November 2012 - the birthplosion (thanks Peaky)

[StuntNun]

Previous post-natal thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1579907-November-2012-babies-are-here-at-last

Stats list: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1485512-November-2012-Stats-List

[GTbaby]

vq had to return my angel monitor . The sound didn't work. The motion was fine and used that for a week deff eased the stress n was able to sleep with out waking to check if LO was breathing.
Gave it back to person who bought it for me. She is returning it, but dont know how Long it will take and can't keep asking her. Tempted to buy another myself n ask her for the money instead. In terms of etiquette that's not on us it lol.

[Belgrano]

Hi everyone just found you! Baby Belgrano born 7/11 weighing 9lb2oz. Flora is her name and we had constant scares (and scans) about my bump being 5cm too small so it's great she's a whopper. I was Induced in the end and had a roller coaster fast labour-1hr20mins and bloody epidural didn't work! Apparently the anaesthetist sees one person every 4/5 yrs for whom it completely doesn't work and it had to be me!!
Anyone else's baby refuse to sleep anywhere but next to them? Mine sleeps beautifully tucked up in her blankets (no duvet-I shiver away in my dressing gown so she won't overheat!) but put her in the cot next to the bed and she squawks blue murder...ds was the same but it means poor DH in spare room for time being.
Congrats to all of you and hope today's a good day!

[ValiumQueen]

chunky ouch! I would contact GP today as you may need antibiotics and it is likely to be more sore tomorrow. Drink oodles and oodles to hopefully flush your system out a bit. I had heaviness in the bladder, but I had a catheter so to be expected

GT the sound is not great anyway on the angel monitor. Once baby can roll I swap over to my ancient BT one. I would ask the person who got it for you how they are getting on with returning it to hopefully remind the and spur them into action. They are very expensive.

belgrano I think Flora may be the biggest so far. All the babies are being rascals with sleep at the moment. I don't think anyone has a baby who happily settles in their cot or basket at night.

DS ended up in with me again last night. Naps will be in cot today. Time to find the Gina Ford book me thinks

[DesperateHousewife21]

My best purchase so far is the mamas and papas swing I got from a local Facebook selling site. Paid £30 for it, great condition and Q sleeps in it for aaaages!

[YellowWellies]

J sleeps well in his bednest and the cradle in the lounge and will even settle if put in awake - when (and it's a big when) he's in the mood for sleeping. Lately he seems to be in the mood only for eating. Gah was up feeding from 2.40 til 4.40 and again from 5.30 til 6.30 and again from 8.15 til 9am. Now of course he is sleeping... grrrrrr so I'm turning in too xx

[horseylady]

We had a better night last night. He settled both times next to me then transferred to the Moses basket. So it wasnt too bad.

Started reading gina ford (out of interest) omg seriously?! If he's asleep there's no waking him!! Surely they just find their own routine and at three weeks they don't self settle (well e doesn't!!) he wants cuddles and love!! Also the feeding routine seems bizarre to me?! E is fed four hourly now but we've only just established that.

[Passmethecrisps]

horsey I bought the contented baby's first year not knowing anything about it. I just wanted a book with pictures!

I was wondering this morning about whether or not we should be thinking about routine. When do you start doing that rather than just flying by the seat of your pants (or is that just us?)

I know Penelope is only 4 days old but I just feel in my head that we should be more organised. As an example we have really just been keeping her down stairs with us until we are ready to go to bed. Last night this was midnight. She woke at 3:30 for a feed and it was 6am before we could get her settled again. Now, for us it actually doesn't matter in some ways whether it is 6am or 1am but it just felt odd. I woke her at 9am and she settled in the cot in her room (she is currently in the basket in with us). She is still there asleep and I reckon she will be awake in half an hour.

Currently we are feeding for about an hour - she keeps falling asleep but then waking on being out down demanding more. She is not taking about 120ml per feed then sleeping for 2.5 to 3 hours.

I told the midwife I was going to stop caring about ml as if I was feeding from the breast I wouldn't know.

Ladies, long story short, does this seem ok for her? What sort of changes can we expect over the next few days?

Sorry! I am still so green about this - maybe one day I will be able to repay the favour and offer advice to someone else!

[Passmethecrisps]

Oh, and to qualify, I started reading it and eventually thought "this book is going in the bin". She even dictates exactly what time of day baby should start being weened at.

[Brockle]

I don't agree with Gina Ford at all. You have to find a routine that works for you and her. I do know some people it has worked for though.

At first it is easier to have her down with you when she is cluster feeding but as soon as you feel happy about leaving her then put her upstairs in the moses basket with your monitor on. I think after a week or two you don't feel like you have time to yourself if you are glancing at her every five minutes.

With DS2 I started a bedtime routine at four or five weeks. Bath, cuddle, story (it may seem odd but both my kids love books so it can't be bad) then putting him down awake with his mobile onfor 7pm. I am sure you will get loads of advice but I am about so thought I would chip in. Hope you don't mind!

Give yourself a break for the first few weeks but a bedtime routine is good to have so they learn to self settle. I also put both mine upstairs for their daytime naps but kept the curtains open so you don't confuse day and night.

[DonnaDoon]

Congratulations Pass To be perfectly honest it sounds like you are doing brilliantly. I still have no routine at nearly 6 wks but my house is organised chaos anyway lol... I bf so feed on demand every 2-3 hrs then she perhaps goes 4-5 hours at night.

[ValiumQueen]

Gina Ford works for some babies, and the weaning timing is spot on IMO, as there is logic behind her timing. DD1 was a perfect Gina baby, but DD2 spat in her face. I think it depends more on the baby than the mummy.

DS has a routine imposed on him by the school run, which is something first borns do not have. He is 3 weeks old now, and has been following a similar pattern to you pass. This weekend he will start his bedtime routine and napping in his cot in the day. He will go to bed at 7pm with his sisters. He is no longer cluster feeding in the same way now, which is key. Cluster feeding is easier with company and the TV.

I went to put DD2s shoes on yesterday, and they would not go on. She has gone from a 5 to a 6 in less than a month. Goodness knows how DH has been getting them on her. Oops.

[Passmethecrisps]

Aw, thank you ladies. Your responses were really reassuring. We will give ourselves a bit of a break I think.

Still here in my dressing gown! Ah well. We have, at least, managed lunch at actual lunchtime. DH is currently feeding and getting to grips with winding. The cat is making up for lost time by sitting on my knee.

Spectra breast pump came today with a double nozzle - how exciting!

[horseylady]

Interesting. We go up to bed at 10pm and feed. Then it takes half an hour to two hours to settle him. I was wondering about taking him up at 7 to go to bed? But he's usually wide awake from 730Pm to 10!!! He sleeps 3 to 530. and often dream feeds at the 6 feed!!

He currently gets up between 2 and 4am then between 6 and 7 am then I get up at 8 with him and we go off to do the horses. Feed at 10, 2, 6 then 10. He has a bath about 9pm but maybe we should do this earlier?!

[ValiumQueen]

Do what suits you horsey. With DD1 in the very early days we used to go to tesco around midnight as that suited us. My boy has to be up and about in the noise at 5.30 as that is the stupid hour his sisters wake. If we did not have to then we would stay up later. I do not get a chance to go back to bed and get up at 8 or later. There is no rule about these things. I would bear in mind what time you would need to be getting up to take him to childcare and gradually work towards that, with bed time being 12 hours earlier as hopefully it will not be that long before he is sleeping 12 hours (dreams of the day!)

[GTbaby]

Just watched southlands. An American cop show. Had a police chase a gunman. He ran into a nursery. No kids were even hurt or threatened. Gunmen just ran in n hide. But I was in tears! With the omg how can I protect my baby from this feeling. .

On another note. Having a bad supply day i usually express 4/5oz a day. 1oz at a time. However today I have expressed 3 times so far n have just over 1oz. At first I thought it was cos I had LO with me, usually mum takes him but just now got hardly anything as well. This is despite upping my fenugreek dose, drinking more water. Eating actual meals n not snacking n using breast compression while pumping. Yesterday pumped after a shower, made no difference. Seems the more I try the less I get.
Think I need to at least start thinking about how long I want to go on with this if my supply doesn't increase

[daisychain76]

I tried. Gina. Ford for about 10 days with DS1 and ended up a. bit of a wreck with the early starts and trying. to keep up with the timings. Perssonally. l found the baby whisperer book more helpful.

The longest baby H slept last night was an hour. l. have no idea why.Going to get dh to. give a bottle of formula tonight as running out of ebm from nicu andd never get roundd to expressing. Really impressed how you have. persevered so long gt.

[daisychain76]

Oh meant to say congratulations belgrano. What a lovely cuddly weight.

[horseylady]

12 hours??!!! Omg??!! Really??!!

Back to work will be up at 6. To be fair next week well probably get up after the morning feed!! Just enjoying snuggles in bed ATM after he's eaten lol!! Were awake we just cuddle!!

[horseylady]

Oh and pass 120ml? Ds only eats that at nearly three weeks!! Takes about half an hour to 40minutes. I was told not to let him feed from the bottle for over 30minutes? No idea why just several mw said the same thing?

[Thechick]

It seems like i dont look at this for a bit and you guys talk about lots of things i have an opinion on. I think it may be a long one.

I have just discovered swaddling. I thought that it was dangerous so it wasn't even on my radar to do it but at the breastfeeding group I went to yesterday the lady said it was fine as long as what's used to swaddle is not too thick. LO slept so well last night being swaddled so I think we are going to continue. He was down for about 2.5 hours rather than the 30 mins I had the night before.

Names - my LO has 5 names. We hadn't decided on a first name when he was born, but liked dh's grandfather's name but I didn't want that as a first name, I liked it but thought it was a bit too twee. So we have that as a second name. I wanted my son to be involved with names so he got to choose one that's name three. Name four is my surname and name five is dh's surname.

Baby Bjorn bouncer - we have one but I think LO is too small for it. He always looks so awkward. He better grow into it, I might post a picture on Facebook.

Passme i didnt really start breastfeeding until a couple of weeks ago and my LO is 6 weeks on Sunday so I think it can be re-established if need be, I was expressing and offering the breast though as much as I could. It's mostly going okay.

I apparently had a pp bladder infection chunky. The doctor didn't check me or anything, just gave antibiotics. It doesn't happen every time I use the toilet but its like a pulling sensation like when you are really desperate to go and and you are going to fast. Finished the antibiotics a few days ago and it has helped a bit.

Does anyhave the Baby whisperer book, what's it like, is it more the routine/schedule school of thought or more attachment parenting

Ive been reading to my little one. He doesn't respond becase he's too young but he likes my voice, i think, and i like doing it.
Routine was mentioned. We don't really have one in place but things are naturally falling into one kind of, but he sleeps when he wants and eats when he wants. Ds2 will be 6 weeks on Sunday and its my due date. It's crazy to think that I should till be pregnant.

Someone mentioned about their baby vomiting after a feed, it might be worth trying to feed them less, but more often.

Oh ds2 forgot how to breastfeed again today and he is so so windy, not sure if the two are related.

Wow, it was longer than I thought. Epic post.

[blonderthanred]

Chick I was considering buying The Baby Whisperer, a friend recommended it as she said it was less prescriptive than GF but gave some ideas for routines etc, based on the type of baby you have. It worked for her but I think all these books and theories are dependent on the baby - as VQ said.

I really want to go to a BF group but am completely confused with all the options. I think there's one at the hospital, one at a children's centre somewhere, or I could contact the local LLL or other organisation. I'm not sure. I'd rather go to a group or drop in clinic than have a mw come round but should I ring the mws in the first instance anyway? Would like to look at holds and his latch which is great sometimes but others he just can't get it.

[Thechick]

I went to one at a children's centre. Got there quite early as I wanted the lady to check latch, but LO slept for the first hour and then I had to go. I had lots of questions which she answered and there were 2 other mums, so drank tea and chatted. She did show me a latch but will see her next week. I've spoken to LLL over the phone with bf questions and they were very helpful, much better than nct.

[Thechick]

It's children in need tonight, better get the tissues ready

[ShellyBobbs]

Congratulations Belgrano, a whopper!

Well I'm absolutely besotted with my little bundle, I have become a hover mother! I feel like I've lost my right arm when I'm not holding him and hubby said yesterday when he actually went down in his moses basket, 'what did we do before he arrived?'

Tommy passed his hearing test today which is a relief as we were quite worried, it seems growing and living in a chaotic household makes a chilled out baby! The other 3 are in love with him too.

Not many left now and we're only half way through.

[Belgrano]

Re Gina/baby whisperer etc. some of it works for some people which is great if it suits your baby (agree with whoever said its about the baby more then the mummy!). But its a crazy world of advice out there, and can send you loopy (i know this from experience!) as it all contradicts each other and every author's convinced they are right!

This is my 3rd DC and I'd say I've learnt to go with the flow a lot more. they do all get there in the end-sleep all night, eat at mealtimes etc. some babies need extra reassurance in early days (like mine-nightime sleeping in mummy's armpit!) and some need more milk/more frequently etc. I used to really worry about 'Is this ok?' And rush to the books, which worried me even more..

But it's worth trying (not always successfully!) to just treasure the early days and enjoy the snuggles and totally random feeding pattern. (We're still feeding every 2 hrs or so here!). Will try to take my own advice too....!

Oh- And on swaddling-you can buy massive Muslins now which are great for swaddling as.they are thin so don't get hot.