October 2012... PELVIC FLOORS!

[Londonmrss]

Ready...
Steady...
And squeeze!

Thanks, smorgs et al. Yes, it would be against the rules to hold it against me, but at my employer it's all about who's in favour and who's out. I have embarrassed the editor, and that's it. But I knew my career there was over when my 'HR Business Advisor' emailed to suggest we chat later this year. No one ever got a meaningful job through HR there. You get asked, or you approach someone when a vacancy comes up, and very few of those are available at the moment due to cutbacks.

Hey ho. Best I can hope for is a dignified exit via voluntary redundancy, although that programme has officially closed. It was nice to hear a lot of my contacts were upset, though of course that's EXACTLY why they wanted me to keep it secret - not that they ever said so. Smorgs, what are you planning to freelance about? How are you going to manage childcare?

On a different topic, squid was asking about breasts, shrinkage of. IME they do retreat a size or two, though I never got back into my pre-pregnancy C cup. But then I never returned to a B after I stopped taking the Pill.

Mickey For swim nappies, I used Huggies. The ice cube tray tip is a good one. I didn't do a lot of purées, but it works just as well for soups, mashed potato/fish mixes, baked beans and so on. Boots sell special trays made of a silicone-type material that makes it easier to push out the frozen portions.

horsey Congratulations on the promotion! Hope you're getting a raise too.

smiley Hope your DDs feel better soon. Can you cuddle up with DD2 while DD1 is sleeping it off in bed? Chat with friend on the phone?

DS just chuckled in his sleep. Very sweet.

Hello! I'm not ignoring people. I wrote a really long reply 2 days ago and lost it because of crappy internet connection, then couldnt catch up. I will start over and keep on top from now on.

Morning peeps.
I woke up twice in the night to find DS had rolled onto his front. It worried me a little, but not sure what if anything to do about it. He can roll both ways, so I spose I've he was uncomfortable he could roll back?

Londonmrss The nappies I bought from ebay, they were the cheap unbranded ones, I can't seem to find the listing I bought but they are essentially these

[[http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7x-Adjustable-Reusable-Washable-Baby-Cloth-Diaper-Nappy-/330581891418?pt=UK_Baby_Baby_Changing_Nappies_LE&hash=item4cf837595a
nappies]]
nappies 2

very cheap. 20 does me fine with washing every third evening. I use a disposable overnight. I use 1 microfibre and 1 bamboo insert with each nappy. I dry the bamboo on radiators but the nappies and microfibre are almost dry out of the machine.

turnwest so pleased you went to doc and they were helpful. You sound more positive already. I was worried about taking tablets but they have made 100% difference. I am on waiting list for counselling too.

Morning all!

mikyah don't sweat it, official advice is to continue to put down on back but if babies choose to roll over and sleep on front not to worry.

Interesting night here. DD settled ok and slept over 7 hours (a first!) till 3am. Then feed and just kept thrashing about in crib. Whenever I got up to her she'd managed to wedge herself almost across it with her head jambed in the corner. After 2 hours I gave up and put her in her cot next door. She was only really a couple of meters further away and slept fine but I barely slept after that as I just lay listening out for her. Don't really know what to do now. We never bothered with a movement alarm or anything but am having second thoughts now... or is that just feeding into my paranoia? I thought I'd read they don't have any evidence that they prevent sids.

Who was it that was asking about coping after sleepness nights? Strong tea, touche eclat and lunch with my dm is my prescription x

Is anyone else shattered? I know that's a stupid question but my mum put my back up last night by saying - by four months, you shouldn't be so tired, especially if he's sleeping well.

She says I'm intense. She says I need to learn how to relax, that I'm too anxious. She's probably right but i think she's also forgotten what's like having a young baby and being a parent for the first time? I can't help but feel like it was one of those "back in my day" comments.

wooley following the guidelines reduces the risk of SIDS. Nothing stops it totally. I guess the movement monitor picks up reduced respiration rates or shallower breathing. This alerts you to check and potentially wake the baby. Whether it gives you piece of mind or will cause more angst only you can decide!! I have one, though he'll probably move straight off it when he goes into his own room!!

elpis no initial payrise. I don't think? Need one if the other staff to leave. My job title is just changing. I'm really pleased as its just opening so many more doors for me!!

zara what bottles are you using? We're currently at the what if he needs more than 9oz stage. I make my bottles up fresh? Perhaps I should keep one in the fridge to use as top up? I don't plan on using hungry baby as its calories he needs at this age, not filling!! Plus he's not a massive baby. He just doesn't stop moving. Or talking!!

Oh yes, we have a Sophie the giraffe, she loves chewing it's face!
firsttime I am insanely jealous of your sleep (though also very pleased for you!). Struggling with the sense that I must be doing something wrong.

Horsey we use Avent, and his bottles are 9-10oz at the moment. If he's hungry I err just give him as much as he wants of another bottle! Although that can lead to mega-eating sessions like yesterday! We make all his bottles (5x 9/10oz, 2x water for if I go out) the night before after he goes to bed and keep in the back of the fridge.

Smile he actually got to 600ml in 2.5hours before spewing! i was actually relieved when he chucked up, i thought how can one baby hold that much milk!! I'd estimate he threw up no more than 150ml either he's super hungry today too! Lol because he's such a big boy the jokes from everyone have already started that he'll be a forward for NZ/Ireland....

He's 17 weeks on Sunday and 8+kg (getting him weighed at clinic). He screams his head off and gets really angry if he's hungry, there's no mistaking it for anything else. He takes on average 3 x 9oz and 2 x 10oz bottles a day (leaving half an oz in bottle) but does sleep very well at night.

firsttime I don't blame you for wishing that she would wake up at 6.30 instead 5.30am is still stupid o'clock to be getting up! Thanks for the reassurance that its not something I'm not doing. - there's another thread somewhere on here where someone says their baby slept through because they cuddled her and she went back to sleep without a feed so now knows she doesn't need to wake fr a feed - aargh if only it was hat simple!

Ok so I don't know of there's a connection or not but - we started DS on baby biotics two weeks ago. Prior to that his poos were the regular bf kind but very runny and very sweet smelling - like unI digested milk sweet. He was also a slow weight gainer. Now his poos are thicker, like sludge and smell more like fermented yoghurt. And. He's a lot heavier and had this belly from nowhere!!!

So I'm just wondering if he just wasn't digesting all the milk before? Good gut health is so important - even for moods - so I thought it was worth mentioning for all those gaining weight slowly, dropping percentiles and/or very sensitive to diet things like dairy. We spent quite a lot - £30 for some powder I put in his expressed milk but so worth it to set him up with a good gut ad far as I'm concerned!

smiley I have a good sleeper, and I honestly think it is VERY LITTLE to do with anything I do... I put it down to the fact she had an easy delivery (for HER, not ME!) and me and her dad were both excellent sleepers as babies. Which isn't massively helpful, because you can't decide to have either of those things! Babies just vary: that is my parenting motto seriously...

I am a bit tired of the 4.30am wakenings mind! I'm ashamed to admit it as she goes 7pm-4.30am, and does settle again on and off till 7ish...

What does your DH do, he's not a doctor too is he? So sorry DD is still poorly
I might be tempted to get someone over with cake anyway...

On which note, orenishi, we are all very tired, no matter how much sleep we might be getting. It's a whole new world, new skills, etc. Your mum is possibly right that it's better to relax and enjoy your baby (when they're not being a nobber anyway) rather than worry and fret, but easier said than done. I still like my sister's philosophy of "stupid people around the world do it every day."

Sat in the car while DD sleeps. Can't get out for fear she'll wake up and have 40 mins before Pilates class starts!

smiley our sleep still hasn't improved much. Currently waking every 2 hours in the night, last week it was every 3 hours though. Not doing anything differently so I'm trying not to beat myself up about it. Just looking for the positives instead eg. She's going down easier in the evening and I am getting sometime with DH and also she is only up now for 10/15 mins in the night and can be put down quite easily after a quick feed. However, the tiredness is creeping back again...I have massive sympathies for you juggling being back at work and another DC.

turnwest so glad to hear you sounding a bit better.

Can't remember anything else! Brain feels a bit frazzled this morning and it's hard to name check on the phone. Hope you all have a lovely day.

smiley it's funny, people often take credit for good sleepers, thereby implying poor sleepers are their parents' fault. as squid says, I reckon that's absolute balls and sleeping is just like anything else babies learn - they all do it in their own way at their own time. it's so easy to question yourself, but just keep doing what you believe is right. it's bloody tough though, hats off to you. and lots of chocolate.

orenishii ah the rose tinted specs of nostalgia it's amazing how you forget exhaustion, like you forget pain. you think you don't, but when you experience it again it takes you by surprise. your dm has forgotten. just...I dunno, smile and nod? or invite her to take over for 24hrs if it's that relaxing besides, breastfeeding is pretty draining in itself I reckon.

interesting about the probiotics. amazing that it's made a noticeable difference for you, that's great news! are we soon going to see super chubster pics of Q?

ds2 did 7-3.45 last night amazing! then was super unsettled until up for the day at 5.30, so I feel slightly cheated. worried he's going to be one of those freaks lucky people who doesn't need much sleep. please spare me that!!! didn't help that ds1 was crying in the night and I had to go to him. poor little mite is a bit unsettled atm, no idea why. as aggravating as it is to have to get up to both, and as knackered as I am, nothing beats a sleepy cuddle with ds1 as he's the least cuddly child ever I often wonder if that's cos of my pnd and failure to bond with him. I really hope it's not

I do wonder how my relationship will unfold with both boys. I feel such guilt with regard to ds1 because of my pnd - I resented him so much and was just doing the motions for his entire first year. I want to cry just thinking about it. and then ds2 I fell in love with straight away - how unfair is that? and is this going to affect my relationship with both boys for the rest of their lives? my mother goes on and on about how she didn't bond with me when I was a baby, and therefore our relationship is crap, and I don't want ds1 ever ever to think that, because it is just so unfair. and obviously I love him madly now.

sorry, these musings are probably unhelpful especially for turnwest - except perhaps to encourage treatment asap as I had none - but recent posts have made of dwell on all this.

zara thanks perhaps ill start making some in advance. He's eating similar to your lo but. Weighs about 6.5 kgs!!

Wrt sleep I still take each night as it comes. And am thankful for good nights. Its nothing anyone can really do or control. Like adults there are good sleepers and bad sleepers and times when you can't sleep. I guess that forms from childhood.

squid I read you went into the peaks round a reservoir. Did you go to lb reservoir? Did you walk round it? Roughly how long did it take? We are thinking of going up there Sunday.

crazy a friend of mine's mum had terrible pnd, her dad had to do everything for the first year, she then had it herself with both her children. She loves her mum and her kids adore her. Don't beat yourself up x

Apparently I was quite a good sleeper as a baby - does this mean I can blame dh?

DD was waking every 2/3hrs but seems to have (mostly) dropped the first waking so that means an initial 5/6 (even 7) sleep. So it can suddenly improve [fingers crossed emoticon]

That's interesting oren when dd had the weight gain probs she had just had a stomach bug, there little tums must be so sensitive, it took about 3 weeks for her to start gaining again.

Hugs for all the poorly beans x