April 2012 newborns: the insomnia continues...

[LaTristesse]

Hello fellow April mums. Following on from our lovely ante-natal threads, here's the first of the post-natal ones. Join us as we work out how to handle nappies, feeding, colic, crying and all things newborn, or just to celebrate the joys of a new baby!

Ah weaning. You spend all those hours glued to the sofa with a baby clamped to your boob wishing the weeks away to weaning, then once you start weaning it's a whole new world of pain having to prep 3 meals a day and remembering to have food on you when you go out. We did blw with ds1, didn't stop my mum spoon feeding him pasta and rice by 8 months. Now he eats a really wide range of foods - but is soooo lazy at feeding himself.

digitalgirl we had the same MIL issue, she really seemed to find it hard to not 'assist' DD with eating when DD was perfectly capable. There was also lots of ' can she have X?!?!' and providing 'special' meals of stuff like tinned spaghetti - nothing wrong with that- but it was meant for DD to have instead iof eating what we were having, defeating the object somewhat! SIL was weaning DN traditionally at the same time, looked like bloody hard work!

Hi how are you all getting on today. It is the first time we tried leaving 3 hours between feeds with Harry and his little face said it all. I can't do it it is too hard to see him look unhappy. xx

Kat; a haircut sounds great....am in dire need of one! I weaned DD1 at 17/18 weeks as her reflux got so bad & docs recommended doing so. Didn't get to 6mths with DD2 either but was 20 something weeks a'way. Babies are all different & I think you need to judge it depending on what they seem to need.
Sarry; all we've (DDs 1, 2, 3 & DH) done is watch tv & cuddle today! We're all v relaxed & happy here! DH sat up to do a feed for me last night for the first time. I had managed to express 4oz finally...turned out that whilst Em didn't settle, she didn't eat either. Came down to my precious milk sitting on mantel undrunk & obviously unsalvageable.
Gutted; but got about 5 hours of sleep in a row!! Like a new woman today.
Ordered Wonder Weeks on my Kindle & can't wait to dip in. DD has been much more in need of physical contact & feeding more this last 3 days in the day. Not settling much at all. Wondering if she's making a Leap..she'll be 8 weeks on Fri.
Holly, I had What to Expect 1st Year too & liked it. My SIL have m's the Toddler one too & I remember dipping in & out.
Hope e'ones having a good day.

Jellybellyrbest Harry is the same he will cry as though he is hungry and refuse all the food in the world. A good nights sleep always makes you feel so much more human, it sounds as though Em is going through a developmental growth spurt.

Toady has been lovely here. Both Grandads and nana are here lavishing attentention on Harry. The washing and ironing is all done, the house has been cleaned from top to bottom and I'm finally starting to feel a little better. xx

Did somebody send a link to a page about translating baby cries? Was it on the Wonder Weeks page? Have been trying to find it to show DH but no luck so far.

marshmallowpies when you find it let me know it sounds interesting. xx

Thanks all for the book reco's. All three have been purchased swapped my novel obsession for baby book obsession

Had a chille out day here too. Roast dinner and 2 episodes of Lewis! francesca had a 3 hour kip on me earlier -aren't baby cuddles the best- and then enthralled us with her laughing and smiling while bouncing in her chair. It's so lovely to see her changing an becoming aware of herself. She's really found her voice now and chats away to herself for ages.

HollyPockett that sounds a perfect day to me. I love snuggles and hugs from Harry and my guilty pleasure is cuddling up in bed with DP and Harry first thing in the morning as a family. xx

Bank Holiday w/e is almost over ... shame, it was lovely and we did lots - a bit too much probably! Visit to a friend on Saturday (1hrs car trip), Sunday out and about at the River T to see the boats and had a friend round today.

Re feeding on demand and "waiting times". I try to stretch the feeds so that there are ideally 3hrs or at least 2.5hrs in between and the Milkbar is usually open for 1hrs or if Raphael is really going on, 1.15hrs.

I'm envious - our little one isn't really smiling yet. Also, false alarm on the growth spurt as we had a pretty good night and a normal day, apart from him only having a light afternoon tea but a 7 course dinner with timings off.

And there he goes again ....

Ah I did a bit more googling & the cry translation system is called Dunstans (presumably the person who developed it).

Most of the noises they describe I can identify as being ones DD makes, but the one that is peculiar to her is 'LAIR LAIR', with a very mournful plaintive tone to it.

We had a very good night last night: bed by 10.30 and DD only woke for a bottle of EBM for 30 mins at 1am. Then woke at 6.30...that's getting on for 8hrs.

The trade off is she screams all evening from 4.30 on, and even the sling is no longer a guaranteed trick to get her to sleep. The times when she is awake & alert but not crying are brief 5 minute windows through the day...that's when we get our smiles. Brief but welcome.

Think you Guys mean Dunsten baby language & I think that Bearcrumble may have posted it a few pages back. Spent a wee while this afternoon looking for it & trying to get it to play. Can't post links but if you Google search it'll come up am sure. I use my iPhone to post/search & reckon that was why the sounds wouldn't play for me. (Also why my posts have so many spelling mistakes!!! I can spell, honest!).

It's Dunstan Baby Language at Babyzone.com

Interesting about Dunstan. May try and listen when I have my computer around. By the way, I've been trying to think of good fathers day gifts for a first fathers day. Any of you got any inspiring ideas?

HenriettaChicken Harry has bought his daddy a weather station, chocolates and booked a table for afternoon tea on the day.

I will have to look at Dunstan Baby Language .

xx

Henrietta I'm making a pair of photo cuff links from my two. DD will 'draw' on some paper and I'll turn that into a card. If he's lucky I'll cook properly rather than just throwing some frozen stuff in the oven and hoping the arsing oven doesn't burn it.

Hi all,
I'm at my mums tonight. I laid down on her bed with Noah at 8.30 to try get him to sleep so I could watch big brother in peace and have just woke up 3 hours later with a cover over me and a note saying "Hayley didn't want to wake u sleep there tonight". It's the first time Noahs ever slept 3hours I'm so excited I'm feeding him now and hoping he does this throughout the night for me! What's also cute is if Noah & I are in my mums bed her and her DH must be sharing a single bed in my old room lol bless them! it's been a while since I lived with my mum but if Noahs going to sleep 3 hours here (usually a 80/90 minute baby) then I'm packing a suitcase and moving back home tomorrow

Wish us luck I really hope not to be on here until 2.30 at least [grin

Night night xx

Ps flis
what a lovely idea - I may steal it cuff links are the only thing the Army allow you to have non uniform so that would make a lovely present for DP.
I'm also planning to send him a professional photo I got taken of DS in boots last week wearing a little vest saying I love daddy with little soldiers on it and his foot prints in acrylic from everlasting casting, oh and a few bags of harribo - apparently it's what gets DP through the long days as opposed to thinking of coming home .

Hayley it must be so hard having your do away. I've been lying here dreading tomorrow as dh back in work, you have made me put that dread into perspective.

Re fathers day I am going to attempt to get ds1 to make a card and present (will buy one too).

I've got a photo book for DH for Father's Day and a framed photo for his desk. Going to make him a card with a footprint or handprint.

Emily is definitely going through a needy period. Only naps while in the carrier or in the car seat if we're out. She did snuggle up with me this morning in a bed for a couple of hours though after her 5am feed.

Hayley is LO still asleep? Francesca went down at 6.30 and We're home, Frankie's fed and back a ni nights :) xwoke at 11.30, am now just feeding her again. Here's hoping she for down for another 4 hours!

Bravo to you for doing this alone while DH is away, it must feel overwhelming.

Re Father's Day-loving cufflinks idea, need to gr thinking cap on. Will have a look on Etsy for inspiration..

We were led into a false sense of security with Aaron sleeping 12 to 7ish as past couple of nights he's needed a night feed. Possible growth spurt at 5 weeks rather than 6?

Does anyone else with more than 1 child worry the night cry will wake the older child/ren? Just told Aaron to pipe down, like he understands that lol.

If you want engraved handmade cufflinks Holly, I got DH some for our wedding from Etsy. Seller was Chris Parry and is in UK.

Hi kat and Holly it's not easy and I have good & bad days but I try look at the positives about it - I don't have anyone saying I should do it another way, I get the remote, DS can get 100% attention, it doesn't matter if I don't shave my legs & me and DP can't argue or get stressed at each other when were exhausted. It keeps our relationship fresh as after 8 years I get butterfly's when he's coming home and get excited if he phones. You appreciate the little things. When he had a normal job and I saw him everyday I didn't get all excited when he was coming home at the end of it.
Of course there are times I'd love to pass DS over & have some me time - even to have a long bath or eat dinner when it was still hot but you just get on with it.
DP will be home Thursday for 3 nights and I can't wait

Re sleep nope after the 11pm feed we were back to every hour & half he's currently doing his usual strain to poo for an hour routine which is my worst and most annoying part of the day with DS, although today I'm getting the odd smile between pushes which helps me to not think about dropping him outside social services

My plan for Fathers Day is to make a bowl or plate at a ceramics cafe with DD's footprint on. Think she may scream mightily at her foot being dipped in paint though!

My family never bothered with Fathers Day as my dad is a bit of an old Scrooge & doesn't believe in celebrating it and so is DH but a friend suggested going to the cafe so I thought, why not?