December 2011 - Worp speed 5 to sleeping and smiling

[BeeMyBaby]

FairyBayleaf DC1 EDD 6th Dec BORN 29th Sept Albert Elwyn 2lb 14oz
Tjuice DC2 EDD 21st November BORN 7th Nov Amaya Rose 3kg
Sevensevenseven DC2 EDD 20th Dec 25yo Southwold BORN 21st Nov Eva Rose 5lb 4oz
Girlwiththemouseyhair DC2 EDD 24th Nov Maggie Juliet BORN 25th Nov 8lb 9oz
YBR DC1 EDD 22nd Dec BORN 25th Nov (girl) 6lb 3.5oz
LittleBlueBoat(Cheeptrick) DC2 EDD 5th Dec 29yo S.Yorkshire BORN 26th Nov Hope Brynn Frances 8lb 9oz
Kri5ty DC1 EDD 13th Dec 26yo Manchester Boy BORN 29th Nov Saul Harrison 6lb 13oz
LauraSmurf DC1 EDD 3rd December Girl BORN 30th Nov
BeeMyBaby DC2 EDD 29th November 25yo Scotland BORN 1st Dec Safia Hawwa 7lb6oz
SoTiredOfTheWheelsOnTheBus DC2 EDD 7th December BORN 1st December Boy 8lbs5oz
Iggly DC2 EDD 2nd December South London BORN 2nd Dec (Girl) 8lb 1oz
Girlsyearapart DC4 EDD 6th December BORN 3rd Dec (Boy) 7lb 7oz
HoneyLovesCake DC1 EDD 2nd December Cornwall BORN 6th Dec Rocco Kaleb 8lb 14oz
Mmmmcheese DC2 EDD 25th December 32yo BORN 7th Dec (Girl) 7lb8oz
Itsybitsy08 DC2 EDD 6th December Boy BORN 9th Dec Kieran 8lb4oz
Msbuggywinkle DC3 EDD 13th December 27yo BORN 10th Dec Miranda 8lb6oz
OiMissus DC1 2 December, 39yo, Horwich, Bolton BORN 10th Dec (Boy) Alistair Jude 9lbs
jigglebum BORN 11 Dec Freya 7lbs
Pludophtherednosedreindeer (plupervert): DC2 EDD Dec 10 (Kent) BORN 12 Dec Helena 8lb 6oz (3.8kg)
NorthernChinchilla- EDD 19th December, BORN 12th Dec, Boy, 7lb 7oz
Jomouse DC1 EDD 2nd December 35yo London BORN 14 Dec (Girl) 5lb 8oz
Tyelperion DC1 EDD 3rd December 27yo Windsor BORN 14 Dec (boy) 9lb 8oz
KateM77: DC2 EDD Dec 10 34yo BORN 16 Dec Daniel James 8lb 6oz
BennyBenBear DC1 EDD 5th December Manchester/Bolton BORN 18 Dec Oliver Stephen Bolton 8lb 9oz
Kiteflying DC2 EDD 7 December 44yo Australia BORN 18 December (Girl) Lulu 8lb 14 oz
mopsytop DC1 EDD 25th December BORN 19 Dec 6lbs 11oz
AWomanCalledHorse DC1 EDD 22nd December BORN 21st December 7lbs 6oz (Boy)
Figgygal DC1 EDD 12 December 30yo Bath BORN 22 Dec Daniel James McMillan 9lb 4oz
Kitty5824 DC1 EDD 21st December 33 yo Manchester - Don't know BORN 23rd Dec, Boy, 7lb 14oz, Sebastian John
Aethelfleda DC3 EDD 27th December London BORN 3rd January, Albert Thomas William 8lb 10 oz
hawthers DC2 EDD 22nd December London 33yo BORN 28 December 7lb 4oz (boy)
LittleMissFlustered DC3 31st December BORN 6 Jan (boy)
hopeful1 BORN 6 Jan Noa Francie Kate 10lb 3oz
MissRee BORN 12 Jan 12 Freya Violet 7lb 7oz

mopsy there is no problem with that centile, HV's just want to check that they roughly follow the line and don't dip too much. DD1 was stuck following the 2nd centile until she was weened and the HVs never seemed very bothered about it although I was unfortunately obsessed.

mopsy as bee said it doesn't matter where they fall on the growth charts, its more a way of checking that they gain weight at a healthy rate. DS was on the 9th centile when he was born and still is now, he's just never had much of an appetite, unlike his piglet sister who's between the 50th and 75th.

As everyone else has said its not a problem, HVs start to get concerned if there is a drop of 2 centiles. My DD1 followed her own curve, waaaay under all of the centiles, she's very healthy, just tiny.

I was supposed to be at bfing group this morning but Rocco only woke once last night & let me have a lie-in so I missed my lift into town with DP...didn't even think to set an alarm. I don't really think I need the group to be honest; I have you lot for advice but I thought it might be good for me to meet some mums in RL. Nevermind, there's always next week!

Might go out for a walk with him though; it'd be good to get some fresh air & it's about time we got out on our own!

aethel My reasons for ttc so soon are; I have a few friends with siblings a year apart & I envy their closeness. We're hoping to move abroad before Rocco is ready to start school but ideally I want all of my DC's born in the UK. DP is 8 years older than me...only 39 & he wants to be as young a dad as possible...his own dad who is in his 60s is still working with him on a roof so I think this reason is a bit silly :) Both DP & I are only children but we really wanted siblings. Until we have another child I can't be sure it's possible; I wouldn't want DS to miss out on the relationship I was so desperate for growing up. Also the longer we leave it the less likely I think I am to want to try...I could happily lavish attention on my 1 & only PFB but he would be well & truly tied to my apron strings Also, it'd be nice to have my body back.

I read on kellymom last night that if you practice ecological bfing then the average time for the return of your period is 14.6 months so 2 year gap between babies...not sure I can go that long between newborns

aethel it is actually cerazette that I'm concerned about. In fact there's a big thread on post-natal about its possible side effects of depression/anxiety. I don't really want to risk it. Thing is, I would like to go back on my combined pill - cileste - as I always got on with it really well so suppose we only need contraception for a year when I go back to work and stop bfeeding. I have PCOS and find that it really controls my symptoms. Might end up with condoms even though I really hate them!

We thought about a vasectomy and DH was actually willing but I always have in the back of my mind what would happen if I and the DCs all died and one day he wanted to remarry and have a family, he's only 33. I know its so unlikely but feels a bit scarily final. Maybe we'll do it in a few years time.

DD has redeveloped her aversion to the moses basket again. Hoping I can blame it on the antibiotics.

Lovely sunny day today, going to walk to a friend's house for a natter.

I'm eating so much chocolate, DD must be enjoying chocolate milk!

Positive weigh in news - ds2 up 250g since Wednesday last week and now above birthweight. Phew massive sigh of relief

I wrote a post this morning while bfing and it got swallowed...
We have gone backwards to 3 feeds per night, but I think that's because he's a bit snotty still. However we were still up, showered (and hair washed!)and fed, and out of the house by 9:30! Alistair has now been registered. (can you believe that at the place where you register births there is nowhere you can bf apart from in the corridor?)
Then we went to hell ikea. So I breast fed him in the car, sat in the sun with the radio on.
Btw I'm not mad keen to get pg again straightaway. What's the best age gap for mum?
I'll be back at work in April - i envy you SAHMs! I am hoping that we get a house and mortgage sorted soon so that we can properly consider DH becoming a SAHD.
We do want another child. I'm 39 now, so I don't want to leave it too long.
I can't remember all the other things I wanted to say...
Anyway, quick clean up and washing on, then I'll make the updates to the photobook, then either catch up with the work that's waiting for me or sleep. Lovely blue skies and sunshine here.

Danny is tuckered out so making the most of some down time by checking out just dance 3 sweat mode, am knackered but it's going to form part of my weightless regime. Nor sure my pelvic floor was ready for a couple of the faster ones......squeeze!!

And I watched Sherlock (brilliant)

Oh and I did the dishes so I did accomplish something

Sherlock was great. Didn't see series 1, so must get hold of it.

Ah, Sherlock...

Have just booked visits to the two local nurseries, so that'll be fun for next week. We'd be looking for DS to possibly start in September.

At the moment, we don't know whether DP will go back to work full or part time, or be a SAHD, but we need to get a place booked. Two issues are that DP may lose his job as his organisation are having their 4th re-organisation in 4 years, and that DP's parents are massively against him giving up work. I think they could cope with part-time....

The problem is that we will do whatever is right for us- and DP has always warmed to being a SAHD, he's doing half the maternity leave- but it could cause a huge rift and big issues with his parents.

hawthers, sooo pleased to hear the good news!

Ladies does anyone have a baba sling? My moby is going on eBay I just can't get on with it at all just doesn't feel safe, bonus points for you ladies who have mastered yours.

Haven't got one figgy but have you looked at the MN Reviews I looked at them when I was researching slings & it they put me off a bit. Shame because I really like the look.

Have you tried the kangaroo hold with your moby? I find it much easier to tighten than the newborn hug hold & DS seems to prefer it. DP still doesn't like it though so I'm trying to get a cheap Wilkinet on ebay for him to use (as recommended by tyel I think)

Walked down to bf group and back up (all uphill home) and feel like I got good exercise. Buying a chocolate orange on the way home may counteract it though ! Going to try bf and expressing soften as I can all week to see if I can increase my supply and get minimopsy to feed better. I said I'd give it six weeks so going to try as hard as I can this week even if it's knackering and see how we get on. I want to feel like I have tried everything before (if) I give up.

Oh, and my sis said she posted me her moby wrap. Interested to see how I get on with it, it looks tricky to use. We have a baby bjorn but minimopsy is still quite small for it and her head lolls forward when she's asleep which I don't like.

Mopsy I had said I would give BF until tomorrow as it's my birthday but have bought a different sized breast shield for my pump and started on fenugreek so giving it until end of the month now before I make the decisions about continuing with breast, it seems mean to withhold whatever little I can give him but after Almost a month I still can't get even 10ml expressed.

I'll look at the baba sling reviews then I dont want another failed purchase I want to get him in it and used to being carried around in it.

With regards to BF my own personal rules are:

1. if i'm not theere to feed DD then i have to express to keep the supply and demand the same

2. my baby can get twice as much as what i express as she is better at breastfeeding

3. even if i can't express if the baby is gaining weight and having wet and pooy nappies then my baby is getting enough ofd my milk to grow (my sister is bf 9 month old twins at the mo but cant express for toffee - some women just cant as its different to feeding a baby)

4. I know BF will become easier at 6 months when i introduce food

5. if i'm still feeding the baby at one years old then i have to let the baby self wean as at this age they want the milk and will lift your top up to get it and scream when its not given

6. Even if i'm ill i still need to feed my baby to give her the antibodies and to keep my supply up

7. to make milk i meed a healthy diet and sleep (I need to look after me to beable to feed her)

8. if i get down about feeding i just read the 101 reasons to breastfeed and then i'm ok and think wow what a great thing to do for my child (I still worry about it and get her weighed each week tho and have a few sleepless nights worring if she is getting enough!)

I go thru cycles of wanting to give up and get my body back to feeling good about my choice but its worth it in the end i hope

Anyone who managed 3 or more weeks i take my hat off to as its so hard and tiring and painfull in the first few weeks. I tend to take it in 3 week slots - i just have to get to 3 weeks, then i just have to get to 6 weeks, then i just have to get to 9 weeks then i have to get to 6 months as i have come this far, then i will stop when the baby is one and then its easy and its up to the child when to stop!

Unfortunately my baby is just not getting enough at the breast. So I need to top her up and as I can't express enough I have to use formula also :( going to try increase my supply though by expressing/feeding as often as I can.

Sorry for the me post but I'm worrying. After saying my period had started there was just a few spots and there's been nothing since. I went back on the pill 4 weeks after DS so didn't have a first period as such. Is this normal or could I be pregnant? We've only had sex 4 times and been using condoms.

(I think reading reasons to bf would just make me feel worse. It's not that I don't want to bf-I am trying my very hardest-but it's just not going very well in spite of my efforts)

You'd have to be super unlucky tone pregnant seven, if you were using contraception. I am sure our periods will be irregular for a while.

Thanks mopsy, how long would you wait before testing? I don't want to worry DH or get judged taking out my 8wo (who is still newborn size!) out to buy a test. I read if not BFing periods should return within 12 weeks so if it wasn't for the few spots it wouldn't have crossed my mind, but I don't want to wait another month then find out I'm pregnant.

Sorry to hear that mopsy. I found it really hard to bf, express and ff with DS - i was a zombie by day 5 as i just could not get enough sleep as i spent an hour expressing, an hour bf, 20 mins bottle feeding the breastmilk [30ml] and then 30 minutes giving 40ml of SMA every 3 hours it only left me 20 to sleep, eat and go for a wee. I used sweet fennel tea to help increase my supply. The best advice i was given was to bf first and to feed as often as i could so the baby could stimmulate my milk supply and express more at night as it helps increase supply too. It normally takes about 3 days for the milk to show an incress. Also if you leek there is a breast sheild that catches it so you can feed it to the baby at each feed. So if you feed from one side and at the same time the other side is leaking you can catch it and feed it to baby as well.

Thanks air. will try expressing more at night, knackering though it will be!

seven I would say hang what anyone thinks, buy a test and put your mind at ease!

Mopsy - the best part of breastmilk is the first bit - the colostrum (sp?) this has all the antibodies in it and you have already given your child that so anything else is a bonus. You have already done really good. It does not matter if you bf or ff as long as you feed you child and you are happy with your decision. I can relate to the "Try my best to make it work" feelings

I'm currently worrying about DD's cradle cap and dry skin on her face and i think it may be eczma so we have a doctors appointment tomoro. Also just relised its my son's 3rd birthday in 2 weeks time and DH has used his holiday to take care of Air when i was in hospital and last week so we cant go to my family for Air's birthday as DH has to work. So i have arranged bowling and a meal not exciting for a 3 year old but the best i can do right now

Seven - Could you order a test online and get it delivered or ask a friend/family member to pick it up? Or see the nurse at your doctors and ask her for a test (give her a wee samply and ask her to test it for you?)?