March 2011 Windy bums and a good nights sleep - Will these wonders ever cease?

[GeekLove]

welcome to the new thread fellow March Mums!

Now they are all rolling suckin and gearing up for weaning!

BM is still safely tucked away in my friends freezer guess I won't know if it has survived until I defrost some and sniff it!

Anyone got any top tips for graduating from swaddling to sleeping bag? Arthur keeps breaking free of the swaddling - woke up this morning to find him lying sideways in his cot, legs between the bars, swaddling sheet up over his head! Just tried him in a bag for his nap but he was too busy with his hands/arms/legs to sleep and then he got overtired and just cried. I have just restrained his arms with his sheet while he's in the growbag and he fell asleep straight away then, but its too warm for sheets and growbags..... he needs a little straight jacket

hi guys purple and petty yep 11am @the cafe good with me!!
see you both tomorrow

Just marking my spot.

We have no routine other than the bath/ bedtime routine, but I think I would like more of one.

Ladies, I am sorry I have been AWOL, keep trying to catch up with myself and am currently 5 pages behind

Will keep reading and get back up to date with you all. Do hope everything is well, and you are all enjoying the summer holidays.

well, just a quickie!! Lovely to meet up again with petty and purple sorry i had to leave quickly, however, i am getting a bugaboo
Hope Arthur and Beth had a lovel;y afternoon.
Re weaning, i have been trying Cassie on foods for week or so but instead of progressing she seems to be regressing?? I tried her on rice pudding but just turned her head. Am getting bit concerned as she will be 6 months next month and she needs to be weaning by then, not sure what the HV will say then, i expect it will be she is 6 months so she must start to eat however only 2 weeks previous they were so keen to keep her on milk only?? Do they suddenly like food at 6 months?? ( Cassie did seem to enjoy having a little mouthful of my danish though!!)
Well, am off to look for my new pram!!
Look in again soon x

Don't worry Sam, they're not meant to go from no food to 3 meals a day overnight! The books I've read say "food is for fun until they're one". They should be getting most of their calories from milk for a long time.

Hello everyone, just a quick catch up whilst Lara is fairly happy on the playmat and DS is looking at his Thomas books!

Things are ok here, Lara still feeding once overnight. 20 weeks on Friday and I think we're still doing ok without weaning for now. Sort of dreading it really as it's enough of a faff thinking what to do DS every day for food! I've started giving her water from an open cup though just to get her used to the taste. She doesn't cry but I'm not exactly sure she's thrilled about it!

Our daytime routine seems to have settled a bit too - I was mainly keen to get them both sleeping at the same time during the day, and it seems to have come together. It's nice as it means DS and I can have lunch together once she is down, and then he goes down and I'm freeeeee for at least an hour!! It will all go out the window next week though when we are in Devon for 4 nights for a wedding, but hopefully it won't be too disruptive.

After that trip I'm going to go to get her weighed again and start thinking about weaning.... ahhhh my little baby!!!!

Hope everyone is ok, better go as DS about to flatten baby with an inflatable ball....

petty Ive never really swaddled Hannah but often have to pin her hands down to help her sleep as she wakes herself up hitting her face. I am trying to move her onto holding a comforter to distract her hands.

I had a bit of a breakdown today at baby clinic. I went for sleep advice as was getting totally overwhelmed by what to do. Work on naps & routine, give food, get her to take EBM in a bottle, get her to take formula in a bottle, quit breastfeeding, give water, let her cry it out etc etc. My mind was spinning.

Anyway baby rice was what the health visitor advised as she is a "hungry baby" (aren't they all!?) Tried her tonight but I don't think she ate any although she smiled when offered it. I doubt it will work but figured it was worth a try. The other thing was let her cry to sleep for 5 minutes. Is this likely to work? Should I try 5 minutes but no longer? Moany crys escalate quickly into screamy crys and thats when I jump now (I am trying to get stricter)

She's already woken once tonight (an hour after going down) DP resettled. Fingers crossed for the night ahead but I'm not optimistic.

halo don't feel pushed into feeding her baby rice if you don't want to. I have seen a difference with E's sleeping since giving him pureed food but it's still rubbish compared to most people on here (And real-life friends) so the introduction of food was not a miracle worker.

A normal night now (with a little food at lunch and tea) is 7pm sleep, wake at 10ish, wake at 12.30ish, wake at 2/3 and sometimes 4 (ouch) and then awake for the day at 6ish. Not convinced he NEEDS milk at all each time but if I don't give it to him the shouting escalates to crying and no sleep so I'm still doing it.

E fights sleep like a bugger in the day and I have to leave him to cry (shouting, occasionally a real tear)- generally he's done crying and asleep within 10 mins. He gets so het up that he's crying/winging in my arms so my philosophy is it might as well be in the cot and he will eventually sleep.

Very frustrating as I compare myself to other people and they seem to be having a much easier time of it BUT it's a short phase. Our little ones are nearly half a year old and things can only get better for us halo! We've done well to keep breastfeeding such demanding LOs for this long so I'm loathe to stop it and give formula now. But whatever keeps you sane- an unhappy, stressed out mum is not good for anyone.

Chin up. :o) x

halo don't let anyone push you into anything you aren't comfortable with and certainly not controlled crying which is hard enough even if you do believe in it.

When ds1 and ds2 were older (1yr+) we have let them cry for 5 mins and after 3 nights it fixes whatever bad habit they are in but have never left them longer even now. And I find that 5 mins unbearable si my husband is in charge. To be honest we have only used it a couple if times when they went thru phases of wanting me to hold their hand to sleep (which spirals to hours sitting there so you have no evening at all) or when ds1 side of bed came off and he wouldn't stay in bed! We were also exhausted. I have never used it on a younger baby.
I know how you feel as I have been there many times especially with ds1 abscess figuring everything out for the first time. Now I just roll with it and beg for help if I need some sleep!
Probably not much help, but it will get easier!

"ds1 abscess"? Darn auto spell correcting Thingy!

Hello Ladies, and sorry if I've missed anything though I've tried to catch up with the threads over the past 2 days! Returned from our month visit to the States and can say that Franz and I need a vacation! :) He was an angel on both plane trips, having slept most of the way. Was great to finally share him with my family, though am also relieved now that we didn?t have all their conflicting but well intentioned advice during the first 2 months (including pressure to wean). My friends with kids under 5 were the most comforting in that regard. However, I was shocked to see how certain unexpected people in the family took to our chubby bubby! :)

Was nice having people other than myself or DH holding our chunky monkey after 5 mnths! My arms needed the break (I think he?s about 20lbs now). I also had my first night out w/o bubbs, though only with 1 glass of wine b/c I knew sleeping would be an issue and I was right!

Congrats to Hippo and Highland on your engagements, Cherub on your anniv and potty training of DS2, and to all those who have shed some pounds! My aunt said I looked like I was carrying twins! :( I know I?m not THAT bad, but I guess I need to work a bit more!

Yeah to Purple?s Beth! Wonderful that you?ve found a great paed.

Halo and me (and others), really hope you?ve found time to rest. The running is a great idea!

Highland, we also don?t have a tv, though we have 4 laptops and subscribe to Lovefilm, and we?re far from being earthy hippy-dippies. However, I was a bit disturbed to see my whole family watching their mega tellies in the States, and didn?t want DS to get hooked or overwhelmed with the noise (while all the older folks were saying "let him get used to noise", ugh)!

I?m in awe by those of you who?ve returned to work and hope you?re having a smooth transition! My boss asked me whether I?d prefer full or part time in Feb and I opted for pt, though can?t imagine how we will manage?

So many firsts while we were away, which was nice because my family was able to experience them with us. He started rolling on his belly non-stop (including in bed, where his little arm would get stuck in the travel bed), moving about in circles, cut his first tooth, and discovered his yummy feet! We decided to start feeding him (carrots) this weekend, though I?m sure he?s been ready for a few weeks! Have bought sweet potatoes (the cinnamon idea sounds yummy) and avocados, too! Have some great photos of him staring at me drinking a mocha espresso!

He?s outgrown his 3-6 mnth clothing! :( Fortunately we received loads of new clothes from friends and family at home and now I have to reorganize to ensure nothing is missed!

Nice to see that we?re not the only ones experiencing sleep problems!!! I thought it was b/c of the travel... Over the past few weeks he?s awoken a few times per night, not only for feeds but because he?s TURNED ON HIS BELLY in his sleep and can?t get back on his back! It?s become like a reflex to him. Funny but annoying as heck! How can I encourage him to flip over? I think he?s a bit behind the others with this b/c he only turns to the left and not the right. However, he?s been great with the sitting and standing (supported) for some time now.

Also since we?ve returned he screams bloody murder suddenly in his sleep when he first goes down. Not sure whether it?s night terrors or the 2nd tooth cutting through (gum is red and sore). Poor bubs.

Thankfully today he was back to his old nap routine and seems to still be asleep. Lots of laughter and babbling today (?Bah bah bah??, so I decided to play some ABBA and we discoed a little.)

Am so glad that everyone survived the surreal looting events, and that London is back to normal.

Welcome back ckny. You sound like you had a great time.

Halo - I hope you get some rest soon, you seem to have been struggling with this sleep deprivation for a long time now. I guess anything really is worth a try now just to get a decent nights sleep. As Kpidgeon said, it isn't a miracle worker and I'm not sure it has worked wonders for Anya tbh. She is now waking twice a night from the once she was doing from 7 weeks to 18 weeks and she is having solids regularly. I think it is teething in Anya's case as some nights she is really bad and I have had to give her calpol to settle her. She then sleeps for 4 hours before waking again which is about the time the calpol has worn off.

At my parents again atm (staying for 2 weeks) so I'm finding it difficult to keep up with the thread. My parents think I spoil Anya too much and always comment that I'm "making a rod for my own back" when I go to her when she cries and there is nothing really wrong with her apart from her wanting attention. Today I did as suggested and my parents insisted she would stop crying on her own soon but after 30 minutes of her crying (and my anxiously clock watching) I gave up and picked Anya up. She was so tired she fed and fell asleep on me. Idk, I know she was only crying because she wanted a hug but is that really so bad? It is a problem sometimes as she tends to start as soon as I start to eat and all too often I end up rushing it and not finishing it or carefully balancing her on one knee and me plate as far away from her as can be in my reach.

anyway, bedtime. I hope everyone gets a good nights sleep :)

Of course not, catherine. Wanting a hug is as valid a reason as being hungry or tired for crying. I do wonder how long our mums left us crying, whether they were really trying not to spoil us or as "soft" as we are really.

Welcome back CKNY and I am glad you had a good trip. SOunds like DS is doing well.

Rough night here. Our 3rd tooth is cutting through. She wasn't awake but crying in her sleep . Weaning going well though, up to three meals a day. Can't remember who asked about amounts but I had 1 cube of fruit with porridge for breakfast, 1 icecube veg for lunch with finger foods, and then 2 cubes of veg for dinner. THis morning she was super hungry so after her porridge she had some fromage frais. Some days she has more and others less so I wouldn't worry.

catherine I think you need to do whatever you think is right. Personally, I am happy to leave I to grizzle in her cot. If she starts properly crying then I will go and see her. I am her mum and I know if she looks like she is going to settle or not.

halo Hope things are settling down and weaning is helping. I think the babies being up all through the night is due to a number of things - rolling, teeth, development, hunger etc etc. How are things going? Maybe just tackle one thing at a time then it won't feel so overwhelming.

Hey all, DH is off work for a week and a half now ready for our trip to Devon next week. He's off to get his haircut now and kids are in bed napping so I'm catching up here!

halo and catherine It is hard to leave them to cry. My personal approach at the moment is that I can leave grizzling/grumbling for 5 - 10 mins, but as soon as it's what I call a "sad" cry (wah-wah-wah) I'm straight there, no waiting around. It's all to do with what you are comfortable with. With DS1 I couldn't even do that, I was lucky that he sucked his thumb and then when he was around 1ish we did a bit more "formal" sleep training to get him through the night as he was no longer eating at night, just waking up out of habit!
Having said that, one of my NCT friends did CC on her LO when he was 7 months old (they say not to do it on a baby less than 6 months) because he was waking every hour ALL night, he couldn't link his sleep cycles because he'd never learnt to settle at all. My friend was demented with sleep deprivation and on the verge of getting anti-depressants from the doctor, her relationship with OH was suffering and she was just EXHAUSTED. CC was last-chance saloon for her and it was tough, but worked within the week. Her son is a great sleeper now, he loves his sleep, and he's a happy chap so it's not done him any damage - far from it because he can now get a decent amount of sleep.
Whatever happens and whatever you decide, it can only get better, just keep telling yourself that! Maybe sit down and go through the options, ruling things out and asking yourself what you'd be happy doing? Or if you feel you're just about ok at the moment, carry on but set yourself say a month, so you know that if after a month things are no better, you will take a new approach, so therefore either way you can tell yourself that the sleep will improve in a few weeks.

I've got to say, I always thought the sleep deprivation element of a new baby is so often under-estimated, people go "oh ha ha isn't it crazy!" and I remember with DS1 thinking I'd never sleep again!!!! He was AWFUL at the beginning!!! But sleeps 12 hours a night now and still has 2 hours at lunchtime, so there is hope and it WILL get better. I do agree with Medee, the oldies don't remember what it was like really. My MIL reckons my husband slept through the night from Day One - I really don't think this can be true!!!

Lara is soooo behind all the other LOs, bless her!!!! She hasn't rolled since accidentally rolling from her front to her back about 2 weeks ago, but she can now manage about 1 minute of tummy time before going a bit nuts. Her feeding has settled down somewhat now thank goodness but I still have to try and take her away from DS to feed her, otherwise she's not interested. They are just obsessed with each other. Still no solids, but as she's so unfussed with the boob anyway I'm going to leave it until 6 months I think - she's a youngie, April Fools Day and I think the youngest on here?

Hope everyone has good weekends, we're off to the countryside tmro to visit friends for the day. I will spend the day trying to stop DS from harassing their poor dog.

PS welcome back cnky1!!!!

v quick post as I am home visiting family, but why did no-one warn me just how horrific weaning poo is?????? Arthur has only had some banana porridge and half a pot of apple/banana puree and I almost vomited! Does it settle and get better?

Sorry for TMI

PP, I think it just gets worse; as the food gets more like ours, so does the poo!

Ha ha petty wait til he starts eating meat!!!!

LOL petty, like medee says just get more like normal poo!!!
|saw the HV yesterday and cassie now weighs 15lbs 1oz, however the weaning is on hold for a week as she just doesnt seem to tolerate anything in her mouth other than toys or boob!! The downside is of course she wanrts mpore boob duringm the night, every 2.5 hrs last night thats worse than when she was newborn . Shes been a bit grumpy today, i think maybe her teeth are moving around as she seems to have a runny nose but thats about the only symptons apart from grumpiness!!! On the plus side she slept in her cot IN HER OWN ROOM last night!!! yes i took the plunge and moved her, however that was the worse night wev'e had in a little while so not sure if it was actuallly the right thing to do!!! well got to go shes whinging but it is bath time pop back later xx

Evening all,

Just a quick post as finally our takeaway curry has arrived (looks like a late night tonight!!)

I have been a really horrible mother tonight as I let Bethan cry for about 40 mins till she went to sleep I know this sounds terrible but she is such a good girl in the day - naps anywhere (even if they do tend to be power naps) and is mostly a happy baby, but at night she turns into a demon child and I have tried loads of different things to get her to settle. She has learnt that if she has a tantrum then I will get her and cuddle her... so after chatting to my sister and rationalising that there is nothing wrong with her...nothing will happen to her from crying etc... I used the tough love approach!!! My sister assures me that with her middle child the 1st night was 40 mins of crying, 2nd night about 10 mins and 3rd night 5 mins and then he was a dream at bedtime..... keeping fingers crossed!!

Post again soon.... must eat curry!!

I don't think Lara is THE youngest on here Lozario but that does make her one of them and a week younger than Anya. I think leaving solids till 6 months is best tbh but I personally can't. I need to know Anya is taking something when I'm in work.

Purplefan - I'm impressed you could leave her for 40 minutes - I gave in after 30 and haven't tried again since. I'm a quitter...

Well today I went out for the evening... I went to the comedy store with my brother and sister and was out from 8pm till 1am. The first night leaving Anya and it was torture for me - she didn't even notice.. I had a good time though but strangely felt like a fake when I reluctantly cheered when the comedian asked who had kids...

catherine it was tough leaving her to cry...I had the monitor on mute and did the hoovering etc so I couldn't hear her, then cuddled up with DD1 to watch x-factor so that no-one would go into her!!! Am hoping it will be easier tonight so will keep you posted!! How is the bottle situation with Anya? Bethan has gone on bottle strike again, after taking it for those 2 days that I worked she will not touch them now, even if I am not there and it is breast milk!!! I also weaned early in prep for going back to work cos she needs to take something!! I am now not going to bother with the bottle and try and work on a sippy cup as well as having her food!!
Glad you had a good evening out

Petty sorry but you made me laugh with ref to weaning poo!!
Sam did you stick with Cassie being in her own room? was that just so that DH had to tidy his stuff away?
Cheese - 3rd tooth blimey!!!!

Ckny welcome back

And curry was very nice last night... although took ages to get here!!!

Oh my! Quick one but I has started commando crawling. I'm half mortified, half proud.