October 2012... PELVIC FLOORS!

[Londonmrss]

Ready...
Steady...
And squeeze!

DMIL not well. arse

:( sorry to those of you having bad nights :( ds had a about two weeks of weakenings. It peaked last wed night/thurs morning then it was as if he'd never done it? Back to sleeping?! Who knows.

He is being a bit awful with the day time sleeps though.

zara interesting with the bottles. Ds has 4 x full bottles. So 9oz but it goes over then one 6ozbottle in the morning. Good to hear just offer more milk!! Can you let me know what you took travelling with you please?

Gah, so behind. Have big catch up planned as DH is in charge today but need to get on computer in nursery to do it and mini yomping is asleep in there!

2 things straight off though... Angelico, so sorry to hear about your uncle. As others have said, lovely that he got so much from meeting the bean but sad, sad news. Thinking of you.

First-time, not sure if it will be helpful but we discovered kind of accidentally that dd can self settle at night because we got so fed up with the constant wakings a few weeks ago that we just didn't respond to a couple of them... and after a few cries then 10 mins of steadily diminishing grumbling, she dropped off again. She now does this regularly (as in 3 or 4 times a night) and if she was sleeping in her own room we wouldn't even be aware of it. It disturbs me as she is in a cot next to my side of the bed but at least she doesn't need me to pick her up every time, just for feeds every 4 hours or so. So maybe leaving her for a bit may be worth a try? Ignore me if this is unhelpful. And I think it's regression, from what I've read their sleep changes at 4 months, they hit light sleep much more frequently and so wake up more, and they have to learn how to get back to sleep themselves, without you. We have been working on the self settling for a few weeks and it's definitely paying off. I hope you come through this soon, it sounds really tough :-(

cherrycherry and woolybob - whereabouts in the North are you?

God I hate playdates.

So far today I have bought DD's friend a cupcake and a drink from the bake sale at preschool, taken them home on the bus, cooked and served lunch (rejected because 'I don't like green bits' - it was leek and cheese toasties. Tomatoes and fruit also rejected) and replaced it with requested bread and butter after she started crying. At no point has she said please or thank you. Or indeed responded to more than one question. I really hope DD doesn't behave like this on playdates. Other people's children, eh? Sigh. They're hard to love.

Just had dd weighed and she's jumped up to the 75th from the 50th. That's ok, right? I know the centiles can only be taken in context but within the context of a frequent boob refuser, it's always good to know that she's getting enough.

Londonmrss

DS has jumped from 25th to 91st centile since he was born. Some just grow faster than others, and anyway DH and I are both tall. So I wouldn't worry!

Thanks. I've just looked again and she was actually born on the 75th and popped briefly down to the 50th during the feeding strike and is now back on the same line as before.

kyrria im in sheffield :)

Question- how do i stop my dd from 'sleep travelling'? I put her down with her feet at the bottom of the cot tucked in really tightly as she kicks the covers off. She wakes up crying several times a night because shes on her front/bum in the air/oppisite end/laid horizontally with legs stuck in the bars etc and i have to reposition her so she can get back to sleep. Its worrying me alot because she is often face down during the night i wake up constantly in the night to check on her! Im sleep deprived!!

kyyria even

I'm in east Yorkshire, about halfway between York and hull. Where are other northern folks? Anyone else interested in a meet up?

Hey nobbers! I'm so so sorry I haven't posted for an age and totally haven't caught up properly - never ever get to laptop, and find reading on phone hurts my head and i get all confused. FB with your beautiful faces i find much easier
But just saw firsttime's post about thyroid issues. I developed a massive lump at the base of my throat a few weeks ago after having mastitis. Obviously scared myself stupid thinking it was serious, but gp thought it was thyroid. Have also got the achey joints - mostly upon waking, crazy hair loss and fatigue - all of which I thought was baby related. The lump has gone now, but bloods showed some abnormalities that doc wants double checked so getting more done in a few weeks.
So no answers, just wanted to let you know my experience - will try to update.

Also - MASSIVE hugs to my twinny and oldest MN friend, Angelico. Thinking of you and sending all my love xxx

Cherrycherry perhaps a baby sleeping bag would fix?

Horsey to fly I took 4 sterile bottles, one carton per 2 hours of travel, Milton Solo Travel Steriliser (amaaaaazing), skinny bottle brush (Boots brand), tiny bottle with washing up liquid, Milton tabs. If you are going somewhere for more than 2 weeks I'd take your microwave steriliser in your checked luggage (if that's the sort you use). I have detailed more info on the Formula Feeders Faff Free Fred (in Feed the World>Breast and Bottlefeeding). If you tell me more about your travel details I can give you more specific advice. Am getting in touch with MN editorial team about writing a comprehensive guide to FF on a plane/during travel as its a common query I answer on threads now!

Angelico, thinking of you still. Hope all is going as well as it could under the circumstances, and you and your family are all able to grieve together xx

Horsey the SMA ready to drink bottles with screw on teat are fab too, if you are flying less than 8-10 hours and your DS will take SMA use them!!!

Sorry can't link, on phone

cherry we've found cot bumpers helpful because dd ends up at the other side headbutting the bars. would also suggest a movement monitor if you're worried about the face down thing.

One thing I miss about being pregnant - not bloody PMS or pre menstrual cramps. Or periods for that matter.

Has anyone else's periods and symptoms gotten way worse? Fuck me I have some bad cramps, about to take my leftover Ponstan the hospital gave me for my stitches.

Ghastly period cramps now just remind me of Prostin pains (before they got really and)

Before they got really bad, I mean

Pain is addling my brain

Times like these I wish DH could get hooked up to that labour simulation machine, like those Dutch journos

zara flight only 90mins lol going to France!! Going for 10 days but staying in two places? Yes he has sma anyway. What's it like going through security? He will need feeding on plane

Cherry. My sis used Safe T Sleep wraps to stop her wriggly baby moving about the cot and lying on her tum. It's a kind of Velcro strap round the tum. Some folk reckon it is cruel to restrict a baby's movement but her baby never seemed to object and it gave her peace of mind.

Also on pill so periods not toooo bad.

Ds dropped from 60th 25th was 60th for length. He looks ok. Well I think he does lol

Argh. My laptop has died. With all my pics. Woe.

Livvy!!! Oh no! Can you get it to an IT expert to recover the hard drive and your pics!?

Horsey - security can be bastards. We were fine on the way out but they took half of my formula off me on the way back and made me taste half of the remainder. Are you going through Heathrow? Easiest thing to do is order formula for your travel to pickup after security. It looks on the website that they only do the SMA cartons so you might need to call/email them to ask if they do the screwy on ones. Remember to order extra or pack extra premades for the flight back.

For flight you need to be prepared for 4 feeds to take into account the airport and transit on each side, and any delays. For 10 days you need to take 6 bottles I reckon for least amount of hassle. I'd do a combo of making up some of your feeds and keeping in fridge at your accomodation and water/powder mixing when out. Or buying pre-mades of French brand formula at supermarket for when you're out and about, that's probably the easiest! Not sure what's most similar to SMA over there.

To sterilise you can take the Milton travel steriliser but it only does one bottle at a time so you could do lots of bottles using cold water Milton tab method in a sink/tub/bucket.

On FF Faff Free Fred I detail how to do the trip with powder but if you pm/FB message me I can run it through with you.

You can use Evian or Volvic in an emergency to mix with powder as they are low-sodium - smorgs am I right this is what French parents use? I know you're not meant to make formula with bottled water but when you're in a pinch and baby is howling, you do what you have to do!!

Or you could pack your microwave steriliser (I dried mine thoroughly and filled with baby clothes before putting in suitcase!).