The CRESH spa and creche: we ALL deserve crap ham

[FannyPriceless]

Enter all ye ESHes. We've been Barren, we've been Pregnant - now at last we are Child-Rearing.

• Come share your questionable tips on raising a real live baybee!
• Compete with Cunty to take control of the bad mummy crown!
• Eat crap ham - after all, you deserve it!

Just had a read back and feel the need to give light a medal, or at least a big hug. That must have been such a tough thing to go through, Hopefully it's all paling into the distance now.

honey we've not done swimming for ages, because of the timing of the sessions. But she's about to spent eight days living in a property with its own pool, so we'll make up for it there. Don't fear, he won't remember any of this.

Glad you got some sleep alps.

Talk or drink, it's up to you.

Rocket there are a good few co-sleepers here who can give a better reply. I tried the bedside cot method but it didn't really work. She has always come in with us now and then. (twice this week). Just do what feels right for you. I know I am a light enough sleeper for it to never have been a problem. But I would not leave her alone next to a sleeping SFF, he just wouldn't wake when it mattered. I don't think men have the same instincts for sensing babies' nighttime activities.

Gah, my connection keeps dipping out, so will post and give up

Thanks lighty. I think I'll get some better cream and take it from there. Keep pushing with the diet. It was fecking hard when I started in September, but there's nought as nice as getting back into long-missed clothing.

I can heartily recommend PND as a weight-loss method

Right, this time I am off.

alps. just

Thanks curly. TB is not in with us at the mo and there wouldn't be enough room in the bed for all three of us (plus the huge gap between sprout and the edge if the bed/pillow/Moses basket that my paranoia requires) although if we got one of the bedside rail things there might be. Just winging it currently not sure if it will become a regular thing. If sprout was to be between us then we would have to swap sides and this would mean TB being on the alarm side. Hmm

Rocket Dr Sears is my co-sleeping guru. We have a super-kingsize bed, so there is plenty of space for us all, but to start with I put LG on the outside of the bed. When he was about 3 or 4 months he started to sleep between OH and I. (Last week, OH discovered that you shouldn't put a baby who crawls in his sleep on the outside any more! It was the thud that woke me up.) Co-sleeping is mostly lovely, but it gets a bit annoying when LG wakes up to feed only to realise he doesn't want milk and rolls over to go back to sleep again. Then 10 minutes later wonders whether he wants milk again....etc. TT used to sleep across the bed - even in a big bed that makes it a tight fit fro everyone. Ask away, if you have any very specific questions. HVs don't like it, btw, because they have it drummed into them by the NHS, not because of any particular reason. If you think HVs are bad you want to try being in hospital for several days with a 9 week old baby who is NOT happy about being put in a cot alone, and then trying to explain yourself to the doctor when she asked why he was screeching so much in the middle of the night.

rocket have you seen this Unicef leaflet about co-sleeping? HV are I think usually all DOOOOOM about it because they are taught that way. But given that most people co-sleep at some point they'd be better off telling people how to do it safely in my opinion.

I only do it for naps on occasion, as I can't sleep properly when co-sleeping. I don't like people being close to me when I sleep. I like to have the covers right round my chin, and I like to turn over a billion times to get comfy. Although I have fallen asleep while sitting up in bed with her. Never on the sofa though. I am always very careful to stay awake on the sofa.

Thanks both. Off to bed now as baby is sleeping so I suppose I should be too. But will check out both links tomorrow. I suspected the HV thing was to do with toeing the part line etc. Like so much of the NHS it's all about rules and guidelines and no room for the individuals needs.

Rocket we did it in very first few weeks home from hossie when every scrap of sleep at night was desperately needed. I'd bring him in the early hours and just go to sleep latched on. We have a super king so we was relatively ok but even now looking back he would end up partly under duvet... Oops. I did it because I absolutely had to but persevered with Moses and then at 6 weeks into his own room. I'm glad because there are no issues about where he sleeps and he definitely does not want to be anywhere but his own bed. All I'm saying is, don't do anything now you might regret!!!!! I didn't fancy a 2 year old in bed with me as well as the bloody dog!

I liked the idea of co-sleeping, but have never done it as could never work out how the bedding would work. I've still to master breastfeeding lying down, she's usually too hungry for me to spend the time.

Just popping in to say that we co-slept from birth out of choice - he didn't move from the family bed until he was 2. I bought an organic silk duvet which he did used to sleep under with us after the newborn days. The move to his own bed was completely untraumatic and he loved going into his own room.

My HV and I never discussed how we slept - I hardly saw her anyway out of choice - but my friend's HV, after going through the all the safe sleeping guidelines, added, 'off the record I slept with all 3 of mine, and it never did any of them any harm'. :o

Co-sleeping saved my sanity, helped my milk supply to continue (he self weaned about 4 or so months ago), and was bloody lovely for all of us - MrBoo included.

Am quite happy to lend you my bedside cot if that would be helpful Rocket? That way you can stay sleeping on your side of the bed?

Co-sleeping is becoming attractive again now due to these continued 3 hourly wakings that are doing my head in. I thought things were improving, but not so much.

But like you Medee I find the feeding lying down just not that easy.

I had to crack the lying down feeding early on because as well as being so exhausted post c-section and shuffling around like Ozzy Osborne, the MW put us on a 4 hourly feeding regime for the first few days after we got home from hospital. It was really painful having to hoik my body up the bed and mess about with pillows every 4 hours that I just had to do it that way.

Am happy to share feeding lying down tips if you haven't already had any? But always wary of posting in this section too much as I feel like a bit of an intruder despite my ESHdentials!

Sounds like I'm the same as muser sleep-wise. I have co-slept for 'fun' as he's older but its more risky now he's mobile and a fidgetpants. Not risky as in lying on him but risky as in him seemingly determined to leap from the bed and I've caught him by the ankle more than once.

Dropped him in the bath last week. Sat him on the side and slippy bum fell off and landed in the water. Who's the current crown wearer?

curl Aveeno is good but £ and is available on 'script tho my quack too tight to prescribe. Aveeno bath oil or the Baby version also good. MBs much improved. Head cleared up but seems a small patch is reappearing. Will make a return appointment to see the doctor once back from visiting the parents.

oki hope today is much better!

WRT co sleeping - we couldn't. HI too much of a lump! One that moves and has no concept of da baybee. As I lay here bfing in bed, he's already cracked MB on the bonce with his elbow.

Oh and I BLOODY hate being on the alarm side and seemingly responsible for him getting up. Oh how I'd love to not have to worry about alarms and have my very own personal slave alert me to the alarm!

Muser IMHO I don't think co sleeping is the answer to less frequent feedings/wakenings. If anything it's likely to make your boobs even more 24/7 available on tap. It's quite likely that she doesn't know how to get back to sleep any other way (what happened to us ) if she's having 5 feeds during the day and over 4 months. It just depends whether you want to try and knock that on the head now or later.

MadameBoo sounds like you had an ideal experience as far as cosleeping goes. I'm just trying to make rocket wary as I know at least 5 people who did it out of desperation and had massive issues if kids that can't sleep alone and had even worse nights with wriggling toddlers in bed. And were treated like milk on tap. Fine if that's what you want to do and family are supportive but wasn't for me.. Too risky!

Thanks for the offer of the bedside cot boo I'll have a think abd discuss with TB as originally I was thinking if buying one. Bless him he had to move into the spare room again after the 11 pm feed, he can't sleep thru babyleafs sniffles and snorts. Doesn't bother me for some reason even tho usually I am the lighter sleeper.

Thanks for the warning moo I think I am probably storing up trouble anyway as babyleaf only seems to want to sleep ON me at night although we can put her down drowsy during the day and she goes off fine. Thesy ay you can't spoil a new born baybee but at what point can you spoil them? :o

When they start having tantrums rocket!

I know Squeaks needs me when she's actually crying, but she does have a no-tears cry that is used purely to try to get out of sleeping in her cot. Mind you, she was really upset at 3am today, I took her through to my bed and she started trying to crawl around and play - so she got sent straight back to her own bed and dropped off again after 6 mins of strop. I was letting her co-sleep while she was sick. And she is really distressed with yet another lingering cough, but after those antics, I know she's better and she will be staying in her own room now!

At babyleaf's age, I don't think you have to worry. Have you tried swaddling at night - so she feels like she's being cuddled?

Thanks for your input silv. I'll probably buy some Aveeno because I want her skin to be as good as poss before we go abroad.

We were swaddling but stopped, I might reinstate (she is swaddled now as I got her naked for the feed and it's easier than dressing her again). She often just breaks out of it!! She is a very windy baby so j think a lot if the activity at night is her working the farts out and hence why her lying tummy down on my tummy is so soothing. If I have trapped wind then best way to get rid is lying face down and I suspect she takes after me digestion wise.

I think baybees are damn hard work however you sleep really Moo - but co-sleeping suits me (I'm lazy :o)(MrB is laid back as well ). I have a friend who desperately wanted to co-sleep but for various reasons including that she is a very light sleeper it just didn't work for them. Yeah - I was one of those women who was happy to be milk/comfort on tap and loved having my wriggly toddler in bed - but I am a heavy sleeper though (and so is MrB).

I know someone who never slept with her children when they were babies, and her youngest (now 6) still has massive issues with sleeping alone and he creeps into their bed quietly without waking them up in the middle of the night most nights, so I don't think that co-sleeping can be blamed for all sleep issues.

Rocket People talk about rods and backs with newborns but it's your rod and your back and what is one person's meat is another person's poison yadda yadda yadda- that's why there is so much debate about all that stuff on here innit? Go with your heart and your instincts and your feelings and you are doing what is right for you and your family, and sod what anyone else thinks :o

Morning ladies. Unfortunately. Well I shall mostly be feeling sleepy today... Due to Project Diet I foolishly consumed a glass of diet coke in place of the glass of last night, and end up tossing and turning until sometime after 4 in the morning. The junior person in the family then decided it would be a great idea to wake up at 5.30, and could only be persuaded back to sleep by way of boob juice...finally put him back in his cot at 6.15 and crawled into bed, but didn't sleep as we were awaiting delivery of new washing machine at 7am (yep, after no dishwasher, no hot water, we then had no washing machine for the last week). So he was up again at 7. At least he did go back to sleep though or I'd be having to put him down for his first nap of the day already. So that's me for the day...about an hour or so's sleep. Yay. What happened to that coffee syringe? Need to get cooking up.

Ooh, and VAG, whilst lying there counting flocks sheep I remembered I should pass you a tip a friend gave me when I was having problems in the Ermintrude department. You probably already know about the fennel tea one...another one is to boil up some water with dill seeds in it - about a tablespoon's worth per pint. Let it cool and drink it cold. I used to alternate between that and fennel tea to get the juices flowing. It apparently also helps to be looking at your baby - either in person or by way of a photo...apparently, though never worked for me...

Oh God, yeah, I had forgotten about that farty wriggling. And she had sex-pest grunting with it. Bless littleleaf, she's just getting used to how her wee body works. Another option I used early on (mainly due to reflux) was sleeps in her bouncer chair. I'd leave it vibrating till dropped off, then switch it off. Being more upright helped with the wind and reflux.

SFF and I hardly ever slept in the same room in the early months weeks. We were just all keeping eachother awake and I figured the one who was working should get some sleep. But I also made sure he took her downstairs when possible and left me to sleep.

Hee hee. We had the farty wriggling and sex pest grunting too...

I agree that co-sleeping isn't the answer to more frequent feedings, but if you're able to sleep through the feedings it is an answer to getting more sleep.

I'm still not convinced that the wakings aren't hunger given the way she feeds when she wakes. I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt for now. I'm not really one for "your baby should be doing this now" and as I'm not working I can afford to be a little tired. And I'm just not up for any kind of sleep training that involves leaving her to cry. She gets inconsolable, it upsets me, and I live in a very badly soundproofed flat so not exactly fair on the neighbours.

:o @ sex pest grunting. Is funny as I wax ruminating on the baby pig jn Alice in wonderland just this morning. Babyleaf sounds so much like one with all the snuffling, grunting and when she does cry (not often) it's a little paddy squeal. I can already hear what her crocodile tears ate going to sound like when she's older.
Thanks for all the thoughts on sleeping etc. I am going to continue to wing it and see what happens. The BFing aspect isn't really an issue as she can't catch on on her own at the mo. But would be nice if we crack that to ve able to feed without waking/sitting up.

Boo true words of wisdom there about co-sleeping. I also co-slept by choice from birth - LG was born beside the bed and was in it claiming complete ownership of it within 3 minutes! We do have a cot, just no room to put it in yet... BTW you are obviously a CRESH - you have one child, don't you? This is the place for discussion of all ESH children, not just the ones conceived in ESH-dom. IYSWIM.

So LG is in our bed a lot, but is rapidly heading stables-ward again. I claim the crown from Alps, last night instead of Calpol for whatever it is that's giving him grief we gave him Medised. It's OK though, it was an old bottle - a bit past it's use by date, but still had the baby dosage instructions on the back.

I'm finally getting to the point where I can decorate a nursery for LG. He's having www.lambsivy.com/product.shtml?411this and www.beckyandlolo.co.uk/product/childrens_wall_stickers_forest_animals/this. Whaddya think? Even better, I get to decorate a room for TT too. She's having a full on castle and www.stencilkingdom.com/catalogue/catalogue.php?page=enchanted/catalogue_body_enchanted_enchanted05.phpunicorn-fest. cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hot-Pink-Princess-Mosquito-Net-Childrens-Bedroom-Canopy-/160562752020#ht_1734wt_1214Tasteful, no?