October 2012: onwards, upwards and rolling over?

[YompingJo]

Is this part 5 already? Where did that time go?

Angelico another one here waiting for spring/summer. Can't wait.

Those talking about weaning. My mum was on solids at 6 weeks. SIX weeks!!
I was planning on breastfeeding until she doesn't really want it anymore tbh. I think I will give her solids when she seems to be really hungry and milk isn't doing it for her. Although I may have to think about weaning more seriously, and consider formula because I might have to go back to work alot earlier than expected. DP's back problems are continuing and are worse than ever, the NHS keeps losing him the system so every time we start getting somewhere with regards to treatment, they lose him and he has to start all over again. His workplace aren't being massively accomodating, which I think is a bit shit, but if it gets worse he'll just be on SSP for months on end- so I shall have to go back to work full time.
I'm also trying to look for another job, as now I've had three months off, I've realised how much damage my workplace has done to my sanity.

Yomping My DP also leaves DD to cry. Maybe not quite to a full-on-purple-screaming tantrum but it bugs me that he can leave her crying in her gym while I'm trying to have a bit of a break, and he sits there watching telly. Sometimes I interfere and ask him to do something, but most of the time I try to bite my tongue. We had a disagreement about leaving her to cry a few weeks back, and thankfully to keep me happy he took my opinion on board.

On sex life we do have one.. which is better than I expected. Squid I think it was you who asked if DD was present.. Well she's in the same room? Our bed's pretty high and you know.. she can't see that far I enjoy it but again, like others on here, I used to be able to come at the drop of a hat, but it takes alot longer, and sometimes never happens at all. It bugs me that when DP is finished he just thinks thats it. I'm like err hello. What about me? I suppose its always been like that, serves me right for going out with an old git

In other news, angel baby seems to have made a return for now.. Thankfully (and I'm not boasting I promise, I know it won't last long) her night-time sleep hasn't been affected, its just the days that were a bit of a pig.
Pippa is coming along great. She's nearly pushing herself up on her arms now when we do tummy time which isn't very often but no signs of rolling yet. And she gets really excited when I take in a really big breath and blow it all over her face. She loves it! I suppose she is the youngest baby on this thread so you know.. can't expect too much.
I had her weighed last Friday. She was 11lb and 15.5 oz. She's dropped two centiles, cue HV lecturing asking me about feeding problems/illness/and the like. I suppose she is just doing her job. But I have to take her back Friday. If she drops anymore then we are being referred to GP. However, I did have a lightbulb moment two days later, and realised that DD isn't feeding in the night anymore, like she was when she was last weighed. So I think this is the problem. I haven't really noticed her more hungry in the day.. Maybe a little bit more. I hope she remains on the same centile for this Friday.. I don't want to get myself into a mess like I did the last time this happened, and the midwife wanted me to express and force feed her.

Best mate is over from OZ. I am loving it. I have missed her so much.

Will try and catch up regularly to avoid long arsed posts. Sorry to everyone I've missed! Serious headache developing.
Luffs to you all.

elpis thought you were being charitable saying I struggle sometimes!! today has been a bloody marathon of horror.

Gah! My child has only slept for 30 mins all day. DH currently trying to put him down by reading Bradley Wiggins' autobiography to him

elpis I am a numpty, couldn't work out how to pm you so sent fb message instead
london congrats on your poo! Ooh it's like the antenatal thread all over again...
On the subject of poo livvy your dd is about a week younger than mine I think and about 10 days ago we went from poop every 2/3 days to 4 in one day! Now back to normal, no idea why.
squid sensory play sounds amazing I'm so jealous there is nothing like that over here. I'm doing baby massage though which he enjoys, I think?

so for anyone who is interested, our new nighttime schedule is going ok. She used to go down at 9pm and then need a quick feed at 4am (on a good night) and then be awake for good around 6 or 7am-ish. We're now doing the bath bed thing earlier so she's in bed at 7pm then I'm doing a dream feed at 10pm. This keeps her going until 5am when I fed her again and then she sleeps till 7-ish. This morning she took more half an hour to settle after the 5am which she didn't used to do. But I guess I'll take that for the more reasonable bedtime. She was just a bit playful and smiley but I kept her in bed right next to me so she knew it was night and she dozed off again eventually.

So my mission was to bring bedtime earlier so she goes at what seems like a more reasonable time for a baby and we get our evenings back so we don't have to eat in shifts. And it's working so far (based on the last two nights). As a result she is also napping slightly less during the day (40 minutes after 2 hours of awake time rather than after 1.5 hours- so she's dropped one nap) which creates a bit more work but it's nice to have lots of happy playtime together.

Now if I can just stop going in every five minutes to check she's still alive and smile at how cute she is, I might be able to relax and enjoy my relaxing evening.

You watch, it'll all go tits up tonight.

I think Jess's fretty period is coming to an end. She was very easy going today and had two 45 minute naps on her own this afternoon (until today she was only napping in my arms). It was lovely, I got lunch and a read for the first one and some housework done in the second. No tears...

Thank you to whoever showed me the wonder weeks chart. I've been just doing what she needed and not forcing her down, and now she seems to have just got a bit less fretty on her own and went down for naps fine today.

Tomorrow is another day but today was a good one.

london that sounds like such a nice evening / night time routine drools with jealousy . Our nights are still dismal with 2 hourly waking. Managing not to fall asleep at work though which is good! I am also not a fan of sleep training - I want to make sure that she associates falling asleep with feeling happy, safe and secure even if that means feeding / rocking to sleep and frequent wakings for now. However this definitely has drawbacks and prob isnt right for everyone so would never judge anyone elses choice.
Agree re childcare ratios changing not being good. Not at all sure how happy Ill be sending dd to nursery if it happens though not sure what choice we would have either. You're right that I often struggle with 2 and the day I had 3 kids to look after nearly destroyed me!
Anyone else's baby permanently have fists in mouth? We are both nearly continuously covered in dribble and vomit. It's an attractive look......

livvy [hugs] It's so hard I know when you are so tired you're crying and baby won't sleep. And you know they can sleep for longer quite easily but don't. Glad you had a better night last night. But do what's right for you, healthy baby needs a healthy mum, and that requires sleep Nobody decides to do CC lightly, it's too heartbreaking, but sometimes you've got to try everything. You will get support here whatever you choose to do. And even if DF won't can't do much more regularly due to work/study, he should at least pitch in when he can see you really need some help and support.

firsttime on the no pain relief on discharge. I was given about 10 years worth of meds and would have been no worse off than you!
And more to weaning at 9 weeks!

crazy YYY on the pinching! And scratching with little razors nails. Almost got me in the eye yesterday (horror stories of corneal abrasion flew through my mind)

And what is it with the crying just as you sit down for a poo??? it's like they know

we had our first night in her cot in her own room last night.... slept brilliantly, although I don't think she woke up at all, so not sure if she would have self settled overnight finding herself somewhere strange and without us there too. Time will tell if it lasts She just looks so small in the cot! Total rubbish I know cos she is by no means a tiddler, but still. Mourning loss of newborn status slightly. The big move was brought forward a couple of weeks as she has been waking lots at night and sings/squeals happily. hilarious during the day but not so entertaining at 3.30 am (on the dot). And she really has been far too big for bassinet for weeks, I was just delaying until exams are over incase of evening unhappiness when I need to study.

We are starting a baby movement class next week, it's based around free movement and free play and is at the library of all places! but should be good fun so looking forward to it (unless DD has big meltdown during like she normally does!)

Mickey you mentioned stoke mandeville is your local hospital... you must be from near my old haunting ground (I'm was in Amersham!)

Mickey I was weaned at 7 weeks! Mum just did what her GP advised her to do. My nan weaned her babies at 3 weeks because "they were big babies" . I weaned DS at 17 weeks but I'm a lot more informed since then and plan to wait until 6 months. Although I do wonder what's best, giving formula or giving baby rice mixed with breast milk because I'm struggling to express enough for college days. Who knows, it's a minefield, not helped by my lack of trust when it comes to HCPs. Sorry to hear you had such a traumatic birth. I felt traumatised by mine but then hear other stories like yours and feel like I should give myself a good talking too!

Smiley yes to drool / fists in mouth. Mini Angelico resembles Cujo some days... (rabid dog if you haven't read the book)

Smile4Me very timely post - I was just coming on to ask people about the moving rooms thing. Funnily enough around about 8 weeks I was desperate to move her into her own room as her noises were keeping me awake. By about ten weeks I sort of got used to them. Now I am noticing them again, especially after her 6am feed when she has a happy burbling session with her stuffed rabbit. I think another month and I'll probably move her although will actually miss the ease of just nabbing her for quick feed then rolling back into bed :) (and I used to live in the Amersham area myself for a while! :) )

On weaning - I'm waiting as long as possible!!! I don't want those stinky poo nappies after nice, tolerable breastfed nappies! :o I have started expressing again though as I want to get her used to bottles so I can escape a bit more and also have one of those little cup things which I'll try in a few weeks. Friend has just weaned her wee boy and she says his nappies are putrid! :o

Here's to silent nights all round...! x

ahh amershams great. well really i come from south heath but have lived in prestwood/missenden all my life. living in chesham temporarily. i dont like chesham. hmph

first we are ff here and DS is at least 15 pounds as of couple weeks ago. In fact took him today to get weighed but gave up after ginormous q didn't seem to move.

We are demand feeding so it varies a bit but I would say he generally takes 1100ml in total in the day over 7-8 bottles. I usually do 180ml bottles, 6oz but the amt he drinks varies. When he is going through a growth spurt I tend to up the amt in the bottle.

and firsttime thanks for the message. i was just being nosy. i was meant to say earlier- what a lovely treat for valentines day... an endo-rectal scan. Lovely.

how old/how much do babies have to weigh before going in the buggy bit of a pram? DD is too big for the carrycot now but i dont like having her in the car seat all the time (we have a travel system). is there a starting point? or can she go in it now? it fully reclines back so that its flat..

angelico i am moving dd into cot when best mate leaves (she is sleeping in her room atm) because she is too big for basket now. poor loves legs are nearly out the end of it. i just hope it doesnt wreck her sleeping habits.. i will be so gutted!

Weaning is incredibly tedious and messy. You wouldn't catch me starting before six months if I were paid. Revolting nappies, scrubbing the high chair clean, food in hair, taking pots of nutritionally balanced stuff with you when you go out at mealtimes ... Not looking forward to it at all.

DS had his third set of jabs today and the poor thing has a mild temperature, just as with the first. Not interested in his rattle but making a big effort to smile at me. So brave.

Yay Londonmrs, glad your new routine is working! Get yourself an Angelcare movement baby monitor, that thing is our best friend! We leave it going all night on movement only setting even though we're sleeping in the same room, definitely helps us sleep ,ore peacefully. DS is asleep in a different room on another level of the house right now.... The Angelcare handset next to me beeps reassuringly every time he breathes

Jabs yesterday went well - no raised temperature at all! Was so relieved as I was worried we'd have another hospital admission.

DS is definitely teething, had to go and buy him a gel teething toy today. The health nurse who came round yesterday said his bottom two teeth have nearly broken through the gums and we fly back to Ireland on Saturday night, perfect timing! Crap! He chews his fists and the pain wakes him up from his daytime naps poor thing. Will be using liberal amounts of Bonjela and paracetamol on the plane! Was hoping he'd be more like DH, DMIL said he didn't teethe until he was 7 months old!

Night started well, settled at 8pm then woke at 11.30 and 3 to feed. Sadly wouldn't go back to sleep after 3.....
Bit tired now!

Urgh poor smiley you must be exhausted

Smorglet was hideous to put to sleep last night, literally took hours with repeated wakenings on being put in his basket. I'd let him sleep on me or in our bed if he actually slept but he's never comfortable and wakes up crying. However, once asleep he did go through till 3ish then woke again about 6ish. Each time he is so hard to put down again though. I really don't want him to start hating his basket/cot.

Yikes, lots of early starts. A for Smiley and for Smorgs. The bean had a couple of screamy nights like that last week and they suck. None since but she does get like that when she's overtired - so went mental at 6.30pm nap last night because she had skipped a daytime one. Hang in there.

Up at 06:45 to do some writing. Had just fed bean and couldn't get back to sleep, my head was writing a scene and in the end I just got up to write the fecking thing down! Might try and sneak back to bed for an hour although don't fancy my chances of sleeping...

Bad night - not jess, just me, couldn't get to sleep - feeling very anxious - not sure why. Sun is out so going to take her out for a long walk once she's woken up from her nap

Jess is such a good sleeper i can't complain, but she is going down at 6.30pm now and waking at 3.30/4.30am, which is a bit early even for me. She only needs feeding (hours of feeding!) not entertaining till 7ish so it's not too bad, i just do it in bed with lights off lying down, but I don't know whether to try and keep her up till say 8pm to see if she'd go till 5am.

My gut instinct is to not mess with such a long stretch of sleep though. I dunno.

squid I say go with your gut instincts for now. Her sleeping patterns are likely to change of their own accord and you can then adjust the timings if need be.

My new motto - stop reading sleep advice and go with gut instincts.

Terrible terrible night again. DD waking up screaming every hour and hard to settle. DH going to London for the night tomorrow, I'm thinking we might go with him and stay in a hotel, DH's idea that maybe sleeping somewhere else for the night might break the pattern (clutching at straws). Can't help but think she might be in pain though at night because she doesn't grumble just wakes up to full blown crying.