Jan 2013: Part 5 - Food is for fun - Sleep is for wimps...

[Pascha]

Here we go again

never mind I've figured it out, I was being dim!

Hi all! Just catching up. I've been very low recently so have just been focusing on getting myself back to where I should be.

I hope all the poorly babies are better now and I'm very of the holidays. We're going to my mums (an hour up the road) on Thursday until Monday because DH is going to Holland.

Had Nancy's 7-9 month check today. HV thinks at may have a tiny turn in her eye, but I really don't think so. She's still on the 50th for weight, but 98th for height! Following her dad that's for sure.

I hope everyone's well. I'm gonna get back to catching up with you all!

creepy hope you're feling better.

birdies we've been trying to feed DS more too in the hope of better sleep. Maybe it's just wishful thinking but I'm sure he was better last night.

Little man is refusing to go to sleep. He's currently grumbling in his cot. I suspect I may be here a while...

Hi all,

We only get a 6mth check and then a year, I think a 7 to 9mth check is a much better idea, wish Scotland did that. Wanted to check with everyone if they have noticed sleep regression around the 7.5mth/8mth mark? I'm finding my wee one is waking 4 to 5 times in the night when he used to sleep through or worse case was up once? Can't see any teeth yet but maybe they are on the way? He takes about 27oz of milk during the day and his 3 meals although he is still on puréed as either gags or refuses to eat anything lumpy!

Hope you feel better soon creepy

X

Creepy, hope your feeling much better now

Just out of interest, on the food subject, how much does your LO eat?
I just do 3 meals, should I be giving snacks too?

Also she hasn't really got the hang of a sippy cup yet, she spits a lot of it out so really not sure she is getting enough fluid, apart from her milk?

Hi newbie my DS is just under 7.5 months but never got over his 4 month sleep regression so I really hope he doesn't get worse!

lolli I'm just starting to increase DS' solids. Today he had half a weetabix and half a banana for breakfast, 2 pieces of a lentil & cheese bake thing, some cucumber and 2 tomato crisps for lunch, and some fritata, carrots and green beans followed by yoghurt for tea. He also had a small piece of cake this afternoon.

We tried loads of cups and bottles for water to no avail, then at the weekend we got him a doidy cup. He loves it, guzzles down water now. And washes his hands in it .

lolli I've tried feeding her more today so she had a weetabix for breakfast, strawberries for a snack, another weetabix for lunch (as she wouldn't eat what I had made :() and then a bit of toast, a beef stew I made for dinner (as she was starving) followed by almost a whole jar of Hipp yoghurt thing. She looked like she was going to explode.

Milk feeds have really gone down. She just about manages from a sippy cup but I'm not sure if she gets enough water either. I guess they would tell us somehow if they weren't?

Cameron has cut back on eating the last couple of days ... And has slept better for it.

Phones beIng rubbish :(

On the food front he'll have three meals with pudding, I worry about him getting enough water too so I add some to stodgy looking food. He cant use sippy cups but will drink warn drinks tea warm water with a straw. Appart from boob in the morning & night he rarely drinks often leaving most of the bottle I give him about 2.

On the nappy hijinx he stamps his feet and makes this very awkward.

My cats limping :( looks like a vet trip tomorrow.

Creepy so glad you are back :)

Birdies I can't imagine him eating much more! He goes mad at mealtimes like a starving man (tho doesn't seem to be as interested in boob anymore).

This morning for breakfast he had a slice of toast, banana, two mini oatcakes and a piece of cheese.

Lunch was an Ella's Kitchen roast chicken pouch, an apple and some of my roll.

Dinner was half a sausage, some carrot sticks, some asparagus and loads of potato wedges - at least one large potato in total.

He gets 200ml formula at 7pm and again at 10pm. Plus is bf on demand any other time.

Yesterday I decided to try the GF routine on him with regards to sleeping, meal and nap times (I ignored the milk schedules as I don't think they're apt for bf babies). We actually had the best night in ages though it may have just been a fluke. (NB by 'the best' I mean he was in his own room all night and was awake 2-4am... Can't believe that passes for good these days!!)

Stuffing face doesn't work. One of the worst nights in a while. DON'T laugh!!

Right, desperate measures needed....

Please can anyone who has a 'good' sleeper tell me when baby eats/drinks milk in the day and exactly when they nap and go to bed? I am then going to copy....

meringue what's the Gina Ford schedule?

birdies we're having a run of good nights. Here is what I've done differently, as I was stuffing/letting her stuff her face.

Breakfast yesterday - half a belvita. That's all she wanted (gave as finger food) and I didn't press it.
Lunch - gave her a little minestrone soup. She screamed and refused, so she had nothing.
Dinner - gave her half a nectarine. She ate maybe a quarter of the half. She then ate the soup from lunchtime, and a rice cake.

I am allowing free access to boob. The last three nights, she's went from 7 or 8 - 1, and then through until 6, quick feed, back in bed until 7:30. It's been heaven.

Hope this is a turning point for us.

I've also been putting her for a nap at the first sign of grumpiness, even if she's not long up.

Well no good asking me as we're still in bad sleep central I simply can't persuade her to nap more often/longer either so have given up on all the routines I've tried as it just stressed me out.

I think at the moment she's waking with wind and come to think of it that's how it all started so DH was suggesting we cut out dairy. She's allergic to egg, which brings her out in hives, so perhaps there are other issues. She does tend towards green nappies, which I'd thought were about my oversupply, and is often sick but swallows it. Hmmm I'm now convincing myself something is up. I've read we should exclude soya as well as dairy for two for three weeks (I say we as she's bf ). Not liking the sound of that and no idea how I'll get enough calories in (below pre-pregnancy weight and still losing despite epic quantities of cake and ice cream ).

Anyway enough introspection. Welcome back creepy , we wondered where you were. I'm really sorry you've been feeling so low. Do you know why?

Hi all

Haven't been on in a while... Good to catch up with you all.

Hi Creepy hope you're ok and you're feeling better now . When I was feeling low recently i went to my GP who was v good. She did lots of blood tests and turns out I was quite anaemic. Since I've been taking iron supplements I feel a lot better. So might be worth a trip to the GP if you haven't already been.

Birdies sorry you had a rubbish night. I don't think my DD sleeps any better with more or less food. She's going to bed ok but still wakes at least once, and often twice in the night, so wouldn't call her a 'good' sleeper, but she's so much better than she was. But if it helps here's a typical day for her (rough timings):

7am - bf
8am - breakfast (readybrek/weetabix with banana/fruit)
9am - nap (usually 30-45 mins)
10.30am - bf
12pm - lunch (toast with hummus/cream cheese, fruit, maybe a rice cake/carrot stick)
12.30pm nap (usually an hour)
2.30pm - bf
5pm - tea (something I've made - spinachy pasta or lentils and veg or similar, yoghurt, fruit)
6.30pm - bf and bed.

She seems to have dropped her late afternoon nap so is knackered by about 6pm.

My dd is just 7 months and still isn't rolling or making any attempts to crawl, in fact she still hates tummy time. Should I be worried? She can sit up fine and has learnt to wave (more of a 'royal wave'!) so maybe she's just developing in different ways...

Hope everyone's well :)

Cupcakes just ordered a doidy cup

Birdies, our routine goes like this (kind of)

Wakes at 6.30, 4-6oz bottle
Breakfast at 7.30 toast/crumpet/rice cake
8.30 - 9.30 sleep
10.30 4-6oz bottle
11.30-12.30 sleep
1pm dinner, jacket spud/ sandwich / pasta
3pm 4-7oz bottle
3.30 - 4.30 sleep
5pm tea - whatever were having
7pm bed

with a lot of chaos thrown in between
If we're out and about then its a bit different

Welcome back creepy we missed you!

Birdies our routine is very similar to tugs' and although we had a wakeup for boob last night, the night before she slept through (!!!) which hasn't happened since before the 4 month devil bewitchment sleep regression.

I think the biggest problem we all face is trying to find a reason for everything they do. It's all a complete facade of control when really they do what they bloody well want for any number of reasons.

My DD1 is nearly three and she eats well and sleeps well. I remember going through these horrible phases with her and it helps me keep things in perspective. Eventually, things will be good! Don't give up hope everyone!!

Birdies - F has been sleeping till 7/7.30 for a couple of months now.

His day goes like this:
7.30/8 BF
9 ish breakfast - porridge usually
10 ish naps for 30 mins or so
1230pm lunch
He naps at some stage in the afternoon for 1hr or so
3.30 pm BF
6pm dinner
6.30 pm BF
7pm out like a light!
1030pm I wake him for a BF
...he then sleeps like a log till the following morning.
He sometime naps at around 5pm for half an hr or so.

Routine certainly worked for me and him - but I've no idea if all babies take to it. I was pretty rigid with the timings from the start though.

birdies Ivy seems to sleep quite well. Her day loojs like this;

6.30-7.30 boob

9.00 breakfast (toast, fruit, yoghurt, porridge biscuit )

10.00 - 11.30 boob and nap (travel cot in dd1 room)

12.00 lunch

2.30 - 4 boob and nap

5.30 dinner

6.30 boob and bed

She is up once or twice overnight but basically sleeps. My only worry is becoming dependant on boob for sleep but i always make sure she is awake when she goes in the cot. We are fkexible and boib always available. Oh and dc went bqck to school today so will need to mess with pm nap.

Welcome back creepy hope you're feelingbetter.

And hi and welcome back to tugs

Am cleaning house today, its very quiet :)

Ooh and Ivy asleep so an uninterrupted am in heaven

Thanks everyone. I'm going to pick one and try to follow it!

angiel I think you're probably right but I'm a control freak

tugs no need to worry. In fact I think it's months before you would have to. She may never roll as some don't apparently. Will probably just go straight to crawling when she is ready.

C currently going into hour 2 of her long nap. Nearly finished work, baby sensory this afternoon followed by some retail therapy. Aaaah :)

Just up!

Hi tugs, I was wondering where you were too. glad the iron is helping

Just been to the dentist and he took a look at E too just to get her used to it. I asked about how to look after her teeth when she gets them and he said just wipe with gauze as brushes are too harsh and the main factor is diet. In fact he said don't stress about brushing until she's 2ish, just remove any obvious debris. This made me feel better as the HV scared me by going on about baby toothbrushes and scrubbing. The dentist said that was nonsense. He's quite young so I guess more up to date training.

angielka I'm sure you're right, that's why I haven't tried to find causes before. Just playing on my mind now though and I guess very occasionally there really is something wrong. Planning some cake and macaroni cheese before starting though