March 2012 - Brewed to Perfection!

[TroubleAndFyfe]

Hello all, come and add your babies to the list and let's see what adventures they bring!

arden our LO responds to shushing too. Other things we've discovered this week :

1. holding her close while bouncing on the yoga/exercise ball calms her down when she has a strop
2. putting my iPod on also has the same effect but we have to stand and sway and jiggle
3. putting her down in her bed when drowsy not fully asleep settles her far quicker and usually results in less tossing and turning
4. she is flippin nosy! When it's bedtime, we have to rock her in a silent, darkened room with very little to look at or she will keep staring, smiling or giggling at us or random objects around her. At nap time, we play my iPhone's tunes and rock and sing gently.
5. she adores mirrors and it keeps her happy for a little longer by playing in front of one! The one in our hall is hung head height so I dip below it then come up and pull a funny face to her reflection and she does such a high pitched squeal/giggle!
6. she doesn't like going shopping and doesn't mind telling me and the other shoppers....

I love this mummyhood

And oh, returning to work... ack, I just filled out the HR form confirming my plans. Realising I'm now past the half-way point with Tessa before I go back I'm only taking the 16 weeks paid we get, as we can't afford it otherwise, plus I figured I'd be pretty resentful of my students for whom I have to do things like read a PhD thesis before I return if I used savings to have time off work and yet still have to do such things. Academics is odd I've heard people say thing like maternity leave is great time to get work done! I don't know what kind of maternity leave they spent, but it's not like mine... Anyway, going back should be pretty low-key as I'm planning to work from home and only go in once or twice a week for a seminar, and I put in an application to do a research project (at home) instead of teaching for the first semester. But I will have to find time to actually work with Tessa about! I have friends who have done this, though, so I know it's possible. (One friend went back at 6 weeks -- with her daughter in her office in a Uni-provided crib! Germany is so practical...)

May I join, please? My little boy was born on 17th March 2012... St. Patrick's Day (his dad is Irish) and the day before Mothering Sunday.

Can I join too - my ds was born 20th March at 6.22am and I delivered him myself in the hospital toilet!

Welcome to newbies [waves] oh my goodness gabeesh! Would love to hear more about that delivery! Xx

Welcome Button and Gabeesh, how are your babies getting on?
Glad to hear everything is going well and that you all seem to be enjoying mummyhood!
Fyfe's cot was put up yesterday (we'd been cosleeping) as a bedside cot so with 3 sides, mattress meeting ours. We decided to start a bedtime routine for him as he's now 3 months so DH took him upstairs for a bath at 8.30, I fed him and he was asleep in his cot at 9.07 - pretty successful! We're going to gradually make it earlier and try going downstairs with the monitor (last night we just watched a programme on the laptop in bed) I realise some of you are probably way ahead with this but am quite excited!

Well done trouble that seems a great start to a routine [thumbs up]. We are trying to give her the same cues every night so she's aware it is nighttime - so lights are low, tv volume goes down, DH and I talk quietly, feed downstairs til she's starting to drift off, rock her a little, take her upstairs and put her in her bed, no lights on but lit with light from landing. Doing it like this, she generally sleeps from about 11pm til 3am, feeds for about 40 minutes, then sleeps from 4am to 6/7am. It's all a bit trial and error isn't it?
In other news, poppy has got conjunctivitis in both eyes they both were quite gunky on Sunday, but not red, and she was scratching them a lot so I took her to the doctors yesterday. We've got eye drops for her so hopefully she'll be feeling better soon. Although I can't say it's affected her happiness - she was full of gorgeous giggles and squeals at 6am yesterday and again today!!

Thanks broody! He slept from 9-9 with feeds at 3.30, 5.30 and 7.30 and settled easily in his cot so I'm glad I didn't mess things up by insisting his cot was painted before it was put up (this took a few extra weeks but wouldn't have ever happened otherwise!). Sorry to hear about poppy! Did you know that you can treat conjunctivitis with breast milk too? Just express in to their eyes every feed!

That's fantastic! Not at all haha! I hadn't heard about breast milk for conjunctivitis until this morning when I happened to be googling something about it. May well give that a try between her antibiotic drops.
Just got back from the health visitor drop in clinic as I needed to have her weighed. Devastated that she's only gone up to 10:2 from 9:14 in the last two weeks. I feel like all I've done is feed so I am totally deflated and Don't know what else I can do now. Well I could ff but tbh I will feel dreadful

sorry to hear that broody! Are they concerned about her? Weight isn't everything of course, if she seems happy in herself she may just be having a slow gaining period and may pick up again. Was ff suggested?

Welcome to new peeps
trouble well done to you and Fyfe with your routine feels like such an achievement doesn't it?! Orla is being great too, she generally goes to sleep about 7.30pm has a feed around 10.30pm 4.30am and 7am and is in her cot in between. We've put her in her big cot now as she kept sticking her arm through the spindles of her crib! She looks so tiny in it very cute. Sounds like you're enjoying the social side of being a mummy. I've found it a really good way to make friends.
We've just signed up for a baby massage course at the c centre. Anyone done that?

broody I'm sure it's ok that poppy hasn't put on loads of weight. How is she looking in the graph? I agree with trouble it could just be a slow weight gain time and then she'll have a spurt. You're doing a great job
In bed with a baby making a lot if bottom sounds! Going to investigate

Thanks for the welcome guys! My DS is currently passed out in my arms grinning his big goofy sleep grins that crack me up so much. He is really wonderful, my first and hopefully not my last (I'm 31 and had fertility issues plus fibromyalgia, but we're so happyi I think we'd like one more!)

Well, I had very bad blood pressure from 7 months so I was in hospital a lot. Finally, 11 days before he was due they decided to induce me as I was getting very poorly. However, they estimated I'd probably take 2 days before ds was born, so sent dh home that night. I had already gone into labour though, and timing my contractions thought I was in final labour by midnight. However, they kept saying I didn't look like I was in labour. I didn't know what to do with myself, was in so much pain and Si scared thinking it was only going to get worse. Luckily my sis and mum couldn't sleep so we were texting all night which really helped. At 5am they examined me and I was only 2 cm and waters hadn't broken yet. I was despairing! An hour later they came to check me again but when they took my pj bottoms off my waters broke. I suddenly needed the loo so sprinted to the toilet, had a cry and suddenly had to poop. Only a baby popped out instead! I was in shock, pulled the emergency cord and had about 7 midwives trying to persuade me to unlock the door (d'oh!) I knew they could get in so yelled "I can't stand up - you get in here, I've had the baby!" Wasn't angry, just in shock. Seconds before they all burst in the baby fell out down the loo but I caught him. His cord was wrapped round his neck so a tried to pull it slack (not easy, it was quite tight) then they all came in and took over, and I couldn't stop grinning! Awkward phoning DH to tell him I'd had the baby and hadn't even had a chance to call him. He was up in a shot! Whole final process took about 2 mins. If I could go back I wouldn't change a thing except to have DH there.

The midwives were really upset and felt they'd let me down, but I don't think they did. They were fab, no one could have predicted I'd go from 2cm to baby in an hour, and I genuinely feel it was just one of those things and if it hadn't been for their care while we were sick we might not have made it. I don't believe in blame anyway, and I'd hate for them to feel guilty when the outcome was so wonderful.

Welcome to the new ones :) And, wow, gabeesh, that is some story! I'm glad it worked out well.

Sorry to hear about the weight broody - are they worried? I thought they said only weigh once a month after birthweight is reached, anyway, but our HV does seem to want us in every two weeks as well... Has she developed any new motor skills recently? Our friends told us about how when their DS started rolling he started slow weight-gain, which everyone got them all scared about, but it appeared he was just active and burning calories. He's now a still ridiculously energetic healthy six year old.

My Mum was here last week, left Wed AM. Phew. She helped a bit, but I think on sum was more work. I was surprised at how inept she was with a baby, but I guess I was spoiled by MIL who has three kids of her own, recent grandkids, and used to be a nursery teacher, whereas my Mum only had me nearly four decades ago. She was a lot less capable than I remember from when I last saw her in person a year and a half ago, which is sad :( She wants to come back in September again to "help", and I'm not sure what to say. I don't want to tell her she's more trouble than help, and I know she likes seeing Tessa, but I'm worried about taking care of her, the baby, and being back at work all at the same time. If my Dad came along, I'd feel a lot better, but he's terrified of airplanes and I'm not sure we can get him across an ocean.

What are you all doing about vitamin D drops? The HV gave them to me and said we could start them now or when she's a year old. That seemed horribly vague to me. I have no idea if I should start them or not.

Gabeesh, your son will love hearing that story when he?s older!

My birth was very different. I developed preeclampsia at 39 weeks, after suffering horribly with the PEP (Polymorphic Eruption of Pregnancy) rash. I was induced on the same day it was diagnosed. After three days of ?labouring? (if you can call it that) with an epidural and hormone drip, I developed a fever and had an emergency caesarean. I found being pregnant absolutely awful, although I somehow managed to continue to work until just over a week before my little boy was born.

Having him here at last is absolutely wonderful ? I feel like we are in our own little sleep-induced magical bubble. I am often blissfully ignorant of time and day. Already broody and wanting another, people are right when they say you forget about all the pain of child birth!

Ardenbird ? I have not heard about giving Vitamin D drops to the baby but I have been taking supplements when I remember so he has a good supply of Vitamin D from my breast milk.

I am so reassured to hear about your baby?s sleeping patters Broodylicious. My little boy has almost an identical routine to your daughter ? falls asleep at about 11pm, sleeps until 4am and wakes finally at about 7am. I was worried his ?bedtime? may be too late as my friend?s baby of roughly the same age seems to be going to sleep at 9pm and sleeping through (either that or he?s fibbing).

Thank you all for making us feel so welcome!

Wow gabeesh! I went from 2-10cm in 30 mins but took a bit longer than you to actually have the baby!
arden glad you can get some rest now! Re vitamin d, you can give it now if you are bf and not taking a supplement yourself or, of you're taking a supplement (I take pregnacare still but you can take a normal multi vitamin) you can start her at 1 year.

Hello newbies- that does sound terrifying, gabeesh!
Like the others have said, Broody, unless the doctor thinks there's a problem I wouldn't worry too much for now, I think some babies plateau a bit with their weight, and then suddenly have enormous growth spurts.. And her weight doesn't sound tiny, anyway.
Arden- I know exactly what you mean about your mum- mine is just the same, except she's only 2 hours away, so it's not quite the same issue. But when my parents come to visit at weekends (they stay in a B&B locally, so that makes things a bit easier) I find myself having to entertain them, and although they're desperately fond of Ivy they're pretty hopeless with her, and clearly did things very differently with me- i.e. ignored long bouts of crying (by leaving me in the pram in the garage) etc. I find them exhausting, frankly, but have worked out the things they can do to help (i.e. food shopping/ bottle feeding Ivy while I get on with things).
Nobody has mentioned vitamin D drops to me- not sure what the UK advice is?

X posts button! Nice to have a couple more boys in the thread!

X posts kiki, wow, I thought suddenly busy but actually just didn't refresh before writing my post which was a whole hour after button's!

Hello mind if I join in? [waves nervously] My beautiful dd2 arrived 18th march what a lovely mothers day gift .

I'm throughly enjoying doing the baby thing again although dd1 is only 2 so is still a baby too :)

Welcome law! Wow, how are you getting on? Is it easier or harder than you thought?

I just had a skim read through the entire thread and it was nice 're-living' some of those special experiences - first smiles, problems with wind, immunisations and those 'not-really-postnatal' 6 week checks!

Trouble - how is Fyfe?s swimming going? I am hoping to take my little one (Callum) in the next couple of weeks as I am a keen swimmer too, but have been putting it off due to a lack of confidence. On a different note, I love the name Fyfe!

How are the other classes going too? We have yet to join any but I am eager to. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Callum rolled over (back to front) in his cot last night, much to my surprise (and fright!). He has started reaching/accidentally getting hold of the toys on the bouncer too?. and trying to pull these to his mouth for a suckle!

How much tummy time do you give to your babies? I try to give Callum time on his mat several times each day, he holds his head up well but becomes upset if this is for longer than a couple of minutes. I have also become irrationally worried about flat head syndrome after seeing a news report so eager not to have him lying on his back, sitting in his bouncer for too long (but what is too long?).

Welcome Law I went in to be induced on 18th march as I has oc and was hoping she would arrive that day (wishful thinking) but she arrived 19th. Good timing by your little girl! Mothers day will be extra special
That is some story gabeesh well done you!
button Orla has a similar sleeping pattern to your lo. How old is your friends baby sleeping through from 9pm???! Orla definitely needs her feeds at 10.30/11pm and 4am ish. She always seems hungry and am used to getting up now although the other night she woke at 3.30 and that did seem like the middle of the night compared to 4.30 when it is light!!

Any one got any nice plans for the jubilee? xx

gabeesh that is an amazing story! Television stuff really! I can imagine that the MWs would be upset but like you say, who on earth could've guessed it'd have happened that quickly?!
button - I do baby sensory which is a lovely class. I'm going to be late for it though if I don't get off here and poppy off my boob, haha! If you google it you'll find a class near you as they're uk wide.

Aw thanks for the welcomes :)

trouble I am loving being a mama to my two girls do you know even though my eldest is 2 I still can't quite believe I'm a mummy! Sometimes I just stare at them in a stalkerish kind of way awe that I helped create these beautiful little girls! Don't get me wrong it's not all roses and rainbows we have our moments especially now my big girl has hit the terrible twos she's all miss independant! Somedays I wish I could split myself in two as they both need me very much but in different ways! I worried about dd1 how she would deal with getting a sibling especially as we are so close she's such a mamas girl! But she's been great my heart nearly burst the first time she asked where her sister was and the otherday she said " love you" to her I think with her being so young she's forgotten that it used to be just the three of us! She turned 2 two weeks after baby arrived.

Bf Emmie has been a different experience to first time though no chilling on the sofa I'm usually making tea feeding her sister running across the park/ playcentre/ toddler group poor Emmie gets milkshake! I remember first time being very discreet when feeding out and about no chance now!

punk I was delighted she arrived on mothers day especially as she was a week late and as my labour with dd1 had started the day after I was due I was convinced she would around the same I was beginning to think she would need evicted! Totally different labour too dd1 was three days of contractions no sleep twelve hour second stage two hours pushing theatre for forcep delivery this bundle was born less than an hour after arriving at hosp with only twenty mons gas and air three pushes!

It's flying by this time probably as my day is such a whirlwind can't believe she's 11 week on sun!

That's lovely law ! My bet friend is having her second DD in July, her first will be 2 in October, she really wanted them close together but is finding the pregnancy/toddler combo very difficult, it's good to know it's going so well for you!