The brookers post graduate thread

[hawthers]

We've got so good at brooking no argument for no pregnancy complications and sneeze births, we're going for our Phds in big fat babies

Too what a lot to cope with!

I think the appropriate thing to say is:

'May the Fourth be with you

Seriously though good luck Too - what a weekend. If you can cope with that you cope with anything! Will you be updating us with your progress? Have a fab weekend xx

Hmmmm, just realised that even though DS1 is nearly clear of the CP so would be able to socialise again, in theory DS2 could be incubating for the next 3 weeks now. This is the last day that ds1 will be contagious but ds2 could pop out in spots any time in the next 3 weeks.

So how much should we put ourselves in exile? At the moment I've told my new NCT group that I'll keep away for a couple of weeks just in case because I figure it's a bigger risk for newborns / late stage preggos and most of their DC1s are younger (maybe less than 2) so most likely haven't had CP yet. Do you think they'll think I'm being sensible or trying to give them the brush off? (I'm not trying to give them the brush off, they're lovely!)

Other than that I guess I can get ds1 maybe a playdate with his friends who've already had it? That would be ok do you think? I can't keep ds1 in isolation for another 3 weeks because I'd go mental.

What do you reckon - anything else I should / shouldn't do?

I thought for the first three months they had your immunity. 3-6 months they're at their most vulnerable as your immunity wearing off and their own immune systems pretty immature, and it improves from 6 months on steadily?? I think the nct group will be pleased not to risk having cp to deal with too.

too May the fourth be with you indeed

Biscuits I did in fact take a pic of myself carrying the boys downstairs thus morning, scuse the pj's. It's on .

Not laughing at the stressful weekend of course too just biscuits joke

You are flipping amazing Dream - you actually DID manage to carry both boys AND take the pic! Now picking em up and putting em down - bet that's interesting!

I'd love them to make a documentary about Dream's life - it would be amazing!

Next week, could you please find a cure for cancer and a way to world peace?

You are wonder woman!

Successful day so far here, new toddler group about 40 mins away with a friend with toddler and 5 month old that lives there and lunch at said friend's house. Her toddler also eats next to nothing so no need to get jealous with them! All very lovely bar a toddler boy scratching A's face quite badly at play group :( We'd just arrived, she was in her car seat just waking up and he ran up and scratched her face! His mum didn't see either and I didn't want to make a fuss so ended up whispering it to my friend and feeling a bit wobbly for the next hour.

Slightly off topic but Dream I'm looking at your stairs and thinking back to a conversation we had AGES ago about your dd learning to go up and down stairs.

Our stairs are like yours I think in that they have walls either side and not a 'proper' bannister. We have the same thing with wood on top of the 'open' side. I'd wondered how much harder this might make it for DS2 to learn stairs. Any tips?

Ds1 learned at our old house which had a spindles and handrail type bannister.

Good effort Pomme - sounds like a successful day indeed! But for A getting her face scratched. They do heal
So quickly when they're wee though. But nonetheless

Hope everyone else is well xx

i am just feeding DS2 and slightly hiding from the in-laws. they are very nice but just seem to have failed to notice what our family is like. we're just getting the same comments recycled from when DS1 was a baby. 'bfing on demand must be very tying' (vs ff not on demand i think she means) i have no idea how to reply- yeah it takes up a lot of time (her head would explode if i told her you could do it with twins) but that's how bf works!

today's classic quote.. we were explaining that we want to take DS1 somewhere specific for a holiday soon. MIL says 'what will you do with DS2?' me and DH 'we'd take him with us' DH further points out that he's tiny and ebf which would be slightly inconvenient even if we did want to leave him somewhere for a few days! the whole point is that we can take baby, lots of nappies and boobs at this stage. DS1 will be more hassle to feed! i think i must have looked a bit psycho at the idea of someone looking after my psb hehe.

right, better go back...

at your MIL Jaggy - she's brilliant!

You should have said he'd have been fine at home as long as you left him a few sandwiches

to give some context, we are compared to bil and SIL who were out for the night within 3 weeks of DN's birth and overnight within about 6. they regularly go out/away now and she stays with GPs who also do most of their childcare. we are seemingly viewed with pity cos we don't get out much. the fact that we didn't go out much pre dc seems to be forgotten! she was ff from birth so that's what they're used to.

there was then a confusing discussion about expressing and how that wouldn't work because you can't keep milk in the fridge. so we had to explain that ebm is different from formula. i couldn't even imagine expressing enough for a holiday, then going about with sore boobs while away.

oh, we're going to see them tomorrow and FIL was shocked that we were allowed to take DS2 out already.

And aside from the milk point (which would clearly be entirely impractical) can you imagine spending a week without ds2 now he's here? I nipped to the supermarket for an hour last weekend and left the DSs with my Mum and Dad and it just felt weird!

There were 2 senior people where I used I work, who were married and had 1 or 2 kids (can't remember how many) and they both worked full time (long hours etc too) so had a team of nannies etc. Then went on a walking holiday without the children

I mean FFS, what was the point of having kids?

no flippin way haha! i got a bit uncomfortable the other week when my dad zoomed ahead with the pram and pushed DS2 out of sight around the corner I've never left DS1 overnight, it's just not a big deal to us. I'm sure one day we'll be keen for some peace, it's just not now. :)

BIL and SIL do work long hours and go out or go away on trips without each other, never mind their daughter. if i did their jobs I'd want to spend a lot of my free time with my dc Tbh so i can't get my head round it either. each to their own i guess.

still not been on computer to see your photos dream.

hope your trip goes ok too, can't imagine a newborn and a broken washing machine we panicked enough when our tumble drier packed in when DS1 was tiny (in winter).

gah, forgotten what else to say and can't look back on phone.

I agree jaggy - I can't imagine enjoying a holiday minus the dds. I've left dd1 twice overnight - once to give birth to dd2 and once for my hen do when she was 14 months. I enjoyed my hen do but despite going to bed at two and drinking a lot I woke at six desperate to get home!

too - that's a brave trip!

We have another wedding tomorrow - two hours drive away so no overnight stay!

biscuits - a's face already looks better but the scratch right near the corner of her eye bled and scared me to death. We have no bannister, dd1 leant on the wall until she could do it properly.

Seconds jaggy again in general all encompassing brooking.

We just hold her hands for stairs atm but will encourage her to just hold one hand and use wall like pomme says. My none crawling child just learnt to go up herself and down on her bottom, though she only does that with hands held. Four weeks too late little miss, you were meant to learn that for after mummy's CS!!!

Not a very worthwhile pic jaggy, just of manhandling both babies downstairs. To pick up two I put them either side of me to get them on to feed together, or on sofa or bed to get them together at home. I could probably get them both out the buggy similarly but haven't had to yet biscuits. Dh can be holding one and get the other straight out the bouncy chair but he's taller so has longer arm to support head and body one handed iykwim? I can do it, but they get bad head loll backwards so I try not too as think its bad for their necks! So put number one on sofa, grab number two, put him by his twin, scoop both up.

I agree, why have children if you don't want to spend time with them?! I have only ever spent the time in after the twins away from DD. Still can't let the nanny lady have sole charge at all, even to the playground. I like my dc with me thanks!!

Hope A scratch totally gone by tomorrow pomme, so upsetting when they get hurt especially when the other mother didn't even see. Hmm.

Oh, and colief is a royal pita. You either have to mix with ebm and give on a sterilized spoon, or put into warm ebm, refridgerate, use after 4 hours and before 12 hours. Or in formula put in 30 min before a feed. This is because its an enzyme, lactase, to break down the lactulose in milk. But what a faff. So I've got my ebm but all fridged so can't add the colief now, it specificslly says it won't work in cold or hot milk... FFS. Gaviscon tonight then. Got 9oz ebm today though, but much effort, sterilizing, pumping...

So basically, how would you do that out and about?! I'd have to be SO organised just to manage at home...any ideas??

So when are you supposed to put the colief in? Pump it, put the colief in, and then refrigerate for 4-12 hours? What a god awful faff!!

So was that other thread wrong them with the idea you could give it straight to the baby? Pah!

dream that is totally stupid and clearly devised hunt someone who hasn't been within 50m of an actual baby or a man

Heading off to the wilds of the north for a week so will be without internet access I think.

Keep on brooking

oh it was A's poor wee face i forgot about pomme, hope it heals up quick. what was the other child doing to scratch her?? DS2 is all scratchy faced but only because i need to cut his wee nails again. never needed scratch mitts with DS1. DS2 can escape them anyway unless they are part of his sleeves.

DS1 made me laugh this morning. he woke up and came through to find DS2 crying after a nappy change then said "uh oh. better give him some more milk. I'm having cereal"

i am a shit mum, DS2 has a sore bum already. :( DS1 was the same and we had to take him to the gp at 3 weeks old for cream. I've been putting a wee bit of metanium on it, but as soon as it's nearly better we have another poopathon and it gets all sore looking again. any tips?

might have to brave some nappy off time in a big old towel.

Aww bless your ds1 Jaggy that's so cute

My DS's were the other way round with scratching. DS1 was always scratching himself and the little scratch mitts never stayed on unless he had sleepsuits with them in the sleeves. I haven't cut DS2's nails at all and I think he's had the odd minor scratch so far. Then again he's now going into 3-6 mths sleepsuits and they don't have the scratch mitt sleeves at that size.

I know that sounds ridiculous - going into 3-6 mths at only 8 weeks but his 0-3 seemed like they were only just long enough so when he was kicking his legs they would be pulling really tight. I don't like to think of him feeling restricted if he stretches out so I figured since I had a drawer full of the next size up he might as well use those. Plus I suspect the fact that they're all hand-me-downs that have been washed and tumble dried often might mean that they aren't true to size anymore anyway.

Oh and DS2 seems to have a red bottom most of the time here too. As you say, it just gets sorted and then starts up again.

We took part in the MN trial for Metanium everyday barrier cream and I just found it did nothing for him at all. In fact every time I started using it within 2 nappy changes he'd have a red bun. Then I'd do a few changes with Sudocrem to get rid of it. Then I'd try it again - red bum. Repeat......

I'm not sure whether it was causing the red bum or just doing nothing to prevent it. I'm going to see if we can try a few changes with no cream at all and see if it goes red then? So far Sudocrem seems to be dealing with ours but I have my Metanium yellow stuff on standby for if it gets worse.

In terms of tips though, can't think of anything a sorry. Only thing I can think of is some nappy free time - good luck!

I've been lucky with nails both time, both dd's have come out with nails rounded already and have only scratched themselves when the nails have done that splity thing.

Bums - With both dd's my mum has given me a pot of Neal's Yard cream available at Waitrose and John Lewis. The mind boggles at the price I'll warn you but I have avoided newborn nappy rash with it both times.

Jaggy - The toddler just ran up the car seat and started really viciously scratching her face. it seemed a very instinctual thing. I can't explain it but it was scary and none else saw. Someone told me afterwards that they'd heard of a toddler scratching a baby in a car seat so badly it needed stitches. Maybe something to do with the seat?? DD1 likes to kiss dd2 in her car seat which puts the baby at slight risk of suffocation (!) but nothing vicious ever.

Oh and biscuits - I've been looking at dd2's 3-6 months things too. She's not far off. It makes me a bit :( the swop to 3-6 months. Means they're not newborns anymore...

Gosh Pomme that sounds really frightening with the car seat thing! How awful! Ds1 also likes to kiss DS2 in car seat (and indeed anywhere!) Not sure ds2 is so keen on the full on kisses but I'm stuck between a bit of a rock and a hard place as I don't want to put ds1 off being friendly to him. I have to make sure he's not leaning on him etc and I try to encourage him to maybe just kiss him on the cheek . He also wants to cuddle him in the car seat which isn't entirely practical but I normally manage to put him off that! But he's never done anything mean. Thank goodness!!

I know what you mean Pomme - don't want him to not be a newborn anymore .

His 0-3 clothes still fit fine, like trousers and t-shirts but it's just the sleepsuits and vests - things that go all the way round him lengthwise iyswim.

Mind you he was 12lb 7 almost 2 weeks ago so I would guess he'll be at least 13lb by the time I weigh him on Wed, assuming he's still putting weight on.

He has his first jabs on Wed too.....