I get time.

Well done Rock! I put S down at 11.30 after the obligatory whngeing etc but she slept til 4.15!! And tbh I think I may have woken her as her eyes were clsoed but she was making that waking noise. Anyone else have that - the noisy but asleep, not sure whether they need picking up or not dilemma? At 4am I can't be bothered to wait and see as I know she will need feeding soon so I make the probably foolish decision to pick her up. Anyway we have had the odd hour of sleep punctuiated with feeding and some grizzling since. Still - the right direction...
How are you all?? Any more sunshine elsewhere coz it sure as hell isnt here!

Well done rock - that's brilliant sleeping.

We seem to be doing a bit better on that front, she's started going down when not totally asleep after a feed. It feels like she's been feeding all day today, pulls herself off the boob, i burp her and then she starts screaming again. I'm not sure she's always screaming for me to shove my boob in her face again but i've not figured any difference in the screams yet.

This morning we had a quality puking moment, i was still in my pj's, burped her on my shoulder and she puked straight into my bra!

Stupid question time - we have a farm shop/cafe near us that DP and i go to sometimes. My mum nearly hit the roof when i suggested i might take isobel to the cafe. Is it really risky? There are animals to pet but we wouldn't go and do that, and she'd be in a car seat so i'm not sure how ott mum is being.

Hope you're feeling better bubba. Have tried nipple shield but only when highly fraught so it didn't work well. Decided not go weigh her this coming week but have arranged to go to a vreastfeeding club with one of the nct girls.

Your mum is being OTT I reckon - unless you're planning on throwing her into the pig sty so the piggies can babysit?

Ahhh yes, the lesser-known sick-catcher bra trick. Lovely. Okay if you're at home and can change. Less so if you're out and about.

George is having another evening screaming session, he seems to do this all evening and refuses to sleep even though he is knackered.

I really get upset listening to him when there seems to be nothing I can do to soothe him most of the time. I am going to go to bed in a minute to try and get him to sleep as there seems little point in staying up in these circs.

Hope everyone else has a better evening with their babes.

Hi everyone. Apologies for being mia - i have been lurking but each time i try to catch up on threads ds needs attending too. Currently b-feeding and typing with one hand which is taking me ages. OOh milk stupor has taken its hit on lo who is now dozing at the nipple. This week has been up and down. My mum came to stay which was lovely but kept me busy so no time to nap during the day. By thursday when i went to get lo weighed I was exhausted as 2 bad sleepless nights so must have had around 6 hours in total within a 48 hour period. So bad that after the weighing I was putting his nappy on back to front. Anyway hv was very concerned - clearly I looked crap as no make-up. She expressed concern that I was anaemic and so next week she is bringing the scales to my house so I don't have to exert myself. Great! On the upside I am feeding a monster. Henry seems to be going up a pound each week!! But he is so gorgeous albeit very spotty atm. Anyone else's baby got a spot like rash all over face (nothing to worry about but just looks sore).

Anyway it's amazing how much better you feel for a nap here or there isn't it. And on that note I should try and get another one in.

Oh and rock Henry has the whole screaming for no reason thing on a night too. It is heartbreaking isn't it. I can ignore it up to a point but there is a certain little cry he does which I can't resist picking him up. A lot of the time he cries right before falling asleep bless him. It's' as if he's scared to fall asleep on his own. Someone told me that until they are around 6 weeks they don't realise they are outside of you. I think that is very cute. Anyway he is very alert these days and starting to smile with his whole face although I don't think he knows what he's smiling for as the next minute he does sad face.

Okay I need to stop gabbling.

Our DD is awake at night too - she has a late feed around 10 to midnight, it was 9:30 tonight but then won't settle, often until the next feed. She's not screaming as such but will cry when put down or when dummy falls out. Very frustrating as there's nothing perceivably wrong with her but she just won't sleep regardless of how much or little sleep she has had during the day. She is currently watching Match of the Day with Daddy

I hope you manage to get some rest salt. Surely your mum should have helped so you could get some sleep??! Don't worry about the spots, it's just your hormones through the milk affecting him.

Katie I wouldn't worry about where you take baby unless it's smoky or excessively noisy. I booked DD's first gig ticket today - it's an outdoor one in July so can stand well back away from the noise if we need to but will get baby ear defenders just in case she wants to join the mosh pit

I agree with gallic salt, next time make your mum take Henry or do a shop for you or something, to give you a break, esp. if you're struggling for sleep and being run-down etc.

running it may be worth trying the shield again in a calmer state. Breastfeeding group sounds like a good plan (as long as the other mums are struggling too)

LadyB L did a similar sleep thing the first night when DH moved back into our room - and woke us up just twice overnight, and went straight back to sleep both times - don't think DH believed all my crappy nights!! L was back ti his usual tricks last night, and DH was fairly crap (kept falling back to sleep, snoring and then sighing loudly when I made him get up) so I'm chucking him back out tonight - better for my sanity and our marriage!!

Has anyone had their 6 week check yet? I was wondering what is checked and what goes on.

DD has her 6 week check with the HV this week. How time flies when you're awake half the night and smell of baby puke

Our GPs do the six week check after 8 weeks [WTF?] but I think they check things like baby's reflexes (they kind of go to drop her and see if she 'startles'), check vision (see if baby follows movement in front of her etc), check hips, weigh and measure her etc. Can't remember much else. Also we have to make an appt with the nurse afterwards for 1st set of immunisations, so I assume your HV will be giving Alys those at the same time.

actually was wondering more what is checked for me and if there's an internal exam.

can't see the point of gp checking all those baby things when hv does them too. Appointments also towards 8 weeks here too.

(excuse typing - only one hand free. other busy with baby)

oh. sorry, no clue (seriously, can't remember at all, though I think I'd remember if I'd had internal exams too, so prob not). I only see the GP, - no HV appt for me here.

Just saw you got gig tickets for the summer :) Are you camping? If so, will you tuck Alys in with you, or in a tent-cot (littlelefe stylee) or something else?

Thanks for the words of encouragement gallic and bubba. Feeling better past couple of days thanks and on a positive note had sex for the first time yesterday after 5 weeks. I decided it must be fine. Didn't hurt as much as I thought so clearly I wasn't sewn up afterall lol . I'm hoping there isn't an internal examination at 6 weeks gallic as I see my GP all the time and he seems to be a little on the autistic scale and a little difficult to deal with? HOwever, I know this might sound odd but sometimes I feel like I have water in me still?

Oh I went to a coffee morning the other day and I have to say I'm not sure i'll be going again. I found it a bit clicky to say the least. Not particularly bothered but just jealous I wasn't in a clique of my own iyswim. Still, I have you guys so not totally alone, now just got to encourage all my friends to get up the duff tee hee.

bubba my dh is the same on a night. I have taken to sleeping in the living room on the sofa bed as I feel less frustrated and resentful than when I am seeing dh put his head under the pillow and pretending like he can't hear!!

Hi there- sorry been AWOL again, but caught up on the latest posts whilst sitting in the dark rocking bubs to sleep earlier- tho can't type on my phone so had to wait till now.

Salt yep mine also has spots- tho he's formula fed so can't be from breast milk- doc said it's baby acne- poor kid isn't even a teenager yet and hs spots! She said they normally clear by 3 months or so- he has it on his face and neck, not pretty bless him.

my 6 week check with DS1 was mostly about baby- no examinations for me, just a quick chat that all was 'ok' and talk about contraception. I booked my 6 wk check for this week (5 wks)- d'oh baby brain, so need to change that I guess.

I feel for all with the unsettled babies in the evenings- we've had the same- screaming before settling, have found that going up to the nursery and staying with him in the almost darkness works best- hardly any screaming, even tho he takes almost an hour to settle it's much less stressful- of course things could change but it works at the moment! Also great tip from a friend- put a top/scarf that you've worn in the cot with them as the scent soothes them, also a hot water bottle in the cot/basket, then take it out before you put them down, I've tried it a few times and works a treat, they don't go into a cold bed and settle much better.

Sex? I'm still far too knackered and would rather sleep- lol! Poor DH, and he had to wait so long the other side of the birth as I wasn't interested then either!

salt I've also been to a childrens group nearby, it's good as there are so many people there so you don't feel like an idiot if no-one speaks too you, but at the same time it's a bit isolating, people tend to chat to who they know, I guess it could change if you go often enough?

anyway, better get to bed before the night shift starts...

Thanks for the tips Sara. DD was sleeping quite happily until about 5 minutes before DP came home so of course the first thing he hears as he walks in is Alys screaming like a banshee and showing me up. Maybe she just wanted to watch MOTD with daddy :)

I'm finding that she is getting too heavy for me to hold and rock for long periods of time. My back already aches from holding her to feed and she's only around 8lb , I dread to think how I'll cope as she grows.

I'm with Sara on the idea of having sex! If I do have the time to spare, I'd rather be mumsnetting sleeping.

DP is on holiday for next week so we're going to attempt a baby and parent group tomorrow in an effort to get me used to going out. Can't imagine what goes on at them to be honest. Babies are too young to sit around playing with them which leaves the prospect of small talk with a load of strangers.

Bubba we're going to one day gigs rather than camping at festies. We've booked a festie in Hertfordshire and Jamie Cullum at Kew Gardens. Just hope it's sunny! We'll leave the camping until sterilising isn't an issue.

Nice gallic - we used to go to the summer swing in Kew (I grew up there and DH and I had our first flat there before we were priced out of the area!). Not sure I can convince my DH that Jamie is the one to see this year, but if I can, I'll look out for you!! :)

As I'm breastfeeding, we're going to try camping in the summer, though currently trying to persuade DH that we could do a short weekend at Easter (if the temps rise above 0degrees that is!!)

I find parent and baby groups weird too, but there are other mums out there like you who also find it weird. What I found hardest at the start with DD1 was how nobody could talk about anything other than babies. I found it hard to realise most people now just saw me as a mum, rather than a 'real' person. Also can be a lot of competitiveness which you just have to smile at sweetly and pretend you think their PFB is wonderful. :o

hello - no real time to catch up - as desperately need to sleep! Hope you are all doing ok.... had my other best friend visit and brother and wife this weekend - so busy and stressful (ish).

Plus jesse still has AWFUL wind - he whimpers in his sleep and wakes himself up all the time cos of it - so i'm not getting much sleep as shushing him and trying to comfort him whole time. And i want to cry as feel so sorry for him

And thank gods i'm expressing - managed to get 1.5 hours last night at 10ish whilst mum gave him bottle and nappy changed.

Promise to log on soon and catch up and take notes! - but just wanted to say i was still here - albeit not really in mind! but body! and that i hadn't forgotton about you all!

PS. Sunday was my panicky "Will i have to BF in public" day -but took expressed milk with me - and after all the panic and everything - he slept whole time and didn't want feed til home!