November 2014 - The one where they won't stay still.

[MrsAukerman]

New thread, new moves, new poo!

I know this may sound mad neurotic but I'm worried that I'm over-feeding DD.... She's always been a very healthy weight (91st - 98th centile), but now she's eating solids and being BF, she eats LOADS. The thing that makes me wonder is that once she's finished eating, her tummy is absolutely massive - it really does look just like a little football shoved up her vest. Sometimes I wonder if she's going to burst....or at least be sick (which she hasn't...yet...).
I thought that once they'd have enough, they'd refuse more food....so far my DD has never refused food (except Weetabix!)... Think I may get her weighed this week to see if she's shot up on the graph...

Ff ladies im not sure what to do. We are wasting so much formula overnight, last night she woke up for a feed at 1 and 4:30. Too long of a gap to use the same bottle but she only wanted 2oz out of each wondering if it's worth making up some so smaller bottles for night times?

haven't I've been worrying the same thing!! Sometimes I can't get the food into her fast enough, she gets really angry. When I spoonfeed her she just keeps going so I always have some fingerfood and eventually she just gets bored of chasing it round the tray otherwise I think she'd keep going. But when I had her weighed she was still on track, 75th centile. Although now I'm thinking about giving her more in the hope that she sleeps better. She wakes every 3 hours and has a full feed each time (10, 1, 4).

Ark you could either only make up small bottles or only put two scoops of formula into a 4oz bottle.

I made up a couple in advance & put them in a freezer bag with a freezer block for the night.

It sounds definately like she's winding down her night feeds. Mine did the 2oz thing for a couple of wks and then a couple of nights I just chanced putting the dummy in instead and he went back to sleep. He wasn't hungry, he was just looking for comfort.

I haven't offered a bottle now at night in 2 wks. He still wakes looking for the dummy twice if not three times a night though.

His sleeping is better in his own room. He self-settles more - I can see it on the monitor. And the 5.30 starts are gone, thank god! Its changed to 6.30/6.45. I think he knows theres no-one in the room with him so he's not looking for attention so much. In hindsight I was at him a lot when he was in with us. Constantly fixing him and adjusting him and soothing him. It was all very hands on. He's sleeping a lot better now he's left alone more.

Glad it's not just me then ladydolly . I'm also giving her finger food (after she's eaten her main course and pudding...) and like your DD, in the end I think she gives up when she's chased the last little bit of slippery nectarine / avocado / pear ext around her highchair tray for a bit...
I did get her weighed a couple of weeks ago - she was on track and the HV actually said I could give her more food () - I took up the bowl I was feeding her from so I could show them how much I was giving her...but I can't believe she's meant to bloat up as much as she does!

Anna, great news about your DS self-settling more! What did you do to change the wake-up time from 5.30? My DD has had that time tuned into her body clock for weeks now - the days of 7.00 wake-ups seem a very distant memory...

Crap night here too, DD2 was like a demon after a day of rushing around town doing various stupid chores in the lead-up to our house move, I think she got 2 naps all day, 1 30mins and the other maybe 40mins. 2 wake-ups before a feed at 10, then a feed at 1, then at feed at 4.15. Took her feckin ages to go back to sleep after the 4.15 feed, she grumbled and then cried so I had to get out of bed again. In fairness she did then sleep til 8am but it was a tiring night.

Have been trying to figure out how to cut out that first night feed and wondering if maybe DH administering a bottle for that feed would help, might be easier to try the smaller and smaller amounts trick. We might have to wait another month or so til we're well established in the new house though, I think we're all just too tired and busy to be implementing a Plan right now.

At her 7-9 month check DD was only on 2nd centile I think she had been on the 9th but possibly drifting between the two. The doc was fine about it, really hardly batted an eye and said babies often lose weight at this age when they start to move more. I'm giving her lots of fatty food (olive oil, nut butter, avocado etc) and I guess she'll end up as she ends up - I can't really see what more there is to be done, she's getting no shortage of milk and she really loves her food and is eating well, so...

yes haven't I totally know what you mean about the football tummy, it really used to worry me with dd1! Often if you gave a little massage a poo would shoot out! DD2 definitely seems hungrier since she got her crawl on, so I will try feeding her even more...

Oh and the dummy angst continues! I'm wondering if we should gear up for a total eradication again. It helps to get her back to sleep quickly for those annoying evening wake-ups, but then later on in the night becomes a total pain in the arse, she ends up grumbling through it which is even more annoying than the wake-up crying...

ark I will confess with regards FF. DD has also started to have very little during the night, about 5oz in total, she often would wake, have a sip and drift off. So making new bottle every time would be madness. She has big bottle feed before going to bed, and then there are 2-3 tiny feeds, I could ( or should) probably train her off them, but at the moment I just go along the flow. I usually make her night bottle of 5oz when I go to bed - around midnight - and she finishes it off around 4am. I know its not according the rules on a package, but if strictly follow what's there, it's a nightmare, DD would be constantly screeming for milk. On hot nights I did split it in 2 and the second was in the fridge ready, but with average temperature I just take it easy. With sterile bottles, water and fresh formula, i dont think there will be monsters growing in an extra hour. DD has never had any problem with tummy or anything else (apart from being bullied about her head not growing according to diagram that is!). But dont do that if you dont feel comfortable, there is nothing like mum's intuition.

Yesterday there was a local craft fair here, saw a young woman selling her handmade children hats. Bought one for DD prizing myself for finding a cool hat with ties under the chin as she always pull all the hats off. Home I go, put the hat on and tie it with a smug face. Minute later DD starts to fiddle with the laces, gets them open and pulls the hat off... Better knot required...

haven't let us know how weigh in goes!

Strawberry You have a budding scout there I think!!

greenstone When is the move? ours has been delayed over and now our seller is getting the house revalued, we're waiting for the figure now. But we definitely won't be moving before I go back to work

brekkie here was porridge and a peach, lunch at prezzo so 3 courses!! garlic bread, pizza and half a banana. Dinner was lamb curry, half a banana and a few bites of a muffin, the reat thrown on the floor for fun.

Will do ladydolly

Last couple of days have been a bit odd food / milk-wise: because of how long she's been napping, she's slept through a normal milk feed time, so for 2 days in a row now she's had 3 BF instead of 4...doesn't seem to have had any impact on sleep pattern / length though.

B/fast today was porridge with mashed strawberries and banana. Lunch was spag bol but made with pasta stars instead of spagetti, followed by a couple of slices of peach. Tea was 3 ice-cubes of various veg purees (forgot to label the bags and couldn't tell from the colour what veg they were...) mixed with some red lentils. Pudding was a HUGE bowl of natural yoghurt mixed with apple and apricot puree stirred in. Unsurprisingly I suppose, 20 mins later she was sick in her walker....

havent I wish I could claim credit for the later wake ups but I think its solely down to the new room. Its pitch black (blackout blinds and a blanket on top of the curtains to get rid of that bright bit of light around the edges) and its very quiet without DHs snoring. So I suspect he's just sleeping better, and deeper.

That said, we've been trying to get him down now for half an hour - he falls asleep, we put him down, and five mins later he's up exploring the cot again. I've given up and now DH is up there.

He's in the middle of the latest growth spurt and his curiosity has gone off the flipping charts. Everything has to be investigated and twiddled with and he's quick as lightening. Quite hard to keep him occupied!

Also wierdly he has zero interest in cuddly toys. Its all wheels, wheels, wheels. Is that a boy thing or are all kids this age like that???

Anna - tell me about the curiosity thing! DD is exploring everything at the moment. She's just started the 6th Wonder Week stage...is that where your DS is too? Similarly, she's also not really into soft toys (never has been), but the stacking cups are still a big hit and since she's found her freedom by getting about in the walker, there's been no stopping her!

Same here!!! buckles on bags are a favourite. She was going crazy for my mums chunky necklace at lunch and very confused when mum sneakily took it off. She kept looking for it! She's very into cuddly toys though, especially a jellytot elephant that I give her in the mornings.
She managed to pull herself up on her walker today, struggled to get herself down but got there in the end.

I'm fascinated by natures incentive to grow and develop, I never thought about it before but when she picks up a new skill I think 'what made you try to do that?!!'

Yeah, the 6th leap. Its bananas! Its like he's speeded up!

Seriously what am I doing wrong? Nights are just getting worse and worse, she's been up 7 times since I went to bed at 10. She cut another tooth yesterday, maybe it's that but I can't keep functioning on 4 hours sleep.

ark it sounds like teeth are bothering her? I was talking to sister (GP) and she said that many of her patients sing prize songs to dentokind for teething. It's natural remedy and apparently very effective. Seen you can get online it in UK, not so sure about pharmacies. Am going to get one while I am here, I think some of the DDs wakings could be teeth related.

Yesterday DD for the first time fell off the chair on a floor. all because of her extreme nosyness, needs to see everything and leaned too far ahead just as I had turned my back for a second. She seems alright, cried for about 5 minutes then saw herself in the mirror and started to smile back and laugh. She does it every time I carry her pass a mirror.

Oh Ark , hope the nights improve for you very, very soon...still no teeth here and so have all this to come...

Strawberry, we have the same thing when in front of mirrors - I think DD's just began to recognise herself as a few days ago she looked in the mirror, turned to me (I was holding her) and laughed at me; then turned back to see us both in the mirror and turned back to me and laughed - it's just so super-cute!

The rolling-over-in-the-cot-bed business is an ongoing saga... Every time she's put down n it for a nap or at night, I have to go in at least twice to righten her as she gets all angsty and cries when she's on her front. I know she won't sleep, so I turn her back over. At the moment, it seems after the 2nd / 3rd time she's knackered herself out; puts her thumb in her mouth and then that's it. Reckon this 6th leap is a mega one regarding development!

Ark it's really really not you/anything you're not doing. Seems like it's just an annoying stage they all go through at this age. It'll pass, I'm sure your DD will be back to herself in a few days or weeks.

haven't, it's very strange, I've never experienced the rolling onto the front business with either of mine, despite them rolling from fairly early on. Neither seemed to be into sleeping on their fronts. DD2 starts off the night on her side, and sometimes we have an issue that she wakes at the end of a sleep cycle, when she wants to turn back onto her back and get comfier. Now when I go to her in the middle of the night she's usually sitting up, gives me a fright sometimes when I'm scrabbling about the cot for her in the direction of the whinging and she is lurking somewhere in the corner!
Anyway, dd1 is a thumbsucker and between you and me -- it's dead handy and in the long run definitely makes for easier nights, not that the dentist would approve.

strawberry really glad to hear that you got the all-clear about your DD and could access prompt treatment in your home country (can't remember where that is!). I guess I can understand the wanting to give an MRI to absolutely rule anything about, but it seems so odd that it wouldn't take place immediately.

lady we're supposed to be out by the end of the month. Could not be less packed if we tried That's annoying that your move has been held up. Hope it all works out.

Pretty good night here. Bed at 7.30pm, quick resettle half an hour later when she needed to burp, feed at 10.50pm, then she slept until next feed at 3.15am - went down easily and was halfway back to my room when I heard a whinge but it astonishingly went quiet again (possibly she found a dummy in her cot? I wasn't going to risk investigating) and that was it until after 7.30am this morning.

Ark it will be the teeth for sure. How many has she got now? We had a rough night or 2 as dd cut her first couple, then we've had 6 cut in the space of 2 weeks. She's really suffered especially with the top ones, a few nights we were up most the night. But now theyve cut her nights are more settled again.

Last night she slept 7.30-7.30 with a quick dummy insert at 4am & a feed at 6am. Thank heavens as I'm feeling really poorly today. Right off to bed while she naps!

Greenstone I always felt that MRI as a starting point for a baby who doesnt have a single sign there is anything wrong with her apart from having bigger head than peers is like killing mosquitos with kalashnykoff. If there would have been a sign of something not being ok in USG I would urge myself to do MRI as a next step. And that ophtalmologist over USG - I dont get it! They usually do the test to those with diagnosis, in DD's case the only they would find that there is no damage to eyes, but whether everything is fine with brain it would not tell, unlike USG. The whole thing feels like responsability crisis, nobody could find anything wrong with her, but nobody would have guts to take responsability and admit there's nothing wrong with her unless she is put through some drastic manipulations. DD is very clever and understands too much, so I want to stop all those endless visits to doctors where they send from one to another. I dont want her grow up with idea that there's something wrong with her because she is constantly going to doctors.

I sympathise strawberry, there have been lots of medical appointments here too. Emergency surgery at 8 weeks, and during that time hip dysplasia was picked up on an X-ray, so we had to follow up on that separately (next X-ray is in August, keeping everything crossed it's sorting itself out). Then an egg allergy became apparent so we have allergy testing in September.

I think DD is just one of 'those' babies whose going to keep us on our toes. I hope it settles down soon as I'm starting to worry that dd1 (who has never even been to see a GP - ever!) is starting to pick up on there being a bit of low-level drama around dd2 and that bothers me.

I had to google what 'USG' was is it urine testing? If so then god yes why would that not be the first step?! I do know of a case where a doc ordered an immediate MRI on the basis of head circumference and there did turn out to be an issue but that was a different country/ different health system again.

Anyway, it's great that you have confirmation that DD is fine! Also great that to have a GP sister in the family -- or maybe sometimes it's a pain, do you get lots of 'advice'?

Aggggghhhhh. In our house, a characteristic of leap 6 appears to be "how-far-can-I-push-mummy"....We've still got 26 days left .

So far today she's napped for 40 mins. Refused to nap when she'd been yawning her head off and instead spent 50 minutes rolling over; complaining that she'd rolled over and couldn't get back; started twisting again even before I'd straightened myself up from bending over her cot bed; and eventually took her out as she was laughing and smiling every time I went in. Don't know where the sudden burst of energy came from...

So then I thought, right, I'll give you your lunch instead. But oh no, that wasn't part of DD"s plan. 3 spoons of lunch followed by a lick on a piece of avocado and that was it. Lunch was over. what a waste. So now I've put her back into bed (as she was just staring and looking VERY tired), and I think she's just woken up after 30 min nap. Probably hungry, but I've thrown her lunch out now. Will have to be cream cheese on pitta bread fingers.

greenstone USG was for ultrasonograph, DD still has fontanelle open so it can be easily done, we got report with all the measurements and comparison to norm and 3 very clear pictures. I do like sister being GP bcs in cases like this she can "translate" what other doctors have intended to say or do with particular things. And in this case also she recommended me specialists, clinics etc., which she knows from experience are very good. Helps a lot. I Dont get much advice with the distance and her being busy with her own patients

Oh god, dd woke up screaming like I've never heard before about an hour ago. She seemed to still be asleep but was rubbing her ears and tensing her hands over her mouth so I think it's tooth related. Horrible. My poor baby. Ibuprofen dose and a good boob feed got her back down.