Feb 2011- a bit late, but we're finally in post natal!

[debka]

Welcome everyone!!

Do you realise that there will be a Feb 2012 AN thread soon!

debka i only put the ear plugs in when dh is in bed too right next to the basket,also earplugs only cut out a bit of noise and id hear the alarm as it screeches. Also the sids point is that they are somehow influenced by the parents breathing and this gives some protection. That is the reason i am concerned about putting her into her own room and not whether id hear the alarm. Dont forget D has other probs too and her cleft means her tongue can block her airway so i am just being over cautious,the others were in their own room by now.

ponyo that was a good night then,i wonder if she was over tired yesterday? D is usually a 6am waker but i must admit 7am today felt alot better and she went to bed earlier last night,these babies have no logic do they?
DD1 came back down at 8 i know she hadnt been back to sleep, i said something and she collapsed onto the floor in tears,ill be putting up with that all flippin day now.
Dh finished at midnight and came to bed at 3am,must be lovely to have that luxury eh girls.I think he may regret it at 10 when i wake him to go and buy the shopping cos ive got to look after my nan at 12.30 and she's more work than Delilah

lol at everyone now thinking i live in a mansion. i won't shatter the dream and tell you i live in a regular 3 bed semi . it is massive compared to the house we moved from though. we only had space for one sofa in the old place .

wandering i was thinking the very same thing re feb 2012 thread too - was going to post that today too

i get the hot thing you all speak of too . i also come over all sweaty when i change her nappy too

I was wondering this morning why babies seem to fund it so hillarious when you stick your tongue out (or maybe it's just mine )

wiggles I hope to preserve my sofas true beauty with no crayon/pen marks [hopeful emoticon] - please tell me this in a few years time so i can laugh at my naiveness.

I think we have semi progress with DH. He said to me this morning something along the lines of 'it's probably just me but i think there's been a bit of tension between us the past couple of days so lets just foget that and carry on as normal' and he just went back to usual - if babies are weird then i find men weirder sometimes

family IL coming over today for a picnic so please send good weather vibes my way.

early night sounds good - anyone planning on watching eurovision? I'm quite interested to see this jedwood entry

Reastie, I saw Jedward on Alan Titmarsh the other day (yes I know, but Noah was asleep on me and there was nothing else on tv) and they 'sang' their song. Catchy but crap. They are sooooooo annoying!
I too get the sweats when Noahs on me and fretting, usually find if we both cool on it all calms down a bit!
Noah did quite well last night, woke a few times and fed at 1am, managed to snuggle himself into his binky a few times so we just needed to put it next o his face. He did end up in with us from 6.30 as Ben woke him up. We put Ben in front of the tv and went back to sleep until 8! Am quite pleased but hoping it can only get better!
Hope you all have a good day. It was beautifully sunny first thing this morning but I can see some sneaky clouds coming in! Hope it's not going to rain, I want to get my washing out on the line!

I confess I sleep with earplugs in. I always have done because I'm a very light sleeper and DH snores but stopped after L was born. I was waking up at the slightest movement but with the earplugs I only wake up when he starts fussing. I obviously don't use them when he's in bed with us though.

Bensmum - how did you get him to take his binky? I've tried to get him to take a comfort object but he's not interested. I guess I'm better than any muslin or toy.

Deffo looking forward to Eurovision tonight! The commentary is the best part. Jedward drive me crazy, they're so twitchy and have a constant stream of nonsensical crap pouring out of their mouths.

Ponyo your post has really reassured me, it seems like there are just some things we 'shouldn't' say, even though it's how we feel, and you're right, here it's OK, and then like this, we discover that actually other people feel like that too.

C is having another fussy feeding day today. I think she actually went through a bit of a random growth spurt about a week ago, upped all her bottles to an extra ounce, and now maybe she has settled again and I'm expecting her to keep having the bigger feeds when perhaps she just had a few really hungry days? Has anyone else had this - baby feeds a lot then randomly reduces feeds a few days later? I think in a way this is where FF is hard because it's hard not to obsess over the numbers, how many ounces she has had etc.

Dx

Morning

Am having a nice morning as dh has taken ds1&2 to his parents, Mikey is having a snooze so am watching Telly! been shopping too although I ding'd the car. Haven't told dh yet - gulp.

How r you today reastie are things back on track. Have you tried the old fashioned Tell Him What's Bothering You. Although am a fan of the sulk n'see personally, it might help just to spell I out for him. Or when he is doting on Alice say "any of those hugs/attention/time for me dh/luvva/twatbag" and that might give him a clue? Hope you are ok anyway.

Things looking up then bensmum ?

ledkr I forgot about Delilah's cleft , sorry more

I can't be doing with earplugs but I do sleep with the duvet over my head!

DH has gone AT LAST after a swearing tantrum (him not me) because I didn't know where his nicotine patches were. No, he's not giving up, my big mean 33 year old husband has not had the balls to tell his parents he smokes, and he's working with his dad this weekend. The only reason he likes me to go with him to stay at his parents when he's working (business based in Midlands), is so he can use me as an excuse to go out for a fag in the evening after the kids are in bed. Am celebrating the peace and quiet and calm atmosphere (girls in bed too!) with some nachos and MN.

Another good thing about him being gone- I can watch Eurovision!! Yay!!

Expat, Noah has liked holding a muslin over his face for a few weeks, so I thought, hmmmm, I wonder if he'll take his binky. I gave it to him yesterday when he was tired and put it in his hand, then when he was having his last feed we gave it to him again, I smooth his face with it and encourage him to hold it. I've just put him down for a nap and put the binky against his face, he's on his side, and he's gone to sleep!
Delia, Noah definitely up and lowers his feed amounts! It is bewildering sometimes isnt it. He's going thru a growth spurt again and has upped his intake again!
Reastie, I always tell dh exactly how it is, sometimes unnecessarily! Im always honest with him and he says he likes it cos he knows what's going on and can try to fix it. Might be worth sitting down with dh and telling him what's been bothering you.

bensmum S only started reliably sleeping in her cot when she had found her thumb- I think they all need something to comfort them a bit. Really hope the binky works for Noah :)

L tries so hard to suck his thumb but he can't quite get it. Sometimes he can suck his hand but the thumb eludes him.

A question for those using the Baby Whisperer's Easy routine: do your babies take a lot of short naps during the day? I expect him to take a couple longer naps (over an hour) but maybe I'm not being realistic.

Aha, glad it's not just Claudia who ups and downs feeds. I think I find it easier to accept when she is hungrier (she is growing of course and should keep eating a bit more), whereas when she reduces, I tend to assume something is wrong.

New approach (which will last as long as it takes me to attempt the next feed at 5pm!) is to let her stop when she's ready, and offer her a bit more 5 mins later but not keep offering over and over (which is what I tend to do, although I accept it's not the right way to do it). I think because we had weight issues to start with, I was focussed too much on 'getting it in her' whereas now I just need to learn to accept her telling me she is full. You probably now all think I've been force feeding the poor mite, I haven't, but have probably perservered too long (until we're all pissed off) on some feeds.

americanexpat I'm not doing baby whisperer but am roughly doing eat, activity, sleep (I guess it's what I referred to a few weeks ago as Gina Lite). Anyway, C is now getting better at having a longer nap in the middle of the day. I do 3 EAS cycles per day, starting at 7am, and ending at 5pm with bath bottle bed by 7pm. At first C was rubbish at daytime naps but is now much better. She's staying awake for around 2 hours a time now and then whines that she is tired and goes to sleep. She has 45 mins to an hour around 9am, an hour up to 2 hours from midday and then a quick 30 mins before 5pm. It can vary massively though, and I find the number of sleeps depends on the quality of them, e.g. if she has a good two hour sleep in bed at home at lunchtime then she will stay awake for longer than if she has dozed in the car etc..

D

Delia, you are not the only one who tries to get a good feed into their little one. It had gotten to the point where it was taking an hour to feed Noah cos I just kept on going back and offering more if he hadnt taken what I thought he should! He's just moved on to the size three Avent Teats now, and takes a feed in 20 minutes with me only offering him more once or twice.
Well, big news. Noah has had all three naps in his cot today. Just needed to suck my little finger to settle, i even managed to swap my finger for his thumb at one point! Am really pleased but wont count my chickens yet as I know it could all change tomorrow. Feel like I have got so much done today though. We went for a walk to the shops just for some fresh air today not to get Noah to nap in his buggy!!
Expat, I think babies at the age our are rarely take longer naps without intervention. Noah tends to wake after 40 minutes or so and today for his first two naps i managed to get him to sleep for longer. It seems that if he can get past the 40 minutes he will nap for a long time. I think these routines are all trial and error and you have to build them around what your baby does, as the books drove me crazy when Ben was a baby!

delias hows things with the dom peridone?
bens gosh he sounds loads better,wow,it just shows doesnt it,we need to "help"them to find the way sometimes,id guess that 1am feed will get later and later and the 6.30 in with you is a morning treat,id do it myself if D didnt growl at me and lash out
ex pat the earplugs are a life saver arent they?I take them to hotels and camping,my Mum also queried my use but i dont htink people realise you can still hear with them its just muffled,i am also an extremely light sleeper so am never scared i wont hear her.
debka next time dh is vile you should threaten him with grassing him up to his parents haha.
Been with my Nan all day she told me the same stories over and over and gave me a running comentary when driving telling me who lived everywhere. she was telling me that a man she knows bought her some tartar sauce sachets from a resturant but then switched to saying he was in a manhole at 4am? Very confused today. She loved seeing d tho and she charmed her suitably. I got home,thought id have alook on mn and then everyone starts dmanding a piece of me,when dc's or dh asks where something is you know you will eventually end up looking for it yourself!!

Am also forcing the comforter thing,she does like a muslin over her face but ive been replacing it with her sweet pink dolly comforter with her name on it.so much prettier.

Ledkr ha ha with with dom, yesterday she had it 4 times as directed, and again she woke to feed at 4am when she normally goes through from 11 to 7. This has happened a couple of times now, hasn't fed in the night for ages, then the day I give the Dom she wakes to feed. It speeds up their digestion so I guess she will get hungry sooner? So I am going to leave it now until I see paed on Thurs. She's not vomiting so doesn't need it to keep actual food down, but is refluxing (although now mostly painlessly due to acid control).

Bensmums glad it's not just me with the feed, I don't know why I keep doing it! Agree with sleep patterns, C comes into a light sleep after about 45 minutes and if she stays down through that then she will sleep for up to two hours.

D

Delias i just replied on pm,sorry didnt check it. Poor D had areally refluxy episode ear;ier today,she was choking and gagging (the acid stings her cleft) ds2 was here,hes 24 and a nurse,he gave her water from a syringe with a dose of ranatidine mixed in it,the releif was immediate bless her,ds said the water dilutes the acid and washes it away as well. When C refluxes does she ever looked scared? D's eyes go all wide and she looks so shocked,it breaks my heart.

aww ledkr poor D, hope the bad reflux episodes aren't going to happen often :( Yes last night was a good'un so am hoping for the same again, although the extra hours sleep from 6am to 7am does make a big difference too!

delia a big yes to the bottles and ounces thing, we are on 6oz now but she has probably only finished it 3 times? I try to ignore the fact we're wasting money milk and think how upset she gets the odd time she's finished the bottle and wanted more, nnot worth the risk!

Back in a bit dd is needing attention

Hello all, Ledkr poor Dilly, you must be proud of ds2, being able to help like that. Dd1 and dd2 sleep on a different floor to us and when Anna goes into her own room, she'll be down as well. We have 4 bedrooms but 2 on each floor, at the minute the one beside ours is used as a dumping ground playroom, Sofia & Olivia have decided they would rather keep the playroom and share a bedroom.

Anna also fluctuates a lot with the amount of formula she takes, she's on 210ml at the minute but she doesn't finish it all a lot of the time, then can carry on like she's starving the next day. I'm still using the Tommee Tippee variable teats, she takes about 20 mins to feed, but God help you should you have the temerity to stop and try and wind her before she finishes.

Reastie Ah bless re your sofa, I'm not going to scare you about the messes Alice is going to make, but I am marking my place for about 14 months time

Great news some of the babies are getting good naps in and starting to stretch out at night a bit.

Hope everyone has a good night and enjoy Eurovision , you sad, sad people

Evening all, had a fab wee day with my girls! Im now sitting watching Foo fighters at radio1 big weekend with some ben and jerrys - pure bliss.
ledkr sorry to hear D had a bad episode, it must be so hard seeing her in so much pain.

wiggles I think it's lovely DD1 & 2 would rather share a room

ohh jane - ben and jerrys . Pass some over here, but only if it's phish food - and frozen yog not ice cream please, I'm watching my weight

40 thanks for asking re: DH and I - he's back to normal now and I've given up the polite treatment. I think he's being nicer to me as he's now absolutely desperate for some action

picnic with family IL went well (as well as it could have).Did treasure hunt and pass the parcel for the little nieces which went down well and we all had an indoor picnic on the new second hand sofa - ohhhh it's so comfy. I'll ignore the fact it takes up half the family room . Alice was v well behaved considering how much she got passed around.

Managed to have a word with DH re: frustrationg with MIL. Tried my best to tactfully word it. I don't think he understands why I get annoyed as I do but at least he is now aware of some of the issues (didn't mention everything)

Have given up on eurovision - lost interest after checking out how our performance went.

DH has taken to bathing in with alice as it calms her alot more - twas so sweet hearing him sing twinkle twinkle little star and baa baa black sheep to her in the bath this evening

ledkr my nan tells the same stories over and over too - must be a nan thing . Mine does make sense with hers though

:( to all those with LOs with bad reflux - must be really upsetting.

Back again, quick post for me as I'm knackered

reastie interesting you mentioned A being passed around, here is my story from family do (my grandads 90th b'day) today - dd passed around a bit and got bit upset. Put her in her carry cot on the pram and she was happy, doing loads of smiles for my sis who was entertaining her, lovely. Then,just as she's getting sleepy, my grandma says to get her out for family photo, we do and she screams. Put her back in carry cot and it takes her an unsettled half hour to fall asleep.

I was so bloody angry with myself for not saying "no, leave her, she's nearly asleep". A real lesson in trusting your instinct, dp and I both knew we shouldn't get her out but did b'cos we never see the family that often and probably felt a bit pressured.

Also, no-one came over and saw her while she was in her carry cot beforehand (except my sis and mum) - poor baby being passed around like a parcel. Am feeling bad about it but need to learn from it and say no fuck off next time.

Right theres my massive long, self indulgent post I've had a and am ready for bed...

jane glad you had a nice day and hope you've finished off the ben and jerrys :)

See you in the morning all xx

ponyo I felt that pressure too when we went to big family get together but it kind of has to be done just the once tho,and did you notice they never come near the baby when she's screaming from all the over stimulation. tsk.
reastie dont listen to wiggles I have 2 lovely sofas-thanks to good old dfs and the never never payments. One is creamy white and is in the play/family room and is like new I bought it when Ella was born and at the same time also bought a big cream throw from Jon Lewis and i have just kept it covered,the corner one in the lounge is the colour of dirt dark brown and looks new too. I am plannng to m you btw re pils.
ex pat i do baby whisperer and aim for 2-3 1,5 hr sleeps. As with any book i think they are there for guidance not regimented rules. I have been known to let D sleep for 3 hrs if im busy and she happens to sleep on.
Night all sleep tight little thread babes.

Morning all!

Just been trying to catch up after our little holiday. Seem to have come home with a mountain of washing and a slightly out of synch baby. Good news is she slept through last night, although only if you count "through" as waking at 5 for a nappy change. R went straight back to sleep though and eventually got up at 8 - she's dozing on me again now so I think she's still tired!

reastie Am very jealous of your play room. We only moved into our house a year ago next week (and talk of the Feb 2012 thread has reminded me of finding out I was pregnant nearly a year ago!) and the house is already feeling a but small. I think we'll stay here for another few years though...I just need to get better at tidying it up!

ledkr Hope D is feeling better today. Can i ask your advice on bottles over night? You too wiggles? I'm not sure if R will get enough food if we drop the 11pm dream feed. But we have to drop it at some point? She currently has about 180-200ml 5 times a day including the dream feed...

Off to a 1st birthday picnic today. Am going to try and good be with the picnic food though...may have over indulged while away (pub tea and an evening in Jamie's Italian) so need to fund some Weight Watchers points from somewhere.....