Post-grad Brookers, over here! We will Brook No Argument that all Mini-Brookers sleep 12 hours a night and behave angelically during the day

[TooImmatureTurtleDoves]

Over here!

Tired.com

Got them all to playgroup in lashing rain. Got them all home. Fed them all, to a convenience foods fashion. Worst bit was putting DD down for a nap while both babies howled. S got so distressed he was doing that hiccupy breathing thing for about 10 minutes after I got back to him, but I'd left him as both others had pooey nappies and DD needed to be put down before she got past it and nap refused.

Still, it is empowering to know I can do it just about, forgetting I did no laundry even today

Swimming worth it for a nap like that scarlet :) . Glad it went well, despite blinking af...

Jealous pomme?! Us?!

What a coincidence ninja, maybe it'll spark up your old friendship again :) . Glad he seems happy at school.

Well done you. Sounds like you coped brilliantly. Laundry can wait until tomorrow. It's horrible when they cry like that, but inevitable when you've got more than one child to look after while on your own. DD's had a couple of episodes like that when I've had to prioritise DS over her, but she doesn't seem to remember it afterwards.

TMI warning: I'm getting through Tampax's biggest corkages once every 30 minutes . Has anyone else had AF that bad? I've got a Tampax, a pad, pants and jeans on and I've still just had to Dettol the sofa . My back is killing and I'm scared to lay on the bed in case it ends up looking like a murder scene.

scarlet - my mattress will never be the same again after 1st 2 afs post dd2. Much, much better now though. You sound remarkably sane. I wanted to kill everyone and everything! Always night ones are good xxx

EEEEEEEEKKKKK

I'm scared of my first AF now!

Well done Dream - you rock! You are damn right to feel proud of what you've achieved today. Well done indeed

Hmm. AF came back for me the same time Boo got her BFP. Sweetie had her embryo transferred today so Scarlet you could be ensuring it sticks!

dream - awesome to hear it went well, you rock!

Scarlet my first AF was exactly like that! I had to throw away the pyjamas I was wearing on the first night

Well done Dream! Sounds like you did sterling work today! Sending lots of hugs your way in the aftermath.

Impressed with all the household remedies flying around!

You ladies have got me hooked on the bake off! I watched all the episodes of this season so far on the iPlayer over the last couple of days, and now I'm craving more baking yumminess!

I've had a crazy day of household crap here. Mainly because I'm off on my work training course tomorrow I get back on Friday night, the Big Move to my Mum's is on Sat and then D H is insisting we attend his family's BBQ on Sunday despite flying out to CA early Monday morning. Naturally it's muggins here doing all the prep for the trip, whilst jiggling a fractious baby on one arm all day long.

Have to say, I'm just so sick of DH (DickHead) right now. I cannot WAIT to be based at my Mum's! However I'm dreading leaving DD for the next two days, so I'm really not sure how we're going to work out the arrangements for sharing her when we're living apart. :( Why oh why did I choose such a useless man?!

I'll check in with you ladies tomorrow, from some nameless faceless conference centre somewhere in the middle of nowhere!

Thanks Pomme. And thanks for the mattress warning, I will put a towel and disposable changing mat under the sheet. My rage ended pretty much the same time AF arrived. I'd spent the last week angry leading up to yesterday but hadn't realised it was AF related, just thought that my DH was the most annoying man on the planet and everyone around me was intentionally trying to piss me off .

TMI question: Anyone had any unusual experiences when inserting a Tampax since giving birth? I can't understand it as I ended up with EMCS, but it's like there's something in the way and very painful, if I slightly change the angle it seems to move out of the way and then it's ok Only had one SFF since and that was about 6 weeks ago. There wasn't any problems then as far as I know... Don't really want to ask DH if he noticed anything weird.

Brooking for some BFPs then Rubber

Scream. Your DD will be fine whilst you are away, it's you who will feel it more. I hope the time flies quickly for you and you'll be back to DD before you know it.
Will your DH not attend the BBQ alone? A long haul flight with DD the next day is surely a good enough reason to not go? Sorry things are still so bad between you.

A awake already. Literally just as I turned the light out. I am so angry at her. I'm sure I'm a horrible mummy but I just want some proper sleep before tomorrow.

Sorry to hear about you and your dh scream. How about a headache two hours before BBQ on Sunday?

Can I really not have a second glass? I'm so wound up I want to smack someone. Granny was busily trying to persuade me that a few glasses of wine are fine when bf, but then told me a story about coming back from a dinner party in the 60s, bit squiffy, sat down to bf Dad, all was well. Started feeding my uncle (twins). Suddenly uncle went white and passed out, frightened the life out of Granny and Grandpa. A few minutes later he came round again and seemed fine. When I pointed out that this was not a good advert for drinking while bf, she said 'oh well, dear, these red-haired people have funny constitutions'! I laughed and she got all huffy and said it was true, they did, and it made them have strange reactions to things. And despite this story, I have just asked DH to top my glass up.

I am wound up for no particular reason, just lots of petty ones. Invited DSis and mutual friend round for tea. I said to come at 6 because otherwise M would be really tired and grumpy and would be going to bed. Although DH was off today, I spent all afternoon doing things like bathroom cleaning, laundry, loading dishwasher etc instead of having a nap, and wound up by making meatball stroganoff, which took ages because I had to make all the tiny little meatballs and brown them off in batches. I never would have started if I'd realised just how long it would take. I had to shout at beg DH to look after M during this time - he said I had to make up my mind whose slave he was, mine or M's, and when I said M's, he said that it left him no time to have a life of his own (read, play computer games uninterrupted). I managed to laugh and say that he wasn't allowed a life of his own, we both had to be M's slaves. Then bloody DSis 1) didn't leave hers until nearly 6, and didn't get to mine until ten to 7, 2) didn't bring the jeans she was going to give me, 3) didn't stop for milk as requested so now I have no milk for tomorrow and 4) didn't like my new living room arrangement which I love. Nor did our friend. Grr. They both said it looked weird. Well, I'm not bloody well moving it all back.

Oh bugger, M's awake again.

Scream, good luck with the training course - and with leaving A. Who will be looking after her? I have a training day on Friday, and DH will be looking after Iz. I'm both looking forward to it (our training days are normally great) and worrying a bit. I'm sure DH will be wonderful though - he and Iz are great together, and we checked she could still take a bottle yesterday, so all should be fine (I hope)...

Sorry things are still bad between you and your DH. Are you going to CA together? I think you were, but not completely sure if I'm remembering that right.

Really not looking forward to my first AF now. I had to book a smear earlier and they asked me - in hushed tones! - when my last one was. I had to have a good think! Hope it eases up soon scarlet.

Dream, congratulations on a successful day! :)

Too, urgh at all those annoying things! My DH occasionally says something about wanting to lie in or do such and such, and I remind him we have a daughter now! I usually casually mention how many times she woke in the night or something similar. The people arriving late thing is REALLY annoying. My SIL has a tendency to be late, and it always ends up going badly with Iz's eating/sleeping :(

Can't believe it's almost mid September. Where's the time going..?

definitely have 2 glasses at least.

DH does sometimes seem to find these bairns a wee bit inconvenient. by default it always seems to be me balancing DS2 somewhere while eating, even if he's not feeding.

have set myself up a nightmare day tomorrow, arranged to meet friend and then right back to house to see relative. I'm going to flap i know i am.

Sorry for me me me. I think it's the sleep deprivation combined with DH going back to work tomorrow and I didn't get to have any extra sleep. I am just so grumpy! I'm full of rage, all the time, and it makes me horrible. Maybe this is why my stepmother was such a bitch when we were at uni - we started uni in Oct, DB was born in Nov and we had some epic fights with her over the next 3/4 years despite not actually living there most of the year (DSis2 was born 2 years later, when I was in 3rd year of uni). God, it makes you re-evaluate everything, motherhood.

One benefit to BLW is that M is taking in so little food that she is bf as much as ever and therefore hopefully AF will stay away. Am scared by all these tales of soaking super Tampax and pads and still leaking onto the sofa/bed. Have you tried leftover mat pads, Scarlet? Are they more absorbent than sanitary towels? The pain sounds bad - hope it's getting better now. Still, after DD1 my first AF wasn't painful, just heavy. And I used mat pads for it and there was no leakage. That was about 11 weeks post-birth. I remember because it took 11 bloody weeks for the post-mortem results to come back (we were told 4-6 weeks) and then we had the meeting and were given the all-clear to try again and my period started the next day, naturally.

Scarlet, not sure about the tampon feeling. Perhaps it's down to post-birth dryness?

Pomme, I get angry at M as well - I just want her to sleep! I start twitching while feeding her and just want to put her down but I know that if I do she'll wake up because she's not asleep again yet, but I start fidgeting and she gets disturbed anyway. It's so hard.

Scream, thinking of you, my lovely. Good luck tomorrow! And for the Big Move and the Big Holiday and most of all, with DH. I really hope you two work things out. Will you be online while you're away?

Dream, well done you! Congratulations! Brooking that you get more sleep tonight.

Musical, yes, I specifically told DSis to hurry up when she finished work because otherwise M would be either asleep or just about to go to sleep. I also kept M in her baby walker playing with bits of broccoli for ages after she first got bored and wanted out, and then let her roll around on the sofa naked before her bath for a lot longer than usual too. In the end I had to give up and let DH bath M before DSis arrived, so she and friend got maybe 5 minutes of happy M followed by 5 mins of screaming M before I took her off to bed. DSis ought to be putting in the effort to bond.

Oh, look, here I am again sat here being stared at by a baby....

Scream sorry to hear things are still bad with DH . Have you had a counselling sesh yet? I'm trying to think of some magic, wise and sage advice () to make your holiday fix everything rather than being all niggly. I want you to get back the lovely DH who rebuilt your bed in the dining room for you and did lovely things while you were pg to help you out. (well I'm assuming he was lovely - he seemed it!)

Glad you're enjoying the GBBO Scream - I love it! Although I am not even qualified to attempt what they do! It all looks so hard! I have to say I felt very for the lady that went this week (so sad I've forgotten her name . Manisha?) when she was crying at the end because she was worried her family night be disappointed in her? Wtf? To get on the bake off you would have to be outstanding! Her family could just f%@%23 right off if they thought that was disappointing! I would expect my family to treat me as a baking (and probably general cooking) GENIUS if I was clever enough to go something like that, so that they would never dare to question any food I ever ever put in front of them. I might even consider making them bow and curtsey every time I entered a room....

Too - hope you enjoyed your . We are all the slaves of our dc at this stage I think. This is until we have trained them up to be marvellous dc looking after us (I'm modelling this on Wants' tales of ds1 cooking meals for her etc). To give my DH his due (and I feel I should since I am frequently whinging about his work hours!) he is really good at sharing the load when he is here and as long as he isn't actually working will roll his sleeves up and get stuck into whatever menial task it is we're doing. He's also happy to get up at night if it isn't a work night, which is fair enough although he'll often suggest that the only way to fix whatever it is is for me to feed, and I generally have to wake him up in the first place.

Too maybe your is af's imminent return? Although to he fair it sounds pretty reasonable when people are late and haven't done what they said they would.

I am literally fearful of AF now after the horror stories today . I can't remember it being bad after ds1 but maybe I have blocked the memories for being too grim? I also can't remember whether there was anything weird tampax wise Scarlet. But that's not to say there wasn't as it was a few years ago. If it was uncomfortable I would probably have just gone for pads instead but then if it was mega heavy that wouldn't have worked either. I don't know what to suggest other than just seeing if it happens next time. If it feels like a positional thing, could it be that the pressure etc of being pg could have sort of moved internal tubes slightly? I'm trying to think of things that would explain how it could be different despite the EMCS. Or something related to the heaviness of the period?

Am hoping that the beaker goes better tomorrow. Ds2 seemed so hungry at each mealtime today. It was like feeding an angry tiger! (I imagine? ). Made me feel guilty (there should be a guilty emoticon> over the beaker thing as he's obv not had as much milk as he would have. Even though he'd had a massive bf between lunch and tea he was still super anxious about tea until the food hit his little tummy. And really I don't have a good reason for cutting back the bf other than that I want to be able to ff when we're out and engage with ds1 more rather than dumping him in front of CBeebies when I feed ds2. Oh I don't know, it's all these bloody hormones whizzing around. I don't feel bad about the formula per se, just the fact that it's my choice to go with the beaker and that is the reason he's down on his milk intake.

Oooh, the little baby eyes have been replaced by eyelids. I'd better nip off to bed I suppose......

Bugger! I can't get back to sleep now - grrrrrrrr

Hope you caught some Zzzzzzz in the end Biscuits?

Too at your DH wanting a life of his own! He does realise that's not going to happen any time soon, right? Everyone deserves a day/evening off on a regular basis but reality is nothing like especially in the first year.

Also wants to suggest that AF might be on it's way but realises Too is in no mood to hear that

Sorry if I've scared anyone with my TMI AF experience. I had to get up 4 times in the night to change which has really peed me off as DS slept until 6.30 and DD is still asleep now. I'd forgotten about my epic induction and am now worrying that some damage was done during that process. Going to wait for AF to clear off then I'll have to investigate and go to GP if necessary.

Maybe it is AF en route. Hope not! Maybe I am just this horrible. When I was a teenager and grumpy, Dad used to ask me in a weird, scared-yet-trying-to-be-sympathetic voice if it was 'my hormones' making me grumpy. This inquiry always really peed me off and I would snarl 'no! It's just my personality!' With hindsight, it usually was my hormones. Anyway, I imagine AF is waiting until I'm out and about wearing light grey trousers (closest thing to white trousers I possess) before appearing with a vengeance and maximum embarrassment. I am calmer this morning despite getting up in the night about every hour/hour and a half. And there's no milk, so I am about to try tea with double cream. It sounds weird. Will report back.

Brooking that no damage was caused during Scarlet's induction and that everything will turn out to be fine.

Biscuits, the little baby eyes sound so cute! I know that's unhelpful when you want to go to sleep, though. Hope you got some sleep in the end. I was thinking wistfully yesterday that it would be lovely when M got old enough to help with the chores! I remember washing up when I was maybe 8 or 9 - one of us had to wash and one had to dry, and we were supposed to tidy our own rooms before then but we were very bad at it. What age do you reckon is old enough to do a little light dusting/fill the dishwasher?

Jaggy, hope your day goes well and is not at all nightmarish!

Tea with double cream is actually quite nice. Sadly I discovered when I made it that I had precisely one tea-bag left, grr! Will have to dispatch DH to the shops on his way home and make do with Sunshine Grey in the meantime (which sounds like something out of Fifty Shades, but it's not, it's Earl Grey with lemon).

I'm on a train to deepest dullest corporate hell, and so upset about leaving DD I actually feel a bit tearful. (That would go down so well on a train full of hardcore commuters!) Why is it so hard to leave her?! DH is a bit useless (sigh) but she should be fine. It's not that I'm worried about her per se, it's just that I MISS her!

No brooking that there's nothing wrong Scarlet. I didn't try tampons for my first AF I just wore three night pads at a time and changed them constantly Hopefully it's just temporary positional changes caused by being pg, as Biscuits suggested.

Argh! Can't believe I'm on my way to a hotel full of my bosses who are expecting me to contribute to complicated technical discussions!?!?!

((((hugs)))) Scream It's horrible leaving them. Can you ask DH to take photos on his phone throughout the day and to send them through?

That's a great idea Scarlet. I remember doing one of my KIT days when I was on ML with ds1 and my mum had ds1 and took loads of photos to show me. T'was before the days of us having smartphones so I had to wait until I got home but it really helped to see him eating his lunch, playing etc. Only boring stuff but I still love it when she does that if she has him now.

It's hard though Scream because they're so little but you miss their company so much don't you! I even miss ds2 a bit now he doesn't sleep in our room and he was primarily asleep overnight, as was I so not sure how I can miss that but I do!

Anyway, hope the boring training course goes quickly and you're back home ASAP. Hopefully thoughts of your fab holiday an getting home to dd and DH will sustain you

Just watching ds2 on the floor - he's nearly up onto his hands and knees! Bottom is off the floor, just needs to bring those knees up /forward and he'd be away! The other day when you were all saying about babies preferring to stand rather than sit, well ds2 also isn't keen on sitting but not dead keen on standing either. He does seem desperate to crawl though. He's now sounding very frustrated as he's scooted backwards about 1 or 2 feet instead of going forward, bless him

Hope the conference goes well. You might just get caught up in the swing of things, and your old habits will reassert themselves and you'll be fine! I miss M when she's asleep in her cot during the day, which she is now. DH keeps suggesting I go in to work for KIT days and I have no interest whatsoever in them. Mainly because I would probably arrange them with my boss, who is lovely but a bit lacking in common sense, and I would find myself with nothing to actually do because I was so far out of the loop and everyone else would be running off to meetings that I would be unable to contribute to. There is really no point in me going in for an odd day here and there, getting a tiny snapshot of what's going on, and then disappearing for another 3 weeks before the next one.

Biscuits, sounds like E will be off soon! M can get herself up on her knees (sometimes, when she's naked) but not her hands, so she sticks her bum in the air and her nose into the sofa/carpet. She does her best crawling attempts when she's got no clothes on . I'm raising a nudist!

For the mega AF problems, I had a pack of square mat things for incontinence. Put them under your sheet and on top of the mattress to stop any blood reaching the mattress. I had to put it under the sheet as I wriggle too much when sleeping and would have scrunched it up if I was lying right on it. They can just be thrown away in the morning if you have leaked onto it and if not, leave it there for the next evening