August 2015 - Jaffa cake wars and many Mugabe greetings to you!

[mzzzf]

New thread ladies - praying for a decent sleep tonight!!

Just had turn off match of the day because ds was so interested in it he wasn't showing sleepy signs when he usually would! Proud DH!

Glad that putting dc down awake isn't something I'm the only person not doing! Night time is a feed to sleep affair here. But weirdlyafter the early morning feed ds will often just lie happily awake chatting to himself for a long time. I just leave him to it and go back to sleep and he must have put himself back to sleep at some point. Daytime naps he will look tired and get grumpy if I don't help him to sleep, so rock, dummy, sling, pram etc with varying degrees of success.

I know that frustration mzzzf. Not that DH will do the sling but I both want him to persevere so it doesn't always have to be me, but also when it's not working to give up or try something different.

And yy about the lack of urgency. I'll ask DH to do somehow and it's ' yes, after my coffee ' or 'i just need to go to the loo ' but by that time the window is gone

We have an audio monitor because it was free F from a friend. I only spend about 30 mins downstairs though. I'd like a video one as ds is a noisy sleeper and would save rushing in unnecessarily but there's so much choice I'm overwhelmed. Some are super expensive too.

In the day I think I've fed piper to sleep but as soon as I move she wakes up so daytime naps only work if she stays on me. Otherwise she sleeps because I take her out somewhere. She cries initially in the car and then drops off if it's long enough.
She won't fall asleep in the evening but bedtime she gets put down awake and falls asleep. Mainly without dummy but sometimes I give it her. I've never been able to do the floppy arm test, she never seems to have a floppy arm lol. I don't know how I've managed to get her to sleep so well at night because she was so terrible at it in the beginnin . I can only think that it's because the one bottle I give her gives her instant satisfaction whereas the 2 hours of feeding off me doesn't fill her up. Who knows. I know it may not last so I'm just enjoying it while I can

Lily sorry to hear about the eczema. I'd second not putting sudacrem o .

Veggie husbands. I'd sorta like one of hose because I love veggies but dp only likes them in salad form. I do love meat as well though.

Morning all!

Ds had his best sleep ever . He went from 12- 4:30, which is 5 1/2 hours with the clock change. Yay! He then did another 3 hours, so I'm pretty pleased with him. He also spent the night in the crib without protest so that dh could have his side of the bed back.

So much to catch up on overnight!

Putting ds down awake is hit and miss. He won't do it at all in the day, but will drop off in the pram if we go for a walk. Otherwise he falls asleep on the boob. Sometimes he falls asleep nicely himself at night, and sometimes he screams to be held / rocked / fed. Like baby effin, he does self settle in the crib most mornings after a bit of a shout.
I'm not stressing about it. I feel he's very little at 8 weeks to be self soothing, but it's a good thing that he can do it occasionally.

My leaking boobs have got much better in the past week or so. But they are quite unpredictable and have given me a few surprise soaks when least expected.
Ds has got into exploring things with his tounge over the past few days. It's quite weird when I see him licking a toy and my nipples tingle at the sight of his tongue.

We haven't got a monitor yet so I'm another who would appreciate recommendations.

I had eczema when I was little, but ds' skin seems lovely so far. Especially now the milk spots have gone.

Glad I'm not the only one with a faffing father. Like mzzf said, it's so hard not to hurt their feelings.

My mil is convinced that everyone who eats meat is going to get bowel cancer slow , so she's probably not impressed that ds will not be weaned veggie.

Have a great Sunday everyone. We're going to celebrate a good night's sleep with breakfast in the pub.

Monitor wise we have a Motorola mbp621 video one and it really is very good- I would be disturbing DS all the time without having video as he's a noisy sod! He even does the occasional scream in his sleep- looks like he's going to be a sleep talker like me! Haha! It's usually around £50 in Argos- full price £100 but always always on offer!

Sleep wise I try to put DS to bed at night asleep but the majority of the time he wakes up the minute I lie him down and starts thrashing around so I shush pat him and he will generally fall to sleep within around 10 minutes. The evenings he's really fighting it white noise goes on too. I've also started putting his daytime nap blanket by his face and removing it once he's asleep with some success- difficult when he's gripping onto it though! In the day naps tend to be in his cosy and once I see he's tired he will 80% of the time send himself off to sleep with dummy and blanket- I isually just sit next to him until he has dropped off. He is the oldest on the thread though so maybe why he is settling himself a little.

I wouldn't mind a veggie husband mine is such a carnivore he will barely eat any veggies and if I offered him salad he would genuinely think I was trying to poison him!

He decided he was too tired to do a night last night! Really pissed me off as he was the one who had offered- I would never ask him to after the last times disaster! He said he was busy from a mad week at work (granted his job is very stressful) and when I laughed he said 'I know you're tired but it's a different kind of tired you are sitting down all day'!!!! Well at that point I had to bite my tongue as I would probably have said something I regret!!! He later said he didn't mean it like that and said he felt like every time he says he's tired I turn it into a dick measuring contest! No contest I haven't had a full nights sleep for about 6 months you idiot!!!! I need to find a reason to leave him allllllll day with the baby and then mayb he'll understand! I do the same job as him so I know how tired he is whereas he has never done a full day parenting never mind consecutive ones with no sleep! On he upside he got up with DS at 6.15 and only woke me at 9.15 so he has avoided being buried under the patio to live another day!

Oh and I'm jealous of your veggie husbands, there aren't that many to go round! I'm veggie but dh isn't, though we mostly eat veggie at home. We'll not raise ds veggie but will probably end up eating veggie at home mostly or will just depend on who's doing the cooking. I've been veggie since I was 11 so I've no idea how even to cook meat.

I am the same with visitors, especially if they have toddlers who just want to empty Lego all over the living room!

I feel much better going to bed so early even if DS did wake 3 times. DD slept until 7 so not bad considering the extra hour.

I have a friend to see for lunch too who has a 3 and 1 year old so that will be nice. We're going to a soft play cafe so the kids can let off steam too.

I feed to sleep currently too although sometimes he self settles. I did with DD too until she was about 6 months old when she just naturally started staying awake during the bedtime feed.

I missed a whole page of posts!

Lily, I can't believe your DH wimped out! Does he think you do the night shift because you have loads if energy? I'd love to say I'm too tired and just not do it! 3 hour lie in is nice but I'd still be cross at going back on the deal.

My boobs are like Siani's and never settled down with DD. Glad yours have Frolic. I was wearing breast pads at a year before and currently have to double up! Hate always smelling and feeling so milky.

Afternoon, or is it morning? Or is it later in the same afternoon? Argh! I hate the clocks changing. Fortunately grumpy 1 is still foxed by the groclock so she stayed in bed until 7:30am new time. Grumpy 2 was not impressed though so she's sparko now in her pram (totally fed her to sleep for those interested ).

Baby monitors We have a Tomy one, its the most basic one they do and cost us around £30 four and a bit years ago. It just does temperature, night light and audio. Apparently you can talk to your baby through it also but we never tried that. It looks like half a globe. We find it absolutely fine, but that may well be because we haven't let either daughter sleep unattended until they were a bit older so we were less concerned about them when the time came to use it.

lily grumpy 2's baby acne turned into really dry skin (properly red and peeling) on her cheeks at about 3 weeks. I tried a few different things to sort it out (both hippy organic and not so hippy organic) and in the end shea butter worked the best. It is sad when they get sore skin, we just have the cradle cap to get rid of now which is unsightly but doesn't seem to bother her too much.

frolic well done frolic baby on a great nights sleep! Enjoy your pub breakfast. Your MIL sounds like mine, take delight in subverting her every time you feed DS a sausage

lily what a cheek! You definitely have to find a reason to leave him for a day of solo parenting. Come and watch Buffy with Dozy and I in our virtual snack-filled universe and leave him to it.

YY to slow-motion DH. The other night he went downstairs to get me a glass of water while I was giving grumpy 2 her bedtime feed. He was supposed to pop down, get the water then come straight back to take her from me to wind her and put her down. Over an hour later he reappears in the bedroom confused as to why she is already asleep in her cot and I am fuming. Apparently he was doing 'useful' things. That's as maybe you prat! But they weren't the 'useful' things you were supposed to be doing at that point in time!!!

I have never used a baby monitor. I have supersonic hearing this was put to the test when a friend was moving so for a few days she stayed at mine with her DD. I heard her DD before the monitor she had brought with picked up the noise.
It could be she just had a crap monitor though, and I know some people like them for peace of mind.

I've never used a monitor either. If the yelling is loud enough for me to hear then I know it's worth going in; if I can't hear anything then all is well. Grumbling doesn't get given a moment's notice. I've never been tempted to peek in at a sleeping bairn because we have very old, very creaky doors. The risk is too great.

Visitors have gone. Phew! I'm so tired. Entertaining people is hard work. Dd1 will be gutted though. She's loved having folk to play with. My sister's best friend made a suitcase and filled it with homemade clothes for dd1's doll. Even coat hangers for the dresses. A whole weekend of dressing and undressing Molly the dolly. Such a lovely, thoughtful thing to do.

Someone I know was posting about cradle cap on another group. The Mum and Me with olive oil is supposed to be good and coconut oil was another recommendation.

Busy busy busy - too much to catch up on!! Can't remember what everyone individually said -

fatty I am like you, never used a monitor with my super sonic hearing - works well when kids older too - nothing gets past me!!

Nappies - I've used Pampers with all of my DCs - baby still in size 1 - and never had any problems with them.

Sleeping - I always feed to sleep at night. I sometimes feed to sleep during the day or she falls asleep in her pram but she has now started sucking her thumb and self-settling. She is asleep just now in her sit-me-up cosy with her little thumb in

I had DD out from 7am-7pm yesterday - eldest 2 DCs were at a big swimming gala (proud mummy - DS got 2 gold medals!) and she was so well behaved - charmed everyone with her smiles and didn't cry once - more days like that would be nice.......

nolonger I hate the feeling and smelling milky, too. I actually can't even face the idea of sex because it puts me off so much. :(
What breast pads are other people using? I've been using the lansinoh ones (buying 240 at a time off amazon) and I has some cotton reusable ones which were piss useless and filled up and leaked after about 5 minutes a friend recommended me little lamb bamboo reusable ones and they are about 100 times better than the other reusable ones I had. They actually absorb a ton and don't leak, and they're as thin as the disposable ones.
Monitors: we got given one by my aunt, so we've been using that occasionally. I just use it occasionally if DS has fallen asleep somewhere in the daytime and I need to do something elsewhere in the house. We try to always respond to his needs before he cries, because we bloody hate crying, so being able to hear grumbling before he actually gets loud is really useful. He only very rarely cries, and when he does its only when he's really really upset. The monitor is definitely good for avoiding that happening!
Eczema: we really expected DS to suffer from it because we both do, but I actually think he might be lucky! He had terrible dry skin flaking off all over him like scales when he was very new, but it was just because he was late and all the vernix had gone before he was born. He's got a couple of slightly flaky bits now but his skin is mostly lovely. I swear by aveeno cream for my own, and DP has prescription stuff for his. Both of us find that soap and bodywash makes it worse, so DS is just washed with water alone, and probably will be until he really NEEDS soap.

Went out to the pub for a roast today, having heard of another pub that has a baby changing thing. I think that by the time this baby is weaned I'll have fed him in every pub in town!

Nolonger- I know what you mean about visitors with toddlers- the last one we had round literally got all of DS's toys out and had them all in her mouth at some point! I'll admit I was a bit PFB and wiped them all down when she had gone! Her dad also peeled a tangerine on our living room floor (we'd had laminate fitted about a week earlier) and then gave it to her to eat- sticky juice everywhere!

Slowife- Shea butter like the moisturiser you get? Or something more hippy and pure? Lol! I have Shea butter but didn't know if I should use it on him. I used sudocrem simply because I know it says 'eczema' on the tub and can be used in baby's! I'll be honest I'm hoping the doc will prescribe something so it's free- awful I know!! Cradle cap wise I think it was up thread someone suggested baby oil and combing it out- I did that yesterday on DS and worked a treat- didn't appear to bother him at all! Yes please to the buffy marathon
I used to love it!!

Loves- how good are those cosys we have one and DS lives it especially for naps but I get worried when he's been in it for hours- he had a 3.5 hour nap in there today! He'd cry if he was uncomfy though I suppose!

Siani- I used to hate the feel and smell of being all milky too another reason I ended up giving up. I'm with you on getting to DS before he cries, as a result he rarely does which is good! You are probably right about the bathing thing I should probably start just using water until it clears up at least- I love me the smell of a freshly bathed baby though but that's just selfish!

Can't remember who said about Lidl's toujours nappies? Like you said I noticed they usually only have size 4s and upwards but when we went today I noticed they have size 1s all the way upwards. Are they recommended? They were just as good value as aldi but I don't live near one so if they are good I might start using them! I get paid Friday and we have plenty nappies till then but may get a pack to try on payday!

We've had a lazy pig out day today (yep diet starts monday AGAIN!!) I've eaten 2 Lidl's choc twists, bought the buenos (only 1 eaten so far) and we are having pizza for tea! Doh! Had a bit of a heart to heart this morning about why we are both so miserable at the mo and we are both worried about finances when I go part time so we sat down and did the budgeting and turns out it will be much better than we originally thought so we aren't quite so peeved anymore! Good day all in all really then!

Main worry at the min now then is still no sign of AF and DS is 13 weeks today and I stopped BF at 6 weeks!! Hope I'm not broken!

Today has been a massive write off! Can I blame the clocks? I'm going to...bloody clocks. Feel like today has been 7964279 hours long and quite frankly my day hasn't had enough chocolate in it. Mugabe all x

Mugabe Augums (short for August Mums,

I hope Sunday went well. We have been out and about twice and both children napped at the same time today so I did too! Was bliss.

We have a BT monitor and I love it. It's lasted us for years and wasn't very expensive as on offer on Amazon.

With DD's excema the doctor gave is Oilatum cream and bath stuff. I much preferred it to the very thick almost vasaline-y stuff they often prescribe.

Why is it that blokes take so long to do anything. I asked mine to go downstairs to turn the heating off as we'd forgotten the other night and it took him 20 minutes! Apparently he was "rotating the clothes on the airer". Seriously man, time and place! I also do 99% of nappies because he gets me so wound up by taking so long and the baby has usually weed on the changer before he's got the new nappy under which then means it takes him even longer to do a full outfit change!!

We also have creaky doors so I don't go in to check on DD when we go to bed. I too assume that if all is quiet then all is fine.

Siani, I just use supermarket breast pads at £1.50 for 40. Nothing I tried including this lilypad thingys worked well so I get the cheapest and wear four at a time and change regularly. I still leaked all through my clothes while DD was at her dance class this morning though. Thankfully I was in a black jumper so didn't show. Maybe I should try Little Lamb. Thanks for the recommendation!

Lily, I used to put DD's toys in the dishwasher. Now with poor DS they just get a cursory "clean" with a baby wipe! I sometimes just leave the mess out overnight too as I know it will all just get brought out again the next day. It's like painting the Forth Bridge trying to keep some semblance of tidiness.

I have a confession. I've never been to Aldi or Lidl. There isn't one close to me but I majorly love Buenos so all this talk has made me think I need to hunt down the nearest one.

Oooh Lily, do you think you should do a pregnancy test??? I know a lady with an 11 month gap from a baby group I used to go to with DD. Just saying...

Evening all!
A good night turned into a good day in the frolic household. We had a lovely pub brunch, did the shopping and then had a really long forest walk with the dog and baby. Dh carried him in the ergo for the first time, which was lovely, but I felt lost without a sling or pram!

And we have just experienced our first poonami! Rivers or yellow sludge everywhere. All over his beautiful frugi leggings. I hope they wash well. Good job it's bath night.

I can't believe your dh promised you a night off and then didn't follow through lily! But a 3 hour lie in kind of makes up for it I suppose.
I think I may have said about tojours nappies. We've used them and they are fine. Pretty much the same as asda and lidl ones
And about the same price.
I bet you eat more bueno's before the end of the day!

Have you seen the news about the W.H.O releasing a warning about red meat being carsonogenic slow?! My mil is going to have a field day with that. I will eat an extra sausage in defiance

She looks very cute and cosy in there loves.

siani, I've been unsing tesco breast pads. They're pretty absorbent and cheap. Don't get the wilko ones, they are utter shite and just crumple. Interesting point about re-usable ones, I hadn't thought of them. I will definetly look into giving them a go.

X-posts - I stopped to eat dinner before pressing post.

fanby

Get thee to lidl for some fake bueno's nolonger. thank us later!

Hope everyone had nice weekends. After a horrible day on Friday (feeling your pain for today fanby) we've had a couple of good days. Although saw lots of mummy friends this weekend who were quick to advice that DS should be napping solo. Yes yes yes. Whatever. Aidan and I are happy to enjoy out 4th trimester thank you very much. That asides was nice to see everyone and check out DS in his Halloween costume.

In terms of getting DS to sleep, we feed, rock, push in pram, bop in sling, stroke cheek/hand/head, use heartbeat sound, white noise. Basically every 'rod for your own back' option out there. And at night it's sort of working. Day time is still a bit of a battle. So with that in mind have decided to throw £40 at these sit me up cosy's and see if they help.

Must say the wise words of second time mummies on here as really helped me stop stressing about it and just enjoy the cuddles. So thank you you lovely lot!!

And yes have another slow DH here. It works better for everyone if I do the night nappies.

Can't remember who asked about giggles but DS is not a giggler yet. But was also late to smile so hoping will come soon.

Right DS and I are off for bath!

Nolonger - you need to check out your aldi/lidl situ pronto-I prefer aldi but lidl's have in store bakeries! Unfortunately we don't have either that near us...

Kbro - oh doesn't he look smashing!! Absolutely gorgeous! I'm in the same court as you, thank the Lord for the mum alreadys-advice is invaluable!

Re: breast pads, I'm currently working my way through a box of boots ultra absorbent ones, they are DREADFUL. I'm definitely going back to lanisoh, in my eyes worth the extra ££

This weekend has gone so quickly....

Dh forgot the Jaffa cakes but bought the fake buenos. Looking forward to scoffing them. He also bought me a special treat of Italian mousses. Wow! Not an everyday thing but wow! See this no sugar thing? It's working a treat!

Bad luck about the frugi leggings. Typical!

Love the outfit, Kbro. He's a wee topper! Need to sort costumes for the girls for Tuesday because we're having an early Halloween party at toddler group and then another one on Saturday. So far I have a witch's hat. Anyone got any thoughts?

Breast pads: Fwiw, Sainsbury's and Superdrug cheap ones are also total shite. If anyone has found disposable ones as good as the Lansinoh ones but cheaper I am all over that.

frolic no, not the lovely leggings! If the staining doesn't wash straight out, sunlight seems to make it vanish amazingly! I've hung a few white vests out on the line covered in yellow poo stains and they are snowy white when I bring them in!

Yes we always liked Toujours nappies for DS1. Our Lidl has been closed for refurbishment since August (yes really) but is re-opening this week. I shall check out whether they now do smaller sizes although we have just bought a huge pack of size 3 Pampers.

I think the Lansinoh disposable breast pads are excellent. They have two sticky strips so stay put in the bra and soak up LOADS. I never had a leak even when I stopped breast feeding and they were really full. I also had some bamboo reusables which were pretty good after a few washes. I don't know what to do with them now I've stopped. I doubt there's much of a call for second-hand breast pads?!?!

Oh yes, monitors - we have a BT monitor that we've had since DS1 so 5 years. We don't use all the fancy lullabies etc but as a monitor it's great. We've never had a video monitor and never felt the need but I suppose if I was buying one new now I might be tempted. I've heard it's not necessarily a good idea to have the type with the mattress monitor as it can cause more stress than it solves.

Nolonger- the idiot doctor that refused to fit my coil on Monday did a pg test and it was negative so don't need to worry about that! Can you imagine!? Jeez I'd have a breakdown! Loving 'Augmums'! Hoping for Oilatum then that sounds good! I have tried putting some of my leftover lasinoh on him tonight- a friend swore by it for nappy rash and it is pure and ok to be in their mouths after all!

Already had another Bueno frolic and not had post tea cuppa yet so bound to have at least another! Oh dear to the poonami- I missed our first this morning having my lie in! Karma for DH methinks!

Kbro- I hope the cosy works- ours did pretty much instantly! I don't know what I'm going to do when he outgrows it! Was me asking about giggles- none here yet either but he sounds close to it sometimes!

Breast pad wise I personally didn't like the lasinoh ones but I have teeny boobs which is maybe why! I got some mega cheap ones from bodycare that were on but are quite small if you are fortunate enough to be blessed! Hehe!

Joksar- the mousse sounds amazing! DH dragged me away from the Italian speciality stuff today dammit!