December-the 'Merry Christmas' Babies!

[Calmriver]

Hi Guys, thought I wouldn't betray our months of being together...whats a week amoungst friends!!!

Babypowder, some babies are just slow to gain weight. As long as your HV isn't worried that's great. I always think the best thing is not to get them weighed if you can help it. I'm sure worrying affects your milk supply, it did with my first. My DD is 6 weeks today and has only put on 1.5 lbs. I'm not worried at all - she looks pretty healthy to me. Certainly has a hearty pair of lungs on her

my little man is 9lb 6 and he was 8lb 9 at birth, so hes not even put on a pound yet and im not worried either

Babypowder, you aren't doing anything wrong & by sound of it your lo happy and healthy. I second castles, don't get em weighed if you can help it. I got ds1 weighed every week & all i did was worry about it constantly.
Think I've figured out expressing now,gave my first bottle of ebm to ds2 today which stupidly enough made me feel sad but allowed me to go into work & see some friends without having to feed in crowded staff restaurant surrounded by co-workers!
Think caffeine is to blame for ds2 wind & increasingly colic at night - friend pointed out that the red bull I was drinking prob. wasn't good for him even tho it's keeping me going!
Have figured out way to dry nappies in house (there's a great couple of threads in housekeeping about drying clothes & doing fewer loads a week) so am going to buy them when I have spare minute to go online (and once logged onto mn obviously). I'm going to just buy half a dozen & 2 wraps to start with & start easy. If I hate it, will sell them on ebay!

I know that, rationally, DD2 is perfectly healthy, but professionals don't half put the fear of god in me!!
I'm using washable nappies, and find them really easy. I wet pail the dirty ones and chuck them in the wash every 2 days. I was lucky as the maternity unit was running a real nasppy trial, so have been using them since day 1. Give 'em a bash - and let me know if I can offer any support

Morning all! I know its practically tea time... I'm just having my morning joe!

I'm so tired, I'm giddy. And I may be getting used to it, because I can't seem to sleep more than 5 hours a night - and not all in a row either!!

You gals using cloth nappies are goddesses... I'm doing an average of 3 loads/day without using cloth... and I have a dryer to boot!!

Morning all! I know its practically tea time... I'm just having my morning joe!

I'm so tired, I'm giddy. And I may be getting used to it, because I can't seem to sleep more than 5 hours a night - and not all in a row either!!

You gals using cloth nappies are goddesses... I'm doing an average of 3 loads/day without using cloth... and I have a dryer to boot!!

AQ PMSL at the new name.

went for coffee with my neighbour yesterday and halfway through noticed a little green baby bogey on my sweater, glistening just like a little brooch.... hey ho

just bought a baby swing from kiddicare- fab. flashing lights, swinging and music- didn;'t hear a peep out of DS2 for an hour- he was mesmerised! Left me in peace to watch 60 minute makeover. The joys of day time telly.

DD2 has been very gassy in the evenings for the last 4 -5 nights. she is 3 weeks old today (boy does the time fly), and I'm hopeful that she'll get over it by 6 or 8 weeks. It's not as bad as either of my other 2 kids so I'll keep me fingers crossed. I've been using Infacol, starting in the afternoon, and using it through the evening feedings, but laying her down and doing bicycle legs quite vigorously seems to help the most.

Hope Hester is doing OK Mardy, been thinking about you a lot.

Nice to see Judemum, Jabber, Eli, Castles... I am playing catch-up an awful lot. Will log on, lurk whilst reading up on the posts from the last few days (averaging 2-3), then post a little message or two then disappear for 2-3 days again. Where does the time go?

The baby gym sounds brilliant!. DD2 seems to be most entertained by her siblings at present. They are so boisterous it's funny, but by the end of the day, the noise is enough to make mum want to run screaming from the house.

Both DD1 and DS are at the sitter today... I am supposed to be catching up on my rest, getting passport photos done of the baby, I need some nursing shirts desperately, and a bra that fits these huge melons of mine properly...

What I really want to do is sit in the quiet and eat chocolate, read my book... watch TV...

AQ too!! Hope baby not too sick, it's so hard when they're small like our LO's.

Both my older kids have started to cough again, so I hope we're not in for round 3 of sick in this house.

Just effing off to change the laundry load (yet again)...

I have come to the conclusion that whilst almost all the health proffesionals I have met whilst and since havind DS I actually have the best health visitor in the worls and we're just about to move so I'm going to lose her bu**er it. Sshe didn't even weigh DS today she said she could see he'd grown lots and he looked healthy and she didn't see why the docs were making such a fuss. She also suggested we send DS to my parents for a few days and have some time together as a couple. And despite all the probs I've had lately gave me big pats on the back for keeping breastfeeding, when I said I was cheating by expressing and wasn't really breastfeeding much so didn't deserve really deserve the compliment she said it wasn't the way he got it that counted it was the fact that he was getting the at all not the method of delivery and that I was managing to still do it even though he's getting the odd bottle of formula every now and again. That was such a positive experience it's really made me feel better.

in case you ahdn't guessed that should have been "almost all health proffesionals I have met....are crap"

in case you ahdn't guessed that should have been "almost all health proffesionals I have met....are crap"

in case you ahdn't guessed that should have been "almost all health proffesionals I have met....are crap"

Hi all, i have got this 'milkmaid tea' to drink to increase my milk flow...I only need it for one side! what is going to happen to the good one???I will be flowing all over the place...

I finally made it!

Officially joined you in the one hand baby sleeping on the other arm club.

Went to aqua natal class on Wed at T+13 and gor sympathy and chat from the only other person to have been going before christmas and a mixture of shock, awe and nervous laughter from the mountain of newbies. The wonderful midwife arrived and knew I was bookd for induction tonight and promised to do her best..........she did a good job!

12:30 at night I woke up in pain, went to the loo, got dp to make me a water bottle, ran th bath instead, threw up lots so dp decided to call the MW (turned out th aquanatal on was on call!) she talked to me, sort of I wasn't very coherent and came out around 1:30. I was wondering howthe hell people do this labour thing as I was having continual though not too strong contractions with no brak in the pain at all. I turned out to already be 7cm so she called out the second MW who last night was actually my MW so I was happy. By now I was getting the urge to push but had breaks between contractions so was much happier, even more so when I got my hands on some gas and air! Laboured in my own bed on my side then sat to push and my little William Gilbert (every kid needs a daft middle name, this is for his french gd) was born just before 5am weighing 6lb 15oz, would have been tiny had he not taken theextra growing time!

Anyway 4.5 hours, can't argue with that for a first baby! And just a tiny graze so no stitches.

Been doing lots of sleeping today, sure he will turn into the devil incarnate soon enough!

Congratulations Indith - I am sooo jealous of your labour! Sounds just about the perfect positive experience. Welcome to the world William Gilbert!

On other matters - we are having trouble settling Jamie at night. I know all the advice is to swaddle him but he really doesn't seem to like it and spends most of his time trying to get his hands out. Anyone else experiencing this? And is there any harm to come from not swaddling?

thanks for any advice

congrats indith thats a great birth story!!

devongirl: my ds is the same with swaddling, he hates it and tries to escape from it, im lost at what to do at night to calm him coz he hates being put down and moans all day long, at the mo hes sleepin in his car seat at night coz he hates his moses basket!
Swaddling is safe aslong as there face is uncovered!

oops just re read ya post lol, i dont think theres any harm in not doing it, its just reccomended to help settle babies n make them feel close like when in utero!

Congratulations Indith.

Devongirl. My Dd will not have her arms swaddled either so I rwap a balnket around her from her underarms down. She is still cozy and warm but her hands are free and she can suck her fingers.

Congratulations, Indith! What a great birth story.

Let's see, trying to catch up here.

I didn't re-sterilize pump parts, just washed in hot soapy water. I think the advice about bottles is to try not to use the same one although I'm sure we did that with ds1. This time around i've been only putting 2 ounces at a time in as he still doesn't take it too readily.

Norhternmama, chocolate on the couch and some TV sounds heavenly to me too...

judemum, PMSL at your little green "brooch"

bewilder, so glad you've gotten some support. She's right you know, getting the bm is the thing, not how it's being done. And giving formula is not the cardinal sin some people make it out to be

devongirl, ds2 hates being swaddled also. He didn't mind the first couple of weeks but now it makes him furious!

We've had a good day so far. I actually took ds2 in with me to the dentist to get my impressions made for my teeth whitening thing in two weeks He slept the whole time in my Storchenwiege wrap - I love it even more than my slings.

Ds1 threw a fit at pre-school but calmed down later, thank goodness. I did my trick of saying, "Well you just stay an hour and if you want, we'll come get you." Found out later that after an hour he requested to come home but they talked him out of it Guess I can't use that one anymore. He did wind up having a good time though thank goodness.

Hello all, have had probs with my internet hence the gap in posts. It's good to read all the posts from everyone who's ahead of me, reminders of what's to come!!

Congrats Spina, Weirdbird, Devongirl, Bebespain and Indith and welcome to Tom, Hannah, James, Felix and William. The antenatal thread must be very quiet by now, wonder how Stokey is doing, she must nearly be due for induction by now.

Eli, I'm so glad Mischa is better, it must have been a very stressful time for you and I hope things settle down with the reflux etc. Make the most of your doula - if she runs out of things to do feel free to send her Bristol bound!!

|Mardy, I've been thinking about you and Hetty a lot, I?m so pleased she's improving.

Ds2 is (at the moment) a little star. He's so good, I can?t believe he?s going to stay that way . He just eats, sleeps then lies and watches the lights before having another feed. He?s bf like a trooper which is a very welcome change after ds1 and dd. He?s 2 weeks today and I can?t get over how fast it?s going. DH is adamant that we?re not having any more and I want to make the most of my final newborn.

Babypowder, I had major weight issues with ds1 and dd, neither had regained their birth weight by 3 weeks and I ended up being made to feel that I had to give formula because I wasn?t bf them properly. This time round, thanks to all the bf threads I?ve lurked on here, I?m refusing to take any notice of the health ?professionals? and am using my own instincts. Ds2 has so far lost 7oz and gained 1! Like your dd, he's content between feeds, has lots of wet nappies and yllow poos, he's warm, pink and alert so there's nothing wrong with him. He gets weighed again tomorrow so we?ll see what happens. My mw at the moment is lovely and very supportive but I can see that changing if he?s still under by this time next week. Stick to your guns and be confident in your own instincts, you know your baby far better than anyone else.

Any of you who are struggling with bf and getting conflicting advice from mws, hvs and books, THIS proves exactly how little most mws and hvs know about bf and feeding schedules etc. I read it on another thread on here and suddenly the whole bf thing just fell into place. I really wish I?d read it when I had ds1 and dd, it would have saved so much heartache and tears over my ?inability? to bf. I?ve completely stopped stressing about how often he feeds and how long for, I just latch him on whenever he seems hungry which is fairly often .

Sorry, I seem to have typing diahorrea tonight! Fingers crossed for a decent night?s sleep for everyone .

Quick update of birthdays, names etc for you??

Babies:
bewilderbeast 22/10 Joseph Robert
maroon35 23/10 Francesca Eleanor 2lbs 11oz
jabberwocky 22/11 Kiernan Finley Rose 5lbs 3.5oz
Lucy5 24/11 Leo 9lbs 7 oz
Calmriver 24/11 Amberli-Rose 4lbs 15oz
Elibean 24/11 Mischa 7lbs 2 oz
beepbeep 28/11 Esta May 8lbs 1oz
Magnolia1 30/11 Benjamin 6lbs 8.5oz
castlesintheair 30/11 Athina 7lbs 12oz
Nearlythere 1/12 Amelia Carys Davies 6lbs 5oz
Calsworld 1/12 James 8lbs
Mumatuks 5/12 Daniel 9lbs 4oz
Indiemummy 5/12 Ivy
accessorizequeen 6/12 Elliot
judemum 7/12 Ewan Fraser 7lbs 12oz
Beaker123 8/12 DD 8lbs 9oz
satinshoes 9/12 Erin Rose 6lbs 15oz
dublindee 10/12 Christopher 8lbs5oz
cupcakes 11/12 Fleur 6lbs 6oz
VanillaMilkshake 12/12 Dylan Edward 8lbs 1.5oz
lubella 13/12 Angelina Rose
Carameli 15/12 Boy Name TBA 7lbs 4oz
Annaspanner 15/12 Gabriela 3.7kgs
HayleyWayley 15/12 Charlie
Softymum 17/12 Boy 8lbs 9oz
Loulou000 18/12 Annabelle Rose 7lbs 15oz
bebespain 18/12 Felix 4.1kg
babypowder 20/12 Eloise 7lbs 12oz
diamondsareforever 21/12 Digby George
northernmama 21/12 Kirsten Ada 7lbs 8oz
summerlovebaby 21/12 Girl
Baconbaps 22/12 Boy Name TBA 7lbs 12oz
shell2006 23/12 Jasmine
mischelfish 25/12 Oscar
Mardybum 26/12 Hester Poppy 7lbs
pedilia 27/12 Amber 7lbs 7oz
OonaghBhuna 27/12 Girl
Olihan 28/12 Benjamin James 10lbs 2.5oz
Gloria42 29/12 Charlie Iain 10lbs
Devongirl 30/12 James Gabriel 3lbs 3.5 oz
spinamum 1/1 Thomas Evan 3.8kg
Weirdbird 3/1 Hannah 9lbs 9oz
Indith 11/1 William Gilbert 6lbs 15oz

congratulations everyone! great birth story indith. (you may remember me as somethingunderthebedisdrooling).

can i recommend 'the social baby' to all new mums? fantastic book for these early days. here

also look at the link olihan posted if you are bf. i second what she says that so many midwives and hvs know too little about bf. in fact, for all your bf woes, just search kellymom. she deserves a nobel prize for peace or medicine or something.

Hi everyone

had a good night's sleep last night - yay! DD2 slept 12.15-3.45 (v. good) and then 4.45-7.15 and she's sleeping again after a 20 min feed! Hurray.....But she was up SIX hours from 6pm until midnight which was exhausting

Olihan - you are so right about the kellymom link. If only i'd seen that when breastfeeding DD1.

Have a good day all

Devongirl, mine don't like swaddling either, right little wrigglers, so I use sleeping bags. They are great and if you get a newborn one they are quite a snug fit & cosy. I got mine from cheeky rascals (I think) can find link for you if you want.

Congratulations Indith & William. Welcome to the post-natal moaning shop

Love the green-snot brooch story Judemum

Northernmama, my 2 DCs are also DD2's best form of entertainment, whether she likes it or not! Every time she falls asleep DD1 runs up to her shouting "Boo!". It's hilarious though I have started putting her upstairs for her sleeps now. Works a treat I have to say. Over Xmas my DS was singing "Santa Claus is coming tonight" to her but changing every word to "Athina". She really smiles when they are round her. Funny how to me they seem to be getting too close but she seems to love it and they know when to stop.