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.

Baby losing weight is horrible. I just want him to be well. I'm deeply sad about failing to ebf but his health is more important than my feelings obviously. I'm hoping that he'll be fatter by Monday.

His health absolutely is more important than exclusively breast feeding. This is a no-brainer to all of us so definitely don't beat yourself up about it.

He needs formula because he is losing weight despite you trying everything you could for him. That is when intervention is required because otherwise he would become very ill. You have done and are doing the right thing.

Plus, with formula top-ups I bet you anything life will become easier. Less crying, more sleep, more rest for the both of you. Happier and calmer life for you both.

Splendide - Whenever you are justifying your decision to give formula, either to yourself or to others, think of it this way:

My son's health is more important than my principles. I am not so selfish that I will make him ill just because I wanted to breastfeed. For reasons we may never know, my son needs formula milk. His needs are more important than my needs.

You don't need to stop breastfeeding. You could either:

(a) Mix feed
(b) Breastfeed just for pleasure (ie because you both like it but not to give nourishment)

Hi all, not been on mn for a while do apologies. I'm usually on facebook though just tried to post twice and it won't work (unless it has done twice and I'm now repeating myself!).

What I'd like to know is if anyone with the maxi cosi cabriofix car seat got a rain/sun canopy with it when you bought it. I see lots of people with them and not sure I they're purchased separately or if I just never had one/lost it/threw it away by accident

pebble it's got an integral black fabric sun canopy but the clear rain cover is sold separately. They're about 15 quid, I think.

Oh I need a rain cover too, was wondering about those. So away from home he is sleeping more during the day...but less at night, weird!

Ahhhh, found it. Thanks :)

I remember the same think when we got the maxi cosi pebble, pebble! Felt a bit daft when I went to buy one and woman told me it was integral!

Anyone else's baby cry when people other than you hold him? He even cries with DH. Other son wasn't like this at all. This one clearly a clingy one!

Another does anyone else's baby... question. When in the bath, does anyone else's baby try really hard to get their head underwater? Ours seems just determined, and if you try and dribble water into the back of her head she'll throw her head back so it's on her face. It's really weird.

goats its the useless gp's that want me to keep getting him weighed, partly because of his reflux meds and partly to keep an eye on him. But now that hes been weighed every week the hv who runs the group is wanting us to keep coming back because of the drop off. Also went back to bf guru group today and she told me shes worried about his weight! I thought she would reassure me! I wish they would measure him too so i had a better idea of his overall growth as he does seem very long.
Oh well hopefully tt appointment in jan will get him latching on a bit better and feeding a bit better.
Dh just recieved a txt from his mum asking what time we'll be arriving tomorrow as she needs to plan things.... whenever i can pack everything and get dh and ds safely into the car and fight with all the traffic on the M6!! I cant be doing with timetables when there isnt a need for one, im really going to hate these next few days especially without chocolate cheese and wine!
Oh my biodad turned up today, ds was an angel and only cried once... when dh got home biodad said "oh its a good job your're here hes been kicking off!" Seriously! Arghh!

Ah ok, I just wondered if there was a way of avoiding something stressful.

I can't do timetables either. We were planning on leaving home at 7pm tonight, which gave me all day to get sorted for 4 days away in three different places. Then bf comes in at 10am and suggests we leave at lunchtime. No reason not to other than me needing time to faff (which I'd left jobs to do during). Urgh, panic. Managed to leave at 1.30, but I'm sure I've missed something. Certainly no one gives a toss whether I'm here or not, so long as the grand daughter is! Already tired of Christmas stuff.

I've just finished packing H's bag for our week away, packed enough for 2 outfits a day which is flipping ridiculous but had to pack for wintery walks by day plus she has all these 0-3 month dresses that I never put on her if we're just in the house! I'm determined to get her in them before she grows outta them! So she has a hold-all and a bag-for-life to herself
Fedup - has he always been like that? Maybe it's a wee developmental spurt making him act that way?
Aww Tatty sounds like you have a wee water baby

tatty mine likes getting soaked too and think would dunk himself if he could. He can be screaming blue murder and I put him in the bath and he stops!

Also dreading Christmas a bit. In laws are coming to us and I've found getting all the 'right' foods in a bit stressy and will no doubt manage to piss off one of My in laws somehow. Catering for 6 adults and 4 kids which usually i find easy but they are all so fussy that it's difficult. Finished wrapping all the presents though and i think our tree looks ace so I'm happy.

He's always been a bit of a mummys boy kirsti but def worse at the moment despite wonder weeks app saying I'm in a sunny period!!

What are everyone's new babies getting their Daddies for Christmas?

Those of you with other children too, what have they bought (so I can steal ideas for next year )?

What have they bought for Daddy? Urm... fudge. They've bought me a funkypiegon family planner calendar for the kitchen (which I sorted out the 12 photos for and ordered myself).

We got daddy a back massager so he can hold the baby for longer than 5 mins without complaining.

Daddy's getting a granny style mono boot that heats and massages. I'm not sure what I was thinking.

Pip has got her dad an electric toothbrush. Pip's mum kindly arranged for the correct plug socket to be installed inside a bathroom cupboard, he hasn't noticed it yet. It's a bit of a present for all of us really. The card says something about encouraging good habits.

Not sure what to dress pip in for bed. House is the temperature of the sun. She's used to 12 degrees in the bedroom. Maybe just long sleeve vest insideher ssleeping bag.

Haha rudy I almost got something similar - useful in our polar house!

FATE- can't go wrong with edible gifts

munday- love that idea....do you reckon he'll come up with a new excuse now?!

Rudy- I might get DH one of those then steal it for myself

goats- it's good that Pip is thinking of oral hygiene at such an early age

I went for soppy(ish) gifts this year; two books for DH to read DS called I love my Daddy or something like that, and an engraved tree ornament. Will be more practical next year because it's so much easier!

goats- our room is currently 18-19 degrees and DS has vest, sleepsuit and two thin blankets (I'm sure our thermometer is wrong though and it's a bit cooler)

You lot are so good. DP is getting nothing for Christmas from DD and we haven't bought her anything. She's too little and already spent a fortune on her. If we had other kids though we would.

DP and I exchange tickets every year for Christmas instead of buying pointless expensive gifts. This year we've bought each other a ticket to see Stewart Lee on valentines day. Granny will be babysitting that night.

Babymoose has boughy dh some socks that say "best dad ever" as i panicked a few days ago and typed dad into the m&s website! Should make the mil happy anyway, the sappy crap always seems to!
Mil's house has electric heaters :s so the temperature is bound to be crappy and too hot! She always moans that my house is too cold at 18degrees despite me telling her thats whats best for ds

The babymoose is not for sleeping tonight :( wakes up after an hour and starts chomping on his hand and then kicking his legs around. Boooo! I thought we had our sleeping baby back

Hi all, thanks for reflux/hollow belly advice. DS slept for approx 1 HR all day from 8am - 10pm. He is such a sleep resistent chap & the only time he cries is when I try to put him to sleep! He is obviously exhausted now and hasn't woken for a feed. My boobs are aching & leaky!
Moose hope you get some sleep. I am lay listening to a farting, snorting, coughing & asleep baby! Poor guy has his 3rd cough in 14 weeks. Nursery school has a lot to answer for.
My DH has got 3 shirts and some undies for Christmas, Im just going to label a shirt from his DS, DD & me and the dog can get him the underwear since she is partial to stealing is from wherever he kicks it off and chewing it!!

CJ if you're wondering about CMPI do a dairy exclusion. If it is - I bet his daytime sleep improves.