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!

Oh dear sassy DP has those tendencies sometimes too, although he definitely hasn't been as bad as I expected he would!

Well after my moaning about the day from hell yesterday, R actually went down at 11 and slept through until 6, I feel like a new person today :) She got up at 9 again and had a huuuge breakfast (6ounces) and is now napping again in her bouncer! Days like this lull me into a false sense of security - I know by Friday we'll be back to screaming and scuttery feeding again!!

Ali I did get him the books but did he read them-no Everytime he says he doesn't understand something now I just say you would if you read the books!
He absolutely loves dd just isn't prepared to change his lifestyle which is pissing me off when obviously my life has changed and I haven't complained, in fact I'm enjoying it. I still get out and about and do stuff.

Ali I feel exactly the same in regards to thinking we didn't realise how easy we had things with just DS until we added little S to the mix! I find myself often repeating 'this too shall pass' and telling myself that it gets easier soon. Trying not to wish away the early days as well as this will be our last too and I don't want to rush my way through it, I know I'll regret it.

Ilike how do you flick the lip down to stop clicking? S has been clicking and squeaking while feeding since having the thrush and I'm not sure how to get her to improve her latch. She is really loosely on, for example if I turn while feeding her she slips off. DS used to be vacuum-sealed onto my nipple.

Sassy I feel for you with the problems you're having with your DH. It took my DH a long time to adjust to being a father...maybe 12 months...and realise that things can't stay the same. Once we were over that hurdle everything was a lot easier. I think it tied into the time I stopped breastfeeding DS too and then DH felt more like we were on a level par, rather than it being me with my magic boobs that could endlessly and effortlessly calm DS .

MrsW brilliant to hear you had a good night last night. Sounded like it was much needed.

I have a bit of the DP problem too Sassy, and I'd second Caramello's theory. I think DP just assumes H needs me more at the moment because of BFing etc. Hopefully he'll get it as H becomes less mummy dependent.

Perhaps there was something in the air last night MrsW, H also slept 11-6! I woke up panicking at 4.30 though

Went and had T weighed today (12 weeks today :) ) He's now 11lb 3, I was sure he'd be more than that but although he's gone slightly under his centile he's still around about the same line ish. I was sure ds1 was smaller but looking at his red book he weighed 11lb 11 at 12 weeks, I think T must just be longer. Seems odd to think that ds1 started weaning at 3 months (at the suggestion of HV) I think it was because of such bad reflux if I remember correctly. But back then 4 months was the norm so it was only a bit early. Wow can't believe ds1 will be 10 on sunday.

Petal I remember having many "what have we done" moments with number 1 and shouting and swearing. I haven't really had it much with T but then I waited 9 years for dh to agree to number 2 so I treasure every second.

Haha cycle I also woke up around 4 wondering what the hell was going on!! :)

INAPPROPRIATE COMMENT ALERT

Does anyone else with a dummy-spitter sometimes wish that you could attach a bit of elastic around their head to keep it in?

Would some brown parcel tape not do the job Ali??

Yes that would be perfect, anything really! Jesus we've had a bad afternoon here.

Ha ha yes I've often wondered if it would be bad to do that with the dummy!

Mmmmm

petal been kind of having those thoughts today.

Having hideous hideous day. J won't stop crying? Not sure if it's her reflux. Stupid q but do those of you with non-reflux babies have non stop crying days?

I feel like a bad mummy today cos I don't know what to do to make her happy I thought babies were happy and smiley. I can't do anything right!

So with you on the dummy comment!

daisy - yes absolutely. Try to just chalk it up to experience and don't beat yourself up. Sometimes they just yell!! :)

Thanks Ali. It's comforting to know I'm not alone in this.

Ps I do wonder how the human race continues with babies being this hard work?!

Caramel and Ali, I too keep repeating the mantra "this too shall pass". I am sitting here typing, whilst dd is having a tantrum upstairs because I didn't brush her teeth the right way. [hmmm] Totally irrational 3 year old behaviour. G is screaming in his bouncy chair, and DH is working away this week in Ireland. I have relatives constantly phoning me asking about my uncle and what is happening with him, and when am I visiting next. I have been going every other day to this hospital but its just not possible for me to go any more often. Argggghhhh.

I just want 5 mins peace but G will now scream for most of the evening, until about 11:30. The only thing that shuts him up is sucking on me. Does anyone else have a screamy baby? Please reassure me that I am not the only one who has a baby that cries for hours on end. I ended up putting him in the kitchen in his bouncy chair last night and just left him screaming as I was at my wits end. I know that everyone tells you, that you shouldn't leave a newborn baby to cry but wtf are you meant to do? I worry irrationally that he will be permanently emotionally scarred for life as I have started just leaving him to cry once I have worked out he doesn't want feeding, changing,winding or cuddling. He won't take a bloomin dummy either. G had his 1st set of vaccinations this afternoon, so I'm sure that's not helping either.

Rant over, off to eat my microwave meal listening to the dulcet stereo tones of dd shouting "brush my teeth again with the stripy toothpaste" and G screaming in the next room. What joy.....

Just read through some earlier posts. It is comforting to know that some of you are also going through the same as me wrt crying. Even though I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Dd is now screaming she wants Daddy to brush her teeth which could be a little tricky considering he is somewhere in Belfast at the moment. Time for a glass of me thinks. I am hoping for some respite when the Apprentice is on or I may resort to putting both children out with the rubbish!

Jen (& others) - sympathies &

You are also advised to separate yourselves from the baby when you are at your wits end. They are safe, warm, fed, etc. You need your sanity (or what's left of it!).

I've been lucky (so far) not to have screamers, but a friend had a DS who had colic and he screamed all day for 12 weeks. The only thing we could do for her was take him down the garden out of earshot. Then he stopped and turned into the smiliest baby ever :)

Aw Jen big April hugs and lots of .

Oh Jen, you poor thing. Have you got any support?

This bit is hard, because the rush of post-natal adrenalin etc has all worn off, and sleep is still hard to come by! It will pass :)

Hope things have calmed down a bit for you now Jen
Totally agree with Ali that this bit feels hard but in a totally different way to the beginning... very tired of feeling tired though we also had the most lovely nap this evening for a couple of hours with G on my chest, woke up and dinner was on the table! Bliss :) (I did let DP watch the football without complaint in return though...he's not daft!) Much needed after a trying couple of days. It does seem that a difficult couple of days are followed by a good one so I hope things are better tomorrow Jen. When is your DH back?

Jen I sympathise with the absent dh. With mine and his varying shifts he does it feels like he's away as he's either at work or asleep until his rest days! I'm lucky to have my parents nearby so end of decamping to them sometimes. I really hope you've got people around who can give you a break. I spent one night when dd cried solid for 3 hours while dh slept. It ended up with me crying and shouting at dd (felt awful afterwards) and only at that stage did dh wake up and help. I did politely suggest he might have move his arse and helped a bit earlier!!!

I've been there too Sassy (and don't have an absent dp!) After several consecutive nights watching the sun come up and trying to cope with a crying baby I slammed the bedroom door.. Dp commented on it the next day and I did think well I was obviously at the end of my tether so you could have offered some help!!

I know Moley - what does it take for them to realise we might need rescuing if shouting and slamming doors don't work?

I have discovered earplugs. The bliss! I can hear when T cries, but not his snuffling or DH's snores.

Night