It's April 2013, the time is now & HERE ARE OUR BABIES!

[toobreathless]

Our first post natal thread!

Cooking & Cleaning can wait till tomorrow
for children grow up we've learnt to our sorrow
So wipe away cobwebs and dust go to sleep
I'm cuddling my baby cause babies don't keep!

A thread to celebrate the highs of life with a gorgeous newborn and the lows of sleepless nights, stitches, feeding traumas & Baby blues.

Hunter slept after his bottle from 12.30-5.30, feel good even after that much sleep! He's done this a couple times and gone 5-6 hours in the day between feeds so I am wondering if its time to up his amount of milk and only feed 5 times a day? What do you guys think? He's 5 weeks today, is it too soon or do I just go with him?

Hope everyone has a good bank holiday weekend (what's left of it!) xx

We know we've definitely got our house just sorting all mortgage paperwork so today will go to look at white goods and maybe even ikea! Xx

Congratulations on house trish!

I try to express 2 hours before I think will wake up or if she only feeds from one boob then straight after a feed. I only express one feed per day though, just for the first night feed .

Last night I went bed at 10.30, baby woke at 2 and I realised oh had gone bed without feeding her, so I felt guilty but woke him! Now I just got up at 6.20 and will be up for day now, oh gets up around 10. I think it's a fair system, but easier for us as oh not working!

I'm going to try expressing today. H has produced a few green nappies recently, which I think is foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. It makes sense as my letdown is fierce this time and I feel like there's loads of milk.

I'm planning on feeding from one side and expressing off the other a couple of times to try and sort it.

Oh, how I hate a well rested mum!

Baby E woke at 12, 1.30, 3.30 and 5am, so probably our worse night so far (she normally does at least one 3 hour interval!). Ho hum....

Off to the postnatal clinic this morning to hopefully get her signed off from the midwife service. She's 11 days now, and at day 5 was only 2ozs below birth weight, so hopefully all okay... Then nice Sunday lunch with DH's family...

Hope everyone else is having a nice weekend!

Thanks for info on expressing amber user and sneezy I've put a post on the bf thread also but think I'll try expressing just after a feed. Lo usually only takes 1 boob so will do off the other. I have a boozy night out planned at the end of May so can store up the milk now and introduce a bottle.

Congrats on the house trish Sunday Ikea shopping is the best!

Congrats on the house trish! I love Ikea shopping.

Does anyone have any advice on stimulation for newborns or any books to recommend for playing with baby? I'm keen to give Teapiglet enough stimulaton. I've been singing to her and DH has been reading to her but I'm sure there are other things we could do.

I hope everyone is enjoying the BH weekend, the weather is gorgeous here so we're spending the day in the garden and out for a stroll.

Possibly a silly question, but is there any trick to getting poo out of blankets/vests? Have been washing at 30 degrees delicate wool cycle (as per blankets instructions) using Aldi own brand tablets. So I think I see 2 places I could try for better results, either risk a higher heat or switch to a more expensive brand for baby items. Does anyone have any suggestions?

And sorry Amber! I think my situation is a bit easier than most since OH doesn't work (he is going to be stay home dad when I go back!) so he can split the night with me, though we did have a few really bad nights of constant crying/feeding.

Baby Usernames cord is still hanging on in there... doesn't even look close to coming off still, anyone know how long they will leave it before using silver oxide? it doesn't look infected or anything (she is 13 days now)

teapig I have just ordered some high contrast picture books from Amazon which come highly recommended. One is called Spots and Dots and there are others such as flowers, seaside and snowflakes. They look gorgeous and are supposed to be almost hypnotic for babies!

kelle I also have a vigorous sucker here, I call her a milk monster because as soon as she latches on and starts sucking she makes little growling noises! I have started introducing a dummy but it doesn't stay in very well so I keep on giving in and offering her my finger instead, she gives the most disgusted faces when I put the dummy in I feel bad but she seems to be getting a bit used to it.

anyone else totally in love, I found myself lying awake last night after a 5:30 feed just watching her sleep on me and giving her little kisses, I just love her soooooo much!!!!!!

I find expressing works best if I do it just after a feed for those who were asking, I have a avent manual pump and find it really comfortable and easy to use

Hi all. Just catching up on thread news! Seems we are all going through the same sorts of issues!

My main problem right now is unpredictable sleep! Figured out last week that LO was not sleeping enough during the day and so was overtired and so sleeping poorly at night. Have sorted that by going on lots of long walks / car journeys and wearing sling. Now he is going down around 8.30 and generally waking around 11.30 then 3-ish.

But the main problem is him being noisy / unsettled in his sleep and moaning, groaning, crying and grunting without waking up. Every other night or so he's like this and it means I get close to no sleep on those nights!!

sneezy we've had loads of green nappies this time too, and problems with wind. I'm now only offering one boob per feed, unless I've offered that boob twice and she still wants more. She'll generally only take both sides in the early evening which makes sense as that's when let down is slowest.

enjay I've always found expressing first thing in the morning is best as that's when my boobs are fullest. I only feed from one side so I express from the other. If you want to save time and youre confident with positioning baby and the pump then you can express while you feed.

teapig babies are stimulated just by being with you. Stuff that we do that seems boring, like the housework, is an amazing little adventure for them. I sit dd in her bouncer and chat away to her while I'm cooking or hanging out the washing. She loves sitting outside looking at the leaves on the trees, DS loved that too at the same age, I think the contrast of the dark leaves against the bright sky is appealing to them. I read the "that's not my...." books to DS when he was tiny, haven't started yet with dd. Theyre not specifically aimed at newborns, but babies love the different textures on each page once they do start reaching out for things.

Dd is now six weeks old, and she's booked in for her six week check and immunisations tomorrow, poor thing. I think she has a degree of silent reflux because she often wakes 20 mins into a sleep gulping and gagging and occasionally crying in pain. Gaviscon hasn't made a difference at all, but as she's a happy little thing 90% of the time and gaining weight I'm not keen on trying anything stronger at this stage. I have started putting her down on her tummy to sleep, and she's gone from sleeping 40 mins a night in her basket before needing to sleep propped up on my chest to sleeping in there all night and only having one feed. I'm still paranoid about the tummy sleeping, but after waking up a few times to find she had fallen off my chest, I think it's the less risky approach.

Bunny thanks for that. H is also quite windy. I'm going to stick to one boob per feed and hope that sorts it. I expressed this morning after feeding and still managed to get 4oz just off the boob he'd fed from, so I think my suspicions about fore milk/ hind milk are correct.

teapig and emmie BabyCandy is still showing no interest in books/toys at 6w1d
We have the 'amazing baby' black and white books, and some ladybird 'my first' books with textured bits. Toys wise there are brightly coloured Lamaze, black and white toys, a Sophie giraffe, some other bits and pieces and nothing grabs her attention!

We're talking to her and walking round showing her things - I'm chatting through whatever I'm doing, and instead of reading story books I've been telling her the stories of 'how I made dinner', 'when we got the dog / cat', 'how mummy met daddy' and just general nonsense like that. DH thinks I am crazy but it means I don't have to hold a book and can concentrate on how she reacts.

I have no idea what I'm doing and wish she showed at least some interest in something - the only thing you can see her react to is when I pull my top down to get my boob out - then her eyes go wide and she opens her mouth!
I guess milk trumps anything else at the moment!

Still no social smiles here ether - should I be worrying?!

Oh and about expressing - I have an Avent pump too (this one) and it works well if you ignore the occasional squeak!
Am also watching some medela swing electric pumps on eBay, but will only buy one if I see a bargain!

Candy I have the Medela Swing and I'd definitely recommend it - especially if you get a bargain!

LikeCandy - My experience with DS (now 2) is that toys/books didn't interest him until around the three month mark. Now I am a second-timer with lax standards, I'd say make the most of the time when you don't have to entertain them all the time! It will pass so quickly. I think newborns get enough stimulation if you do as you are doing - talking to her and showing her stuff round the house is great and will do enough for her without over-stimulating. Also wouldn't worry about the social smile just yet - around six weeks is normal and she will do it soon I'm sure.

Candy - my DS didn't sm

Try again! DS didn't smile till 2 or 3 months, but he was an unusually cross looking baby!

Thanks sneezy - you persuaded me to bid -just won for £37 inc postage!

ElliesWellies I just feel guilty when I don't seem to be doing anything with her other than feeding/winding/changing! I guess that'll change with time and I'll be looking back fondly on these days!!

Candy. My DS is 6 weeks 5 days and has just started smiling socially the last couple of days. Even so it isn't all the time and I need to pull faces and make noises to get one. Don't fret, it will come!

Looking forward to him becoming more interested in toys etc. tricky to know what he enjoys at the moment!

candy I used that pump in hospital and thought it was good - bargain price!

Well Faithlet seems to be getting to grips with pooing - just had a bath then poo'd on the towel, in a fresh nappy, on the change mat and on DH!

Anyone else got a warm baby today? Been keeping her in a vest and babygrow but with wanting to be held a lot her temp was 37.0 (top end of normal). I stripped her to just her vest for a bit and she's cooler now. I don't think she's ill, I think it's just warmer today...

bona we're the same with sleep. She's waking and sleeping for longer periods in the day but no pattern at night yet although settling around 8.30-9 most nights.

I have the Medela swing, my friend borrowed it, but bought new valves and cup, spares are easy to get hold of at reasonable prices, I liked that I could buy a bigger cup for my huge boobs. I am hoping not to use it this time, I didn't use it that much last time, but it was very handy to have, plus it's not too large.

Wilf just had his first bath at 9 days old, Bea insisted on getting in with him. DH was in charge while I filmed it. Made me blub, Bea was mostly good but couldn't resist a little splash, Wilf was not amused at all.

Feeling really emotional all day, just on the edge of teary and I am not normally like it, DH even noticed, and even that's unusual!

Managed a much better latch today, he has made quite a pig of himself and is currently snoozing. Time for a quick shower and an early night.

amber we have a very serious faced baby here too!

bona fingers crossed here then, I'll keep practicing my best silly faces!

Faith scbu told me 36.7-37.2 is classed as normal temp range xx