September 2006 babies

[Lysettes]

Start of our september 2006 post natal thread!

Cruisemum - Hope things get better. Still definitely the early days. DS1 wasn't dropping a feeding until nearly month 3.

Pol - Let us know what happens with the house! Jameson's the same about day sleeping., He's a light sleeper & won't sleep well in the carseat, so errands have to be timed exactly right. Yesterday he had a marathon day & would up screaming-crying himself to sleep, he was so overtired. Never again.

Myrtle, hope MIL will use some self-control.

Tassis, thanks for info on car seats; makes sense.

Homemama - We went straight to FF this time mainly b/c knots I had were extremely painful to knead out - more so than labor, for me. Not so much for the convenience, but you're right; everything has seemed much easier this time around. DH was sad about how BF turned out, but he understands.

Puppy - Hi again! When Jameson drops the midnight feeding, I'll start sleeping downstairs again. When he gets into a similar schedule to DS1's (8pm to 7am), they will share a room.

Liquid - I second Compo! Please let us know if it works!

I had to take a morning-after pill yesterday. . Birth control pills don't work the first month - We did know that. It's wonderful we're acting like teenagers, but unfortunately irresponsible ones. I'm at a point where I feel freed - my body's my own now; no one will ever live in it again. We tried for a year to have Jameson, and then I felt so awkward to 9 months. Sex is about sex now, for both of us. Maybe that's why we forgot.

Liquid - please let us know your tip for making them go longer at night? Did it work last night?

Will definitely try the towels trick as DS is still more comfy in his car seat at night. I put him down in his cot in grobag after his 6:30pm feed and he does grumble a lot but eventually goes off but after his 11:30pm feed I'm usually tired so I give in and put him back in car seat. I do find though that after a few hours in car seat he is desperate to have a good stretch and he passes a lot of wind once he is taken out and laid flat.
He smiled today for the first time, I was so happy I cried!

Marls, MIL has been fine although she can't believe how much DS feeds and when he starts rooting about an hour or hour and half after feeding she says he's not hungry and takes him off for a walk. I'm a bit ashamed but today when he was rooting I actually snuck upstairs and gave him a sneaky feed without her knowing and then I thought what am I doing, I'm his mum I know best but I just feel like a naughty school girl when she is around sometimes and she has so many grandchildren I feel like she must know so much more than me.

Goodness, what a lot's been going on.. I am so knackered I can't read it all! So I hope everyone's ok, and getting a bit more sleep...

We had a good week at my parents' with lots of help. On the sleeping front I think F must be going through another growth spurt, as he's woken twice the last couple of nights, after going from 11 to at least 3 (and even 5 once) for ages... and then 7. I don't know if it's growing or the change to winter time, as the second wake up is usually around 5.30/6, after a 2.30 ish wakeup earlier. We tried ignoring him to see if he'd settle for a few minutes this morning at 5.30 - result was he screamed the place down and was hard to pacify. Just thanking god he didn't wake DS1 too... Liquid, any tips welcome on how to encourage longer times! I know he's capable... I did think of the boiled water thing to see if that'll settle him, but think I'll wait a couple of weeks yet. Also trying to make sure he takes lots in the day. I had him weighed today - 11lb 4oz, so hopefully soon....

I have dropped a feed last week - I'm giving F expressed milk now mid-morning and not expressing instead. I can manage to get about 5 oz every morning from expressing and have to add a bit from the freezer. So the freezer supply'll run out at some point and then he'll have to have formula. I feel a little guilty about it, but I just couldn't carry on with feeds lasting an hour or more with DS1 doing his nut with boredom all morning, what with naps as well...!

From tomorrow I will try and read everyone's posts again - just couldn't manage to catch up on a week's worth! Although it's increasingly difficult to get on here, as DS1 has definitely dropped the lunchtime nap - he hasn't had one for 10 days now and just catches 10 mins sometimes in the car instead. Sigh.

PS myrtle, Fraser is also really happy in his car seat, and if he won't settle, that's my strategy too...!!!

I'm the first to post today - everyone must be out enjoying the sunshine
Okay night last night - dd fed at 9pm, slept til 2am and then woke again at 5am but managed to drop off again until 6am. Does anyone else have to cuddle/rock their lo to sleep in the day and evenings. She settles fine by hersle fin the night but the daytime it seems easier to just cuddle her until she goes off because of ds running around. Often when I put her in her bouncy chair she wakes up again so I just hold her while she sleeps unless we're out in the car or pushchair. Hope that's not setting her up for bad sleep habits!!

Sorry not to post back earlier, Cruisemum. Lizzie will be 7wks on Friday. DH doesn't get in until 6.50 but as he gets the train, that time is pretty much the same time each day so easy to plan. They go in the bath together with DD in the baby seat. Then I take her out and BF in the dark in our room and put her in the crib. DS stays in for another 5mins then DH takes him into his room for a beaker of milk and bed.
Unless DH calls to say he'll be late, I have them both upstairs and nappyless with the bath run by 6.50! That's the plan anyway! It doesn't always run so smoothly!

Compo, DD settles really well at night but I really struggle to get her to go down for naps in the day. I've resorted to either going for walks at nap times or letting her cry for 5mins then giving her the dummy which sometimes works.

Myrtle, my MIL was exactly the same when DS was born. She constantly repeated, 'just because he's crying it doesn't mean he's hungry'. Well that may have been true but I needed to find that out for myself. She made me feel very inadequate when he was first born.

Yippee! Last night ds fed at 8:15pm then not again till 4:30am! I put him down about 8:45pm in cot, in gro-bag and he grunted, groaned then settled himself by about 9:45pm with no tears! Had two glasses of wine to celebrate! Does anyone else indulge in a tipple while bf-ing?? Comforting to know so many have trouble with daytime napping locations! ds currently sleeping soundly in my arms for the third time today! Hope tonite oes well for y'all!!!

that's very reassuring re. daytime naps Homemama and Cruisemum!
I've been having a glass of wine with dinner 3 or 4 times a week. It's very relaxing in these stressful times

liquid what's the secret tip??????

compo i too have been indulging in a few odd glasses of wine. la leche has on it's website a piece that states a small glass of wine is out of your system around 60 mins after you stop drinking it, so.....

bit of a winge and rant now am afraid. it was my birthday yesterday, and my PIL phoned DH at work to say they were very concerned that i was taking ds swimming as in new zealand it's not advised, and you can catch HIV from swimming pools and all sorts of other nasties. dh had to face this all on his own and then when he got home started worrying about everything else i am doing with ds - giving him gripe water, feeding him formula, having used infacol in the past, taking him outside in the cold weather....the list goes on! basically we ended up having a huge row and totally ruining my birthday. at one point he suggested that we should get a full time nanny and i should go back to work

does anyone have any tips on how to deal with my bloody PIL as they seem to be able to turn dh's fears on at the drop of a hat (ds is our first) and it makes my life absolute hell. I'm not sure how long i'm going to be able to carry on if they keep on like this.

and we still haven't resolved the swimming issue!

lol everyone
xxx

Lysettes - Why don't you get on Google and do some searches?

MIL v. concerned DS1's not potty trained yet. Looked it up; what do you know - normal for boys to train betw. 3rd and 4th bdays. DH listened to www.webmd.com over his Mom.

So find some evidence. As much as you can. Print it all out, with sources! Show to DH. Copy into Word and e-mail to PILs.

I do know cold doesn't cause disease in and of itself. Good handwashing is much more important to worry about than cold. Copy & paste this!

Myrtle: Many grandchildren an expert doesn't make. You're the mom. How long has it been since she's been the mom of a newborn?? What's "commonly known" has changed. You do things your way.

Compo & Homemama: The baby swing's the only place Jameson will sleep (well) in the daytime. He'll go to sleep in the carseat but if I have to stop the car & take him inside, he'll wake up cranky!

Met a mom from Leeds today; she just joined our Moms' Club. They're here for 3 years and then will return to UK. Everyone loves her accent and told her she'll get used to the clothes dryer.

Here's something on various gripe waters . Also, this link works: www.webmd.com

Couldn't resist: Here's another one.

"Q: Can I become infected with HIV through normal social contact/activities such as shaking hands/toilet seats/swimming pools/sharing cutlery/kissing/sneezes and coughs?
A: No. This is because HIV is not an airborne, water borne or food-borne virus. Also, the virus does not survive for very long outside the human body. Therefore ordinary social contact such as kissing, shaking hands, coughing and sharing cutlery does not result in the virus being passed from one person to another."
Source: www.avert.org/faq1.htm#q9 (AVERT is an international AIDS charity.)

Well, hello ladies!!!

House hunting is going ok. Made DP promise we will have a decision on Sunday pm as we could look forever and need a choice now. We have been in rented since July 2005 and was supposed to be just for six months... We are seeing another on Saturday and possibly two on Sunday... The one we saw last night was in an awful area and the decor was changing rooms on acid... all changable (but blue gloss wood panneling up your stairs???!!!) bt the area was pretty dire. I could not of brought up DD or DS there- I would be terrified for them.

Does anyone know how much fitting a central heating system cost???

Morning ladies
Lysettes - can't believe your dh said that about the full time nanny I hope you told him where to go As for swimming I thought it was fine after the imunisations in the first 8 weeks and I know you are a lot further on than us. If you search Musnet threads I'm sure I remember someone asking if it was okay.
Pol26 - I think installing central heating would be a few grand. We had a new boiler and radiators and that was 2K I think.

baby swimming thread and here

hi all - i have re-appreared after a few days away again!
Lysettes - I am amzed at you PIL! I was told by my HV I had for DS1 that you could take them swimmin no problem after their 1st set of jabs - in fact DS2 has his on fri and we are going to centreparcs on sunday for the day. Also if it helps my bro is a paediatric nurse who works in the community with babies who have hepititis and most of their mothers have HIV, and he has a five month old baby at home, and I am sure he wouldn't be putting her at risk!!!!
well i've been struggling to feed ds in the evenings, as my milk was just so low, i thought i was going to have to start giving him formula in the evenings, which i didn't want to do really after i've managed without for 7 weeks. i actually started another thread about it and got some interesting advice from tiktok. Anyway i think my milk is now catching up with him and i feel a bit ' fuller' today!!!!

just out of interest does anyone know how many calories it takes to bf exclusively?
(DH has just been to M&S and picked up a couple of those treacle sponges that they are advertising on TV at the moment!)

Mabel, I think I read somewhere that you need an extra 500 calories a day? Sure the treacle sponges will be lovely - my mum got some too last week, and I ate one.. Yum yum.

pol, also think central heating could cost several grand - maybe £5000? Expensive stuff.

Marls, great advice re. interfering PIL... Lysettes, stick to your guns! Swimming is fine after the jabs, and I'm sure Jacob will love it.

I just introduced a dummy to Fraser... He was crying going down for his nap and flailing about, I put the dummy to his mouth, he sucked for approx 20 secs, his eyes shut and it fell out of his mouth. From what I read in the Baby Whisperer, the dummy will hopefully get replaced by his thumb once he works out that it belongs to him and he can control it!!

Weeelll, the dummy got him off to sleep, but he woke up crying after 40 mins, and the only thing that would settle him again was the car seat! So he's now sleeping soundly in that, after spitting out the dummy several times! Oh well, nice try...!!!

Weeelll, the dummy got him off to sleep, but he woke up crying after 40 mins, and the only thing that would settle him again was the car seat! So he's now sleeping soundly in that, after spitting out the dummy several times! Oh well, nice try...!!!

Claire sorry to hear the doodie (as we call it) isn't working. We use a cherry teat one and do until the first tooth comes through as they tend to keep it in better. DD had this and no prob with teat and changed to orthodontic once her first tooth popped through. DD and DS wouldn't be able to keep the orthodontic in when they were newborn/little.

I guess and it is a blind guess at around £5000 and it seems worth it for the house...
www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-12567248.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy what do you all think???

clairemow, my ds absolutely refuses to take a dummy! He seems to loathe them which is a blessing and a curse I guess. My ds had hers until she was 4!! Daytime naps are still a problem with him only settling in his car seat or arms. Will he ever take to his cot in the daytime I wonder??!!!Today he has hardly napped at all which is frustrating. Mind you, I cannot complain because for the last two nights he has slept from 10pm to 4:30am and 5:00am respectively! . Then why oh why am I exhausted beyond belief today?? .

Clairemow - we had same problem with DS1 and the dummy 'slipping' out too easily (not being spat out, which is a whole other problem) - we changed to the nuby cherry teat ones and I'm just about to do the same with DS2. Also I completely get where you're coming from with substituting a feed, DS1 gets pretty bored sometimes when I'm BFing, I'm thinking of starting to swith in a week or so.

Lysettes - can't believe your DH! I'd sit him down witha nice meal and explain really matter of factly that what he said realy hurt your feelings and you hope he didn't mean it (at which point he feels compelled to say sorry and he didn't ) and that you need to have a serious conversation about who's Jake's parents! Sounds like your in laws are pretty antagonistic.

Pol - central heating: we had a vaillant boiler (bees knees!) and 7 radiators for about £2500 about 4 years ago if that's any help.

Marls - hate those 'screaming' days - they have to have them though, partly to teach us not to push it but also to teach them that sometimes it's best just to shut up and go to sleep!

Hope I'm not jinxing myself here but I haven't had a migraine since I said that it would take a miracle for me to get to this stage without another one (Perhaps He was actually listening!) so I've decided to keep going with this BF lark a while longer but as I said a bit further up I'm going to start mix feeding next week and slowly reduce it down to maybe half formula half BF ready for when I go back to work.

SO the tip!!! Not rocket science, nothing special but just a bit of effort! Basically it's just that instead of treating the 10-11pm feed as a night feed, treat it like a wake up session instead. Every evening we're getting DS up at 10pm and instead of keeping it low key we play with him and keep him up until 11.15pm at which point he gets a top up feed. It's meant that instead of waking at 2am and 5am he's just waking at 3.30-4am the getting to 7am. Sometimes he wakes at 2am and 6am but we've found a dummy will generally settle him in a few minutes instead of a feed.

Myrtle - that first smile is magical! I too got al emotional when DS1 did it for the first time - plenty more of tose moments ahead too - first giggle being the one I'm looking forward to this time!

Just a quick one - I can vouch for Liquid's top tip. We were doing a dream feed as advised by Tracy Hogg - i.e. lift baby out and he drinks half asleep. However, we found we couldn't get beyond 2.30 wake up very often, and then 5.30/6. With waking Fraser up around 10.30, turning on all the lights so that he's properly awake, doing most of the feed in the light, then changing his nappy and dimming the light again, we're back to 3.30 wake up and then 7. In all, he's awake around 45 mins for that feed, and he drinks more because he's more awake.

Got to go up to assist DH with bathing...