November 2014 - The one where we figure it all out... Or at least try.

[Arkkorox]

Couldn't see another thread ladies! Crap title I know but I couldn't think of anything else!

Thisis how on earth did you manage to put the nappy in the wash!

Oh twiglet, thinking of you. ..

Also have a fairly ratty dd here. Don't know what's up (apart from no dirty nappy for 3 days and teething) but screams every time I put her on her back today and wants to be held all the time. .. jumperoo is supposed to arrive today. ..!!

Twiglet you are not a bad mum just because you have to deal with all that on your own. Last week DD turned very velcro baby for two days exactly when DH was on business trip. She is usually rather self content, but I have to admit those two days I sometimes had to squash my teeth when for another time in a day had to rock her to sleep or she would shout the house down. You are not the only one to take deep breaths from time to time, it's just that taking care of a baby is a hard work.

I actually borrowed the Ergo this week cos of the new Velcro-ness.

haven't My dd does that sometimes and about 30 mins later does a giant dirty nappy so maybe its on its way and has a tummy ache.

Right, despite (or because of) teething dd no longer feeds to sleep, I feed her laying down in bed then leave her to fall asleep. This is good news! She doesn't always do it at bedtime but probably half the time she does. SO, how do I transition her to sleeping in the cot? Feed in bed then transfer? Feed in chair and transfer? Best to try at naps or bedtime?

any ideas?

Twiglet you are not a bad mother. You are doing the lions share of looking after your DD by the sounds of things and she's ill on top of that. Add to that fitting the horse in as well and I have no idea how you're managing. My horse is still out 24/7 and remains unridden at the moment and I still struggle to fit in a field check some days. I think you're mucking out as well?

Don't beat yourself up. You are doing an amazing job but you are only human and have a finite amount of energy. Have you had a chat with your DP about needing him to pull his weight more? Have a huge hug. I really feel for you.

Ladydolly I moved DS's Moses basket to his cot for a couple of weeks then moved him into the cot without the basket. I found grobags were an instant hit with him. I also put him in his cot for tummy time and played with him in it during the day so that he got used to it. I feed him next to it on the single bed and he either drops off in my arms whilst feeding or gets sleepy enough that I transfer him over. If he's still sort of awake I find a dummy really helps him to drop off. For me it was trial and error to see what worked best but it wasn't too painful. Good luck!

So I gave a good try to babybjorn carrier today - had a walk over fields of 3,5 miles. Half way through DD wanted feeding and then fell asleep. Was about 2,5 hours on feet with baby and small backpack on my shoulders and didnt feel anything on back or shoulders. I think I might venture for a longer walks net time.

The question now is about the trivia - when out and about on your own with the baby in carrier, how do you go to loo? Manage somehow with the baby on?

strawberry I've done a wee with baby in situ. But while she's still small if the changing unit is next to the loo I pop her on there and keep one hand one her.

Definitely just wee with baby strapped on!!!

And twiglet maybe check about giving water as it could fill her up and mean she doesn't get enough milk. A hv was saying this the other week to a ff mum anyway.

Funky giraffe bibs just arrived from Amazon, thank you ark for the recommendation.

Baby floople just fell off the sofa! First time he's fallen off any thing. He is fine, he face planted onto the rug! Picked him up and cuddled him but had to laugh as he looked more shocked than anything else!

Right, I guess I better practice the peeing techniques at home first to avoid wetting DD's feet or something

Haha strawberry

I think I'm going to pop to the sling library on the 22nd, I can't carry dd in the caboo anymore!

About to attempt cake icing practice number 1.... Here goes!

Yay! After 3 days of nothing, the wait is finally over..DD did a gigantic poo this afternoon - sorry, maybe tmi...but, if it helps anyone else I went to play group and the organiser showed me some baby massage techniques that are supposed to help with constipation. We did about 4-5 exercises for 15 mins...3 hours later
The jumperoo arrived! Took me ages to work out how to fix the seat to the plastic ring thing, but once we got her in it, well, there was no stopping her - definitely a big hit!
Ladydolly we did the same as Thisis - i.e. I put her in the cot bed for a bit each day for her to play in it and get used to it. Then we just went for it! That was at exactly 10 weeks - 1st night we had to go in 2/3 times, from night 2 it was once a night. Feeding-wise, I BF her i our room on the bed, then give her to DH to give her a formula top-up. He does this sitting in a rocking chair in her room and then he very carefully transfers her to the cot bed. We're just getting to the stage where she doesn't always have to be completely out for the count... good luck!

Talking about the bibs. I just came across Neckerchew bibs for teething. They are expensive (about £12), but they have a plastic end bit for chewing. Might give it a go, DD has Sophie, but get frustrated when different parts of giraffe in her mouth doesn't hit the irritated gum.

I bought dd some teethers today....

However she would rather use the dog :/

Poor little DD is still awake. Every time she drifts off DP snorts or coughs or moves and she startles awake again. Her nose is all bunged up and she just coughed up some yucky stuff. Her cough has been really dry up until now, but if she sounds chesty tomorrow I'm going to take her to the doctor.

I feel so bad for her but am also knackered - third night in a row that o can't put her down and am running on about 4 hours sleep over the last 48 hours with no end in sight. Wah

This wont help twiglet but might be funny later in the day??

I try not to post 'funny' links about parenthood but this is quite good.

theuglyvolvo.com/yelp-reviews-of-newborn-babies/

Poor Twiglet. It must be horrible for you.

We're now on 2 wakings. I suspect its a combo of food and me putting a grobag on over the actual swaddle, which is just made of T shirt material anyway. He had been kicking off blanket constantly and our room isn't very warm. So he has a feed at 12.00ish and 4.15ish.

I never sleep before his first feed and he had to be briefly resettled at 2.30 so its still not much extra sleep. But still - its more than the 2 hrs a night I have been averaging since he was born and oddly I seem to be tireder! Its like my body isn't adjusting!

Doesn't help that I had a nightmare about Dad last night (in which I was Alicia Florrick for some reason, lol) and woke up with a splitting headache from grinding my jaw.

havent how do you hear her when she wakes during the night? Do you have a monitor beside your bed or is she loud enough to reach you? Do you go in and feed her on the chair (and isn't that cold? )

Just got in from doing mucking out etc this morning and DD is asleep and breathing ok in her car seat! Maybe because it's upright? I am clutching a cup of tea (with BOTH hands! ) and slumped on the sofa. There are lots of things I should be doing, but I just can't. DP will have to suck it up and accept that we are living in a crack den lookalike mess temporarily.

Anna, I once read somewhere that after prolonged sleep deprivation the body goes into survival mode, so you feel less tired and can function short term better, then when you start to sleep more the body goes through a kind of slump as all the extra hormones you were producing to stay alert during survival period suddenly stop and all the tired feelings rush back. Maybe that's what is happening to you?!

Ah twiglet feel for you, hope she has perked up a bit this morning. Can dp look after her so you can get some rest today?

We have had a rough few nights here too. DD was poorly last week with fever, cold & cough, but the cough is lingering & sounding quite chesty now so think we'll be visiting the docs today too. She's also started cutting her first tooth, big hole in her gum so it'll not be long now before its through. She's very ratty

I feel like I barely slept last night, think the longest strwtch I got was an hour. DD woke every 15 mins up to 12.30am when we fed her in hopes it would settle her, it did the trick but then dh started snoring the house down so I didnt get to sleep til nearly 3am, then was back up & down to her between 3-5am, had enough so put her in our bed but still had to resettle with dummy every 10-15mins til she wanted a feed at 6.30. Then held her while she napped til 7.30am. Now doing the same for her morning nap. It seems I make a very good pillow.....

exhausted.com

Sorry twiglet hadnt seen your latest update! Rest & sod the housework!

Thats right re sleep deprivation. If you start to get more sleep you can feel more exhausted than when you were functioning on less. Crazy!

Ladydolly I would feed & then lay her in cot. Stay & put your hand on her chest/shush if she gets upset. Lots of folks do nap first in hopes they will be used to it by bedtime but I find dd is most tired at bedtime so less likely to resist a slight change.

Twiglet so sorry to hear it. Not really my business and I can only talk about what I read from your posts, but it feels like it's about time DP gets his shit together, picks up the mop to clean the place himself. You already have taken care of DD almost like a single mum, so at least he should help with the housework; he is a parent now and should behave like one. He cannot expect that you will carry all the load on your shoulders on your own.

Anna have you seen Damages yet? You will definitely see Patty Hewes in your dreams then! I have been sucked up with it so badly that would abandon DH watch masterchief to binge on Damages.

Thats the one with Glenn Close right? I missed it when it was on, there must have been something on the other side. Will put it on mt Couchtuner list.

Definately feel I was doing better on less sleep. Feel hungover all the time! Hope I adjust.

I'm still in my pyjamas. #noregrets