September 05 - lots of smiles

[milward]

Here it is!!

Pcircus - hope your appointment goes well.

Mummyhill - wish I could help out. Happens to me as well.

ds is getting his first tooth as well. Just needs to come through the gum.

[mummyhill]

When we were in Barcelona we found that there two tour bus routes but you could buy one ticket to cover both we hopped on and off the buses all day every day whilst we were there as we found it was the easiest way to get round and see all the touristy bits. Ramblas was a great place to take a stroll morning noon and night. The food everywhere was lovely but we did enjoy a night out at the hard rock cafe. On a negative point though make sure you know where all your valuables are at all times there is a lot of bag snatching and pickpocketing especially along Ramblas. We would love to go back again as we had such a wonderful time but will have to wait till the children are older.

[Cabe]

Jaamy - I'm not seeing a HV at the mo so don't have the weight police problem but weighed Conrad today at bumps and babies and he's lost weight over his tummy upset... I was quite happy with him on the 9th percenttile but now he's nearly down to 0.4th

BUT on the upside, he's feeding and content and sleeps well so should I be worried? These damn charts and things they make even the most relaxed and confident mummy worry

I think I'd get more excited about Oz if there was a more definite plan... the cost would worry me though even if it was dp's money.

Oh I wanted to join the lose a stone thread but Boots here doesn't have scales for you to weigh yourself and I don't have any here... the cheapest ones I could find to buy were £39.99 too much, even for my vanity!!!!

Well done everyone losing weight... I'm having to go with the flow with the slight concerns I have over milk supplies... Ooooh there's always an excuse isn't there!!

[HeyBaby]

Ditto Mummyhill! When I was in Barcelona with some girlfriends one of them caught a teenage girl redhanded (literally with her hand in my friend's handbag) as we were going up a crowded escalator). The girl didn't even looked perturbed at being caught ... just started searching for another victim.

[HeyBaby]

Cabe - when we moved flat I picked up some scales from Ikea for £2-99 or something. Probably not accurate to the nearest .01 lb or anything but good enough to tell to nearest kg. Can't argue with £2-99!

[Cabe]

Thanks Heybaby

Nighty night all xx

[Simplyred]

Morning!

Lost 3lb at Fat fighters!

Think I might now sneek back to bed whilst Rachel is asleep!

[PiccadillyCircus]

Well done simplyred .

Going back to bed sounds a good idea. Alice is asleep too so I am going to try and do useful things rather than being at the computer .

[milward]

hello all - well done simply red! good going.

cabe - weight charts are done based on more formula fed babies than bf as this is how it goes. Head circumference & length are also good indictors of growth.

Off to collect dd3 from school in a mo. Bought big bag of potatoes today & when got home saw that cupboard was full of potatoes!! now have to think what to make to use them all up.

best wishes xxx

[jaamy]

Milward - they now have a special chart for BF babies. DOesn't look much different fro mthe bottle fed one if you ask me. Anyway, HV has frightened me into giving Abi a bottle of formula last feed at night which I'm gutted about. I hope she's happy!

[milward]

Jaamy - haven't checked the bf weight charts will look out for them - thanks for the info

what did your hv say? breastmilk is a demand & supply process so the more you bf the more you'll produce. The formula will reduce the stimulation of the breasts & down the supply. How you feel is important as well! - if you feel better with the bottle then this is good for you but if you feel sad then this isn't how things should be. Have you tried a babymoon to up bm supply - stay in bed for 24hrs just bf & resting if you can

[beatie]

Oh Milward - a babymoon sounds delightful. I wonder where DH could take dd1 for 24 hours so I could do just that. Not that I need to up my supply, I just like the idea of 24 hours in bed with only Alice's needs to take care of

[milward]

Beatie - wish I could do this as well. I'd love to just rest & bf with nothing else to think of or be responsible for.

[jaamy]

Thanks Milward for advice on babymoon! Have just suggested this to DH and he laughed. He knows as well as I do that I couldn't stay in bed for 24 hours. Still, will give it a go at the weekend as I really would loathe to give up BF. I'm still expressing in the evening while DH gives Abi her bottle so I'm hoping that my milk is still being stimulated. Abi has always been a fidgety feeder though so I don't think that helps. DD1 was an excellent feeder. I'm trying to express more often, even if I only get a small amount at a time to try and up supply.

[Simplyred]

Hello!

Rachel had second lot of injections earlier she was not ammused! But is ok now!

Having thyroid ultrasound tomorrow - scared - hope its all ok.

Also need to go into work to ask for 6 further months of Maternity Leave unpaid! Then I'll get Rachel weighed.

[milward]

Jaamy hope the babymoon goes well - stock up on mags & chocs as well!
SimplyRed - best wishes for tomorrow xxx

Here ds is asleep in my arm! tired out after busy afternoon with his big sisters & all the things they do to make him laugh

[firstimemum]

Hi again everyone. You probably don't remember me but I was on the thread way back in about October when I was really struggling with things - I think every one of my posts was about some problem or other I was having (sorry). Anyway, at 3 and a half months things are quite a bit better. I have been reading some of the posts on this thread and its been good reading what everyone has to say - looks like so many of us have similar experiences! A brief recap of what I've been up to since last posted: had real trial with the breastfeeding and been beating self up about it for months now - started out badly but too stubborn to give in, but had to surrender to some bottles becasue ds was clearly hungry (as confirmed by the only good mw/hv I saw - rest were crap and too theoretical in their approach). now am doing about 4 bottles a day and bf about 4 times a day, though dont think ds is getting much out of them - lots of thrashing abbout and crying (and that's just me ). Been battling the depression and was close to asking my gp to prescribe ADs a few weeks ago, but I dont feel that I need them at the mo', which I'm really pleased about. Been feeling more sociable lately and enjoying other people's company, rather than wanting to stay inside all day. My family all live in Australia, so been missing them a lot. It's been difficult not having help of relos around to give me an occasional rest, so now paying a Kiwi mothers help who comes around to look after ds for 3 hours on Wednesday while I go out (saw Matchpoint today!) - good practice for when I have to go back to work in June / July. Also started to get a cleaner in - best £14 per week I've ever spent. Dh is really gorgeous - lots of smiling, but bloody hell its hard yakka!! He was sleeping from about 11pm to 8am until about a week ago and now is waking anytime from 3.30 - 5am for a bottle - I think its a growth spurt and teething. Anyway, I'm going to try to keep up with the thread if I can find a few minutes each day to read the posts and to post myself. Take care all. xx

[HeyBaby]

Firsttimemum - I was at Matchpoint today too! Were you at Screen on the Hill? Might have seen you there! All my family are in Oz too and my in-laws as well. I take it you are an Aussie? The term "hard yakka" seemed to indicate this (I'm an Aussie too!). I agree is v difficult without the family support. My DH is away on course this week too so is 24/7 for me at the moment!

Whoops - sorry - just realised you saw movie withOUT DS. I took mine (also 3.5 months) to baby cinema. Was first time - good but lots of fidgety babies towards the end (not just mine either ). What did you think? I thought it started out well but then went totally strange towards the end. Should have known - Woody Allen and all!

I too had breastfeeding issues and experienced the same as you (HV/midwives all gave different advice and most theoretical. Finally had a breastfeeding consultant who showed me (hands on) what to do and what to look for - phew!). My DS has only slept through the night (eg 1130pm to 7-8am) a few times but also recently had the growth spurt thing (feeding furiously every 2-3 hours) but midwife said this is common in babies of DS' age (ie 3-4 months).

I'm also planning on going back to work around June time. Hope you are feeling better. Is no good feeling sad I have found that it is best for DS and I to try and get out at least once a day. My new year's resolution (besides losing the baby weight) is to get right into the mother/baby activities and so far it has been great. Would recommend it if you feel up to it.

[LadyLazarus]

SimplyRed - well done on the weight loss! I have lost half a stone now woo hoo... still don;t think I look any different, nor do my old clothes fit but hey you can't have it all now lol. You are so brave to go to a FatFighters type of group, I think I'd just laugh haha, too much thinking of Marjorie Dawes!

Flat-hunting was a resounding success, we wil be moving to Essex in about 3 weeks aargh! Don't know where to start! Forgot how many people you need to tell + how much hassle it all is! The flat is lovely tho, and has a nice square balcony at the back over looking miles of green hills. Much nicer than smoggy London! Plus near some of my friends, so hopefulyl I won't feel quite so isolated...

[milward]

Hello firsttime mum - happy to hear things are going better. Haven't been to the cinema for ages!! lucky you. My ds is teething as well so wakes up plus he bfs about 3 times a night! So not much rest here

[PiccadillyCircus]

Just been trying Alice in DS's old door bouncer - she seemed quite bemused by it . But not unhappy anyway.

[Cabe]

Hello everyone!

Firstimemum - welcome back! Glad things are going better for you

PC - bouncing already! Does Alice boing yet or do that one toe on the ground twirling that I remember Noop being so good at... Wow our little ones develop in leaps and bounds Conrad would feel a bit lost in a bouncer yet I think.

Little man's asleep next to me in his bouncy chair... poor little chap was up 4 times in the night last night(actually more poor me! he seemed to be enjoying himself )... I tell you! I'm just not used to it!!! He must be making up for the feeding that's just been going through him... and because I was resting in between feeds the milk was flowing better I'm happy he's feeling better.

Simply Red and Lady Lazarus... of your weight loss... I measured my waist and hips yesterday and shocked myself... used to be such a narrow kind of shape now 41" round the hips

on the go again... just going to visit bumps and babies friends... we all meet on Thurs pm at one or other of our houses - once a week just isn't enough!

Later All xx


Milward thankyou for your words of encouragement... I know I shouldn't take the charts too seriously and I'm sure ds will have put on weight by next week.

Mummyhill - I've missed a call from you... did you get my e-mail? How's Natalie? is she feeling any better? and how's David's feeding going now he's on some solids?

[pooka]

Hi all. Tom asleep upstairs and Lucy also napping so have....done washing, folded washing, made cup of tea, oiled the wooden surfaces, tidied up tommes of miniscule bits from Sylvanian Families dollshouse. And now am having a well-earned sit down.
Lucy had her first session at pre-school yesterday. Was fine when I left but as I was walking home after filling in tonnes of paperwork saw her in playground with all the others and she was being cuddled by one of the staff members. Uh oh I thought. Was rung after an hour by the leader (they do this with everyone to say how the little ones are settling in) to say that she was fine, doing a jigsaw, but had had a bit of a wobbly moment in the playground. Sooo pleased because it exactly corresponded with what I saw and I feel really confident that they are lovely lovely people. Lots of cuddles for the youngest. She was rather unsettled yesterday evening though, and I think the excitement and the newness of it all was making her mind work overtime. Hope that the next session on Friday afternoon will be a success.
As for Tom he slept a max of about 40 mins yesterday so was one grumpy overtired fellow at bedtime. Think he'd had enough of being bundled in and out of prams for dropping off/collecting dd from school and then going for lunch with friends. Seems more settled today although he certainly seems to have lost the easy affability of his early weeks - rather more grumpy during the day. Hates seeing me pop out of the room and seems to be bringing up loads of wind and possetting much more. A LOT of fist sucking going on and still waking at 1am and 4am ish after 7.30 bedtime.
Dieting - pah. Have actually gone through a terrible phase of eating more than I did when pregnant as have no heartburn now. Eating lots of chocolate at Christmas seems to have unleashed the chocoholic in me and I constantly stuffing my face. That combined with the lack of exercise as too shattered in the evening means that I think I'm going to actually start piling the pounds on.
Re: weaning, I really don;t think tom is ready. Have tried him with a tiny tiny bit of baby rice, but the tongue thrusting reflex still very strong so too early I think. Odd really as by the time Lucy was 17 weeks old she was having 3 meals a day including 4 tablespoons of ready brek before bed. Think that first time round I was desperate to get her to sleep and on to the next stage whereas this time I more happy to go with the flow. And I now recall how much of a hassle the weaning process was - all that pureeing!

[beatie]

Pooka # I'm easily holding off on weaning too as I also remember the hassle of pureeing and feeding a small baby a few spoonfuls of food 3 X a day.

Glad Lucy's first day wasn't too traumatic. How often will she go?

[pooka]

Only twice a week at first - Weds am and Fri pm. Then maybe in September I'll up it to 3 mornings. Doesn't half eat into my week though - also have to accommodate my mother, MIl and father who all want a piece of her! AND want to start swimming lessons on a Tuesday. Ho hum - not many days left to be in pj's at midday

[PiccadillyCircus]

Alice did some wonderful twirling - not quite up to bouncing yet [yet].

DS is complaining this is "no site ing" (ie not exciting) so my planned longer post is postponed.