January 2013 Part Two: Coos and smiles but not always so much sleep...

[SpringFlowers]

Our first thread has almost finished so I thought we'd need a new one!

Im so crap at tummy time i count winding on my shoulder or knees because he lifts his head. The toy is great ive only had him on it five mins though before he moaned for food.

My health visitor said that them being on your shoulder counts as tummy time. Nancy hates being on her belly. She either just lifts her bum, or lifts her legs up and her head a little bit so she looks like a penguin. When she's up on my shoulder though she can support her head for ages.

Does anyone have any bra tips?! I'm sick of my boobs looking awful because my bra gives no support whatsoever, and I'm starting to get backache now too. As well as the lack of support, it arches at the back. I bought a smaller back bigger cup size, but I can hardly get it on. The only place I could get measured really is M&S and it's them that gave measured me for my current bras.

Mrsbugsy I also had my smear yesterday too, it was at my 6 (9) week check and was not expecting to have it! Doctor said I had no excuse as DD was sleeping!!

creepy I think I'm going to get some normal bras and buy a nursing bra conversion kit from eBay.

I have this Lamaze spin tummy time toy, which she will go on for a bit and I pop her leaning over my feeding cushion and she will raise her head to watch the tv

creepy m&s are terrible at measuring, can you get to a bravissimo?

glad we aren't the only ones struggling with tummy time

I know, hilarious. MIL also said she was given a sausage by a relative at a similar age and choked on it!

Entertaining him: DP and I both take him into the bathroom with us AM, he sits in bouncy chair and watches us shower and get ready, he is in s good mood at that time of day and the steam decongests him!

DP is better than me at making him laugh with funny faces etc.

He loves the cot mobile we put on the changing table so much I've now taken to letting him have no nappy time for ages while he chats to the animals on mobile and I fold and put away clothes in the drawers next to changing table.

We have a jungle gym too which he'll also go into now for up to half an hour at a time. Once and once only he sat in his bouncy chair and "chatted" to us while we ate dinner - think that's the only time DP and I gave managed to eat together since he was born!

I found a sizing guide on the Bravado website.

Lost how frequently does your LO feed? (Sorry all I will shut up about feeding now)

Meringue- she feeds approximately every three hours in day (will have a little top up between 5-6pm before 7pm bed feed. Still about every 4 at night . Can sometimes manage 5 but that usually involves me trying to stretch her using the dummy (tut tut bad mother)

S went in her cot at 7.30 last night the same time as DS; the lounge felt really empty without her... Looks like DH and I might be able to start using the dining table again now.

With DS I used to quite look forward to reaching the next step but with S I want to keep her as a baby! Anyone else feel like that? We don't plan to have anymore children and I find her age easier in many ways. DS is 2.9 and hasn't sat still since he was 9 months old!

S has just woken up. She's amazing at night but we have no day nap routine yet and she seems to prefer to nap on the move or on me! It'll come in time I'm sure. She was 13lb 9 at 6 weeks! so I'm sure her size helps. We're in 3-6 months already and some of those don't seem very long.

I don't think I'm ready for a smear test yet! Thankfully it's not due till the end of the year. Just think, this time last year our little ones weren't even little twinklings....

Ds slept through!!! fed at 10 - he woke at 4am, but wouldn't feed , woke again at 6:50 - yay - the end is in sight!! Bought a ergo cacoon swaddle which I'm sure had something to do with it.

Have been getting him into nice routine, with good naps :-)

can u believe clocks go forward and its still arctic weather??

yuck - smears :-( i had irregular cells at last one (not cancerous, but meant i bled for 3 weeks out of 4 since dd was born - she's nearly 3) - they were meant to treat me when fell preggies again, so got all that to look forward to - sorry if too much overshare

Wow fabbo Louise but very . How you doing on the dummy withdrawal ? I'm hopeless

Dan also went in his crib at 7.30pm for the first time so we also had dinner and an evening by ourselves. It was lovely. Long may it continue. He didn't wake til 2am, fed and went back to sleep til 5.54am.

I measure myself for bras. I'm currently wearing an extremely well fitting and supportive Freya Rosie 30g. M&S online fitting guide would have me in a 34e or 36dd

You only get good support if you wear the right size bra.

The nearest Bravissimo to me is Cardiff, which is 100+ miles away unfortunately.
What method do you use for measuring pascha? I've seen on the bra thread in chat about the 'dangle' method.

Injections today :(

Yes I did that method and it really is accurate. The back size is important to get right, then you can go up or down a cup to find the right fit for your breast shape. I ordered 4 styles in several cup sizes to get it right. Panache Sophie and Freya Rosie were my best fit.

Cejay i feel the same. Although i'm looking forward to Ivy doinf knew things sometimes i just want time to stand still. She is definitely our last and the others have all grown up so fast i know i need to savour every precious second with her. Time just flies by ds1 is going to his first school disco - no parents allowed.

Thanks Lost, sounds v efficient!
Cejay, sounds great. Just had the HV round who suggested starting to establish a routine...

at Louise and Pascha too, sounds like there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Meringue how old is your LO now? Daniel has only found himself a natural bedtime for the last couple of weeks. He started settling down properly at around 8.30pm and we've been gradually pushing it back a few minutes here and there. Last night was the first night we actually put him to "bed" as opposed to falling asleep in his swing chair or in the sling. He's 11.5 weeks.

Lost given up on the dummy withdrawel ...he's a pain until he falls asleep, but last night I didn't put his dummy in at all once he was asleep after 10pm feed (usually I'm up from 2 putting it in until he feeds at 4)...decided I'm just going to go with it until he's a little older then sleep train .

meringue good luck with getting a routine in place - I find it helpful now to know what Ds needs coz of routine, most days we have zero crying

Whats the dangle method?

Measure your back size standing straight and pulling your tapemeasure tight. Then bend over 90° to dangle your boobs and measure your cup size round the fullest part. Don't pull the tape measure too tight.

Cup size: Every inch more than back size = one cup. Same size - A, +1 inch B, +2 inches - C etc.

Do you still add an inch two inch to the band size depending on odd or even? Im guessing this is to take into account all the ilk by doing the dangle?

No adding inches. Thats an outdated mode of measuring made unnecessary by modern stretchy fabrics today. The bra should fit tightly but comfortably on the loosest hook.

To be sure you've got it right: Put the bra on without the straps up. Now put your hand between bra and body and turn your hand 90°. This is as far as the band should stretch. If it stretches further than that its too big. Only start with cup size once you've established your true band size.

He is 11 weeks. Usually will not settle in early eve but will feed and doze, feed and doze, or on a bad day just scream and feed, scream and feed. Lately he has been going down around 11.30pm and sleeping till around 5.30am, which has been a massive improvement, but would so love to have our evening back.