April 2013 - We've all had our babies now. Let the (hard work) fun commence!

[HadALittleFaithBaby]

Thought I'd take the liberty of starting a new thread since the last one filled. So mark your places, get comfy and prepare for a few sleepless nights!

In particular we think of Empress and little Sam - hoping and praying he's coming home! :)

Will have a proper read later but just wanted to say thanx to the ladies who tipped re tommee tippee bibs and lanisoh/Vaseline for the sore neck. Progressive improvement since.

Also thanx for the sleep link.

Sorry re spelling/grammar.

Morning all!

dysgu I used to set an alarm on my phone to remind me about the pill. I'm off to the GP about contraception Wednesday and am leaning towards the coil - I want something I don't have to think about!

Sounds like Alex is doing well Mama! Lovely to hear about his progress. You definitely deserve the holiday to Disney and don't worry, from the sounds of how your kids have been so far I'm sure the older ones will be a great help :)

Well Faithlet has been weighed and is now 10lb 1oz (weighed 5lb 4oz at birth)! She's following the 9th centile nicely and I'm happy that the occasional dropping of her night feed isn't having a detrimental effect :) she's also grabbing well, just grabbed one of the toys off her baby gym and pulled it down!

keys you should introduce your MiL to me! DH has taken BabyCandy to the park with him to walk the dog (the park is at the bottom of our garden!) for no more than 30mins, about 5 times in total and that's the ONLY time I've spent away from her. Even if she's with him (or whoever is visiting) while I'm cooking/cleaning in an evening I still pop in and check on her every few minutes! massively overprotective crazy person
The difficult issue though is when it comes to childcare, whilst I see her point, in reality all t

...hat you need is for baby to recognise your MiL and feel safe with her! Her need to 'bond' in advance is entirely for her benefit IMO. I'm not sure how I'd handle that situation.

keys I haven't had time away from baby yet, though I sort of consented to a few hours at mil and an overnight soon, am terrified.

Looking forward to hearing what bf feeders are doing re going to work? I'm planning to work from 15 weeks (currently 9) and starting combined feeding from 12 weeks.

likecandy thank you for making me feel 'normal' !! I think you are right this whole bond thing is totally for her own pleasure! As long as Immy feels safe and happy that is all that matters, and nearer the time I will leave her for say an hour then build it up to two etc etc like dysgu said. Like settling in sessions at nursery! She will only have her max 3 hours possibly twice a week. But she is still so little at the moment.

user the thought of an overnight terrifies me yet the thought of a whole nights sleep is luring me in! My mum has offered and I will take her up on it, in my head I'm thinking when Immy is 10weeks ...maybe 12!!! Hmm we'll see!!

Dysgu- I would definitely prefer blw but it am not be possible, at least not straight away. We want know for certain how Alex's digestion will respond, the consultant did warn me that if any stomach/bowel issues are there they often present once weaned. The literature all recommends purees but im gong to wait and see what the specialist has to say. I feel very unsure I didn't really wean ds1 he had many operations initially to built his bowel he was tube fed until after his first birthday, by then he had teeth so just sort of moved seamlessly over to eating mashed up what we were having, so am a total novice and feel it.

Keys- my mum has never had any of my children to herself unless I was in hospital, and we've never spent a night apart. We all just prefer it that way and right now I don't let Alex out of my sight!

Nice to hear about the progress of preemie and full term babies.

Reflecting on 'films', I have a slightly funny reoccurring vision of DS being dropped, landing almost with a bounce due to those soft bones and chubbyness. I think it's quite comical.

Re MIL, mine behaves as though DS is hers and often takes him from me, plays with him like a dolly, won't pass him to me even though he's crying for a feed and all of this is mostly for her pleasure. I too have to at some point start thinking about leaving DS with her as she'll be the main source of childcare once I go back to work but currently dreading taking the step. I know it needs to be done though but he's still too small. When he's 6 months, will leave him for max 2 hours and no more!! I would be more than happy to have a nanny but in laws dead against it.

My final appt at the dentist tmw for root canal work - dreading it. Mil cancelled babysitting right at the last minute (I know, doesn't fill me with confidence) so DS will be in the clinic room with me. Just hoping he sleeps through it.

Goodnight all. xx

Keys - I live 500 miles away from my mum and stepdad, so when we or my sister visit, they like to have sole custody of the grand kids for at least one night. I remember very slowly explaining to my stepdad that as I was breastfeeding, I'd have to have DS with me at all times, especially overnight, and he got it eventually! This time, we've decided it's too complicated to go away for a night, but we'll leave them with DS a few times during the day, even if DD is too little. It's tricky as my parents in law see the kids all the time as we live close by...

But I think August is about the time your mil should be worried about bonding!

For the bf'ing mums thinking about going back to work - DS started nursery when he was 9 months. He had morning and afternoon formula feeds at nursery, and I bf'ed at home the rest of the time. It helped that he had no more than 2 days there at a time (I didn't work Wednesdays) but my supply just sorted itself out, and I was never engorged on workdays.

Amber when did you introduce the formula? I'm quite happy BF, aiming to go back to work when Faithlet is just over 8 months. DH thinks we should introduce formula soon (like next month) but I don't see why she needs it?!

We had another good night - she stirred at 4 but didn't wake to feed til 6! Lovely, smiley baby this morning - I love this time of day! Just feeding hiccoughs away...

Faith - are you giving a bottle at all just now? With DS, he was combi fed from birth due to latch problems, and then it allowed DH to do the dream feed. One friend who was EBF had issues introducing a bottle at around 6 months - it appears that the bottle is more of an issue than formula, but some babies decide they don't like formula...

Yes she's had a bottle from 3 weeks with EBM each evening. He did give her 1oz formula last weekend when I was in bed ill but she didn't seem too keen and was happy when I got up and offered her the breast instead!

keys, don't feel pressured to do anything you're not ready for. IMO your LO is still very little to be left with others and already sees your MIL enough. Leaving her with your MIL for short periods of time from August sounds like a plan.

I've had a about 3 hours away from T since she was born and she's 9 weeks now. Each time she has been with DH, the rest of the time we are joined at the boob

Re return to work, I'm planning to go back when T is 9 months, though I'd love to take longer if we can possibly afford it. One of my (many) worries about going back to work is introducing a bottle as T still only wants the boob.

The jabs weren't too bad yesterday. T howled for a bit and then went to sleep. She was sleepy yesterday and slept for 8 1/2 hours straight last night

keys I haven't left my baby for long - only with DH, Dad and only for an hour and a half tops! That's with a bottle of EBM to hand (which they have needed!). I've only done it about 3 times and I found it really tough! She's right that she'll need a good relationship with her but its early days for all of us. I agree there's no rush. It's still only June!

keys I have also not left my lo for that long.. I do have to leave her each morning and evening with my mum or dad while I drop off/ pick up my dp from the train station, but it's for barely 20 minutes a time and even that is hard enough!! I'm bad enough when I leave her in another room (even if she's with someone I think this is such an important time where no one is as tuned into your baby as much as you are.

I am also having a similar problem with pressure about leaving her with mil/ Auntie.. I keep getting comments like 'I can't wait til she's 9 months and can stay overnight with me'. It's also getting a bit.. How can I say it, twisted?! Such as 'oh you will be the mum sticking your boob through the school gate'. Again, I think this is meant to pressure me into leaving her but there is no way!! As soon as I fell pregnant, I was always asked when I would start weaning too. I still am, I just say ' I will know when she's ready' and try not to let it get to me! Other thing is they think I spoil her too much, have been told to 'let her cry as its good for their lungs/ clears bacteria' etc but I know that is rubbish! She is not old enough for controlled crying and the only thing it will do is promote unsecure attatchment. God sorry, that was a bit of a rant wasn't it!!

Moving on, have not had a period yet (ebf) but I have been having a few 'cramps' so I asked the breastfeeding councillor at bumps and babes. She said it is unlikely if you feed more than 60 minutes in a 24 hour period, but she said some are unlucky..

I am not planning on going back for at least a year (I have added my 31 days annual leave onto end of maternity leave) so will be going back around may next year. That's the plan anyway if we can afford it don't know how I will get back into it after that long off though!

Ha further to the conversations about leaving baby - I left Faithlet with my Dad for literally 20 minutes while I talked to my GP about contraception (didn't really want to take her). I handed her over asleep. She woke within 5 minutes and when I got back was screaming her head off! She had a bottle but she wasn't really hungry. He handed her to me, she stopped crying almost immediately. I've changed her bum, put her down to go to the loo and she's fine! Cooing to herself! Just shows how variable they are at such a small age. Not easy to leave for long periods yet.

Hello. Can i join? Don't know how I missed this thread, or the previous one. DD was born 6 April. It's so reassuring reading all these posts!

Welcome mrs, my LO was also born 6th April! There's also a Facebook group you can be added to and a stats thread of baby name, where in the world you are etc, check the start of this thread.

So how are you? Anything to ask/rant/rave about?

Welcome Mrs! Just jump right in! xx

Hi all! Hoping I can also join in! DS was born 7th April, as mrs says it's so reassuring reading these posts! I can relate to alot!
DP and I left DS for the 1st time on Saturday night for a couple of hours with my mum, can't say I relaxed or enjoyed the night! Was glad to get home but DS was good as gold and don't think missed us at all!!

Hot milk bras are in the sale on casabu, bras for around £15... Aren't available in my size but I know some of you were thinking about them

Thanx kellestar will have a look

Welcome mrs mummy and princess My little one was born on the 4th April.

Milestone for this week.. She can now grab toys and put them to her mouth! It's a bit hit and miss still, sometimes she ends up missing the toy and hits herself in the face bless her. She has also began to notice her hands. Saw her stating at them today, then had a good suck on them

Welcome Princess xxx this group is fab! Join our Facebook group too!

Evening all, hope you're all well! Dying with hayfever here...

Took DS to London today to visit DH at work so he could be paraded around the workmates. He was good as gold (he loves being centre of attention, really plays to a crowd..) but was very grumpy this afternoon because he hadn't napped properly all day.

Can I ask a really 'first time mum' question...? I know that crying is supposed to be the LOs way of communicating or whatever, but he cries when he wakes up, he cries in his sleep, he cries when I put him down for naps and when he wakes up, when I put him in a swaddle/gro bag and when I take him out. He's never happy that he's had/about to have a nice snooze, or that he's eaten.

Am I expecting too much? A HV made some comment about that moment first thing in the morning when they smile up at you from the Moses basket and I was like, ummm, no.....