October 2014 // thread 5 // baby's first Christmas

[JeannePoole]

Welcome back!

(Dear greetings cards manufacturers: 'Baby's First Christmas' does NOT necessarily have to include Baby being liberally sprinkled with glitter from your shoddily-made merchandise.

Except that, as I'm rapidly discovering, it does.

I too have asked for 8 hours of sleep. Think I've got a guitar though.

Oooh lego lab sounds awesome :D

I love your Xmas eve fate, might pinch the pyjamas, DVD box idea

Yeah Moose, I'm afraid my supply is a bit buggered I think. Or he's not quite there with his new tongue. I'm giving 4oz of formula a day (started yesterday) to try to build him up. He's teeny poor little scrap :(

Also have a referral to the hospital to rule out any sinister reason for the poor weight gain. The lactation consultant said the hospital may tell me to feed then express after each feed, give him the expressed milk then top up with formula each time. She thinks this is bad advice and I should resist it. I think I agree.

I'm excited about Xmas eve. We're going to a service in a tiny church in the glen where my parents live. Afterwards there is mulled and mince pies and then back home for dinner which my bro is making. DH has agreed to do the night shift, yay. And the house is full of 8 excited children plus baby, 5kg ham is currently in the oven and Xmas lunch prep currently underway. Have rather overdone it on the frangipani mince pies and plum brandy though!

Blimey splendide yeah that does sound like an almighty faff!
I'm loving hearing about Christmas traditions, I may do the Christmas eve box next year

Pony that sounds idyllic!

Aww everyone's Christmas Eves sound lovely. We're just at home but it's nice and cosy and we're going to my mum's tomorrow.

Faff indeed kirsti! I just couldn't do it, not without the poor boy in hysterics for most of the day. What am I meant to do with him while im expressing?

Splendide, that's insane, I'd never be able to do it. I'd probably just breast feed for the cuddles (which if you ask me are the main benefit anyway) and then give formula.

Wooooo sloe gin.

splendide NHS staff are obliged by the government to do things the breastfeeding way only, without exception or considering individual cases.

Exactly as Tatty said, I would breastfeed just for the cuddles and give as much formula as baby needs. Skip the expressing, just alternate bottle and breast.

You can still keep the comfort breastfeeding long term, as much long as you like.

moose- fingers crossed it's a one off too! He's been a bit sick today but it was a less scary amount. He's really unsettled though, poor thing! He's currently asleep on my chest- it's the only time he's looked peaceful so I'm not even going to attempt to put him down and will just let him sleep as long as he wants. Plans to visit family can be delayed if needed.

Poor you with a sleepless babymoose. Hope yellow's suggestion of cutting out soy works for you.

Goats- how are you even functioning after 20 mins sleep?! Have you managed to have a nap today?

Everyone's Christmas Eves sound lovely :)

Awww have had a wonderful early Christmas present - Lil's first proper belly giggles, appropriately enough, when I tickle her belly! I love hearing them giggle - its like a wee sneak preview of what their voice might sound like. Am sure Jonas with his sore CMPI tum didn't giggle until past four months. Poor lad.

I hope future Christmas Eves don't incl deep cleaning the house to get rid of fleas with a grumpy hungover DH and a baby knee deep in shitty nappy
But Merry Christmas everyone, hope you're all relaxed and looking forward to quality family time xxx

Babymoose keeps just comfort sucking and falling asleep :( he cant be getting much food in him because hes not swallowing. I hate being at other peoples houses, its hard enough in my own house, but now im at mil"s and bil & family are here inc hyper 7 yr old who keeps poking babymoose! And bil is in a strop about something so theres an atmosphere.
Mil has suggested babymoose needs a nap. I told her i couldnt agree more, here you go ×hands over babymoose× have fun!
She soon came back!
So now im lead on the bed with him comfort sucking and dosing happily and i can hear hyper 7 yr old clattering around. At least i have an excuse not to be out there!
Oh and when we arrived babymoose had a big poo, didnt sound too horrific so when mil suggested we just changed him in the front room we did and there was the most massive poo explosion! Full outfit change and an embarrassed mummymoose!
Its going to be a long couple of days!
If anyone has any tips to encourage babymooses feeds im more than open to suggestions
Hope everyone has a lovely christmas with lots of sleep and minimal drama :) xx

I'm sure nothing you haven't tried Moose. I tickle his toes, blow on his cheek, do compressions.

I want to take babymoose and run away. The in laws arent doing anything particularly terrible but pointing out things like 'oh isnt it funny you having to eat in shifts' no actually its not. We do this everyday and its bloody hard. There have been snide comments about baby keeping everyone awake as its such a small house. Do they actually think we want him to be awake all night?
The bed is ridiculously soft so im worried to death about feeding him in bed and falling asleep which usually gets us a bit of sleep on a difficult night. I know theyre not being awful but i just feel like im being got at for not being a good enough mum. Especially with the crap feeds. And when i asked about feeds on the allergy fb group everyone is suggesting an eliminating diet and i just dont see how i could do that when i cant put him down, how on earth could i make things from scratch?
Im sorry for being such a misery i just feel like crying. Everything seems like such a bloody disaster :(

Moose big hugs. There's loads of easy cheats for an elimination diet whilst you're waiting for allergens to leave your system (once they have, if it is diet related, he'll be much more put down able), PM me if you want xxxx

Ugh what an evening! Poor bean has been quite refluxy this evening and has led to lots of wining and grisling and not sleeping just got him down in his pod an hour and a half later than normal and now his arms are going nuts at every little noise. I'm now wondering what I've eaten that's caused, I thought I'd been so careful!

A is in quite a good mood today but he's still awake and chewing my poor poor boobs. Hopefully he'll crash out soon.

goats are you going to have two little santa's helpers this time next year ? ... Obviously not as im sure you would have told us?

My sis in law just announced she is pregnant with number two, im delighted for them but her mum just got a brain aneurism removed yesterday so obviously her good news is over shadowed with worry, such a shame at this time of year

I had a weird moment earlier when I thought briefly "aw it would be nice for the boy to have a sibling" remembering how I used to sleep in my brother's room on Christmas Eve so we could be excited together. For the last 8 weeks the thought of doing it again felt horrifying to the point of panicking me. I'm hoping it's a glimmer of PND recovery. I still don't want another though!

splendid the thought of having another made me sick for nearly 3 years, i didnt have pnd but did a severely unsettled child for nearly 3 years due to reflux, it didnt do wonders for my mental health and i ended up anxiety medication, i always said no to number two but here i am with two, and its not half as awful as i imagined but 10 times better, im so much more relaxed about things , my mental Heath is on an even keel due to previous experience, the first sign of things slipping im at the docs asap!, honestly having a baby for the first time is a major lesson in life, you either learn your lesson or feel you need to repeat it over & over until you are done with it ... After two i am so done ... But i said that after the first

My friend just had her fourth, I can't imagine it! Glad things are going well for you now!

splendide i feel your pain! Babymoose will not stop chewing on me at the moment, i dont know if its hunger or teething :s

Trying to feed him to sleep atm but this house is small and open plan so we can hear lots of talking, tv etc and the in laws arent the kind you can ask to turn stuff down, they think you're just kicking up a fuss,
Also 5 mins before i got in bed to feed babymoose a huge picture in a wooden frame above the bed fell onto the pillows! Would have happily knocked me and baby moose out :s
yellow i might after xmas if thats ok, it just seems impossible at the moment! Might try a week of no soy first tho thanks :)

Feel for you mummies coping in strange houses, we'll be like that from tomorrow.
Only thing I can suggests to help naps is a white noise app- E loves the womb or Hoover ones
We've got a red crack under her armpit, doesn't seem to hurt. Have put olive oil on it, any other suggestions?