Graduated Elderberries

[HazleNutt]

It's time to move to Post-Natal clubs.

Oh Alex Is your DH around to give you a break? Even if you just pop to the shops for 10 minutes to get some fresh air and a break you'll probably feel better when you get back. FWIW I think you're doing the right thing not leaving her to cry, but at the same time I can completely see why you are tempted.

Excuse my language but fuck your MIL and SIL. You do what you want to do, and what you think is right. And if that's not leaving her alone to cry (I agree!! She's teeny!) then don't leave her.

Cavort has sound advice though, get out the house for a short while to save your sanity. Pop out and get some vodka snacks and you'll come back feeling better.
Do you think it's worth trying some infant gaviscon if it's reflux?

Hugs.

To be fair DH has been great tonight despite a little row earlier when she finally fell asleep and he accidentally shut the front door too loudly He managed to get her to calm down and fall sleep again eventually after singing "show me the way to go home" for AGED and walking around. I honestly wanted to marry him all over again when he got her to sleep. She has literally been screaming the most horrific scream, at one point I thought I'd have to escape to the bathroom and sit on the floor crying again like I had to a couple of times early on! I really can't leave her to cry somewhere alone like they say I should though, it's just not in me to do that!

Oh and DH took her for a walk earlier to calm her down and that was a godsend too. Weirdly she calms down quite a lot when she's out walking in the cold air so I just don't get what's wrong! On the bright side I might be amazingly fit at the end of mat leave if this keeps up again!

Oh Alex that's not fun.

Not as bad over here but we have an overtired baby who manically chomps on her fingers when she is wrung out, and then makes herself cry by biting them too hard. DP is walking her round the flat in a baby bjorn (she hasnt worked out how to get to her hands while in the sling) trying to get her to sleep.

S chews her hands too! I find it quite cute usually but it is funny, especially when you wake up hearing "chomp chomp" as she chews away on them.

This is awful but I have just been doing a silent laugh after DH got her to chill out with a dummy yet again, then choked on his Bombay mix but did it completely silent, I'm proud of him taking one for the team!

Ah well done your DH although talking of Bombay mix reminds me of the time you went to bed drunk and he and I stayed up re-watching a rugby game, and he got it all over the floor and blamed me the next day, the cheeky bugger

Just eaten two slices of chocolate cake. If you need and excuse to leave the house Alex pop over and get some, is amazing! As I'm reducing bf now though, I really ought to think about reducing my cake intake... Damn it, have loved eating like a right porker.

Shouldn't it be Mumbai Mix now? I have never been able to enjoy it the same ever since a stand up comedian (I think it was Jasper Carrot, which really shows my age) said it was the contents of a curry house hoover bag.

I don't know what's happened tonight, but we put E to bed at 8pm as usual and she just couldn't settle, so at 9pm we gave up and got her back up for a bit thinking we would wait until she shows tired signs and put her back in bed and she's only just gone back to bed now! Of all the sleep issues we have with her, getting her to go to bed has never been one of them as she's usually pooped. I think it's a bit too optimistic to hope she sleeps for 8 hours straight from now but I can wish for my first full nights sleep since she was born.... watch this space for me moaning tomorrow about how shit she slept.

cav H has been up 5 times so hopefully we had a shit night an all of you got some kip.

I cant eat bombay mix after my friend told a story about having some out for a week or so after christmas and her boys eating it......then discovering later that their old blind cat had used it as a litter tray. She never knew if they ate it pre or post cat pee

Oh an cav I saw Jasper Carrot live so I'm just as bad

Agh (moan alert) I think I have herniated a disc in my upper back. Was in total agony last night - it's radiating through my ribs so hurts when I breathe. I have had 2 prolapsed discs before so recognise the type of pain. Ducking disaster frankly as it will be caused by too much sitting hunched forward to breastfeed, and is probably exascerbated by picking her up and putting her down, none of which I can stop doing. Got an appointment with my osteopath for Tuesday but don't really have the money for lots of osteopath appointments.

Oh no Quod, that sounds bloody awful. Can't you get something on the NHS, especially if you play on the fact it will stop you from feeding and attending to your baby? In the meantime can you try reclining to feed?

I don't know why I torture myself, but i've just had a nosey a the Gemini Luxury Bus thread, whose babies are all a bit older than most of ours, and it seems the sleeping has all gone to shit for them. Argh! It's like a ticking bomb!

After one better night, last night E finally went to bed at 22.50, woke at 3am to feed and then got up for the day at 6am! Seriously, 7 sodding hours and that was it! She was awake and happy as anything and wouldn't go back down for a nap until 9.30, and then she only napped for 45 minutes and was wide awake again. All of a sudden she doesn't seem to need sleep unlike DH and me.

Oh god quod poor you, can you get physio on the NHS and would that help maybe? Could you do laying down feeding? And ask DP to do as much of the lifting/carrying as poss?

Things were much better here today, I really don't know why it varies so much for us! S was generally more chilled, she still cried but not like the last couple of days. She's also been really sleepy. We're having a peaceful evening as she fell asleep around 5ish but now I have the fear about tonight as surely she'll be wide awake overnight now?! I'm never happy, I know I did think about waking her up but I'm telling myself sleep begets sleep and keeping fingers tightly crossed especially as I've had a couple of glasses of wine which makes being up during the night sooo much harder!

Oh and cav I totally understand that ticking bomb feeling - in some ways it's better to be prepared so we know that things will go through good and bad phases but sometimes I wish I could lie to myself that sleep just gets better and better!

well that was a weird evening. Visiting friends, V usually happy to sleep anywhere reasonably dark, so put him in their bedroom when he was getting sleepy. But no. Simply would not sleep and cried every time I tried to put him down. Not whining, proper crying, very unusual for him. Tried for 2 hours, no luck, so at 9 took him downstairs again and he finally fell asleep there at about 22.30. Woke up screaming half an hour later.

We're home so he is happily asleep in his bed now. I wonder if that's separation anxiety kicking in - earlier today he would complain every time he could not see DH. Will be a pain if that's the case and he won't sleep anywhere but home

Thanks Cavort and Alex. I will go to the GP and ask for a physio referral but having been down this road before I know it might take some time, and that the osteopath gives quicker relief and will be able to do some good crisis management. It feels a lot better today so hopefully yesterday was a warning shot rather than full-blown slipped disc hell but it is so hard to avoid sitting curved forward - how else do you make eye contact with a baby on your lap?! I am trying to lie down to feed when possible and also propping her up on my lap with cushions to allow me to be as upright as possible.

Hope you're ok quod.

H's sleep has totally gone to shit we were up 6 times in 7 an a half hours I am hoping its because of his tooth, I can see a white prong just under his gum. If not I dont know what to do. I gave him calpol and some teething granules an they seemed to help a bit.

Oh I don't worry too much about eye contact - I did that loads at first to bond, and I make sure I do when I'm using an expressed bottle but when I'm bf now she often stares at my skin/top or keeps her eyes closed while I watch tv or go on mumsnet

She ended up doing a good run of sleep from 5pm-12pm (although I only went to bed at 10pm - crazy Saturday night hey). Then she was up for an hour and a half because she got wind so took a while to sort. After that she slept 2am-5am and 6am-7.30am. So I'm wishing I'd gone to bed even earlier but I think she did well to sleep that much overall.

Cross post mother but sending you and

I also really have the fear about what's to come! That sounds tough!

Also quod I have a nursing donut pillow which could help but I think you can do the same with cushions like you said, I used to really prop up S and my back/arms well with cushions before each feed. Actually it's funny, my arms used to ache so much but I don't usually do that anymore so I must have got used to the strain - am I'm going to end up with huge biceps of steel?!

Glad you had a better night alex. H now isnt that interested in me when feeding he looks around at the tv, the dog etc etc....little minx.

I have just had some incredible news! My friend who has been ttc for a few years now, who has been through the disapointment of 2 failed ivf trys, has just found out she is pregnant!! One last shot at ivf using a donated egg and she is up the duff. I cant express how pleased I am for them. She is so maternal and will be an incredible mum, I have everything crossed for her.

I knew the situation was bad when lifting H's feet up to take his trousers off I put my hand in poo, he had pooed into his sock! My boy has skills. Out the nappy, down his leg, into his sock.....cheers H. Think this is related to the nasty tooth we have coming thru.

Wow Mother that is impressive. Lovely news about your friend.
So over here either something had gone very pear-shaped in my postnatal nether regions or AF has arrived. Not fair! I'm only 10 weeks post partum and exclusively breastfeeding. Can this happen?

That reminds me of when S did an explosive poo all up her back as far as her neck and then shoved het little foot in the nappy as I was taking it off! At least her poo still smells of roses as it's bf poo, I'm not looking forward to weaned poo!

She's had a great day today, chilled and content for most of the day, absolutely loved it. Can't work out why she's so much better today than the awful days. A few tears this evening but she's asleep now. Fingers crossed for a good night everyone!

Quod - talk to cavort, she was in your AF gang How's your back today?

Mother - brilliant news about your friend. Since having M I get really emotional about other people getting pg.

All these poos! M did one on weds which got everywhere, had to change all of his outfit and half of mine. And it stinks these days. Ashamed to say I threw the vest out rather than trying to wash it.

It was 7 weeks for me Quod - damned Lochia hadn't even finished when AF arrived. And it's shown up regular as clockwork ever since. I too thought EBFing was a ticket to an AF-free existence but it would seem not.

Ahhh poo conversations. My personal favourite so far was when she did a massive one in the bath while I was home alone with her and resulted in poo over E, poo over me, poo in the baby bath, poo in the big bath, poo in the sink, poo on the floor and poo on a towel. Oh how I laughed.

Good news on S Alex, I hope she gives you a good night.

And great news about your friend Mother. It can be a bit awkward when you know someone has been trying for ages and still aren't pg so I love hearing news of couples finally hitting the jackpot.

I think it's safe to say after seeing this article a few days ago our plans to go to Egypt have been shelved. As much as I want to go away on the cheap, I just can't manage to turn a blind eye to the possibility of being murdered by religious fundamentalists. Call me old-fashioned but it's just not my idea of a relaxing week. Thank goodness we hadn't booked. Back to the drawing board.