Jan 2013: Part Six. Part SIX!

[Angielka]

As I so frivolously finished the last thread, I thought I'd better start a new one. Go!

octane am at your Dr, you could point him to the WHO guidelines that babies should ideally be bf till they are at least two.

A few weeks ago I was worried that dd wasn't really babbling so I mentioned it to the HV who was very doom and gloom about it; then a couple of days later she suddenly started saying hey-hey, then the next day it was la-la, and now we get the full range. So it can start out of the blue.

I also read a book called baby talk, which had some useful suggestions about encouraging speech, which were:

Talk about whatever the baby is currently focusing on
Use simple sentences eg 'that's a ball'.
No background noise
Spend half an hour a day just sitting playing and talking to baby with no distractions
Copy any noises they make

That was about it I think. I wouldn't bother reading the book if I was you because it takes a few hundred pages to tell you what I've written above, and the way it's written makes you panic if your baby isn't doing what the book says. I've read it so you don't have to

Oh and according to this bf may actually promote language development. So double fail to your doc.

Am sure its helping Ivy speech development..she grabs at my chest going bbrrr when she fancies a feed

Today Ivy finally moved to a forward facing carseat - weightwise she could have moved ages ago. Feel like she grew up abit today!

lost

Rhyme time today she actually claps in the right places now sometimes but refused to sit down today, just climbed all over me and used anyone to support her including another baby

I love you all. Honestly, it makes me so happy to see that despite the crap one or several of us has to go through in rl, there's this group of mners who can provide links that show we're doing all right and everyone out there against us is wrong and should sod off.

Yay, I feel way better, thanks y'all!
In yo' face Doctor beaaatch!

Question for other BFers - is anyone's baby showing less interest in boob? He's a bit "meh" about it in the last week and today refused the left one TWICE. Finally took it at 6pm. Maybe the left one tastes different to the right? Surely he can't be showing his political leanings at such a tender age?

I'll be really sad if he throws in the towel. Is it just a phase do you think?
He yanks himself off and twists around to try and find interesting things to do. I've tried taking away distractions but then he tries to find new ones.

Hi everyone,

Well I'm at the end of my tether, LO refuses to sleep at night. He eats fine during the day, naps for no more than 1 to 2 hrs, has a set bedtime routine but since he was 4 mths (when he used to be a great sleeper) he now won't sleep longer than best case 5 hrs but more often than not 3 hrs? Only way to re settle is to usually give him a bottle of milk. I'm soooo tired and working full time from home too, honestly want to cry. Am I doing something wrong? He used to self settle and I do leave him before going to him but can't face leaving him more than a few minutes when he is sobbing his heart out?

Help!

X

newbie big hugs. Afraid I have no advice but every sympathy, as Cameron is exactly the same.

Just sympathy here too as Ellen is worse (hourly most of the night, but now doing 5 hours at the start which is amazing! And sleeping in her cot!).

angielka I agree, you lot are fab

Oh and octane yes, she's not keen to feed much in the day. I'm trying not to push it but just keep offering in calm environments. Night is another issue!

octane Molly still like bfing but I've heard loads of people talk about pahses where they find other things just so much more interesting. I know I'm producing way less milk now too, as when I was a way for two days I expressed and not that much was coming out. I've expressed regularly and had much more in the past too so it's not a baby vs pump thing. They are gradually deciding how much they need and I've heard of nursing strikes too. PLUS, I have to admit I am now only feeding from one side. It happened with DD1 too (earlier - from 8 months). One side clearly produces less/it comes out slower/tastes different??? and both my girls decided to focus on the other side, which is a vicious cycle. I am a bit wonky, but it's working fine

newbie so sorry you're struggling. It's so tough with sleep issues. I really don't want to come across as smug, but Molly for the first time in her life slept 7-7 last night. We have had nights of 2 hourly wakings, we've been through early rising (5 each morning for a looooong time) and we've had screaming for no reason and recently we've been struggling a bit with night weaning but I just want to give some kind of hope that it doesn't last forever. I know some people on here have had medical reasons for difficult nights though, so maybe it's worth checking in with your GP? I'm sorry, I can't remember if you've already done that...

How can a newborn sleep 8-12 hours a night, and then at 10 months be up every 3 hours?! She blows in my face now too to make sure I get up. Also, why is the mountain of toys not as exciting as the DVD player/stereos/phone.

Haha apple, rhyme time can be quite a challenge now can't it? There are 3 babies in our group all having to stand up. One of them has just started walking and just walks through everyone.

I cannot believe the attitudes of some of your HVs! The mind boggles.

Yay on the sleep angie!

We've also had a crap few nights well I have dp didnt deal with it I put it down to him learning how to pull himself up and the start of a new cold. I turned his room into an aromatherapy den and he slept through, thank god.

We also only boob from one side, it stems back to abcess days though. Cant say my boobs look wonky though and plus he only has it twice, three times max

Let him have his leapfrog activity table early mum says im bad but my reasoning is he needs it now not in a month when he gets loads of other stuff.

I really don't see the point of keeping stuff back for christmas if they could do with it now. Dan has half his present already. He will be just as happy with a balloon in a box to open anyway.

He went through a difficult stage of daytime feeding for 30 secs max and finding everything else too interesting. He's come out the other side now and settled back down again. I put it down to the eternal teething coupled with lots going on. He has 4 feeds a day and none in the night thank goodness.

Been to playgroup this morning where DS1 was happily off with his friend playing cars and Daniel would not consent to sit nicely in the baby area with the baby toys so he was scrambling all over the hall being scooped up by whichever parent he happened to climb through the legs of. He's dangerous.

newbie I'm sure you've tried everything but what's the temperature in the room and what does he wear in bed? I think the room needs to be much warmer than the recommended 18 degrees, so 20 degrees all night with a 2.5 tog sleeping bag. But heh, what do I know, X slept 7-7 also for the first time ever, but then last night she was up loads. And I've no idea why. But everyone says it passes, so you just have to get through it somehow and believe it will get better. In my opinion though you are doing exactly the right thing by not leaving him to cry for long.

octane I would complain about the doctor if I was you and refer them to the guidance someone mentioned earlier.

I'm so temped to give mine their presents early but am trying to resist, although creepy I agree, nothing seems to be as exciting as remote controls, electric cables and cardboard.

Does anyone else spend half the day fishing inedible things out of baby's mouth? She eats quite a lot of paper as well when I don't get there in time, so the corners of her books are disappearing and she's chewed through my Blackberry!

Thanks everyone, really appreciate your replies.

Temperature in room varies between 19 and 20 degrees and he is in of those merino wool sleeping bags to regulate his temp but may turn the heating up to see if it helps, I'll try anything!

Not spoken to doctor as he is happy and content so think I may be laughed out the surgery!

I think what bugs me is the fact he was such a good sleeper who would self settle and then from about 4.5mths he has turned into a nightmare. He does seem to be learning lots of new things at the moment what with crawling, pulling himself up and also starting nursery a couple of days a week,maybe his wee brain is in meltdown?

I will hang on to the fact that it will pass, eventually, hopefully soon!

Thanks again,

X

newbie that temp sounds right so maybe don't turn it up! I wouldn't want to be responsible for him waking even more!! If it's any consolation, X self settled too until about 4.5 months old. She was sleeping 9 hours in a row at that point, then another 3. I've been trying to get back to that ever since (she's nearly 11 months). It's not as bad now so hopefully it will continue to improve and hope that will be the same for you. Sounds like he may just be in a busy phase of learning lots of new things.

octane yes re bf, I can only feed X in a dark quiet room, usually with something draped over her eyes! Gone are the days of being able to feed downstairs/anywhere.

Anyone else find the teeth painful now though? It really hurts when she first latches on. If I knew how to give up bf I would, but not sure what to do and am being lazy in not finding out.

birdies Molly has six teeth now and when the four top ones came in (almost all at once...) it was a bit painful when she latched on. I think it's just a question of the baby getting used to the new mouth shape though because I can honestly say I don't feel a thing now, a few weeks later.

Fingers crossed for good nights all round

So the Christmas lights have knocked out the power in the whole neighbourhood! Been sat in dark and cold since 5pm, and it's snowing!!

And poor LO fell fast asleep without even having his bottle earlier, so who knows what the night ahead will bring.

to all those struggling. I am off to bed!

newbie dd was also a great sleeper up to around 4 months, I think a lot of newborns are. Then the four month sleep regression hit and it has never been the same since. These days we co sleep and manage to get a decent amount of rest. Dd still wakes up, but she can find my nipple by herself so I'm barely aware of it.

I just read this article on infant sleep which is really interesting, it basically says there is no rhyme or reason behind babies' sleep patterns, so our attempts to work out why they sleep the way they do are done.

Done = doomed. Must learn to preview posts.

Hello.
My mother's taken to her bed complaining of flu and last night baby ran a temp of 38.3. So all fun is cancelled today. Baby still too warm and very whingey and clingy - so I'll be spending the day cuddling her. Any suggestions on how to fill the time?

Oh dear Radio / podcasts / box set?

Well and truly jinxed myself. DD2 has vomiting bug, currently on 5th lot of washing and the car seat was rank

Oh no Lost :(

Bugsy think that should be laminated and handed out in Bounty packs at birth!

Lost, how is she today?

Poly hope your LO is better too!

Just had a bath with DD, not done it for ages! .... It's defo not as relaxing as I remember

Finally started my Xmas shopping yesterday! Also picked up a reet bargain in TKmaxx, a sheepskin footmoof for £20 it's lovely and DD looks very snug in it must invent an adult size one