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

[PurplePidjin]

Sorry to hear of all the rubbish sleep. We had an amazing fluke breakthrough last night- B went down in her Moses ALL night. This has NEVER happened, she's never slept for more than 5 min snooze in it.

Went to my local breast feeding group this morning, got soaked through in the rain - it never snows down here!

Reading all about grobags I think I might give mine a go very soon, please keep updated those giving it a go. She was 9lb5 a week ago so sure she is big enough ??

Thanks for the link Clarella, F has just had a fussy episode, fed for the third time since 1pm and now asleep on me, and I hold no guilt about spoiling him/creating a clingy baby, my mind is at easy!

:) eggs and doing the same with George!

I don't believe you can spoil them or create clingy babies - cuddle cuddle cuddle if you ask me!

:) for basket breakthrough Cookie - my little one slept in her crib all night for the first time too. From birth she has slept in the pram carrycot as we didn't have anything else, then when we got the crib at 2 weeks she didn't like it (too big and exposed, I suspect). I've been putting her down for daytime naps in te crib, and last night was our first attempt at a nighttime trial. She was good as gold!

Busy day today - friend over for lunch then just taken the bus to John Lewis and for food shop. C slept for 4 hours today, I had to wake to feed her so we could go out. Then of course the bus put her to sleep both ways and I'm worried she's had too much sleep and will be awful tonight. This balance thing is tricky, innit?

Got our GP appt today - not until she's 10 weeks, instead of 8. Probably not an issue, I'm hoping? Should hear from the HV in next few day as C is 6 weeks on Wed.

pmgkt my little Z was classed as failure to thrive after he lost weight for his first few weeks. We decided to stop exclusively breastfeeding and gave him some bottles and he's now grown a lot (although still hugging the 0.4 percentile). We were referrednto the paeds and also had to go to the hv clinic weekly for weighins, and also wemt to the GP
weekly. the GP was far less worried than the HV; he explaoned that he looks at the whole picture whereas the hv mainly has only weight to go on.

We had the paediatrician referral this morning and she checked him over, said he was fine and that we should keep on with what we were doing in terms of feeding. It only took a little while for him to pull himself back onto the charts; there was no further issue, just that the breastfeeding wasn't enough for a teeny baby like him. She is though referring us to the surgeon to check for tongue tie.

Although I was unimpressed by the woman in the waiting room (there with her grandson) who, after askin what we were there for, said "he does look underfed". Um, no he bloody doesn't! He's put on 700g in 10 days!

Thanks seconds. We only put on 50g in 5 days so its slow, but is gain. I think we will switch to formula all the time rather than just the 2 he has at the moment. We have dropped from 2nd centile to 0.4 so soon will be off the scale. Such a change as ds1 was 90+ centile the whole time.

Wow Seconds - what a rude woman! Glad the referral went well though.

Clarella - that sounds like fantastic weight gain. Well done!

Pidg - dealing with other people's imcompetence is infuriating at the best of times, and I'd imagine it's the last thing you need at the moment. Hope they find their arse from their elbow the right bit of paper and sort it for you soon.

Afro and Eggs - to you both. Will keep fx that your LOs let you get some rest tonight.

Utopian - as others have said, it can be tough with two and there have been moments where I feel that I just don't have enough hands. There have also been lots of lovely times seeing how excited DS1 was about being a big brother and how proud of him now he's here. I'm another one who's found tow days at nursery for the older one to be godsend (we're lucky as he's now old enough to qualify for free hours). DM was also an absolute star today and came round to help out. She sat with N while I did some baking with DS1 - really nice to have a bit of quality time with him.

Well, I'm proud of myself. I stayed calm and didn't shout when DD ignored all my suggestions that she sat on the potty and instead sat next to me on the sofa and did a wee.

At least it solved my dilemma of whether I should wash the jeans I put on clean this morning (small bit of mud on the ankle from our walk to play group).

I think a gin is order once DD is in bed. DH walked in just now to 2 screaming children and a forcibly calm wife!

Well done you barbeasty

pmgkt, that's what we did - switched to a full complement of formula but have kept the breast going as extra and also I've been expressing and replacing some formula feeds with that. The exercise has proved that the issue was clearly the quantity of food when breastfeeding wasn't sufficient. I think it's down to a possible tongue-tie, but all also leading to a vicious cycle of him not having enough calories to really breastfeed effectively and trying to solve this by spending hours at the breast which of course just made it worst. I must say his breastfeeding does seem a lot better now, in terms of sucking well and emptying the breast, now that he's built himself up a bit.

Barbeasty I'm trying to be a less shouty mum too I'm doing ok, better than I was!

Thanks for the tips on grobags I'll try and get one tomorrow.

Dreading tonight as we've had a few shitty night, snapped at my mum today which is do unlike me as she's my bestest bud and only trying to help but I'm just so sleep deprived and cranky! Hope for a good night all round for all!

6 week check for me tomorrow - do they check 'down there' to see if all healed? Just wondering if I need a trim lol!

Usually they do Bella I still haven't had mine

I think I just had that weird rush of hormones people talk about when breastfeeding. Either that or I have low bp or something!

Yet another formula feed fail, it's too hot and he wants it now! Since I don't want the drama of last night, I think we will chuck that bottle and try again tomo night. Note to self... Have the water boiled, bottled and in the fridge, then just need to add the water and warm it when he needs it. Clearly been spoilt by "easy breast feeding"!

Oh dear Barbeasty in the wash they go with a big forced smile!

Eggs I think you have to make formula up when you need it these days, they've changed all the guidelines again

well done barbeasty!

worst evening ever - every time tried to feed was screaming in pain (?) as bottom issues - don't understand it . Dh taken him and soothed him, I'm supposed to 've sleeping.

here I go...

I thought you could atleast store the water in the fridge in the sterilised bottle. Oh crap, I think I'll just buy cartons, I don't have to get stressed and think about that!

Michelle, can you plunge it into ice water to cool? Or 5 mins in the freezer?

You have to add the powder to water that is 70 degrees as its the formula which carries bacteria. When we had dd we just left the bottles at room temp and added the formula when we needed it!

Omg formula feeding sounds like hard work - makes bf sound easy lol

Ff seems to change so much! Only 6 months ago the advice was to put your boiled water into sterilised bottles and then just add your powder when needed and when I had ds 10 years ago we'd just make up 24 hrs worth of bottles in advance!

Can't you make a few and keep them in the fridge? Otherwise how would you ever leave the house, those cartons are mahoosive!!

Well done on keeping the bf going seconds, wish I'd done that with dd1, so nice to still be able to offer that closeness and comfort, even if most of their calories are coming from ff.

I am praying for a bit more sleep tonight as I'm feeling absolutely wrecked! Why can she sleep for 4 or more hours in the day and only 2 at night??!!

Ooh ff questions. These I can do - the recommended way is as Spotty says. The safest non-guideline way is to make them up using >70 degree water, flash cool in a bowl of cold water and pop in fridge. Warm in a bowl of warm water when needed. Use within 24 hours. Not recommended as I say but the only way to stay sane!