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!

Hello ladies, I see I have been stalked . It's lovely to have you all so interested!

I have indeed had a gorgeous baby girl, Freya Alexandra, born on Monday 22nd at 14.41, weighing in at 7lb7oz. She is completely beautiful, amazing big sapphire blue eyes, slightly cross eyed whilst she can't focus. Very cute. Currently sleeping on daddy after milking me for all she's worth for the last two hours.

Labour was an absolute marathon. Started contracting in the early hours of Friday morning, between 5-20mins apart until Sunday eve when we went in to get checked. Found I was 2-3 cm and on the brink of finally going into established labour. We went home and things ramped up overnight and we went back into the maternity unit at 4am when I was 5cm.

By 8.30am I'd got to 7-8cm (apparently my cervix is hard to assess?!) and asked for the gas and air and got in the pool. From here it all gets a bit hazy in my mind. I think I went a bit loopy with pain and tiredness. I remember fantasising about death and caesareans and occasionally pleading to be shot. I also remember demanding (and getting!) cold scabby toast with blackcurrant jam .

1pm they made me get out of the pool to be assessed again, I was 10cm, hurrah! Waters then went, but there was meconium in them so I wasn't allowed back in the water. I was told to start pushing when I felt the urge. Still not sure I believe in the urge to push, I didn't get one. I just wanted the whole thing over so pushed whilst bellowing in a way I didn't know I could...

Madam finally arrived at 14.41, all wet and wriggly and crying

I was really lucky to have just a very small first degree tear and some grazes, no stitching required. Perineal massage was worth it!

We've been really struggling to establish feeding. I think the long labour knackered her too much. So she's a bit jaundiced, but we're now making progress. She's got a bit of a recessed lower jaw so a tendency to suck her bottom lip which makes it hard to latch her on. I seem to have an over supply of milk so having to express before each feed to make a nipple accessible for her, otherwise it's like trying to latch a kitten onto a football! But we are getting there. Muchos success this afternoon getting her to take loads of milk and I managed to latch her (about 60 times as she constantly takes herself off again to look around!) all by myself . DH has had to be a second pair of hands up until now, squashing nipples or attaching baby.

She is so so lovely and we are ridiculously proud

Hope you are all well xx

Ah spilt I'm in tears for you. Huge congratulations on the safe arrival of Freya. It sounds like you have done Thea proud. Much love x

aww Spilt, that is really amazing. I'm so happy for you. Congratulations - Freya sounds like she will keep you on your toes :) I'm very happy for you and your DH.

Oh spilt, I am so so happy for you. It's wonderful news. Welcome to the world Freya. Hope you get the feeding all sorted soon and enjoy these mad crazy first days. They are amazing and it's been a long time coming for you.

Yay Spilt Congratulations - thanks for coming on her to tell us your news.. we have all been waiting!! Freya is a lovely name and she sounds adorable!!

Bethan is getting much better at settling at bedtime now, although she will give at least a few minutes of tantrum just to see if she can get away with it!! . She is still waking 2 or 3 times a night - hoping this improves soon as back to work in just over a week and it will be hell!!

Can't remember who suggested a doidy cup - but thank-you and I will purchase one as anything is worth a try to get her to drink!!! HV thinks that she will be fine with her 3 meals whilst I am at work and that she will eventually drink as long as it is regualary offered as she will be thirsty enough!! I was impressed though as I didn't get told off for weaning before 6 months

Hope you are all well... enjoy the bank holiday wkend.

still on hols so not much time to type, bu couldn't just read and run!

spilt congratulations I am so so pleased for you and Mr Spilt. Freya is such a beautiful name. Brought a tear to my eye also!

tOoimm also many congratulations to you. Wishing you much love.

Right off to raise a glass of rose to you both.

Much love to all

Xxxx

Hello folks!

Will get to posting pictures on the fb group soon! So pleased to hear about tooimmature

Congratulations on your new baby spilt! it's early days yet so the best thing to do is just to go with it. For people who want to give you helpful advice(tm) nod smile and take from it what you will.

I had seem tooimmature on the weight loss board and she seemed to be doing really well. Hope to see her on here again.

As for M he is rolling and sitting up but not yet on solids. Instead he is draining his mummy like a raisin! Didn't think I would look forward tonweaning so much! Will attempt it next week so wish me luck!

Big change as they are both going to the same nursery next week and it will be big brother E new nursery.'big change for him as he'd been at his previous one since he was 4'months.

Hello people,

It's a long time since I've been on here and I hope all of you and your babies are doing well. Hippo, thank you for the invite! Thank you all for your good wishes - it really means a lot to me. As you know, I'm pg again - 8+1 today. So far, so good - I had a scan at 6+5 but although we saw the heartbeat, it was much too small to see anything else! I've got another scan on Tuesday so hopefully all will be well and it will have grown appropriately. I find it very strange to think about 'it' rather than 'she', but I will be finding out the sex just as soon as I can, so it's not for long. I've changed hospital and consultant and so far they're taking really good care of me. The Early Pregnancy Unit midwife is really nice and she arranged this second scan just to reassure me. So FX for an uneventful 30 weeks more - I'll be either induced or ELCS at 38 weeks.

Thanks again for all the congratulations!

Congrats, TooImm, here's for an eventful pregnancy.

Many congratulations TooImmature, such wonderful news about your pregnancy.

Congrats tooimmature, lovely news!

Congratulations Spilt and TooImmature! So happy for you both x

Ah, I'm in tears here reading posts from TooImmature and Spilt so so so happy for you both!!!!

Freya is such a beautiful name, sounds like you're completely in love with her, I've already forgotten most of what it was like in the early days, tough but just so worth it. Good luck with the bf, fingers crossed it will get easier before you know it. Sounds like Mr. Spilt is being very supportive!

Good luck, would be great if you could let us know occasionally how you're getting on (we're obviously a nosy bunch!), big hug to you both xx

Wonderful and exciting news, TooImmature and Spilt! Thank you for updating us and making our days!!! I also love the name Freya! :) Enjoy and savour this time!

spilt and tooimmature I am so pleased for you both, many congratulations on Freya she sounds adorable and you will get there with the breastfeeding it takes a few weeks for it all too click into place.

Ethan is so constipated still he is straining so much and screaming in pain, we took him to Gp yesterday and she prescribed movical so hoping that will work though we had to mix it with a bit of squash so he would take it (it is foul) ad even then I ended up having to syringe feed it to him.

split and tooimmature huge huge congratulations on the safe and much anticipated arrival of Freya and looking forward to hearing about the new arrival next year

Ooh I just had a little tear! Mahooosive congratulations to Spilt and tooimmature. I'm so glad you came back to update us :) Please come back again as you will always be March Ladies :)

New babies/pregnancies are making me REALLY broody again Lordy knows why as it was only a few weeks ago I was still tearing my hair out with the frustration of a newborn/stubborn/baby? I'm in no rush yet (or so I keep telling myself) as I really want to give Arthur everything I have at the moment (more emotionally rather than financially, although he seems to be wiping me clear of that too ) and I wouldn't want to share myself with another baby iyswim?

In-laws have just gone home after a couple of hectic days. Poor Arthur is exhausted (so will hopefully sleep well tonight. I can wish can't I?) as whenever I tell them he is tired and needs a nap they jiggle him about and wave stuff in his face more so I end up having to physically remove him . Also they keep asking me how long i am going to bf for! I tell them for as long as anyone else would ff. grrrr. This questions from anyone really winds me up as i assume ff don't get asked how long they will bottle feed for (although there are probably equally annoying questions when ff). Rant over.

Currently in a field in Hampshire. It is 9 degrees!! O is wearing sleepsuit, grobag, fleece jumper, and has a duvet too and is sleeping sweetly!!!!
Bottle of wine and chocolate. Marvellous!!!
Congrats spilt and tooimm!

Oooh, congrats to tooimmature, how exciting!!

Just a quickie... tried Bethan in her own bedroom last night and had a pretty good night for us!! Settled at 8pm (5 mins of grumbling!), woke for a feed at 11.30 when we went to bed, then woke at 4.15am and then slept until 9.30!!! Unfortunately I was woken by DD1 at 7.30, so I didn't sleep until 9.30 ... much better than waking every 2 hrs ish!!! Hope this continues and that I've not tempted fate... although sleeping till 9.30 isn't gonna woke with return to work and school runs!!!!

Hope everyone well. x

Yay for Bethan purple seems like some babies are making progress with their sleep!!!
in stage whisper cassie has slept thru the night from 12 midnight til 8.15am and 10pm -6am quick feed and is still aslepp OMG!!!
It has coincided with her sleeping on her tummy!! I put her down last night and she was really quite awake and i thought she would kick off, but i went in after 15 mins as it was too quite (??) and she was flat out on her tummy!!
Obviously i have jinxed it now by telling you but there we go!!! Also she is eating loads now and i wonder if thats helped as someone mentioned it may take a while for the food to make a difference, lets hope so!!
I saw the HV on friday just to check what i'm allowed to give her and basically evrything now shes 6 months except honey, nuts and raw egg. And she can have cows milk on her cereal! Also i asked when she would be sleeping thru what i call the night i.e 7-7!!! And not ususally til near 10 months Mmm, not sure about that in my house at least, i'm looking at doing something about it at 7 months if she regresses again
Well, going into town bit later for a fry up..yummy!!
have good bank holiday

Well done Purple, Bethan, Sam and Cassie! Arthur is all over the place with his sleep - he keeps lulling me in to a false sense of security and then bam, back to waking every 2 hrs. GRRRR. Think I might try and introduce "tea" next week as he has started having nice big naps after his "lunch".

On the topic of weaning (still!), did anyone who weaned before 6 months introduce any meat/fish/cheese/yogurt in to their LO's diet? I am sticking with just (badly) pureed fruits and vegetables at the moment (off to the supermarket soon to get some more interesting choices - a rock and roll bank holiday for me!) but thinking about expanding the repertoire. TBH A will prob be 6 months by the time he gets through my fruit/veg medleys anyway

Petty I was wondering the same thing, Angus isn't 6 months for another couple of weeks but he's chewing and eating really well so I was wondering about meat and fish???

Fab news for those of you who's babies are sleeping better, Purple maybe you were disturbing Bethan without meaning to when she was in your room?? Fingers crossed it continues!

Things are improving slowly here, A was whingeing / crying on and off between 8 and 11 last night (I fed him at 10, did the whole hush / pat etc every 10 mins or so otherwise) he then slept till 5.30!!!! then until 9 this morning so definetely looking up!

Enjoy your bank holidays, didn't even realise it was one until I looked on here, DP only gets Sundays off at this time of year :(

RE Weaning before 6 months - Anya tried some cheese in one of those jars and was quite sick afterwards so I haven't tried again since. I avoid anything with dairy in it still - I guess she still is a little lactose intolerant. She used to react badly when I had too much milk but I thought she'd grown out of it. Read somewhere that chicken was the best meat to introduce first as it is very mild in taste but I have only given her a taste and will be back to the fruit and veg today. Not because she reacted badly to it but because I'm not up to the pooy nappies getting any worse smelling yet... Probably not the best reason but still

Off back home tonight (been at my parents for over 2 weeks) to get prepared for back to work Friday :( and moving house on Saturday... Oh the joy...

Hello everyone,

Just a quick catch up before MIL arrives for the afternoon. We're back from Devon now, it was ok, still haven't decided whether the pros outweighed the cons - it pissed it down the whole week, especially on Friday which is when we were at my friend's wedding!! Lara went a bit mental as couldn't settle in the pram so we left at 8.30ish in the end. DS was wonderful though, he really enjoyed the party and was so geared up afterwards in the car on the way back to our cottage, he didn't stop talking the whole way! Every time we stopped talking he said "Shall we do more talking mummy?"! They both looked super-cute in their nice outfits, I shall post a pic of them in the FB forum shortly.

Traffic was dreadful on Saturday on the way back though and we spent most of the day in the car :(

Lara's sleep has been up and down - she slept through one night on holiday but last night took ages to settle and woke twice, so it's still variable. I'd say her average night is one wake-up though. Really starting to need a good few 7-7s out of her now but all in her own time I guess. She doesn't seem particularly hungrier, so we're still on course for waiting until pretty much 6 months for solids. I've started pureeing today though to start stocking up the freezer. I have to say, I find this stage soooooo tedious, frankly I like them either on boob or fish fingers!!!! I'm not hopeful that she'll take to it well but maybe she'll surprise me.

Still no teeth, but LOTS of drooling and chewing so maybe one is on the way. Still no more rolling either, she's completely immobile!!!

It is so fantastic about split and tooimm - I read it out to DH as he remembers both their stories too. Keep us updated girls!!!! :) (Freya is such a gorgeous name)

Catherine crikey you're busy at the moment aren't you! Back to work and moving! Good luck with it all - pace yourself!

Purple Sounds like Bethan has come on heaps with the sleep. It just goes to show that it's all about consistency doesn't it, it doesn't take them long to get the hang of something as long as you stick with it and give it a chance.

petty you're so right - I hadn't noticed that about the feeding questions before but people do ask about boob feeding in a way that they don't about FF. How strange!! I can't believe you're broody already!! I know what you mean though, I'm even sad about weaning, my little girl can't be ready for big food already, noooooo!

Sounds like MIL here now - gotta go. xxx

catherine we tried a first stage jar of veg risotto which led to an afternoon of screaming and vomiting because dried skimmed milk had been added! why????? I think we are going to have to give jars a wide birth for the moment (was planning on making our own food anyway but jars are handy for lazy days/out and about)

Been having fun this afternoon with the Annabel karmel book - made load of veg purees and making some fruit ones tomorrow. I have also cooked some sticks of carrot/broccoli etc... for Arthur to play with eat. I almost ate all of the sweet potato, spinach and peas myself as it is a seriously yummy combo!

Sam HV told me Arthur would sleep better (and not need swaddling) once he could roll on his front and sleep on his tummy. Also he won't be able to wave his arms around