October 2015

[Poppytime]

I had DS on the 5th - couldn't see an October thread yet. This is dc2 for me, I already have a 2 yo DD. Feeling ok but knackered - DD been good with the baby although bedtimes haven't been easy, I think she is jealous of the baby being in our room/not going to bed. DH is back to work tomorrow, am dreading it a little...anyone else out there? How are you getting on?

Well, I'm going to stop saying positive things about DD & her routine because as soon as I wrote the above she is now sleeping for hardly any time at all & im knackered.
She's been sleeping for an hour at a time over the weekend and I don't know what to do. I've tried all the normal suggestions, even stopped any visitors coming yesterday to see if that would make any difference.
When she is awake she's only not crying if she's on the boob, getting her nappy changed, having a bath or being shoogled about. No staying still time for me & im weary. My c-section scar has been sore and I'm not sure if it's because I've been constantly moving and shoogling. Bad times

Hi all. I've finally got round to joining this thread in between the feeding and trying to get on with other stuff!

DD is 26 days old and pretty good I think - although I have no frame of reference as she's my first! She sleeps for 2-4 hours at a time for about 15 hours a day, feeds every 1.5-5 hours (she's only done 5 hours a couple of times at night) approx 8 times a day, with corresponding nappies, which all seems pretty average from what I've read. She's definitely more active/crying/unsettled in the evenings (although as I type she's asleep on my lap...) - I've been going through all the worries about whether she is sleeping/feeding/crying/posseting too much or not enough, but figure if she's putting on weight then it's a good sign that everything is ok!

How's everyone else doing?

dot - are you and DD managing to get any more rest?

Hi Nocta176
That all does sound very average so that's great. It's funny how much you worry about things like poo now isn't it?!
That's DD four weeks old yesterday and we're getting there.
Her terrible sleep has stopped for now (hopefully for always but let's not jinx it) and she's back to 2.5 hour sleeps on average. We've been giving her infacol and that seems to help somewhat. The doctor says its normal around three weeks for things to change. She's gone from pooing three times a day to every couple of days too, but again that's normal.
Now we just need to get her used to the bouncer or the swing so that me and the husband can eat dinner at the same time.
I'm dreading the injections that are coming up, I've heard it really unsettles them and I'll be terrible watching her get them if she's crying.
On another note, I'm looking forward to my six week check so I can hopefully get clearance to do everything after my c-section. I can't wait to go for a swim.
Are you guys bottle or breast feeding?
I really need to start expressing and freezing the milk so I have good supply waiting. I want to start trying her with bottles of expressed milk from 6 weeks so that I can get a longer sleep every so often or go for a swim or a driving lesson. I'm hoping to pass my driving test in Dec or Jan so need to get going with it. Has anyone else that's BF introduced an expressed bottle yet? I've bought a wee selection of tommee tippee, mam and nuk bottles to see what she'll take.

Wow! I wish my dd would poo every couple of days, or even 3 times a day - it seems to go in one end and straight back out the other with her!!

I share your pain with the bouncer - mine just yells until you pick her up again - hopefully she'll like it eventually...she doesn't like the baby gym either. How are you getting on with the bouncer or swing? I haven't tried a swing yet...

I'm being bad and ignoring all advice and have started some gentle jogging already - I reckon it's good for my mental as well as physical health to get some fresh air on my own for half an hour!

I'm breast feeding in the main - but am expressing once a day so that dp can give her a bottle once a day and get her used to taking a bottle. We've been doing that for about a week now I guess and are using the tommee tippee bottles without any problems. We give her the odd bottle of formula too, maybe once a week max, generally if we're out somewhere I don't want to bf. Fortunately she seems pretty amenable to all types of feeding at the moment and hopefully it will continue if she gets used to having a mixture...fingers crossed! In 3/4 weeks time I'm going to need to be going out for a few hours at a time, so it will be really useful if she is happy with a mix of different types of feeds!

Well, as soon as I say her sleep is fine it all goes to pot last night she slept for two 30 minute spells and eventually a 1.5 hour spell in my arms at 6am. That was it. Hasn't slept that much today either so I'm hoping she'll crash out tonight.
Ended up giving her cooled boiled water earlier to settle her and it seemed to do the trick.
That's excellent that your DD is taking to the boob as well as the bottle. When I gave Lucy (DD) water earlier, I used a tommee tippee bottle and she sooked it no bother so hopefully it will always be that way.

She screams when we put her in the bouncer or swing...I've been hoping it's one of these things she'll suddenly just accept. Fingers crossed.
Tbh she screams at most things that aren't my boob haha. I'm sure she'll get there.
Ooh maybe I should get out jogging. I'll do some speed walking with the pram and see how I feel. That's if it ever stops raining. Have you felt OK after the jogging?
I've also been looking into baby wearing to see if that will allow me to get more done. Has anyone done this? Sling recommendations?

Jogging for me has been fine - but I ran a lot pre-pregancy and through to about 31 weeks, so haven't had too long off. The official advice is not to run for 3 months after birth because of your stretchy ligaments, so do some research if you're thinking about it - I think the recommended exercise for the first 3 months is all low impact e.g. swimming, walking, etc

I've got a close caboo sling, which I find useful if I'm going somewhere where the pram would be awkward e.g. public transport. However, I don't find it that comfortable - my back begins to ache a little after an hour or so. And it is fine outside but as soon as I go into a shop or something it gets boiling hot! I couldn't imagine wearing it around the house as some people suggest - maybe there are better slings for that?

Hi hope im not to late to join this thread! Dd born 6th oct and for the 1st 2 wks tricked me in to thinking this was easy lol I co slept at night but could put her down during her many naps in the day giving me time to nap, clean etc but then reality kicked in she will fall asleep on me in day but wont stay asleep if i put her down and suffers with colic in the evenings 😕 it is horrible seeing her so upset but not being able to help it was particularly stresful when it first started but we are getting used to it now so just deal with it some nights are worse than others it normally stops between 11 and midnight, the only positive thing to come from it is thst afterwards she is so knackered thst she will sleep in her moses basket at night ( well she has up until i wrote this so hope i havent jinxed it haha ) !

Hi everyone
I had my LO on 6 October 2015 too - she was 6 days over due. Luckily she's has been good so far, only problem I'm facing at the moment is her sleeping. When I initially put her down she'll sleep for 3 hours or so but then from 1am she'll be up every 1.5 hours or so and then when I try to put her down she wakes up within 10 mins. She's exclusively breastfed so we are trying to get her on to bottles so my husband can help with the night feeds. Its difficult at times as she doesn't like tomme tippee and sometimes takes the NUK but we are persevering. Hopefully within the next week or two she'll a bottle happily

Well as much as I wouldn't wish it on anyone, I'm glad I'm not the only one with the sleep issue.
We spend hours talking about what could be causing it...colic or constipation or an allergy etc, I've even cut dairy out of my diet after a wee rash appeared on her face post latte & we read online that dairy allergy causes rash/fussiness etc. I'm thinking wind mainly because she shows lots of sore tummy signs.

Merlin333 - I was exactly the same thinking that it was great for the first two weeks. Lulled into a false sense of security!
I just got excited about getting a 45 minute nap-my first sleep of the night at 5am, surely that's a bad state of affairs. DD is now up pretty much all of the night, certainly between 1am-6am at the very least. It's driving us potty. My husband would be pulling his hair out if it was long enough and I've gone into some crazed overdrive where I now find it hard to sleep at all. I feel like I've been given pro-plus when in reality I'm running on empty.
She seems to sleep ok during the day most days- should I be trying to keep her awake more during the day so she's more tired at night? I don't want her to be an overtired nightmare.
She sleeps sometimes during the night on me but when I put her in the bedside crib (or pram carrycot when I've resorted to going back to the livingroom) she wakes up. I've tried heating the crib up, Ewan the dream sheep, a vibration thing but nothing works. If I put her in the crib before she's completely asleep she just screams.
Nocta146 - I bought a stretchy Kari Me sling secondhand online yesterday so we'll see how we get on. I almost bought the close caboo so I'm glad I never now you said it gave you a sore back.
Has anyone that's b/f bought any nursing clothes? I've been doing one up one down with a vest top but treated myself at the weekend (another middle of the night online purchase oops) to a top and dress from Jojo Maman Bebe because they had 20% off their nursing clothes. I'm hoping that I can wear the dress over Christmas so I feel like I've made an effort at get togethers.
I hope your nights were all more successful than mine...now to attempt to remove sleeping baby from my chest into crib. What are the odds she'll wake up?!

Dotladotla poor you being awake all night😕 how old is she ? Have u considered co sleeping ? I wasnt keen but in the end it was the only way i could get any sleep !! I always said i wld never let my chikd sleep in my bed lol but for the first couple of wks thats what idid they say at this young age they dont remember where they r sleeping anyway so u dont need to worry about her getting used to it and at least u mite get some sleep, i aggree that keeping her awake more in the day wld just result in her being over tired, when shes up in the night is she screaming? I managed 3 continuous hrs of sleep last night (sorry not rubbing it in lol) No doubt i will pay for it tonight haha x

DD is 5 weeks and four days.
I ended up co sleeping in hospital because she screamed In her crib & I was too sore after my c-section to lift her in and out the whole time. That was the first thing I did that I said I wouldn't! Haha, oh to educate childless me!
She sleeps in the chicco next to me bedside crib, which is attached to our bed but we have taken her in next to us a few times in the morning out of desperation. She wouldn't settle in with us or anywhere right in the middle of the night but when she is calmer she will. I feel comfortable putting her on a pillow at the side of the bed (next to crib so she doesn't fall anywhere) but not so much in between us. I just don't get a relaxed sleep.
At night she will be crying most of the time but we can stop her crying by walking her around the room or sometimes holding her over the shoulder but she hates being held horizontally. That's why I think it's probably wind/a sore tum. She will sleep against me upright but when I put her down on her back she wakes up. When she's lying against my chest her legs are going up a fair bit and I think that's a sign. I did ask the doctor but they said its normal but she's got her six week check on Monday so I'll ask about it again.

Last night was a far better night
My husband took her downstairs when he got in from work at 1am and I never woke until 3am...bliss. He took her up to feed during that time and I fed her in my sleep! I have a vague recollection of it but that's it. He said that I was muttering away to him with my eyes closed.
Then at 4am I fed and changed her, rocked her to sleep by 5am and she slept until almost 8. What an amazing night, I could cry with happiness.
She also smiled for the first time - non wind smile - ahh how clever timing when I've been so down!
How's everyone else getting on?

Hi Merlin and Eva!

Glad to hear some of you are getting some sleep sometimes! And I hope it gets better for everyone else soon! DD seems to be going through a phase of daytime napping only on me or DP or in the pram, but will settle in her crib at night - not sure what is so different about the daytime! At least it means we get to sleep at night, even though she is a night owl and doesn't regard "bedtime" as somewhere between 1 and 2 am - she does then sleep for a few hours straight though, which definitely compensates for the late nights.

Dot - I missed what DP thought was a non-wind smile earlier - hopefully she will do it again soon!

Hello :) can i join the bus please? i was on the oct antenatal bus but mainly lurked :D dd2 born 22nd oct by elcs which was a great experience (1st time emcs not so great so this has helped me to erase some of the mental issues from last time. dd2 had some issues with jaundice and weight loss to start but we have gotten over that. we have no routine, or if there is one i'm too tired to notice! i think she may have posterior tt as we are still struggling with feeding issues. sleep is also variable! the joys :)

Hi Kats! I can't begin imagine how exhausting it must be having a baby to look after as well as another DC - I'm tired enough with just the one!

I wish my LO would have less nappy changes.. he is very fussy and won't poo unless it is a fresh nappy. We are constantly buying nappies lol.
Sleeping seems ok he wakes once at night.. but gets very unsettled from 8 pm till 10pm.
Currently slowly weaning him into formula as I have to start my new job in January and expressing is an option but I going to top him up on formula. Anyone else mix feeding?

we are mix feeding at the minute soon. initially due to greater than 10% weight loss and jaundice, and a paed who told us baby should feed for 20 minutes and be settled for 2-3 hours as a newborn. I felt like i was failing so opted to add in some formula. I also think DD2 has silent reflux;cheekily took her into my doctors appt yesterday and came away with gaviscon to trial. so far we have had a 3 hour nap yesterday and 2 chunks of 3.5 hour sleep o/n.

We've already been to the doctors as he had thrush.. I only managed to BF my first for 2 weeks so didn't think I'd manage much tbh. He only have formula at bedtime and if we are out and I am not comfortable with BF. The bedtime bottle does help get a longer sleep.
Silent reflux that can cause lots of hiccups?

yes soon, apparently signs include being an unsettled feeder, crying out while feeding, feeding constantly, farting more than burping, prefers to sleep on you than to lie down,gurgling tummy,explosive nappies and hiccupping a lot! dd does all of these.

yes soon, apparently signs include being an unsettled feeder, crying out while feeding, feeding constantly, farting more than burping, prefers to sleep on you than to lie down,gurgling tummy,explosive nappies and hiccupping a lot! dd does all of these.

A friend suggested my LO had that and he ticks all of those boxes. I'll try and get an appointment to see the GP with him. Does the gaviscon work?

DD has her six week check at the doctors tomorrow (well, today) and I want to speak to them about silent reflux. I think that's what is keeping her up at night. So far tonight she has slept one hour in the cot and the rest on us. All of the symptoms you said above Kat she has. I'm pushing for gaviscon.
A shrieking baby that only sleeps on us is certainly taking its toll- myself & the husband are walking round like glum zombies.
I expressed for the first time tonight so my husband will try to give her the bottle. Can he bring it up to temp in a jug of boiling water or will it curdle?
Has anyone expressed to have alcohol yet? We have friends staying this weekend that we haven't seen in a year and I'd love a glass or two of prosecco if she takes ok to the bottle (we are going to try a feed a day until then). Am I being unrealistic?! How long would it take for the alcohol to get out of my system so that I could feed her again? I feel like a bad person even suggesting it

I warn up expressed bottles in a bowl of hot water - don't take my word for it that it's the right thing to do though!

I've had a glass of wine now and again - I read not to bf for about 90 minutes after one glass, so if you time it right, you can squeeze a glass in between feeds! I've also left DH with an expressed bottle the one time I popped out to the pub for a couple of hours, so either approach works ok for us.

Great, thanks Nocta
We were at the doctors today for our six week check-up. I said that I suspected she has silent reflux but the doctor smiled at me and said that all babies cry & some are just needier than other and that its just a phase. I can't tell if I'm being irrational or not on no sleep but surely if a baby seems in pain all night & only sleeps a couple of hours that's not normal? He said that some babies need more cuddles than others so maybe it's just luck of the draw

I have my 6 week check tomorrow but LO has his at 8 weeks. If your not happy with the answer go and see another doctor.
My 1st was a non sleeper I feel your pain.

We've got our 6 week check today too!

Dot - I've experienced some health professionals as being entirely skeptical about the existence of reflux/colic/allergies etc and others being much more open to the possibility - so it might be worth trying to see someone else as Soon suggests? Lots of advice seems to tell you to trust your instincts if you think something is wrong.