October 2012 babies - we meet them at last!

[YompingJo]

Getting thread in place in readiness!

Jess is one month old and has had a perfect 24 hours as if to celebrate... she was all settled yesterday, has started smiling (!!!!! it's awesome!!!), slept beautifully overnight in my arms with nice calm feeds every 2 hrs only, had a bath with me this morning and loved it, has learned to suck her thumb, and for the last day or two has been willing to be put down for half hour or hour naps!!! (I have barely put her down before this.) THIS MEANS WE CAN HAVE SEX so my mood has improved rapidly

I'm sure it's just a "good day" in the way the screaming days were just "bad days" but I'm so happy and I hope some of it will stick. She smiles at me! I think I may have to have her in my bath every morning, it was the most adorable thing ever.

I think everyone except Mickey has had their babies now is that right? (I know Mickey's not due for a week yet (same date as my SIL) so no rush if you're reading this sweetie!) What a crazy month it's been... much love and good luck to all new mums and babies, the first month is hardcore. I feel like I've missed the entirety of October...

I'm still around! Finding it a bit of a challenge to post and have been a bit lazy on mumsnet after discovering that back episodes of Casualty are perfect for breastfeeding to! We are almost at 6-weeks but no real smiles yet (big grin was followed by a big sick-up so I don't think that counts). DS is in the 3rd week of having a cold - nothing to do but stick saline up his nose and hopefully then extract some mucus (lovely). At least having a cold hasn't affected his feeding and he's putting on weight now weighing in at 3.3 kgs so we're finally out of the teeny-tiny baby clothing.

Been to baby clinic today and she's up to 8lb 5oz! It was great, all the babies were dressed suitably for Halloween, very cute.

Nice one WantanOrange! I was supposed to go to baby clinic but couldn't be arsed, bad mum. I'm not worried about her weight though so it would only have been out of curiosity. I reckon she's about 8.5-9lb now and can't believe some babies are born that big - hats off to anyone who did that!!

velo I mostly just watch cookery programmes... this does not help with the breastfeeding hunger! Sympathies about the cold... and well done also on the weight gain!!

I had to put away the "tiny baby" clothes my mum bought me for the first couple of weeks (not that Jess was that tiny, but everything was huge on her).. sob!

Today is certainly the day of firsts --

have given Jess a dummy and she has laid more or less happily in the moses basket for an hour and a half!! I am stunned! She refused the dummy a week ago and I feel like a bad mum for giving her one today anyway, or for leaving her in a basket and not holding her for that matter, but four weeks of nonstop holding is a good habit to begin to break, right!?

squid that seems like great progress. You must have cracking biceps after a month of holding her?

I think hzgreen, dosomethingmutley and mickey are still waiting for babies. Sorry if I've missed anyone.

wantanorange I've seen some fab outfits on Facebook but haven't got anything - didn't think she'd be here! And still in the head down, get stuck in, phase of parenting.

We had been lent loads of babygros from friend but they're too big for her (they are 6kg and she weighs 3) so we only had three that fitted her. Then today we got a care package from my parents with small babygros, home made biscuits, chocolate and a book. I love my parents!

Am feeling so,so tired. Wanted to sleep at lunchtime when age did but of course with perfect timing the midwife turned up just as I was dropping off. And now DF has had to go off to uni this evening (he missed Mon night's classes but couldn't really miss two) so I'm home alone and a little bit daunted. I think it'll be fine,but It's scary!

Right. Must go feed her, forage for myself then go to sleep. Anyone else find it really hard to sleep amongst the snuffles, snorts and eeks of a newborn?

Squid was inspired by your post to have a bath with Amelie and she loved it, was just lovely!

Back later once I've got this feed over with.

Sorry just need to have a winge. Things were going well but started to get horrible breast pain as well as boobs being hard and lumpy. Saw GP this am who has diagnosed mastitis and nipple thrush (lovely). So now on antibiotics and have antifungal cream to rub on, am praying improves soon as would happily let someone chop boobs off with a rusty implement at the moment . Thank the lord by chance DH has today and next two days off so is around to help, Woolybabe has been so unsettled, must have thrush in her mouth poor thing, not slept more than 30 min stretch for two nights. DH took her out this afternoon to try and let me sleep but boobs were just to painful so just lay there feeling guilty about him driving round.

Glad to here so many of you making progress, squid so nice to here you're getting smiles, people keep telling me that makes everything worthwhile. We are 4 weeks tomorrow so hoping for similar happy day, have the appointment to register her birth so that's quite exciting .

Here = hear, duh...

Sorry for just diving in with a question but just back from being in scbu all day and so tired. I've just felt a pea-like lump in my boob when about to express. That's normal when they're full at the min, isn't it? Sorry, exhausted and neurotic at the min!

Wooly really feel for you - had the same with DD and it was painful and awful. I know it's hard but feeding through it really helps. Hope you aren't feeling too rough and it has been caught early.

Honey get some heat on that lump and try to massage it out. Really hot shower on the lump and a bit of a tub to try and get it shifted.

Rub even...

Planktonette Headbanging? No idea, but do you wind him after each feed? I try to if I'm awake. With DD (at first) I'd change her to wake her up and then try to interest her in more milk, but I just don't bother with DS. We're completely demand-led (although occasionally he has to wait a few minutes if I'm in the shower, fixing DD's lunch etc). If he wants to feed for five minutes then fall asleep, that's fine by me. His longest periods without a feed tend to be at night or if he's in the sling or carrier or in the car, which all send him to sleep.

Fingers crossed, the nights are really not bad. He grunts and puffs when he wants to feed or he's going to poo or fart, but since we're co-sleeping I just wake enough to latch him on or to get up and change his nappy if it's needed. Over the next few weeks I'll try to make the cot next to the bed a cosier place to be, with a sheepskin or something, and make more of an effort to settle him there rather than next to me. But he seems a happy lad and I'm in no rush. With DD I tried hard to put her on a schedule and followed the advice of a Ford-like book by Gwyneth Paltrow's nanny (who didn't bf herself). It just made us both unhappy. Feeding on demand can seem relentless but i find it so much better than listening to my baby scream with hunger and thirst and trying to insert the rest of our lives into the gaps between feeds. They do fall into a pattern of feeding less often and sleeping longer st night as their stomachs get bigger - honest.

Enormous sympathy to anyone suffering with thrush or mastitis - do hope antibiotics work.

Planktonette our bean does the thrashy / bob-off-the-boob thing when she is windy. It's usually followed by a screech, an enormous fart and then either peace or the cycle repeats...

Cherry I wouldn't wake your bean unless you need to! Our bean wakes herself for feeds but yesterday she had an enormously long nap and din't want her to be awake all night... was about to go and wake her but she beat me to it.

Sympathy to all with boob problems - finally got rid of blocked ducts this morning - only to feel new ones hard on same side just there now. Am officially getting fucked off now with ducts. Bean is also screaming for no obvious reason so assuming colic o'clock has made a return... I feel the swaddle calling...

Hello ladies,

So sorry for the long silence here - once we got home from hospital, I never quite caught up on reading the thread, and ended up feeling I couldn't post until I'd read everything. I've now given up on ever catching up on the news, but would love to get back into keeping up with you all.

I've been thinking of you all lots and hoping all are well, and those with babies are coping with the learning curve and getting to know their little treasures! So much to learn about feeding, sleeping, swadding, nappies, cuddles, clothing, washing...

Can't believe DD is a month old already - no idea where the time has gone, it's flown past. She's utterly gorgeous, even when she discovered her proper loud scream and how to puke. Really puke. Such a talented girl

We're BF, going OK so far although we've had some very painful days, and I'm constantly amazed by how long we can spend feeding in any 24 hour period.

I'll try to at least read through this postnatal thread to cacth up on news, but meanwhile sending lots of love to all.

Morning all, trying to keep up!

4 weeks today...strange combo of going really quickly and treacly slowly. Weird.

LondonMrs & Fjord, thinking of you both - hope feeding is getting easier?

Angelico bugger re. plugged ducts. I find it helpful if I massage whilst feeding in the direction of milk flow. Uncomfy but effective.

Honey yeah pretty normal but try massaging whilst expressing to reduce risk of plugging.

Wooly poor you, double whammy sounds grim

livvy the midwives always time it perfectly Hope you've had some sleep now.

velo we're elbow-deep in snot here too. Not affecting feeding either - sleep is another matter...

smorgs hope you're ok. I don't live in forrin parts but have essentially no family support (DH and I didn' think of that when we shacked up, extremely bad planning not to have at least one useful set of parents between us!!) so can sympathise on that front. Going it alone is scary at first but the anticipation is usually worse than the reality ime.

I've got an osteo appointment today for my stupid pelvis. Have to take babypaving with me - worried he's just going to scream through it. Argh. Find the unpredictability hard to deal with.

My DH officially deserves a medal and possibly a knighthood. He's really worried about me getting PND again so he's banished me to the spare room at night and comes to get me when babypaving's hungry. He looks dreadful as the extreme snot situation is leading to terrible sleep. I'm not getting huge amounts of sleep as a result, but way more than I would be. Feel ver guilty but it's amazing not to be on my knees with exhaustion as I would be. Need to return the favour this weekend and let him catch up.

It's DS1's 2nd birthday this weekend - having v. low-key party. Fingers crossed it all goes well. Tomorrow is my 1st full day flying solo with them both. Trying not to freak out...

Hello ladies

I'm sitting on the sofa for the sleep deprived, care to join me?!!

Baby Loopy's favourite trick is to keep us awake for around 3 hours every night - between 3 & 6am or like last night 2 & 5am

Look forward to when he starts to distinguish between night & day [hhmm] - when does that happen???

Lizzie we have the same problem & often end up co-sleeping instead which we aren't keen on or planned to do but works as a short term solution for sleep! We are just trying to persevere with the carrycot & hope one day that Baby Loopy realises that that's his bed! [hshock]

Thanks for all the advice re: expressing etc. I'm really pleased to report that while i was doing 50ml a day at the weekend, I've just done 120ml from one boob alone. I may feel like Daisy the Dairy Cow but juicing the boob is really working [hgrin] October is this something you could try?

I'm also happier as the midwives & health visitor visits have come to an end - I can't stand people popping in unannounced & giving unwelcome advice, it makes me [hangry] And I notice that they give conflicting advice as well, who the heck are you supposed to listen to - neither has been my solution, I'll make up my own mind, ta! [hgrin]

NB - I know Halloween is done & dusted but couldn't resist the emoticons!!

Happy November

So much to catch up with now nearly everyone is on the postnatal thread! Sending LOTS of sympathy and to everyone struggling with feeding or sleep deprivation or crying or velcro babies. We are at 4 and a half weeks now and it REALLY has got easier in the last week. Partly us understanding her cues more, partly her being more alert and becoming more interested in things other than milk and being held.

She is sleeping nice settled 3 hour chunks in the night now. Waking up every three hours for a feed and change and burp but seems to be going back to sleep happily after that... frankly I am getting more sleep than I was in late pregnancy and more than pre-pregnancy for that matter, all frazzled and stressed and overworked, so the last few days I've been feeling so much better. I really hope it's not just a few good days! I think I'm just better at working out what she needs now.

I feel great physically. Went for a lush winter walk this morning with Jess in the sling, 6 miles along the river, chatted to fishermen, caught a tram home. It was so lovely. I can't quite believe I can do this any day now.

ps. I can't recommend enough having baby in the bath with you! It means I start every day smiling. I just run it not too hot without products in, and wash my hair and that afterwards when boyfriend takes her off to dress her. She LOVES it (why wouldn't you? Like a giant warm swimming pool!) and it's the most relaxing way to have loads of skin to skin and make you love your baby again if she's being hard work!

• speaking of which I want to take her swimming but most places don't seem to have sessions for babies under 6 months - is this standard or should I look harder?

Hello!! Copied from ante-natal thread....
A very belated hello from me and baby Harry, born on 12th oct, weighing 8lb 4. Only just found a minute to read everyone's news on both threads, sooo lovely hear about all the new little people!
We had a pretty quick labour, he was delivered 2 hrs after arriving at the hospital....very different to the 3 day back to back hell I had with his big sister! After a painful start BF is going well, but I'm very sweaty - yuck :( anyone else got this?
Right off to say hello on the post natal thread, can't believe how long one fingered iPad typing takes!! X (another Velcro baby!)

Velcro baby tip - stretchy wrap, we've just started using a 'Kari-me' - takes a while to learn to tie, but baby Harry loves it (after a bit if jiggling) - hands free to do bits around the house and toddler wrestle :-) x

Glad things are settling for you squid - you should be able to find mother and baby sessions from birth for swimming. They tend to often have then in small school pools around here as the water temperature is hotter for newborns. DD went from about 6 weeks old and loved it. You stand around and sing to them though so no reason why you can't just do it yourself if you can find a pool hot enough that they don't get cold.

Right I best go and wake master midge up. He's been asleep for ages and my boobs may explode.

cherry think it was you who asked about waking babies. Personally I wouldnt let a baby go longethan 3 hours without eating as some newborns are too sleepy to rouse themselves. As soon as back to birth weight or about 2 weeks old I would let them set the pace. People have mixed views On that though but this time I've been given that advice by the peads and the midwives.

Right off to be a milk machine.

Cross posted, welcome baby harry.

Thanks for the sympathy - pleased to report boobs much improved, I think partly due to antibiotics but also the suck-o-matic 2000. Was feeding and I'm sure felt something dislodge, since then although still red and tender no longer rock hard and bf much more comfortable. Plus able to sleep - DD slept 4hrs then 3hrs overnight which was big improvement on last few nights. Must be getting the hang of this day/night thing now she's a big grown up 4 week old. To make up she then screamed the whole time we were at the registry office but much easier to cope with in the day!

loopy know what you mean about the conflicting advice, you get enough from friends/family you would expect health professionals to be consistant! We were told in our antenatal class at the hospital to only bath her in water for 6 weeks, then when she was born they came round the next day and bathed her with Johnson's [hhmm]

Sorry cross-posted

Welcome baby Harry!

squid We were given a leaflet for puddleducks who do swimming classes for babies. I think they're relatively expensive but might be worth looking at?

I am finding it hard to reply to everyone as it's all so scattergun...

I'm another one in the boyfriend-loves-baby-more-than-I-do... was really upsetting me a few weeks ago but feel better now. What can I say, lots of us just have really great loving boyfriends/husbands, better that than disinterested nobbers! Smorgs I haven't quite been thinking about dying, but yeah I have been having the 'oh my god I have changed my life FOREVER' feeling a bit

Angelico Sympathies on the vomit in bra!! Jess only properly vomits occasionally, so it manages to shock me every time... usually just as I'm about to go out...
A friend recently told me that "everything is a phase. When they have a bad day, it will pass. When they have a good day, that's just a good day." Probably the right way to think about it... I immediately start planning ahead, gloomily or excitedly!
at your takeaway candle, I was impressed for a moment there!!

crazypaving hang in there, it has to get easier, right... am glad your DH is being supportive and keeping an eye on you. (Still in awe of anyone who does toddler + newborn.)

huffle well done on your dairy... yes the babies are getting bigger... I hope my strength grows with her...!
Baby squid is only 4.5 weeks and is already feeding less frequently (3-4 hours mostly - at first it was sometimes every 20 minutes!) It must get easier or no one would ever have more kids!

loopyla Olives beeble and others - re baby not sleeping in a cot - I swear there is this giant conspiracy that makes parents think babies should be sleeping in cots... I polled a load of my mates and almost ALL of them said baby would not sleep except being held for the first month at least. Some sat up on the sofa all night awake (this is more dangerous than co-sleeping in my eyes), some started co-sleeping. And yet no one really talks about it, and we are told baby shouldn't be in the bed with us so people don't admit to it, so it makes all new parents feel like shit. Anyway I found this out before jess was born which is why I wanted to co-sleep (and have still had minimal sleep this month because she snuffles and fidgets, and until recently I was subconsciously worried about squashing her). I am hoping to switch to a combination of co-sleeping and basket when she is ready, but I am NOT going to get up every 10 minutes through the night because she's miserable, she can just get back in bed with me. I'm really not saying everyone should co-sleep or anything, and if something else is working for you that's great, it just angers me that parents feel guilty about it when it's so bloody normal.

Velco babies that won't be put down in the day - you need a sling. Life is not bearable otherwise.

midget all my love, you are doing so well sticking to your guns with master midge and trying to keep feeding... this too will pass

sympathies to everyone with other halves in other rooms... mine is a heavy sleeper so stays with me... I appreciate the moral support and warmth and the sleepy cuddles even if he's fast asleep from midnight to morning!

planktonette appreciate your butcher story, I burst into tears at the end of my walk because I imagined that I'd been hit by a car crossing the last road home and Jess had been decapitated. Is this sane?
also planktonette my kid needs burping or changing if she starts thrashing while feeding. Then she finishes the feed afterwards.

tipsy Triplets?? -passes out at the thought-

I still haven't read any Gina Ford and I still reckon she's a nobber.
There were probably more babies born while I wrote all this.