October 2013 Bus Graduates - Routines?! Our babies clearly haven't read the manual.

[Shirehobbit]

Apologies for the x-posting that meant there's no thread link in the last thread .
I'll start this one and hope people find it.

Hi all. Please can I join you? I was a poster really early on the antenatal thread but had lots of early bleeds from 6-18 weeks, followed by a pretty horrible pregnancy and an ELCS that went quite wrong resulting in me being in theatre for 6 hours. However DS was delivered safely on 1st Oct at 39+1 (at Barnet where I know some of you delivered!)

I lurked on every single antenatal thread for the October bus - you lot were v chatty! But as pregnancy was so rough and followed 4 mcs i was too nervy to post.

All going okay with DS but he is a velcro baby (unlike DD who is 4yo, was v easy and definitely in a routine by now). DS seems to eat and sleep and cry when he wants, but only on me. Moses baskets are clearly for wimps. He has quite severe reflux, but is gaining weight. I just wish I could put him down for two minutes!

Hope I'm not too late to join...

Marking place!

Not at all MrsFlowerpot, everyone is welcome to chat as much or as little as you like! Glad your little one is gaining weight. I am loving watching how chunky MnipJnr is getting (he started off with weight loss, we realise ex post facto that he was quite gaunt in the first week!).

Welcome back Mrsaflowerpot. I am glad baby flowerpot arrived safely in the end.

Dinner was nice, Thomas was awake and not crying for the whole evening which is the best way for visitors, not as boring as a sleeping baby and not as stressful as a crying one.

Catching up, but while I remember: Soup I can just about hold the two pumping bottles with one hand span for long enough to hit the power button on and off (but I do have big hands!)

My US cousins tell me they all make "pumping bras" to allow hands free pumping. Some hysterical pictures of one you can buy here

Apparently cutting out the cups on an old bra works pretty well...

MrsA I think I remember you from way back in the early days nice to have you onboard. We have a Facebook group also, not everyone is on it, but if you fancy joining let is know it's completely private. Congrats on the safe arrival of your DS.

Just had my second glass of wine, very naughty but it's for medicinal purposes and I'm off to sleep whilst dp looks after A

Soup I find I get much more milk when I express in the morning come the evening the difference in how much i produce is quite a big difference.

Gosh the thread has picked up again loads, everyone must be mastering the art of one handed typing!

Hi mrsflowerpot, glad your ds arrived safely in the end and hope you are finding motherhood less stressful.
than pregnancy.

We have managed to get dd to take a few ounces from a bottle now, so fingers crossed I can get out to get my hair done soon. I am very jealous of your mary the cleaner flyer!

Did you decide what to do about winter wonderland nat? I can't wait to take ds, I'm trying to get dp to get a day off work so we can go during the week, sling up dd and away we go!

Someone mentioned up thread about 2 mums pushing buggys drinking mulled wine. Reminded me, a few weeks ago we went out for lunch with a big group to celebrate a birthday. They had all had a big one the night before and so were on soft drinks, but I ordered a glass of red with my steak. Unfortunatley when the waiter brought it over and asked who it was for, I had dd on the boob and had to put my hand up and say 'well that will be the bf lasy over here' - the poor bloke looked very confused.

Result!! After about three weeks if bring stick in a dark bedroom from 7pm all evening, I got an evening!! I fed at 7.15 (in dark room with womb white noise sound). As usual, asleep by 8 (it's sometimes later) and I popped them down and had a shower and a cup of tea (large glass of wind during dinner to prepare me for getting three bathed and in bed!)... Normally they'll wake within 20 mins half an hour and I'm back stuck in the dark room until they finally settle, but..... They've stayed down!!! I've had an adult only evening downstairs!!! Whoop! They're still asleep and I guess they'll wake soon for a dream feed. Rather than wake them, I'm just going to see how long they will go...

Three weeks of being stuck...

Welcome MrsAFlowerpot. Sorry it's been such a long hard road for you but I hope our chats were a good distraction.

chickie a bench outside sounds very chilly indeed. We have managed to avoid al fresco feeding so far, luckily.

soup I've avoided double pumping due to the awkwardness you've picked up on. I don't know when I'm supposed to have both hands and boobs free for long enough to pump.

I think there was talk of sterilising pump sets earlier. My HV told me to sterilise everything that touches milk. That's when I decided to start cold water sterilising. I just wash things and put them in the steriliser and take them out the next time I need them.

whoop! just had/am having a civilised evening with all children asleep upstairs. First time baby T has done that in the evening, i'm wondering if we were keeping him awake with us donstairs!!. (I feel like something is missing though!) hi five legally heres to babies sleeping in their cots of an evening

hello mrsflowerpot

Excellent news legally and apperley, very pleased you managed to get some child free time.

A is so restless tonight, it's def this cold, poor girl.

Poor baby A and poor flyer. I hope she feels better soon.

Welcome back MrsAFlowerpot! Sorry to hear you had such a tough time of pregnancy and with your ELCS, and welcome to the velcro baby club!

A is feeding constantly again, this must be her new night time "routine". I'm home alone tonight though so she did make it a bit difficult to sort my tea out! Ill give her her dues though, she doesn't do things by halves. From what I've read, many babies cluster feed in the evening (ie 5-9), whereas A goes from 5pm-1/2am!

and to all those struggling tonight, and well done to those who've successfully had a relaxed evening!

flyer that sucks for your A, and for you too. I hope it clears up soon

Does anyone know exactly why it's bad to lie our babies on their side to sleep? Is it purely because they might roll onto their fronts?

Congrats to those babies giving their mummies their evenings to tonight! I think maybe we keep H awake keeping him up with us and now he's 8 weeks I'm going to start your routine legally and see where it gets me!

Mine has been the opposite to his normal self, I'm with you flyer! Baby H had his first jabs today and ever since my lovely calm happy baby has been so sad :( he has just fussed all evening, won't settle to sleep even though he's tired and is struggling to eat. Finally got 4ozs down him, was giving him some calpol because he seemed in some pain with his leg, when his whole feed came back up! He's never done this in all 8 weeks of life, he was as shocked as I was. So bath time at half 10 - fun! Just got into bed and left him with DP to re feed and get to sleep. I hope he's feeling better in the morning and not looking forward to the next ones, they are on Christmas Eve and if it's a repeat of tonight it's not going to be fun!

Welcome flower :)

Nat - although you have a baby you still need to look after yourself too. Your baby loves you even if it doesn't feel like it all the time. Give yourself a break, don't beat yourself up about people helping and try have some fun tomorrow. You will be a happier calmer mummy after a fun day with DD and baby will sense that and hopefully also be calmer. These early days will pass and you'll be enjoying him before you know it. Take it one day at a time and try talk to your HV or gp about it for reassurance. Hope your ok x

Hope we all get some good rest tonight and id love to meet in Manchester if it gets arranged.

Hi mrsaflower. Glad all is well, congratulations.x
We put c to bed upstairs straight off this pm and had some time as a twosome downstairs. amazing! Felt pretty foot loose and fancy free!
Thanks for reassurance re feed to sleep legally. And congrats on an evening alone!x
Get well soon baby A. Hope you get some rest flyer. X

Thanks for the lovely welcome ladies. I have loved keeping up with your lives via your threads - in an unweird way!

I am so pleased DS is here, but he's a shock after DD, who was tough at nights but great otherwise. He cried whenever awake for the first 5/6 weeks, but now mostly only when not being held so I guess that's progress

I have been kindly told it's because I held him too much in the first few weeks cos I couldn't move around that much...lovely well meaning in laws. Hoping over the next few weeks we settle in to some kind of routine, as I know he keeps getting overtired and grumpy, although secretly I do sometimes quite enjoy the excuse to snuggle.

Omg A still awake and still constantly crying even when being held. This is going to be a long night

Did she sleep at all flyer?? Any temperature?? How old and what weight is she? If close to eight weeks and a good weight would you consider a small dose of calpol?? It's horrible when they're like that :(

Welcome back mrsaf! I remember you from antenatal thread and was hoping you were fine cos you never came back to thread after having some bleeding! Congratulations on your ds! Enjoy those cuddles xx

No chick she hasn't slept at all. She is 6 weeks and weighs 10lb10
Can't find the bloody thermometer to take her temperature it's gone AWOL

Flyer, I second calpol. DS had a bad cold at 6 weeks and just under that weight and HV advised giving 2.5ml to enable him to get some sleep/re-engergise

Thanks MrsA I will get some tomorrow. Do you think it's worth taking her to the gp or am I just being a neurotic first time mum?

Take her to the gp flyer there's nothing to lose and I personally think there is no such thing as a neurotic first time mum as we know our babies and we do have mothers instinct!! Hope she's asleep now xx

I think we've hit a growth spurt here - at 6 weeks to the day. C fed for 45 minutes at lunchtime (in Sainsburys cafe of all places) and an hour and a half at 8:30

Mind you, he was clearly stuffed, because he then slept from 10:30 until 4, so I've had a pretty good sleep.

Is anyone else finding that those hormones that make you sleep better when bf have worn off a bit? I have trouble getting back to sleep these days.