December 2012: Now they're all 1

[Barbeasty]

We needed a new thread!

ddas I've also found the total ignoring of crying during the night to work much better than going in and trying to settle them. It does sound and feel mean, but worked much better for us. If we went in he just got angry that we didn't pick him up and normally ended up crying much more and for far longer. Second night back from holiday I left him cry, took 40m (which is the longest he's ever cried during the night when left) however he didn't wake at all the next night, or any night since.

It's hard though, as so much of this is dependant on the personality of the particular child. I really hope you find some sort of solution that works soon. In the mean time is there any way you and DH could take it in turns to sleep? One night on, one off? Might help you catch up a bit on some sleep, if there's somewhere you can sleep and not hear the goings on.

Ddas we get H to sleep by rocking her until shes asleep then putting her in her cot when she's fully gone. But then when she wakes up she usually ends up in my bed. I am considering buying one of those teddy bears where you can record your heartbeat and putting it in her cot when she wakes up as i think she just needs the comfort of knowing we're around. I don't know if that helps you or not. I hope you manage to get some sleep soon.

You are all very bad influences all this talk of cookies has made me want to go and get another bar of chocolate.That will be 2 bars if i do it.

Ddas I'm sorry I have no advice. My friend puts a floppy toy over her ds' tummy/bum so he thinks it's her hand

Oh and dd wet OUR bed last night she hasn't wet the bed in ages and it's usually a sign that she's coming down with something!

Can I ask a question?

Those of you expecting, ttc or having had dc2. What made you feel ready?

I really do want dc2 but I'm terrified.
I suffered ante natal depression, diabetes on 5 insulin injections, kidney problems, lost blood throughout and then had spd so badly I couldn't walk. I cannot contemplate dealing with that and dd.

Labour and motherhood has seemed a relative breeze by comparison so I'm not really worried about that side of things.

Also ttc took 13 months first time

Any stories or advice greatly received xx

Oh god flumpy poor you! I had very easy pgs but getting pg was hard. We knew we wanted more babies and so were just never careful and ended up with 3 which we're delighted about but are now being careful!

Pregnant. With a cold. Needing a wee and sneezing. Not a good combo
Better do some pelvic floor exercise!

flumpy I was lucky with a relatively easy pregnancy. I really shouldn't moan at all. I don't get morning sickness, not too many aches and pains either. My legs gradually get more and more filled with fluid and my hips ached at the end of my pregnancy with DS but if I was a bit lighter to start with that would probably help.
The small gap was more luck than design. I can't say we were feeling ready for dc2. More that we knew we wanted a dc2 and didn't want a huge gap so we were sort of not being careful really.

Flumpy we knew we wanted 2 DC, so when I got my periods back at 9 months we thought we'd try 'a bit' with no stress and charting, but no contraception. It took 2 years to conceive DS, and 2 weeks for this one! So we ended up with the smallest age gap we wanted. If I'm honest I'm not feeling broody at all! I didn't really feel very broody with DS either, I seem to find it hard to make pg into the reality of babies.
I've known quite a few people who didn't have nearly as much trouble having their second. I think it's something like 2 years you're more fertile for. So you might not have to try long second time around either.

That said, a lot of the problems you had are ones which are likely to come back for a second pg, and with spd potentially come back earlier and worse. Have you thought about chatting to your GP? They may have some advice about things you could do to prepare your body for another pregnancy. I think there's a few exercises you can do to to strengthen your core muscles and hopefully help the spd not come back.

I think it's a case of how many dc you want rather than being ready

Ds has got his operation four weeks today. I just know I'm going to cry!

Spotty is that for his tiny boy bits? Poor little guy. I hope it is all over very quickly for him and for you!

Spotty just be careful how you explain to DD what's happening to him. When I was only slightly older than her my brother had to have a medical circumcision. I may have told all my friends that he was having his willy cut off.

Now, not only does A position himself on my lap ready for a feed (by lying back) but today he has started opening his mouth as wide as he can and waiting for me to start feeding him.

Oh no beasty your poor dbro that's so cute about A, still sad that ds stopped wanting to feed.

Yes Nutella it is. I need a day off work too which should be fun

Haha beasty that is funny and quite cute.

DS was intently watching another mummy breast feeding her 4 month old today. He was watching very curious. I'm not convinced he would have ever self weaned. I'm wondering what will happen when DC2 arrives. I did love feeding him for a while. When we got past the hard bit, engorgement, and what some days felt like constant feeding....

Oh yeah it's easily forgotten. Blocked ducts all the time, leaky boobs, painful let down etc etc

Poor little spotty man! Top tip beasty - now we see where mini beasty gets her beasty ways!

Argh! Operation reclaim the night is not going well. On the second wake up I decided enough was enough. After 2 hours of the most intense screaming I gave up and fed her. She was in such a state she couldn't latch on for a bit. I am so incredibly fed up. I got the nights sorted for a grand total of one month and then boob to settle has crept back it's now usually twice a night and then up at 6. Going to work in a few hours and then will have another hellish night no doubt. So fed up right now.

Flumpy we always knew we wanted at least 2 children and it took nearly 2 years to conceive The Little Mister (and we had a bit of intervention) and I am 38 so it was a case of 'we'd better crack on'. How romantic.

Fod everything about babies, conception, pregnancy, birth is dignified romantic and beautiful... Isn't it??

WL that sounds really shit hope you have a better night tonight.

I'm waiting for ds to wake up. He's been asleep for two hours and I want to go out and get his passport photo done!

WL, i hope T sleeps for you tonight i'm not sure of what to suggest that could help. The only thing i can think of is could your Dh spend a few nights doing all the wake ups? Just so she can't smell the milk on you.

All this pregnancy talk is not making me broody at all. I think if H had been an easier baby and me and DP lived together things maybe different. But at the moment i would be suicidal if i found out i was pregnant.

Better be careful then hales!
The only thing to be done is for me to persevere for a couple of nights and then I'm sure it will be ok. She's been going to bed awake and settling so I was hoping the night wakings would tail off but alas not. DH doing the night shift is not really an option - I wouldn't switch off and sleep and he'd only end up pissing me off! I'm grumpy as hell though and forgot to book the pub for a big friends lunch and now they can't fit us in!

Can I curse things and say that A only woke up once in the night? I don't count the 5.50 wake up, because we'd be up then in the week anyway, so just at about 1ish.

But since his dinner consisted of the head of a gingerbread man, half a banana and a bowl of rice crispier, I think tonight is already cursed sleep wise.

I'm feeling very proud of DD though. She started ballet lessons at the end of January, part way through the term. She was meant to miss the last few lessons of the term because they're rehearsals for the production. But today we were asked if she'd like to be in it with the rest of her class because she's good enough.

They will be a class of pre - school bulls!

A has added biting my top to the face - in - cleavage act. He got into trouble when he missed my top and bit my cleavage! And apparently he bit MIL's leg through her trousers yesterday. Just thankful he never does anything at nursery.

Nursery had parents evening last week and they said how good he is at following instructions. All he does for me is smirk and walk off to do his own thing.

Bless her beasty bet that will be cute! I tried to do ballet as a wee un but I'm really not the right physique and my mum said every week she used to hear the teacher cry 'not like that WL'!
I just bought the dds decorate your own electric toothbrushes - they were so excited! They were all obsessed with dhs lecky brush so in the interests of hygiene I caved and got them their own.
Had a super cute moment after tea tonight when I was singing hey Jude for the big 2 and T was dancing. DH even said I was quite tuneful which was quite a shocker. I reminisced about sitting by the seine with a special pal many moons ago listening to a French busker playing it. Think I'll message her now.

Loving the passport photos too - how did they know they're not allowed to smile!

Question: how did you end bfing? C is down to a feed before bedtime, which often sends her to sleep, but she can self-settle after about 5-10 Minutes of crying/complaining if need be. I don't think she would self wean.

I have to end bfing by the end of May, as I'll be away for 2.5 weeks. How should I do it? And how early, to make sure she's settled for bedtimes before my parents have her while we're away?