March 2013- here we go....

[Oodsigma]

Welcome old & new to the other side!

I'll start with a stats list!

Ood -ds 7/3/13, dc4! Elcs

If anyone wants to add any more details feel free!

Have been up an hour now with DD. She doesn't want to sleep after her feeds and keeps wriggling out of her swaddle. Grr!

Amazingly, DD is still in her swaddle. Threw up all over the awesome zip-up one at bedtime so she's in one of her old blankets. She's obviously got longer, I just went to give her dummy back (because 6am, just no) and her little feet are poking out the end. Very cute.

Definitely no debate on routine needed, to each their own and all that. Wing we didn't have much of a routine either at five weeks. We only theoretically have one now, since DD is arse at napping. Am really hoping the blackot blind (due to be fitted tomorrow) will help. Especially because as of tomorrow the man's on a different campaign at work so working set hours - 10-7 Monday-Friday - which means aside from the breakfast shift I have the entire day to handle alone.

worsester what's your nap pattern like? (And anyone else, if you have one that naps.)

Ah feckity-do... I just wrote a long post which ate itself when I pressed the wrong button. And now it's time for the mini-bean to eat, so I haven't time to write another. Will catch up later with all you lovely ladies.

Not as great night last night and I'm now grumpy :( DD had her feed 10:30-10:45 then slept till 3:40 (yes I know nearly five hours but didn't feel like it), then was awake till 4:50 then woke up again with her arms being forced out at 6:10, fed for a bit and snoozed uncomfortably on me till 7:40. She's currently lying next to me pooing and probably wanting more to eat. I'm tired. We're meant to be going on a group walk today then having my DPs round for a simple BBQ this evening but I just want to sleep all day :(

Wing attach baby to partner and send them out for a walk while you sleep?

Our day's got off to a better start than usual. DD woke up at 5.30, and I ignored the occasional grumble until the dummy return at 6. She actually went back to sleep! When I went to get her up at 7, she was asleep. This means she actually managed a good hour and a quarter awake, by the end of which she'd been swaddled and cuddled and deposited in the cot with the dummy and the hiccups. All now quiet. Am really, really hoping for more than a 45 minute nap! And after the 10am we're off to my dad's for lunch.

That's great Stormy :)

I know I shouldn't complain because DD is doing relatively well at night. I'm also a bit narked that DH came home last night stinking of curry and she had fallen asleep just as he was parking the car so he wouldn't have seen the five hour feeding frenzy and then he didn't ask at all about the school event and how my afternoon and evening had gone even though he knew how much I wasn't looking forward to it with both DC on my own.

And then this morning he has left me 'to sleep' in bed with FD but hats been snooze uncomfortably for a while and then feed and feed while he's been downstairs doing lots of chores (I admit that's great - he does all the laundry and ironing) but LOUDLY and DS has spent an hour playing on my iPad and singing LOUDLY.

It's like a week or so ago. I know IABU but I still feel stabby

I could get him to take DD on this walk in the sling but it'll be about 3hrs and if she wakes the only thing she'll want is to feed so would get upset. Oh I don't know. If I stay at home with DD she may end up feeding all afternoon. I can't win!

Hmm. I think the only solution is to teach DH to breastfeed. Admittedly this may be easier said than done...

Very true Stormy...

This page takes an age to load now and it'll soon be time for a new thread. I wonder what has happened to Ood and the others who were here at the start but have not been around for ages?

Last night had a very bad start, went up to bed at 9.30 and didn't get her to sleep until 12.45! She was just being a monkey and crying every time I put her down, in the end she was just grizzling in her basket and I left her to eventually fall asleep (after lots of massive feeds). Got much better after that and she woke up 4.15-5, 5.45-6.15 and then came into bed with me, fed lying down and snoozed until 8.45. She's all smiles so far this morning though which is very lovely no definitely makes up for the nights.

I'm still supposed to be at my parents for another 4 nights but her sleep has been so awful here that I can't decide whether to go home early. If I knew her sleep would get better I definitely would even though DH is doing 13hr shifts so I'd be doing 24hrs of care for her until Saturday but if I go back and her sleep is just as I haven't got the parents there to let me have a cheeky morning nap. It's tough knowing what to do for the best when there's no pattern in what Miss Madam does.

Stormy I'm really struggling with daytime naps too. Can't seem to get her down into her Moses basket or nest for a daytime nap for longer than 10mins, she'll only nap out walking in her pram or sling but that means I can never sit down and get anything done in the house!

Fingers crossed that after the 12 week mark this will all magically improve!

Have a lovely, sunny bank holiday everyone. I'm looking forward to a nice, cold, alcoholic beverage!

wingd I was wondering about ood and christlass it's either all going so well they don't have time for mumsnet or so badly they don't have time!! Dd is sleeping alot today so wondering what type of night we will have!!

Guessing Ood's just got her hands full - she is on baby number four!

DD goes down for naps fine, it's just the waking up after 45 minutes issue. She's well rested today though - woke up after 45 during her first nap but actually went back to sleep! Headed to my dad's at 11, she was asleep by the time we got there. Woke up at half twelve, got her fed and burped, and she fell asleep again, so I put her back in the garden and left her to it. She didn't stir until quarter to three, and even then it was only because I had to get her strapped in and head home. Awake all the way back, now asleep on the bottle. Sigh.

So much for me getting a break over the long weekend, with DH working extra shifts and having 3 call outs for his volunteer emergency responder role, it's rather put the kibosh on extra naps or similar for little old me. Still weather fab, and we did manage a picnic lunch in the garden yesterday with the boy napping in his carrycot and he did a lovely roast for lunch today. Shame he's tied up most of next weekend so I will see less of him than i would normally.

Still, my mum and dad move tomorrow and will be much closer. While they still have quite a bit of sorting out to do at the old place I hope over the next few weeks it night give me a bit more support a little closer to home.

Right, need to grab some toast as haven't had any tea...

Hope everyone managed to enjoy some of the lovely weather. How's the thrush for those struggling? Reflux responding well to baby Gaviscon but he hates taking it here. And we're constipated again I think - bit hard to tell, but haven't had anything since the massive clearance of a few days ago, I would be happier to have seen something more 'normal'.

Hope you've all had nice days, pid yours notwithstanding. It'll be lovely for your DPs to be closer I'm sure. Mine followed us up to the NW 18 months ago, 6 months after we over up here from London and its been brilliant although I'm not sure how DH minds his PIL being in the next town!

We went on a church walk today in the local countryside. Gloriously hot and sunny weather and Dd was in the baby bjorn on DH. I felt tons better mood-wise once we got out and I'm so glad we went, even though I am shattered after what was actually quite a long and dehydrating walk. Zzzz. Then DPs came back to ours for the first BBQ of the year. Interestingly, we found some burgers deep at the bottom of our freezer from last May (they went in the bin) when we had the one and only BBQ of 2012, as the weather was so bad last summer!

My DMum had a long 'chat' with DD this afternoon. It's amazing that at only 5 weeks, she's already developing a little personality and you can tell there is a person behind those big blue eyes, she's not just a crying, sleeping, feeding machine. DMum said DD was smiling at her which would be her first so I'm jealous if so :)

Right, DD is zonked out and was only changed a short while ago so I may not bother waking her up for a feed in an hour. Not sure...

• pud not pid!

MiniYo has had her nighttime feed & is lying in her basket wide awake, grinning and gurgling. Not sure whether to leave her until she cries or falls asleep or pick her up & try & settle her to sleep. Decisions decisions. If only there was an instruction book!

I know what you mean SoYo - DD is so happy, sleeping in my arms right now and I think I'd really have to work at it to wake her up do I may just swaddle and put into the basket... Tell me not to complain when she wakes up at silly o'clock as normal...!

I waited, she cried (inevitable), I fed her again, she went down, she woke up after a small vomit, cried again, walked her around & sang to her which has so far done the trick. Fingers crossed. I do think over an hour to get her to sleep after finishing her nighttime feed is ridiculous! I hope this is a temporary regression and not her new routine!

I'm sure as parents we should have more control over this somehow! I keep thinking there's some secret parenting trick to it all that I haven't discovered yet but I suspect the parenting trick is actual 'do what you think, muddle through, fire fight, hope for the best, drink wine'.

Well I decided not to try DD with a late feed and she went through till 2:55. And I only got her up then because I could hear her sucking her hand (her arms had been de-swaddled). Will just have to see how long this feed lasts and when she'll wake up again...

Nice use of 'kibosh' pud!
What a glorious weekend that was. We had a successful first road trip and stay with sister. Although were forced to eat McDonalds on return journey. Which means overnight dd got to enjoy big mac thanks to slummy mummy.
Dd slept for five hour chunk overnight which is a first. And for first time I went to bed when she did. That's the only way of bagging some sleep now she's decided not to take bottles.
Stormy our day time naps look like this: one after she's been up for an hour or two. I try and ensure she's washed and dressed by then to mark a difference from bed. One later morning. One three til five ish. I try and make sure late morning or afternoon one is at home although not always possible. She often has one in pram, car or sling. Otherwise it's in Moses basket upstairs, curtains open, swaddled and radio on with me not making effort to keep quiet.
Today I set an alarm. Bonkers. Dd and I have to be ready to leave at eight. Today I am sort of working. Dd and I are going to forest school conference I joint organised pre maternity leave. So she's got her best green froggy sleep suit and we're off shortly. Wish us luck!
Wishing you all well this sunny day.

Morning one and all - glad everyone has been out enjoying the bank holiday weather. Sometimes I think a daily walk is all that stands between me and permanent insanity!

Plonko - rest assured all tales are most certainly being stored up as wedding fodder... assuming there is a wedding that is, which if DH has anything to do with it there may not be. He struggled enough when his little sister tied the knot, you'd have thought she was 3 not 33! How he'll cope with the unsavoury notion of boys sniffing round his pfb goodness only knows .

Ah the napping routine Stormy. Hmmm, well, when I said we had a plan, I did kind of mean a theoretical rather than an actual one. The theory is dd will nap after each feed. The reality is that unless she is feeling terribly obliging she won't, unless I put her in the sling and go out for a long walk, so we do that... lots. If a walk isn't possible the general pattern is she'll miss a nap, play instead, start to get over tired, chew hand, head butt, grizzle, have a full on screamy melt down, before collapsing exhausted into a 15 min sleep. After this she is all smiles and gurgles and I am a broken woman. Broken I tell you! That said I'm not terribly worried to be honest as she is generally a happy mellow little monkey, who's growing well, doing everything she should be, and wind and colic issues aside can sleep a good stretch at night now. If she'd rather play in the day she'd rather play, and at this stage there is little point bashing my head against a wall if she refuses to do otherwise.

V exciting day planned. Am off out for a walk with a new mummy friend. Anyone else finding their baby a new pal magnet? It's amazing, small baby in sling = people you never knew you knew stopping to chat like you have been on first name terms for years. I swear every granny in the village has been on bump watch since last summer, and dd is amassing a collection of hats to rival the queen. Ok so hers are woolly rather than couture, but still....

I think yesterday we may have made the mistake of having too much daytime sleep. Guess who decided 5am was a good time to get up this morning? I was not an obliging mummy. Reswaddled etc and left her to it. Think she had a bit of a nap eventually, before starting to shout at 6.30. Breakfasted etc and put her back up at 7.30, as she was looking tired. Squeaked a bit at 7.45 but quiet since then. My plan is she will sleep until 9.30. Her plan probably involves waking up at 8.30. Have not yet decided what I'm going to do when this happens.

Meanwhile, the man finally admitted last night that he's "struggling". When asked what with, he said "life". I pointed out that I'm not exactly finding things easy either, and while he's just had two weeks off work, costing us nearly five hundred quid in lost wages, and done bugger all except play on the xbox and sleep unless I specifically ask him to do things, I am still yet to have even one entire day off. I don't think he quite understands that parenting isn't something you can decide to do or not do as the mood takes you. He's just assuming I'll do it all when he can't be arsed. What does he think would happen if I started assuming he'd do it all?

worscester and eco what a nice cheery post to wake up too! Dd had a good night here, just dreading the injections at 1.45, looks like the thrush has nearly gone and the cold came to nothing! Yeah! Touching wood and hoping we are turning a corner! Can't believe she is 2 months old ....

stormy probably not very much! After I had been back at work the first time about 6 months dh and I had a little chat that went something like this .

Me, I need you to do more at home.
Him, but I "help" you all the Time.
me, therein lies the issue - you Help me. How about we split responsibility and I'll help you sometimes but sometimes mate, the buck stops with you! Ie you need to think what needs to be done and do it. Not wait for me to ask you and expect me to do all the planning and thinking.

Worked for me. There are still bits I keep control on because I am a control freak like doctors and meds and injections as i trust my judgement more !! but other stuff we split. Start now, the sooner something's are his responsibility the better! I know, I know, I must be a tough wife but he sticks me.

Stormy, still haven't had my little one take more than 4 ounces from the bottle. My little boy was doing 8 at this stage. So either she is getting lots from the boobs or just needs less. .... She is growing and pooing etc.

The frustrating part, Eig, is that we've had that conversation several times, while I was pregnant and since she was born. It's early days and it takes time for things to settle down, but he's going to have to sort himself out and start actually using his brain fairly soon. He just offered me a cup of tea (I asked him the other day to remind me about when we'd mutually decided to stop offering one another drinks because funnily enough I couldn't remember that conversation) but it didn't occur to him that DD's due a feed at half nine and we need hot water for that.

And she's just woken up and is he on hand to help? No, he's in the loo.

Oh Stormy, I know how you feel. I love my DH to bits and he is in many ways lovely, but I could still strangle him occasionally. Favourites of the last few days include:
Me - so you're now just working, not taking extra days off, and aren't even here overnight for some of it. Perhaps on Sat and Sunday you can be primary carer and just bring him to me for feeds then so I can get some stuff done (BTW stuff was DIY, cleaning and sleep, not exactly gadding about!)
Him- OK, but I need at least an afternoon and an overnight to myself to get over this last week and have a proper drink. So as long as that comes out of that somehow.
Me - well you can't do afternoon Fri as your working, won't do night Fri as you're working Saturday. Can't do Sat afternoon as you're working. Can't do Mon night as you're working. So that rather leaves Sunday doesn't it. The only day I current stand a chance of having off!

Also, when disappearing unexpectedly yesterday afternoon and evening, me - this weekend really has been pants for me getting any time off
Him - but I cooked you nice lunch twice.

And this is true. But that doesn't make up for the fact it will be a fortnight before I stand a hope of getting another break really does it. And guess who had to look after the baby while he did the shopping and cooking for these nice lunches (gaaah!)