November 2012 - They WERE sleeping, what happened?

[StuntNun]

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1688444-November-2012-Forget-50-books-in-2013-well-have-50-threads

J just woke the once, for 95 minutes, but just once. Woke next at 6.45 and was clearly pissed off that he was up for the day. I feel almost human. Almost.

Attachment parenting is something I have never considered as I am a working mum. If I were a SAHM I would possibly try it. I know little about it, but feel it is important that my kids are as independent as possible, by sleeping in their own bed, being cared for by daddy and grandparents, in preparation for nursery.

One of my friends wore her baby day and night for the first year, then put her in nursery full time. Never been more than an inch away from mummy, and baby took so long to settle. B started the same time and was used to mummy going and returning, and settled well.

As for crying, as said before it is their only way to communicate. With more than one kid there are going to be times baby has to cry, and baby needs to learn how to cope with it.

Sleeping tips - with the girls, the better they napped, the better they slept at night. With boy, fuck knows!

I had a plentiful supply of milk and a baby who was happy to bf. I still switched to ff. To be honest the thought it is based on cow's milk didn't cross my mind - I was far more concerned about my own sanity and nipple blisters.

I am an advocate of fresh air too. Even when it has been very cold there have been afternoons during DD1's nap that I have taken LO outside in to the garden if it's notbeen raining or snowing (so verry occasionally). Yesterday evening after the afternoon outside I felt so tired in a good way - made such a nice change from being so tired through lack of sleep. Am going to take the children out this afternoon to play in the park down the road. Not wasting a minute of this lovely weather.

VQ i have the same experience re naps. Te days DD1 misses a nap she is a nightmare in the evening and won't go down until sometimes midnight. A good nap during the day and she's fine in the evening.

pp you are very blessed to have such a plentiful supply of milk. Bumbo infront of toy arch sounds like a great idea.

horsey I find the more children you have the more a semblance of routine, however sketchy, makes life easier and taking them all out and letting them off their leads, so to speak is the best thing you can do. Your life style is great for kids. I am hoping we will be more outside based once we move over here.

"Good morning, can I please have an emergency appointment for my daughter today please?"
Receptionist witch: "why?"
Me: "She had a nasty reaction to one of her creams over the weekend and I would like her checked please"
RW: "Did you take her to hospital?"
Me: "No, I assessed it at the time and deemed it manageable. My partner and I both have extensive first aid and medical training and didnt feel it necessary to drag her to a&e in the middle of the night unleas she deteriorated."
RW: "So why do you want her seen today then?"
Me (quite exasperated by now): "Because she is so young I would like her to be checked over and it put on her records"
RW: "Fine but I think you are wasting your time"

WHEN I WANT MEDICAL ADVICE FROM A RECEPTIONIST, I'LL ASK FOR IT!!

Phonecall 1 down, 4 to go.

Good luck today eliza.

MM I really think you should put a complaint in about that receptionist. Asking questions is one thing, but giving her opinion, which means fuck all, is totally out of order. Please complain!

Morning all

I've nearly missed a whole thread again

Last week M was really good, she turned 3 months and almost over night started going longer between feeds and taking less time to feed, entertaining herself for longer and only having one shortish feed at night. I thought fab, what they said about BF is true.
Seems she was saving it up for this weekend

Sat morning I even got to go out for breakfast with a friend alone while M went shopping with DH.
Sat night she went down on her own in her basket at 9 instead of coming to bed with us, so we got to watch a film alone and had a Chinese. She then woke three (or was it four) times for night feeds, one of them feeding for an hour!!
Yesterday afternoon she was a grump, then we went out for 3 hours and she fed 3 times! Getting really upset for each feed then last night she fed to sleep at half ten and woke twice feeding for 45 mins and an hour
This morning however she's full of smiles and gurgles.
Not sure whether she's just hungry or its a late growth spurt or her injections have made her feel crappy or whether he gums are affecting her

Can anyone recommend some nappies for night time?
MIL has been buying lots while I was pregnant and then passing the on.
M had been on the Pampers New Baby but they've run out and MIL has bought Pampers Simply Dry which I think is their cheaper range. We've been using them through the day but last night was the first night in them.
She woke up piss wet through, nappy is huge and it's soaked through clothes, sleeping bag and on to cot sheet. I really don't want to change her in the night especially as she's taking ages to feed as it is

Right off to catch up

Haven't had time to catch up properly yet but thank you for all the birthday wishes

I had a lovely relaxing day, spent cuddling Oscar while DP cooked and cleaned. I am also now the proud owner of a Cath Kidston bag. Lovely day all round.

Oscar's present to me was a 4.5 hour sleep followed by another 4 hour stint . This is unheard of. I am putting this down to sleepy dust (thanks pig ) and the lack of an evening nap.

O is a good napper thankfully, and usually has an hours morning nap, a 2.5 hour lunchtime nap and an hour afternoon nap. I did feel bad about skipping his evening nap as he was flagging an hour before bed but we just turned the lights down and kept everything chilled. I am hoping that he will make up for the lack of evening nap with more quality sleep at night.

Has worked for the past two nights anyway. But he is 14 weeks this week so almost in 4 months sleep bollocks territory.

I also agree re fresh air. I try and make sure me and O do something every day, although I designate one day a week as a mummy and Oscar, slob around the house day. I know I am fortunate to be able to do this as O is my first baby.

I'm sure there was more I was meant to say, will read thread properly now to catch up

Fatima we use Pampers Baby Dry at night which seems to hold all his wee for 12 hours.

We have had a major baby boom in our family over the past 12 months. 11 babies in 11 months so far! With one set of twins and one set of triplets.

Chatted with my cousin last night (she lives abroad), she has a one week old DD, PFB. I am really shocked at some of the bad medical advice given in some countries. She is BF but tells me she is giving formula too because....."my milk hasn't come in yet and all I have is that colostrum shit"! Apparently her OBGYN told her to let the baby suckle at the breast for practice but to give formula until her milk comes in. She had no idea how good the colostrum is and apparently nor does her doctor

I'm not here really

Eliza the hospital should be able to help you maintain bf. They should be lending you a decent double pump in hospital & if you supply is a concern after tube feeding etc, they need to give you drugs to help up it. I kinda feel they don't want to help you bf because its such an "unknown" for them, despite it being clear that your DD will not do anything but... Anyway, I really, really hope you get a good result today.

pp your supply will start settling down. I leak far less now than I did; DS is now 16wo. Feed when you can & your boobs will do what they need to. Don't worry of you want to go to ff either - do what works for you.

bedtime tips We've found a routine of activities in the evening, rather than a routine to a specific time, works wonders. We played this CD to DD every bedtime helped her know it was a different sleep to naps. She still listens to it now, so does DS by proxy. They don't bath every night (dry skin) but otherwise its a regular routine. Upstairs, low lights, music on, get washed/bathed, pjs, milk + cuddle/story, teeth, bed. Apart from the madness a wk or so ago, DS sleeps from between 8 & 9 until 7 ish, with a 1-3am feed (only 30mins usually for that) & a 6am ish feed. Sometimes we're up for the day after that feed, sometimes he goes back to sleep. DD usually sleeps from 8-8.30 until 7-8am, so pretty good for a toddler.

Wow pixie that's baad!! I know there r lots of complaints about the nhs but after hearing that I think we r pretty lucky! My DD is toungue tied n it wasn't picked up until she was a week old so she is FF.

detective I would ignore that article. I haven't read but "a consignment of geriatric shoe menders" or "round objects" springs to mind... There is always a big guilt stick to beat us with.

mm what a bitch. Complain, as VQ says.

fatima Pampers baby dry ones here too. Although I rate the aldi size 3 std ones, haven't used them at night.

garden just at that. Just

Off to the New Forest. This is DEFINITELY the last post yeah right!

I was wondering where you had got to Fatima. I use Tesco own brand nappies for J and they work really well. Another option would be to use a larger size at night so it can hold more. I tried Pampers a couple of weeks ago and they were leaking every day.

oh my goodness garden that's a lot of babies! And what on earth is a Dr telling someone that for regarding BF and colostrum! NUTS!

I'm getting so jealous reading of all the babies that nap perfectly during the day. Mine categorically does not! He falls asleep on me and I out him in the cot in living room and sphere wake up after ten minutes or 15 if I'm lucky! I have idea how to fix this and thinkit may just be how my babies come as DD was the same. She however slept through the night at 6 weeks. J doesn't do this, he has done about five times since birth but has decided that night time means more chance to eat and snuggle with mummy. He wouldn't settle back in crib again last night so ended up in our bed at 5 :-( no good for me asi don't sleep well when he is there.

bry I am not set on bf, in fact at this stage after what we've been through I'd rather she went to ff. unlike pp I don't have a plentiful supply and even if I did I would by now be switching to mixed feeding as I did with DD1.

Which leads me onto attachment parenting. It's not for me. DD1 is very confident, independent and adaptable. That has really helped in a situation like ours. She is being looked after by my in laws mainly and by DH when she's not working. My sister has also had her for an afternoon and my mum is having her tomorrow. I know that whoever has her she will be fine and not worry. I'm not saying she wouldn't be all these things if we had done attachment parenting as we will never know, but it's not the way I could bring up my daughters. I love them dearly but to be attached to them 24/7 no way!

E just took 40ml by bottle. Her personal best. The nurse did it whilst I went for a cup of tea, bless. E now asleep so will have a quick shower before the weigh in! Thanks all for your good luck wishes.

pixies but she will be getting the colostrum if she is suckling, as well as some formula. This means there won't be the weight panic that everyone goes through those first weeks, and in a few days when her milk comes in she'll be able to choose to bf, or ff, or mix.

Other than referring to colostrum as shit I don't think it is necessarily bad advice. With DD1 I had a horrible time until my milk came in because the colostrum I produced just wasn't enough for a big baby. After two days of none stop screaming at the hospital we supplemented and it was like night and day. When my milk came in I went back to ebf for all of 2 days until I realised how much I hated bf'ing

With LO I had much more colostrum, and she was much more satisfied and I only started the gradual switch to ff once I was home and the milk started to freak me out again.

PR I don't think the mixed feeding is the problem but I was at the colostrum is shit part!

PS: I am glad I FF now!

chunky crossed posts. They are actually bein really encouraging about continuing to bf. I am on domperidone (would help if I remembered to take the bloody things as often as I should ) but unfortunately they don't have a double pump but I have the best grade single one they have. Lactation consultant is coming to see me later.

Enjoy the new forest. I had a lovely time with the family there December 2011. Hope to go back soon but will prop have to be next year now as we've pretty much booked in our holiday schedule this year. Reminds me I must get E's passport....adds to growing list of things to do once we are out of here

Fabulous news about E Eliza! Any idea when you'll be able to go home?

Another non-napper here Izzy, I think my J only sleeps when he's feeding.

Morning everyone! Happy birthday for yesterday sweetpea

Not a bad night here, woke at 11.30 for a feed so I might try a dreamfeed tonight. She then woke at 2am because she had broken out of her Swaddle. She went back to sleep without a feed though and woke at 7.20am to feed.

My sleep tip is- plenty of daytime sleep. B has four naps a day and they last at least 90 mins each. Is she wakes before this time I don't get her up, just keep putting the dummy back in and she goes back off. Long daytime naps usually results in a restful nights sleep.

For those who have babies who won't take a dummy, try NUK dummies. They are shaped more like a breastfeeding nipple. I've just ordered some from chemist direct online as they are a bugger to find in the shops.

Second Nuk dummies. They are excellent.

Bugger I knew I had something huge to do on my to do list: Passport for LO. Remind me, Thursdday after the jabs to pop into the town hall and pick up the paperwork.

I also need to pop into the town hall and pick up the paperwork to apply for French nationality. Fd up of paying the British Embassy a ridiculous amount of money for a new passport every time I lose it or need it renewed. French passports are free. This is why I haven't bothered getting British nationality for the girls. They can do it themselves if they want it later on, but it is so expensive and slow dealing with the Embassy.

Yes, any doctor who refers to colostrum as shit needs a slap. Even here where they couldn't give a damn if people bf or ff they always encourage mothers to try and give the colostrum if at all possible.

Morning all, sorry for stealing sleepy dust last night . Glad the smattering I sent your way worked though, sweetpea.

Another non-napper here - well, she will nap, but only on me. Typical routine is up at 9, power nap now, then a longer nap mid-afternoon, bathtime 6ish and bed between 8.30 and 9.30. I'm going to start going for a walk with the pram just before her afternoon nap, with the hope she can stay asleep in the pram once home. Usually though she wakes within 2 minutes of getting inside - too warm? Not enough movement?

I can't remember who asked about nappies, but F is in pampers newborn - she has a clean one on at about 7, after her bath, and it sees her through til 9am. Bulging at the seams, but no leaks if you ignore this mornings 8am poonami

Finally caught up!

Chunky enjoy the New Forest. I spent a lot of time there as a child as my Grandma lived there and it is one of my favourite parts of the world.

sleep tips A bedtime routine works for us. Bath at 6:45, bottle at 7 in dark bedroom, then bed. We started doing bedtime at this time as he was getting consistently sleepy at this time, so we were led by him really. We put him in his cot sleepy and almost asleep but let him settle himself fully to sleep by himself.

I have a dilemma and I would really appreciate advice, particularly from those of you with older children.

We currently live in a one bed flat. We LOVE living here, flat is in a beautiful listed building, large communal gardens, lovely neighbours. quiet but child friendly, rooms are big but not huge and we have more than enough room for the cot in our bedroom.

Dilemma is this; Our tenancy expires in Aug and we were planning to try and find a two bed house to move to, but for the rent we pay on the flat we wouldnt be able to afford anywhere particularly nice. So we are thinking of moving in Feb next year instead when I will hopefully have a job (made redundant whilst pregnant) and therefore be able to afford somewhere nicer. Am I stupid to be considering living in a one bed flat until Oscar is 15 months old?? Will he be ok sleeping in the same room as us until then? Will a one bed flat be ok for a crawling and then potentially walking child?

That was longer than I thought...