November 2014 - the one where we all get a good night's sleep

[moggle]

Here's hoping, anyway...

Yes sounds like a growth spurt. What week is she now?

She's 8 weeks, I know that's growth spurt week isn't it? Plus jabs on Wednesday.

Yep, according to my WW app, thats "Patterns - starts between 7.5 and 9.5 weeks"

Note the Following Signals:

Your baby wants to be entertained more often
It will take a little longer before he is at ease with other people, especially those he does not see every day
He wants to be breastfed all day long but doesn't really drink
He is craving for more physical contact
He cries more easily
Note: Some babies show all symptoms, others just a few!

These are examples of what your baby might do after making this leap:

Able to hold head up much better than before
Clearly turns head towards sounds
Likes to shift weight forward while sitting on your lap
Flaps hands against a toy (forerunner of grasping)
Feels toys without trying to grasp them
Discovers and observes parts of his/her body
Looks at patterns such as abstract paintings or a flickering candle
Makes short, explosive sounds (effort grunts) with his voice with the help of glottal stops

You let your baby see that you're there for him by:

Comforting your baby when he cries
Giving your baby physical contact when he needs it
Talking reassuringly to your baby
Taking time to help your baby through this leap
Forgetting the normal daily things a bit and being there for your baby

It'll pass ark but sympathy for a tough day, its DEFINITELY not you doing anything wrong!!

Yep, spotted ear gunk at about 4 weeks, baby lotion sorted that. Also have cradle cap but kind of let it run its course, seems to be clearing up now. She's got a flaky forehead too but again baby lotion keeps it at bay and makes her smell gorgeous when we cuddle

Lol Anna at using head & shoulders! Maybe I should try that too. DD 's got cradle cap pretty bad at mo - it started the week before christmas on her face - her whole forehead, eyebrows, eyelids & nose were yellow & crusty. We were prescribed hydrocortisone ceam as her eyelids all swelled up - she looks a beaut on her 1st christmas photos! Face is all cleared up now but scalp still covered. Using dentinox but not shifting it - prob not helped by her thick mop of hair.

Its ok Ark let off some steam its what we're here for. Share the good & bad tmes. Just twigged wemay be going through this wonder week now too - dd is hardly touchingher feeds & is a bit unsettled. Lets hope it passes quickly. runs off upstairs to dig out wonder weeks book & find out whats in store next time

I've caved and bought the WW app after you put that up Anna think it might Keep me from panicking. Have told DP if he nags about housework while she's like this I'm going to shove the Hoover somewhere less than helpful

I'm so glad I can post on her and have you lot know what I'm on about!!! for you all

We've got cradle cap too but it seems to be clearing up well of its own accord!

I might have to try using head and shoulders, my lo has cradle cap all over her head and on her forehead and it does look like dandruff. The HV said to put oil on her head and then wash it off but that didn't do much except make her hair greasy for days. At least the baby acne is clearing up now.

I fed her when I went to bed at 10ish as usual last night and she didn't wake for a feed again until 6am, that's a first! (I still woke up once in between though!). It may have been because I took her to a group yesterday where she met lots of other babies and got very overtired. We'll see what happens tonight. She's been very demanding today though, needing lots of attention and crying much more than usual, so if that's the result I'd prefer it if she woke up at 3am for a feed!

Is anyone else still cluster feeding in the evenings? We start bedtime routine at 7ish and feed for at least an hour but up to 2.5 hours, she's asleep for most of it while I'm on here

Had to google the cradle cap and i think DD might have to spots of it on her forehead.
DD was born with lots of hair, I still havent washed it with shampoo, only pure water. The funny thing that it some times seems that her hair almost cleans up itself. It would look on a greasy side one day, i would think to wash it following day, but then it appears all clean again.

Yes ladydolly ! Eats and naps on me all evening till 11ish then drops off to sleep for the night

I've been fairly scrubbing DDs head with a reusable wipe or towel when I top and tail her every morning, to avoid cradle cap... It's worked well although had a small patch of it yesterday. Put some olive oil on and left it on for a few hours before giving a gentle scrub in the bath and then it seems to have gone. I have vivid memories of my aunty telling me off for picking cradle cap off my baby cousin's head when I was about 8!

We managed our meal out, yay. And at least 20% of our conversations didn't revolve around DD!

I need to get a bloody grip. Dd down for 8.15, for the first time I've got up for the rest of the evening rather than stayed in bed with her.... and I miss her! Even though I've been checking on her and she's in the next room!!

So the plan was that me and baby would get into bed, I'd feed her to sleep and we could both have a nap....

What's actually happened is I've laid in bed with her on my shoulder for two and a half hours while her and the dog sleep and I'm wide awake cause my neck is at such a weird angle. Argh!!!

Anna, about the napping. Babies go into a light sleep phase after 45 minutes and are prone to waking up then. Some mums have said what works is, after 30 minutes or so when they're still in a deep sleep, try to rub their forehead or jiggle them a bit so they slightly, but not fully, wake up. This resets their clock and they'll sleep longer. Not guaranteed to work and you need to time it right so they're in their deep sleep!

Just had a meet up with my NCT people. It is so lovely to see them and the new babies.

One of them is doing the Gina Ford method so she had to spend about 30 mins desperately trying to keep her son awake while he fought with all his might to doze off. She was shocked that I fed DS twice while we were there (3 hours) and very shocked I didn't know when he last fed. It makes me laugh how differently we are all approaching this baby malarkey. x

What I hear of gina ford terrifies me, I normally love structure and order but with baby I'm way more 'free'! Having said that, I've just dreamfed dd for about an hour and half, left her to nap, made my dinner and as soon as I sat down she cried for more. Now on the other boob half asleep, wondering how this will affect bedtime.

Dinner just out of reach :(

blamber I'll try that. Though being on the spot at the exact right time might be a bit nerve wracking!

I try to keep the baby awake till 7pm every night, and every night I fail. We struggled to get to 6.30 tonight! He's in a 12 hrly schedule and I'm terrified he'll be up for the day at 6.30am!

I've never read GF but I suspect the baby has fallen into a similar schedule all by himself. Bit of a pain though. Whilst I like the predictability of the bedtime, he's very rigid with regards to feeds & naps.

He's so adorable though, this week he's found his toes and he's delighted with them!

Same here anna!! Only 10 hours though and I think she's out for the night now... eeek, could be a 5am wake up!! She's still in 'day clothes' and still on me.

Took her to a museum and to pizza express today, wonder if all the new sights and sounds conked her out...

I did wonder if DD2 would fall into our pre-school day routine this week, waking up at 6, nap from 7.30-9.30 and 3.30-5.30 and fall asleep at about 7.30 while I feed her in a dark room while waiting for DD1 to fall asleep, but none of that has happened today. She has been really miserable today, but I think that is because of her jabs, as it was similar after the last set.
She has learnt to suck her fingers herself, and I have noticed a few times that she will fall asleep sucking them.

Hello all.

Sleeping has improved a bit here we still go to bed around 7.30pm n have had a,few 5-6hr sleeps then hrly after that although after a 4am feed get 2hrs. We still have mostly 3-4hrs at first bit.

He sucks his hands alot n can make him resettle by hand sucking some of time he is sucking on fold over scratch mitts on the sleeves as I still cover his hands one for warmth n also he would scratch his face

Gp reluctant prescribed some formula as have been dairy free a month n had made some improvements, baby hates the formula but will keep at it even if just for gaviscon.

Shocking evening last night - tried to go down at 8.30 then woke immediately twice then slept just long enough for me to fall asleep on the sofa before waking up then two more attempts before he stayed asleep. Was gone midnight before he properly slept. Managed a dreamfeed at 5.30 which saw him through til 7.30 but gggaaaahhhhhh. Not.used to this! The previous night he'd done 7-6 so was optimistically hoping for a repeat!

We had a crap night too, up till 11, woke up at Half 4 and only went back down at 7 for an hour.

Bleugh.

babydolly made it to 6.45, could have been worse!! after the epic 2 hour dreamfeed at 4pm she woke up for a chat and feed at 7.30 but was back down at 8.15. But the feeding... at least 5 feeds between 11.30 and 5... snooooooozy today!

Also, dp has a cold. I could not give fewer shits that he has a cold after 3 nights out during the week, hungover all day Friday, out day and night yesterday, mama needs a break!

I'm feeling the same about needing a break ladydolly

I've been bloody lenient about DP going out with our mates for dinner and working late at the workshop cause I know how much he's struggling with losing his dad but I asked if next week he could have Dd for a couple of hours one evening so I could meet the girls for a drink in town and suddenly it like I've asked him to have her while I go for a Caribbean cruise. Funeral tomorrow and he's said he doesn't want DD at the funeral or the wake but I'm not really sure where that leaves me. I want to be there to support him but maybe he would be happier if he knew I was at home with Dd. He's said he doesn't want to have to put on a happy face and talk to people At all which of course he will if Dd is there. Think he's planning to hide in his workshop at the wake tbh. Not really sure what to say to him, I blub like a baby at funerals so can't imagine that's going to help him. Argh hate seeing him so utterly heartbroken. Mums not majorly helpful cause she won't have Dd on her own for any length of time.