November 2012 - the best post-natal quiche on MN

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1655656-November-2012-sleeping-through-yet

The answer to the sleeping though question was a chorus of "no"s but there were a few resounding yesses and a lot more keeping quiet because the rest of us would be well jel.

Morning all, I've given up on sleep after a rotten night. And where was GT last night, eh?

What's your new place like YW? I'm sure it's a big change for you. I lived in Fife for eight years and really miss it, I would be back like a shot if the opportunity arose. Our move to NI was supposed to be temporary but we've been here over ten years now.

detective agree with others - perhaps just give it up as a bad idea for now idea? All I can suggest is gradually move his bed time forward, so try 15mins before you go to bed & start a bedtime routine. We were bought the Fisher Price Lullabies CD for DD and it has had nearly 3yrs of being played at least once a day. Perhaps take him up at 10.45, dim lights for a little while before & in the bedroom, and do a nappy change, babygro on (if not already), feed, cuddle, bed, trying to get him to self settle. If it doesn't work, maybe do shushing & rocking but stopping as he gradually starts to drop off, putting him down in a light sleep in a darkened room. Then do the 10.45 bedtime until he's going to sleep quicker. Then bring it forward to 10.30 & so on until you reach your desired bedtime?

Did some bugger change my clocks?! Holy crap. That was NOT expected.... 9 hours? Seriously?! In 'some' people's eyes that is classed as sleeping through if we ignore the whole swinging basket debarcle. And to think I was a hairs breadth from giving him a feed at that point....

The bottle is now taking a battering. I'm surprised he hasn't eaten the teat !

VQ it's never been mentioned.... He smiled a little sooner and I out that down to the fact he was so late. Along with a couple of other things. But no, no one has ever said anything. Why do you ask?!

I hope others have had the sleep they need!!

Thanks Kyz. I'm all for feeding on demand but it seems a little bit too haphazard at the moment. I did wake him at 4:15 for a feed since he was stirring, then he went to 6:15. So I'm wondering whether the longer 3-4 hour breaks are causing the hour-long breaks as he makes up for a long gap. His weight is following the 25th percentile so it's not like he's making huge weight gains or anything. I don't remember whether the other two were like this but they had very poor weight gain so they may not have been feeding well enough.

VQ I guess persistence and consistency is the key. Hard to say what the answer is, because I've had the not settling to sleep like detective but generally keeping fingers & toes crossed so as not to jinx it they've stayed asleep once down. Hopefully little J will learn that its okay to sleep, Mummy won't disappear etc v v soon. And a solid block of sleep is better for you I believe, even if less cumulatively.

Cross posts!! He is ready for bed at the earlier time, but wakes when we come to bed, whatever time that is!

Maybe I should just go to bed at 9 too!

VQ it is the quality of the sleep IMO. I slept lighter co sleeping and whenever he is sleeping on me less these days thank goodness I always feel tired like I've hardly slept.

In which case detective perhaps put him in his own room so doesn't get disturbed by you coming to bed?

Yay Detective 9 hours is definitely sleeping through.. LO also manic over the bottle today as she ate so little yesterday.

Our bedroom smells like DS has done a poo. You know that proper sickly-sweet, milky caramel smell of a bm poo? But DS hasn't done one. Maybe DS has just got his "milk sweats" on...??

He didn't take to being left upstairs alone chunky the first night he woke when left but slept soundly while I we were there. I might try again in our room tonight.

He has completely zonked back out like he's been drugged. He hasn't. I swear!!!

I'd class 9 hours as sleeping through detective brill stuff :) 6 hours sleep counts as enough for me though I love sleep so would love more! I never know what to count, hours between feeds or hours actually asleep? E goes 8 hours between feeds and at least 6 are sleeping hours, but then as I said recently he's been going down after his bath and getting a few hours before the feed at 10 (the one he's missed two days now :/)

stunt I think feeding on demand is the way to go BUT for me it helps to have some kind of structure to it, iyswim. Eric goes 4 hourly but if he's ever actually hungry before i'd feed him. He never goes less than 3 hours. I think left to him he'd perhaps have a couple of oz every hour but it just won't work for us that way and he isn't genuinely hungry (I know to it when he is!!). Maybe on the feeds where there's a gap you're happy with, just feed him, but then when he's only gone an hour, just try to distract him just for five minutes, so he's gone that tiny bit longer, but not long enough for it to be too much for him. E was understandably all over the place at first so I fed as he wanted but from about 4 weeks he started to leave longer gaps here and there and I did the above to level it out a bit. To encourage longer gaps at night I didn't wake him at night but made sure to in the day, at first he worked to two hours with the odd 3, then 3 with the odd 4 and now it's 4 with the odd 3, 3.5 depending on how much he took before. He is bottle fed though so I can tell how much he's having. I would've thought with bf'ing he'll learn to take more if he is a tiny bit hungrier due to the extra 5 mins he's waited? Not sure, there's people with lots more experience/better advice I'm sure!

Welcome back yw we missed you.

vq I know I am late to the party but step away from "it's all my fault" is nobody's fault. J loves his mummy and wants to be with her, that is lovely. Just reading your update on last night I am glad you got some proper sleeping really does make a massive difference on how you feel emotionally.

detective sounds like you had a great night sleep in the end too.

DH does the 10:30 feed at the weekend, although we actually wake him up do a nappy change then feed him, then back to bed. Normally takes about 40 mins. I get him up just after 10 and then spend 20 mins of that time waiting for him to awaken! Anyway I sneak off to bed around 8 on thoses nights and am normally asleep before 9:00.

I too have woken up with a stinking headache and a scratchy throat and DS1 is still asleep which is unheard of. The Fairy house might be coming down ith something.

bigpig my little one is 15 weeks today so a bit older than yours. His due date was nov 18 bit was born oct 7 and I've been with the nov group since I got the bfp so have decided to stay.

Glad toy got some good sleep VQ

Very at your 9 hours detective

Not a bad night here, lo went 4 hours then 3 gone are the days she went 6/7

DP still isn't well, notgoingto be a fun day in our house today, actually it might because today I'm allowed chocolate after not saving it all week but just get on the scales first

DD is BF and has around 8-10 feeds a day, sometimes in the day she'll only go every hourbut if we're out she can go up to 3hours

After 3 days of no poo the explosion just came and my god there was a lot of it, I got a big gummy smileys smile straight after she went too, very cute

My fone just died so lost a post. Haven't time to re-post but need to ask a question;

Breastpump recommendations please! Anyone used a hospital one & have a home one that's nearly as good? Anyone got a good one?

Thanks.

I'm still trying to catch up.

Izzy H sleeps in a cot in our bedroom. He will sleep in there for some naps and we leave the monitor on and leave him.

I'm really surprised at the coldness of some of your houses. 15 degrees is crazy. We don't have the heating on at night and it hasn't got that much below 23 degrees.

My little one keeps moving about in his cot. Keep waking up to find him with his head on the side of the cot.

Are you able to rent breast pumps? Over here you can borrow hospital grade pumps for 12 euros a week from pharmacies. It's free if you have a letter from your Dr. Is there any similar service in the uk? I'm sure I've read on MN of people borrowing pumps from hospitals.

detective just listened to the go the fuck to sleep. He could read stories to me every evening - what a gorgeous voice. Have to admit my language dies get colourful from time to time at DD1's bedtime.

chunky I used the spectra 3. I bought an extra pump so I could double pump. At the time - p was max 2 weeks old - I could get about 250ml in 15 minutes. It has a reputation for being a bit harsh on your nipples but I thought it was ok.

thechick our house is the same. The heating comes on if the temperature drops below 18oC but it hardly ever does.

VQ I hope you are feeling a bit better this morning. However awful it felt at the time, one positive is the united front of you and your DH

notso I love the happy babies that emerge after a massive poo!

detective we used to try to settle P in the basket then carry it upstairs - more often than not it failed. We take the basket up and settle her upstairs with us after her last feed at 11ish.

P had a very strange start to her night last night. She went down at 7pm as usual but we thought we would try her in the sleeping bag. She woke at 8pm and basically just got more and more hysterical. She ended up doing this furious cry. We tried all sorts of things to settle her but nothing worked. Eventually I thought we would try feeding her (such creatures of habit are we that it didn't occur to me that she would be hungry) and she drained the bottle! I'm not sure that is what woke her up but she certainly decided she was hungry at some point!

We decided just to all go to bed at 10:30. At 6am I woke and lay there listening for the grunts I would expect about half an hour before she wakes. I got up and put my face right in he basket and could only just hear her breathing. I went for a wee and was only then reassured when she opened her eyes in response to the squeaking door! That was 6:30 - I ended up getting her up at 8. I think she completely wore herself out. She is back in her basket again now.

Anyone know much about the Medela single mini electric breast pump? I've read on here the Mendelssohn are good but there to expensive and that one is £50 on amazon

Sorry notso I don't know about that one. I know that the Medela brand is a major one though.

yellowwellies! Welcome back! I hope you are well settled in the Kingdom and that the move was not too traumatic. I also hope you are all feeling much better

I have medela freestyle double and a medela swing for when our and about. They are both fab just needed to get the xl funnels as the ones supplied are tiny.

I use the Spectra 3 as well Chunky, I think it was Izzy's recommendation iirc. It's about £50 from Amazon and another fiver gets you a second part so you can double pump. I got that as well so I don't have to sterilise every day as it has to be sterilised in boiling water. It does pull your nips out a bit but you have complete control over the strength of the suction. I find a little bit more suction than comfortable gets the best results. I expressed this morning and easily got over 5oz in about ten minutes. Oh and it comes with an adapter that fits wide neck bottles such as Avent. I also bought a backflow prevention filter so that milk can't be pumped into the unit so hopefully I'll be able to sell it on when I'm done with it.