August 2015 - Let the Sleepless Nights Commence

[nolongerwaitingfornumber2]

My DC2 was born on 5th August and I'm up in the wee hours feeding away. Anyone else with their August babies care to join me?

I still can't believe he's here and in my arms!

A jogger buggy sounds brill nolonger, we were given a travel system by my bro which has saved us huge amounts but it's massive and heavy, don't think running with it will be an option. Hopefully once things shake down a bit I'll be able to get out in the evenings.

Can I ask what time does everyone's babies go down for the night? DS so often cluster feeds in the evening, it's extremely rare that he goes down before 11. Would be lovely to bring this forward a little but I've got no idea how I would do this? Perhaps it will just change on its own.

Everyone keeps mentioning 6-weeks as a big turning point. I know what you mean about it being relentless Penny, definitely looking forward to some rewarding smiles and hopefully an end to this cluster feeding.

Beach sounds lovely. Did you get good weather? I've come to visit my parents as OH is away and am being so well looked after. Not looking forward to going back to the normality of feeding myself and worrying about housework!

Hi. Can I join in here? I know dd2 didn't actually get here til 2 September but she started coming in August!

Things going ok so far. Need some more kip though. Sleep when the baby sleeps doesn't work with a toddler.

Hi joskar totally agree -can't sleep when baby sleeps with a toddler too - oh for the days of just the one!! My toddler still has a daytime nap but unfortunately it never coincides with the baby

clstow I go to bed between 9-10 with DD - not been able to put her down on her own but she does cuddle in with me and sleep. I fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed!!

nolonger I found it hardest going from 1 child to 2 - thought it was difficult dealing with 2 little ones needs when not used to it, especially as toddlers can be very demanding - going to 3 and more has been a breeze - think a lot is to do with confidence and being more relaxed.

Wishing everyone a lovely day

Morning ladies!

Hey Joskar good to see you lovely! How's it going?

clstow dd falls asleep in the evening about 10pm ish (that's a BIG ish!) and either I'll go upstairs and try and sleep until she wakes for her next feed or I'll hang out downstairs watching shit telly if DH is too tired and needing sleep, then I'll go up after her 1.30 feed to 'sleep'.

Yes to buggy fit and running ladies! I can't wait until I'm a bit better to be able to do that stuff. Mostly I can't wait for my CS wound to fully heal so I can go swimming - that would be bliss!

We reach the magical (?dillusional) 6 week mark this weekend. I really hope it is a turning point, although I'm well prepared for it not to be too.

Baby massage lesson due today! Do you think I can get them to demonstrate on me though?!

Clstow I just logged on to ask the same question. DS goes to bed between 11 and midnight. Which is a vast improvement on 3am but would also like to bring it forward a bit. But not sure how to. Have tried to tempt him to feed a bit earlier but just has the effect of cluster feeding lasting longer. Am hoping over next couple of weeks things will fall into more of a pattern. Bless him he is 4 weeks today. How did that happen!!??

Interesting hearing about going from 1 child to 2 or 2 to more! When you were first timers did it seem totally impossible? Would love DS to have a sibling at some point but can't ever imagine coping with more than one. Certainly couldn't imagine how I'd cope if I had to do school / nursery drop offs. Am so impressed with everyone that is managing that.

Dozy well done on the public feeding. Another couple of goes and you'll do it without thinking.

We went to something called rhyme time yesterday. DS was far to young for it and breast fed through most of it but was nice to get out the house and chat to some other mums too.

Mzzzf let me know how baby massage goes. I really want to take DS to that. He seems to be getting really bad wind in the evenings. Be nice to be able to do something to help him.

Penny a dummy is a godsend. My in laws are coming down this weekend and also won't approve. But as a v nice midwife said to me 'you do what you need to do to cope in these early weeks'.

Oh and welcome and congrats joskar!!

I'm just popping I quickly to ask you all to wish me luck today!
I've had a migraine on and off since yesterday. I can't take my usual meds due to breastfeeding. Paracetamol isn't touching the sides. Ds totally gave up on sleep last night and fed every hour. And dh has gone to work today so I'm flying solo for the first time! It's going to be a long and painful day.

Will pop back and reply to everyone properly later; I just needed a bit of a self indulgent moment, sorry!

I hope you all had good nights and a good day ahead

kbro I think when you have your first you can't ever imagine coping with another! It's all so new and you are learning everyday but at some point it falls into place and things become easier (honestly!) then you think a brother or sister would be nice and before you know it you are back to the baby stage again only you know what you're doing 2nd time round so it doesn't seem so hard, then you wonder why you were so stressed with your first. I think you are always learning with your first - toddler, starting school etc - my eldest is 13 years and causes me more worry and stress than all the others but when others are her age I'll have had practice and won't worry so much as I've already got experience (I hope!)

Good luck frolic - hope your day improves and you and DS get some sleep

Ah good luck frolic. You'll be fine am sure. Sounds like you are doing really well so am sure you'll cope! And we're here is you need to vent ?? DS had a terrible night too. After a couple of much improved ones.

Loveandsmiles that is good to know. Esp about the getting easier and confident.

Just realised it was magrat I meant to reply to about the dummy and not penny. Sorry. My baby brain can't remember what's on the previous page!!

Thanks everyone! I feel much better after going out for some fresh air. I managed to get to the hairdresser to cut my fringe as well.
Ds has been asleep all morning and will hopefully go down again after this feed so I can have a bit of a nap. I need to brave a solo trip with frolicdog and the pram later on. Maybe the sling would be easier, but I'm not sure if my c-section wound would get a bit sore with ds on my front.

Welcome penny and jockstar

Christmas shopping fatty? I'm in total awe of how organised you are. I only just about know what day it is!

Thanks for your kind words nolomger. My granny would have loved ds. I'm just pleased we at least got to tell her i was pregnant the last time we saw her.

clstow, a few days ago I would have said that ds went down about 11ish and settled well for the night. That seems to have gone out the window now! Cluster feeding seems to start at 12 and end about 4am
.

I can't wait for my scar to heal either mzzf. I feel so unfit and fat at the moment. I'm really looking forward to being able to do something about it.

I hope you're all having a good day

Just a quicker frolic to say the sling was absolutely fine with my scar. I used a close caboo but max 30-40mins at a time.

mzzzf and frolic do your babies like being in a sling? I have a Babasling and by the time I struggle to get DD in it she is screaming - just don't seem to have enough hands to manage her into the sling - she doesn't like it at all.

Hope you're feeling better frolic! We just got out from baby weigh in clinic and all that feeding has paid off! Yah for Wright gain! Treating myself to half an hour in Costa with a coffee before heading back and starting to get tea on. DS went mad for milk at the weigh in clinic- I always seem to be out and about when it's time for his feed! Hope all you ladies are having a good day.

loveandsmiles dd often resists it initally but after 5mins or so of plodding around she's calm and within 10 will likely be asleep. If she's not happy after those first 5 mins I take her out again.

magrat well done on the weight gain. Little mzzzf has her weigh in again tomorrow!

Baby massage today was good, they only do only section per week so I've inadvertently signed myself up for a 4 week course! It started well but dd couldn't take too much of it and started crying - which is apparently totally normal due to feelings of lots of stimulation. She's seemed ok whilst I was doing it though... Mainly I'm doing it to help wind and help her relax as part of a bedtime routine, when j eventually have one!

The sling was a success! We managed a short walk with the dog and ds just slept all cuddled up to my chest. Much easier than manoeuvring dog and pram I think. We have a Kari-me at the moment. I'm thinking of investing in an ergo if we find ourselves using it a lot.

I'm feeling much better thanks magrat. But Ds has been in another cluster feeding frenzy this afternoon, so I've not managed a sleep. Hopefully he'll be better tonight if he gets it out of the way today.
Yay for good weight gain! It's so pleasing to know they're doing well.

Baby massage sounds lovely mzzf. It's one of the few baby group things that we have here and I'll definitely go along when it starts again at the end of the month.

All well here with the baby. Dd1 is quite unsettled though. She's a bit robust with dd2 and it's stressing me out. I'm trying really hard not to shout but she's like a tank! She's not quite two and it's a lot for her to deal with. How are others getting on? Any tips?

Poor baby has a cold. Dd1 keeps kissing her so I suppose it's inevitable. Need to break out the saline spray.

I would persevere with a sling, love. We started with a babasling but there are much better ones out there. I've just bought a Sa-Be off eBay but for long walks with an older I love the woven wrap. Have you a sling library? Might be something more comfortable there? Some babies just don't get on with them but they are an absolute godsend. I hardly use a pram even yet and dd1 is nearly two. Totally worth keeping trying a few more times.

Ell done for getting out with the dog and the sling Frolic. Also glad you are feeling better.

kbro, we swore for months after having DS1 that we could never cope with another baby. DS1 is now an incredibly active 2year old and looking after DS2 feels like a breeze by comparison. As others have said, with your first, everything is new and a shock to the system. And to a large extent, it still feels like that with DS1 as I still feel I'll equipped to manage a toddler.

DS tends to go down about 10.30, but he likes to keep me on my toes. A couple of nights ago he fell asleep at 9 and I kept expecting him to wake up for a really long feed, but he slept until 12.30, then had a really long feed.

We got discharged by the midwife yesterday, and DS was 6oz up on his birth weight, do at least the sore nipples haven't been for nothing. We then had the health visitor in today, but she was very brief as she didn't feel second timers need too much input . I did manage to shoe horn my questions in though.

Busy thread today - love it

Sounds like all the LOs go to bed late so I'll stop worrying about DS and hope that he starts sleeping a bit earlier of his own accord soon.

Great work on handling today like a pro-momma Frolic, sounds like that migraine didn't stop you. My Grandma also passed away while I was pregnant; it's so sad that she never met DS and vice versa, but like you I'm just pleased she knew he was on the way.

Welcome Joskar and congratulations.

We have 2 slings for DS - a chicco go and a Moby wrap. He's not supposed to be in them till he's 8 pounds but we tried him in the chicco and he loves it so I pop him in there for short trips, the midwife said it was ok and hopefully he's heading towards 8 pounds now.

Well done on being signed off Eqimum, and fab weight gain MaGrat.

We're also going for weigh in tomorrow, am so paranoid that DS doesn't get enough from breast milk that I'm going to stick with weekly weigh ins for the moment.

Really busy thread today! Welcome Joskar.

Just a quick one from me tonight as desperately need to go to bed having just got ds to sleep following a mammoth cluster feed this evening. The broken nights are really starting to catch up with me now.

We have a Connecta sling which I love and he just sleeps in for hours. Gives me my arms back to do things like vacuuming etc.

Great news with all the weight gain. Does anyone else think their babies have lost that "newborn" look? Mine was looking at me intently with these big eyes earlier and he seemed so grown up already!

Night all x

Sorry you poor baby is poorly jockstar. I hope she get's better soon.

Well done for getting discharged from the midwife and the excellent weight gain equimum. We're hoping for the same at our appointment later today.

Sorry for your loss clstow. These things are hard enough at the best of times, let alone when we have all these hormones in the mix

Ds is definitely looking older clstow. His eyes are getting lighter and his face fatter. He'll only be 2 weeks tomorrow so I'm hoping we get to hang on to the squidgy newborn look for a bit longer. I do wander how much longer he'll fit into newborn clothes.

I hope everyone is having a good night. Ds is much better tonight. He finished cluster feeding about 8pm and dh took him out in his pram so I could sleep a bit. Since then he's slept well and fed every 3 hours. I never thought in my life that 2 1/2 hours sleep would seem like such a long stretch!

Do any of you use a breast pump at all? We've decided last night to invest in a decent one so that I can fill up the freezer in case I get more migraines. I can take my meds if I bottle feed for 12 hours after. I really hate the idea tbh, as breastfeeding is going so well. But I've really suffered the past few days and have been so sick with it that I'm really dehydrated again. I thought I was done with throwing up now I'm no longer pregnant .
Anyway, if any of you have recommendations, I'd love to hear them. I'm pretty sure we want electric and will probably order from Argos or Amazon as we have vouchers.

Frolic sorry to hear about the migraine. I've been getting headaches which are annoying enough so migraine must feel horrendous. I never get headaches though so I think I get dehydrated breastfeeding so I'm trying to drink a lot more water. Glad the sling wearing went well.
I've been lent a close caboo to use. Haven't really tried it yet because I don't have much time between feeds in the day time but hoping to use it more at some point. Went to a sling meet yesterday because I wasn't too sure how to use it. Dd screamed in it but she was hungry so wasn't the best time to try it I never thought I'd be into slings, but seeing all the different types available, I was quite interested in getting more! There was a connecta buckle type one that loomed nice and simple to use. And a hana stretchy wrap that looked really nice when on as well. Bet they get addictive!

Hope the feedings going well for everyone. Sounds like things are starting to improve for some people. I'm getting used to the cluster feeding now and understanding that it's normal. Got weigh in today so I can see if my hardworking has paid off. She certainly feels bigger anyway.

We seem to have fallen into a pattern of being able to breastfeed in the day regularly every 2 hours and then by nighttime at about 11pm she'll have a bottle of formula. She would sleep about 3 hours after that but last night she slept for 4! I felt so refreshed from that sleep, it was amazing. I still try to express once or twice a day to have something to give her overnight but this night was the first night she's not needed anything. And she's slept in the moses basket! So I really feel like we've hit a turning point in the feeding and it's improving. The fact I've tried public bf probably helps because then I've been able to bf wherever I am even if she'd only fed an hour ago. I find she doesn't go long in between feeds but that'd probably normal too. I'm used to seeing formula fed babies who go 4-5 hours between bottles.

Hope those going to babu massage enjoy them. I'm hoping to start going to one. The childrent centre one is only 5 quid for 5 sessions so may as well give it a go. There's another private lady that is a bit more expensive but a lot of people rave about her so may give it a go.

Medela Swing pump is supposed to be the best. I have a Philips Avent and I hate it. Tommee Tippee is also rubbish.

Slings are very addictive Dozy. Some of the girls in my local library are obsessed. They match their outfits with them! As it is I have four and one on the way. Only my woven was new though. Buckles and stretchies are cheap to buy second hand. Wovens hold their value so that's why I bought new. The other addictive thing is cloth nappies. The lassies at the nappy group are totally mad.

Morning all

dozy it's incredible what a few hours of sleep can do!

Thanks to all who recommended slings - what is a sling library? Assuming it's somewhere you can borrow slings from - never heard of this - don't think there is one local to me? It would be great if DD could go in one - like nolonger says, you can get other things done. I hate sitting on sofa feeding whilst thinking of hoovering etc I could be doing!

joskar my toddler is 2.5 and none to gentle with baby. Has already knocked Moses basket over! Every time she speaks to baby she is about 1 millimetre from her face and is very shouty - sorry don't have any tips - I am trying to praise if she had been gentle but it's not often - hard to not shout, especially when sleep deprived - just hoping the novelty of a new baby wears of soon.

DH was late home from work last night so had to brave swimming lessons with all 6 DCs! On the upside, baby slept for 2.5hours - heat in pool must have knocked her out but she usually cluster feeds from 6-9pm and I could feel my boobs growing by the minute and leaking! I was boiling hot and stressed running around after toddler but had to keep jacket on as milk leaked all over tshirt! By the time we got home my boobs were fit to burst - what a relief to sit down and feed her - milk was actually spurting out - thought poor little baby was going to choke

Six! Blimey! You're a super woman!

Check FB for sling library in your area. Very handy to try before you buy and get advice.