December 2012 - the sleep and poo thread (too much of one, not enough of the other)

[PurplePidjin]

[Clarella]

another one with okish night here .... infacol??? there's not supposed to be any clinical evidence it works but I guess at same time how on earth do you test it as who knows uf babies go through phases etc? so sorry to hear about bad nights and wriggly fussy babies.I only got the fussing from 5am and I have a weird thing where even if I've not slept more than an hour or so I'm wide awake from 6. my mum's the same.

after earlier failures in previous weeks (despite ds having bottles in hospital) Dh's successful night expressed bottle really helped me as that chunk of 3 hours plus a random 2 later on as ds went 3 between feeds. we've got a good book called your baby week by week- it only really tells you what to expect in terms of poo, (which is wildly wide ranging at this point apparently!), mum's bleeding etc - it doesn't advocate any methods etc but suggests little things swaddling and how to and so on. it suggests trying an expressed bottle every 2 or 3 days in week 3 or 4 so that they get used to it but we may try each night if it goes that well.

George is one month today!

[ellliebelle]

Stacks my dh is rubbish at settling ds :( although i actually think he just doesnt try jist tells me hes hungry and if i say he isnt he will say to ds 'i know you look ot but mummy says your not hungry' it really infuriates me :(

Midwife has discharged ds today jaundice has definately gone and he now weighs 9lb

And we had a good 6.40-10.30 in basket fed till 11ish and back in basket till 1.15 fed till 1.50 and back in basket till 4.15 fed till 4.40 back in basket 6.30 then fed and co-slept till 8.30ish

[Clarella]

my Dh is usually convinced G is hungry. but that is probably my fault following an eve when about 14 days old and dh was doing burping in the eve between feeds and wanted to give me more time in bed. I believe he tried swaddling, bouncing, white noise (I didn't hear the screaming) then came into the bedroom with his top off and a yelling red baby saying 'I tried skin to skin but even that didn't work' and I pointed out he was probably just hungry. bless. he'd tried so hard! however now every winge is apparently hunger

[WillYouDoTheFandango]

Why do I feel like I'm having the piss taken out of me? Jamie had whinged and cried and refused to sleep in his Moses basket since 4am. I put him down on his babygym and he's asleep in seconds! wishbone I'd known that when DP handed him over at 5am!

[MaMaPo]

Glorious husband took baby just before 9am and I just woke up.

He goes back to work tomorrow :( :( :(

[EggsMichelle]

it rials me when dh practically accuses me of denying my son food, lip smacking does not always mean he's hungry.

dh had also said he would take F this morning whilst i finished my sleep, however it is dh who is asleep on the sofa and im holding the baby

[Clarella]

mama chocolate, crisps posh decaff coffee and celeb big bro getting me through..... banishes distant ideas of motherhood of floating round house baby in sling baking and cooking and making jam and sewing and listening to radio 4

I think the most important thing for tomorrow am for you is to try bad get a shower before dh goes to work - I'm soooo glad I managed this morning!

I think George was so cramped and tight in my womb as over due he doesn't like his feet cramped into the sling newborn holds?? he had wonky feet at birth from being squashed :( I'm thinking a ring sling might work better.

[MaMaPo]

Glorious husband now gone out for coffee and pain au chocolate. Can I reiterate :( :( :( re tomorrow?

right - resolve to shower before he leaves tomorrow - thanks, clarella!

[Stacks]

Has anyone gone to any breastfeeding support groups or anything? I'm having some trouble with T's latch - he's probably not getting his milk as efficiently as he could be, and my nipples feel like they're on fire when he latches on. He's producing the right number if wet/dirty nappies, but I really want to get it sorted.

There's a "breastfeeding group" at Ikea tomorrow morning, but I'm not sure it's a help group or a social group. There's also a LLL group on Friday, but again it doesn't seem like a help group - the sessions run as a course covering 'benefits of breastfeeding' etc.

Thinking of phoning a helpline or asking for help makes me cry for what seems like no reason. Feeling like a failure maybe?

Oh, emilyeggs you asked on last thread about CS swelling. I've still got a large sort of 'pouch' of swelling just above my CS cut. You can see it and feel it through my clothes. I hope it's swelling and not permanent. My stomach has gone quite flat already, so the CS swelling sticks out further than my tummy :(

[PurplePidjin]

Clarella, if it's a stretchy just pop his feet out from under the bottom rail (assuming you tie the same way i do) and pop socks/bootees on over his babygrow. R is in babygrow with vest and trousers over ready to do a supermarket shop, and I'll pop him in the sling with hat and socks straight from the car seat :) i wouldn't cook with him in it because of the heat, though can crochet while feeding from the left though

Dp's the opposite, tries to buy me time to relax when the only solution is boob! R is easy in that respect, though

[PurplePidjin]

Stacks, i love love love the bf group at my local children's centre. Moral support is invaluable, even if there's no "expert" to talk to. I'd say definitely go. I can't wait for mine tomorrow, have a feeling it might turn out to be a bit of a lifeline (it's mw-run) under my current circs!

[Afrodizzywonders]

Last night was rough. K would not nap between 12-3 only wanted to be held, then it was 2 hourly feeds and back up at 6 am to look after toddler........second time round this feels harder, just can't relax as looking after 2 :(

[SpottyTeacakes]

Just got home from dd's first day at nursery. I went and had a coffee with a friend whilst she was there. Saw Lawrence Fox, as you do in exhausted and haven't had lunch yet. Ds screamed the whole time during drop off/pick up

[Clarella]

...... dithered and fretted all morning over woodwards gripe water which had resolved to try now a month (worried about e numbers stupid google) couldn't stand the whimpering and boob shouting so popped half dose in - G coughed and I thought I'd choked him and stopped crying instantly .... 2 hours later happy as can be and just spent30 mins n his play mat staring at skylights (fave activity). co incidence????

I tried that pidj! but pre gripe water..... no wouldn't cook but was part of the stepford mum dream....

stacks definitely go along and yes to helpline - it helps loads. tonnes of lansiloh too.

cs sausage swelling here too - though I think today first day post section that there's hardly any pain. I panicked a bit and posted in child birth and had loads of reassurances it would go eventually. think a combo of fluid and lots of swollen scar tissue. its a little better 4 wks later but is visible as my tummy has gone right down now. I did use aboob tube for a few days to compress it - helped a bit but then I had a flare up after doing too much and it hurt. postnatal physio
said if it feels ok it can help. also gently pull tummy muscles in when lifting baby if u can remember.

[Clarella]

spotty

[theblushingpeony]

yay for new thread!

afro That sounds tough, hope you have a better day today and that the LOs will go easy on you!

mama My DP has been great too and he's going back to work on Wednesday, really not looking forward to it

First time mums, what do you do at home during the day with your baby? I'm not used to just sitting at home so feel like I should get out and do stuff but at the same time I'm really tired and probably won't have the energy to leave the house every day (especially if it's raining like today). It's fine with DP still at home but I'm worried I'll get lonely and go a bit mad when alone all day with the baby. DD is very cranky so I can hardly put her down when at home. She does like the carrier but every time I sit down she starts to cry (unless she's asleep). I don't know how I'm gonna stay sane the next months/years

Any idea when we roughly might get our lives back??

[Clarella]

oh afro - I couldn't imagine doing this with more than 1

[SpottyTeacakes]

Afro I feel the same it's really hard! Hoping for a better night tonight all round!

[Clarella]

peony - no idea really but I think in the early days try not to set goals too high. maybe find a good box set too ;) I'm seeing today as a tester day, where might be good to feed, if there's any opportunity to make lunch etc., what's easy to make etc. definitely trying to be washed and dressed before dh goes to work has helped though don't think I managed teeth yet have a look on internet and local papers etc for classes you can sign up to in a few weeks which will help and even setting challenge of going to local park or museum or something in a few weeks? I'm feeling its about keeping personal routines like brushing teeth as much as possible, not massively linked to times but that they just happen, and then developing habits eg attempting to go out somewhere. then when you do have more of a social baby life it's just a bit easier iykwim? tiny building blocks that don't really matter if don't happen when baby is growth spurting or poorly and you're back to square 1.

ironically it's how I start every September with the kids I teach, autistic or mainstream - routines and habits and slowly it all comesttogether (took till may last year but we still got there!!!)

[Secondsop]

Hello all. A bit of an interrupted night here not because of Z (who slept well between feeds) but because we're trying more formula to get his weight developing which means I have to express after every bottle because I want to keep my supply going. But he's sleeping a bit more in the carrycot now, hurrah hurrah.

We tried the Dr Brown's bottle today - a marked improvement in his post-feed comfort even though I didn't use infacol or burp him during the feed.

peony I still haven't got used to what to do during the day. While Z is still small, it's a fair amount of watching TV and cuddling and talking to him. Havent really got into going out and about every day yet althoug now tjay a few more in my NCT group have had their babies we're planning some meet ups. He's now getting more alert so we're doing more playing and talking and encouraging eye contact. I'm wildly lucky that my husband mostly works from home (well the work is very much squeezed in around other things at present) so he can help with laundry and bins and holding the baby while I do things like shower and cook and eat.

[WillYouDoTheFandango]

Peony I thought I'd feel like you before DP went back (last Wed). But for now there's no time to get bored. Feeding, winding, changing and the bare minimum of housework take every second before DP gets home.

That said, I have a trip to the Trafford centre planned with my sister tomorrow (little scared of managing the pram in shops), a friend coming with her baby for lunch Wed and Jamie's tongue tie appt has finally come through for Thurs. Think I'll need all day Friday in bed!

[WLmum]

stacks i phoned the bf helpline last week or so, spoke to super helpful non judgemental lady. If you don't like what they say just disregard it. Not at all a failure to ask for support - quite the opposite.

clarella I wanted to ask you all for recommendations for slings. I got a freedom ring sling for dd2 but never got on with it - didn't feel confident enough to let go, worried about head position and just never that comfy. Am thinking about a moby this time. What do you guys use?

We had quite a good night too - T actually spent 2 decent periods in her Moses basket, then DH got up with dd1+2 and got dd1 ready for school so dd3 and I didn't get up til nearly 8! His shift work does have the occaisional benefit !

[WLmum]

I would like to join fb group too - but am a bit dense and can't see how to pm?! Is it because I'm on my phone?

For those using gaviscon - it worked wonders for dd1 but did bung her up so she was prescribed lactulose too which seemed to get a good balance.

[PrunellaDeVille]

Hello again, it's been ages, i've been lost in time with baby C but just spent the last couple of days catching up - so reassuring to hear of other having the same issues.
I've been inspired by you lot to buy a Ewen and try out infacol for his gasiness.
honey i'm watching with interest how you're getting on with infant gaviscon - i suspect C has reflux too but can't see Dr til thursday as it's not deemed urgent so can't come by a prescription yet. Has D pooed yet today or is he still bunged up?

[StaceymReadyForNumber3]

WLmum if on the mobile site you'll need to go to your inbox, do new message and type in the recipient. There's no button to click to automatically send a pm!

We're off to the midwife this afternoon. Not sure if they'll discharge us when we're still waiting for the results from the hospital.