April 2011; springtime arrivals - blackbird, song thrush, mistle thrush, nipple thrush, nappy thrush...

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

Here we are, our new thread and this time we all have our babies !

I thought we were getting thrush again, but then realised I had let ds's latch get sloppy. He was constantly clicking and tutting at the breast but I was too distracted to notice.

Ds and I made butterfly cakes together this morning, ds got to choose the colour of the buttercream icing ..... It is a very lurid shade of pink and they are covered in sugar strands. You can never have enough sugar!

Thanks for the advice re random crying. He's been fine today and had several good feeds so who knows. I wonder if it could be tiredness he slept really badly the night before last but then had a good sleep last night and has been fine today.

We had our first baby swimming lesson today and it was so much fun! There were only 3 in the class and the other two are from my nct group so I know them too and it was so cute seeing how they got on in the water. There were no tears for the whole session from anyone shocker!! Would definitely recommend it and really glad I'm doing a class otherwise I'd have no idea what to do!

Well we are in a right tangle thanks to building work which makes the whole place shake. Poor poppet couldn't sleep at all this morning. We went to see my friend in hospital and he napped in his sling most of the time we were there. Then we played with different carries and I managed to wrap him on by back relatively securely so I feel all proud now!

Does anyone else's baby hate their carseat? I'm lucky if we get 10 mins without full on screams and that doesn't seem normal to me.

Lis don't listen to the HV and don't let her make you feel down. You're giving B what he wants, he's doing well and that's the most important thing.

Well done on your course stuffed. A pass is definitely an achievement on a course you disliked.

Belly babies sounds like so much fun arch and I wish we had swimming lessons to go to. It sounds like you had a great time moley.

JKS that is all.

Frak G hates his car seat too. I got a pram toy from mothercare that is an arch with dangly toys that goes over his car seat that seems to help. I also have to keep the car quite cool. Some days it's still a disaster though.

How is your friend doing

13 weeks

Lots of catching up since yesterday afternoon! The bedding looks lovely and I noticed that MIL had bought an extra blanket - I think she thinks our house is cold!
I just had M weighed, still following her centile lines and the HV I saw was fine. She seemed impressed I was still breastfeeding and actually passed on my tips on baby massage to help with wind to the next mum she saw! And as soon as I said how good M was she decided to have a screaming fit. Think she just realised she'd not had any lunch as she had refused before going out.

moley glad the swimming went well. I can't wait to go, thoguh am hoping DH will come too the first time as I'm not sure about juggling everything!

Well, the last bit of my childhood is over, I've now seen the final Harry Potter film. I was 11 when I read the first book so have grown up with the characters. I was actually a bit teary in the cinema! >blames hormones< S was quite well behaved for the duration of his first cinema visit, though did cry in fright at the volume of some bits. Disappointingly he didn't co-operate with the dressing up plans...guess we'll have to save that one for Halloween!

Moley S does the pulling off and shouting/screaming thing sometimes. Usually it's when he's overtired. I can usually calm him down, he'll catnap for a few mins then he'll go on ok.

Lis That HV sounds a bit of a loon! Don't worry about the centiles, last week S was exactly on the 25th but he was a bit below the time before and a bit above the time before that. I wouldn't have had him weighed so often (every other week) but they nab you at the immunisation clinic at our GP practice as it's the same time as the Baby Clinic. But I don't really like those HV's so I go to one of the drop in clinics where the nice HV's are to ask any questions. It's usually quiet so they weigh him just to make themselves feel a bit busier I think! The grandparents seem to like the regular weight updates though, so I guess it has some use.

Frakk Hope you're friend is doing ok and that the building work lets up so M can get some sleep. As for car seats, as we don't drive S isn't that used to his. He's usually ok once in the car though (as long as we stay above 30mph!).

Frakk will keep fingers crossed for your friend

Moley I want to find swimming classes, sounds like you really enjoyed, what kind of stuff do you do ??

Really need some advise ladies, DI went for 2nd jabs and weigh-in and she hasn't put on an ounce in past 3 weeks, I worry cause she is tiny, 13 weeks and only 8lbs 1oz, she's is now below the .4th percentile so under the lowest graph line. I know everyone mentions not to worry about the charts but she seems to be much smaller then most babies.

The HV was rubbish, she seemed to think I was on a mega diet, I explained I'm on the opposite to a diet !! & im hardly a skinny minny but she kept telling me to eat bananas and porridge but didn't say anything else. I burst into tears as was upset and worried and she told me she can't give me any info while I'm crying as I won't remember or listen to her !!! She advise I can see a dietician to tell me what to eat to improve baby's weight gain and to eat more and come for another weigh next week. She seemed to think I was starving myself, I'm a good size 14 so no idea where she got that idea from !

DI has 6/7 wet/ dirty nappies a day, latches and feeds fine, has a 4 oz bottle of expressed for night feed, she eats 6/7 times a day, sleeps thru the night and is a really smiley, happy baby.

I asked HV if I should give formula & she said she might just have a fast metabolism but if I want to give formula I can ?? Told me she is not on deaths door ! Thanks for that

So I don't know what to do or what next step to take, any advise would be really appreciated, should I post in another area for more advise, not sure where tho ?

PS on a happier note, bought some of those Jublo Looping baby sunnys, thanks for whoever posted them, they are sooooo cute, got them from GM outdoor for £21 including delivery !!

Aussie I've had similar thing with L. Hv thought she was too small - in between 9th and 25th centile- and even said if she didn't put reasonable weight on by week after would have to get her checked by doctor. All that did was upset and panic me. I started giving L a formula feed at night and that has worked well for us. If lo is happy and healthy then don't let hv worry you.

Aussie I'm not sure I have any advice for you (bloody HVs) but if you are happy DI is happy and healthy then someone has always got to be on the .4 line on the charts. You know she is eating and all the other signs are pointing towards her being fine. She's just a petite wee thing. I think (someone correct me if I'm wrong) HVs only get really hot under the collar if babies loose weight. I know its a worry, but try not to. Have a look at the Kellymom website there is a section on infant growth that you might find helpful.

Aussie DI sounds like a perfectly healthy baby - just small! If you are worried, then I would take her to your GP who can give her a once over and set your mind at rest. Remember that someone has to be at the bottom of the charts as well as in the middle and at the top - and IME too many HVs seem to start spouting nonsense as soon as babies are anywhere other than around the 50th centile, which is clearly idiotic!

I've had the results back for my post-natal glucose tolerance. I do not have diabetes which is a huuuge relief to me after the diagnosis of gestational diabetes. I am having a glass of Sauvignon Blanc to celebrate!!

Aussie we just did lots of moving them through the water and encouraging them to splash and getting them used to the water today. Also did some stuff about teaching them to hold on to the rail at the side. Next week they're going under water! I agree with the others that if DI seems alert and happy is feeding well etc than don't worry! If you areconcerned, I know it sounds stupid but have you tried feeding her more?! My friends baby who is the same age as G has always been petite but she was getting concerned about lack of gain so just offered her food all the time. She found that where she thought her DD had finished because she'd stopped feeding she was actually just taking a break and would feed again a short time later. It takes about an hour to do a feed but she's put on 2lbs in the last 3 weeks doing this! Having said that you will be the best judge of whether you think she could do with more or if shes just petite so take everything the HV says with a pinch of salt!

Aussie did they weigh your dd on the same scales as she has been weighed on previously? there can be quite big discrepancies between different scales. How much did she weigh at birth and was she gaining weight before the last few weeks? Does she feed for long or just have a quick feed then comes off? Sorry loads of questions, like an interrogation!
If she sleeps through the night, could you or would you want to try a dreamfeed? or as mumtomoley said just offering food all the time like her friend did. I'm sure she is a perfectly healthy baby, just small. I would be a little twitchy though if G had not gained any weight in 3 weeks. I second Lis's advice about looking on the kellymom website. I found it very helpful when my dd's weight tailed off from the 50th to below the 2nd centile between 2-6 months. There was nothing wrong with her she just grew long rather than put on lots of weight. G is a greedy little bugger and will only go for max of 3 hours between feeds, so he has about 7-8 feeds/24hrs somedays more.

Ali great news. Enjoy the

Must go, screaming chorus from upstairs. Dd demanding stories, G demanding milk.

Aussie - I agree with what others have put on here about DI's weight, and I'd also like to add that what you are or even aren't eating will not be contributing to the lack of weight gain. When a HCP comes out with something like this you then start to realise that they don't know what they're talking about.

Fab news Ali

Aussie and others who asked, we do Water Babies classes which I'm absolutely loving. We're nearing the end of the first term now, Jo started when she was three weeks old (she's 12 weeks now). The classes are quite focused on water safety etc and making sure that babies are not scared to splash into water or be submerged (apparently most children who drown do so not because they can't swim, but because they panic at sudden submersion). Also, they tell me babies aren't physically strong enough to swim above water until they're about two and a half, but swimming under water requires much less upper body strength.

Jo loves her swimming class. I can't hand on heart say she likes the underwater swimming yet, but she's certainly getting used to it. It's amazing to see how quickly she's come on. I'm really looking forward to our class tomorrow, the last one of term, and apparently the first one where we get to have them swim towards us under water whilst we watch them through goggles (up till now we've been above water when the babies have been submerged).

I don't work for them (honest!) but I'd really recommend the classes to anyone. More info on the website, here

Gah. The last two nights at my parents T has gone down really easily at 10.15 and then 10.45. Tonight we are back at home and he is still wide awake and wanting to chat and play! Wtf?

I hope ur friend is ok frak

Congrats on passing ur course stuffed

And now he is awake again! Rubbish night here, DS1 woke at 3.45 from a bad dream and has only just gone back to his own bed

Vibes for your friend Frak.

Sorry Ali, and anyone else. But I've got to share this.

My boobs hurt. Because F went to sleep at 9 and he STILL hasn't woken up! (well, not enough to demand feeding/attention)

So I think I've just had about 8 hours sleep!

Just waiting for the sterilizer to do its thing so I can pump these beach balls. No way he could latch on to them in this state!

Sorry. You can throw shoes at me now.

I'm really confused... DS usually goes to bed at 10ish and sleeps for 6 hours. He feeds for an hour or so beforehand to tank up, again at 4, then usually 5.30 and pretty much hourly from then until 10. Yesterday he went down at 7, up 45mins later screaming (wind) so had more boob, down again at 8, fussing at 8.50 so had a nappy change then DH slung him back to sleep and he went until 1.30. 20min feed back down and up again at 2.20. Then again at 4.45 and 5.30 before sleeping on/with me until 7.30.... And now he's asleep again (10.30 here) and has been for about half an hour.

Good that he went down early but why the brokenness?!?!

New thread title? April 2011 - cake-offing, gin-guzzling, wine-sipping, dreams of sleeping

Just wanted to add my opinion on swimming. L has been doing swimbabes for past month. It's really good and she seems to be getting used to the underwater swims. Definitely recommend it.

Starting baby sensory today which lots of people have told me is a great class. Should be good and today it's beach party theme!

Thanks for the advise and reassurances ladies, I've made an appointment with the Pediatrician at the hospital, they gave us an open appointment after a hip check up when she was about 7 weeks for if we had any concerns regarding her weight. The last time she said as long as she keeps gaining she is fine, just a small child which I'm fine with her being little (her clothes last ages, still in newborns ) it's the lack of weight gain in 3 weeks that's got me panicked.

Jenat They have used same scales for all her weigh-in's, she was 6lb 10oz and dropped to 6lb 1oz, regained birth weight after 3 weeks and continued weight gain until this. She feeds for 20-40mins every 1.5-2hrs but recently a few 3hour gaps accept at night, feeds at 10.30pm-ish and then sleeps to 6-7am-ish feeds and asleep for another 3/4hours. I think I'll try consistently feeding her every 1.5hours, see if that helps, also I've heard people mention Dreamfeeds, I'm assuming it's a late feed but is there more to it ? What time and how do i do it ?

I'll feel better after Friday when I can have her checked by the Dr, the past couple of days she has pood almost every nappy, could she have diarrhoea ?

Again thanks, it's great to have a place you can off load your worries !

Gonna go check out those swim classes now !

Buck, I have many shoes to throw.

I think H has hit the four-month regression. Last night was 9-12.45 1.30-3ish 3.30-5ish then woke at about 8 permanently. And he would only sleep face down on me from 1.30. Aaaaargh!

It could also be his cold, I sucked a ton of snot out of his nose this morning. Lovely.

I'd be cross but H looks utterly adorable this morning and is kicking away in his bouncy chair like there's no tomorrow.

I'll second the new title Frak. Thanks :)

R was awake feeding constantly from 10 till about midnight, then woke at two and howled for 20 mins. She was feeding from 2 till about 4:30, she just wouldn't let me take her off the breast without howling. Eventually she fell asleep next to me in bed until 6 and now she's kicking away on my knee. I think this back to a newborn sleeping pattern. Sigh.

Decamp to here please ladies!

Ohh Frak title is great!!

Cycle the snot thing? What are they called? and what kind do you use? B is quite conjested again today, so I'll have to go out and get one. But I've booked my Asda delivery for an 8 hour slot, thinking I didn't have to go out! Fingers crossed its sooner rather than later!