September 2014 - Rocking and Rolling

[FATEdestiny]

Our babies are rocking and rolling, crawling and climbing into the second half of their first year.

Let the fun continue...

I've answered your thread on the sleep board earlier Team, but another thought: Why are you doing all the night feeds if you and DH are both at work now? The two of you should be sharing the night time load now.

I recall going back to work after my first (while pregnant with my second) and I used to lie down across three seats in the staffroom and go to sleep during lunchtime. Even if it was just 20 minutes.

she seems to prefer either completely puree or completely solid My DD is doing exactly this lilone. At just turned 9 months old she is completely refusing 7 month jars. But will happily eat everything we are having, as we have them without needing it to be chopped up or anything. At the moment she has a 4 month jar for 'starter', then main course what I'm having, then fruit or yoghurt. I think she'll go straight from smooth puree to proper food.

Haha Ella your DD sounds like my nephew. He had to go onto hungry baby milk when he was a couple of months old as he kept losing weight, then nobody ever told my sister to change so he was totally spherical by the time he had his 1-year review with the HV. Then they asked her why she'd kept him on it for so long

Team For sleep I can only think of similar things - I.e. temperature, own room, comforter?, etc. Have you tried the watered down milk thing? For us DD going into her own room and switching to formula signalled the end of night feeds, but those things could have just coincided with an age-related change in sleeping patterns and obviously won't work for all babies. I really feel for you. I really wouldn't be able to cope with only 5 hours per night

We found (I say we, but dh never got up) that E was waking a lot in the night and would only take milk to resettle! And he would take quite a lot so it made me think he must need it. But it was killing me! So I stopped it and now he sleeps so much better!

E has gone to bed in a long sleeve vest and trousers with feet in. His room is 24! So I think he sleep bag is to much

DD's room is 24 too but she's in a thin sleepsuit and 1.5 tog sleeping bag. It is really quite warm, but then I also think sleeping bag is integral part of bedtime routine. And also worry she'd get cold later in the night without. Ahh, so difficult to know what's best!

Team - I don't know what to suggest apart from watering down milk as someone else suggested. If you're using formula and she's eating well during the day it is reasonable to expect less night feeds now I would think...you're a hero for consistently coping with so little sleep. We had one bad night last night (and actually I found DP's hay fever induced snoring worse than DD!) and we're both well and truly fed up. I agree with Fate that it's important you share the night duties. If you always do it you should have a full night off to catch up on much needed sleep!

Team I don't really have suggestions, but I do have a great deal of sympathy! We are in the same boat for lots of night wakings. But like Ella suggested, going for a later bedtime has helped a lot. You do lose out on a quiet evening, but you get more sleep on the morning end. It's hard for me to go to sleep until later in the evening, so I need the baby's schedule to mirror mine a bit more. Unless you have to wake at 5 for work? Or your dp should definitely be taking the baby at 5 so you can have a power nap for an hour or two.

Also, since I'm back at work and not feeding DS through the day (I try to only pump one bottle while working) I find that he feeds even more through the night. Reverse cycling is like an extra little kick for the working breastfeeding mum. Maybe there's some of that going on?

J is the type of baby who only eats solid food...not mashed, not pureed, not off a spoon. The upside is he eats anything and has a huge variety of foods. The downside is that mealtimes are usually messy and take over an hour ! He will eat a dessert off a spoon but nothing else !

He is finally crawling after weeks of just rocking on his hands and knees. His mobility took a massive leap overnight - he often kneels, and can get about from all different positions - kneeling, sitting etc. I was beginning to think he was going to be really behind physically, but it seems to have slotted into place the minute he hit nine months.

ella J is also on hungry baby. I was going to put him on follow on, but HV said i didn't need to as his diet is fine so to continue as I was.
He's not really that chunky though - he's been average weight (but short) since he was a month old.
However, I think I might put him on follow on now....

Jay - My DD is doing exactly the same as J in terms of mobility! DP and I were saying today as she was finally crawling about and has started to kneel up to try and steal things from the table, that actually a lot of the changes are so sudden!

lilone It's quite amazing how quick it all happens isn't it !

EllaBella I don't think you have to change. I think the only real difference between them is slightly different nutritional differences but not big enough to worry about. I will say though that Jessica was on hungry baby milk and I changed her to follow on with no issues, so if you want to change I'm sure it'll be fine.

Jay we've had the same with Jessica. She's finally 'got' crawling after literally weeks of rocking and misguided efforts. Also about 3 weeks ago she pulled herself up to stand for the first time, and on Saturday for the first time she stood up completely on her own for about 5 seconds (before promptly face-planting). And now all she wants to do is try and stand. And yesterday I was letting her play with a spare spoon whilst I was feeding her and she tried to feed herself with it - I was quite shocked. She's been pretty slow at getting things but she's really coming on quickly now.

On other shocks a friend at work of mine let me know yesterday she just found out she's pregnant again, which might not sound shocking until you realise that she's 46! Her youngest is just about to go into secondary school and she's had fertility issues (her first child took 3 years to conceive for example) and she never went back on the pill as she always wanted a 3rd, but after a decade of it not happening just thought it'll obviously never happen now and was waiting for the menopause to hit fairly happily, and has settled and looking forward to the young child years being over, and then found out she was pregnant again on Fathers day. I think her husband nearly died of shock. She's pleased but obviously it took some getting her head around, as it was so unexpected. I am pleased for her but I know it'll be quite a risky pregnancy for her and baby so a bit anxious for them both. Her first scan is tomorrow to confirm dates as they think she's about 3 months but hard to tell exactly before scan.

On a side point, me and Jessica were both bridesmaids on Saturday for a close friend of mine. She was actually better behaved than I thought and looked very cute in her little dress, so I thought I'd share a picture of her.

Gorgeous picture KitKat!

Blimey, I'd be shocked to conceive with that age gap! There is a child in my sons class who's firstborn started university the same month that her second born started school. She was an unexpected surprise too, but very cherished and special.

Re milk. For what its worth DD has never been on hungry baby milk. We changed from First Milk to Follow On Milk at 6 months just because follow-on milk is cheaper and sometimes on offer (unlike all first milks).

Kitkat, she look gorgeous and so happy!

I wrote a big long post, but it failed!

We've gone back to using white noise, and that seems to reduce the need for settling. For the past two nights she's only wanted feeding twice, but we are keeping water by the bed to use if she wakes more than that. She is in her own room.

DH does help out with the nights, he was even when I was on maternity leave. I'm an early bird, whereas he's a night owl, so we split the night like that. I go to bed early, then DH stays up (reads, watches TV or works) to do the first feed, or sometimes two. He then comes to bed at around 12. I then do the feed at around 3 and get up with her in the morning. This is actually ok if I can get back to sleep again after feeding her, but relatively often I can't sleep again, so then I'm awake from 3! DH and I both have serious sleep issues, and it seems DD has inherited them.

We did have a great weekend though. Took DD to a petting farm, which she loved. She has also started to like Mummy's home cooked food

Team - Glad the white noise seems to be helping a bit. White noise has been a lifesaver here.

KitKat - Jessica looks so cute in her bridesmaid dress! Gorgeous grin!

kitkat what a cutie!

I use white noise for all sleeping, I think both me and DS are dependent on it now though!

I never realised you actually have to teach babies some things, clapping for example. I was wondering why mine seemed to be the only one not doing it, oops. So 2 days of actually clapping at DS and he's picked it up quickly. Not sure why I thought he'd just randomly do it himself!

And the pincer grip has been perfected which is driving me crazy as he's just going round picking up every tiny bit of crap off the floor and eating it. Which means I actually have to hoover more than once a month regularly.

I took DS back for more cranial osteopathy and seems to have helped him again. We've only had 1 or 2 wakes ups a night since, rather than 5 or 6. I don't know if you've considered it team but I'm desperate enough to try anything (except crying)

I got my acceptance from work of cutting my days down to 3, finally. Now just need to sort nursery

I am desperate for someone to get married so I can put in a ridiculously cute outfit :)

I'm going to 2 weddings this year but DS isn't invited to either

That's a shame acorn. We have two as well, close family and a close friend so I have bought the cutest little suit!!

We had our first settling session at the nursery today, only an hour and I stayed. Was all going well until his key worker changed his nappy. Crisis! Think it was moving away from me rather than the actual nappy situation though.

I've been clapping at ds for ages now. He doesn't get it. I've also been waving. Nothing. Pretty sure he just thinks I'm mad.

Is anyone else finding that the car seat is causing major sweat?! I took DS out of the car today after a 30 minute journey and he was soaked and there was sweat patches all over the seat. There is a summer cover I can buy but it's £30. Anyone have any magic solutions or can say if the cover is worth it?

I've been clapping & waving at DS for months & he's still not doing either.

I've been wondering about how to stop the sweating in the car seat as well, we only need to be in the car 20 minutes & he gets out soaking.

Topsyloulou Jessica is the same - months worth of waving and clapping and she still just looks at me like I'm mad!

Am also interested in hearing any car seat sweat solutions......

Ummm ...

Yesterday DD refused her afternoon nap, so went to bed early and I was anticipating a nightmare night... She slept like a log until 2.45, had 4oz, slept until 5, had 2oz and slept until 6!!!

This is the best night we have EVER had!!! Probably just a one off, but I'm now filled with false hope

We've done nothing different, so maybe she's starting to work out this whole sleeping thing?!

That's great Team! Fingers crossed!

Can I just ask about weight gain. Took Jessica to be weighed yesterday. The HV was a bit distracted and it was only when I looked properly afterwards saw that she had plotted the growth line wrong (that's the second time they've done that)! Jessica has only put on 4oz in 6 weeks, which when you plot in correctly means she has dropped from 40th centile to 30th. She's still difficult with food and really reluctant to eat anything apart from yogurts and those baby biscuits you can buy. I think it's probably not a coincidence as well that it's been in this 6 week period that we had 3 (unsuccessful) weeks of trying to drop night feeds, so I think it was probably unsuccessful as she still must be hungry at night and needs it. I think I may go back to puree jars as she was more willing to eat those than the lumpy ones and I'm worried now she's not eating enough.