Sept 2010- Making our way through the terribles two, with some new siblings along the way :)

[cinnamongreyhound]

New thread for us long standing Sept 2010 mums and anyone who want to join us. Anyone want to add any stats or summaries please feel free!

Old thread

[lumpylumps]

Yey beady you clever lady!!! Olly was, and still is, a tummy sleeper. I know it's against advice but I figured we had non of the other side risks, I was aware of his every breath and the sleep deprivation was killing us both!! As for Jack, olly had chubba chub lollys long before Toby ever did. They're both fine. I know what you mean tho. Just involve him as much as you can. When your feeding Edith (is she Edith or Edie??) Get Jack cuddled up too and read him a story. The great thing is he's old enough to hold the book!!!

newmum I had the same problem with ds1. He's a mummy boy and always has been. Quite hurtfully sometimes. fortunately olly is a daddy's boy. She'll soon settle. Just try not to make anything off it and give them lots of space to do daddy daughter stuff.

[newmum001]

Thanks ladies. I was working today so do took grace out shopping, treated her to some new beach toys (we're spending the day at the beach tomorrow) and she was all about daddy today. Next doors dog knocked her over and she wouldn't let me help her she wanted daddy to do it which he was thrilled about and so was I. He was washing up at one point and she decided she wanted a big daddy kiss and cuddle so I had to take over washing up Its made him feel a lot better. Even if she's all about mummy again tomorrow he knows that it's not a personal thing she just spends a lot if time with me. We had a chat last night and discussed ways of helping the situation and I told him I'm fully on his side and won't be stepping in when he's dealing with her but that he also needs to know when to just walk away from an argument with her. After all she's the baby and its pretty pointless arguing with her and getting wound up so much. Anyway today has been good! Day at the beach tomorrow with the whole family so there will be plenty if people to occupy her so hopefully she'll be ok then too. It just tends to be weeknights she's iffy. I've said that he should do something alone with her every night even if its just going to the shop for a treat or taking her scooter on the field for 20 minutes.

Silver I know it upset you that jack didn't have sun cream on or didn't eat properly (it'd drive me mad too) but I bet he's had a lovely day and I'm sure it didn't bother him. It's a learning curve in a couple of weeks you'll wonder why you were ever worried about it I'm sure.

[SilverBirdie]

Its not that I think it might have bothered him.... I don't want him to get burnt and since this is a bit of a heat wave I think I was justified in being a bit peeved.
The lolly thing probably is over reacting a bit but we have a lot of medics in our family and know three paramedics... They'll all tell you to steer clear of marshmallows and hard boilded lollies on sticks. I think there are enough sweets out there for him to have... And he does... I'm not mean but he ain't having one on my watch
lumps come to think of it we don't actually say her name that much yet but I say Edith, Dh is 50/50 I'd guess. She really suits it! So pleased I didn't chicken out.... She could have been a Sylvie but she's def not a Beth
I've compromised and she sleeps on her side...... I feel much happier going into my deep sleep than I think I would if she was on her tummy.
I was being a numpty about thinking she liked sucking her thumb too........ She's a gannet.... Of course she was hungry! mean Mummy emoticon
Just got her settled after her usual spell from about 11-2a.m of feed, poo, feed, wind, poo, poo, sleeeeep..... No..... More poo then sleep

[lumpylumps]

What's wrong with marshmallows???

[SilverBirdie]

I think that too lumps paras we know all say they are the one thing that pretty much doesn't dislodge when choking because of the half chewed consistency. Jack has loads of the little mini ones though

Had a really teary morning today mostly down to Edith's latch being a killer. Still managing to do half and half until I can hopefully get some proper help. Lots of biting down on a muslin for now though

[cinnamongreyhound]

Have you looked at videos on line? I think a lot is down to speed, once she opens her mouth wide shove her on quickly. My friend was told to imagine her breast was like a burger that's too big for your mouth and squash it which worked for her. Keep checking that bottom lip and make sure you get checked out for tongue tie and thrush as both cause really painful latch. If you can get the bottom lip touching under the nipple and then lift her up and on f that makes sense, you should be on the way to something good. I used nipple shields with ds1 against all advice but it gave me a day to allow them to heal slightly to be not quite as toe curlingly painful.

[SilverBirdie]

Thanks cinnamon sorry if tmi but my nipples always come out pointing outwards.... So left one pointed left and right one pointed right..... Any thoughts??:/
Will look online for videos.

[cinnamongreyhound]

Sorry no ideas on that one, hope you find the answer soon. I know how it feels, I was so desperate to make it work with ds1 I had a tough 6 weeks but didn't give up. If you can find the problem (mine was latch plus thrush) I think it's so worth it in the long run. Part of the problem is that midwives say everything's fine when it's not as they don't all have the right training, which made me feel I was crap but actually the latch was wrong and once I sorted it (and got thrush treated) my nipples healed very quickly and each feed was less painful. Fed him for 15 months in the end, who knows if it made any difference to him but it made life easier for sure! May be worth looking into a lactation consultant near you, they're not that pricey and give a lot of support in person and on the phone.

[newmum001]

I didn't mean that the sun cream didn't bother him, just the fact that maybe he hadn't eaten as well as he would if you'd been with him. I'd have gone mad regarding the sun cream tbh but as long as he didn't get burnt then no harm was done and I'm sure the same mistake won't be made again.

[Debs75]

Found the thread again

Lumpy withdrawal method that was how I got caught with dc3. Oops. Glad you are all ok with it. It took months for DP to really get used to having dc3. By the time I got caught accidentally with Lucy he was a bit more laid back and accepted it.

Newmum DC3 flits between me and DP. For years she would only let me take her to bed and up till Lucy was born she went everywhere with me. Now daddy is her best friend and tonight she was hysterical that daddy wasn't putting her to bed and we had to compromise with me reading the story and daddy giving her the cuddles.

Silver Glad you are doing well with little Edith. She is adorable

[cinnamongreyhound]

So what do we think the royal baby is going to be?

[cinnamongreyhound]

I thought it was going to be a girl. So cute though, they look like the perfect family

[Debs75]

I thought it would be a girl as well Cinnamon
What do you think about the name?
George Alexander Louie
I quite like it King George sounds very regal

[cinnamongreyhound]

Dh says George's make good kings I love George, one of my list dh said no way to with Luke. Dss is Alexander so that will be exciting in my house :)

[cinnamongreyhound]

Hope everyone is ok very quiet here at the moment!

How's the family of 4 coming along SilverBirdie?

Is your tiredness decreasing yet lumpylumps?

[lumpylumps]

I was going to say that!! It's all this nice weather, no one's got time for mn anymore!!

I'm not too bad, still really tired and feel really really sick pretty much all the time.

Had what I thought was going to be my 12wk scan on Friday but it turned out to be an 8wk scan. 4 weeks out!!!! 4 weeks!! Just when I thought I was safe I've got another 28 stupidly long days to wait!!!!!

[SilverBirdie]

Oh gosh lumpy I'd momentarily forgotten Bout about LittleLumpyBean! Now I'm all giddy about it again and have 28 more days to do so than before!! bummer for you though I bet, roll on new scan date!

I'm doing great and so is Edith but Jack is an over emotional, argumentative little thing at the moment. I know he's getting a little bored whilst I'm not driving and still adjusting to coping with two but hoping it'll pass. I need to make more effort to get out the house earlier in the morning but as we live next to a park it's so hard. I have Edith in one arm and can't heave Jack off the climbing frames yet as my insides are still so tender. He gets dangerously stuck sometimes being over ambitious and I need both arms free to shift him...... Can't wait to be able to wear my Baby Bjorn carrier! That will make life easier I hope.

Feeding went from bad to worse. I went to see a breast feeding counsellor at our Sure Start centre in desperation but she didn't show up I was in agony and so despondent then the next day called for the MW to come and see me again as she'd not signed me over to HVs yet. Both nipples infected and straight to docs for antibiotics. Both advised me not to offer boob or expressed milk as they were too infected (tmi = puss) at worst i was expressing pale pink milk. yesterday was the last day of taking antibiotics. Cracks pretty much gone as has milk in my left side... Almost..... but I'm still getting a couple of ounces each time I try to express from my right. I'm in a pickle now as to whether to try again. Will my milk come back in force if I keep offering to Edith?
The break was a huge relief mentally and physically and having Dh share the night feeds has been wonderful..... It's a slippery slope but as long as I have milk and now no pain I should give it another bash right??

[cinnamongreyhound]

You should do what's best for you and your family and that's all! For me there was no question that I would bf James and I think if I hadn't it would have affected me quite badly mentally (really no idea why even now!). But I had a horrible first 8 weeks with him and looking back didn't enjoy him like I should have, I didn't take many photos and I'm a photo loon and we didn't go out a lot. Once it was established and I'd healed it was great and being able to express for him while at work and knowing we had that time together when I was home was great. I have so many friends that have got to the point where they didn't want to pick their babies up in case they wanted milk when they stopped bf and that's no good for anyone. I am massively pro bf BUT in the sense that we should be positively role modelling it, seeing it around, properly helping mums so they don't have problems and not using it as a stick to beat new mums with! You know that jack has grown into a happy healthy almost 3 year old having formula and if that's what you decide Edith will do the same :).

One of my minded little girls was 2yrs 5 months when her sister showed up and she was no happy at all but they are now 4 and 2 and best friends. I can't advise as James totally ignored Luke and I had no sibling problems. Sounds like you're doing everything right it will take time. I was really horrid to my brother and even told my mum he ruined everything! Love him to bits now :)

[Debs75]

Silver if you offer Edith the boob whenever she is hungry you will boost your supply back up. Even if she only latches for a second or two she will be sending your body messages to make more milk.
Give it a go if that is what you feel is right. For me it was always the boob as I was not going to spend hours making bottles and warming formula up when I had it for free. Plus DP would never get up to do night bottles. IF formula is better for you then go to formula. Just remember it is harder to go back to the boob the longer you give formula.
Oh and give the breastfeeding coordinator a ring as the counsellor not coming out is really bad news. We would get such a bollocking if we just didn't turn up for a session with no prior warning

[cinnamongreyhound]

What are your plans for Lucy's birthday Debs75? And everyone else they're not far now!

Luke wants a batman birthday so I'm starting to be organised! Got him an Evo scooter and he wants an electric toothbrush like his brother!

[lumpylumps]

Ollys getting an innotab2, a new garage and some new trains. I'm being a cheapskate mummy this year. There all second hand. They're having a joint party again like the last 2 years, olly is having a Thomas cake, Toby is having an angry bird. Well, that's if I manage to get them made!! I can't believe he'll be 3 in just 3 weeks. This time next year I'll be getting his school uniform!!!!!

[Debs75]

Lucy loves Doc McStuffin so we are getting her a dr set and some happyland stuff. We are also doing a joint party for her and dd2. £40 for them and 10 friends at a soft play centre with food. They love going and I didn't trust the weather to do one in the garden. They are sharing a my little pony cake and both getting a build-a-bear my little pony.

Lumpy Lucy was very upset yesterday when we got some more uniform for dd2 and she wasn't getting any. I feel quite protective about sending her next year she will be sooo young

[cinnamongreyhound]

My mum is getting Luke the leapsterGS I'm a bit worried he's too young but he likes the drawing on ds1's leappad2 so perhaps it'll be ok. We will just have family as he doesn't really have any friends at the moment. Ds1 had his first party at 4 as he'd been at preschool a year then.

I really want the boys to do a build a bear but dh hates cuddly toys and they have tonnes!

I don't have school to worry about until 2015, yay!

[SilverBirdie]

Wonder how many others are awake now... 3.13 a.m
Here hee.... Ad it all with this waking.... Feed, poo, burp, feed, sick, sleep so now I really should be asleep too.

Hanks for the advice folks. I had a lot of help after my last post. Got chatting to a mum to mum bf support lady and she then got in touch with a lactation consultant and two other counsellors who've all been helpful but my left has totally dried up
That's the side that was most infected and horrendously. I was still expressing on my right and giving Edith that as her latch was still not right. Cracks came back so I decided enough was enough. Too stressful trying to produce enough from one boob whilst having them both to look after full time too.
I am gutted tbh as I always said I thought bfing was up to the baby more than the mum but now I know I was wrong..... Edith's latch was never a issue for her. She never came off and was always full after a feed. Think that's why mws never said there was a problem initially, but my poor, poor norks

Anyway...... She got as many days from me as I could manage which I feel ok about. Hope I don't feel despondent about it all in the future as doubt we'll be having any more.

Gorg day today at the beach with both the littles. Jack absolutely loved it but I bet he wets the bed tonight..... Conked out so hard in the car on the way home, carried straight to bed and so no wee for ages. Oh what fun

Loving the birthday talk! I've booked soft play for about 15 and think I'll state its fancy dress on the invite. Pretty sure most our friends will love it but is it a faux pas to narrow it down even more and say 'super heroes'?
Not had enough year's of birthday parties yet to understand any etiquette?!?
Also considering tackling a minion cake

[SilverBirdie]

So many typos in there!!