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.

[firstimemum]

Hi everyone. Heybaby, yep, I'm an Aussie from Sydney and have lived in London with my husband for about 4 years. Do you live in NW3? I used to live on Belsize Lane just near Screen on the Hill, but have crossed the mortal divide to South of the river: Clapham. Pity we dont live closer together because my son is also 3.5 months. The local cinema here has a baby session too on Thursday mornings and I went with a few of my nct pals to Brokeback Mountainthis morning, which I thought was excellent (the parts I saw anyway) but ds probably a bit young to be shown graphic scenes of homosexual anal sex! Oh well. I liked Matchpoint yesterday but agree that it was a bit strange and I thought that some of the dialogue and characters were a bit wooden (esp the guy who played Emily Mortimer's brother - he really grated). It felt weird to be there by myself, but decadant at the same time - went in with a big coffee and bag of chips and totally chilled (but broke the cardinal rule of leaving my mobile on in case ds' nanny needed me ... thankfully she didnt so I didnt cheese off the other 3 people in the cinema). I agree that its more important for us expats without family near to get stuck into local baby activities. Now that I am feeling quite good I am making more of an effort to do this and will check out some one o'clock clubs, baby massage etc. I really want to make a big effort to enjoy this time off work because it will be over before I know it and I will be back at work. I want to look back on this time with happiness. Better go - gentle gurgling on the playmat is starting to get frantic and before long will turn into yells if I dont go soon ...

[HeyBaby]

Hi All. DS was weighed on Mon and is 15lb (ie 7kg) which I think is normal or slightly high for a 3.5 m.o. No wonder my arms are hurting! I think that baby sizing is totally arbitrary to be honest. DS even fits into some 6-9 m.o. clothing and as for BabyGap, what is with the 6-12 m.o. sizes? That's quite a large range isn't it???

Firsttimemum - agree it is such a shame you're not closer. We have been here for 5 years. Also saw Brokeback Mountain today. Really liked it but it was slower than expected. Felt so sad for those guys. Never knew Wyoming was so beautiful! Will u be flying home for hols before you start work again? Totally agree about making the most of the maternity leave. All of this free time with DS is very precious!

[beatie]

firstimemum - I think it's great that you are going to get involved in baby activites and plan to meet other people with small babies.

I have a dd1 who is 3 and I look back fondly at those carefree (mostly!) days of just having one baby to accommodate. I got very pally with my antenatal group and we ended up meeting up 4 times a week. One of those days we'd meet for lunch and drinks in the gardens of what would otherwise have been desserted bars. Fond memories.... I'm so glad I was able to do that for a few months.

[Simplyred]

Morning!

[Cabe]

Morning Simply Red

I've just read a great breastfeeding thread, something about 'please someone give me some encouragement' along those lines anyway... a contributor called Tiktok gave brilliant advice... I was going to supplement ds's feeds with a bottle once a day before I read this, I'll continue with just the bfing now

[beatie]

I'm off to read that Cabe. I'm feeling the crunch and need some 'keep it up' vibes.

[PiccadillyCircus]

Tiktok gives really good advice. I am also feeling a bit of the "nearly 4 months; how do I keep o doing this" feelings.

[beatie]

Me too PC. Funny how it hits you at 4 months and funny how if you complain/mention it to anyone else you get the 's/he must be hungry and ready for solids' answer.

I'm determined to make it to 26 weeks exclusively breastfeeding but it will be difficult as I don't know anyone IRL who has done this. 10 weeks feels like a long, long way off.

[Cabe]

I'm having a stay at homey day, get these boobies on the go again...

[beatie]

Have fun Cabe - I hope it helps you. I personally enjoy feeding Alice during the day and don't mind nor notice the frequency with which I do it. I know I do it a lot for my convenience too - like when I am on here.

I'm getting tired and I mean TIRED of the constant night feeding that started around 4 weeks ago. I know it is not out of hunger and due to Alice's inability to settle herself. I'm yawning most days and it makes me more cranky with dd1.

This will pass, this will pass, this will pass, this will pass .............. won't it?

[Cabe]

Oh beatie... Alice has always found settling hard hasn't she? does she sleep in your room?

[PiccadillyCircus]

It's nice knowing there's other people going through just the same things as you .

Cabe, is Conrad's birthday the same as Alices' (note the careful use of apostrophe there ) - 20th September?

I love feeding Alice, it doesn't ever hurt (apart from the mastitis), she doesn't mind having a bottle from someone else, DS doesn't mind me feeding her, no bottles to make up etc......but I am just a bit bored of it nearly alsways being me. And although she is only waking up once or twice in the night, I am bored of that as well.

She is in our room still - by this age DS was in his own room, going to cot at 7pm, haivng dreamfeed at about 10:30 and sleeping until 7am. Alice sometimes goes to cot in the evening (am working on this), but wakes up after 45 minutes, can be settled sometimes, wakes for feed at bewteen 10 and 11, and then once or twice more before 7.

It will all be all right in the end I jeep telling myself, but I will be glad to get more sleep in a block of it.

[Rhumba]

PC Gabrielle does the wakes after 45 minutes thing in the evening. Why do they do it?? She's not hungry as she'll be cuddled back to sleep very easily and then sleep til 3am or even 5am (although that's not happened for a while....

Also feeling a bit "how long can I do this ??" She's showing all the signs such as chewing on fists, waking esier in the night and from naps and seems to want morefrom the feed but not sure there is any. Am really trying to eat more but it's not having much effects. 2.5 yrs ago when my son doid this we were all told to wean but now thats not the done thing. Am going to top up with some of my ebm supplies butit won't last another 11 weeks.

off to read that thread

[milward]

Beatie - I'm bf exclusively for the first 6 months - did with dd2 & 3. Then I'll bf on demand until ds4 wants to give up - around 18months-2yrs. Only thing is would like to have another one & with my bf stops my cycle until about 18 months. I don't have time on my side either!!


bf is really a demand & supply - just bf & they'll be no supply probs. Once you give other liquids demand & supply are disrupted & there is less milk. I love bf as it's so easy plus gives me a break to come on here!!

[Cabe]

Yes' isn't it PC
Yes Conrad and Alice share a Birthday

I know I've been spoiled by Conrad's amazing sleeps (contributing to my lack of milk supply though) He's waking in the night now but I think this is because he's feeling more hungry and as it's such a novelty and I know he needs it I'm still rather chuffed with his waking (sorry I'm sure this is the last thing you need to hear!)

The lack of a good block of sleep must be wearing and feel like it's going to last forever... I only asked about sleeping in the same room as I know some babies are very easily roused by the sounds and smells of Mummy and Daddy and can get longer sleeps in their own little room.
Nandy had her own room from day one but I wouldn't want this for Conrad (couldn't anyway as I've got a 2 bed house

It's been such a while since dd was little - I forgot about the floorfulls of bricks and toy parts. about your safety socks!

[milward]

Yes great tip to wear thick socks pc!!

[PiccadillyCircus]

Socks are on (Duplo still there ) but have been feeding Alice (and eating my lunch) so this is all right.

What time was Conrad born? I think beatie's Alice was born around 4 in the morning, and mine was born at 1:26 pm. Just wondering which out of the "triplets" is oldest.

Alice is really turning into a person now - very chatty, enjoying trying to (and sometimes succeeding) in holding things and smiling a lot. She is very nice .

[Cabe]

7.51am PC... You've got the littlest

[mummyhill]

Hi cabe - no still not got your email hon but will phone you again soon.

David Is realy contened on his three meals a day. Unfortuantley just one meal and bottles wasn't cutting the mustard with gutso and we are now having rice with fruit for breakfast, veg for lunch and choc pud or custard for tea. As well as 5 bottles of anywhere between 5 and 9oz each. This is however much easier than 9 9oz bottles a day and he is not as sicky since going on the solids.

[Cabe]

Oh poo!!! as i sent it from new msn address and there were pics too

I'll try again later when I've got 2 hands spare...Wow just goes to show how individual their needs are... glad David's a content boy now

[milward]

agree with cabe - every kid has it's own needs. Mummyhill your little one certainly packs it away!!

[mummyhill]

He has fallen asleep in the highchair after eating 1/2 a heinz tin of veggies and then demolishing nearly 2/3 of a tin of chocolate pudding. Ohh is he going to be a big boy!!!

[mummyhill]

Ohh and he loves his door bouncer!!!

[Cabe]

Another bouncer!!!
I can picture him loving it MH he really has lots of gusto for life - galavanting towards each new experience!
How tall is he now? Conrad's been overtaken by his teeny 8 week old friend Matilda... She's 8oz heavier and the same height I'm not worried now though as I'm going for the feeding every two hours milk boosting programme!!

His tummy hasn't settled completely yet but I'm hoping with the extra feeds this will sort itself out soon...
...as you can see I'm really using my feedy day to get on with some Uni work! I keep MNing

[beatie]

Yes, my Alice was born at 4:50am. PC - your Alice sounds so similar to mine... and you sound similar to me. I've become so bored with night feeding and also feel a bit of that 'it's always me feeding her' resentment.

But, as I said, I love daytime feeding. And Alice is smiley and so contented during the days, the nights never feel that bad.

I think you never know what to do for the best with bf babies. There's no magic manual. Books are either geared towards routines - which work better with formula feeding, or else the books are staunchly BF friendly but not necessarily frazzled-mummy friendly.

There's surely a lot of people who fall inbetween, who want to bf exclusively but who also want to moan about the sleepless nights

Duplo's been out all over the floor here today too. We had a friend over with a 20 month old so everything has been allover the floor.