September 2014 - Into the new year!

[RedToothBrush]

Shiny New Thread for a Shiny New Year.

KitKat, I do get breaks from DS but I like to hide in the bath. So I sympathise, but can't imagine having no breaks at all.

Before I left my last job I was taking home only just over £1000 a month after tax. By the time I've added in petrol, I'd be in the negative. I took a course whilst pregnant which will hopefully increase my earning potential or make it easier to work part time or from home in someway, but it still feels almost pointless. I do feel rather trapped for the foreseeable future.

I'm just fairly grateful that I don't tend to get lonely or bored too easily, though I have unusually been feeling a bit of cabin fever this week. DH is away for two weekends on the trot in a couple of weeks which I'm not looking forward to too much. Though swimming starts one of those weekends. I'm not looking forward to an early start on my own mind.

Kitkat that's just very difficult to handle; I totally understand... I can't remember, did you say there was nobody around to take care of her for a couple of hours so you have a break? If your dh is still home have you thought about having a baby sitter for a couple of hours and you would not worry as your dh is there too? Failing all that, I promise it gets easier; as I said in my earlier post, in only a couple of weeks she'll start to play by herself and you can take small breaks... It is not the same but you will just feel better.

Nursery here around 1250 per month too - ds going full time in Sept; financially it is very difficult but even though I don't want to leave him and not a lot will be left after nursery costs, not going back is not an option for me cause I need to continue building my career and just can't be out of job market for too long...

Beccus - that's exactly how I have slept with all four of my children. One side off the cot, butted up to our bed. I lay a long piece of material across the cot and all the way across out bed to the other side - so that there is no gap for the dummy to fall down.

Fantastic for breastfeeding, as you say. I used to get to the point where I had no idea if I'd fed 2 times or 20 times in the night, since I never really woke up.

Even now with DD, who doesn't have any night feeds, it is brilliant. I often half asleep drape and arm over her, or hold her hand, just so she knows I'm there if she starts shuffling.

Lovely in the morning too. Nothing nicer than waking up face to face to your baby with a big smile on their face.

Kitkat sending you hugs xxx

KitKat - what about sitting down with your husband and working out a plan. Explain how you are feeling and that you are being understanding with him, but can he tell you when he will be able to help with childcare.

Maybe it would help knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel?

What can your DH do with Jessica at the moment? Can he pick her up? Hold her? Can he bottle feed her?

anyone elses baby move their head from side to side when on bottle??? just mine being awkward?

Holls, you son is JUST like mine when it comes to the feeding / not feeding / burping / being sick / being fussy.

Everything you've said this week is soooo familiar.

There's hardly any nurseries that are handy and near me. I liked the look of one but didn't really know what I was looking for. I felt like I'd feel not too terrible leaving him there, and they encourage popping in as much as possible to get them used to the place and staff. It's cheaper too at £180 a week full time. We have to provide meals, nappies etc but that's fine. I'm hoping to do 3 days but my work don't know it yet! I've already changed my mind from going back at 9 months to a year now.

Holls, A does the same thing with the head. Then will grab for the bottle if I pull it away. And again, will do that smile up at you like he is doing so well so you can't get angry at him haha.

KitKat - I second speaking to your DH, and trying to get an idea of when he thinks he will be able to help out more. I love having time to myself, and DH loves spending time with A, so not sure how you are managing without it.

red. .really? he has gone from loving feed time to really creating! tried to feed him at 6.30 - he was having none of it and chucked what he did have over dh. has now had a big feed. but then he stretches and strains. have infacoled and gripe water (in his milk). its really getting me down. 2 weeks ago he was on 900ml a day. this week its been anything from 700-930!!!! am trying size 4 teats and lots of breaks to see if that helps. he is fine in himself.

nurseries. first one in a large house lots of books, sensory stuff etc around kids happy but 800 a month. they provide milk and nappies and food.

second one will work out at a third of price cos they do term time only...would put b in a day a week in hols to keep him used to it.. v friendly people. less kids. seemed nice but didn't have family atmosphere of the other one. would have to provide measured out bottles and own nappies and breakfast bit they do lunch and tea.

heart says 1. head says 2.

difficult isn't it????

Really Holls...

Red cheeks when he's fussing most?

I've been giving a bit, leaving 10 - 20mins then he'll have a bit more on days like that.

Or trying to feed him when he's just waking up or just generally sleepy.

Yup.
I have just done that - have milk, have story, have milk, have story. Tomorrow during day shall do have milk, have postman pat, have milk, have 64 zoo lane, etc

He does a lot of eye rubbing when he doesn't want it too! Think bigger teats have helped as he has had a big feed and (touch wood) kept it down and (touch wood again) is asleep.

Kitkat if your DH isn't up to a long period of looking after Jessica would short regular periods be helpful? DH has DD for 30 mins each morning and it's not a lot of time for him but it's amazing for me knowing I'll have that little block of time to myself each day. I usually shower and get dressed then spend 10 mins with a cuppa and my book. Keeps me sane!

kitkat dh has b for 20 mins in the am and 30 before bed. I love the chance to have a shower with the door shut! it requires nothing of dh other than to bounce the bouncy chair and pull faces at b!!

Holls, how much/often is he sleeping during the daytime?

Teat 4?? Really Holls? Isn't that too fast at this age?
Sorry, have no idea as ds only has 50ml ish with bottle every night and rest is bf but he is on t2 ; faster teats mean too much wind, no?

no as he is on comfort milk which is thicker so clogs the teats up!

Fate - depends. on a good day probably 30-60 mins about 1.5hrs after first feed of day, then if we walk into town about 40-60mins after 2nd feed then a decent sleep in the afternoon and a nap at 4.30ish.
on a less good day - the odd 30 mins here and there. I do.try to encourage sleeps.

interestingly Nazly the hv told me today that sometimes drinkong too slow also = bad wind. she said if you turn bottle upside down the bubbles should run up - if you can count them the teat is too small, if they look like one long line it's too big.

Oh he's having good naps there holls. I was going to suggest the eye rubbing could be a sleepy sign.

That reminded me of this
t.today.com/parents/exhausted-new-moms-hilarious-take-expert-sleep-advice-goes-viral-6C9559908

We are still on T2s but my suspicion is we need to step up one sooner rather than later.

Before we did last time, we got a lot of problems with wind which sorted themselves out when we did change.

The bubbles thing is interesting, but we use anti-colic bottles and I don't recall seeing bubbles. But that could also be down to it being breastmilk too. I shall have to look today.

Sleep pattern sounds similar to here too. They must have been programmed at the same baby factory.

Red we use dr browns and I struggle to see bubbles. He had a 7.5oz feed at 7 and has just brought some water back nearly two hours later- normal, right?
was clearly tired but would not go to sleep. dummy in and the boy is now snoozing. bless him
he has been moaning in sleep and hv said yesterday that they do that to soothe so I went in a couple of times and left him a couple of times and was fine. had to laugh - at 1.15 he was all smiles and giggles...I thought oh heck here we go but he went back to sleep fine!

Well, its something that occasionally happens here. Whether that makes it normal I don't know!

Weaning ds is proving to be very difficult; I practically stopped after a couple of tries as he started being very uncomfortable with feeding; I have prob tried 5-6 things till now and less than half were OK (I have to go buy the baby jar he had in that restaurant at some point!!!)
The reactions he has is very much similar to his reflux with milk... Nobody told us to be very careful when weaning a reflux baby, no hvs, no gp or consultant, nobody. So I have started buying a few books and reading them - and have a mixed feeling about the books I am reading; on a positive side, it is a breath of fresh air to read about what you are going through, when very few people understand it around you... (I have same feelings when Acron posts here, although my ds is not allergic..) on a negative side, the books I have read don't have a very strong scientific basis in some areas... I feel one problem is reflux has very different levels, it could be mild or severe... So weaning a baby with reflux may or may not be difficult depending on the severity...