October 2014 // thread 2 // keeping each other company through the night feeds!

[sazzlehopes]

Hi all, welcome to thread 2!

Does a sleepyhead mean that they are safer sleeping in bed with you? At the moment we have an hour or two (or maybe) more where he is sleeping on one of us in our bed.

It can be used for that yes happy

Well I don't know it got to get worse to get better but poor R has been so uncomfy this eve.
I'm also very gassy so think it might be due to the pills I'm taking for the boob thrush. Last one tonkfht though then I'm knocking back the probiotics.
He's so far just thrown up most of his gripe water

Today we had a twenty minute stretch where R seemed genuinely content when awake - he looked at me and also stared happily at things in the room. It was lovely. Otherwise it's been another day of screaming

The Gaviscon ran out so I've tested waters to see what happens without it. Verdict is its marginally better with it. Think I'm going to press GP for ranitidine though to see if that helps him any more

Fedup will you go for more cranial sessions? I'd be very interested to see if it helps as it's something I've considered. Yet another expense though...

I have to say after spending £90 on cranial osteopathy for J it had no impact on his reflux. I wanted it to work so badly but it didn't

goats has been very quiet hasnt she? Hope everything is ok ?

I had a stressful day... Feeling ill & sleep deprived is a learning curve with two children, hoping to god these antibiotics actually work this time, my bladder is so sore just done my shopping online, i have zero energy for anything else other than feeding & dressing my children! Took dd to a firework last night as wanted to do something nice with her, so dont feel too guilty yet about spongebob entertaining her when i should be .

Wishing you all a better nights sleep xx

In a mood as DH has dumped colicky baby on me as he has to get up at 5.30 so no help from him for expressed feed around 11. To be fair though R has fed all evening so prob won't actually need it but i know he's going to be unsettled tonkfht. My stomach is gone a bit mad so think his has too - am sure it's my antibiotocs.

Yes - got another cranial sesh next week. She said he should only need one more or maybe a third. Will keep you posted on whether I think it works for him. Currently zonked in his sleepyhead but who knows how long for...

I'm not sure it would work on reflux though yellow?

See this link for a description of what cranial oestopathy is and does.. It's basically about resolving stresses and making sure everything is working properly.
www.sammutandsammut.co.uk/cranialosteopathy.htm

Aye I know, I went because he was ventouse and had a bashed noggin / torticolis and I was led to believe by a very reputable OC that this could contribute to his reflux and colic. After several sessions there wasn't any improvement. I'm sure it works for some but it didn't for us.

I would have thought it would help with some things though just not reflux. Shame it didn't work at all :(

Think my poor baba has been struggling with wind tonight. Wantin to be held constantly, crying, but unfortunately attemps to wind him have not been very successful. Now whinging a it in his bednest, hoping he'll drop off through sheer tiredness...

Wahey! Thank you sleepyhead - 4 hours!

And she's just done a seismic poo. Enough to make DH groan

Fed up I do know lots of folks it worked for, I just wanted to say its not got a 100% success rate so folks don't feel as . as I did when it didn't work for us.

Despite 6 week growth spurt I had a really good day after yesterday's exhaustion. Jonas was at the CM ALL DAY, and thanks to the ergo I batch cooked two meals, emptied the wash bin, tidied the house top to bottom, sorted maternity clothes and toys Jonas has outgrown. I never got this much done first time round BTW! I plopped down on the sofa at 4 and she troughed heartily - clearly cross I'd sent her to sleep for so long by wearing her in the ergo.

This evening she had lots of time just gurgling happily on the floor. Its nice to see this next stage coming

Have just counted in the calendar and it was 8 weeks old when J's colic / reflux really kicked off (it was just before DHs birthday), so we're not out of the woods yet. I thought it was 6 weeks as I asked for meds at his check but he had an 8 week check not a 6 week one so I've confused myself. Argh. Counting down another fortnight now to see if history repeats itself.

Fingers crossed yellow that history doesn't repeat itself. Just got four hours but think it 's because M is so knackered rather than anything else...

Glad things are looking up yellow! Think much more than 2 hours sleep in a row is ages away for us
R is 7 weeks now and sure ds1 was only waking once in the night at this point - oh well. All babies are different and R is really only 3 weeks old (she tells herself!)

Fed up we were on 2 hourly stints until Monday so fingers crossed - I also need to remember they're all different too! J was a 3 night feed baby 0-2 months, then two from 3-6 months - then one until 12 months when he slept through regularly. He slept through occasionally from 6 months (1-2 a week) and always gave me nice sleep ins so I was only really tired in the first couple of months or if he was teething. I don't think she'll be as good a sleeper. Lil's already much keener on sleeping on me than he was - though she has taken to the sleepyhead, in the bednest really well. Fingers crossed for a good night for us all.

Got two children all day today - soft play here we come!

Sorted DH's lunch out as he over slept now back to bed we go for another hour before little miss gets hungry/ wet/ lonely!
Hope everyone had a pleasant night, don't do too much today

Great. Ds1 says he feels sick and now pretending to puke in to a bowl. Let's hope it's all pretend and I don't have a vom bug to deal with

Thanks for your thoughts - to be honest I don't think there's any way I'll convince DH about cranial stuff anyway. The website does say its good for reflux (and can help if breech/c-section birth, which he was) but I am quite sceptical. I'm still not sure that DS definitely has reflux - how do you ever know for sure?? I really hope it works for you though Fedup and will be crossing fingers.

Is it me or does anyone else find that the whole looking for answers thing, e.g. To use Infacol, gripe water, cranial osteopath, gaviscon, sleepyheads etc.is almost more stressful than the problem itself? Sometimes I just feel like dealing with every day at a time and knowing it will pass is the best remedy.

Think I'm going to start living for Thursdays - DH takes DD to nursery so it means after another bad night last night then me and DS are still in bed at 8am - amazing! (Although I'm awake quite clearly!) Now do I lie down and have a rest or go downstairs and have a scream free breakfast with two hands available??

fedup - my Dd spent much of my pregnancy doing that (clearly just copying me!) so let's hope it's just a game! Usually if they are feeling sick it just happens without much warning I find. Fingers crossed!

Captain reflux is pretty easy to spot so doesn't have to be something they just suffer with. Also it can have long term impacts if not treated ie colitis, oral aversion (making weaning difficult), delayed speech, attachment disorders in extreme cases. It really is incredibly painful if untreated yet once babies are medicated they're like different creatures. Omeprazole gave me a smiley baby back who I could leave kicking away happily on a play mat before that he had to be in my arms or else screamed inconsolably.

Symptoms are prolonged and difficult to sooth screaming, 'colic', sleep disturbances, back arching, reluctance to be laid flat, sour smelling breath, comfort feeding, fighting at the breast, prolonged hiccuping, weird throat noises / grunting after a feed, high pitched pain cries, vomiting or the sound of milk being regurgitated and swallowed back down, and occasionally hoarseness from stomach acid inflaming the larynx. Baby may only have a few of these.

If he has those symptoms push for ranitidine or omeprazole. It can take 2 years to outgrow reflux you can't live with a miserable baby for that long

R smiled at me for the first time this morning

Thanks Yellow - I'm going to go back to GP. He has so many of these symptoms. I just find it so hard to stick to my convictions when I'm sleep deprived, if he has times of feeling 'fine' and with sceptical HVs and other people just saying its wind...

Captain I'd ignore HVs entirely on this and push to see a young (ideally female) GP. Thinking about reflux has progressed rapidly in recent years and a lot of older GPs are just blimmin ignorant on the topic. Also have you checked out lactose overload? (do you BF or FF?) that can cause many of the symptoms you describe (along with explosive and often green poos) and is very easily resolved. There's chat about it on the FB group.