Aug 06 Babies - smiling and giggling and sleeping through the night (well 2 out of 3 ain't bad!)

[PinkTulips]

that the funniest i can come up with under presure

Well, Molly does all 3!!! (smug look) I've found that she sleeps better in her cot than she ever did in her moses basket! Probably because she can stretch her arms out.

morning! thanks for the new thread PT, computer much happier!

really struggling with this crappy weather, dh moping around the house and we're arguing more than usual. I find it so much easier when its just me and dd during the week , i guess we have our routine and we both know what we're doing. sorry, moan over!

sarahlou - interesting you mention about molly having more room for her arms; think that is what is keeping dd awake in her moses basket, but not brave enough to try the cot yet.

YF, how are you feeling today? i've not had ads for baby related anxiety but have had them in the past for general anxiety, as well as CBT and they really helped see me through it.

dd was like that too sarah, hated her crib as it was to small and she kept banging her hands on the sides but caleb is the exact opposite, sleeps way better in his crib and settles himself to sleep in it. staring to worrywhat i'm going to do when he grows out of it

olivo, at least you get rid of dh during the week, dp is ALWAYS HERE! hes riving me slowely mad!

how are you feeling today feathers?

thanks for the new thread pink!

yellow I TOTALLY understand! I am having panic attacks now all the TIME every time I have to change a nappy or Alex cries. Sal is having to work from home because I ccant cope alone and we dont have any family here. I am on prozac now for that and PND. Just want you to know so you dont feel weird, if you are then I am so we can be nervous wrecks together!

Eeny - I wish I lived near to you then I could come over and give you a big hug! I really feel for you and Sal. All I can say is it will get better - just keep believing that!

Ahh found you

Feeling ok today. Took my frustrations out on a revolting wood clad partition we had in the hallway with a crow bar and hammer The wallpaper also got it too.
Needless to say I'm on a bit of a high.

Eeny, the panic is awful isn't it. Lovely that you have Sal at home with you.
I'm going to ask about some AD's and see if they will benefit me because atm when dh is at home, I'm fine. Although I am having little panicy moments when I have to face things alone like shopping etc.

Olivo, I remember you saying before about CBT. Did it work quite quickly for you?

Ellis has gone back to waking at 7am again now so his growth spurt must have stopped.
I see what you mean about the lack of space for arms. If Ellis moves his in the night, they go with a real bang back on the mattress and then he starts to stir. I end up going as stiff as a board praying he doesn't wake lol.

Eeny and Yellow, so sorry you are both feeling so rough. I still have the panic attacks but have learnt how to control them for now. Do think i'll end up on Ad's again thou as they are getting worse. Convinced im having heart attacks and this is how i started last time.

But i know this time that it DOES get better. Big hugs to you both xx

PT, thanks for the new thread!!

good morning girls. So sorry to hear some of you are feeling panicky and down I had pnd with my second and third child so I know how you are feeling and as long as you keep talking about your feelings you will come through it believe me. Its scary I know and there where moments when I wanted to throw my eldest child down the stairs she was having night terrors at the time. I look back and wonder how I coped and how I survived 4 under 4 but you do survive and it makes you a stronger person who understands their own emotions more. Sophie-Jane is doing really well although not at all in a routine I do get one 4 hour break from having my boob permenently out but it can be at any time of the evening or night the rest of the time she feeds exactly when she wants to. She is such a happy little thing though and is reaching out for her toys on her bouncy chair and giggling more. Got all the kids at home this week due to half term so hopefuly catch up with some sleep housework and fun. My mum gets the dreaded results tomorrow so am feeling really anxious at the moment whilst trying to remain positive will let you know how she gets on. I think we all need a spa weekend with lots of nice food and drink

SnowBoo, when I had dd I suffered with horrible thoughts which was a part of anxiety. They offered me AD's but I never took them and battled it on my own. It did get better thats for sure, it never went totally but the horrid stomach churning feeling that came with them faded and I just used to brush them off if I ever got them.
This time its a bit different as I'm having the panic attacks with them and sometimes they are out of control. I've been told that some AD's can help that and combined with the CBT, its meant to be a good partnership.

I'm going to wait and see what the CBT woman says first before taking anything. She'll know what will benefit me more from talking to her and if she sees fit I'll take them.
You know what its like. Theres a point of no return and if you get there then thats it. Its a slippery slope from there on. If you feel as though its under control and your managing it then great but FGS dont let it get to a point were I'm at. Dh has just gone to the local B&Q and already I'm having a do.
I really would not wish this on my worst enemy.

YF - my CBT did work pretty quickly - in the first session shegave me some techniques to cope with the panic attacks which i was able to use straight away. i hope it works for you.i cant imagine going through that with children to deal with as well.

dreamy, good luck for your mum's results.thinking of you.

eeny - hope the ADs work for you. there was a point a few weeks ago where i thought i may need them too, i think the fact that dd started sleeping a bit better helped me. good luck.

dd slept for 6 hours in one go last night - result! thought my boobs were going to burst when i woke up though! she then slept fpr another 4, thats the most i've had in months!!

anyone know where i can get a monitor mat for dd's cot? dont really want to put her in her room on her own but would maybe feel a bit better with one of these.

Dreamy- thinking of you and yours. Keeping fingers xd for good news.

Yellow and Eeny, if you ever want someone to chat to when you are feeling panicky i can msn you my mob, just let me know. I know i'm very lucky to have mum nearby to help me out. But to my horror Mil has decided to move down the road from us!!!! And retire at the same time so thats making me even more stressed!!!!

Well done at the sleep Olivo hopefully it will get longer day (or night!) by day

ahhhhh here u all are.

Not well right now , nothing awful just heavy head cold and shivering.

Sorry for all of you still suffering through anxiety and panic attacks. Hugs to all of you , I know how awful awful it can be , but also know that I can now look back on it all. Hope you all find some help and support to get you through the worst. You dont need to suffer ,as there are so many ways to combat it all. Yellow are you doing the diaphragm breathing I showed you??? put post it noted everywere to remind you.

Ok gotta feed for now and rest , so will check back soon to see if anyones come on today.

morning all. just popping on before i take caleb to his 3 months check-up.

hope everyone is feeling a little better today, menatlly and physically

Hello everyone on this nice new thread!

Sorry to hear about those of you with panic/anxiety attacks - I used to suffer from these (in pre-baby days) and I know how your focus shifts onto the attacks to the exclusion of everything else - I can't imagine having to cope with babies and deal with anxiety. I hope the help you're getting is working.

Olivo - my little one also went through 6 hours last night, and then another 3 after a feed! She managed 6 last week as well - that was before she had her jabs - I think she's only just got over them now, and the cold she had - her nappies are returning to luminous yellow after having been green for a few days!

As for the monitor mat - I had one for ds, and I personally wouldn't reccommend it. Made us into nervous wrecks, as the alarm went off when the baby moved off the the centre of the mat, even slightly. We found it more trouble than it was worth. If you still want to try one out though, get it from ebay - will be cheaper.

We had moved ds into his own room at 3 months, but I think I don't actually mind dd sleeping with us for a lot longer. ds always had to cry for his night feed, whereas dd merely peeps a little and I'm able to wake to feed her with far less fuss. Besides - she hasn't a room to move into until we move into a different house! No decent house (in our price range) has come up yet so we're still in a two bedroom flat. I thought I'd really mind - that was before dd arrived, but apart from having no room for her clothes and things, it's certainly do-able while she's still not crawling.

dreamy - fingers crossed for your mum. My dd also has no definite routine yet, however, she does sleep at night (no exact bedtime), anything from 10:30 to 1am) and only wakes for 1 dream feed, and then wakes in the morning, at no exact time, from 6:30 onwards. During the day, she feeds and naps whenever, staying awake for an hour to 2 hours sometimes. Lots of smiles, coos, gurgles and 'conversations', but no giggling yet!

Hope everyone else is getting on ok!

well the PHNs jaw hit the floor when she saw the size of him and she kept asking 'and he's exclusively breastfed? really?'. 7kgs exactly (15odd lbs)

she gave me some good advice about dd's wheat intolerance and wants me to get a referral to paediatrics to rule out coeliac disease.

just to tell you guys too, they've apparently changed the guidelines now and cows milk is not recommended as the main milk drink until 18 months, not 12, so formula or bm until then. and for bf babies, no solids til 6 months, then pretty much straight onto lumpy food and finger foods. pureed food from 4+ months for formula babies.

we're in the same situation as you hoppy, 2 bed apartment so dd has a huge room all to herself and caleb, his crib and cot and me and dp are all piled into the smaller room, lol. can't wait to move!

Hi all! Thanks for your thoughts about the panic attacks. You are all so sweet! We're lucky we have such a good group I dont think all the other prenatal threads get on this well!

We have a cold as well which I am getting over but Alex still has pretty bad. I am constantly picking his nose which he hates! Oh well a mothers work is never done!

sarahlou thanks for the virtual hug! We'll have to exchange a hug at the meet up which someone needs to take charge of or it will never be organised!

I can do it if no one else is too keen to, just LET ME KNOW!

Snowboo try the ADs. I have only been on them a week and I already feel slightly better and getting my confidence back. There is no shame in them you may as well take what is offered!

dreamy good luck with your mom!

You know what I want to know - I walk around my village and see Mums I know by sight and say hello etc and they all look so TOGETHER. I feel like I am the only mad one! So you are all mad like me, where are you????

Pink when are you moving?

Hoppy you sound happy with your place for the moment and that is the main thing!

Pink we were recomended by a work colleague of Sals to give just one teaspoon of baby rice mixed with breastmilk before bed to help settle baby. We were thinking of starting that next week when Alex will be 12 weeks. Anyway we will try it I think and see if it helps him. I am only a little nervous because when he is 12 weeks he is really more like 8 weeks so I dont know if its too early, although he is a pretty big boy (not as big as Caleb!) he is 12lb 8oz. But when you read the baby books etc. his development is closer to his due date age rather than his actual age. They said its supposed to be like that at least until 6 months.

don't eeny, their kidneys and digestive systems aren't ready for it that young, especially in Alex's case as he's premature. it's not recommended to give anything at all til 17/18 weeks, later if they're bf.

Pink I had no idea. This woman said she did it from 7 weeks and then 4 weeks for her 2 children so I thought we were being super safe starting it from 12 weeks. Ok fair enough, thank you for speaking up about it!

Hiya everyone good to see the new thread..love the title Pink ha!

Well Jackson has been sleeping for at least 5-6 hours at night so am getting more sleep, well thats if I dont automatically wake up like I did last night every 2-3 hours to check if he was still breathing...for some reason I didnt hear him sigh or breath or even ruffle the bed sheets last night so got bit paranoid and kept thinking he may not be breathing..that kept me awake until he woke up for a feed and boy did I need to empty my full boobies as hadnt fed for 6 hours.

I'm finding he is dribbling at the moment is this normal for his age - 9 weeks yesterday?

Eeny, it wont harm to try the rice, it may settle him down and give you some rest hun?

Last night we put Jackson down in his basket on his own in our bedroom to see if he would fall asleep without us rocking or holding him or being in same room as us, and after 40 mins of groaning he fell asleep for the first time..starting to get the hang of this parneting malarki now!

Sarahlou you got Molly in her cot by your bed? We've just bought a cotbed but not sure if it will fit in our bedroom as we only got a 2 bed apartment and the bedrooms aint very big..I've never liked the moses basket as the matress makes an awful noise when Jackson moves and cant wait for him to be able to stretch out in his HUGE cotbed. He'll look tiny lol.

Sorry to hear some of you still suffering with anxiety, must be awful! Big Hugs to you all x x

Well tomorrow I have got my 6 week check up (at 9 weeks??) and Jackson has his first set of jabs . Have got the Calpol ready just incase!

Hope everyone is ok x

Hi, how's everyone? Sorry that lots of you seem to be suffering from pnd and panic attacks.
Joe is doing really well, he's now 9 weeks 13lbs 14ozs at his last weight check. He sleeps reasonably well, but he could be better. Still breast feeding whenever he wants. No formula yet I'm so pleased as ds1 had formula top ups by now. He had his 8 wk check last week and jabs which made him scream till I fed him then he carried on like nothing happened
I'll do my best to keep on top of this thread and not let it pass me by unlike the last one!

BHM Alex is dribbling loads too! I am constantly wiping his little face!

Good luck with Jackson's jabs! Alex wasnt too bad with his, hope its the same with Jackson. Each time is different though (so I hear) so who knows wha tAlex will be like next time.

bursting glad Joe's jabs werent too traumatic!

I have to say I am confused with conflicting advice in books, friends etc about trying the baby rice at 12 weeks - I am going to speak to the HV and do some research on it on line and see what I come up with.

hello! glad some of you are feeling a little better, sorry for peple with colds, hope you're better soon.

dd has her jabs tomorrow too BHM, and i have my six week check - i'm dreading it as she's been so settled recently, hpoe it doesnt unsettle her. she has found her thumb properly and is happy to go to sleep on her own, and we are also starting to get our evenings back as she is happy to lie and suck and doze in between feeds.

more hassle with our nursery place but i am trying to relax about it as it is still 5 months away.
off to tackle the HUGE pile of ironing that seems to creep up on me.....

Olivo Alex uses a dummy and sometimes we can help him find his thumb but he isnt very good at it yet. I wish he were as I think that would make it easier for him to settle himself at night. Good luck with DD's jabs! We are registering Alex for his nursery place that we are sending him to in 2 years time.