Graduated Elderberries

[HazleNutt]

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

[HazleNutt]

Several wake ups here, but I was expecting that due to teething. Luckily fell asleep again immediately each time.

How are our older babies eating? V is still refusing anything lumpy, and finger foods are mostly chewed a little and spat out. I guess all babies learn to eat normal foods at some point though?

[Cavort]

Two wake ups here and I only fed her on one of them so DH was sent in for the other one, but over the last month or so E has decided she prefers to get up at 7am rather than 8am even though bedtime and everything else remain the same so I am getting an hours less sleep. Oh, and she still likes to wake up and stay up for an hour most nights sometime after 3am

It could just be coincidence but I started giving E multivitamins last week and since then she has come out in a few patches of what looks like mild eczema. I know eczema in babies can be a sign of allergy and she hasn't had anything else different so I think I will have to stop the multivits until I can get her in to the Doctors after holiday. At least with a few days in the sun she shouldn't be deficient in Vitamin D in the meantime.

Looking forward to holiday tomorrow but I have terrible guilt at the prospect of putting our furry baby into boarding kennels. I have to drop him off later and I am just looking at the spoiled little lord him snoozing in the sun completely unaware that he will be spending the next 9 days away. We have only left him with family before but it wasn't feasible this time. If I am this guilty about the hound then what am I going to be like when the time comes to put E in childcare?

[HazleNutt]

Oh I totally understand cav - we usually leave our dogs with PILs when we go on holiday and it's horrible how they pretty much try to claw themselves back into the car when we are leaving. PILs have a big farm and love the dogs and of course they are really totally fine there. I'm sure furbaby will have loads of fun with other dogs in the kennel as well.

[MotherOfCleo]

cav I am totally the same with Cleo, they just look at you so sadly don't they. I'm sure he will be fine and will love playing with the other dogs.

Have you left E overnight with anyone? My MiL has offered but I'm too much of a control freak. Is that sad?

[BlearyeyedLol]

Cav I've also had to kind of give up on the vitamins. L refuses anything I mix it with, even her favourites as yoghurt and I don't want to force it on her after she had loads of medicine down her throat over the last few weeks. I'm hoping the vitamin D drops I've ordered are better and easier to give!

[Cavort]

Mother I have left E overnight once and for the day a few times and it has been fine. I would have perhaps left her overnight a few more times but I feel guilty about inflicting a sleepless night onto someone else! Don't do it if you feel uncomfortable though, you're his Mum so it's totally your call.

[MotherOfCleo]

during the day is fine, he's spent a few days with grandparents but I'm more concerned about overnight, he is finally getting better overnight (went down at 9.45, fed at 3.30, still asleep now) so worry a change will mess it up? Plus I know they will overstimulate him during the night, if he stirs my dad will probably get up with him an go watch tv I'm mean, I make him stay in his cot till an acceptable wake up time.

[BlearyeyedLol]

Morning all, just wonder if anyone can answer another dumb question! L has been taking half a ready made carton of formula for the last 3 evenings mixed with BM (around 1oz BM and 3.5 formula) and has suddenly gone very farty and constipated! Is this normal? I've given her the stage 1 (not hungry or follow on) and it looks like the poor lamb is struggling to get it out! Is it worth trying with gripe water again?

[MotherOfCleo]

lol my friend couldnt use aptamil with her lo as it made her constipated, we've not had any issues thankfully but I guess it could be the brand? On the other hand it might just take a little while for her body to adjust to it? Also be warned, formula poo is totally different to bf poo they should have a warning on the packet!! it is much much thicker, lumpier and more stinky, I thought it was making H consipated but I now know that is just how formula poo looks.

[HazleNutt]

Formula certainly made V constipated when he was tiny, so probably a normal reaction, yes. Maybe try half/half with BM, so he has time to adjust?

Not a great night here, teething and full of snot, so was awake every hour, even after I took him to our bed. Well, I hope it's the tooth, (I can see a corner) and not 9 month sleep regression.

Not a great day either, spent a morning arguing with my boss why we don't need to add a 10-line disclaimer to our company emails worldwide and why I think 2 lines is enough. After I explained my objections to every other sentence in detail, she comes back with "yes I understand you want a shorter one, but why?" Because the long one is stupid? And you can't read any email conversations if they only consist of disclaimers? Honestly, like I don't have anything else to do..

[HazleNutt]

a totally unrelated question for those who go swimming - how warm are the swimming pools? V loves swimming, but the classes we switched to are totally useless, no activities, the only thing the instructor does is to walk around and ask if we're ok. And are at stupid times. But pool is warmer during the babyswim classes, 32 degrees they claim, otherwise it's 29. Do you think that would be too cold? Or could work with a wetsuit?

[PickledLilly]

Evening all. We're all full of snot here and feeling yucky. Added respect to the ladies who have been dealing with properly poorly babies as one with just a cold is bad enough!

Hazle - I take L swimming every week but not to an organised class because they're far too bloody expensive I don't know what sort of facilities you have near you but I've found that hotel/holiday park pools are a lot warmer than leisure centre type ones anyway. Not sure what temp it is but we go to a pool at a caravan/holiday park and it's warm enough to not need a wetsuit wrap. Not sure if it's possible for you or if you've only got one pool local to you. I'd give it a go at the colder temp though, you'll soon know if he's too chilly.

[PickledLilly]

Don't know where we're going to go swimming when the tourists all descend mind you...

[HazleNutt]

I'm sure there are some hotels or similar around, but the pool we go to is very conveniently located. They have a special children's pool that we use, it's a lot warmer than a normal swimming pool.
Have bought him a wetsuit just in case, so will go and try. Saturday mornings, when they have the classes, are just such an inconvenient time - over here, all shops and places close so early, even earlier on Satruday and everything is closed on Sunday, so Saturdays are really the only time I have to do stuff.

[PickledLilly]

Oh well if it's a kids pool anyway I'm sure it will be fine, it's just that all the leisure centre type ones around here are absolutely freezing.

Looks like tooth number 5 is following 4 rapidly and I can see 6 on the way as well I'm a bit sick of all the teething to be honest but by the time these next two have come through she'll have a row right across the top and will look like a proper little person. I just hope they're not as much trouble as number 4 was.

[Cavort]

I think it says on the website info for the pool our lessons are held at that the water is 31 degrees. E is fine at that temperature but she does wear a neoprene wrap as well as a happy nappy, but there is one baby who just wears a swim nappy and her teeth are chattering by the end of the lesson not that her Mum seems to notice. Our local council pool has a large pool which is cooler and a small shallower pool which is warmer and more suitable for babies. Don't most local authority pools have similar?

Well I was absolutely not prepared for how much Arabs love babies, especially Arab men. It is difficult getting up the street because they are all trying to peer into the pushchair. As soon as we arrived the stoney-faced man on passport control hardly even acknowledged DH and I, but then he looked at E, stood up and leaned over the desk and took her out of DH's arms to give her a big kiss and cuddle while grinning and telling us that she could stay at work with him. I bet our surprised faces were a picture as well.

Just our luck, we came away for a bit of sun and it has rained all day today so I haven't even seen any blue sky yet let alone the sun. Fingers crossed for better tomorrow.

[CatsCantFlyFast]

Hey all. Apologies for posting questions and disappearing, I'm in a haze of nappies, feeding and napping! Will be more chatty once we have found our feet a bit.
Anyway wondering if you have any magic tricks for wind? We have tried with varying success; over the shoulder, over the knee, back rubbing/patting leant forwards, tiger in the tree, pedalling her legs and holding her up under the armpits. We are still getting the back arching and leg kicking. She is managing to fart a lot but we can't get her to burp...

[Cavort]

Hi Merk it's fine to just pop in and out as you please. We've all been there in that newborn whirlwind. How's it going?

I think Alex is our resident baby wind expert and I'm sure she'll be along with her solutions, but we found the tiger in the tree hold worked best for us along with a bit of leg pedalling. I didn't really want to medicate but after a few nights of screaming we did give Infacol a go and have to admit it did the trick. I think many people find Colief is better but we never tried it after the Infacol worked and we only needed to give anything at all on a handful of occasions. Gripe Water works a treat for getting wind up but it's not recommended under 1 month unless advised by a doctor.

[Alexandra6]

I hope the sun comes out for you cav!!

Wind can be a bloody nightmare can't it merk! Is she crying with the back arching etc? S used to scream so badly, things are so much better now. Funnily enough I find that just holding S upright against my shoulder and walking around gets it up better than any specific holds. If she's not getting it up, I lay her down on her back on her playmat or bed, then pick her up again a few mins later and walk - seems to move the air around and she often does a big burp. Farts are good though too if she's doing those nice. How are you finding nights? And breastfeeding?

S seemed to think it's acceptable to start the day at 5.30am today! Thank god she's so lovely, it's worth the bags under the eyes (yawn)

[janey1234]

Cavort - last time I was in Dubai it rained too - what is it with these deserts?! As if the roads aren't terrifying enough as well - with a bit of rain on roads without any drainage it's truly awful. Glad it's better today.

Merk - walking up and down stairs oddly seemed to help M. And our midwife's patented hold of sitting him on your boobs facing away from you, whilst rubbing his back. And the whole lying flat then picking up thing. But mainly getting older helps not what you want to hear Hope you're enjoying the first few magical days which for me were a crazy whirlwind of feeding, nappies, winding, and very little sleep - but totally amazing in a vaguely terrifying kind of way...

[CatsCantFlyFast]

Thanks everyone. We are doing ok, the only reason I am tired is she will only sleep on us from 9pm until 8am, so DH is doing midnight until 3 and I'm doing the rest. She's just gone into her basket now so I'm hoping for a couple of hours sleep.
Yes we have got the back arching and leg pumping, during and after each feed. It means she isn't getting one long feed the majority of the time as its broken up by her coming off and us trying to wind get until she settles and wants more. Therefore the feeding truly is a bit never ending but it's going ok. My nipples are toughening up (I used a nipple shield on one overnight which helped) and the midwife said my latch is fine so it's just perseverance now

[Alexandra6]

Oh yeah forgot about the only sleeping on you! Never thought we'd get to this stage where she sleeps in her bed for most of the night. How do people manage with an older baby and a newborn though, when you can't sleep when they sleep?! Guess we'll find out!

[MotherOfCleo]

merk i have perfected a sort of bouncing walk I look like a prize pillock but it has always got the wind up a treat. Bouncing walk coupled with back pats usually woeked for us, if not I'd lay him on my legs and rub his back, that helped too. He screamed blue murder if laid on his back as that seems to be when his wind hurt most. I had fast letdown so H struggled badly with wind when I bf, I found that hand expressing a bit off to start with and then using the rugby hold while leaning back a bit worked best for us.

I used to sleep with H in the crook of my arm some nights, I could sleep like that and never moved while sleeping. I also used to build a bit of a nest out of the bedding for him and let him sleep with his face sideways on my boob, the nest stopped him moving plus laying like that helped his wind and again I could catch 40 winks like that.

[Thunderpantsarego]

Hi everyone

I wonder if I might come in? Obviously not a total stranger to everyone, but having been hoiked out of denial land that I could ever be a mum it's time to come in and say hi - if you'll have me?

Not sure if I'm meant to introduce myself further or not at this point . Will read back and catch up on what you're all chatting about.

[Cavort]

Hi Thunder, of course you can come in!

Just to summarise for you, main topic of conversation is sleep or lack thereof, along with general neurotic questions about what is normal and then quite a lot of discussion about the contents and consistency of nappies. 'Tis all V. glamorous.

Welcome to our world.