November 2011 - early birds, just in time and late to the party, all welcome!!

[TwoJackRussellsandapumpkin]

Hi all,

just starting up a post natal thread for all the due in November peeps on the antenatal forum and anyone else who would like to join in too, hoping to see my arrival by the end of the week, so officially an early bird I hope :)

[kate393]

I'm up for getting another tc date in diary....gutted I missed a choc muffin and chat with everyone!

[Somersaults]

I would love a meet up at the TC sometime soon. We're only busy Tuesday and Thursday mornings really so any other day would be fine. Perhaps not next week because it will be full of kids but after half term would be great. Will have to bargain with DH for the car on whichever day we decide :)

I don't want to get too excited about it but Caitlin has slept from 9.30pm until somewhere between 5 and 6am for four nights in a row now! Every night I tell myself 'she'll wake up tonight' because I'd rather wake up in the morning and be surprised than wake up in the night and be disappointed but touch wood...

She's been sick a lot more than usual the last three days though. I know babies are sick all the time and I can't say she's really being sick loads, small cottage cheese like stuff but frequently throughout the day. She's just never been a sicky baby before so I'm not really sure what's going on there.

Her hands are in her mouth ALL the time now so there's dribble everywhere constantly! She's reaching for things and trying to grab them now and there's an app for my phone which fascinates her for ages at a time, unbelievably so and she really likes it. I'll double check the name of it in a minute and let you know because it was well worth the pound or whatever it was I spent on it.

We went to Baby Swim again today which was fab! There's a hydrotherapy session at the baths on a Thursday so the pool is warmed up to bath temperature for that and so it's warm for the swim play session too, it's lovely! This week there was an instructor who led us in rhymes and games to get the LOs used to the water. Last week Caitlin screamed when water went in her face but today age dunked four times with no bother at all. I was so proud of her! I'd highly recommend it, I really enjoyed it and it absolutely wipes her out!

Sorry for super long post! Lots to tell and she's bf so I've got time, even if I do have to type with one finger with phone balanced on her little body!

[Somersaults]

Awww I jinxed it. She was up at 2.30 last night. She has a real snuffle this morning though so I'm blaming that.

[hadak]

Morning ladies.
I hope you are all keeping warm?
Good to hear the TC meet went well for you all.
Somersaults Sorry to hear little lady didn't sleep through last night. The baby swimming classess sound great y the way. Our pool is just soooo cold I think we will wait until weather gets better before dipping out toes!
Cali really pleased to hear that Abi seems to be picking up. You all deserve it after the time you have had.
I am still keeping a sleep chart so I can show HV when she visits next week. Although yesterday he was a little star. (Very proud mummy) He slept quite a lot in the day 2 3 hour slots!! Unheard of but I have to say he is exhausted poor baby. He then slept last night for a couple of 2 hour slots which was good and even better he has been asleep in his pram - yes really his pram since 10:30 am. Such a clever boy. Am really hoping this is the start of things to come. It had better be or he will be in big trouble!!
Half term coming up so it will be nice to try and spend a bit of time with my older son. That's if I can drag him off the Xbox!!
Weaning I guess I will get the weaning advice off hv next week but tbh I don't know my older son was weaned at 4 months. Not particularly hungry but just got on with it. DS2 already appears interested and watches you vey closely if you are eating so I can't imagine he will wait til 6 months

[Somersaults]

hadak that sounds much better about the sleeping :) well done.

I've got a poorly baby :( lots and lots and lots of vomiting last night. In the end DH slept on sofa downstairs and she stayed in bed with me. She could only keep down tiny amounts of cooled boiled water. She's had two 30sec breastfeeds this morning half an hour apart and so far so good but the two of us are still in bed. DH gone to work but he'll be home soon. Poor baby. I feel so sorry for her. She's starving but I can't let her have much at all cos she'll bring it back up. She's getting dehydrated now-her soft spot is a little sunken and only one slightly wet nappy in 12 hours-so just spoken to OOH doc who said keep feeding little and often and if more vomit or no wet nappies by late afternoon then they'll see her later :( poor baby :(

[cookie9]

Oh Somersaults hope your little one is better soon.

Little man had vaccinations yesterday but second injection resulted in screaming and blood. Nurse had to wipe it off the floor so lots of mummy hugs yesterday. This morning daddy and baby went shopping. Good exercise for daddy and nice for them to spend time together. I was meant to nap but couldn't rest with all the washing/tidying up that is needed. Particularly as little man was sick over himself and me earlier.

[sasamunde]

Oh dear hadak 7 hours is low isn't it. Your LO sounds like Blake but worse. I think it is their immature digestive systems unable to absorb enough food to sleep sort of creating a vicious circle Blake seems to be getting better now - he used to have 2 or so orange poos and 3 or so green poos every day, now we're down to 1 or 2 HUGE orange poos and I think that's a sign of progress!! I settle him with a dummy a couple of times a day and then feed him when he wakes up which seems to break the hungry/too tired to eat cycle. He's only on about the 35th percentile tho which for his length seems low. I am under pressure (esp. from men!) to give him a bottle but I can't see it helping. Hope today marks your LO turning a corner!

Your poor baby somersaults, hope she gets better soon, it's so scary when they are ill isn't it!

Enjoyed the TC meet on Thur, looking forward to the next one! Hopefully wo toddler next time. Had a lot of comedy running-circles-round-fountain trying to herd DD out, had put Blake in the sling as he was crying so I couldn't pick her up and she knew it...

[hadak]

Hi again everybody. Just popped on to say hope your little one is better soon someraults.
Sas thanks- yes I am hoping we will turn a corner sooner rather than later. After his lovely pram sleep this morning he also slept for an hour this afternoon. Up now though and no sign of sleep. Think he wants to watch Saturday night television which is ok with me. Really glad to hear Blake is getting a lot better in the nappy department. I think you are right their digestive system doesn't always mature as quick as the rest of them.
Re bottle. Don't feel like you have to ff- if you are happy and Blake is happy do what you feel is right for you both. HV sugested to us trying bottle in evening (Formula)which we have a coup;le of times (I do try to give him a bottle about once a week anyway just soi he knows what they are in case mummy isn't around and also to get used to the taste as he is on "funny formula") but it made absolutely no difference to the sleep so I don't think I will bother on a regular basis.
Anyways stay warm and lovely Saturday evenings everybody.

[Poppet45]

Hi all, been reading loads but each time I post it crashes!
So glad to hear the TC meet up was fun - Scottish mums anyone fancy a meet up in Edinburgh??? Would love to catch up, and if its a weekend DH can take DS so I can chill out with Willow. The National Museum is a good haunt, nice cafe plus DS and DH can roam around while I sit and eat cake... well I say eat cake but unless its dairy free its unlikely.
Willow is doing really well, she put on 9oz last week!! However she's still weeny teeny, just 9lbs 12oz as of Thursday, I look around the baby weigh in clinic trying to find a comparable babe, then I tend to hear the HV asking the mum if she's had her 6 week check yet. Sigh. Am so so lucky to have my girl, but the daily 'i thought she was a doll' comments get a little wearing after a few months.
Weaning we have our HV talk in two weeks. Feels crazy as Willow is definitely not ready physically yet, but I guess we'll ask our paed what he thinks at our appt.
Dairy free we're finding this has made such a difference. It's not too hard, Vitalite dairy free instead of butter, fortified provamel rice milk for drinking, oat milk for cooking and just going black for tea, and Montezuma choc for the essentials, cooking tends to be a lot of tomato sauces and just plain meat and veg but eating out can be tricky. We're now at the stage where the slightest trace of dairy means a crap week for us. Willow's reaction has definitely escalated - and she has developed the colic scream of an evening if I do inadvertantly eat any - which has now confirmed for me that Jacob's colic was also to do with dairy. Me and DH just looked at each other when she was having her first and only colicky screaming fit, and said dear god Jacob was dairy intolerant too. Anyone having problems with a very pukey baby, not sleeping well or who has regular crying fits particularly of an evening for seemingly no good reason, I'd urge you to try going dairy free, it's made an astounding difference for us - if your baby is waking every 40 minutes or hour and a half or so (one to 2 sleep cycles) I'd say they'll liable to be in some sort of discomfort and ditching dairy is a simple test you can do over 2-3 weeks to see if it helps. You just have to be strict but it pays you back in sleep!
Get well soon baby S!

[Caliphora]

Big hugs to Baby S - get well soon!

I've got a doc's appt. for bloods on Monday - what I've always put down to bad joints and IBS may actually be something a bit more pressing, as I've been completely bed-ridden since my Trafford Centre escapade. 4 hours walking shouldn't wipe you out for 2 days!

Watched the rugby today, Abi loves it, even though she seems to be a staunch Italy supporter...

[neverinamillionyears]

Good morning all.

Sorry to hear of your los being under the weather sas & somer I hope they are feeling better soon.

just how are you doing?

cali I think 'if it does rain it pours' should be your slogan. Your family really have been.through it. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Poppet E is 9lb 12 too. She is 10 weeks and down to 9th centile from 25th. She always gets 'isn't she dinky' comments which can sometimes aggravate. I'm sure that they must grate the hell out of you. As long as they are happy and healthy does it really matter what bloody line they are on?!!!

It was suggested by hv to give a bottle to top up just once in evening to help with weight. After drying my tears and getting home I have done that. It makes no difference to her sleep, still waking every 2 hours but I'm hoping it will help with weight. If it doesn't then I'm checking the bottle away. I HATE giving her a bottle, just a bit too soon for my liking.

Caz iirc were you giving x a top up at night. Did it affect your milk supply. I'd be so sad if E stopped feeding from me. I wanted to at least get to 5 months ebf.

Selfish moan over (feeling overwhelmed by all different advice)

[neverinamillionyears]

cali if it DOESN'T rain it pours

Stupid flippen phone

[neverinamillionyears]

Oh and CHUCKING the bottle away.....

Stupid ph.... oh I give up

[busyboysmum]

Just wanted to pop on to say that we have given Luke one formula bottle at around 9pm from about 2 weeks. It has given him one chunk of quality sleep and hasn't affected my supply whatsover. We did it with our first son as well - I really need my sleep, and it has helped us I know it has.

He still takes all his other feeds from me and when he wakes in the night for his one feed from me, my boobs are full of milk so he has a massive feed and sleeps till morning. Might be worth persevering with it if you are desperate to get him to go a bit longer. I know it is the formula that works as a couple of nights he refused the bottle and just had my milk and woke several times in the night, so my boobs weren't as full so we ended up with several night feeds both times.

Cali - hope you get things sorted out. I have been aching and a friend suggested high strength cod liver oil so I am planning on getting some as soon as my baby brain allows me to remember it when I am near some shops!

Sas - I have your dummy here, you left it in Starbucks, will try to remember to bring it to our next meet up.

[Somersaults]

Morning all. The good news is that Caitlin seems much better today although I'm still wary of letting her guzzle in case it all come back up so we're feeding little and often. The bad news is that I've come down with it overnight. Vomiting and the runs. I feel absolutely dreadful. No bloody wonder she was so upset. I'm sending DH out for some Lucozade and I think that's probably all I'll have today. Right now the thought of food just makes me feel worse. I'm trying to drink lots of water to keep hydrated but I'm sick if I have too much, just like she was yesterday.

It's probably a good job we didn't make it on Thursday or else you and your LOs might all have been in the same situation now and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[neverinamillionyears]

Thanks busy its more about her weight than sleeping through although that would be a bonus!

Feel better about giving a bottle. All advice says how bad it is for supply. She is still nursing as much from me so it can't be affecting her.

somer glad c is better now your turn to be cared for.

[alicat10]

Somer you'd need to check it's ok while bf but dioralyte is great for hydrating - I had a horrendous big while pregnant with DD, couldn't keep water down so had to have a tablespoon of dioraltye every 10-15 mins which seemed to make a huge difference x

[busyboysmum]

Never, I find the advice confusing as most of my mum friends have given one formula top up in the evening without any problems. They will be on solids soon and that doesn't affect supply so not sure why one formula bottle would? I think they are worried that once you give one bottle its the slippery slope off bf but if you are keen to continue, your supply just adjusts itself.

[Caliphora]

Only place I can share this really:

Abi was sat up in the sofa playing with her toys.
She then pooped so hard she fell over.

[Somersaults]

Cali that's brilliant! A few weeks ago Caitlin had hiccups and all of a sudden she sneezed so hard she pooed. It scared/surprised her so much that the hiccups stopped instantly!

It's nice to have a place to share these things.

[Somersaults]

And Ali thank you - I've had dioralyte today but actually found in the end that the things that's helping me most is coca cola. An old wives tale I think but the sugars in it seem to have really perked me up. I've had a slice of dry toast now and whilst I'm not feing normal I do feel better than I did.

The app i was talking about the other day is called BabySymboliser bya company called Huggamind. Caitlin loves it.

[Caliphora]

Somer - my mum used to give me flat coke for a bad tummy - the caffeine helps, too.

[sasamunde]

Oh yes I'd swear by flat coke. I reckon it kills all those nasty tummy bugs by being so chemical too! Get well soon.

Cali out of interest what is the recommended weaning age in Sweden? I was interested to hear hadak's hv's comments.

Thanks busy for holding onto that dummy, wondered where it had got to!

[Caliphora]

Weaning is recommended from 4-5 months, but only as "tasters", ie little spoonfuls to start with. It is very focused on baby led though, so you only do puréed foods to introduce the sensation and taste, not to wean. There isn't even a word for weaning though!

[glitternanny]

Hi I have a period question maybe u can help? I'm on my 2nd since Z was born ebd nov and started back on the pill this time too but I've been bleeding for 15 days now!! My first since pregnancy was normal but this is epic.

Should I be worried