September 2012 babies - warmest welcome!

[Macaroons]

Here's the new thread for September babies fresh from the oven!

I'm a first time mum and I'm struggling with breast feeding at the moment, my 6-day old DS always seems to be hungry (a feed every 2-3 hours, each lasting roughly an hour), and when he's hungry he's very aggressive towards my nipple it really hurts! Any tips out there? And how often do you feed your baby and for how long? how do you teach your baby to be gentle on the nipples?

Good luck to those still waiting for their babies to come out! Will be watching out for more baby news!

It's been a while since I posted, but I've been reading the thread while I do feedings. Nothing to report from my side, DS is still not sleeping through the night but are doing slightly longer stretches. He seems to be eating less though, got fed up after 10 minutes. (or he's more efficient in sucking?)

Where - really pleased that there's no hip problem! You must've relieved.

Hope you are not affected by the flood. Doesn't look good on the news!

Got BCG jabs next week and the 3 month old jabs the week after, eeek!

Great news, nightmare!

Thanks for asking, ballroom. She's still not great, not too bad in herself, but still coughing and snuffling a lot. We've just got back from baby massage- it was really good. Lola was really calm, but when it got to the tummy massage, all the babies were crying! One little one cried as soon as she was naked, and cried the whole time. Her mum had to give up. There were 6 mum's and babies, it was nice to meet some RL mum's with babies about the same age. Like me, a couple of the other mums have been meaning to go to some of the other groups, but not got around to it. The course lasts another 3 weeks.

Can I join? My DS is 10 weeks now. My first and I'm just wondering, in the run-up to xmas, what on earth you do for what will still be a tiny baby? Is it ok to ask people to get them toys they might want in the coming year? It's that or clothes, isn't it?

Aamia - yes to toys and clothes and we've Aalto asked for books/ book vouchers as books will be favourites for a while!

Hi Aamia, welcome. I've bought Euan a big bag of second hand cars because dd will wonder why Santa hasn't visited the baby but I don't want to spend lots on toys for him. She will get to open all his toys and it only cost me a fiver.

Moomin I hope Lola gets better soon.

Nightmare very jealous here, I would love 9 hours but Herbie loves his milk far too much.

Hello aamia I know what you mean ds is 10 weeks now. I'm getting him a door bouncy thing. As he loves being on his feet so think he will enjoy it. Also thinking about a walkie thing but he will prob be too small. My mum is gonna give him money and not sure about anyone else. I'll let them decide.

How is everyone tonight?

ballroom the cake was great, managed to get it decorated in the afternoon by some miracle, and DP left work early which is unheard of and so he was home just before 6pm, so DS1 got to have some cake with us before he went to bed :)

DS2 set his all time best sleep record sat night, slept 9.40pm-8.05am, and DS1 freakily slept till 1 second after DS2 (DS2 did not make a peep until after DS1 woke and even if he'd cried, DS1 can't hear him as its a big house and 3 doors are between him and us/DS2!) We had a lovely lie in that morning :)

Re walkers, they are bad for their development. Door bouncers and jumperoos aren't quite so bad as long as they are only in them for short spells (i know someone who works with children who need help because of poor development due to walkers and other things that affected their development)

macaroons 10 mins is fine as a feed time, they get more efficient as they get older, DS2 sometimes only feeds for 7 mins, but he is between 91st and 98th centile and most definitely thriving!! (and exclusively breast fed, i don't mess about with top ups etc as it can screw up your supply and besides it being best for them, i like the convenience of breastfeeding and the added perk of breastfed babies only doing a weekly poo lol )

aamia if people ask, i'd say toys, or ask for vouchers so you can get something when you need it. Re clothes it can be hard to know what size they will need for each season....eg my DS2 is 12 weeks on Weds and about to move into 6-9 month clothes...i dread to think what size he will be in by the time he is actually 6-9 months old!!

I feel like the bugs are making a come back We are only just free of the cold from hell. Just feeding ds and I can feel it in me. I don't want to be ill again.
Amazing sleep Loopy!

Thanks for sharing your experience Ballroom, so hard to know what's 'normal' where recovery is concerned. Saw fab female GP this morning, she poked at a spot at the front where two bones meet and it hurt, so said give it two more weeks and if still sore to see physio. I'm fed up as mentally I'm ready to move on with life and be more active than my body is allowing. On the positive side, the doctor was helpful and it sounds like physio treatment shouldn't be unpleasant if it's required.
Little one was a star after his first jags this morning, just a quick cuddle and he was calm and chilled out again. Glad it went smoothly as I'd been dreading it!
Congrats nightmare and others with good sleepers! Little one has done 7 hours at a stretch but last night wasn't good, even health visitor twice told me I looked tired this morning and she usually only has lovely things to say! Glad my Mum's here today, might get an afternoon nap.

Aamia welcome! We've been given so many clothes for our boy that Christmas gifts will be wee toys (rubber ducks for bath!), and things for his cot/room as the Moses basket is starting to look small. I hear good things about Ewan the Dream Sheep, after last night that might have to be on the Christmas list too!

loopy great sleeping from your boys...hope they keep it up for you!
leetleloo hope the bugs stay away and leave you alone. I've got a sore throat and sneezes which my very sympathetic other half assures me is not a cold but is because I've been staying indoors with the heating on...thanks dear!

Thanks Clueless, feel better this morning: hope you do too. Have you got a dh like me who insists on opening windows even in the depths of winter? Mine is obsessed with "fresh air", the other day in the car he refused to close his window even though the baby was getting wet in the back. It's quite comical in our house as I go around closing the windows as he opens them and he goes around switching off any lights I have switched on. I understand the light thing but he also switches everything off at the plug too; drives me mad.

Hello all - am still here though useless at posting it seems. Sleep is pretty non-existent around here boo! T had his 8 week jabs yesterday and the BCG today, fine with both thankfully. 4 weeks from yesterday is Xmas Eve - we won't be around if they want to do his 12 week jabs then. Is it ok to reschedule so they'll be a bit later?

Hi can I pls join? Dd is nearly 9 weeks (where has that tome gone!?) she has injections last week and since then my calm and laid back baby has been v stressy and crying lots! Did anyone else experience anything like this? X

Welcome libbybelle - sorry I can't offer any advice but hope you're dd is back to her usual self soon.
Maketea my wee one had 8 week jags today, four weeks time is Christmas Day so I was advised to make next appointment later rather than earlier...we're booked in for 8th January which is 6 weeks from now when ds will be 14 weeks old.
leelteloo oh yes to the turning lights off, I hate stumbling around carrying ds in the dark because OH has decided to switch off 'unnecessary' lighting. Thankfully he doesn't go around opening windows, you have my sympathies!!

my DP is banned from opening windows, i hate being cold, and as technically it's my house, he doesn't even try thesedays :)

re injections, you need at least 4 weeks between jabs, but it doesn't matter if it's longer, as long as they have at least 4 weeks space minimum and they are well when they have them, thats the only rules, and that the jabs are more effective if you don't dose them up on Calpol, but obv if they get a fever then still give them Calpol.

sleep is now consistently fantastic, DS2 did 9.50pm-8.25am last night, change and feed and back down for over an hour.

Sadly DS1 is ill and he went to bed at 7, and woke twice before 10.30pm, and then finally woke at 6.15am. My task is to get DS1 better and then try and get him to sleep in a bit later!!

(and sleep breeds sleep i swear, so the more naps they have in the day, the better mine have slept at night)

Wow loopy amazing, long may it last! Thanks for the jab info, sounds like after Xmas should be fine then. So looking forward to Xmas and all the pressies and family and good times....oh and copious amounts of food too of course. DH is a butcher so we always have a mammoth feast (not literally mammoths of course - turkey and the usual stuff)

clueless hope you get better soon and can get out a bit more. Glad your gp was good and helpful.

leelteloo I'm glad my Oh doesn't do this it would drive me mad. He is usually complaining of being cold so no chance although I am always roasted with hearing being on. Although I am guilty of switching off all plugs. It saves electricity. Although I do keep plugs on that we use all the time like the kettle.

Hello libbybelle and welcome, hopefully your Lo will settle again soon for you.

Herbie is a disaster when it comes to sleeping during the day. I try to put him down with a dummy but he goes nuts, he fights his sleep so much for me and then when he does go down its usually about 20 mins at most. But in the evening time he can sleep for hours and hours. Doesn't affect his bedtime though which is good.

I don't think it matters how much he sleeps during the day, he always wakes at half 3 for a bottle. Think he's in that routine and I'm not sure how to change it, and I've tried giving water but he won't take it during the day so no chance at night. Although I'm not too worried about it. As I get plenty of sleep :)

Thank you so much for the present ideas everyone - hadn't thought about not really knowing which clothes for which season, but that's a very good point! Toys it is!!

My little one is starting to sleep in 4/5 hour stretches at night now - has a feed, then a full bottle, then a long stretch of sleep, followed by back to 2 hrs at a time, but it is truly blissful to get four hours of sleep all in one go!

Is anyone else still really easily tired physically? I only need to do an afternoon's housework, or a morning with the horses, and I am really, really tired.

Hi everyone and hello newbies
I've not posted in ages but we are having terrible sleep problems. He has just now gone down for his nap that we started getting ready for at 3.30 when he started yawning! Bathtime is supposed to be in 10 mins and bed at 7 so think that isn't happening tonight! What does everyone else do for nap times? And how do you get them to sleep?
Well done to all who have good sleepers now, I wish we were in your club!

smallgreenone I don't have a routine at all. DS sleeps when he's tired during the day, and wakes when he feels like it. He naturally starts to just sleep at about 8/9pm, then sleeps and eats only through to about 9/10pm the next day. His four-five hour stretch seems to come after a mammoth feed at about 11pm.

A good friend of mine who's had three kids said that they just start to sleep longer when they're ready.

oops 9am the following day

I don't have a routine in the day my dd doesn't sleep v much in day at all, just a few little naps when she wants them , still feeding every 2 hours in the day but we bath her at 9pm ish, then massage and cuddles, last bottle and a story (lol) then put her in moses basket, often awake but she falls to sleep within 10-15mins and then sleeps till 7-7.30. She's done this for past 3weeks now :) I am clueless don't know if that's what we should b doing but its working for all of us! I do wonder whether we should soon try bathing her earlier so she is in bed earlier.... Trial and error me thinks!

welcome to libby and aamia!

I soooo wish I'm in the baby-sleeping-through-the-night club too. DS sleeps quite well between 7.30pm till 11-11.30pm, then there's a late feed and he goes back to sleep fine at 12-ish, but gets up at 4-5am...... fingers crossed he will soon sleep through the night!

Welcome aamia and libby!

We don't have a routine during the day, Lola varies how much she naps tremendously. She is grumpy on the days that she doesn't get much sleep in the way of naps. She's now typically sleeping from 10.30-11pm until 3.30-4am, although she has slept til 6 or 7 on the odd occasion.

Is anyone who is breastfeeding finding they have days when their baby seems to be permanently attached? Lola's always been a quick feeder, taking 5-10minutes per side, sometimes only wanting one side. She feeds approx every 2 hours during the day. Yesterday, during two feeds, so was on one side for over an hour. I think it's a comfort thing, every time I put her down, she just wanted boob again. She seems a lot better health-wise, but maybe it's part of getting over the cold.

Now that Lola is getting better, DD3 woke up covered in diarrhoea! She'll have to have the next 48 hours off school, so she's disappointed that she'll miss no-uniform day tomorrow.

With regards to Christmas presents, we bought Lola a play-gym, but decided to give it to her early, as it was suitable from birth and she didn't have anything in the way of toys. We've also bought her a few little things that are in the 6-12 month age range, to keep her going until her first birthday. I spend an equal amount on the older three to make it fair, but haven't spent as much on Lola. She won't be aware that it's Christmas! DD1 was 2 weeks old during her first Christmas, and ex-H and I bought her a keep-sake Winnie-the-Pooh ornament for her room. If people have asked what they can buy Lola, I've asked for clothes in 6-9 months, or vouchers.