These babies are going to be calm, easy and sleepy at all the right times, and we're brooking no argument about it!

[Biscuitsandtea]

In here ladies - the other thread was getting full up so I thought I'd better start a new one.....

Will do some links to / from this thread but in the meantime please make yourselves at home

[Biscuitsandtea]

Is there any chance of your parents coming to help? Or your mother's help doing some extra days? I always found medicine to be a 2 man job at that age! So difficult

[DreamingOfPeace]

My dad has arrived. She's still asleep in the car after the doctor's, I didn't think she'd nap this long, so she's due Calpol and the AB's. I'm now worrying that her temp was 38.7 when she fell asleep, god knows what it'll be now. Tried bribing her before but as she won't even eat chocolate buttons there's no chance, yet at least.

[DreamingOfPeace]

She woke up . 39.6. Even Dh is twitchy.

[hawthers]

Poor you dream come on universe, give the girl a break!

When DS1 had something he needed abs for, he was also supposed to use an inhaler which he really didn't want to use. So we told him he had to have one or the other, si the and were the lesser evil I guess. Not much help but hope you manage to get something in.

[DreamingOfPeace]

She's totally flat out, not even opening her eyes. biscuits and scarlet, were yours like this with their really high temperatures? She's so flat I've even got all the drugs on board...

[pommedechocolat]

Oh dream - i hope she's ok. If you're really worried go to a and e. Just for peace of mind if nothing else. Don't worry about food - medicines and fluids are the important things.

[TooImmatureGhostiesAndGhoulies]

Oh Dream, that sounds v scary. How is she now? Glad you've got your dad there. Brooking really hard that her temp is down by now.

[musicalmrs]

Dream, I hope her temperature is coming down. So glad your Dad's there. As the others say, if you're really worried go to A & E...

Pomme, I did see that you were using a travel cot! We don't have one, but I am tempted to get one if it'll make her sleep better. It might be easier than finding a safe solution for the cot. Then again, I would like to use the cot in the future.. but it might be that this spinning round in her sleep thing is just a phase...

[Biscuitsandtea]

How's dd Dream?

[hawthers]

Hope she (and you) are ok.

[ReturnOfTheMunx]

Dream hope all ok with you lovely.


How the bloody hell do you cope with a baby and a toddler? Today has been awful all three of us in tears.

[hawthers]

munx its bloody hard isn't it. There is a toddler and newborn support thread in postnatal somewhere that might be still going. I really struggled and frequently cried but used loads of cbeebies (and time out when DS1 got really bad always aimed at DH and I not ds2). It does get better, I can't remember when but it does! Definitely at 6 months we had some days where I didn't cry...

I read somewhere on here that if you don't find being a mother fucking difficult then you are not doing it right.

Tomorrow will be better I'm sure. How old is your new dc?

[ReturnOfTheMunx]

Thanks hawthers dd is 21mo and ds is 4 weeks!

[DreamingOfPeace]

In that case munx, you've a similar age gap to me- DD was 18 3/4 mo when the dts were born- so I can confidently say it will get better when your DD is about 23-24 months. Mine is more independent week by week- with looking at books by herself/ playing by herself which has helped a lot.




Several of my friends with very similar aged children have said the same, so I'll hope for you too. I'm also plumping for 3 months as bf much better from then on or maybe it was 16 weeks for me but there are two little tikes But tears are involved on a daily basis, agree with hawthers . Less so now, but these last 2 weeks with illness too are still seeing near daily tears, so don't feel that's just you!!!

My little DD is really poorly... Been back to the gp as I was worried about dehydration. She's drunk about 4-5oz of juice in 36 hours. Luckily she's ok hydration wise, but she's not really opened her eyes this afternoon except for in the doctor's. My helpful neighbour from this morning (who is also a GP) told me on the quiet to lie to the pharmacist about having an older child and buy age 6+ Calpol, which is 250mg/5ml (infant is 120mg/5ml) so I'm giving the right dosage for her age of that, which is roughly half the volume to get down her which also helps ignores the fact she's not even been opening her eyes on dosing her up which has also helped a lot! I'm trying unsuccessfully not to worry about the night and how rough she'll get. B also coughing his guts up but apyrexial so is being ignored. Boys next stool sample back clear again- no rotavirus, no cryptosporidium, no nothing. Why won't their diarrhoea stop then?!

Oh yes munx, my babies are basically ignored a lot and spend a lot of time in their pushchair. dragged to toddler groups and left in buggy or passed round. Forgot that bit before.

[Biscuitsandtea]

Wise words from Hawthers and Dream there Munx. If I had to sum up my parenting strategy in those first 6 months weeks it would be 'cBeebies' (for DS1) and 'chocolate' (for me).

It does get better honest, just try to get through each day. We're here for hand holding too my lovely xxx

[scarletfingernail]

Dream I'm so pleased to hear you have a diagnosis for DD. I'm sorry though that her temperature is still so scary high. I always find that worse than the illness itself. TBH whenever DS has tipped over 39 I've taken him to A&E I can't bear to see him shaking and looking on the verge of convulsing. Just being there where I know we're seconds away from help if needed helps me deal with him, plus they're excellent at giving an immediate diagnosis. How is DD now? It always seems to get worse at night, but even if she's asleep wake her up and force her meds in at regular intervals. I usually go like this

Calpol
2 hours later Nurofen
4 hours after Calpol
2 hours later Nurofen
and so on. Even if the temp seems like it's coming down, I still do that until I'm happy it's not going to spike again. I think we kept that up for 2-3 days this most recent time with DS, even setting the alarm in the night for it. Sorry if I'm rambling on and you already know all this. I'm sure you do as of course does your DH. I just imagine that even when you know all this because of your job it still must be terrifying when it's your own DC.

[pommedechocolat]

I do as per scarlet saving a dose of each to do together at bedtime.

Sleep is good for her dream so hopefully she's healing herself.

munx - cbeebies and cake for dd1 and constant boob for dd2 was how I rocked those first few weeks with a 23 month age gap. The few times I insisted on proper mealtimes at the table for dd1 we all cried so I gave it up.

[TooImmatureGhostiesAndGhoulies]

Dream, thinking of you and your poor DD. And your ill babies too.

All this mention of dealing with two (or three) at once is scaring me slightly. Inconsistently, because I am v broody at times. However, it is one thing me being broody and quite another when DH starts being broody too and saying he thinks we should ttc in January! Quite frankly, going back to work in January is occupying all my head space and the last thing I want is something else to stress about! January, ffs, of all the months he thinks would be appropriate. Sensibly and financially, we should wait until next Oct so M is 2.3 or older when the new baby comes along and is therefore 3 when my next mat leave finishes and we have to pay for 2 at nursery. Less sensibly, I could be persuaded to move ttc forward a few months just because I'm broody too. But not 10 months and to a month in which I am returning to work, we're both starting compressed hours and, most importantly, M is starting nursery which she might hate. Plus it feels like taking the piss, a bit, to return to work and instantly get pg again (assuming I would, which is naturally not certain at all).

Which leads on nicely to stress no 2. KIT days. We're broke, so it would be helpful if I did some keeping in touch (and getting paid). But what do I do about bf? Express during the day? Not express, just keep changing breast pads? I'm scared of the thought of expressing at work. I'll be in a new office when I go back, and I don't know where the statutory bf room might be. What I do know is that the whole bloody place seems to be made of glass, some frosted, some not. I don't know if a bf room has to have a lock on the door so you can be sure no one can walk in on you. Does it have to have a fridge? I'm not that good at expressing quickly, or without getting milk all down my front. That's before I even start to try to work out a babysitter for M. My mum is the logical choice except for the boisterous dogs issue and the fact that she's moving to Aberdeen at the start of Nov, and realistically I'm not going to have organised a KIT day with work before then.

Stress no 3. Actually going back to work. Jaggy, I know you're wrestling with this one too. How old will R be when you go back? M will be 10 months - what happens with milk? I'm not keen on M having formula (please don't be offended, ff-ers), so does that mean that I need to express for her until she's a year old, or will she be able to get by on food and water? I mentioned the possibility of expressing to DH and he was weirdly repelled by it. He thought I was being ridiculous and martyring myself. I don't know why he had such a strong reaction.



Sorry for the mind-dump. It helps me to write all this stuff out. Feel free to ignore me!

[ScreamIfYouWantToGoFaster]

Sending a thousand hugs to Dream, you poor thing, and your poor babies. No Brooking seriously hard for good health to FINALLY visit the entire Dream household.

I'm sooooooo drubk Just sooooooooooooo drunk!!!!! I went out to meet a mummy friend for one teeeeeny tiny drink at 8 and now look what's happened!!! I'm going to have to pump before DD nect wakes up!

Had afabulous night though. Plus DD was happy and chirpy (although not asleep) for my parents tonight apparently.SO we're all in a good mood!

Super happy for Fluffy as well! Minicakes and minifluffy are both around and ready to join the postgrad No Brooker party - hooray!!!

[ScreamIfYouWantToGoFaster]

Is is wrong that all I want to do right now is watch the Great British Bake Off on the oplayer while I pump out all this super bad alcoholic bm?

[cakes82]

Hi all, i've joined the world of the night brooker. My little one currently refuses to sleep longer than 20min in her basket at night, day time fine no prob as long as she has had a good feed but night no chance so for last 3 hours nearly she has been asleep on my lap. First question is that normal? Second how long does it last and third how do I prevent it becoming a really bad habit?

I should also make allowances for her only being 5 days old.

Sounds like a good night Scream

Hope daylight brings a good day in the dream household

[jaggythistle]

grr! i did a huge post last night and my phone lost it then needed charged.

summary: brooking like mad for all the wee dream bairns. :( hope all better v soon.

munx: survival by sling, Cbeebies, new DVDs and treats and much praise to DS1 for being a great big brother. yes there was someone crying a fair bit at first, less now with DS2 nearly 6 months. :)

congrats again and hi cakes!

first don't worry about bad habits for little babies.

I've already forgotten how long DS2 slept on my lap on my feeding pillow or on my chest, so it couldn't have been too long

i think it varies between babies (I'm sure other Brookers will confirm), i just kept trying putting him down in his crib when he seemed sound. also they are v hungry at this stage, especially if getting bf started.

too i expressed till DS1 was nearly 1, could have maybe stopped earlier if i didn't work some evenings and express for bedtime milk. i don't want to use formula either when i have my own free stuff

[TooImmatureGhostiesAndGhoulies]

Yy to using the free stuff, Jaggy! Must be the Scot coming out in me. Now why can't I be that thrifty in other areas of my life?

Hello Cakes, welcome to the dark side! I just kept trying to put M down, I think - well, sometimes. She slept on someone during the day mostly for the first week, because I had my mum and stepdad staying to do all the cooking and housework and everyone wanted to hold her. We did the hot water bottle in the basket a lot, plus having a blanket wrapped around her so she didn't notice the transition so much. I do remember giving in and letting her sleep on my chest, me lying on my back and her lying on me with her head between my boobs, and us both waking up covered in milk - probably not one to be recommended! I have a memory foam mattress so I was scared to let her cosleep, so I had to keep trying to get her to sleep in her own basket.

at Scream and being soooo drunk! Hee hee, that made me giggle. How's the head this morning?

M was up every 2 hours like clockwork last night, sigh. Come on baby, you were 7 months old yesterday, you can sleep for longer than 2 hours at a time!

[scarletfingernail]

How's the head this morning Scream? Loving that you were drunk and came on here to tell us The nights where you don't plan it are the best.

How's DD doing Dream?

[jaggythistle]

oh yeah too i used to wrap DS2 up like a wee fajita in a fleece blanket and he seemed to like it. i put the corner under his head so he stayed cosy when i put him down.

i also at scream's drunken post, glad you had a good night!

DS2 was up at 11, 12 and 1 last night i think. at some point i gave up and fed him lying down. i am so crap at co sleeping. i hate the feeling of surprise when you wake up to find baby snuggled in. we were sleeping safely, but i still got a fright for some reason

re the expressing too, i expressed twice a shift for the first few months, then went to one at some point (around 10 months old? - should have made notes! ) when he was 11 months we started giving him bedtime milk in a cup, he wasn't that bothered anyway if i was at work. so at 11.5 months i finally stopped and DH gave him a wee cup of warm cow's milk at bedtime if he wanted it. i carried on bfing when i wasn't at work and was glad to pack away the pump by then.