January 2014 - hoping for more sleep

[beccajoh]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/1952352-Jan-2014-And-lo-there-appeared-a-star-Our-babies-start-arriving

What's the deal with threads being closed? Is there a post limit?

I am soooooo tired today. Archie has been really unsettled the last few nights from about 4am onwards. Sometimes he's hungry, sometimes he wants to play, sometimes he wants his dummy. The last two nights he's ended up in with us as it's easier to replug the dummy, pat etc.
YAWN.

We had a major whingy and whiney phase all last week (in time for our holiday!). Grumbled and cried all day and wouldn't sleep day or night. She's a bit happier this week though (touch wood). Also she rolled for the first time today and was so pleased with herself! I think she rolled about 8 times - must have been pissed off that I wasn't getting the message that she didn't want to be on her tummy!

Oh it would have been exciting if this grumpiness was learning a new skill but I think it was actually illness. At the midnight feed A started a lovely croupy cough. Was worried because last time we had a midnight A&E visit but he fed well and went back to sleep breathing easily so...

DH is home with me today, working but still another pair if hands. Am very grateful for this!

Went to sleep at about 8 last night too so I can tackle anything!

Hi all, I'm up for the 2nd feed of the night so not doing badly. we'll forget the dummy returns.. DS is whimpering and laughing in his sleep. Quite cute really. we'll ignore the biting and pinching from today the not so tiny bastard.

Lara's been a bit unsettled recently too. My mum stayed Thursday night and she had a complete meltdown. We think it was related to her jabs but she had a really high pitched scream. I remember a meningitis leaflet saying that was a sign and even my cool and collected mum seemed shocked by it. Eventually she settled and I think she was overtired. She did it again today too, the result of only 3 15 min Max naps. Feel like shouting at her to 'sleep girl'! She gets in a complete angry, screamy, frenzy.

On a more positive note DH has non and tues of work and we took DS to a farm for his birthday treat (he's 2 next week). Was great and he loved it! He was at nursery today so DH and I (+ Lara!) went out for lunch after her swimming lesson. Was lovely! It was to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary which is also next week.

Made a nice change to have DH around and I even had a nap today. Totally understand where you're coming from million with the wanting to veg out and watch tv. I'd love to have even just an afternoon when I'm not 'on duty' or cleaning or doing jobs so I can relax. It's so draining physically and emotionally. And altered you're doing so well as you have a lot on your plate with the move and visitors. Stick in there and get DH to help out!!

Night all. A few hours left before it's go go go again.

....and we're up for the day!

I wish F would go back to sleep after his 5am feed :(

All those with fussy grumpy babies, I read an article the other day that suggested all babies go through this and it's related to the four month sleep regression/month of wakefulness. May be an explanation.

Sorry to all those having a busy time of it at the moment. Busy week here as well, as I'm trying to get the house ready for O's christening at the weekend and finding it hard to find the time.

I'm starting to think about starting to express some milk to freeze for when I go back to work. Does anyone have any pump recommendations? I've got two manual ones here but thought it might be worth investing in an electric one. Also what is the best way to go about this. Should I just express from the side O has fed on or should I express on the other side as well? I'm clueless about the whole thing!

I didn't express much with dd but I found the Philips avent electric pump worked well for me. I expressed just after her first morning feed from the unused side. I found I could get 5/6oz in about 10/15mins.

Alex unsettled 2-5am last night, dd up at 6am zzzzzzz

Nature I second Tarka's pump recommendation - the Philips Avent electric one has worked well for me. User-friendly, compatible with widely available bottles and sometimes on offer (we bought for £90 but think they do go cheaper than that sometimes).

Am currently trialling the Ameda Purely Yours - apparently it's one they often use in hospitals. It seems to be super efficient/fast at getting the milk out, but isn't as comfortable as the Philips, nor as user friendly IMHO. Also I have to decant the milk into another bottle or container once I'm done - doesn't come with a teat.

Totally agree with expressing just after first morning feed - F is such a piglet there's nothing left to express by the end of the day

nature I also used that one and liked it. Borrowed a double hospital style one from breastfeeding lady which is supposed to be better but didn't like it as much

H went through the waking up every hour thing for about a week but last few nights seems much better and is spending whole night in cot which is good

Persephone woke every hour and a half, so not too unusual last night thankfully. She's a grizzled this morning though and is already on her second outfit having vommed on the bed. Sigh. Vom 1 : poo 0. Final score yesterday was 4-2 to the sick, with a bonus extra change of top for both me and DH. My plans for shopping today are fading into a day on the sofa watching Bargain Hunt.

pidgy we've developed a super high pitch scream here too. It is ear splitting. Sometimes it gets so high that we can't hear it!

Another unsettled night for us too! Up at 12, 2, then again at 3 until 5. She's too big for the bednest now so we are going to buy a cot as we have room in our bedroom. Probably get the Hensvik one from ikea as it's only £60 and I really like it. Sylvie has just wolfed down two thirds of a bowl of puréed apple mixed with baby rice and milk! She's getting good at this eating malarkey.

Yep, unsettled night here too. Finally down at 9pm, up at half 12, 1 and 3.30. I'm also out of iron tablets so triple dead. She also refuses to sleep unless fed to sleep which is hard. I wish she would take a bottle as then we could share night time feeding. DH feels horrible not being able to take a whole night as well.

She's also discovered her voice and is screeching, so so loud!

Thanks for the pump advise will look into the suggestions.

Just realised I have a hv appointment this afternoon. Could have sworn it was tomorrow but I guess this is why I put things in my phone!

My DCs have devised a rota for keeping us up at night as far as I can tell. So D's wasn't too bad at all last night - up at 12 and 4 for quick feeds then awake for the day at 6.

Toddler grumbled in her sleep and we had to go in twice.

Boo to all the restless babies. N had two week-long restless periods with a good week in between. He seems all right again this week, so we will see what he does next week! Pretty sure he'll figure out we're moving and revert to being a tiny bastard.

toby thanks for the high chair tip! There is now ikea in egypt, and they sell antilop high chairs! Not the cushion though, so I am going to have to take a trip to buy that this week. They sell all the wooden toys and tea sets in egyptian ikea too, so I am going to be spending all my money there! In fact, I don't much like cooking so I might just move in.

nature I had a medela swing with DD but gave up after two attempts. I had bought it to give her bottles of EBM when out and about but it was too much faff. Perhaps I would have persevered if I had been going back to work, but for me it was rubbish, despite good reviews. I am seriously lazy though.

felix go Sylvie! I am thinking of starting N on solids before ramadan in case my milk supply drops off a bit at the beginning. Not sure I will fast though, in hindsight I think it affected my milk supply with DD and I don't want to risk it.

DD has a party this afternoon so I picked her up from school early. We went to the shops to pick a birthday card, and she wrote a completely indecipherable message in it. She put on her dress and got ready within five minutes of arriving home at 1:45pm, but the party isn't until 4:00. Then she cried herself to sleep because she wanted the party to start straight away. Waking her up will be fun!

Is anyone still in touch with sultanajo? If so, let her know I've been thinking of her, her DS was born on the same day as N and would love to know how they are getting on.

hv appointment was fine. No concerns, and she has put weight back on again so has moved back up the centile.

Thanks for the info altered as I had been looking at the medela swing.

I have the medela swing and it was good when I used it, for about 4 weeks. The calma teat thing that comes with it is rubbish though! I would have liked one that was compatible with the avent bottles I already had, but it wasn't too much hassle decanting from the medela bottle to the avent ones. I'm saving it just in case we have another and I can actually breastfeed this time!

So I could be being productive. DH is out with his friend in a thunderstorm, and both DCs are asleep! But I am pissing around on Mumsnet instead.

DD had a great time at the party, although I felt like a bit of an idiot dressing her up in a dress. There was only one other girl, who came late, and they were running around in mud for most of the time! DD was happy though, and the dress unbelievably escaped unscathed.

She has also been owning me today on the putdowns. This was our conversation this morning, when she was shouting on the toilet:

Me: DD, I really don't like it when you shout.

DD, delivered just like Nessa from Gavin and Stacy: Oh! Mummy! I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN YOU TALK!

To the best of my knowledge, DD has never watched Gavin and Stacy, so not sure where she got that from.

Tonight she also told me "MUMMY! TAKE OFF MY DRESS BECAUSE I WANT TO BE MAKE-ED!"

Boy, Egypt is gonna love her.

Hahaha Altered

Ha ha altered!

I go back to work next Wednesday! Shit! None of my clothes fit, so i have to go shopping. My hips haven't shrunk down, i still have a preggo belly (even though I've lost so much weight) and i hate clothes shopping.

crap

Welcome to the work club million! I am still wearing my maternity work trousers as I am too tight to buy more until my shape has settled a bit. Only half my tops fit but I am being optimistic or deluded and hoping the rest fit soon!

Xander has the snuffles today, sounds like a pig in his cot, bless. Also using a thin blanket instead of his sleeping bag as don't have a 1 tog and his room is warm, he has already kicked it over his face once argh.

Dh has just bashed O on the side of her head with his knee really hard (not his fault just bad circumstances). Never heard her cry like that . I've given her some calpol and she has gone to sleep on my chest. She'll be ok won't she? There isn't any point taking her to a dr unless she is sick is that right?

Damn it. Think I have a blocked duct. Any idea how worried I need to be about this? Do I need to run out and buy a pump? The kellymom website says I need to "empty the breast thoroughly". No idea how to tell if it's empty! Urgh!

Nature, I don't know, sorry. Really don't want to offer bad advice.

Spged, you need to massage the lump (towards the nipple to clear it), a hot shower might help and a hot flannel on it. Also, you can take ibruprofen to help too.

Feed on that side and keep massaging / pushing it 'put' before, during and after until the lump has gone. I've had a few and it's still sore afterwards for a whole but the lumps had gone and I had no issues.

I used a pump the first time but no need if you're still feeding.

If it gets red and hot and you feel fluey, you need antibiotics ASAP as it could be mastitis, but you can catch it early to prevent that.

If it's on the far side of your breast, or down the side, trying a different hold so their chin is that side (rugby hold??). I never mastered this tho!

Hi ladies - can I join? I have been following since I was pregnant (is there a crazy stalker emoticon?) & you have saved my sanity many a time! I have a beautiful little girl, Harriet - born on the 3rd jan (due 16th for wonder week purposes). She is a very good baby most of the time, my first dd was really hard work though so i feel i deserve a good one this time! She is 5 now & autistic, so life is very interesting at the moment! We live in australia although dh & I are both English.

Nature - dd1 fell backwards on dd2 in her bouncer yesterday - I was certain she was ok but I did take her to the dr just to make myself feel better - I would trust your instincts.
Spged- massage where the lump is in a warm shower, and try to massage it when you're feeding too - if you can position baby so their chin massages it while you're feeding that works well. Good luck!

Sorry, lots of typos above. Trying to multitask whilst still half asleep.