JULY 2014 - WE HAVE BABIES

[justhayley]

Well it's only mid June but I hear we have our first July 2014 baby - congratulations MrsC, also hear there is one going to be joining us very very soon so thought it was time to start a postnatal thread! Wow can you believe it's that time already!!!

I hope to be joining you on this thread in the next few weeks - have no desire to get to 40 /42 weeks in this heat thank you.

For now congratulations new mummies xxx

I think because I knew we would be out all day I've been more regimented than usual about feeding to schedule, and DS enjoys the sling so much, that I think he has had his most contented day ever. We normally have an unsettled time in the early evening so I thought the pub trip might be tricky but he was really happy.

I have barely done any specific tummy time but DS sleeps tummy-down a lot (tummy to chest with me), so tends to exercise his neck a bit when he wakes.

ds hates the sling :( wish he did like it cos I would get more done and he'll only sit in bouncer for about 10 mins.

tummy time - he hates that too and I have tried a few times but he used to spend a fair bit of time on DPs chest so his neck is getting strong anyway. He now lifts his head trying to sit up when he's led on his back and sitting in the bouncer he tries to sit up more.

Those of you using slings what position are you using?

I'm putting DD in the Newborn Hug Hold on the Moby. She looks likes to stretch out her legs, though, so it's not as comfortable as it could be. Will try the kangaroo hold when her jab site has healed.

I have a ring sling: www.heart2heart.ca/ - the regular version. DD lies horizontally, with her head slightly higher than her feet and half facing me. It's a great sling up to approx 20lbs, then it doesn't offer enough support, at least for me. We've been using it a lot this time...

And housework. Occasionally I'll have a half-hearted tidy-up, or dust, but really I'm ignoring it. We have a few guests coming to stay in the next few months. I'll do a proper clean before each arrives, but have no real intention of doing it more frequently. It can wait.

Interestingly when I was at baby sensory this week the leader said tummy time is not just on tummy but anytime baby is not on back. Dd hates being on floor on tummy much prefers being upright so she can be can be nosey you can use a large ball and lean them over.

Am at my DPs for a week so I can work

On that basis DS has tummy time about 23 hours a day! Will have neck like an ox!

I have a moby-style wrap and carry DS in the hug hold. I want to get a pouch sling too - easier fling on, can take out with me in case DS has enough of the buggy etc.

Ds hates being carried/held facing me like that and as for restricting his arms forget it :( would be so much easier if I could use a sling!

slings are great, but my back aches after a short time.

I'm having op to take gallbladder out on the 27th. it scares me and i worry about after effects (like diarrhoea and needing careful diet as some people report) and recovery time, but it seems the reasonable thing to do to avoid a host of potential problems (cramps and attacks, biliary colic and endoscopy or the gallstones passing, infections and at worst pancreatitis).

feels like I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't.

hope you are all ok. Elijah is doing well

Zing sorry to hear that the gallbladder isn't great. Will they be able to do it with keyhole surgery? Once you have recovered from the operation it sounds like despite potential issues those would be better than what you describe if you don't have it taken out.

DD dislikes the sling. She doesn't appreciate being close to me but unable to feed! I'm not going to start with slings where you can feed!

zing I know several people who have had their gallbladder removed and they have recovered well so fingers crossed you will too

ooh best of luck zing am sure it will all be fine in the end. DD never really been in a sling. I had a babasling which I used twice to put the washing out with DD in and both times she hated it. I have two baby carriers for walks in the park - which she also hates so havent bothered trying anything else. Am trying to preserve the lovely non clingy-ness as I am now booked in with nurseries and childminders to go back to work in the Spring.

Am currently at my parents trying to finish writing reports which were put off as was so ill during the pregnancy (but now are urgently needed). DD having a lovely time of it down by the sea today with my DPs and she is apprently not missing me at all. I will get a cuddle this evening when they get back. Feeling sad but good that I am not needed all the time.

I love my feisty, independent DD .

DD was asleep in her bouncy chair and DS just woke her up on purpose. he even gave me a cheeky look when I told him not to. DH is doing DS's bedtime now.

So I'm now feeding DD and forgot to get a drink, I'm really thirsty, and the only drink in reach is DH's glass of wine...

Good luck Zing !

Bean did a new one last night, much to DH's 'amusement'. She woke up around 5am to be fed, then promptly stayed awake for over an hour giggling and babbling. Of course, she's now fast asleep in my arms and he's downstairs, tired & grumpy.

ismarah

Lucky you with a helpful DH! Mine gets up at 5am to milk the cows so he doesn't do any night feeds

I know its early but for all those who want their Dc to receive a letter from Father Christmas the NSPCC will send one for a donation. They have a good one for baby's first christmas...

christmas.nspcc.org.uk/santa

Also someone passed on this useful hint for teething babies dental care. Wisdom do a toothbrush with short head and a round end so little hands can grip, she's only ever seen them in the poundshop so I picked one up midweek and it looks really good. Its called the step-by-step.

I don't think we have our first july baby tooth yet but on the facebook group there is lots of drooling and finger sucking going on.

Thank you liquid for the Santa letter link - I started a thread about presents and traditions here - any ideas anyone wants to share?

ds is drooling, lip smacking/sucking and chewing his whole hand and anything else that gets near his mouth!

DH, as a veteran googler of all things, tells me the drooling is more to do with their bodies preparing to wean... I mentioned this to my mum and her reaction was a scoffing 'science!'. Sigh.

Although DD is fascinated to watch me eat and definitley lunged for my banana the other day.

Fox

what an excuse for a sip of wine! really made me laugh.

sorry I'm not posting regularly, my head is spinning..

anyway Elijah is growing and was weighed on Monday and for the first time he stayed on the "curve" instead of dropping down a few centiles as he usually does.
a friend reminded me that my kids are tall and as he's channelling some energy into growing longer instead of fatter of course he's weight gain will be slower.
lighbulb moment!

this morning he was properly laughing. it's hilarious and incredibly sweet. he does giggle when he sees his sibling pulling faces and making silly noises - I love watching them together, just gorgeous!

*siblings. all of them

Zing I have had HVs etc using DS's length to explain his poor weight gain which I didn't really understand, but I guess growing longer requires more energy per gram than gaining chubbiness.

DS is definitely starting to fill out a bit now - I have some bath time photos from a couple of weeks ago and his ribs were sticking out. However we've only managed this by giving him more formula and am concerned my milk supply is dwindling further as a result - even though I'm taking domperidone. I really don't want to drop BFing completely but don't know how much longer we can sustain it.

I missed a lot of posts so I apologise if you had already said, but how often do you feed now?
If you feed him twice a day (morning and evening) plus the formula and he is gaining weight then that's fab and you can carry on for months like that!

my personal "target" has always been 6 months. I felt if I could manage to not stop completely before 6 months I'd feel pleased and accomplished.
but I quit bf at 5 months with DS3 (undetdcted tongue tie made our lives miserable), at 12 weeks with DS4 (it was just too much with everything else that was going on), and also at 5 months with DS5 as he was a biter and not only was it painful but I stopped enjoying bf because every time I sat down to feed I was worried he'd bite me and hurt me.
(he had teeth by then and the first time he bit me I thought he'd bitten off my nipple! my nipple was very sore for days after that and although I carried on for a few weeks out of sheer stubbornness he did bite a few more times and so eventually I had to give up )

on the other hand I had the most trouble bf DD yet each month I felt I wasn't ready to stop yet and somehow I managed to feed her for a year! (morning, lunch time, night feeds)
that was the longest out of all of them (so far), stopped at 9 months with DS1 (he became disinterested) and at 8 months with DS2 (biter).

hth.
you could say for example"ok, I'll carry on for 3 more weeks (or until he is 4 months old or whatever) regardless ,then I'll decide if I stop or not"
that way you will take out the daily agonising over what you should do snd when you get to the date you set you might be relieved to stop or decide actually you feel like carrying on.
if latter just set another "target", say 2 more weeks or another month. or maybe just 3 more days. it doesn't matter. hope that makes sense!

oh and btw I don't regret making the decide to stop, with any of them.
I wish I could've carried on (especially with DS2 as he was might best feeder & such a joy to feed and DS5 as he was not even 3 months old) but practical reasons meant I couldn't, so although each time I stopped I was upset and it was tearful times (with all of them, actually) I also know that I just couldn't have carried on.
you have to stop eventually so no point carrying on if it makes you miserable/in pain etc